Australia batter available to play in two County Championship games from mid-May
ESPNcricinfo staff08-May-2025Marnus Labuschagne will be available for Glamorgan’s two County Championship fixtures in the second half of the May, as part of the Australia batter’s preparations for the World Test Championship final in June.Labuschagne was expected to return to Glamorgan for a fifth consecutive season and has now been confirmed for the home games against Northamptonshire and Middlesex, when he will replace Colin Ingram as one of the two overseas players in the XI (Asitha Fernando being the other).”It’s great to have Marnus returning to the club again,” Mark Wallace, Glamorgan’s director of cricket, said. “He’s very much part of the furniture here and we’re looking forward to welcoming back to Wales for a couple of games.Related
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“Although it’s only for a short period, it will allow Colin to have a break and recharge before the Blast.”Labuschagne has emerged as a candidate to open for Australia in the WTC final, with Travis Head set to move back down the order after opening in Sri Lanka and uncertainty around whether the selectors will go back to Sam Konstas, who debuted to startling effect during the Border Gavaskar Trophy but has little experience of English conditions.Labuschagne has opened previously for Queensland and did the job in one game for Glamorgan last season, scoring 23 and 111 against Middlesex at Cardiff.
Every batter who takes the field in the IPL is now having to go through a bat-gauge test. Here is why
Nagraj Gollapudi17-Apr-20255:00
Rayudu: Bat checks done on the field can affect batters’ focus
Why has the IPL started measuring bats all of a sudden during IPL 2025? That has become a significant question ever since April 13, when match officials began using a gauge to measure bats.While the IPL has not put out an official statement on the reasons, ESPNcricinfo has learned the move has been made with an eye on maintaining the balance between bat and ball and ensuring that batters do not derive an undue advantage from using bigger bats.Related
Essex hit out at 'stupid' ECB after club is docked points for illegal bat
Narine and Nortje's bats fail the gauge test in PBKS vs KKR game
It is understood that the move was initially discussed by key decision-makers of the IPL before it was ratified by the tournament governing council and formally introduced on April 13. While the IPL has checked bat dimensions in previous seasons, the process involved the fourth umpire measuring the bat dimensions on the day before the match, with players chosen at random. It did not matter, then, if the player would be part of the team on match day. And not all bats of the player were checked, which meant that a batter could have one bat tested and walk in with another on match day.Why now?To plug that loophole, the IPL decided during discussions at the start of the 2025 season that it would be better check bats during the match rather than during training. It is understood that some match officials had privately expressed concern over the size of some bats players had been using. So instead of being subjective and selective in their assessment, it was decided a better approach would be to uniformly check the legality of the bats of all players during a live match.Girish TS/ESPNcricinfo LtdIt is understood that the IPL decided to adopt a rule that was originally used by the ECB. In 2018, the ECB introduced, as part of its domestic playing conditions, checks on bat sizes to make sure they conformed to Law 5 of the MCC’s Laws of Cricket, which restricts the thickness of bat edges to 4cm (1.56 inches), the overall depth of bats to 6.7cm (2.64 inches), and their width to 10.8cm (4.25 inches).How does the bat gauge work?The guage is a rectangular implement with a house-shaped cut-out through which the bottom part of the bat is inserted. The cut-out conforms to the bat dimensions permitted under Law 5, which is also part of the IPL playing conditions. To be deemed legal to use, the bat must be able to pass through the gauge, even if it has been fitted with “[p]ermitted coverings, repair material and toe guards, not exceeding their specified thicknesses”The gauge in use at the IPL to test bat sizes•ESPNcricinfo LtdWhen do the checks happen?It is understood that the IPL informed all teams before mandating the bat checks from April 13. Teams were also given bat gauges so their players could themselves check their bats before the match.On matchdays, on-field umpires carry a bat gauge each to assess the bat of the incoming batter. The fourth umpire is tasked with checking both openers’ bats at the start of each innings. Any bat was found exceeding the specified dimensions is marked and cannot be used during a match. In case