Lee Johnson is confident Hibernian will reap the benefits of making a “considerable investment” in signing Elie Youan on a permanent deal until the summer of 2026.

The Easter Road club announced on Thursday that they have taken advantage of an option-to-buy clause to purchase the 24-year-old French forward from Swiss side St Gallen after he impressed during his loan with the Edinburgh side this season.

Manager Johnson revealed the Hibees have paid a fee of “not quite seven figures, but very high sixes” for Youan – who has seven goals and seven assists this term – and he believes it will prove money well spent.

“The club have invested in a young asset,” he said. “Credit to the ownership for the investment they’ve put in, it’s a considerable investment for a club like Hibs, and one that we feel is a good one for us, not only on the pitch but in terms of future value as well.

“Elie has improved phenomenally this season. He’s had an impact in a difficult league. He’s got good numbers in terms of goals and assists and he stretches opponents.

“He’s growing up. He’s moved to a different country and culture and if that trajectory remains, then you’d expect him to have an even better season next season.

“He’s not the finished article and we’re not finished developing him. He’s got mega work to do. This is just an extension of his work and I think Hibs is a great vehicle for Elie.”

The recruitment of Youan was the second bit of notable business finalised by Hibs this week after they announced on Tuesday that 35-year-old Lewis Stevenson – who has spent his entire career with them – has signed a deal to remain with the Hibees for next term. Johnson feels the veteran still has scope for improvement.

“Lewy’s attachment to the club, his personality, and his quality on the football pitch is important,” the manager said. “He’s absolutely trustworthy, you know what you’re getting with him.

“And this is going to sound a bit of a strange one, but I think he’s still got loads to work on. I think he’s got more in the locker than he shows sometimes.

“He’s dynamic, he’s powerful, he’s got a great centre of gravity and he can handle the ball, but I want him to take the ground more, take the little spaces.

“That sounds strange to try and improve someone of his age but he enjoys trying to improve that attacking stuff. But as a defender, you can’t get more honest and trustworthy. He never shirks a tackle, you wouldn’t want to play against him because he’s brave and tough.”

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has told Tottenham that qualifying for the Champions League is far tougher than it was before.

Villa host Spurs on Saturday with the two sides still in the hunt for European football next season, but with hopes of claiming a top-four Premier League place all but over for both.

Tottenham – Champions League finalists in 2019 who reached the round of 16 this season – are sixth, six points behind fourth-placed Manchester United having played a game more.

Eighth-placed Villa’s late bid to break into the top four was ended by successive 1-0 away defeats to United and Wolves over the last fortnight.

“Their expectation in the beginning was to be in the top four,” ex-Arsenal boss Emery said of his former North London neighbours.

“It’s now more difficult than it was five to 10 years ago. There are now seven teams trying to be in the top four.

“Maybe Aston Villa now as well. It’s more difficult.”

Tottenham’s search for a first trophy since League Cup success in 2008 has seen them turn to Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte since Mauricio Pochettino’s departure in November 2019.

Neither Mourinho nor Conte, both perennial winners, could sprinkle their stardust on Spurs and caretaker boss Ryan Mason now has the task of trying to secure European football next season.

Mason’s three matches in charge so far have produced a win, a draw and a defeat, with the latest game being a 1-0 home victory over Crystal Palace.

Emery said: “Tottenham have had some problems in the last month but they have very good players.

“The last match they played against Palace they kept good balance tactically and they have very powerful players in the transition, being strong defensively.

“They have very good players who can make different tactical decisions.

“The last matches against them at home here, (Villa) have struggled and it’s now a challenge to get a good performance at home.

“We have to believe in our players, in our tactical way we are progressing. That is the match on Saturday.

“To play a great match, spirit and playing and trying to get at them. They have a three-goal difference with us but our mind is to be very competitive and to get better.”

Villa quartet Boubacar Kamara, Leon Bailey, Matty Cash and Philippe Coutinho are all available.

“It’s the first time in the last month we have everybody ready to be in the squad for Saturday,” Emery said.

“Only Jed Steer is out but Cash, Kamara, Bailey, Coutinho – in the last match they were in the squad but not ready 100 per cent to play.

“Some players are still not ready to play 90 minutes, but they’re ready to be in the squad and ready to play.”

Celtic are aiming to complete an unbeaten season against Rangers when they travel to Ibrox on Saturday.

The Hoops have twice beaten their Glasgow rivals at Hampden this term and have collected seven points from three meetings in the league.

Here we look back at six previous campaigns when either side could not get a win in the derby fixture.

