Hibernian announce third summer signing
Hibernian have announced Leyton Orient midfielder Azeem Abdulai as their third signing of the window. He joins Jason Kerr and Callum Wright who both arrived from Wigan Athletic. Abdulai arrives on a three-year deal signing for an undisclosed fee. The 23-year-old, who came through the Celtic academy before moving down south has primarily played as a box-to-box midfielder, but has also filled in out wide or in central defence on occasion. The midfielder has also been capped on six occasions for Scotland at under-21 level. Head coach David Gray commented on the signing: “Azeem is exactly the profile we wanted – he’s athletic, aggressive, technically secure on the ball and will play box-to-box. “He gives us more options in the midfield area and that creates a healthy competition for places. We are excited to have him on board, and we’re all looking forward to working with him.” In his first interview with the club, Abdulai mentioned how easy the decision to sign for Hibs was and how excited he is to return to Scotland. He said: “I’m buzzing to be here. It’s a massive club and, as soon as I heard there was interest, I wanted to get the move done straight away. Coming back home is a big thing for me and, like I said, Hibs is a massive club. “I can’t wait. I’ve seen plenty of videos and I’ve been to the stadium before – I think it was actually the first stadium I ever visited. I know the fans have incredible support for the team and I can’t wait to get out there and make them proud. “Everything they said was really positive, so it made the decision easy. Coming back to Scotland was important to me and, being Scottish, I know how big Hibs is. The direction the club is going in and the project they’ve got made it a no-brainer.” Abdulai has already joined up with the Hibs squad for their pre-season training camp in Ireland as the club defeated Norther Irish side Cliftonville 5-1 earlier today.
World Cup 2026: Round of 32 Review
Another fascinating week of World Cup action comes to a close, here are some of the biggest talking points from the round-of-32. Best Player: Kylian Mbappe The French superstar lit up the round-of-32 with a brace and 3-0 win against Sweden to send his side through to the last 16. It puts Mbappe to five goals for the competition and 18 in total for all World Cup’s. He stands two goals behind Messi who extended his tally to 20 after scoring in the early hours of this morning against Cape Verde. France take on Paraguay this evening in their hope to reach the quarter-finals. And with the way Les Blues are performing at this moment in time, it’s difficult to see any team stopping them any time soon. Shock Exit: Germany Germany made an early exit home after a shock defeat to Paraguay on penalties. The Germans missed three out of six penalties, which led to former boss Julian Nagelsmann stepping down from his position in charge. German legend Jurgen Klopp is the front-runner to get the job. However, if he is successful will he be able to bring back German glory just like 2014? Dark Horses: Mexico Mexico defeated Ecuador 2-0 to put themselves through to the last 16, where they take on England in the famous Azteca stadium in the early hours of Monday morning. Mexico haven’t conceded a goal throughout this tournament and have only lost two games in 89 competitive appearances at the Azteca. England’s Thomas Tuchel said it will be “impossible” to surmount the “big disadvantage” of the Azteca, which is around 7,220 feet above sea level. This is after England’s two air-conditioned matches at the Dallas and Atlanta stadium. An intimidating arena with the Mexico fans in full voice sets up a tasty encounter in Mexico City.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Signs One-Year Extension at Celtic
Celtic midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has signed a new one-year deal at Parkhead following the expiry of his initial contract. The former Liverpool player signed for Martin O’Neill in February of this year, and netted an injury-time winner on his debut at Celtic Park vs Livingston just four days later, a goal which ultimately proved vital after the Glasgow giants pipped Hearts to the league by only two points in the end. Oxlade-Chamberlain now links up with O’Neill again, with the Northern Irishman in charge this time on a permanent basis and making the former Premier and Champions League winner his first official signing since. The ex-England international told Celtic’s club channels: “I’m delighted to be staying at Celtic for another year. “It was an incredible time last season, and to be part of that success in winning the league and the Scottish Cup was so special. “I’m really excited to be back, and I’m looking forward to meeting up with the boys and getting to work ahead of what will hopefully be another successful season.” The Southampton academy graduate made 12 appearances in total since joining Celtic, scoring twice against Livingston and St. Mirren, and featuring from the bench in Celtic’s 3-1 Scottish Cup Final win over Dunfermline.