a batter asks for a bat change, the new bat is also checked.So far, only two bats have failed the gauge test: they belonged to the Kolkata Knight Riders pair of Sunil Narine and Anrich Nortje.What are the sanctions?Just like the ECB has done, the IPL too has put the onus on players to ensure that their bats comply with Law 5. However, there is a significant difference when it comes to sanctions. The ECB has imposed severe sanctions for any breach, as Essex bitterly experienced during the 2024 County Championship season when they were docked 12 points after one of their batters used an oversized bat during the opening match of their season.The IPL has decided not to impose any sanction other than disallowing bats that have failed the gauge test. While the ECB’s bat checks are random, the IPL checks every bat that enters the field of play.It is understood that batters have been caught off-guard by the move. A tailender at a title-winning team was left in a spot when his entire set of bats, numbering seven or eight, failed to pass through the gauge. Such a situation could prove particularly tricky for overseas batters, particularly those whose bat manufacturers are based outside India.Specialist batters usually request manufacturers to design bespoke bats with custom measurements. In the past, since bat checks were only carried out at random by match officials, and usually only on the eve of the match, there was a certain amount of leeway for players to get away with measurements that exceeded permissible limits. Even if a bat or set of bats was rejected on training day, a player could still use a matchday bat that had never gone through the gauge.The IPL has decided to discourage such actions in the quest to maintain the balance between bat and ball.
Champions turn contest in favour as visitors drop their guard in the sun
Vithushan Ehantharajah12-Apr-2025
Dan Worrall claimed three wickets to help secure a healthy Surrey lead•Getty Images
Surrey 253 (Sibley 100*, Wheal 4-65) and 136 for 1 (Pope 56*, Sibley 55*) lead Hampshire 219 (Prest 44, Gubbins 43, Worrall 3-37) by 170 runsYou can get caught out on Saturdays like these at the Kia Oval.The sun shines scorchingly bright to start, enticing you to take it easy, as you lounge through the opening hours without a care in the world. And then, without warning or even a goodbye, it ducks out leaving you exposed to the chill, scrabbling for the security of layers to cover up that newly acquired farmers’ tan.Of course, many of the 4,132 who started their weekend here will have been wise to all that, taking jumpers and nothing for granted. But 11 not included in that tally – who all happened to be donning a Rose and Crown crest – were given a stark reminder of how sharply things can shift against you on an April day in south London, even when the odds had started in your favour.At about 12.04pm, Hampshire were coasting at 84 for 1, Mark Stoneman and Nick Gubbins steady and unperturbed, even if they were still 169 behind Surrey’s first innings. By 6.26pm, when the floodlights were doing too much of the illuminating, the visitors were now trailing by 170, Surrey’s second innings not just going, but flying.Over six hours of play, and Hampshire were more or less back where they had begun, with far less control. If anything sums up the kind of folly the County Championship can occasionally throw up, this was it. But there were no cricketing gods to curse, and not even the early lure of the sun could be blamed. The lack of progress was very much on Hampshire.Their confusingly slow morning of 42 runs in 29 overs played into Surrey’s hands, particularly given a wicketless first half of day two’s opening session. Then came a collapse of three for six that laid waste to Hampshire’s drudgery, as unnecessary as it may have been. The error of their ways was eventually shoved all the way down their throats by a 36-over evening session in which Dom Sibley and Ollie Pope skipped along to half-centuries with Surrey closing on 136 for 1.The risk of Hampshire’s impasse was clear for all to see. This is a Surrey attack that does not let up. Even Matthew Fisher, freshly down south, got in on the squeeze, straddling midday with an impressive six-over spell – four of them maidens – that went for just seven runs, occasionally beating the edge of both Stoneman and Gubbins.It was while Fisher was operating from the Vauxhall End that Dan Lawrence profited in front of the Micky Stewart Members’ Pavilion. Gubbins inexplicably guided a delivery from wide on the crease around the corner to leg slip, having survived an appeal for an identical dismissal the ball before.Gubbins’ misjudgement turned the focus on the preceding 64 minutes, in which he and Stoneman added just 29 runs. Three overs later, Stoneman had been trapped in front by a suitably