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The lawyer of Glasgow Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara believes the police now have enough evidence to charge Ondrej Kudela for “racially aggravated conduct”.

Kamara lawyer discusses case

Aamer Anwar is representing Finland international Kamara after he accused Kudela of racist abuse during the Europa League round of 16 clash between the Gers and Slavia Prague at Ibrox.

Speaking about the progression of the case, Anwar said (via The Herald):

“The police have now gathered evidence including CCTV as well as statements from witnesses that we believe would corroborate sufficient evidence for a criminal charge of a ‘racially aggravated conduct’ by Kudela – in that it is alleged he intended to cause Glen Kamara alarm or distress and his conduct was motivated by malice and ill-will because of Glen’s race.

“If Police Scotland believe there is sufficiency of evidence, then they can swiftly move to a charge of a Section 50A(1)(b) offence under Criminal Procedure Scotland Act 1995, that would mean that Mr Kudela would be reported to the Procurator Fiscal.

“Mr Kudela could then be served with a citation to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court at a later date and ultimately at a trial if he does plead guilty in advance.”

Finally

Finally, it seems that we may be close to some sort of outcome in regards to this case. Since the game was played on March 18th, there have been accusations thrown back and forth – Slavia have accused Kamara of striking Kudela on the back of the head in the tunnel (slavia.cz), while there have also been suggestions Nicolae Stanciu received abuse from a Rangers player (eFotbal.cz).
It remains to be seen whether Kudela is actually found guilty, but putting together a strong case is a start. The result of the impending trial is important – whatever verdict is reached will send out a message in regards to the fight against racism.
In other news, Rangers are said to be interested in this 27-goal striker.

Salah, Mahrez to Hakimi – Top 15 players from the Arab world who play in Europe

The Arab world consists of 22 countries from North and North-East Africa and from the West Asia region. A host of footballers from the Arab world are currently plying their trades in the top European leagues and some of them are among the crème de la crème of European football.

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez are some of the best performers in the Premier League.

Mohamed Salah has been Liverpool’s best player for the past five years and is considered one of the finest players in the world.

The Arab world has produced some top-class players over the years. The region is also all set to host the World Cup for the first time this time around, with the 2022 edition set to start in Qatar from November 21, 2022.

Let us look at the top 15 footballers from the Arab world who are currently playing in Europe.

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  Mohamed Salah

  Position: Attack

  County: Egypt

  Club: Liverpool

  Stint: 2017-present

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  Riyad Mahrez

  Position: Attack

  County: Algeria

  Club: Manchester City

  Stint: 2017-present

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  Achraf Hakimi

  Position: Full-Back

  County: Morocco

  Club: PSG

  Stint: 2021-present

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  Hakim Ziyech

  Position: Attack

  County: Morocco

  Club: Chelsea

  Stint: 2020-present

With the transfer window open across Europe, Goal takes a look at the players who could be on the move in the coming month

The January transfer window provides a timely opportunity for many clubs to deepen their playing pool, but the market can be a peculiar place at that time of the season.

Historically, there have been some big moves at this point in the season, the most notable recent example perhaps being the signing of Virgil van Dijk by Liverpool from Southampton in 2018.

We have already seen the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Erling Braut Haaland change clubs, with more set to follow.

With the 2020 January rumour mill turning and transfer window open, Goal takes a look at the players who could potentially make a move.

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  Marcos Alonso | Chelsea | Defender

  Spanish wing-back Marcos Alonso emerged as one of Chelsea's most valuable players in recent campaigns, popping up with goals and assists galore.

  However, he has endured a difficult period at the club since the departure of Antonio Conte and has struggled for game time under Frank Lampard.

  Conte, now at helm of Inter, is a massive admirer of Alonso and the Italian coach is reportedly keen to bring him to Serie A.

  According to , the former Fiorentina player is Conte's number one target in January.

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  Cedric Bakambu | Beijing Guoan | Forward

  A return to Spain could be on the cards for Cedric Bakambu, whose future at Chinese Super League club Beijing Guoan is unclear.

  The former Villarreal striker made the move to China in 2018 for a lucrative €10-million-a-season (£9m/$11m) deal, but league regulations could see that figure drop soon.

  As a consequence, it is understood that his services have been touted around La Liga, with the likes of Valencia and Atletico Madrid open to making an offer.

  However, Bakambu is seen as a second choice for Atletico, who are believed to be keen on securing the signature of Paris Saint-Germain's Edinson Cavani.

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  Emre Can | Juventus | Midfielder

  Emre Can's Juventus adventure has not been a particularly happy one and the Germany international has fallen down the pecking order in Turin, fuelling speculation that he will leave the club in January.

  His omission from Juve's Champions League squad this season was a notable sticking point and he has been vocal about his discontent regarding his position at the club.

