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Tottenham Hotspur find themselves under a new manager in Thomas Frank and he could now pounce to bring one of his favourites to N17, according to a report.

Frank's aim to build on Tottenham Hotspur's Europa League success

Winning the Europa League was a watershed moment for Tottenham after 17 years of waiting, but the mission for all connected with the club now is to build on the foundations that Ange Postecoglou laid come next term.

Daniel Levy took exception to a poor Premier League points tally from the Australian. However, Thomas Frank now has a magnificent platform to build on, courtesy of Spurs qualifying for the Champions League off the back of their success in Bilbao.

Opting not to sugarcoat things, Chris Sutton proposed the theory that Frank will be under pressure to deliver immediately at Spurs, claiming the different expectation levels Brentford and Tottenham leave the Dane with little leeway to work with in N17.

He stated: “Thomas Frank has done a brilliant job at Brentford, but this is a whole different kettle of fish. Because of the expectation at Tottenham, Frank won’t get time to get his feet under the table. He will be under pressure from the off.”

Later, he added: “The aim for Frank will be to keep them in the Champions League, and whether that is by making the top four or five, that is not going to be easy.”

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Posts 1 BySean Markus Clifford Jun 15, 2025

Brentford duo Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa could join Tottenham, if Frank opts to go down the route of raiding his former club for talent, though it is hard to imagine the Bees letting either of their star men leave on the cheap.

Nevertheless, it appears that the 51-year-old could instead look to another of his favourites at the Gtech Community Stadium if reports are to be believed.

Tottenham preparing bid to sign Brentford midfielder Christian Norgaard

According to CaughtOffside, Tottenham are preparing a bid for Brentford midfielder Christian Norgaard and the Denmark international is viewed as a priority addition by Frank to strengthen his engine room.

Spurs are set to submit an offer between the £17-20 million mark, though the Bees are reluctant to see the 31-year-old depart this summer and could inflate his price to ward off interest.

Christian Norgaard’s reliability under Thomas Frank

Appearances

249

Goals

18

Assists

22

Winning an extraordinary 163 duels on Premier League duty last term, the Brentford captain is someone who has an ‘exceptional’ understanding of Frank’s system, making him indispensable in West London regardless of who is in charge.

Stockpiling in key areas would be a wise idea for Spurs amid their injury crisis last season, which rarely saw Postecoglou having a full-strength side to pick from in a tumultuous campaign.

Norgaard is a symbol of reliability for Brentford, and it makes sense to recruit experience if circumstances allow for it, though the Bees may prove to be too tricky to deal with in the end.

Dupavillon and Brown strike with ball to inflict rare defeat on midlands neighbours

ECB Reporters Network07-Jun-2024

Daryn Dupavillon claimed 3 for 15 to help skittle Notts•MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Derbyshire 198 for 6 (Madsen 53, Stone 3-42) beat Nottinghamshire 102 (Dupavillon 3-15, Brown 3-17, Whiteley 3-23) by 96 runsDerbyshire Falcons celebrated a T20 victory over Notts Outlaws for the first time in nine years when they crushed their local rivals by 96 runs in the Vitality Blast North Group match at Derby.Superb batting from Wayne Madsen, who made 53 off 32 balls, and a destructive 46 off only 16 by Ross Whiteley lifted the Falcons from 76 for 4 after 10 overs to 198 for 6.Daryn Dupavillon then blew away the top order as Outlaws slumped to 36 for 4 and they never recovered as Whiteley followed up his batting fireworks by taking 3 for 23.Outlaws crumbled to 102 all out in 16.4 overs and have now lost their first four group games while Falcons recorded a second win.The game had started well for the visitors when Aneurin Donald skied the first ball he faced to deep square but David Llloyd got Falcons up and running by pulling Ollie Stone for six in the third over.New Zealander Cam Fletcher marked his debut with three off-side boundaries in Dillon Pennington’s second over before Lloyd dispatched Ben Lister for his second maximum. But Lloyd miscued a pull at Stone to midwicket and Fletcher edged behind to leave the Falcons on 47 for 3 at the end of the powerplay.That brought in Samit Patel who announced himself against his former club by whipping Lyndon James behind square for six but in the next over he pulled Calvin Harrison to Will Young at deep midwicket.Outlaws should have removed Brooke Guest on 9 in the 13th over but he was badly dropped at cover by Joe Clarke and the rest of the innings belonged to Madsen and Whiteley.Madsen drove Harrison for six and ramped Pennington for four on his way to a 29 ball 50 before he lifted James to long-off.That left the stage to Whiteley who demolished the bowling with a brutal exhibition of muscular strokeplay as 50 runs came off the last three overs. Stone was twice pulled for six and Lister received the same treatment in an over which cost 23 as Falcons took flight.Whiteley was caught at deep cover off the last ball but he had taken the game away from Outlaws who were facing a daunting chase.They needed their big guns to fire but Clarke was caught behind cutting at the first ball from Dupavillon and Alex Hales briefly threatened before becoming Dupavillon’s second victim. After dispatching the South African for two fours he miscued a big pull and was well caught at wide mid-on to put a big dent in Outlaws’ hopes.They were all but extinguished by the end of the powerplay with Young slicing Pat Brown to cover and Jack Haynes bowled making room to drive Dupavillon.Whiteley’s memorable evening continued when he pinned Tom Moores lbw with his first ball and then had Matt Montgomery caught at deep cover in his next over. Stone became Whiteley’s third victim when he drilled him to long-off and Falcons wrapped up a memorable victory with 20 balls to spare.

