All posts by h716a5.icu

Barry Ferguson has three more matches left to manage as the interim head coach of Glasgow Rangers before he moves on from Ibrox this summer.

The former Scotland international came in to replace Philippe Clement earlier this year and has only won four of his 12 games in charge of Rangers to date, drawing his most recent clash in the Old Firm derby.

Ferguson, therefore, has not done much to suggest that the new owners, when they complete their takeover, should be looking to hand him the role on a full-time basis moving forward.

In fact, TEAMtalk recently reported that the 49ers want to appoint a fresh face with no prior connection to Rangers, which immediately rules out Ferguson, who has now played for and managed the Light Blues.

The outlet added that Steven Gerrard is also out of the running, because of that stance, and will not be returning to Ibrox for a second stint in the dugout.

Whilst the 49ers will not be pursuing a move for the out-of-contract English tactician, they should be looking for a manager who can be their own version of the Liverpool legend.

Why the 49ers should want their own Steven Gerrard

Back in the summer of 2018, Rangers, who were aiming to put Celtic’s dominant run of league titles to a stop, confirmed the appointment of Gerrard on a four-year contract.

Prior to that summer, the Hoops had won seven Scottish Premiership titles in as many seasons and the Gers needed a manager who could wrestle back control of the league.

Gerrard was a risky appointment, as he had not managed a first-team game by that point, and it was not a move that instantly worked out for the Light Blues, because the English boss needed time to develop a style and to build a squad that was ready to win the title.

Rangers finished in second place, behind Celtic, in the manager’s first two seasons at Ibrox, before they went on to win the division in the 2020/21 campaign, going unbeaten in the process.

Matches

38

12

Wins

32

8

Draws

6

3

Defeats

0

1

Points

102

27

Points per game

2.68

2.25

League position

1st (Champions)

1st

As you can see in the table above, Gerrard’s side won 32 of their 38 matches that season to clinch the Premiership crown and to stop Celtic from winning ten in a row.

The Light Blues then won eight of their first 12 matches in the following season, taking them to the top of the table, before the manager decided to pursue an opportunity with Aston Villa in the Premier League.

Unfortunately, Rangers have finished second in all four of their seasons without Gerrard at the helm, as Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Michael Beale, Philippe Clement, and Barry Ferguson have all failed to deliver a title to the Ibrox faithful.

The 49ers should, therefore, want to find their own version of the English boss because they now face the same task that the club faced in 2018: stopping Celtic’s title dominance.

Why Rangers should target Frank Lampard

Back in October 2023, when Beale was relieved of his duties, Sky Sports reported that Frank Lampard had shown an interest in the available post at Ibrox.

Almost two years later, the 49ers must target the English manager to see if he would be interested in the job this time around, should Coventry fail to earn promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs.

It seems unlikely that he would want to ditch the Sky Blues if they make their way to the top-flight in England, but Rangers must attempt to convince Lampard to make the move to Scotland if Coventry do not join Leeds United and Burnley in the top division.

The 46-year-old tactician, who typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation, joined the Sky Blues when they were 17th in the Championship and level on points with the bottom three and led them to a fifth-placed finish, to secure a place in the play-offs.

Speaking on talkSPORT recently, pundit Jermaine Jenas hailed Lampard’s ability to work through criticism and claimed that he has done a “pretty special” job at Coventry, which is hard to argue against when you look at the images above.

The former Chelsea midfielder, who played alongside Gerrard at international level for England in their playing days, has had mixed success throughout his managerial career, but is currently thriving at the CBS Arena.

24/25

Championship (Coventry)

29

1.79

5th

22/23

Premier League (Chelsea)

9

0.56

12th

22/23

Premier League (Everton)

20

0.75

19th

21/22

Premier League (Everton)

18

1.11

16th

20/21

Premier League (Chelsea)

19

1.53

9th

19/20

Premier League (Chelsea)

38

1.74

4th

18/19

Championship (Derby County)

46

1.61

6th

As you can see in the table above, Lampard enjoyed early success with sixth and fourth place finishes with Derby County and Chelsea, before being sacked by the Premier League giants and by Everton.