  Tthe former Liverpool midfielder has been linked with a return to the Premier League with – interestingly – Manchester United, and some reports have even suggested that he could be used as a makeweight in a deal involving Paul Pogba going the other direction.

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  Edinson Cavani | PSG | Forward

  Atletico Madrid have no shortage of powerful, athletic forwards, but apparently you can never have too many and they are believed to be lining up Edinson Cavani.

  The Uruguay international's contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires in the summer of 2020 so he could move on a free transfer and is considering his options. However, if a move is to happen in January, PSG will naturally demand a fee.

  A fee in the region of €10m (£9m/$11m) will be enough, according to reports.

The Dutch side eliminated two continental giants en route to the Champions League semis, but how does their squad value compare to Europe's big guns?

Ajax this week will take on Tottenham in their first Champions League semi-final for 22 years, with a place in their first final since 1996 a real possibility.

There are endless stats that emphasise how great an achievement it is for the Dutch side, who hadn't reached the knockout rounds of the competition since 2005-06 before this season, but few stress the point stronger than the cost of Erik ten Hag's squad.

Using initial transfer fees only, Goal has calculated the total cost of Ajax’s 25-man Champions League squad before doing the same for the other biggest sides in this season’s competition, including the likes of Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United.

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  PSG | €718m

  With PSG possessing the two most expensive footballers of all time, it's no shock to see them at the top of this list.

  Below Neymar (€222 million) and Kylian Mbappe (€145m), the likes of Edinson Cavani (€64m), Thiago Silva (€42m) and Leandro Paredes (€40m) help this 25-man squad rack up an incredible initial cost of €718m (£621m/$805m).

  The French outfit do have the most youth products in their 25-man squad of any team on this list, with Alphonse Areola, Sebastien Cibois, Presnel Kimpembe, Christopher Nkunku and Adrien Rabiot all having come through the ranks at the Parc de Princes.

  However, despite a spend of €1 billion coming on top of that since Qatar Sports Investments purchased the club in 2012, three successive last 16 exits mean PSG are nowhere near their dream of winning the Champions League.

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  Manchester City | €682m

  Manchester City's consistency in spending sees them come second in this list, with 12 of their 25-man squad commanding fees of €35 million or more.

  That takes the total cost of their squad up to a healthy €682m (£590m/$764m), with fringe player Riyad Mahrez the most expensive purchase (excluding add-ons) after his €69m move from Leicester City last summer.

  Their defence is the most expensive area, with their most common back four in the Champions League this season costing a combined €187m.

  However, even all that money could not stop them leaking three goals at home in the second leg of this season's quarter-final tie against Tottenham.

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  Manchester United | €661m

  Manchester United's comeback against PSG sparked the potential of a story for the football romantics, with club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer having the chance to replicate his heroics in 1999 as a player by guiding them to the Champions League title as a manager.

  But the romance of that story – before it was destroyed by Lionel Messi's Barcelona in the quarter-finals – was not so dreamy once you analysed the figures.

  The club's current crop of players have cost an incredible total of €661 million (£572.5m/$740.8m) – €189.9m of that on Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku alone – despite United having featured in the Champions League knockout stages just once in the last four years.

  With €160.6m splashed on players who have played less than half of their games in Europe this term, it's clear the 2007-08 winners will have to spend more effectively if they want to rediscover past glories.

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  Liverpool | €594m

  After Loris Karius' error-plagued performance in last season's Champions League final, it was no surprise that Liverpool splashed out €75 million on goalkeeper Alisson in the summer.

  Add his arrival to Virgil van Dijk's last January, and you have a €161.5m defensive duo – albeit, an important and necessary pair that Jurgen Klopp needed to purchase.

  The squad he has built has certainly come at some price, with the recent midfield additions of Naby Keita (€61m) and Fabinho (€46m) taking the total cost of Liverpool's Champions League squad up to a whopping €593.5m (£514.75m/$668.15m).

  But Klopp has addressed the areas that needed improvement and, if the money spent can help the Reds go one better than last year – both in the Premier League and in Europe – it will certainly be worth it.

With the France forward having become the first teenager since Pele to net twice in a World Cup game, Goal looks back at other prodigious talents

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  George Best

  George Best had already won a First Division title with Manchester United but the winger only became a true superstar at the age of 19 after a stunning performance against Benfica in the European Cup in 1966 that earned him the nickname 'The fifth Beatle'. Fondly remembered as one of the greatest players the game has ever seen – despite walking away from top-flight football at 27 – it is impossible not to wonder about what might have been had alcohol not consumed the Northern Irishman's life. "I was born with a great gift," he later mused, "and sometimes with that comes a destructive streak. Just as I wanted to outdo everyone when I played, I had to outdo everyone when we were out on the town."