Chelsea are mounting a serious push to sign a “mature” player who’s also a wanted man at Liverpool, with Enzo Maresca looking to shore up a key area of the squad which could be central to a major overhaul.

Maresca’s side are currently in the midst of an intriguing Club World Cup campaign after a long campaign, and they’ll face-off against Portuguese heavyweights Benfica in the last 16 after luckily avoiding Bayern Munich in the next round.

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Posts 1 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 25, 2025

The CWC is a controversial talking point given the clubs taking part will have precious little rest before the start of preparations for next season, but Chelsea are reportedly determined to win the tournament, especially with the significant prize money on offer for the victors.

Chelsea’s best performers in the Premier League last season

Average match rating

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

They’ve already pocketed £8.8 million in performance-related prize money after winning two of their opening three games, and if they get past Benfica, Chelsea will receive another £10.1 million (Standard Sport) – taking their total windfall from the CWC to nearly £20 million, plus their participation fee.

This kind of cash could do wonders to assist Chelsea’s recruitment drive whilst helping them comfortably avoid the PSR threshold, with Maresca reportedly keen to sign a new centre-back alongside wingers and a striker.

Their backline could look very different by the commencement of 2025/2026 in particular, as journalist Graeme Bailey recently reported. It is apparently very possible Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, Axel Disasi and Renato Veiga could all be sold before deadline day, with Chelsea having their eyes on firmly on Ajax defensive starlet Jorrel Hato, among others.

The versatile centre-back/left-back could upgrade the heart of Maresca’s defence whilst providing adept cover for Marc Cucurella, and he could be available for just £40 million.

Chelsea have held talks with Ajax over signing Hato, according to journalist Simon Phillips, and they’re still very much in pursuit of his signature.

Chelsea "pushing" to sign Jorrel Hato

As per Bailey, speaking to TBR Football in an update, both Arsenal and Liverpool are big fans of the Netherlands international, and Arteta’s side have been following him since his early teens.

However, Chelsea are “pushing hard” for Hato, so it could be the west Londoners who reign supreme in the race for his signature.

“We know that Chelsea are pushing hard to sign Hato and Liverpool still really like him. But I think Arsenal would be annoyed if they didn’t get Hato considering how much work they’ve been putting in,” said Bailey.

“Arsenal have been chasing Hato since he was around 14 or 15 years old, so I think there is a bit of confidence there. They want to sell Zinchenko to make room for Hato and then we still expect Kiwior to go as well.

“There will be plenty of room in that squad for Hato who is able to play a variety of roles.”

England international and ex-Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson knows his Ajax teammate very well, calling Hato “very mature” for his age and tipping him for a bright future.

“It’s crazy how young he is, but obviously how mature he looks when he’s on the pitch and also off the pitch,” he told Ajax’s official website, via the Liverpool Echo.

“He’s a very mature person. Works hard. Fantastic player. And yeah, he has a bright future ahead of him, I’m sure.”

Sunderland are the early big spenders out of all the newly promoted teams heading up to the Premier League.