Rangers 2020-21

Steven Gerrard’s side went unbeaten against everyone in the league as they clinched the title and also knocked Celtic out of the Scottish Cup at Ibrox to consign their rivals to a barren season. The fixture was not quite the same that season, along with many other things in life, as each match was played behind closed doors because of the pandemic.

Celtic 2016-18

Brendan Rodgers went through two full seasons before experiencing defeat against Rangers, and his Celtic side handed out several thrashings along the way, hitting five goals three times and also winning 4-0. Rodgers’ unbeaten run lasted 12 games in total and included three cup semi-finals.

Celtic 2003-04

Martin O’Neill’s side won all five derbies this season as part of a seven-match winning run against Alex McLeish’s Rangers side. Highlights included a 3-0 New Year win and a Scottish Cup victory thanks to Henrik Larsson’s winner.

Rangers 1999-2000

Celtic were 2-1 ahead at Ibrox in John Barnes’ first derby in charge until Paul Lambert conceded a penalty and suffered a facial injury in the process and Rangers went on to win 4-2. Barnes drew his second Old Firm fixture and Kenny Dalglish was in charge for two defeats later in the season including a 4-0 thrashing at Ibrox.

Rangers 1995-96

Tommy Burns’ much-improved Celtic side only lost three domestic games all season but each one was against Rangers and cost them silverware, as they fell in both cups to their rivals and finished four points adrift in the title race. After Andy Goran impressed during a goalless New Year clash, Burns said: “When I pass away they will put that on my tombstone – Goram broke his heart.”

Celtic 1987-88

Billy McNeill’s side enjoyed one of the greatest seasons in Celtic’s history during their centenary year, winning the double and beating Rangers three times in the league along the way to wrestle the trophy back from Graeme Souness’ men. Frank McAvennie hit a double in a New Year triumph and goals from Paul McStay and Andy Walker earned the Hoops a decisive 2-1 win at Ibrox in March.

Steve Cooper says Nottingham Forest’s assignment at Chelsea on Saturday is not made any easier by the London club’s recent struggles.

Forest head to Stamford Bridge looking for the three points that could virtually secure their Premier League status and will fancy their chances, despite their dreadful away record.

Chelsea ended a nine-game winless run at Bournemouth last week, but they have not won any of their last five league home matches.

Cooper says he does not take any notice of the problems Frank Lampard is enduring.

“We are playing Chelsea away so that is always going to be a tough game at any time of the season, you look at the squad they have, the changes they can make, the team they can start with, they have players all over the pitch who can make a difference and we have to be ready for that,” he said.

“I never pay any attention to any context around a team we play against apart from them being at their best because I always think you have to prepare for that.

“That’s what we’ll be doing. We want to go there with our best intentions of getting a result we really need and want.

“We have got to know what it takes from our guys to do well and try and minimise the strengths they have because there is a lot.”

Forest will give Serge Aurier every chance to be fit after he limped off in Monday night’s win over Southampton with a knock.

“Serge walked off and we’re doing everything we can to see if he’s available,” he said.

“Maybe in a different time of the season and if Neco (Williams) was fit it might be a different situation, but we are going to give him everything we have to be available. But that might be touch and go.

“(Gustavo) Scarpa is back in full training now so he won’t be far off being available. (Emmanuel) Dennis has been injured, he picked up a knock in training before Southampton and he is still not available.

“Still a bit of a mixed bag, it’s definitely been worse but not something we’re paying attention to.”

Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes praised David Watson for the way he has handled being thrown into the club’s relegation battle after handing the 18-year-old a new contract.

The midfielder has signed a two-year extension which ties the Ayrshire teenager to Rugby Park until the summer of 2025.

After enjoying two League Cup outings at the start of the campaign, Watson made his cinch Premiership debut at Ibrox in March and has gone on to start each of the last six matches.

Recent figures showed only 18 players eligible for Scotland Under-21s had started a Premiership game this season but McInnes is happy to plunge his young midfielder into the heat of the battle.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s visit of Livingston, McInnes said: “It’s always important a club tries to identify early on the better youngsters and tries to get them signed up.

“For a lot of clubs including ourselves getting as many younger ones through and into the team is clearly vitally important.

“We have lost a couple that we didn’t really want to lose in my short time here and there’s one or two more we would like to extend.

“But David has done very well in the first team, it’s not fazed him and he has handled everything that has been asked of him.

“He is always a boy we were drawn to when we first came in, the way he trains, the way he plays the game, and a lot of credit has to go to the development of the younger coaches here.

