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Sweden has a proud modern history of producing elite strikers, from Henrik Larsson and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, to Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres. If the hype is to be believed, then 16-year-old Kevin Filling is the latest sensation off that conveyor belt of talent, and the AIK prospect is already being linked with a transfer to one of the Premier League's big hitters.

Filling's senior career is truly still only in its infancy, but following his eye-catching debut in the summer, the teenager is already in the headlines – finding himself linked with English giants Manchester United, among others.

INEOS have already demonstrated their ruthlessness in pursuit of the best young talent around, snaring another Scandinavian wonderkid in Chido Obi from Arsenal as well as Malian midfielder Sekou Kone since taking control of football operations at Old Trafford in late 2023. Whether another deal for a prodigious teenager is on the cards remains to be seen, with some other big names supposedly in the running while United's name is often used in the press for agents to gain leverage. What's clear, though, is that Swedish football has another huge talent on its hands…

• Where it all began

  Eligible to represent both Sweden and Senegal through his parents, Filling was born in the Swedish city of Vasteras – about 100 kilometres west of capital Stockholm – in November 2008. His football journey began at Vasteras-based IK Franke, but aged 11 he stepped up to bigger local club Vasteras SK, who ply their trade in the second tier. Interestingly, that is also where ex-United defender Victor Lindelof came through the ranks.

  It was there that Filling caught the attention of Stockholm's biggest club, AIK, and he joined their academy ahead of the 2023 season at 14. He made swift progress through the age grades, earning game time with the Under-16s and U17s, ultimately netting 10 times in 14 games in 2023. He continued on that upward trajectory the following year, netting 12 times in 26 games as a fully-fledged member of the U17s squad.

  He was promoted to the U19s earlier in 2025, and after a brief loan at third-tier partner club Enkopings SK, where he netted once in just three appearances, the 16-year-old was deemed ready for an opportunity by his parent side.

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  The big break

  In late June 2025, the teenager was given a huge vote of confidence by manager Mikkjal Thomassen as, out of nowhere, he started the Allsvenskan clash against AIK's fierce inter-city rivals IFK Goteborg.

  That roll of the dice paid off handsomely, as Filling scored a debut goal to more or less wrap up an eventual 3-0 victory just before the break. Curving his run to stay onside like a seasoned veteran, the youngster latched on to a cute through-ball and found himself in on goal. Keeping his cool, he rolled the ball under the goalkeeper and into the back of the net to spark wild scenes in the stands. Filling was later taken off to a standing ovation from the home section of the Strawberry Arena.

  Explaining the big selection call afterwards, Thomassen said: "He (Filling) started because he trained enormously well. He has convinced me." On whether it was a risk, he added: "It's not about daring. I picked the best team today. It was a 16-year-old and a guy who turned 18 last week. We lined up with the strongest team we had.

  "We don't take into account what age they are. Kevin brings quality and energy. We are very impressed by him."

• How it's going

  The very next day, AIK announced that young Filling had signed a his first professional contract to keep him at the club until June 2028.

  "It feels completely unreal to sign my first contract with AIK," he effused. "It is a dream come true to be able to step up to the men's team at the age of 16 and now I look forward to continuing my development in order to achieve my next dream in the future, which is to win the Swedish Championship gold medal with AIK."

  However, Filling's goal-scoring exploits on his debut unfortunately did not spark an immediate breakthrough, as it emerged that the teenager had suffered a knee injury. That problem would keep him out for two months, and he has since been eased back into action – starting just one out of eight matches since late August, albeit he will still be happy with that level of game time at his age.

  He has, though, bagged his second senior goal for AIK in another euphoric moment, rising highest to head home a 96th-minute winner against Stockholm rivals IF Brommapojkarna. "This is the best there is, this is how football should be," he told afterwards with his arms spread wide in a refreshingly enthusiastic interview. "A chance, a goal, it's enough."

  At international level, Filling already forms part of Sweden's U18s squad and recently netted a brace against Wales in a friendly. He had already represented the U15s, U16s and U17s, and seems destined to make his senior bow in the not-too-distant future.

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  Biggest strengths

  Filling's two senior goals are a reflection of the attributes he is already exhibiting at such a young age. The first against Goteborg showed his speed and fearlessness, as he raced clear of the defence but stayed composed when one on one with the goalkeeper and coolly finished; the second demonstrated his aerial ability, as he already stands at an imposing 6'1" despite having many more years to grow. Indeed, he was clearly up for the physical battle on his debut as he engaged in plenty of duels. He has the versatility to play out wide, too, often operating in the left channel and cutting inside.

  "Kevin was one of the first academy players I noticed when I came to the club, and since then his development has been very positive," AIK's head of scouting and recruitment Fredrik Wisur Hansen said when Filling's contract was announced. "With his pace, intensity and natural aggression, he is a perfect fit for the football we want to play."

