Michel-Ange Balikwisha says Celtic cost him a World Cup place. That's a serious accusation — and one that cuts both ways when you're a player on loan trying to rebuild your career at Gent.
The 25-year-old winger believes Celtic's refusal to sanction a loan move to MLS last season directly denied him a spot in DR Congo's World Cup squad. Whether that's entirely fair on Celtic is debatable — clubs protect their assets, and MLS isn't exactly a shop window for international football — but Balikwisha clearly feels the decision derailed something significant for him. He now hopes his current loan to Gent can become permanent, which tells you everything about where he sees his future relative to Parkhead.
Aasgaard wanted out, and he got out
Over at Rangers, Thelo Aasgaard has been refreshingly honest about his exit. The 24-year-old Norway midfielder says leaving for Anderlecht on loan was the right call — not because of any great opportunity that pulled him away, but because he simply needed a change. That's a frank admission about life under Philippe Clement, and it adds to a picture of a squad with genuine disquiet beneath the surface. Rangers' Europa League odds won't shift on this news, but a player publicly saying he needed out is never a ringing endorsement.
Meanwhile, Fares Ghedjemis — the 24-year-old Algeria winger who had both Celtic and Rangers chasing him this summer — chose to stay at Frosinone after they convinced him of their long-term ambitions in Italian football. Losing out on a player to a newly promoted Serie A side isn't a great look for either Glasgow club, though Frosinone's pitch was clearly compelling enough to extend his contract.
McTominay: Villa ahead of United
The most consequential piece of business in this round-up involves Scott McTominay. According to Football Insider, Aston Villa are better positioned than Manchester United to land the 29-year-old Scotland midfielder if Napoli make him available. Given the trajectory of both clubs this season, that tracks. Villa have the project, the manager in Unai Emery, and the European ambition to sell a move. United, for all their history, are selling uncertainty right now.
- Michel-Ange Balikwisha (Celtic loanee at Gent) blames Celtic for missing DR Congo's World Cup squad
- Thelo Aasgaard says his Rangers-to-Anderlecht loan was the right call after needing a change
- Fares Ghedjemis chose Frosinone over Celtic and Rangers after talks about the club's ambition
- Aston Villa are reportedly ahead of Manchester United in the race for Scott McTominay
If McTominay does move, Villa adding an experienced, combative midfielder to an already well-structured engine room would make them a more serious title outsider than their current odds might suggest. United, meanwhile, would be losing depth they can't easily replace from within.