He then endured a dismal interim spell at Chelsea after Graham Potter’s dismissal at Stamford Bridge, earning just 0.56 points per game across nine matches, before taking the Coventry job earlier this season.

Whilst managing at the top of the Premier League may be a step too far for him at this moment in time, Lampard has finished in the play-off positions in both of his seasons in the Championship with Derby and Coventry, which shows that he can motivate and set up a team to win consistently.

Couple that with the respect that his playing career earns him, and there is a compelling argument to suggest that he could be the 49ers’ own version of Gerrard in the new era at Ibrox, as another manager on the up who has something to prove rather than someone who has been there and done it and may not have the same motivation.

Not just Gerrard: "Error prone" Rangers star must not be part of 49ers era

Steven Gerrard is not the only big name who should not be part of the 49ers era at Rangers.

ByDan Emery May 8, 2025

Like Gerrard, Lampard is yet to win a league title and the prospect of doing that at Ibrox could be an attractive and highly-motivating factor for him, which is why the 49ers could tempt him to leave Coventry if his side fails to win the play-offs.

The English tactician has shown promise at Championship level and has proven that he can galvanise a losing team and turn it into a winning one, which is, in essence, what Rangers are in need of.

Another Championship season has worryingly passed West Bromwich Albion by, meaning the Baggies have been outside the luxuries of Premier League football since relegation at the end of the 2020/21 campaign.

Many managers have come and gone during this testing period, with Carlos Corberan the closest to restoring West Brom back to their former top-flight glories when reaching the playoffs just last season, only for eventual promotion winners Southampton to get the better of the West Midlands side over two legs.

Now, West Brom are back in the daunting position of having to look for another new boss after parting ways with Tony Mowbray, with the next face to grace the Hawthorns helm perhaps the one that seals promotion finally.

West Brom's list of manager targets

It’s been nearly a month now since Mowbray was dismissed with the 61-year-old unfortunately unable to push the Baggies up into the playoffs on his return to the hot-seat.

Instead, he only managed to pick up five victories from his 17 games in charge, with these disappointing failures culminating in James Morrison having to take over the reins on an interim basis for the final few games of the league campaign.

There have even been reports that the ex-West Brom midfielder could be handed the vacancy on a permanent basis, but it’s far likelier that the Baggies will look elsewhere in trying to uncover the best possible Mowbray successor.

However, one option continuing to be linked with Albion is Ryan Mason. Five years younger than Morrison, he actually boasts more significant coaching experience at Tottenham Hotspur.

Yet, if West Brom can find a more experienced promotion winner over Mason, they should go full steam ahead. In fact, there’s a seven-time promotion expert who ticks all the right boxes.

West Brom could appoint "unbelievable" promotion expert

Instead of swooping in to steal coaches from Premier League outfits, West Brom could look to the lower reaches of the EFL to finally land a suitable Mowbray replacement.

With that in mind, Stockport County boss Dave Challinor could be their desired man. The current Hatters boss is a beloved figure at Edgeley Park for how much he has revolutionised the Greater Manchester side’s fortunes since joining in 2021 and is reportedly on the radar of Albion.

When he first took on the reins, Stockport were a sleeping giant marooned in the National League. But, with two promotions under his belt now – which included pipping mega-money Wrexham Town to the League Two title last year – the Hatters are on the cusp of a Championship return for the first time in over 20 years.

This will be music to the ears of West Brom as they aim to finally break out of the Championship, with Challinor already a recognised promotion expert in League Two and perhaps League One to come, meaning he could take to the next step-up swimmingly as well.

Games managed

553

Wins

282

Draws

128

Losses

143

Goals scored

998

Promotions

7x

League titles

4x

Overall win percentage

50.9%

Staggeringly, Challinor still has even more promotion wins to brag about than the two already mentioned with Stockport, with the table above illuminating his further five promotion successes as a lower league veteran, alongside his mammoth career tally of 282 victories.