rested Dan Worrall, tagging back in for Fisher, before a torturous 1 off 27 from Toby Albert was ended by Jordan Clark to make it 90 for 4.With the top four back in the changing-room, and the innings moored, the onus was back on Tom Prest to take the initiative, as he had done last week with 57 in the successful chase against Yorkshire. A flashed edge over third slip ahead of the lunch break – Hampshire’s first boundary in 26 overs – at least hinted at impetus to come after the interval.The 22-year-old ended the first over of the afternoon session with back-to-back straight drives for four. And when Dawson responded with successive fours of his own – driven through cover, then flicked around the corner – Hampshire had already bettered the morning boundary count (three) in the space of six deliveries.Greater ambition came with greater risk, of course, though Dawson felt aggrieved when given out lbw, seemingly certain of an inside-edge. However contentious, it was a deserved first wicket at the Kia Oval for Fisher. Skipper Ben Brown followed him back not long after with a nine-ball duck that included a life when Sibley shelled a simple chase at first slip.It was from this point that Prest was backed up by Brett Hampton for the best part of 10 overs. The New Zealander was happy to play the aggressor, swinging his huge forearms at anything and everything in his half, bringing about one novel boundary in front of square leg when he was aiming for cover.The only plus point for Hampshire was their first innings seemed in terminal decline when Hampton and Prest were seen off in the space of 11 deliveries, particularly given the modes. The former squeezed out a Clark inducker between bat and pad, stifling the ensuing lbw appeal, but inadvertently sending the ball towards Pope at first slip. England’s vice-captain broke forward and flung himself low to complete the catch. Prest, having negotiated the best part of Worrall’s bumper spell against him, aimed a lazy flinch at one that did not get up as much and found Ryan Patel at short leg for 44.Then came Abbott’s late dash to 37, 13 of them taken off Fisher’s 16th and final over, as a short-ball ploy was met with three step-away-and-carves through the off side, which also happened to be the shorter hit. By the time Abbott was done – bowled by Lawrence defending down the wrong line – Hampshire had closed the first-innings gap to 34.With a bumper 42-session to come after tea, there was an opportunity for wickets to turn this match into a second-innings shootout. But Abbott was the only bowler to register a dismissal, nailing Rory Burns in front, only after he and Sibley had brought up 56 between them in the 13th over. Having carried his bat the day before, Sibley went on, for another 55 unbeaten runs, with the only point of alarm coming when he almost ran himself out on 47.Pope best exemplified the shifting scenario, contorting it further with a breezy half-century brought up with consecutive sixes off Sonny Baker – the first carved over point, the second uppercut over third. No other side have been as chastened by Pope’s shot-making as Hampshire, and this was a ninth fifty-plus score against them in 11 first-class matches against them.They had kept him quiet in five previous innings, including seeing him off for 14 on Friday. But his average against them has ticked back up to 96.30, and it is not unreasonable to expect that to be higher by the time he and Surrey finish batting.Few sides are quite so ruthless as the defending champions when in such a commanding position. And while Hampshire will learn from how this match has been switched upon them by their own apprehensive approach, maybe they should have been wiser given how relentless their opponents have been over the last three years.
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano welcomed a bounceback 3-1 win over the Seattle Sounders after back-to-back shutout defeats, with Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba each producing a goal and an assist while Rodrigo De Paul impressed. Still, Mascherano admitted the squad lacks depth amid absences and missed signings, calling the last seven games ‘finals.’
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Mascherano admits his squad lacks depth but vows to fight
Inter Miami entered Tuesday’s clash carrying the weight of two heavy 3-0 defeats – one in the Leagues Cup final against the Sounders and another against Charlotte. This time, though, Mascherano’s men delivered a strong response in a 3-1 victory over Seattle. Despite the win, the Argentine coach admitted his roster is thin after summer departures and missed signings before the trade deadline. The team is also missing star striker Luis Suarez, who will finish a three-game suspension after Miami face D.C. United on Sept. 20.