  It seems at this early stage that he has the mentality required to make it to the very top, too. Thomassen revealed after the striker's goal against Goteborg: "(He is) Very ambitious. I had to call him in from the last training session. He stood half an hour after we finished training and practiced finishing. He has taken enormous responsibility for his own development and it has gone quickly forward."

Celtic have two weeks during the last international break of the calendar year to finally find a long-term successor to former head coach Brendan Rodgers.

The Northern Irish manager tendered his resignation after the 3-1 defeat to Hearts in the Scottish Premiership last month, ending his second spell in the dugout at Parkhead.

Rodgers, as shown in the graphic above, enjoyed a largely successful second stint with the Hoops, as he won the Premiership title in both of his full seasons in charge.

Experienced manager Martin O’Neill was brought in to take charge of the Scottish giants for an interim period, having been out of club management since the 2018/19 campaign.

Now, the Hoops need to finalise their search for their long-term successor to Rodgers to lead the team after the international break and, hopefully, into future seasons.

One of the managers who has been linked with a potential move to Parkhead is Wales national team head coach Craig Bellamy, who had a stint as a player in Glasgow.

What Craig Bellamy has said about a move to Celtic

It was reported at the end of last month that the Scottish giants were planning to make contact with the former Manchester City and Liverpool forward about the possibility of taking the job.

Unfortunately, for Celtic, though, Bellamy all-but-quashed speculation over his future by reaffirming his commitment to Wales, ahead of the World Cup next summer.

When asked about a move to Parkhead recently, the Welsh boss said: “I can understand the links. I played there. But to me, I love what I’m doing at the present time. I’m completely focused on what’s set to come. That’s all I’m focused on. It’s cliched but I couldn’t want anything else. It isn’t on my radar and it won’t be on my radar.”

Those comments suggest that Celtic will not be able to persuade him to ditch his country to be Rodgers’ replacement, which is understandable given that he has the chance to lead his country out at the World Cup in America next summer.

That is a possible blow for the Scottish giants because Bellamy could have been an intriguing appointment for the club, as he has done some brilliant work since taking over from Rob Page for Wales.

That mentality and way of coaching his team, the former Celtic forward has improved his country’s national team in his time in charge. They are scoring more goals and winning more points than they were before.

Whilst Bellamy may not be available for the Hoops in the international break, the club are reportedly keen on a manager who would be a dream alternative.

Celtic battling English side to land 4-2-3-1 manager

According to journalist Alan Nixon, via his Patreon, Celtic are one of the teams battling it out to land Cardiff City head coach Brian Barry-Murphy in the coming days or weeks.

The reporter claims that the Hoops have placed the former Manchester City U21 tactician on their shortlist of candidates, as they look to find their replacement for Rodgers.

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Nixon adds that English Championship side Middlesbrough are also eyeing a possible move for the Irish tactician, who typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation, as they are in the process of losing Rob Edwards to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The journalist reveals that Celtic use their connections with the City Football Group to do background on possible manager targets, and Barry-Murphy worked with Manchester City’s U21s for several seasons, which may be why they are keen on a move for him.

Whilst it remains to be seen whether or not the Hoops will make contact with Cardiff to discuss a deal for the 47-year-old coach, the League One boss could be a brilliant alternative to Craig Bellamy.

Why Barry-Murphy would be a dream alternative to Bellamy for Celtic

The Cardiff manager would be the dream alternative to the Wales national team manager because he has a similar style of play and way of working, with his 4-2-3-1 formation that sees his team play out from the back and take risks.

In fact, as you can hear in the clip above, Bellamy sees a lot of similarities between the way he wants Wales to play and the way that Barry-Murphy has Cardiff playing in League One, which he believes benefits him with the national side.

The Wales boss says that it is a “dream” for him that the Irishman plays a similar style, which is exactly why he would be a “dream” alternative to Bellamy for the Hoops this month.

On top of being similar to Bellamy in style, Barry-Murphy has done an impressive job at Cardiff. The Bluebirds were relegated from the Championship last season, finishing bottom, and he had to come in and turn the club around.

They are currently fourth in League One after 14 matches. Meanwhile, the two teams that came down from the Championship alongside them are below Cardiff in the table, with Luton in ninth and Plymouth in 24th.

As you can see in the table above, Barry-Murphy also has experience managing a side to win matches consistently, as he won two Premier League 2 titles in charge of Manchester City’s U21s.

Whilst that was at U21 level, it does show that he is used to playing a style that leads to consistent wins, which has carried over to his time in charge of Cardiff so far, as they sit in the play-off places in League One.

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Therefore, Barry-Murphy would be an intriguing appointment for Celtic as a dream alternative to Bellamy if they decide to press ahead with a move for his services.