This is where any approach for Mason could fall flat, with the Spurs coach clearly a well-regarded face in North London and one for the future. However, he has only overseen a meagre 13 games as a main manager.

Both the 49-year-old and Mason do have a connection, however, with neither figure having taken charge of a Championship game before.

But, if the “unbelievable” manager – as he’s been labelled previously by journalist Jordan Cronin – has proved anything across his distinguished time in various dug-outs to date, he often excels when a tough challenge is put in front of him.

He's Corberan 2.0: West Brom could hire "one of the best young coaches"

West Bromwich Albion will hope they can unearth their next Carlos Corberan with this managerial appointment.

ByKelan Sarson May 13, 2025

With the summer transfer window set to open on the 1st of June, it is clear that Chelsea are going to sign a striker. The Blues, who face Real Betis in the Conference League final on Wednesday, are strongly linked with several new names who could lead the line for them.

A recent report from Kieran Gill for The Mail named some of the striker targets the Blues are chasing this summer. They include Eintracht Frankfurt youngster Hugo Ekitike, also wanted by Liverpool, and fellow Bundesliga striker Benjamin Sesko, currently playing for RB Leipzig.

However, there is another man the West Londoners are interested in, for whom they are thought to be leading the race to sign.

Chelsea’s main striker target

It will be fascinating to see who the Blues pursue this summer, with regards to their centre-forward targets. Of course, they seem to be strong contenders to sign Ekitike and Sesko, but they are arguably not their preferred choice.

Transfer Focus

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

Well, according to a report from Chris Wheeler of The Mail, Chelsea are currently the favourites to sign Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap. The Blues have ‘edged ahead’ in the race in recent days, perhaps swung by their Champions League qualification, which was confirmed on Sunday.

This has been corroborated by journalist Graeme Bailey, with the transfer insider outlining that the Blues are now ‘confident’ that they will beat Manchester United in the battle for his signature, having already held ‘fresh talks’ with the player.

Any deal for the in-demand striker would cost in the region of £30m, owing to a relegation release clause in his contract at Portman Road.

Why Delap would be a good signing

Few players in their first Premier League campaign have made as much of an impression this season as Delap. In what was a disappointing season for Ipswich as a whole, the England under-21 forward certainly made a big impact.

The 22-year-old, who is the son of Stoke City cult hero Rory, played 37 times in his first full Premier League season. In that time, he managed to bag himself 12 goals and also chipped in with two assists.

One of the biggest positives about Delap is his consistency. His longest goal drought in 2024/25 was seven games, which actually came in the final few games of the season.

Aside from that, he was a consistent scorer for the Tractor Boys, even finding the back of the net against Chelsea in a 2-0 win at Portman Road.

If the Blues do manage to sign Delap, then he is in safe hands under Enzo Maresca. The Italian coach certainly knows how to get the best out of a clinical goalscorer, given the form Jamie Vardy showed under him for Leicester City last season in the Championship.

In 37 games under the now-Chelsea boss, the Foxes legend helped himself to 20 goals and two assists. That included 18 strikes in 35 Championship appearances, to help his side win the league and return to the top flight.

Maresca certainly knows how to handle a deadly centre-forward and get the best out of him, be it as an individual goalscorer or his general striker play.

In a team that scored 89 goals in 2023/24, Vardy had to be selfless too, and Maresca helped him fit in with the team’s dynamic.

Well, that can certainly be said about Delap, too. One person full of praise for the Ipswich star is analyst Ben Mattinson, who described him as “a problem for every Premier League defence”. He’s also been described as a “monster” by teammate Alex Palmer.

The stats on Sofascore from this season show he is more than just a goalscorer, but a well-rounded striker. For example, Delap won an average of two aerial duels per game and played 21 key passes this term.

Shots

2.3

68

Shots on target

1.1

32

Dribbles completed

1.4

40

Aerial duels won

2

58

Expected goal involvements

0.37xGI

10.75xGI

Vardy and Delap are also noted as similar players among those in their position in both Europe’s top five leagues and in the Premier League, as per FBref, reflecting their statistical likeness.