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  Gianluigi Buffon

  Gianluigi Buffon achieved instant fame across the footballing world in 1995 by producing a string of sensational saves to keep the mighty AC Milan at bay on his Parma debut, aged 17. Over two decades on, the goalkeeping icon is still going strong and, despite having 40 in January, the Juventus captain is now seriously considering postponing his retirement for another year. That is hardly unsurprising of course, since he once revealed in his ode to the game, "I was 12 when I turned my back on my goal. And I will keep doing it as long as my legs, my head and my heart will allow."

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  Johan Cruyff

  Johan Cruyff is quite simply the most influential figure in football history. Nobody has ever changed the game so radically both as a player and a coach. Cruyff understood the game like no other, and from such a young age too. He was just 17 when he broke into the Ajax team and yet, as legendary coach Vic Buckingham explained, "He showed us how to play. He was so mature. He was such a skinny little kid but he had immense stamina and he could do everything… God's gift to mankind in a football sense. That was Johan. And such a nice kid too."

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  Duncan Edwards

  Despite the fact that he was just 21 when he died in the Munich Air Disaster in 1958, Duncan Edwards had already established himself as one of the most remarkable talents the English game had ever seen. A defensive midfielder who was also excellent going forward, he became the youngest player in First Division history when making his Manchester United debut at 16 years and 185 days old. Sadly, the football world would never discover just how great Edwards was going to be but former Red Devils boss Tommy Docherty claimed: "George Best was something special, as was Pelé and Maradona but, in my mind, Duncan was much better in terms of all-round ability and skill."

In recent comments made on the West Ham Way Podcast (Patreon), ExWHUemployee claimed West Ham United are interested in a summer swoop for Tammy Abraham.

According to the West Ham insider, Abraham has emerged as a target for the Hammers this summer, with the 23-year-old said to have ‘fallen out of favour’ at Stamford Bridge in recent weeks.

ExWHUemployee also revealed, following recent contract discussions between the club and the £58k per week England international, Chelsea are not prepared to match the centre-forward’s wage demands in the negotiations that could see a renewal to his current deal, which expires in the summer of 2023 – potentially opening the door to the sale of the player this summer.

The Hammers insider claims Abraham is on a list of five or so forwards who Moyes ‘likes’ as we begin to look forward to the summer window.

Transfer Tavern Take

Having enjoyed an impressive start to the season, scoring six goals and providing one assist over his first 14 Premier League appearances this term, the £36 million-rated Abraham has seen his playing time become more limited in recent weeks, as well as his goals drying up – having not scored in the league since the turn of the year.

And, with the sale of Sebastien Haller in January leaving David Moyes with just one recognised centre-forward in his first-team squad, as well as the fact that ExWHUemployee claims Abraham ‘fits the criteria’ of striker that the West Ham boss likes, it would indeed appear that all signs point to the Hammers making a move for the Chelsea man this summer.

In other West Ham United news, many fans wanted this Premier League ace after a contract claim – find out more here!

Celtic failed to convince former QPR winger Bright Oyasi-Samuel to move to Parkhead in January, according to reports in Turkey.

Bhoys miss out

The 23-year-old had just six months left to run on his Loftus Road deal before eventually opting to join Mesut Ozil at Fenerbahce.

Reports emerged back in December that suggested former manager Neil Lennon had put arrangements in place to bring Oyasi-Samuel to Celtic next summer before he eventually resigned from his position at the club.

The Nigerian forward was touted as a player that was “destined for the Premier League” by his former boss Mark Warburton (cited by West London Sport), but opted not to choose that path.

Fotospor revealed that both Celtic and Rangers were willing to pay £5m to secure his services but failed to reel him in – he scored 13 goals and provided 13 assists in 115 outings before his QPR departure (Transfermarkt).

Transfer Tavern Verdict

While it will be disappointing for the supporters that they missed out on a player with huge potential, he can’t really be blamed for following Ozil to Turkey.

Having signed a five-year contract with the Super Lig club, Osayi-Samuel will inevitably be off the Parkhead radar and Dominic McKay will have to work hard to make the necessary first-team improvements this summer.

With new staff reportedly being put in place in the summer, time will which other attacking players the Hoops have on their wish list.

In other news, Celtic-linked manager responds to Parkhead rumours; Mourinho once dubbed him ‘incredible.’

Glasgow Rangers have been tipped to sell George Edmundson after his latest snub by Steven Gerrard.

What’s the word?

Derby County secured the Rangers central defender on loan for the remainder of the campaign after he fell out of favour with Gerrard after being banned by the SFA for breaching COVID-19 rules with Jordan Jones.

Edmundson, whose contract with the Scottish giants is set to expire in 2023, has featured just once for the Gers in the 2020/21 campaign, having made 16 appearances across all competitions for the club in the previous season.