“It’s a reward for his performances and how he goes about his business. It gives encouragement to everyone in the academy what can be done, regardless of your age, if you are good enough you will get into the team.

“Sometimes youngsters can go in and play with abandonment. You want the boys to play the game anyway rather than the situation.

“Everyone likes to see a younger one coming through, particularly supporters, but David is there on merit.”

Killie play three of their last four league games at Rugby Park and McInnes has challenged his side to make home advantage count.

“You see from Saturday, the three teams at home (in the bottom six) won the game,” he said.

“Our home form has helped keep us in the fight – our away from would get us relegated, our home form would get us in the top six.

“I do feel with three home games coming up, it’s important we win the first one and that dose of confidence would help no end.”

Left-back Ben Chrisene’s season is over because of a hamstring injury while Kyle Vassell remains a doubt because of a similar problem.

“We resisted the chance to play him last week,” McInnes said of the striker.

“He has progressed but again it’s a similar conversation with Kyle and the physios.

“I need certainty that he is going to be OK because it’s that whole risk and reward thing. It’s important we have him fully fit rather than half fit, because if he is half fit you run the risk of extending the injury.

“Hopefully he is leading the line for us but if it takes another game then so be it.”

Julen Lopetegui insists Wolves need to spend to avoid another relegation dogfight.

The former Real Madrid manager has guided Wolves to safety with three games left, despite being bottom of the table at Christmas.

He is due to meet chairman Jeff Shi before the end of the season to thrash out the club’s plans for the summer and beyond now their Premier League status is assured.

Those talks will include discussions over his transfer kitty at Molineux after a season of struggle.

“We have to be together in the same way, we want to improve. In football you have to want to increase your performance and squad. This is about investment too,” said Lopetegui ahead of Saturday’s trip to Manchester United.

“I am going to have a long meeting with our chairman to hear him and hear what his ideas are for next year. This is going to be key for me.

“That’s why I have to hear him and know first hand what his ideas are. After I will have more information to take a decision.

“We have to improve and have to take advantage of the summer. If not we know the level of the Premier League; the first step is to hear him.

“Afterwards we will take our decision about a lot of players. In the right moment I’m going to talk, first with the club and afterwards with the players about what is going to be our idea.

“We want to improve, we need to improve. We have had a very hard year. We have to be ready to improve and be able to compete better in the next year.

“We have to be ready. This year has been a very hard year for all, maybe it can serve as a lesson for all of us.”

Lopetegui has no new injury worries for the trip to Old Trafford with Wolves 13th and 10 points clear of the drop zone.

“United are a very good team, with top players, a good coach with a very clear idea in the way they want to play,” he added.

“They are fighting to be in a good position to be in next season’s Champions League. This is a very difficult achievement.”

Steven Naismith insists Hearts go into Saturday’s crunch game against St Mirren with increased confidence despite suffering defeat by Celtic last week.

The Hoops clinched the cinch Premiership title with a 2-0 win at Tynecastle, where goals from Kyogo Furuhashi and Oh Hyeon-gyu came after the home side lost Alex Cochrane to a contentious VAR-assisted red card on the stroke of half-time.

The Gorgie side had caused Celtic problems until it was adjudged that the Jambos defender had denied Parkhead attacker Daizen Maeda an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

Hearts interim boss Naismith had enjoyed a 6-1 win over Ross County in his first home match in charge but was far from disheartened by the Celtic setback.

“If anything else it gives us more confidence,” said Naismith, who revealed that appealing against Cochrane’s red card was discussed but it was decided “we don’t want to risk losing a player for longer”.

He added: “We have challenged the team at the top of the league who have been away out in front consistently with their performances and limited them to very little opportunities and more looking to the first half, we caused them loads of problems and not many teams have done that this season.

“I said after the game that there were lots of positives and that’s the way we looked at it coming away from the game.

“Not just looking at the game but the data that comes with it, it’s not perception, it’s fact.

“In the first half we were the dominant team, we created the better chances, where we played the game was in the better areas for us in general.

“We also analysed the goals and how they came and what we can do better but overall we are still definitely progressing as I would like and now we have to get results.”

With four fixtures remaining, Hearts are in fourth place in the table, five points behind Aberdeen, one ahead of Hibernian and two ahead of Stephen Robinson’s St Mirren, who have lost three in a row since beating the Jambos 2-0 at Tynecastle last month.

Naismith, whose side host the Dons the week after the St Mirren game, said: “The next couple of games coming up for us are going to be important.