Leeds have secured three new buys in the form of Lukas Nmecha, Jaka Bijol, and Sebastiaan Bornauw, but the Whites’ promising business has been blown out of the water by the Black Cats’ lavish approach, as seen in Sunderland forking out a combined £50m to land both Enzo Le Fee and Habib Diarra.

Plenty more luxurious buys could soon be on the menu away from this club-record £30m deal, as Regis Le Bris eyes up Ligue 1 and beyond to improve his budding squad.

More transfers expected at Sunderland

Le Bris must know the French top division inside and out, having previously been at the helm of ex-employers Lorient in the division.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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He’s certainly clued up on those who he thinks could take the Premier League by storm, with Sunderland reportedly interested in the likes of Lyon’s electric attacker Georges Mikautadze and standout Toulouse centre-back Charlie Cresswell to immediately improve their first-team options, while they are also allegedly keeping close tabs on 20-year-old starlet Arthur Evom Ebong.

Yet, his next buy could see him venture out to Serie A to try and link up with Matteo Guendouzi.

Indeed, reports from Italy suggest that Lazio are scared about the prospect of keeping their star Frenchman around this summer, with Aston Villa, neighbours Newcastle United and Sunderland named as interested parties.

Guendouzi’s PL numbers for Arsenal by season

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

19/20

34

0

3

18/19

48

1

2

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Although it is reported that Sunderland may have to splash out a club-record £43m to land Guendouzi, it could be a worthwhile splurge to make, even as the Black Cats edge closer to adding Noah Sadiki to their plentiful midfield options.

His wealth of Premier League experience could potentially be invaluable to the Wearside underdogs as they climb back up to the top-flight, alongside the fact that the 26-year-old has turned into an even more formidable central midfield option in Italy.

Why Guendouzi would be a better signing than Sadiki

Of course, Sadiki could go on to be another youngster that Sunderland manage to get the very best out of, with the Congo international no doubt joining the Stadium of Light ranks dreaming of becoming the Black Cats’ next Jobe Bellingham-style project.

Last season, the 20-year-old undoubtedly impressed those out in Belgium, with the versatile Saint-Union Gilloise number 27 helping himself to two goals for his Europa League-competing outfit across the 2024/25 campaign, leading to Sunderland making their £17.75m move.

Yet, if it’s immediate success Sunderland are after – instead of waiting around for a youngster to learn the Premier League ropes – Guendouzi is their next best possible buy.

The 6-foot-1 battler is very much well-versed in what it takes to be a competent performer in some top leagues, having now made a mammoth 151 appearances in both Ligue 1 and Serie A, away from just his 57 top-flight outings in North London.

He will no doubt be chomping at the bit to return to England, too, considering he wasn’t always the star of the show at the Gunners. Still, even from just 23 Premier League starts during his final Arsenal season, he still showed off his presence as a “monster” – as he’s been glowing labelled by football talent scout Jacek Kulig – winning 4.8 duels per game.

Guendouzi’s Serie A numbers for Lazio (24/25)

Stat (* = per game)

Guendouzi

Games played

37

Goals scored

1

Assists

3

Touches*

68.3

Accurate passes*

52.1 (91%)

Ball recoveries*

4.7

Stats by Sofascore

The 26-year-old has since refined other aspects of his varied game at the Stadio Olimpico, with the table above showing off his well-rounded characteristics as a far more confident and assured performer when averaging a mightily impressive 91% pass accuracy last season in the hustle and bustle of Serie A.

If there’s any manager that could get even more of Guendouzi, too, it’s Le Bris, with the popular Wearside boss once coaching the Frenchman during the early stages of his football education at Lorient.

Also hailed as possessing “something special” by journalist Aaron West in the past, it does feel as if the time is right for the ex-Gunners midfielder to return to England and be a star, whilst Sadiki waits for his moment in the spotlight down the line.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Jul 3, 2025

Sri Lanka lost seven wickets for 22 runs and could score just two in the Super Over

Hemant Brar30-Jul-20244:05

Takeaways – Suryakumar the captain as funky as the batter

India won the Super OverIn one of the most bizarre finishes to a T20I, India beat Sri Lanka in the Super Over to complete a 3-0 whitewash in Pallekele.For the majority of the match, Sri Lanka outplayed India in all three departments but they had a great fall towards the end. They needed just nine from the last two overs with six wickets in hand. Rinku Singh, who had never bowled previously in T20Is, sent down the 19th over, conceded just three runs, and picked up two wickets.That left Sri Lanka needing six from six balls. Mohammed Siraj had an over left but Suryakumar Yadav decided to bring himself on as the ball was turning a mile. He, too, was bowling for the first time in T20Is. Moreover, India were behind the over-rate and could have only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle. But Suryakumar gave away just five runs, apart from picking up two wickets, to tie the game.Related