For example, the Ipswich forward averages 0.34 goals per shot on target and 0.24 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes. In comparison, Vardy averages 0.35 goals per shot on target and 0.32 goal-creating actions each game.

The fact that they are so similar surely plays into Maresca’s hands, too. He surely knows how to get the best out of his number nines, and they are certainly like-for-like players, as the stats back up.

Maresca knows what he is doing when it comes to getting the best out of a striker. Delap will surely fit the bill nicely, as someone who is happy to work hard for his team and can score goals at a good rate, too.

If he can be as good as Vardy was under Maresca, then Delap will surely be a success at Stamford Bridge.

He's shades of Drogba: Chelsea open discussions to sign "the next Mbappe"

Chelsea needs to sign a striker or two this summer

2 ByRoss Kilvington May 27, 2025

Wolverhampton Wanderers finished their 2024/25 season with a 1-1 draw against Brentford on Sunday.

This result meant the Old Gold finished 16th, 17 points clear of the relegation zone. Vitor Pereira’s opening few months have been largely promising, but there must be some improvements made to the squad during the summer transfer window.

Several players failed to shine against the Bees, however, which could impact their futures.

Wolves' best and worst performers against Brentford

Marshall Munetsi scored a screamer to rescue a point for the Molineux side, and it was an excellent overall display.

He lost possession just seven times and succeeded with 100% of his dribbles during the game.

Sadly, with a move to Manchester United on the horizon, Matheus Cunha looks to have played his final game for the club but he did put in a decent display, registering five total shots while delivering nine crosses into the box as he looked to make the difference.

Metric

Highest-Ranked

Accurate passes

Yehor Yarmolyuk (53)

Key passes

Goncalo Guedes and Rayan Ait-Nouri (3)

Tackles

Joao Gomes (8)

Shots on target

Matheus Cunha (3)

Ground duels won

Joao Gomes (14)

Elsewhere, Rayan Ait-Nouri, who also may have played his final game for Wolves, struggled throughout. Not only did he give the ball away for Brentford’s opener, the defender also lost the ball nine times before being subbed off in the 65th minute.

The worst performer, however, was Goncalo Guedes, and it is almost certain that the Portuguese forward will be on his way out of Molineux this summer.

Why Wolves must sell Goncalo Guedes this summer

Guedes was deployed as a lone centre-forward against Brentford, but failed to make an impression in the final third.

The former Valencia man lasted just 65 minutes. During his time on the pitch, he registered two shots off target, succeeded with three of his six dribble attempts and completed only 20 passes.

There was a moment that left the manager “furious” in the words of Old Gold reporter Liam Keen, when Munetsi cut the ball back but the Portuguese made a mess of the chance and sent it wide.

Across his 29 league matches this season, Guedes scored just twice while grabbing four assists and if Pereira is aiming to take the club into the top half of the Premier League table next season, he should not be the main attacking option, particularly when Cunha departs.

He’s lacked so much pizazz in the final third, notably recording a goal conversion percentage of just 7%, while he averaged 0.5 key passes per game, created two big chances and averaged just 0.3 shots on target per game in the top flight.

Those are hardly the statistics of a player who can make a difference for the club in the final third next season, and this must ensure his departure in the coming months.

Dubbed as “lightning quick” by European football expert Andy Brassell upon his arrival at Molineux, it’s fair to say that he failed to live up to his massive £27.5m transfer fee.

With two years left on his current contract at the club, now is the perfect time for Pereira to cash in on him when the transfer window opens.

It is unlikely he can recoup the near £30m that was spent on him, but any decent fee would bolster the club’s transfer kitty, no doubt about that.

With Cunha departing too, Pereira must bring in another attacker or two.

Wolves can sign their new Raul Jimenez with "extraordinary" £29m star

Wolves will need to replace Matheus Cunha this summer

ByRoss Kilvington May 25, 2025

While they finally saw their team lift a significant honour in the Europa League, we reckon most Tottenham Hotspur fans are happy to see the back of this season.

