THE VERDICT: WHY ROY KEANE AND JAMIE CARRAGHER RANK THE OLD FIRM ABOVE ALL ENGLISH DERBIES
The Old Firm reigns supreme: Discover why Roy Keane and Jamie Carragher rank Rangers vs Celtic as the world's best derby match.
Rangers and Celtic just got another nod in the never-ending debate over football’s fiercest rivalries.
Some well-known pundits down in England have been weighing in, trying to settle the question of which derby tops them all. Roy Keane and Jamie Carragher, for example, sat down on The Overlap to share their picks. The Old Firm Rangers vs Celtic came up fast. Everyone knows their meetings in Glasgow are some of the most intense in world football, and you can tell the folks south of the border get how much it means when those two meet in the Premiership.
Ian Wright went with the North London derby, his old team Arsenal against Spurs, right out of the gate. Jill Scott gave a shout-out to Sunderland vs Newcastle. But Carragher didn’t hesitate, insisting nothing matches the atmosphere of Rangers vs Celtic. You can almost hear the crowd just thinking about it.
And Roy Keane? He jumped in and said it’s Celtic vs Rangers, especially when both are pushing for the top. Ange Postecoglou, who’s managed both Celtic and Tottenham, backed the Old Firm too, even as Gary Neville turned the spotlight back to North London, or Sunderland vs Newcastle. Still, a bunch of the panel agreed: Old Firm day is the one you don’t want to miss.
Right now, Rangers sit second in the league with Livingston up next on Sunday. Their manager, Danny Rohl, sounded upbeat: “We just need to keep it up, one game at a time. Last week’s win over Hearts was a great statement. The training the next day was sharp; guys who didn’t play were still fired up. It’s one of the first normal weeks since I arrived, so we’re keeping the intensity but also letting the players recharge. We’re ready for Sunday, but these games demand full focus. We have to win, simple as that; otherwise, last week means nothing.”
Celtic, meanwhile, is gearing up to face Hibs. They’re in third and looking to close the gap at the top. Martin O’Neill looked back at his earlier meetings with Hibs: “It’s always a tough game. We faced them early in my first spell, and they really gave us trouble. They just beat St Mirren and played very well against Hearts too, so we have to be prepared.”
Midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain added, “Playing at home, in front of your fans, it’s always special. You get that little edge. Every game’s a chance, but you really have to make the most of home fixtures. That’s where you need to lock down all three points, because away games only get harder.”
THE NAPOLI TRAP: MAPPING THE €70M PENALTY CLAUSE BLOCKING OSIMHEN’S ITALIAN RETURN
Victor Osimhen transfer update: Discover why a return to Italy is "impossible" and how Chelsea could fund his massive salary.
Victor Osimhen only joined Galatasaray last summer, but the transfer rumours just won’t let up. Chelsea have chased him for ages, and now people keep linking him with another big move.
Galatasaray didn’t just make noise last year; they shook Turkish football. They went all out in the transfer market, spending like never before and forcing bitter rivals Fenerbahçe to open their own wallets wide.
They smashed their old transfer record (which was €18 million) by paying €75 million for Osimhen alone. Then they brought in Wilfried Singo for €31 million and Ugurcan Cakir for €27.5 million. Ismaila Jakobs and Przemyslaw Frankowski joined as well, costing another €8 million and €7 million. The whole spree? €148.5 million. And that’s not even counting the huge wages for these guys and for free agents like Leroy Sane and Ilkay Gundogan. Meanwhile, Galatasaray only brought in €18 million from player sales.
So yeah, people are starting to wonder if this is sustainable. Telegrafi ran the numbers and tried to calm everyone down, suggesting the spending isn’t as reckless as it looks.
Is Galatasaray going to have to sell Osimhen? The club pulled in roughly €275 million in revenue last season and might hit €350 million this year. That’s solid for any club, even compared to Europe’s biggest.
Their Champions League run, knocking out Juventus and reaching the round of 16, already earned them about €40 million, and that’s not including TV money and other perks from the tournament.
Add it all up, and Galatasaray’s assets are worth a net €143 million. They’re also fully compliant with UEFA’s Squad Cost Ratio rule, mostly because they’re spreading out the cost of those big transfer fees.