Ahead of Rob Edwards’ arrival, The Athletic’s David Ornstein has already shared one problem that the new Wolverhampton Wanderers boss will face in the January transfer window.

It has been a disastrous start for those in the Midlands, who recently sacked manager Vitor Pereira after less than a year in charge. Since returning to the Premier League in 2018, their top-flight status hasn’t looked as at risk as it is now. They currently sit eight points adrift of safety after 11 games and remain the only side in the league yet to pick up a win.

Turning things around from here will be far from easy, but it’s Rob Edwards who looks set to be handed that very task. The Middlesbrough boss wasn’t in the dugout for Boro’s victory over Birmingham City on Saturday and the club confirmed that he’s set to join Wolves, much to their reluctance.

The Championship side said in a statement: “Middlesbrough Football Club have, subject to the completion of an agreement with Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, given head coach Rob Edwards permission to speak to Wolves.

“We initially rejected an approach from Wolves on the basis that Rob signed a three-year contract with MFC less than six months ago. Following discussions with Rob we were disappointed to learn that he wanted to speak with Wolves regarding their head coach vacancy. We have now agreed terms with Wolves, subject to completion of the relevant paperwork.”

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Edwards now also has the chance for some Premier League redemption, having been relegated with Luton Town the last time that he was in England’s top tier. Guiding Wolves to safety from this point would more than put those demons to bed.

With a new manager on the way, Wolves should be ones to watch in the January transfer window, but the reality is that they’re already facing one frustrating problem.

Ornstein reveals first transfer problem for Edwards at Wolves

Speaking on NBC Sports ahead of the manager’s arrival, Ornstein revealed that Edwards may only be able to sign homegrown players at Wolves in the January transfer window.

It’s a move that will immediately limit the new manager, but one that – according to Ornstein – will be made to prepare Wolves for any potential Championship campaign next season.

Just who arrives as a result is the big question. Edwards could yet return to Middlesbrough in an attempt to lure some of his former stars to the Premier League, but whether they’d join a side who look destined for relegation remains to be seen.

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Former Australia allrounder signs three-year contract to succeed Trevor Griffin

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Nov-2025Somerset have appointed Erin Osborne, the former Australia allrounder, as women’s head coach. Osborne, 36, has signed a three-year contract and replaces Trevor Griffin, who stepped down after Somerset’s first season in the newly professional Tier 1 county structure.Osborne played 121 times for Australia between 2009 and 2016. She retired from domestic cricket in 2022, going on to hold a number of coaching roles with Canberra-based ACT Meteors.”I’m thrilled to be joining Somerset as women’s head coach,” Osborne said. “This is an incredible opportunity to work with a club that has a proud history and a passionate supporter base.”I look forward to building on the strong foundations already in place and working closely with the players, coaches, and support staff as we strive for continued growth and success.”Somerset finished bottom of the Vitality Blast group last season, although fared better in the One-Day Cup, winning six games out of 14 and just missing out on the knockouts.On Osborne’s appointment, Somerset director of cricket, Andy Hurry, said: “Erin was the standout candidate for the position, and her knowledge and experience, aligned with her drive to succeed, really resonated with the panel, and will stand the club in good stead moving forward.”Her coaching path to date has seen Erin gain a thorough understanding of how to construct effective programmes, inspire players, and improve performance across female and male pathways. These traits will prove invaluable as we look to build on the inaugural year of professional women’s cricket at the Cooper Associates County Ground.”Erin has established an excellent reputation as a coach in Australia, and we are excited to see her lead Somerset Women into the next stage of our journey.”

Another challenging question about retention for RCB is around fast bowler Yash Dayal, who has not played any cricket since IPL 2025 final

Nagraj Gollapudi14-Nov-20258:48

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Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are set to release England allrounder Liam Livingstone ahead of the auction for IPL 2026.Livingstone, who was picked for INR 8.75 crore (US$ 1.04 million approx.) at the 2025 auction, scored 112 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 133.33 with just one half-century. He also picked up two wickets in the nine overs he bowled at an economy rate of 8.44. Since then, Livingstone captained Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred, and was their leading run-scorer (241 at a strike rate of 155.48) and took the second-most wickets for them (seven at an economy rate of 7.36). He also scored 260 runs at a strike rate of 176.87 and returned six wickets in Lancashire’s run to the semi-finals of the T20 Blast.The presence of Australian power-hitter Tim David along with West Indies allrounder Romario Shepherd means RCB already have enough options for the finisher’s role. David had a strike rate of 185.14 for his 187 runs last IPL, while Shepherd scored 70 runs off the 24 balls he faced (strike rate 291.66) in IPL 2025. Releasing Livingstone, as a result, could help RCB head into the auction for the next season with a stronger purse.Related

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The other potentially challenging question for RCB about retention concerns fast bowler Yash Dayal. The left-arm fast bowler from Uttar Pradesh, who picked up 13 wickets in 15 matches at an economy rate of 9.59 last IPL, played a major hand in RCB pulling through high-pressure moments across the season. In the final, Dayal finished with impressive figures of 3-0-18-1. However, he has not played any cricket since then and skipped the UPT20 League recently.The deadline to finalise releases is November 15.