For example, away from their continental success, the North Londoners finished all the way down in 17th place in the Premier League and failed to get past the Fourth Round of the FA Cup.

So, whether Ange Postecoglou keeps his job or not, Daniel Levy and Co need to do all they can to bring in the right players this summer, players who can help them rise up the table and put in a good showing in the Champions League next season.

Fortunately, the club seem to be on the same page, as reports are now linking the North Londoners with an incredible talent who could be their answer to Manchester United’s seemingly imminent signing of Bryan Mbeumo.

Tottenham transfer news

Back in the January transfer window, Spurs were one of several Premier League sides quite heavily linked with a move for Mbeumo, and while nothing came of it, the links didn’t go away.

Transfer Focus

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

In fact, the Brentford star was still being touted for a move to N17 as recently as last month, but then this week, all hopes of the North Londoners securing the Cameroonian’s signature evaporated.

On Monday evening, The Athletic’s David Ornstein revealed that despite interest from other sides, including Tottenham, the 25-year-old now wants to join the Red Devils.

While missing out on a player as talented as the former Troyes gem is never ideal, the good news is that the Lilywhites have now been linked with another sensational talent compared to him: Xavi Simons.

Yes, according to a recent report from TEAMtalk, Spurs are one of several teams interested in signing the RB Leipzig star.

The report claims that the North Londoners made contact with the player’s camp in January and that they’ll have to compete with Arsenal, Chelsea, and potentially Liverpool should they opt to move ahead with their interest.

The Dutchman is valued at around £65m by Leipzig, so while it would be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he could be Tottenham’s answer to Mbeumo.

How Simons compares to Mbeumo

So before getting into a couple of the other reasons why Spurs should be looking to sign Simons this summer, it’s important to examine this comparison to Mbeumo and where it comes from.

It stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, and in this instance, has come to the conclusion that the Brentford star is the fourth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Leipzig gem across the last 365 days.

The best way to understand how this conclusion was reached is by looking at some of the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, expected assists, shots and shots on target, goal-creating actions, tackles won, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.48

0.42

Progressive Carries

3.56

3.43

Shots

2.09

2.08

Shots on Target

0.96

0.90

Expected Assists

0.25

0.25

Goal-Creating Actions

0.50

0.53

Tackles Won

0.88

0.82

Successful Take-Ons

1.38

1.37

On top of their statistical similarities, the 22-year-old “pocket rocket,” as dubbed by analyst Raj Chohan, could also have the same effect on the North Londoners that so many expect the Bees ace to have on United.

For example, despite missing some of the campaign with an ankle injury, the Amsterdam-born dynamo was able to rack up a seriously impressive haul of 11 goals and eight assists in 33 appearances for the German outfit.

That means he averaged a goal involvement every 1.73 games for a team that struggled more than most expected this season.

Finally, in addition to his ability in and around goal, the 26-capped international is positionally versatile and is more than capable of playing off either wing, in attacking midfield and even as a centre-forward if need be.

Ultimately, missing out on Mbeumo isn’t ideal, but in Simons, Spurs could have their own goalscoring superstar on their hands, so Levy and Co should be doing all they can to sign him this summer.

Eriksen 2.0: Spurs looking to sign "extraordinary" £25m Sarr upgrade

The young leader could be just what Spurs are after.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 4, 2025

Russell Martin was officially unveiled as the new head coach of Glasgow Rangers earlier this month, and he is tasked with bringing glory back to Ibrox.

The Light Blues have not won the Scottish Premiership title for four years and ended the 2024/25 campaign without a single trophy to show for their efforts.

Martin and Kevin Thelwell must build a team that can challenge Celtic for the title next season, and there is already work going on behind the scenes to bring in fresh recruits.

Southampton’s Aaron Ramsdale, Leicester’s Conor Coady, and Swansea’s Harry Darling are just a few of the reported targets that the Gers boss is looking to snap up from the English market that he is familiar with.

Whilst they are in the market to improve the defence, with those two centre-backs and a goalkeeper, Rangers must also bolster their attacking options before the window slams shut.