Washington: I had no idea I had to bowl the Super Over

Sri Lanka's latest collapse a chef's kiss on their incompetence

Washington Sundar started the Super Over with a wide. But a single later, he had Kusal Perera and Pathum Nissanka caught at the boundary off successive deliveries. With India needing only three from their Super Over, Suryakumar swept Maheesh Theekshana’s first ball towards short fine leg, where Asitha Fernando let the ball through his hands for four.Earlier, the match started an hour late because of rain. Sri Lanka sent India in after winning the toss and restricted them to 137 for 9 on a fresh pitch that assisted both seamers and spinners. Making their effort even more impressive was the fact that Matheesha Pathirana did not bowl a single over in the innings. The fast bowler hurt his right shoulder while stopping a ball in the seventh over and walked off the field. He returned towards the end of the innings but did not bowl.Nissanka and Kusal Mendis then gave Sri Lanka a start of 58 in 8.5 overs. Kusal Perera’s 46 off just 34 balls took them closer but just like the first two T20Is, their middle order collapsed – no one scored even 5 – to hand India the match.Rinku Singh and Suryakumar Yadav were two unlikely heroes with the ball•AFP/Getty Images

Theekshana, seamers derail IndiaIndia made four changes to their XI, making sure everyone in the squad got at least one match. Shubman Gill, who missed the previous game with neck spasms, started cautiously against debutant Chamindu Wickramasinghe. From the other end, Yashasvi Jaiswal tried to take on Theekshana and hit the spinners for two fours in three balls. But Theekshana trapped him lbw on the very next ball as the batter missed a sweep.In the next over, Sanju Samson miscued Wickramasinghe to sweeper cover for his second duck in as many games. Rinku, promoted to No. 4, lasted just two balls and became Theekshana’s second victim. He tried to go inside out over covers but the turn and slowness of the wicket did him in; Pathirana took a good catch running to his right from mid-on. Asitha Fernando dealt India another blow in the last over of the powerplay when Suryakumar played a sweep from well outside off straight down the throat of fine leg.Gill, Parag stage recoveryWith India 30 for 4 inside six overs, Gill and Shivam Dube tried to stabilise the innings. But the duo could add only a run-a-ball 18 as Ramesh Mendis had Dube caught behind, with Kusal Mendis pouching the catch on the second attempt.Gill and Riyan Parag took India past 50 in the ninth over. Two overs later, Parag ended a 33-ball boundary drought with a four off Ramesh Mendis. Soon after, he launched Wanindu Hasaranga over deep midwicket for two sixes in three balls as the spinner erred on the fuller side.Parag and Gill added 54 off 40 balls before Hasaranga dismissed both in the same over. Gill was the first to go. He came down the ground only to be beaten by the turn and be stumped. Three balls later, Parag mishit a half-tracker into the hands of deep midwicket. At 105 for 7 in the 16th over, India were in danger of getting bowled out.Washington’s late cameoPlaying his first match of the series, Washington showed his worth with bat at No. 8. He hit two fours and a six in his 18-ball 25 and added 32 off 24 balls for the eighth wicket along with Ravi Bishnoi. Thanks to their partnership, India scored 35 in the last five overs and reached a respectable 137 for 9. In the absence of Pathirana, the Sri Lanka spinners bowled 14 overs for combined figures of 6 for 107.Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis started well for Sri Lanka in their chase•AFP/Getty Images