“We have many absences right now, and of course, I’d love more resources and depth. But I’m the coach, and I will go to the end with the players I have,” said Mascherano in his postgame press conference. “We have seven finals left, and we want to win all seven.”
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Pushing for the top spot
Although Philadelphia Union remain eight points clear at the top, Inter Miami still hold three games in hand, leaving them with a real chance of climbing to first place.
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Night of goals at Chase Stadium
Messi led the attack alongside Tadeo Allende on the right and Jordi Alba, deployed unusually high on the left. The Spaniard opened the scoring in the 12th minute after linking up with Messi. The Argentine nearly doubled the lead later but hit the post on a one-on-one. He made up for it in the 40th minute, slotting home Alba’s low cross for his 20th MLS goal of the season.
Shortly after the restart, Ian Fray sealed the result with a powerful header. Seattle grabbed a late consolation through Mexican midfielder Obed Vargas, but the game had already been decided.
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Mascherano highlighted his team's unwavering confidence during its recent slump.
“We couldn’t go crazy either. We knew that, above all, we needed to get back to winning. We needed to collect points. And we need to keep collecting points,” Mascherano said. “Nobody likes to be in this position, even if we have three games in hand compared to our rivals, because I truly believe the team doesn’t deserve it.”
Arsenal are believed to still be pursuing Real Madrid forward Rodrygo, despite recently adding Eberechi Eze to their ranks alongside fellow attacking stars Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres this summer.
The north Londoners also agreed a new deal with Leandro Trossard, which includes a pay rise, so the Belgian won’t be going anywhere this summer with two years remaining on the contract (BBC).
Eze, while viewed as a central playmaker to fill the void left by Kai Havertz’s injury, can also play on the left-wing when required, so it would seem that Arteta has more than enough options on that side with Gabriel Martinelli too.
On the right, Arsenal also have Madueke and star man Bukayo Saka, so any move for Rodrygo at this very late stage of the window would be both a surprise and a real statement of intent from Andrea Berta.
Rodrygo in action for Real Madrid.
Berta has been linked with a move for the Brazil international all summer, holding exploratory talks as far back as May, and that interest apparently remains.
The 24-year-old, who scored 14 goals and registered 11 assists in all competitions last season, was left out of Brazil’s latest international squad by Carlo Ancelotti – which has cast further doubt on his future.
While Rodrygo started Los Blancos’ latest La Liga win over Real Oviedo, he was benched for their opening weekend win over Osasuna, and Xabi Alonso’s hesitancy to start the winger regularly appears to be having consequences.
What Real Madrid have told Rodrygo's agents with Arsenal deal on
As per journalist Graeme Bailey, speaking to TBR Football, intermediaries are working on a potential Arsenal or Man City deal for Rodrygo behind-the-scenes.
What’s more, Real have sent a clear message to Rodrygo and his reps – that he’s free to leave before the deadline on September 1.
However, when it comes to the ‘right offer’, this still may be too high for Arsenal or City.
According to reliable media sources, the lowest bid Real could entertain for him as we approach deadline day is around £51.5 million, which is still a hefty sum considering Berta is also trying to sign Piero Hincapie to replace the potentially exit-bound Jakub Kiwior.
That being said, a player of Rodrygo’s quality and versatility would add even more dynamism to Arsenal’s attack, and amid serious competition from Liverpool, it could be something worth considering.
It’s hardly been a summer transfer window to write home about for West Ham United supporters so far.
The main talking point still hanging in the air is the disappointing £55m sale of Mohammed Kudus to arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur, with the recent free transfer purchase of Kyle Walker-Peters from Southampton at least offering a slight ray of positivity amidst a gloomy window to date.
There will surely be a desire on the part of Graham Potter to push on with more signings, as the list of strikers being linked with a move to the London Stadium increases.
West Ham considering move for £26m forward
Indeed, it does appear as if the Irons are hunting down reinforcements up top.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
One target in this department is FC Metz hotshot Idrissa Gueye, who is a far cry from the other name constantly circling in Callum Wilson – a player who has reportedly even agreed personal terms with the Hammers.