They confirmed earlier this summer that Ianis Hagi’s contract would not be renewed, making him a free agent this summer, and his exit will leave a hole to fill.

Why losing Ianis Hagi is a blow for Rangers

Allowing the Romania international to move on from Ibrox was a bold decision and one that means the Gers have lost a proven Premiership performer who provided quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Hagi, who returned to the fold under Philippe Clement during the first half of the 2024/25 campaign, after spending the previous year on loan at Alaves in Spain, caught the eye with his performances off the left flank or as an attacking midfielder.

The 26-year-old, as shown in the clip above, stepped up in big moments for the Scottish giants and Martin is going to need to find another wide attacker who can make a similar impact at the top end of the pitch.

Losing a quality player on a free transfer also means that the Gers may need to make sales in other positions in order to raise the funds to sign a replacement, as it will not be easy to find a star of Hagi’s quality.

Starts

16

Goals

4

Big chances created

6

Assists

5

Key passes per 90

2.5

Assists per 90

0.3

As you can see in the table above, the Romanian magician was particularly impressive as a creator, but also showed his class as a goalscorer for the Light Blues.

This is why it is so important for Martin to recruit a new winger, or attacking midfielder, who has the potential to deliver goal contributions on a regular basis next season.

With this in mind, the former Scotland international should push the club to seriously pursue a deal to sign one of their reported transfer targets, Leeds United ace Largie Ramazani.

Rangers' reported interest in Largie Ramazani

At the start of this month, TEAMtalk claimed that Rangers are interested in a swoop to sign the Belgian winger from the Championship champions during the summer transfer window.

The outlet reported that the Scottish giants have ’emerged’ as possible suitors to land the former Almeria flanker, who signed for Leeds for a fee of £10m in the summer of 2024.

Transfer Focus

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

It added, however, that Rangers were simply monitoring the situation and that a transfer was not at any advanced stage, to which there has not been any update in the subsequent few weeks.

TEAMtalk claimed that Daniel Farke had not made a final decision on the attacker’s future at Elland Road, because he would like to see how the winger does in pre-season before making the call, which suggests that the Gers may have to play the long game with Ramazani.

If the Light Blues can eventually get a deal done for the Belgian star, whether that is a loan or a permanent move, then Martin could have a brilliant replacement for Hagi in the building, as he is also a left-sided attacker who can also play centrally.

Why Rangers should sign Largie Ramazani

Martin should sign Ramazani for Rangers as a perfect replacement for the Romania international because his performances for Leeds in the 2024/25 campaign suggest that he has the potential to explode as a regular starter in Scotland.

The former Manchester United academy graduate first made a name for himself with Almeria, scoring 22 goals in 128 matches, before his move to Leeds last year.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig even compared him to Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior and described the Belgian sensation as an “explosive” forward who can be a “counter attacking weapon” for his team.

Ramazani did not get too many opportunities to showcase that quality in the Championship this term, starting seven of his 29 appearances, but the 24-year-old whiz caught the eye in his limited minutes on the pitch.

Non-penalty xG

0.54

Top 2%

Shots on target

1,84

Top 2%

Goals

0.69

Top 2%

Assists

0.23

Top 20%

Chances created

1.50

Top 32%

Dribbles completed

2.07

Top 15%

As you can see in the table above, the Leeds winger ranked very highly among his positional peers in a host of key attacking metrics as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Ramazani ended the season with six goals and two assists in the league, despite starting just seven times, which speaks to the kind of quality he could provide Rangers with if they give him an opportunity to play week-in-week-out as a starter.

This suggests that the Gers target could perfectly replace Hagi, as another right-footed forward who can play off the left or centrally in a number ten role, whilst he can also play on the right if needed.

Ramazani has the quality, as shown by his spell in Spain and his impressive performances in limited game time in England, to fill the hole that Hagi’s release has left at Ibrox.

He's Jelavic 2.0: Rangers ready bid for "complete" £6m star

Rangers could be set to make a bid for a new striker who could be the club’s next Jelavic.

