Former Dundee United ace makes Serie A debut – and helps blow title race wide open
Siegrist, 33, joined Genoa from Rapid Bucharest in January but has served as understudy to Nicola Leali between the sticks.
However, boss Patrick Vieira gave Siegrist the nod against table-topping Napoli and he turned in a solid showing during a breathless 2-2 draw at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
Scotland international Scott McTominay teed up both of Napoli's goals – scored by Romelu Lukaku and Giacomo Raspadori – but Genoa hit back twice through an Alex Meret own goal and Johan Vasquez.
The result means Champions League finalists Inter Milan are just ONE point behind the Neapolitans going into the last two games of the season.
Siegrist made 145 appearances for the Tangerines following his arrival in the summer of 2018, playing in key part in the club returning to the Premiership and consolidating in the top-flight.
That earned him a switch to Celtic in 2022, but he never came close to cementing a starting berth and played just two games in two years – League Cup wins over Motherwell and Ross County.
The ex-Aston Villa kid joined Rapid Bucharest, managed at the time by current Dunfermline boss Neil Lennon, last summer but lasted just six months before making the switch to Italy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
37 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Managing Tottenham as mega-money double transfer sealed and £20m star leaves
Tottenham have been busy this summer, but are expected to make a few more moves for some expensive transfer targets before the window shuts, having sustained some significant injury blows Tottenham are looking to snap back from their UEFA Super Cup disappointment by strengthening their squad ahead of the new Premier League season. Spurs were left heartbroken on Wednesday after a penalty shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, despite leading 2-0 with just minutes remaining. The Champions League winners managed to claw back two late goals before triumphing in the shootout. With no time to dwell on the loss, the north London club are now focusing on their league opener at home to Burnley this Saturday, and manager Thomas Frank knows there's still work to be done to bolster his squad. Despite welcoming seven new faces this summer, Mohammed Kudus is arguably the only one who is likely to be a nailed-on started week in and week out. The club's pursuit of Eberechi Eze and Savinho has been well-documented as they aim to build on last season's Europa League success and instil a winning mentality at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Here, we take an in-depth look at potential transfers that could be finalised in the coming week... Spurs splash out on Savinho Spurs have been locked in talks with Manchester City over Brazilian starlet Savinho, who had an inconsistent debut season with the Citizens. Despite scoring just one league goal, he ended the season with 16 contributions in 48 games, including 13 assists, following the Club World Cup. The exit of Son Heung-min and an injury to Dejan Kulusevski, which could sideline him for the rest of the year, has left Frank's team a bit thin on the wings, reports Football London, while James Maddison will need replacing as well following his ACL injury. Talks of a £43m deal for the 21-year-old were reported, but according to recent claims, it could take a record-breaking fee for Spurs to lure the Brazilian away from Pep Guardiola's squad. Dominic Solanke is Spurs' current record signing, having joined for £65m last summer. Savinho's agent is said to have indicated that it could take an offer of £67m to tempt City into selling. The players is understood to be open to the idea of joining Spurs and a bid is expected to be lodged in the coming days. With Spurs fighting on four fronts this season, signing a winger with as much potential as Savinho could help them in their chase for further silverware and consistent participation in Europe. Given his age, and the fact Cristiano Ronaldo voted for him as his first choice to win the 2024 Kopa Award over Lamine Yamal, Savinho looks a wise investment for the future. Break transfer record for Eze There's a chance that Spurs could sign Savinho without breaking their transfer record, but they might have no choice with Eze. Spurs' interest in Eze this summer is well-known, and the latest update in the transfer saga suggests the club are preparing to make an official offer for the Crystal Palace star. Fresh from winning the Community Shield following the Eagles' triumph over Liverpool on Sunday, the England midfielder could be on his way across London if a deal can be agreed between the two Premier League clubs. While Eze has attracted interest from Arsenal, it appears that Spurs have taken the lead in the race for the 27-year-old's signature. If Spurs manage to secure the talented player, they will reportedly need to pay what would be a record-breaking £68m fee, which is said to be Eze's release clause. There are reports that claim that the clause expires before the start of the Premier League season. The former QPR star is reportedly tempted by the chance to feature in the Champions League whilst staying in the capital, though reports indicate Tottenham value him at approximately £55m – matching what they splashed out to West Ham for Kudus. Adding a player of Eze's quality who can guarantee goals and assists in midfield and looks to be at the peak of his powers could prove to be a game-changing signing for Spurs. Pocketing £20m for fringe player Manor Solomon signed for Spurs in 2023, but the Israeli has featured in merely six matches for the club. A meniscus problem just three months after arriving in north London brought his 2023/24 season to a premature close. The subsequent campaign saw the winger loaned out to Leeds United as he revived his career by becoming instrumental in the Whites' ascent to the Premier League. Whilst he netted 10 goals and contributed 12 assists for Daniel Farke's squad, his summer comeback to Spurs has proved less successful as he missed the club's Asian tour through injury. With players like Kudus, Wilson Odobert, Richarlison, Mathys Tel and Brennan Johnson all positioned above Solomon in the pecking order, Frank might consider selling the 26-year-old. Spurs are reportedly seeking £15m to £20m for his signature, with a Leeds return being discussed, given Farke's frustration with his limited attacking choices. The German was scathing about the club's stuttering efforts to strengthen their forward department as he recently declared: "In comparison to our Championship side, we have not improved in the offence. "We are not prepared yet for a long Premier League season. "We are capable of playing at a good level but in order to be ready and to win games at this level... you need players who can score goals and give assists." Earning £20m on a player signed for free is certainly an opportunity many clubs won't turn their nose up at, and the extra funds could help facilitate the big-money moves for Eze and Savinho.
