Celtic are considering a move for Torino midfielder Gvidas Gineitis as a replacement for West Ham-bound Arne Engels, according to reports.

Gineitis impressed in his 29 Serie A appearances last season for Il Toro, prompting several clubs to closely monitor his situation in Turin. Celtic, who are about to lose star man Engels to the Hammers, have identified the Lithuanian as a potential successor to the Belgian’s throne at Celtic Park.

Engels is set to complete his £22 million switch to the London Stadium this week, joining Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad after enjoying an excellent campaign in the Scottish Premiership last season.

The Glaswegian outfit are prepared to move quickly to source a replacement to ensure they don’t endure a slow start to the season, and Gineitis is one of a number of players they’re considering to fill this vacancy in their squad.

Celtic Want Engels Replacement Through the Door Quickly

Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers

Engels was instrumental in Celtic’s dramatic title victory last season, netting seven goals and providing eight assists across all competitions for the Hoops. Martin O’Neill cannot afford to lack a player of the 22-year-old’s calibre in the middle of the park for too long, with a hugely important Champions League qualification tie against LASK coming up over the next two weeks.

Thus, replacing Engels is a priority for the Scottish giants’ hierarchy, and it appears as though they’ve already started the process of finding the Belgium international’s successor.

According to Sky Sports, Gineitis is one of two names currently considered as the prime target for this position.

Celtic have drawn up a shortlist of potential Engels substitutes, and the 22-year-old Torino man ranks highly alongside Hajduk Split’s Niko Sigur. It’s not yet clear what sort of fee Torino would demand for the Lithuania international, whose contract in Italy expires in 2029.

Arne Engels and Gvidas Gineitis’ Statistics Compared

While Gineitis is being dubbed an Engels replacement, the two players actually profile very differently from a statistical standpoint.

Engels is exceptional in the final third, creating chances for teammates and getting on the end of moves at an impressive rate. Gineitis, on the other hand, hardly impacts the game in this area of the pitch, instead making a number of vital defensive contributions.

That said, it’s possible that these numbers are a symptom of the teams the two players’ played in. Celtic are extremely dominante in the Scottish top flight, while Gineitis played for a mid-table side in Torino, who had much less of the ball. It remains to be seen how his skillset would translate to a possession-dominant side.

All Statistics via FotMob – correct as of 15/08/2026

A football club’s stadium is sacred ground for its supporters, who turn up week after week to back their team. Some homes are magnificent, packed with history and character, with barely a poor seat in the house, while others leave plenty to be desired.

Fans will always have a soft spot for the place where they watch their beloved club, but from an aesthetic point of view, some stadiums across world football are hard on the eyes.

With that in mind, 20 of the ugliest stadiums in the beautiful game have been named and ranked, according to AI. West Ham’s London Stadium and Oxford’s Kassam Stadium both make the cut, alongside plenty of other English grounds – including ones in the Premier League – that are a blot on the landscape.

20

Broadwood Stadium (Scotland)

What AI said: “A three-sided (or incomplete) modern ground with a blank wall or missing stand element, producing a sterile, incomplete aesthetic common to several lower-league Scottish venues.”

An incomplete mess, Hamilton Academical’s old ground disguises the fact it only has three stands by putting a big grey wall on one side of the pitch. To make matters worse, the fact that it has hosted several different clubs over the years means it lacks a true identity – whereas at least the other stadiums higher up these rankings can be easily recognised as belonging to a specific club.

19

Vitality Stadium (England)

What AI said: “The Premier League’s smallest ground feels cramped and unfinished in places despite upgrades, often criticised as visually underwhelming for top-flight football.”

There isn’t an awful lot wrong with Bournemouth’s home stadium, other than the fact it is generic and small, but that is in large part due to the club’s meteoric rise under Eddie Howe, which saw them rise to the Premier League quicker than they could upgrade their facilities, paving the way for the team to outgrow it.

18

Coliseum Alfonso Perez (Spain)

What AI said: “A basic, boxy ground with little architectural merit, regularly appearing on European ‘ugliest’ lists for its plain, uninspiring design.”

The big shame about Getafe’s stadium is that the fans inside deserve so much more. Supporters are known for being fiercely loyal to a smaller, community-focused club that operates in the massive shadow of Real Madrid, though any sound they make is ruined by a stadium that looks comparable to a sun-soaked Gillingham counterpart.

17

King Baudouin Stadium (Belgium)

What AI said: “An aging national venue with a tired, utilitarian appearance that lacks modern elegance or distinctive character.”

Grey, dull, and mostly lifeless – much like Brussels itself, the King Baudouin Stadium is completely lacking the charm you’d expect it to have considering it’s been the home of the national team’s most recent golden generation, with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois, and Romelu Lukaku giving Belgium genuine belief they could win a Euros.

16

Bloomfield Road (England)

What AI said: “Awkwardly sited next to a spa and Travelodge in a residential/seaside area, it feels more like an add-on attraction than a proper football stadium.”