The 18-year-old hotshot is an up-and-coming talent in France, contrasted with the ageing 33-year-old now searching for a fresh club as a declining free agent.
Newcastle United'sCallumWilsonsalutes their fans after the match
West Ham might well meet in the middle, instead, with another centre-forward target in the form of Cagliari star Roberto Piccoli, with Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari taking to X recently to reveal that the Hammers are considering a move for the €30m (£26m) attacker.
He might well be a better option to go after than settling for the ex-AFC Bournemouth veteran, with Piccoli just fresh off a goal-laden season in Serie A, whilst Wilson faded into the background on Tyneside.
Roberto Piccoli celebrates scoring for Cagliari.
How Piccoli compares to Wilson
Wilson hadn’t always found himself stuck on the periphery at St James’ Park, however.
At one point in time, the Coventry-born marksman was Newcastle’s leading man – before Alexander Isak stormed onto the scene – with a hefty 35 of his Premier League collection of 88 strikes coming for the Toon.
Unfortunately for Wilson, only nine of those efforts have fallen across his last two seasons, and whilst the 33-year-old’s game has noticeably waned for Eddie Howe’s Magpies, Piccoli was coming into his own for his employers in Italy.
Last campaign, the Cagliari number 91 would play a key role in his lowly Serie A side beating the drop, with ten goals being powered home from 37 games.
Piccoli’s league numbers (24/25)
Stat – per 90 mins*
Piccoli
Games played
37
Goals scored
10
Assists
1
Shots*
2.6
Big chances missed
26
Total duels won*
5.2
Stats by Sofascore
In a Hammers environment where he has the likes of Jarrod Bowen to bounce off, he could well live up to his “prolific” billing even more, as he was once labelled by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.
Of course, Piccoli isn’t the finished article – as seen in his glaring 26 big chances missed last season in Serie A action – but his aggressiveness to throw himself into duels, which saw him 5.2 duels on average across that same span, should stand him in good stead for the challenges ahead, away from just being viewed as a promising, centre-forward figure with room to grow and develop.
Cagliari'sRobertoPiccolicelebrates scoring their first goal
On the flip side, Wilson has been deep in the twilight of his playing days for some time now.
Worryingly, Jamie Carragher way back in 2023 had highlighted that the Premier League regular had just “not been the same” amid concerns about his sluggish displays for the Magpies. Wilson himself has even been critical of his drop-off in form, too, having noted the 2024/25 season as being “one of my worst.”
Newcastle striker Callum Wilson
That has now culminated in him drawing consistent blanks, with West Ham far better placed to go after the services of Piccoli, over hoping that the 33-year-old reaches his peak again.
Perfect Paqueta replacement: West Ham target move for "exquisite" £34m star
With Lucas Paquetá likely to leave West Ham United this summer, the Irons are interested in sign an “exquisite” talent who once cost as much as £32m.
استقر عماد النحاس المدير الفني للفريق الأول بالنادي الأهلي، عن اللاعبين البدلاء لفريقه في مباراة اليوم أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا، التي تجمع بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.
ويلتقي الأهلي مع سيراميكا كليوباترا، على أرضية استاد القاهرة، في إطار لقاءات الجولة السابعة من الدوري المصري.
الأهلي يحتل المركز السادس عشر في جدول الدوري برصيد 6 نقاط، بعدما خاض 5 مباريات، حقق الفوز في مباراة وتعادل في 3، وتلقى هزيمة واحدة.
طالع أيضاً.. تشكيل الأهلي أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا في الدوري.. عودة ياسر إبراهيم وبن شرقي أساسيًا
على الجانب الآخر، يتواجد سيراميكا كليوباترا بالمركز السابع في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، ولديه 10 نقاط من 5 مواجهات، فاز في 3 وتعادل في لقاء، وتلقى هزيمة وحيدة.