Daily Mirror
37 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Jadon Sancho offered transfer lifeline as Man Utd face prospect of huge financial blow
Manchester United have received an offer from Italy to buy Jadon Sancho as the winger continues to train separately from Ruben Amorim's first team squad and looks for an exit Manchester United may have finally found a route out of Old Trafford for Jadon Sancho but it will come at significant cost. Serie A giants Roma have launched a £20million bid for the England international — a figure more than £50m short of what they paid for the winger in 2021. Sancho's four-year spell at United has not seen him find the success many anticipated. A falling out with Erik ten Hag in 2023/24 saw him return to Borussia Dortmund on loan before he spent last season at Chelsea. The Blues had an obligation to make his move to Stamford Bridge permanent but opted to pay a £5m penalty to see him return to United. Sancho has not been part of Ruben Amorim's first-team set-up this summer and has trained separately as he attempts to broker a move to a new club. Juventus had been hotly linked with securing a move for the 25-year-old who has just one year remaining on his contract. The Turin-based team have not been forthcoming in getting a deal over the line however, with one Italian chief suggesting players would need to be sold to coutenance a deal. United have already been forced to admit they will sell Sancho for less than £25m this summer, while Roma could also be interested in a loan deal, per BBC. That would contain clauses to be triggered at the end of the season but is complicated by Sancho's contract situation. The Red Devils have an option to extend the star's deal by a further year but his significant salary places some doubt over whether United would be willing to action such a move. Sancho was willing to half his wages in order to facilitate a move to Juventus, but the Old Lady were able to offer the lure of Champions League football, Roma are unable to provide the same incentive. Sancho is one of a number of players United have been unable to get off their books so far this summer. The ex-Manchester City youth product has been kept away from first team operations along with Tyrell Malacia, Antony and Alejandro Garnacho. The latter is hoping for a move to Chelsea having agreed personal terms but a fee has not yet been agreed between clubs. Antony meanwhile is holding out for a transfer to Real Betis but has been handed an ultimatum by United to make a move more quickly with the La Liga side planning on waiting until the very end of the summer window. United boss Amorim has suggested that group could yet return to his plans. "Some players have to find a new place to have space in the team. Other players show they want a new challenge and a new team," said Amorim earlier in the summer. "We are just allowing these players to think and decide. If they reach a point where they will have to join the team, they will join because they are our players. "I know for a fact Omar (Barrada, CEO) and Jason (Wilcox, director of football) and the club have a number (price) for these players. If they don't reach that, they will be Manchester United players, no doubt about that. I understand other clubs are maybe waiting for the last minute, but they can have a surprise. "I'm ready to receive the players. They have more competition. If they want to play in the World Cup, they need to play. I'm happy with that because I'll have more options. If they have to fight each other to play, for me it's perfect." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
Hearts dilemma over seven midfielders for Premier Sports Cup tie at St Mirren
Tynecastle side aiming to reach the quarter-finals Sign up to our Hearts newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Craig Halkett is fit and available for Hearts' Premier Sports Cup tie at St Mirren on Saturday. However, head coach Derek McInnes is facing a selection dilemma in midfield with seven players competing to play. The match in Paisley provides an opportunity for the Edinburgh club to reach seven wins from seven competitive games under McInnes, but there are various decisions to be made on their starting line-up. Halkett is certain to play in central defence despite holding his upper thigh towards the end of last week's Premiership win at Dundee United. He seemed to overstretch but did not suffer any lasting effects. 'Aye, he's fine. He has trained. I don't know what that was but he's fine and he looked good in training,' McInnes confirmed to the Edinburgh News. Midfield is rather more complex as seven players are now available in that department. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Cammy Devlin, Oisin McEntee and Blair Spittal all played in Hearts' opening two Premiership wins over Aberdeen and United. Tomas Magnusson is a recent signing from the Icelandic club Valur Reykjavik, while Beni Baningime and Calem Niewenhof have both recovered from injury. Those three featured in Tuesday's 8-1 closed-door friendly win against Ross County along with fellow midfielder Sander Kartum, who is out of favour in the first team. McInnes admitted the difficulties of trying to fit everyone into his squad. 