Manchester United are fighting to bring a talented Premier League star to Old Trafford and may face a straight shootout with Manchester City and Arsenal for his services.

Ruben Amorim looks ahead to Crystal Palace vs Man Utd

There has been plenty of noise at Old Trafford following Manchester United’s bitter defeat to Everton on Monday night, something supporters will hope can be rectified when their side take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park this Sunday.

More than anything, a lack of penetration going forward led to a subdued atmosphere as proceedings rolled on, albeit Ruben Amorim has now urged his side to improve as they look to get back to winning ways against the Eagles.

He said in his pre-match press conference: “They are a different club (Crystal Palace) and they are doing things better than us so that is quite simple.

“We play in a different way and they are just doing things better than us. They are doing things really well and they play more in transition than us. We have to look at all of these things when we compare our teams but of course, in every position, we can do so much better.”

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Looking ahead to January, Wolverhampton Wanderers star Andre could answer the Manchester United call for a midfielder, though it would be naive to think that is the only area of the field Amorim wants to bolster ahead of the run-in.

With that in mind, the Red Devils and INEOS have put themselves in a direct fight with the elite to sign an England international who is becoming an interesting commodity in the Premier League.

Man Utd eyeing move for Newcastle's Tino Livramento

According to CaughtOffside, Manchester United are keen on Newcastle United star Tino Livramento, and they could rival both Arsenal and Manchester City to land the England right-back.

The outlet shed some light on the situation, which read: “City would love to sign Livramento in January. That currently looks unlikely, but it could be a major saga next summer, when we can also expect United and Arsenal to come into the conversation.”

Capable of playing in either full-back position, Livramento has made 90 appearances for Newcastle, scoring once and registering three assists in total.

Fresh back from his latest injury setback, he is valued at around the £80 million mark by the Magpies and could be tempted by the possibility of switching clubs, even if he isn’t exactly agitating for a move elsewhere.

Manchester United have begun to improve under Amorim and will hope they stand a fighting chance of completing a deal. Nevertheless, they may need to fend off some stiff competition to land their man, who is coincidentally six matches unbeaten against the Red Devils.

Manchester United are now making a strong move to sign Valencia midfielder Javi Guerra in the January transfer window, with a £44m January bid planned.

Signing a new midfielder is of key significance to Man United, not least because speculation surrounding Kobbie Mainoo’s future at Old Trafford continues to build, with it recently being revealed the England international is in talks to leave this winter.

That is despite the fact Ruben Amorim has made it clear he wants to keep hold of the youngster, saying: “I want Kobbie to stay, and he needs to fight for his place. We need Kobbie. That is not going to change.”

However, Amorim has been extremely reluctant to give Mainoo a consistent run in the team, with the 20-year-old featuring for just 138 minutes across seven Premier League appearances this season, having failed to dislodge Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes in the starting XI.

With the academy graduate now in advanced talks over a move to Napoli, the Red Devils have now set out to bring in a new central midfielder in the January transfer window.

Man Utd making strong move to sign Javi Guerra

According to a report from Spain, Man United are now making a strong move to sign Valencia midfielder Javi Guerra in the January transfer window, and INEOS clearly mean business, with a €50m (£44m) offer being plotted.

Guerra, who has a €100m (£88m) release clause in his contract, could be available for a much lower fee this winter, given his inconsistent performances for Valencia this season, and United are now weighing up a winter approach.

However, there are several obstacles to overcome, with the Spanish club currently reluctant to sanction a departure, while Amorim would also have to offer the central midfielder regular game time in order to lure him to Old Trafford.

The Red Devils are determined to get a deal over the line, and it is clear to see why, with the Spaniard impressing for Valencia over a sustained period of time, having received high praise from scout Jacek Kulig during the 2023-24 campaign.

The 22-year-old has remained a key player for the Spanish side this season, making 12 La Liga appearances, during which time he’s amassed two assists, although some of the maestro’s most recent performances suggest it would be a gamble for United to pursue a deal.

Indeed, as pointed out in the report, Guerra hasn’t been at his best as of late, receiving a 6.2 SofaScore match rating in Valencia’s 2-0 home defeat against Villarreal last month, which led to him being dropped for the following match against Real Madrid.

As such, it may be a wise idea for Man United to target a midfielder who has already proven himself in the Premier League, and a club-record bid for Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson is now being prepared…

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