New signing Jack Simpson has been given the squad number previously worn by Edmundson, which has cast doubts about his future at the club.

Despite Gerrard hinting he has left the door open for Edmundson to resurrect his Rangers career, he has since been shipped out on loan to Pride Park for the rest of the season and pundit Frank McAvennie believes that the centre-back is out of the picture because he’s lost the belief of the manager.

“I would think so,” he told Football Insider when asked if Edmundson will be concerned that Simpson has been handed the number 4 shirt.

“You never keep your squad number anyway when you go out on loan so I wouldn’t look too much into that.

“I don’t think he’ll get back in, to be honest, they’ll be moving him on and especially after winning the league, they’ll be looking for a bit more quality.”

Long road back to Ibrox

Connor Goldson is currently the undisputed first-choice centre-back at Ibrox, with Leon Balogun and Filip Helander the other two battling to bag a spot alongside the Englishman, which has left Edmundson as the odd man out.

The 23-year-old was signed by Rangers for around £700,000 from Oldham Athletic on a four-year deal in 2019. Since then, he has shown flashes of brilliance, including an impressive league debut against Hamilton at Ibrox but has struggled to put together a string of decent performances. His latest show of indiscipline has hardly helped his case, either.

Unfortunately, his numbers also pale in comparison to those of his more experienced teammates. A lowly WhoScored rating of 5.52 sees him ranked the worst player out of the entire Rangers squad, although this can also be partly attributed to his lack of game time.

Edmundson had long been billed as one to watch for the future, with his old coach Nicky Law senior previously singing the praises of his former charge.

However, whether Rangers will decide to retain his services in the summer is another matter entirely and it’s looking like they will move him on.

AND in other Rangers news, Cedric Itten didn’t make the most of Alfredo Morelos’ absence against Kilmarnock…

Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard could leave the club this summer because the club’s majority shareholder Dermot Desmond has not put any money into the club for an “awfully long time.”

Edouard to leave?

This is what football finance expert Kieran Maguire has said, in light of the 22-year-old switching his agent and with his asking price lowered by the Bhoys.

Real Madrid have reportedly joined the race to sign Edouard on the back of interest from Arsenal who are keen to sign him in 2021.

Speaking with Football Insider, Maguire believes Desmond is looking for a self-sustainable model and Edouard’s sale will help balance the books.

“If you take a look at Celtic, the owners haven’t put any money into the club for an awfully long time,” he said. “So to a large extent, Celtic have been self-sufficient financially.

“Now, if that’s going to be the case, they are losing money on a week-by-week basis, and the only way you can cover those losses is through player sales. Dembele, Tierney, other players of that standard, they’ve been clever in selling in recent years.

“If the owner (billionaire Desmond is the majority shareholder) doesn’t want to put any money in, there’s no alternative but to sell someone like Odsonne Edouard.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

This will be understandably a huge blow for Celtic, especially after everything that Edouard has helped Neil Lennon’s side achieve over the past three years.

Since his loan move from Ligue 1 giants in 2017 and his permanent transfer a year later, Edouard has gone on to score 72 goals from 151 appearances and clocked up over 10,000 minutes of game time (TransferMarkt).

Time will reveal how developments at the club unfold from now until the end of the season, in what has been a wretched campaign from start to finish.

In other news, Peter Lawwell hit with further scathing amid Celtic’s Dubai fallout.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, Carlton Palmer has said that Christian Benteke could be a fantastic signing for West Bromwich Albion.

Benteke could be useful

The Baggies have been linked with a move for the Belgium international (The Express and Star), who has scored three times in 11 matches for Crystal Palace in the Premier League so far this campaign (Transfermarkt).

Palmer believes that Sam Allardyce is right to target the 30-year-old. He said:

“Benteke is one of those strikers, he’s only scored three goals this season but he brings a lot more to the table and maybe in West Brom’s situation, where they’re battling, he can put in a shift up front, he is good at holding the ball up and he’s good at heading the ball at both ends of the pitch. Benteke might be a player who could be useful to West Brom, to help them stay in the league.”

Interesting option

While Benteke has not had the best time of it in recent years – he has just ten Premier League goals since the 2016/2017 campaign – he is still a striker with a fantastic pedigree. He has 75 goals in the top flight to his name despite that disappointing run, and his record this term has shown flashes of the ability that once saw him earn a £32.5m to Liverpool (BBC).

Currently valued at £8.1m (Transfermarkt), Allardyce has confirmed that Benteke is on his radar (Sky Sports). He actually managed the striker during his time at Selhurst Park, so he is someone he is at least familiar with. As West Brom look to stay among the elite, Benteke could provide a boost to the side’s attacking options.

In other news, West Brom fans were delighted by this Champions League giants’ struggles.