'The first protocol is playing well. When you've got most of the boys playing well and training well, then sometimes it can be horses for horses and what you think is best,' he said. 'It's maybe what you're looking for more in the game. During the League Cup groups, obviously players were given minutes but I had an idea in mind about the Aberdeen game. There were definitely eight or nine starters for that game. I was making sure they were getting enough minutes so they were prepared for it. 'Then you get to the Aberdeen game and we beat a team who finished fifth last season. We then beat a team who finished fourth last season [United]. We're now playing a team who finished sixth in St Mirren, so it's three top-six teams. As a bottom-six team last year, it's not as if we've got a right to win these games. We're still getting to where we need to get to, but we have still got to find ways to win. That has pleased us. Hopefully we can win this game on Saturday. It offers a different test to both games that we've had. It's a test we feel, hopefully, that we have the squad and the answers to try and give ourselves the best chance of winning it. 'We had two centre-midfield players available at one point for one of the games. Now, as you say, there's a few coming back. Magnusson has been added. Kartum was terrific in the bounce game as well. Magnusson, I thought, was really impressive. So, it is tough. Yan [Dhanda] has moved to Dundee on loan and I hope that goes well for him, but there is still real strength and depth - defensively, in midfield and in attacking areas. It's a puzzle, really, a lot of times. It's a conundrum to pick the best team.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad New Hearts signings make team selection tough for Derek McInnes After nine new signings since the end of last season, Hearts' first-team squad currently contains 29 players. McInnes and his coaching staff face tough decisions for every game on both the starting line-up and which substitutes to select. 'I've been quite clear on the two teams that were picked for the first two league games. I've had an idea of what we wanted,' explained McInnes. 'Obviously, some of the newer lads and the ones who are a wee bit behind can sometimes force your hand if you think they're just still a wee bit undercooked. 'You look at our numbers for training, and you look at various things, but a lot of the time you judge it with your eyes. You look at the opposition and you think, well, they might struggle against that type of player, or we need to be stronger in this area, or we need to be able to deal with that striker. There are loads of things that come into picking a team. We decided against too many changes. 'I was pleased in general with the Aberdeen game. We only made one change against Dundee United, Alan [Forrest] for Borch, and the rest got a chance to go again. We weren't sure if United were going to play a back four, because obviously they had an issue at wing-back, or if they would use a back five. I thought they would have been a back five of some sort. You are second-guessing the opposition and you look at them, but it's important to focus on what we want to do in the game as well.' The St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson habitually favours a three-man defensive system with attack-minded wing-backs. His 3-5-2 formation is similar to that used by Hearts in their two league games to date. Robinson's attacking focal point is 6ft 3in striker Mikael Mandron, although Saints did not manage to score in their opening two Premiership matches. They lost 1-0 at Celtic and drew 0-0 at home against Motherwell. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I watched the game last week against Motherwell and they would have been disappointed. They would probably expect to win their home games, but Motherwell were good,' said McInnes. 'St Mirren, over a period of time now, have been pretty consistent with their performances. Stevie likes a big striker and there's nothing wrong with that. I like that as well at times. They play up to them and they get good support to them. 'They ask a lot of their wing-backs and there's a strength and experience about them. They've got a bit of know-how about them and I think that comes from their manager, so it's a tough game. I'm sure, when the draw was made, we both had the same sort of reaction to it. You sail through your cup games and as a seeded team you were probably hoping for maybe a slightly easier game. 'I'm actually not mad on the seeded thing anyway. I don't really believe in it. I think for teams in Europe, fine. I think they should come in when they come in. In terms of the cup competition, you expect to play tough games if you're going to go the whole way. This is definitely a tough game.' READ MORE: Why Hearts scorer Stuart Findlay was booked after being hit with a lighter