There was a time when Blackpool was a thriving touristic city, while there was also a time its football club was in the Premier League. Those days are long gone, and you can really get that feeling around Bloomfield Road, with it rotting away like many of the nearby casinos and arcades. A recent poor ownership hadn’t helped, with many supporters boycotting home games, accelerating the rot.

15

Selhurst Park (England)

What AI said: “A cramped, dated ground in a poor location with limited character, frequently criticised for feeling like a functional but unattractive Premier League outlier.”

Unlike many other stadiums on this list, Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park does have a charm to it. A great, local fanbase, with the stands very close to the pitch, makes it an intimidating proposition for away teams and supporters – the facilities are outdated though, and that’s why there are plans for a new stadium to be built.

14

Bosuilstadion (Belgium)

What Ai said: “Three ordinary stands are overshadowed by a jarringly modern grandstand that feels completely out of place, highlighting mismatched priorities in design.”

Royal Antwerp’s home stadium is a classic example of an owner or architect building something in stages. Without a collective plan to build a footballing venue, the result is something that looks awkwardly put together at the very last minute just to get it over and done with.

13

Stadio Euganeo (Italy)

What AI said: “A large, uninspired multi-purpose venue so disliked that the club’s ultras have boycotted it, reflecting its functional but aesthetically barren design.”

Stands that are far from the pitch thanks to a running track never attract many rave reviews from supporters. But when you couple outdated bleacher seating with it, and you end up with Padova’s Stadio Euganeo, you get a venue nobody wants to step foot in, even if Italian football is loved around the globe.

12

Fritz-Walter-Stadion (Germany)

What AI said: “A grey, brutalist exterior often compared to a prison, with a bland interior that lacks charm or visual interest.”

Built up incrementally over decades on the Betzenberg hill, resulting in mismatched stands and a bulky silhouette, Kaiserslautern’s fortress can look ugly to a lot of fans – but nothing can take way from its imposing stands, which almsot certainly strike fear into guests.

11

John Smith’s Stadium (England)

What AI said: “Four arched stands with large empty corners create an awkward, dated silhouette that has aged poorly since its 1990s opening.”

Opened in 1994, the ground was ahead of its time, but it now appears dated and rather ugly. Often, taking a risk and opting to go against the grain can be a good thing when it comes to designing a new stadium, but in this case, the John Smith’s Stadium is simply unusual. If the corners were to be filled in, it may appear better, but with the club currently in League One, it is unlikely the stadium will be expanded any time soon.

UFC 330 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia was headlined by Islam Makhachev defending his welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry, with the former retaining via a decision victory.

With his latest challenge overcome, the Russian, who is also a former lightweight champion, extends his reign at 170lbs that began in November 2025, and takes his professional record to a very impressive 29-1.

Now, Makhachev has seemingly decided who is next in line for a shot at gold.

Islam Makhachev Next Fight After UFC 330

Credit: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

The 33-year-old was the winner in the eyes of all three judges, with scores of 49-46, 49-46, 48-47. During the fight, he looked to take the Irishman down early, drawing on his skill on the ground, refined by his work at his gym, Eagle MMA, led by former long-reigning lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Garry touched the canvas in the second round after a straight and left head kick combination. He got up, but Makhachev then got him down again and attempted to lock in a submission. It was those moments that likely convinced the judges that the reigning champion was the deserved winner.

As is natural, after the fight, people will look to the current state of play in the rankings to get an idea of who could be the next one to be chosen to try and take the title off the Russian.

In a post-fight interview, Makhachev voiced his opinions on who he thought should be next. Among the names mentioned were two more undefeated fighters and an MMA veteran who is 31 fights deep into his career. According to Makhachev, neither of those who were yet to taste defeat were those who he thought were the most deserving.

“Shavkat is not fighting, Prates is still fighting, still active. Morales also is good, but I don’t remember last time he fight.”

Shavkat Rakhmonov is currently out of action after aggravating an existing serious knee injury that will need surgery and keep him out of the Octagon for at least nine months. It was so bad that he was removed from the rankings entirely in February 2026. Another one the reigning champion brought up was Michael Morales, whose MMA record stands at a perfect 19-0, but, like Makhachev said, he hasn’t been the most active, having not fought since last November in a first-round knockout victory over Sean Brady.

As a result, Carlos Prates, who holds a record of 24-7, and has beaten names like Leon Edwards and Jack Della Maddalena, who Makhachev beat to win the belt at 170lbs, has been touted as the next challenger by the champion himself.

Islam Makhachev Wants Swift Return to Octagon

The Russian doesn’t want to waste any time before a potential clash with Prates, insisting that he wants to fight again before Ramadan 2027, during which he wouldn’t be able to fight because, under Ramadan, he wouldn’t be able to take on fluids during the breaks between rounds, if the fight takes place during daylight hours. Specifically, he would want it to happen before the new year.

“I’m not cutting much weight, I don’t have any big injuries. That’s it.”