“But we would rather be in this position, trying to go for European football than be in mid-table and not to be involved.

“St Mirren have consistently been in most games this season and they have done really well to get into the top six.

“I know as a club it is something they have been pushing for in the last few seasons and have narrowly missed out. This time they have made it which is an achievement in itself.

“The manager has come in and done a fantastic job and they have a way of playing we need to guard against.

“And as much as the results haven’t been there for them in the last couple of games, they definitely have a threat going forward.”

Northamptonshire’s Josh Cobb has declared himself “shocked and disappointed” by the club’s decision to oust him as T20 captain in favour of David Willey.

Cobb, 32, has held the role since 2019 and was set to lead the team in this season’s Vitality Blast until Wednesday’s announcement that England all-rounder Willey had taken the reins. The Steelbacks begin their campaign at home to Worcestershire Rapids on May 24.

Willey, who is back for a second stint at the county after returning from Yorkshire, has only just returned from the Indian Premier League.

And while Cobb wished him well, he made his unhappiness clear in a statement posted to Twitter.

“Having been blindsided by the news, I am shocked and disappointed to be relieved of my captaincy duties so close to the Blast starting,” he wrote.

“Spending the winter planning and preparing the squad, I felt we were in a good position to challenge again this year and we absolutely are!

“It has been an honour and a privilege to lead Northants for the last 4/5 years and I’ve enjoyed it all.

“I would also like to wish David Willey all the best for his tenure as captain. For now I’ll be trying to win as many games for Northants and my team-mates as I can.”

Cobb also thanked former coach David Ripley, while the incumbent John Sadler went pointedly unmentioned.

Everton manager Sean Dyche insists it would be wrong to think “everything is solved” following their resounding win over Brighton.

A 5-1 victory, only the club’s second away win in the Premier League this season, lifted the relegation-threatened Toffees out of the bottom three and two points clear of the drop zone.

However, despite the morale-boosting result prompting many pundits to now favour Everton escaping a first top-flight relegation since 1951, Dyche has cautioned against complacency – especially with treble-chasing Manchester City next up at Goodison Park.

“When I walked in here the thing that hit me instantly was a big result, big everything; tough result, low everything. That needed to change in-house,” he told the club’s website.

“The in-house feel here, the environment we work in, and the flow had to get more level and more consistent in our daily work and thinking.

“We’ve spoken to the players and staff about it. It’s important to handle good times in terms of not thinking everything is solved and right and proper.

“When I talk about seeing through the noise, that maybe implies when things aren’t going right but it very much applies to when things are going right as well.”

Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell would be “amazed” if any Scottish club could afford to buy player-of-the-year contender Kevin van Veen.

The 31-year-old is open to a summer move after hitting 25 goals so far this season and being nominated for top player in the PFA Scotland awards.

But Kettlewell is comfortable the Dutchman is happy at Fir Park unless both he and the club receive an offer they cannot refuse.

“I would be amazed if a club in Scotland could come up with the money we would be thinking about for Kevin van Veen,” said the Motherwell manager, whose team face St Johnstone on Saturday.

“This is where he is so categorically, I am so categoric; as it stands, unless someone was able to put life-changing money in front of Motherwell – and it would have to be both parties – then he will remain a Motherwell player.”

Van Veen has a year left on his contract and spoke about the potential for a summer move after his award nomination was announced on Wednesday – but there were no surprises for Kettlewell in what his player said.

“I am comfortable that I have had so many conversations with Kevin on a personal level, manager to striker,” Kettlewell said.

“And the one thing we both agree on is that he is extremely happy here, that the football club is really happy with him, the supporters love him and I love working with him on a daily basis.

“But there is always a cross point where, if someone puts a ridiculous offer in front of you, sometimes the football club have to profit on it.”

Motherwell made a deficit of about £1million last season and this season’s loss is expected to be even higher.

Kettlewell said: “It would be safe to say it’s been a really challenging year for the club financially. We don’t want to get rid of the player but sometimes an offer comes along that you can’t say no to. I think that’s all that Kevin was saying as well.”

There were strong rumours of a potential move to China earlier this year but no switch materialised before the country’s transfer window closed in early April.

When asked if there had been concrete interest in the Dutchman, Kettlewell said: “There’s not been anything this last spell.

“I have heard a lot of speculation. Every part of a situation that involves Kevin van Veen or any player, they are 100 per cent aware of any situation where there is contact directly to the club or myself.

“When I was a player, if that wasn’t made known to you by the powers that be at the club then I think you create a real problem for yourself.