Still, Turkish football has a rough history with money. Plenty of clubs have crashed and burned, so fans are nervous about Galatasaray spending so much so fast.
And with Osimhen, people are doubting he’ll stick around. His wages alone, €15 million a season, are a heavy load for any Turkish club. Rumour has it he’s even missed a couple of pay cheques. Honestly, that’s not unheard of. Alvaro Morata called Galatasaray out for not paying up last summer. But with Osimhen, it’s just speculation for now.
Despite all that, the chatter about Osimhen leaving is only getting louder. He’s been talking up Juventus recently, a club that tried to sign him last summer. Napoli blocked that move; they didn’t want to sell to a Serie A rival.
To stop any quick return to Italy, Napoli added a penalty clause when they sold Osimhen to Gala. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, if Galatasaray sells him back to Serie A in 2026, they owe Napoli another €70 million. In 2027, it drops to €50 million.
That clause only runs for two years, but with Serie A clubs struggling for cash, paying €100 million-plus for Osimhen (once you add his wages and the penalty) just isn’t realistic. Juventus or anyone else in Italy? Out of the question, at least for now.
So, if Galatasaray has to sell Osimhen, whether for money or other reasons, the Premier League seems like the most likely landing spot. He’s already turned down moves to Saudi Arabia. The guy wants to stay in Europe.
PSG looked at him, but their new salary cap rules make a deal tough. Same story with Chelsea in the past; they just didn’t want to cover his pay cheque. Still, Chelsea keeps coming up in the rumours, and some fans want the club to rethink their transfer plans and bring in proven winners to help guide Liam Rosenior’s young squad.
Osimhen would cost a fortune, no question. But he’s exactly the kind of player Chelsea needs.
THREE GAMES LEFT? WHY ANTOINE GRIEZMANN’S ATLéTICO CAREER COULD END ON MARCH 7TH
Griezmann to Orlando City: Discover the verbal agreement allowing a free transfer and the latest on the Tottenham UCL draw.
Diego Simeone admits he really doesn't know if Antoine Griezmann will stick around at Atlético Madrid until the end of the season, as the French forward’s talks with Orlando City heat up.
Earlier this week, ESPN reported that Griezmann is deep in negotiations with the MLS club, even though his contract with Atlético runs until 2027. Sources say both sides want to get the deal done now, and things are moving fast.
Griezmann isn’t just another player for Atlético; he’s their all-time top scorer and still one of their most important guys on the pitch. He’s already played 22 La Liga games this season, and the team’s got some serious matches coming up, including a Copa del Rey semifinal second leg against Barcelona on Tuesday.
Simeone, speaking earlier in the week, said Griezmann has earned the right to choose what comes next after everything he’s given the club.
“I already said it the other day,” Simeone told reporters on Friday before Atlético’s game at Oviedo. “I’m not going to keep repeating myself. We honestly don’t know what’s going to happen. Everyone knows how much Antoine means to us.”
Friday’s Champions League draw threw Atlético up against Tottenham, with the first leg in Madrid on March 10 or 11 and the return in London a week later.
After the draw, Atlético’s director of football, Mateu Alemany, tried to shut down the rumours. “Antoine has this season and two more years on his contract. He’s totally focused on what’s ahead. He’s playing great. Right now, we’re counting on him for tomorrow, for Tuesday, and for the Champions League. Everything else is just talk.”
But sources tell ESPN that Griezmann might actually leave sooner, with a possible farewell at home against his old club, Real Sociedad, on March 7.
If that happens, Griezmann would have just three more games in red and white: Oviedo on Saturday, Barcelona on Tuesday, and then Real Sociedad.
“We’re talking with Antoine,” Simeone said. “He knows what he means to us. There’s no need to pressure him. We just have to focus on what’s in front of us: Oviedo, Barcelona, Real Sociedad, and Tottenham. Big games.”
MLS’s transfer window closes on March 26 and then opens again in July.
Right now, all sides are working out the final details of the transfer, according to ESPN’s sources.
Simeone would have liked Griezmann to finish out the LaLiga season, then leave in the summer, but there’s a verbal agreement in place. Atlético promised Griezmann he could go for free whenever he decided it was time.
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