ByRoss Kilvington Jun 14, 2025

It is now down to Martin and Thelwell to seal a deal for the Whites attacker if Farke decides to make him available for a transfer in the coming weeks.

A £140,000 a-week Liverpool player is now excited about leaving the Premier League champions after his agent met with a top European club, according to a new report.

Liverpool announce Kerkez and close in on Marc Guehi transfer

Liverpool announced their third major signing of the summer on Thursday, as Milos Kerkez joined the Reds in a deal worth £40 million from AFC Bournemouth. His arrival now takes Liverpool’s spending to £170 million so far this summer, but the Reds and Arne Slot are not finished there.

Liverpool set to send nearly £10m to Chelsea as they close in on centre-back deal

Liverpool are closing in on another signing following Kerkez’s arrival.

1 ByBrett Worthington Jun 26, 2025

According to Daveockop, Liverpool are now close to signing Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The England international is in the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park, and the Reds are hoping that can work in their favour as they try to bring Guehi to Anfield in a deal between £40-45 million.

It’s been reported that the Premier League champions are close to agreeing personal terms with the defender, and that could see this deal progress as they now switch their attentions to their next transfer target.

But these big arrivals mean Liverpool are going to be looking to move some fringe players on, and they have now received a boost in their bid to see one player leave this summer.

£140,000-per-week Liverpool ace excited to leave

According to Corriere dello Sport, relayed by Sport Witness, Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez is now keen on joining Napoli after a meeting between the Serie A club and his agent on Wednesday.

The report states that Nunez is “fired up” by the idea of playing under Antonio Conte and sees a move to Naples as a chance to rediscover his best form. While his agent and the Italian side have held numerous rounds of talks, there is still a long way to go for the two clubs to agree a transfer fee.

It is claimed that Liverpool are now looking to sell Nunez for around €58.6 million, which is roughly £50 million. This is still considered high for Napoli, and they are trying to reduce this transfer fee through intermediaries.

Apps

143

Goals

40

Assists

26

Nunez, who currently earns £140,000 a week at Anfield, joined the Reds back in August 2022 from Benfica. The forward came with a promising reputation after scoring 26 goals in 28 Liga Portugal games in his final season with Benfica. However, while Nunez has scored goals, he has struggled to replicate the form he showed in Portugal.

Last season, Nunez scored just five times in 30 Premier League games, which was a considerable drop-off from the 11 he scored in the previous campaign. The Uruguay international is still under contract until 2028, but his departure for around £50 million would allow Liverpool to balance the books in what has been a summer of heavy investment.

She said there were lessons to pick up from Wolvaardt not getting enough strike in the final stages of the second ODI

Srinidhi Ramanujam20-Jun-2024To get close to chasing India’s 325 and fall short just by four runs is a massive confidence booster for South Africa, according to Marizanne Kapp, one of the four centurions in the second ODI in Bengaluru. She said this was the brand of cricket they wanted to play, looking ahead to next year’s 50-over World Cup in India.This was after South Africa were reduced to 67 for 3 inside 15 overs on Wednesday. Even the series opener saw them having a collapse upfront, where from 33 for 3, they were eventually bowled out for 122. But unlike Sunday, South Africa fought back hard in the second game but Pooja Vastrakar denied Laura Wolvaardt – who top-scored for the visitors with 134 not out – and South Africa a series-levelling win with a sensational final over.”There were a lot of positives today,” Kapp said after the game. “To get that close is obviously a massive confidence booster especially moving forward, we know we can reach that total. But in saying that, probably after that first four in the last over, it was our game to lose. It’s definitely something we would speak about, but in the future, if we could have maybe tried to get Wolfie [Wolvaardt] on strike a bit more, then maybe… there are a lot of things we could have done differently. But again, to come that close, after starting a little bit slower today, we have a lot of positives to take forward, given that we have a World Cup next year.Related