“Anybody that contacts me or the club, the conversation is had with the player. It’s never to disrupt them, it’s always the opposite.

“It could be something that’s serious, it could be something that’s pure speculation. It could be something that’s in the press that has not happened that disrupts a player, which by the way is happening continuously.

“If there’s something official the player will hear about it directly from myself.”

Highly-regarded Kilmarnock teenager David Watson has committed his future to his boyhood club by signing a two-year contract extension until June 2025.

The 18-year-old midfielder has been part of Killie’s academy for more than a decade and has broken into the first team this term.

After enjoying two League Cup outings at the start of the campaign, Watson made his Premiership debut in March and has gone on to start each of the last six matches in Derek McInnes’ engine room.

“Reaching the first team had been the goal since I joined the club as a seven-year-old, but I feel like my journey here is only just getting started,” he told the Killie website after signing his new deal.

“There are so many factors that make Kilmarnock the right place for the next stage of my career.

“The manager has given me so much belief about what we can achieve over the next two years and I’m excited about the future that lies ahead.”

Joel Embiid may have finally been named as NBA's MVP but winning the championship with the Philadelphia 76ers would push his legacy to "new heights".

That was the message from Embiid's former team-mate Perry Ellis, who played with the 76ers star during his one-year stint of college basketball at the Kansas Jayhawks.

Embiid finished runner-up to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic in the previous two seasons but claimed the MVP award this time around after leading the league with a 33.1 points-per-game average.

The six-time NBA All-Star now has his sights on a first championship of his career, attempting to end the 76ers' long-awaited road to glory since last triumphing way back in 1983.

Philadelphia lead the Boston Celtics 3-2 in their second-round playoff series and Ellis believes success for the 76ers would represent a landmark moment in Embiid's already illustrious career.

"It'll be huge for them for, legacy wise, and just for him, mentally, mindset wise, to say you got past that stage," Ellis told Stats Perform.

"We're moving forward, we're pushing to new heights, and I think that would be big for his career. And overall, mentally, I think that'll take him to the next step.

"He's an MVP now but it's even more, just taking it to another step. So I think that's what it could do."

Jokic and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo were the other two frontrunners for the MVP award this year, although Embiid's late-season exploits propelled him to the individual accolade.

Doc Rivers declared the MVP race "over" after Embiid scored 52 points against the Celtics in the last week of the regular season, with Ellis revelling in his former teammate's exploits.

"Before he was so close, over the last couple of years," Ellis added. "And this year, he finally got it. I was just so excited for him, he was a teammate of mine for a year.

"Just from that little stint, I could see how much he was growing as a player and he only started playing basketball at maybe 15 years old or so.

"Everybody could see how good he can be. So I had no doubt that someday he could be that type of player."

Embiid hit 30 points for a third straight game in the last outing against the Celtics, offering the 76ers the chance to secure their first NBA Finals appearance since 2001 with victory in the next meeting on Thursday.

Ronnie O’Sullivan is planning to skip UK tournaments to concentrate on playing in Asia.

The seven-time world champion has swung between preferring to play at home and abroad and, in an interview on talkSPORT to promote his new autobiography, Unbreakable, O’Sullivan said he is now looking to travel more.

“I’ve gone the other way now, I’m going to travel and play all the overseas tournaments and miss all the UK tournaments,” he said.

“I can’t do it all. Before I used to say, ‘I won’t travel, I’ll stay in the UK’, which was sweet, but now I think at this stage of my career, obviously Asia’s a big place to play, bigger tournaments, so I’ll do them and miss the UK ones.

“If I don’t do well in the Asian ones than I’ll get home early and then I don’t mind hopping on a plane and going to Scotland or Belfast but, if I do well, I want to have a week at home, chill out with the dogs and then get back on a plane and go back to India or wherever.”

O’Sullivan fell short in his bid to win an eighth world title, losing in the quarter-finals to eventual champion Luca Brecel last month.

He praised the Belgian, saying: “I thought Luca was unbelievable. You talk about talent – (in football) you look at someone who does things with the ball and you think, ‘How does he do that?’ And Luca is that player.

“I know how he does it but trying to do it is another thing. I didn’t think he’d beat (Mark) Selby in the final because I thought over two days Selby would get into him but he just kept playing his game.

“It was phenomenal. He made that tournament, and the young Chinese guy (Si Jiahui) in the semi-final. Just pot, pot, pot, scoring, clearing up in one visit, and that’s what everybody wants to see.”