وشهدت دكة بدلاء الأهلي اليوم أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا تواجد عدد كبير من نجوم الفريق أبرزهما جراديشار وحسين الشحات وأليو ديانج. بدلاء الأهلي أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا في الدوري المصري
ياسين مرعي وعمر كمال عبد الواحد وأحمد رضا وجراديشار وحسين الشحات ومحمد مجدي أفشة ومصطفى العش وأليو ديانج ومصطفى شوبير.
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.
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.
Kieran Dowell
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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Rangers could repeat their Abdallah Sima blinder by signing this star this summer.
ByDan Emery Jul 15, 2025
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.
Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly opened talks with another target, as technical director Johan Lange begins work on their potential third summer signing after Mathys Tel and Kota Takai.
Frank holds Tottenham talks over signing £300k-p/w ace who's open to joining
The Spurs boss has been discussing him with Lilywhites hierarchy.
1 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 18, 2025
Spurs look ready to back new manager Thomas Frank with fresh squad upgrades ahead of his first full season in charge, and Tel’s £30 million permanent switch from Bayern Munich was reportedly approved by the Dane himself.
Son Heung-min
7.00
James Maddison
6.98
Pedro Porro
6.95
Dominic Solanke
6.84
Dejan Kulusevski
6.83
via WhoScored
Frank will also soon welcome J League sensation Takai after chairman Daniel Levy green-lit a £5 million deal to sign the 20-year-old defender from Kawasaki Frontale, which stands as a record fee for any Japanese player from that division.
Tottenham signed Takai to compete as a first-team player, hoping that he’s set to follow a similar trajectory to the likes of Lucas Bergvall, Destiny Udogie and Pape Sarr (Alasdair Gold), so supporters can expect to see him in and around the senior matchday squads next term.
Frank has a proven track record of developing young players into major talents, and the 51-year-old is excited to work with his “very talented” new roster.
“It’s a very talented squad, a very good squad and I’m very excited to start working with them,” said Frank in his first interview with the club.
“Of course, when you follow the Premier League, you see the other teams, you see Tottenham – you’ve seen some fantastic performances from the team over the last years. So, I think there’s big potential.
“But, of course, I’m looking from the outside, so I’m looking forward to getting to know them, to be around them, to feel them, understand them, work with them on the training pitch. That’s where you really get the big understanding, understand the relationships between players and how you can get the best out of them.
“I’ve got an idea already, my head is spinning [with] how can we play, how do I put them together, but I’m looking forward to that.”
Tottenham in talks with Kyle Walker-Peters
In the last week, Spurs have been repeatedly linked with a swoop for ex-defender Kyle Walker-Peters, who’s now officially leaving Southampton as a free agent at the end of this month.
The 28-year-old has made over 200 appearances for Southampton since leaving Spurs for St. Mary’s in 2020, and he’d bring some much-needed experience to Frank’s otherwise very youthful squad.
Tottenham also need more club-trained players to fill their Champions League quota, and Walker-Peters fits the bill considering he came through the Hotspur Way academy.
Now, as per Graeme Bailey in a piece for TBR Football, Lange has personally “started work” on bringing the Englishman back to N17.
It is believed Tottenham have opened talks with Walker-Peters over re-joining on a free, with the full-back keen on potentially making a return to his boyhood club as he looks to secure a move back to the Premier League, following his relegation on the south coast last season.
Interestingly, Walker-Peters employs the same agency as a host of current Spurs players – including James Maddison, Pedro Porro, Richarlison, Son Heung-min, Djed Spence and Sarr – so this could perhaps help to facilitate a deal given CAA Base’s already-productive relationship with the Lilywhites.
It may feel like we’re in the thick of the summer transfer window, Liverpool fans, but that’s not the case. Rather, FSG are working with incredible prudence to strengthen Arne Slot’s Premier League champions.
Trent Alexander-Arnold will likely feature for the final time as a Liverpool player on Sunday in the season’s closing game against FA Cup winners Crystal Palace, but sporting director Richard Hughes has already engineered and wrapped up a move for his successor.
Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong will play for the Merseysiders next season, with Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez also being pursued, discussions at an advanced stage.
Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong
Liverpool need something more in attack, too. While Mohamed Salah has forged an individual season for the ages, he’s perhaps been let down at times by his peers.
After penning a two-year extension, the Egyptian King needs to be supplemented by some elite-level firepower, someone capable of being his next Sadio Mane.
FSG may well have found just the man for the job.
Liverpool pushing to seal marquee signing
According to the Daily Mail’s Lewis Steele, Liverpool’s ambitious push to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz is very much intact, with FSG doing everything in their power to bring the 22-year-old under Slot’s influence.
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Liverpool have been locked in a transfer battle with Bayern Munich for the talented midfielder’s services, and have been emboldened in recent days after Manchester City dropped out the race. Die Roten, however, remain favourites at this stage.
The truth is Liverpool will do all they can to get a deal done for Wirtz, Germany’s poster boy. However, given that the Bundesliga champions are also doing everything in their power to sign the playmaker, it’s not going to be easy.
In spite of the Germany international’s €150m (equating to about £126m) price tag, FSG are willing to green-light a staggering club-record transfer.
Here’s why.
Why Wirtz could be Slot's new "superstar"
Some might question why Liverpool aren’t instead preparing to fork out a similar sum on Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, but if the Magpies seal a place in next season’s Champions League, the Swedish striker isn’t going anywhere.
And anyway, with Alexander-Arnold set to depart and take his boundless creativity with him, Liverpool need to find a new playmaker-in-chief.
That could be Wirtz, who, aged 22, has already overcome a crushing ACL injury to win an invincible domestic double, win the Bundesliga Player of the Year and be called “the best midfielder in the world” by former Werkself striker Patrick Helmes.
Florian Wirtz – Career Stats by Position (club & country)
Position
Apps
Goals
Assists
Attacking midfield
169
48
57
Left winger
21
4
5
Right winger
17
8
5
Centre-forward
15
7
7
Central midfield
5
0
3
Data via Transfermarkt
He’s the real deal, all right. After just 197 senior appearances for his current club, the 5 foot 9 midfielder has scored 57 goals and supplied 65 assists, showcasing a level of reliability in the final third that the likes of Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai don’t project with the regularity of Salah.
Or Mane, for that matter. You could say that Wirtz stands a stellar chance of becoming Slot’s own version of the Senegalese legend, whose “world-class” attacking threat, as remarked by Jurgen Klopp, hasn’t yet been recaptured by any signing at Liverpool.
Sadio Mane Liverpool graphic
Mane signed for Liverpool in 2015, leaving Southampton for a £34m fee. He devoted the prime years of his career to Anfield and left a legend, instrumental in conquering the Premier League and the Champions League.
Though typically playing off the left, Mane was positionally fluid and made a menace of himself through remarkable powers of intensity, overwhelming his opponents before finding space to strike on goal.
Former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane
Wirtz is more central (see the table above), but he does enjoy playing out on the left, with his heatmap from the 2024/25 Bundesliga campaign suggesting he drifts over more often than not.
It would give Slot a new tactical piece to play with, in any case. Wirtz has only missed eight big chances across Leverkusen’s league and European campaigns this year, scoring 16 goals. Moreover, he’s created 21 big chances, denoting his immense playmaking ability that will allow the Reds to transition away from the Alexander-Arnold era, such as it is.
As per FBref, Wirtz ranks among the top 8% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues this season for goal contributions, the top 7% for shot-creating actions and progressive passes, and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90.
The German’s unrelenting energy in driving the ball forward is something to be admired. It’s something, perhaps, that is Mane-esque.
With flair and fleet feet and a deadly switch when placed at the end of an attacking sequence, Wirtz is the real deal. ESPN correspondent Rob Palmer called him a “superstar in the making” a few weeks ago, but he may well already be of the highest station.
Liverpool need to get it done, giving Salah the perfect new attacking partner to win more silverware over the next few years.
He'd be incredible with Kerkez: FSG want to sign £50m "tank" for Liverpool
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