Nissanka, Mendis set the platformNissanka and Kusal Mendis started slowly, scoring just four runs in the first two overs. Nissanka then broke the shackles with three fours off Khaleel Ahmed in the third over. Two overs later, he reverse-pulled Washington through cover-point for yet another boundary.India knew they needed wickets, so Suryakumar gave Mohammed Siraj a third over in the powerplay. He did produce a chance, inducing the outside edge of Kusal Mendis’ bat, but Samson was wrong-footed behind the stumps and dropped it. To make it sting even more, Kusal Mendis swept Bishnoi for back-to-back fours in the next over.Still, India did not let Sri Lanka run away with the game. They finally got a breakthrough in the ninth over, when Nissanka chipped Bishnoi to wide long-on.Perera’s effort in vainSri Lanka were 61 for 1 after ten overs, the target still 77 runs away. But Kusal Perera took the aggressive route and hit five fours in the next five overs. That brought down the equation to 30 needed from 30 balls. India had won from the exactly same situation in the T20 World Cup final, but on Tuesday night, they were without Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya, their heroes from that game.While Bishnoi had Kusal Mendis lbw, and Washington dismissed Hasaranga and Charith Asalanka off successive balls, Sri Lanka were still the favourites; they required only 21 from 18 balls. Khaleel then bowled an 11-ball over, which included five wides, to tilt the scale further in Sri Lanka’s favour. But the hosts were in for a rude shock.

The openings were created when Devon Conway and Finn Allen opted out of their deals to play T20 leagues

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Sep-2024

Nathan Smith has been one of the leading bowlers in domestic cricket•Getty Images

Allrounders Nathan Smith and Josh Clarkson have been handed New Zealand central contracts, filling the spots vacated by Devon Conway and Finn Allen declining deals last month.Clarkson, the 27-year-old middle-order batter and medium-pace bowler, has played three ODIs and T20Is while 26-year-old Smith has yet to make his international debut.Related

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Smith was the leading wicket-taker in last season’s Plunket Shield with 33 at 17.18 for champions Wellington. He also represented Worcestershire this season where he claimed 27 wickets at 21.14 in seven County Championship matches alongside making three half-centuries and took eight wickets in nine T20 Blast games before he was forced home with a hamstring injury.”Nathan’s been on our radar for a while having been a significant performer in domestic cricket for some time,” New Zealand head coach Gary Stead. “He’s been particularly impressive in red-ball cricket and we think he has the skills to be successful in international cricket when he gets a chance.”New Zealand Men’s central contracts for 2024-25•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Clarkson, meanwhile, featured in series against Bangladesh, Australia and Pakistan last season.”Josh has been involved in both white ball squads over the past twelve months which shows the strides he’s made in his game,” Stead said. “He’s a hard-hitting player with plenty of skills and has shown in his chances so far that he can offer a lot with bat and ball on the international stage. Josh will provide depth and adds value given the volume of white ball cricket on the horizon.”The vacancies on the contract list arose when Conway and Allen opted out in order to take up T20 league deals during January. Conway, who will play in the SA20 for Joburg Super Kings, was offered a casual playing contract, the same model given Kane Williamson. Allen, who signed a two-year deal with Perth Scorchers in the BBL, wasn’t provided the same option but will remain eligible or selection on a case-by-case basis.New Zealand return to action next week with a one-off Test against Afghanistan in Greater Noida before traveling to Sri Lanka for two Tests then India for three.Updated New Zealand Men’s central contractsTom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young

كشفت تقارير صحفية آخر تطورات مشاركة لامين يامال، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة أمام نظيره نيوكاسل ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويوجه النادي الإسباني بقيادة مدربه هانز فليك، نظيره نيوكاسل مساء يوم الخميس المقبل، في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة ومكة المكرمة، على ملعب “جيمس بارك”، في أولى جولات مرحلة الدوري من بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ووفقًا للأخبار الأخيرة المنتشرة في الساعات الماضية، سيدخل برشلونة المباراة بدون جناحه الشاب المتألق لامين يامال بسبب الإصابة التي عاني منها مع المنتخب الإسباني.

اقرأ أيضًا | حكم مباراة برشلونة ونيوكاسل يونايتد في دوري أبطال أوروبا

صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” أكدت غياب الجناح البالغ من العمر 18 عامًا عن التدريب مع زملائه في الفريق تحت قيادة هانز فليك، في معسكر تيتو فيلانوفا بالمدينة الرياضية خوان جامبر، صباح اليوم، الثلاثاء، وبالتالي مشاركته في أول مباراة لبرشلونة في دوري أبطال أوروبا لموسم 2025-2026 أمر مستبعد تمامًا.

ستُقام جلسة التدريب التالية لفريق برشلونة يوم الأربعاء الساعة السادسة مساءً في ملعب سانت جيمس بارك، ومن المقرر أن يعلن فليك عن قائمة اللاعبين المسافرين إلى نيوكاسل صباح اليوم.

بالسبة للاعب خط الوسط فرينكي دي يونج، والذي تعافى من إصابته، شارك في التدريب وسيكون حاضرًا في المباراة التي ستجمع الفريقان الخميس المقبل.

Glasgow Rangers are looking to improve the options that Russell Martin has available to him at the top end of the pitch ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

21-year-old forward Djeidi Gassama has arrived on a four-year contract at Ibrox, and predominantly plays down the left flank.

Fellow new arrival Thelo Aasgaard, who can play as an attacking midfielder or out wide if needed, also joined from the EFL earlier in the summer transfer window.

The Scottish Premiership giants are not done there, though, as Martin wants to add even more attacking reinforcements ahead of Rangers’ Champions League qualifier.

It was recently reported that the Light Blues boss is pushing the club to strike a deal for Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, who the Gers want to sign on loan.

Martin wanted to sign the left-footed attacker, who spent last season on loan at Sheffield United, during his spells in charge of both Southampton and Swansea, and is now looking to land him at Ibrox.

What Jesurun Rak-Sakyi could bring to Rangers

If the Light Blues can get a deal for the Eagles youngster over the line in the coming days or weeks, Rak-Sakyi would bring plenty of attacking flair and quality to the team.

The 22-year-old star scored seven goals and provided two assists in 22 starts in the Championship for the Blades last term, as they narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League.

Rak-Sakyi also got supporters off their seats with his direct style of play. The winger completed 1.4 dribbles per game, despite coming off the bench 12 times, and was successful in 55% of his attempted dribbles, which shows that he constantly looked to get at the opposition’s full-back.

His return of seven goals and two assists does not paint the full picture of his attacking talents, though, as his output per 90 suggests that he has the potential to explode as a regular starter for Rangers.

24/25 Championship per 90

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi

Percentile rank vs wingers

xG

0.32

Top 13%

Goals

0.36

Top 11%

xA

0.18

Top 22%

Assists

0.10

Bottom 46%

Chances created

1.51

Top 31%

Dribbles completed

2.44

Top 7%

Touches in the opposition box

7.69

Top 2%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Rak-Sakyi was let down by wasteful finishing from his Sheffield United teammates, who did not make enough of the chances that he created for them.

Therefore, if Rangers can bring the left-footed star to Ibrox, Martin would have a tricky right winger who can score and create at an impressive rate in the final third.

The Gers, though, may need to thin their squad out in order to make room for signings like Rak-Sakyi, and others, which is why they are reportedly open to moving on several players.

Rangers willing to cash in on first-team players

According to The Scottish Sun, Rangers have decided that there are a group of first-team players who they are willing to cash in on before the end of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that Kieran Dowell, despite being named as part of the leadership group by Martin, and Rabbi Matondo are the two forwards who could be on their way out of Ibrox.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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It states that Jose Cifuentes, Robin Propper Ben Davies, Ridvan Yilmaz, and Leon King are also on the chopping block in the defensive and deeper-lying midfield roles.

Rangers want to reduce the number of players in the squad, in order to make room for new additions to come in and improve the team, and that is why they are willing to sell all seven of these duds.

Dowell and Matondo’s respective exits, in particular, though, would allow the Scottish giants to bring in the attacking recruits that Martin wants this summer.

Why Rangers should sell Dowell and Matondo

The Light Blues are right to want to sell both players ahead of next season because they have both failed to prove that they have what it takes to be a success at Ibrox, and they occupy positions out wide and in attacking midfield that can be taken up by new signings, like Rak-Sakyi.

Dowell joined the club on a free transfer in the summer of 2023 and, despite being an attacking midfielder, scored two goals and provided two assists in 32 appearances in all competitions in his first 18 months at the club.

That led to the English dud being sent out on loan to Birmingham City for the second half of last season, after it was deemed that he was not good enough for the first-team squad in Glasgow.

This is why the Gers are right to be looking to move on from the former Norwich man, as he has failed to deliver consistent quality in front of goal as either a scorer or a creator.

Matondo, who spent last term on loan at Hannover, is a slightly different story for Rangers, though, as he has scored eight goals and provided 11 assists in 67 games for the club, which is a respectable, albeit unspectacular, return.

Instead of his quality on the pitch, it has been the Wales international’s availability, or lack thereof, that has been a problem since his move to the club in 2022.

Rabbi Matondo’s injury history since signing for Rangers

Season

Injuries

Days missed

Games missed

25/26

1

29

3

24/25

1

92

23

23/24

2

76

19

22/23

1

107

20

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, the left-sided attacker has missed far too many games through injury in the last three full seasons, and is already projected to miss three competitive games at the start of the 2025/26 campaign.

Matondo, who Kris Boyd claimed has “blistering pace”, has simply not been a reliable player because of his injury record, which is why Martin is right to want to move him on this summer to bring in players who are more likely to be available each week.

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Overall, Rangers could significantly improve their squad by pushing Dowell and Matondo out of the door to make way for Rak-Sakyi, who played 36 times last season and delivered more goals in the Championship than the current Gers duo have managed in their entire Ibrox careers.

كشفت تقارير صحفية آخر تطورات التوتر الذي نشب بين ثنائي الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة خلال الفترة الماضية وما الإجراء الذي اتخذه هانز فليك مدرب الفريق.

برشلونة بدأ الموسم بفوزين أمام ريال مايوركا وليفانتي وتعادل مع رايو فاليكانو في أول 3 جولات ببطولة الدوري الإسباني.

وانتشرت تكهنات في الفترة الأخيرة حول فتور العلاقة بين فيرمين لوبيز وجافي بسبب صديقة الأول، وزعمت تقارير أن الوضع وصل إلى حد المقاطعة بينهما.

جافي وفيرمين لوبيز تدرجا في ريال بيتيس قبل الانضمام إلى برشلونة والانتقال إلى لاماسيا، وكانت علاقتهما قوية للغاية.

إلا أن حادثتين وقعتا في أغسطس الماضي كانتا السبب في حدوث الكثير من القلق في غرف خلع الملابس، وفتح الباب أمام جميع أنواع الاحتمالات لحدوث مشاكل كبيرة على مدار الموسم، وذلك وفقًا لصحيفة “آس” الإسبانية.

اقرأ أيضًا | فيرمين لوبيز يكشف حقيقة خلافه مع “صديق عمره” في برشلونة

وقعت الأولى خلال الجولة الآسيوية وتحديدًا في كوريا عندما التقى جافي بصديقه فيرمين خلال حصة تدريبية، واصطدم الاثنان بشدة.

كان فيرمين لوبيز هو من انتهى به الأمر في وضع أسوأ، إذ احتاج إلى مساعدة للنهوض ومواصلة اللعب مرة أخرى خلال التدريبات.

بعد بضعة أيام في برشلونة، التقيا مجددًا خلال حصة تدريبية، في هذه المناسبة تبادلا بعض اللوم والكلمات القاسية واضطر زملاء الفريق إلى التدخل لمنع تفاقم الأمور.

بدأت هذه الحادثة الثانية تُقلق الطاقم الفني أكثر، لأنهم مُدركين أن علاقة سامة قد تتشكل بين اللاعبين وبالتالي قد تؤثر في النهاية على غرفة الملابس، لذلك تولى هانز فليك مسؤولية الأمور بنفسه وتحدث مع اللاعبين في محاولة للسيطرة على مشاعرهما.

وأفادت “آس” أنه يمكن تفسير وصول تياجو ألكانتارا أيضًا على أنه الرجل الذي تم اختياره لمنع سيطرة الأنانية على الفريق وتشكيل شخصية اللاعبين الشباب.

ECB eager to end club-versus-country dilemmas with new FTP in the pipeline

Valkerie Baynes03-Sep-2024

Many of England’s leading players will be involved in the WBBL in October and November•Getty Images

England players will miss the latter stages of the WBBL, due to a clash with their tour of South Africa.To avoid a repetition of the situation which occurred earlier this year, when the end of the WPL overlapped with England Women’s arrival in New Zealand for a bilateral series, causing players to have to choose between club and country, the ECB has told players that they are expected in South Africa, if selected, on certain dates regardless of any overlap with WBBL games.The ECB informed players and their agents of the requirements before they entered the WBBL draft, which was held last weekend.”If a player is selected in the T20 squad, we’re expecting them into South Africa on November 17 and if they’re named in the ODI squad we’re expecting them into South Africa on the 27th,” Jonathan Finch, Director of England Women’s Cricket, told ESPNcricinfo. “That’s been reflected in everyone’s availability when they’ve gone into the draft.”This year’s WBBL starts on October 27 and there will be 11 regular-season matches remaining out of a total of 40 from November 17 before the knockout stages. England are due to play the first of three T20Is in South Africa on November 24, followed by three ODIs from December 4 and a Test starting on December 15.England had seven players signed in the WBBL draft, with Danni Wyatt-Hodge joining Hobart Hurricanes, Sophie Ecclestone retained by Sydney Sixers, and Heather Knight retained by Sydney Thunder, all at platinum level, worth up to $A110,000 (£56,000) depending on availability.Alice Capsey will join Melbourne Renegades from cross-town rivals Stars and Amy Jones returns to Perth Scorchers, both on gold $A90,000 (£46,000) deals. Hollie Armitage and Georgia Adams, who will both tour Ireland from this week while England’s senior squad prepares for next month’s T20 World Cup, joined the Sixers and Thunder respectively in the bronze price bracket for $A40,000 (£20,000).Sophie Ecclestone has been retained by Sydney Sixers for this year’s WBBL•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

The ECB took similar stance during last year’s WBBL with Bess Heath and Danielle Gibson both missing the final to join England’s squad in Mumbai for a T20I series against India starting four days later.The WPL announced their 2024 fixtures in January with the March 17 final falling two days before England’s first of five T20Is in New Zealand on March 19. New Zealand Cricket had confirmed the tour schedule, which also included three ODIs, the previous July and turned down an ECB request to move the dates.Knight, England’s captain, and seam bowler Lauren Bell opted out of their WPL deals to join the New Zealand tour from the outset, while Nat Sciver-Brunt, Wyatt-Hodge, Capsey and Ecclestone linked up with the squad for the fourth and fifth T20Is. Armitage, meanwhile, earned her only England cap to date in the third T20I before she and Linsey Smith made way for the WPL contingent.With the current Women’s Future Tours Program ending in 2025 and the next edition being worked on now, Finch is confident major clashes can be avoided in future.”What we have to get better at is having indicative dates when the tournaments are taking place,” he said. “That’s difficult because you’ve got broadcast complexities and all that kind of thing, but I think if we can get that pretty much nailed on, we shouldn’t have that problem.”I’ve got a responsibility to England and we think that’s fair – five or seven days out from a start of a tour – to come in, really focus in on what we’re trying to do from that tour and go from there.”Now where we’re looking at our FTP for after the next 50-over World Cup and I think everyone is sensitive to not wanting to have any clashes. Even if we don’t have the exact dates of the WBBL for instance, or the WPL, we have some indication of when they are so we can work out what that looks like.”Related

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A problem national boards have faced is that the WPL in particular offers leading players a chance to make life-changing amounts of money for the first time in their careers. Sciver-Brunt was the joint-highest-earning overseas player in the inaugural WPL player auction when she went to Mumbai Indians for £320,000.Finch conceded that denying a player the chance to earn that sort of salary, especially later in their careers, was difficult. As a result, there would be some scope for discussion with players on an individual basis, and he said bringing England Women’s international match fees into line with those of their male counterparts also went some way towards easing the tension.”You know when you sign a central contract that you’re signing a contract that says, ‘my main focus is England,’ so that’s the starting point,” he said. “It’s not an exact science, things change – workloads over a period of time – as to whether we would want to have players exposed to that depending on what the lead-up looks like, but when you sign a central contract, that’s what you’re buying into.”I think we’re still in a space where we can manipulate or cultivate times of the year where it’s not going to have a massive impact.”The ECB is also in talks with the England Women’s Player Partnership, which has a number of current players on its committee, about introducing multi-year central contracts, which Finch said would give some players a greater level of security while protecting the ECB’s resources.”You’ve got a welfare perspective for players so the thing that was sticking out for the New Zealand one was I wasn’t willing for a player to get on a plane at the end of their competition, fly in and play within 24 hours,” he said.”People might say, ‘that’s not your choice to make.’ Well, I think it is. We’ve got a responsibility to ensure that we’re not asking too much of them and that’s why we put that period of time leading into a series. Not only does it give you time to get the players up and running for that series, it also allows you to build in a bit of decompression time if you need to. That’s something that I’m quite strong on.”The panacea will be that our players are available without worrying about whether they’re available for the whole tournament or not. I’m never going to take that [case-by-case discussion] away but we’re hopeful that we won’t get to that point.”