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“It’s [the intent] something we’ve been speaking about. We had a meeting with the batting coach after our first ODI. He said that if we had scored 100 in 20 overs in that ODI, he would have been happy even if we got bowled out. But to score 122 off the 37 overs, it’s not the brand of cricket we want to play. Definitely happy with the way we scored today and got close to the target.”During the chase, Wolvaardt crossed 4000 ODI runs and became the highest run-getter for South Africa in 50-over cricket. Kapp also touched the 3000 mark to be fourth on the list. Kapp, who played as a specialist batter in these two matches because of workload management, has visibly upped her batting in the last 12 months. Since 2023, she has smashed two centuries and four half-centuries in 15 innings to average 68.20 in this format.Coming in at 67 for 3 when the team needed a big partnership, she thrived under pressure and shared 184 runs off 170 balls with Wolvaardt to take South Africa closer to the huge target.”If you look at myself and Wolfie, it’s been a few times now that we have been out in the middle,” Kapp said. “The way my batting has gone in the last couple of years, I have been striking at close to 100, so it’s just a little bit more natural for me. I have found that If I am being positive, I usually score runs more often than not. Whereas she likes to take her time, set herself on and then go after the bowlers. We don’t even have to speak about it. It naturally worked out that way that I am going to be the aggressor, and she takes her time.”At the end of the day, this is why I play cricket for,” Kapp spoke of playing under pressure. “I believe usually in those situations, I perform, and I pride myself in that. Wolfie and I, we enjoy that. Sometimes, you get a bit annoyed or upset if you are tired, but look, no. It’s a team sport, and the two of us enjoy batting together. I feel like games like this, situations like this probably bring out the best in myself and Wolfie.”

Manchester United hit their lowest ebb last season, but there’s every chance that Ruben Amorim will piece together something more promising for the upcoming campaign.

INEOS, at least, are aware that things are rather dire at Old Trafford, and thus have signed Matheus Cunha for £62.5m, now pushing to sign Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo before perhaps turning their attention to central midfield.

But wait, the frontline’s surely not done? Indeed, Rasmus Hojlund is expected to depart the Premier League this summer after a crushing campaign; Inter Milan are interested in bringing the former Atalanta man back to Italy.

The Red Devils will need to sign not just a replacement but a significant upgrade, and while they missed out on Liam Delap after the Ipswich Town man signed for Chelsea in a £30m deal, the Theatre of Dreams may yet roar on a high-level marksman in just a few months.

Man Utd hold talks for coveted striker

We all know that Amorim wants Viktor Gyokeres to front his Man United project. The Sweden striker scored 66 goals across 68 matches for the Portuguese tactician at Sporting Lisbon, supplying 23 assists too.

However, Arsenal have the lead in the race, and United may need to find themselves a different number nine.

Well, there might be just the player itching to make their move to the Premier League this summer, and who the Manchester side might have a free shot at as their rivals target other stars.

According to ESPN, Man United have held ‘exploratory talks’ to sign Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, who has emerged as one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe.

This should come as little surprise to the Red Devils faithful, for the French forward, 23, has been on INEOS’ radar for a while, with Fabrizio Romano himself confirming in June that the club have called Frankfurt to learn of the precise conditions, albeit with Chelsea and Liverpool having opened contacts too.

Those conditions, it must be said, are concerning. Die Adler are not pressed to sell and have set a €100m (£85m) price tag on their talisman. Will any of the clubs pay up? Or will, indeed, his asking price be slashed?

Why Man Utd must sign Hugo Ekitike

Ekitike has only just turned 23, but already he’s rebounded from a frustrating spell at Paris Saint-Germain during his maiden years as a professional, scoring only four times across 33 appearances, to become a star at Frankfurt.

His 22-goal haul across 2024/25 could see him thrive in the Premier League, providing Amorim with a steady goalscoring presence from number nine, but it’s his underlying qualities that make Ekitike such a sought-after star.

Indeed, his movement and tactical dynamism might even see him become the club’s best signing since Bruno Fernandes. Admittedly, there have been more rocks than diamonds over the past years, with failed moves for the fellow strikers in the form of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee.

Comparatively, the Portuguese playmaker stands proud as a “genius”, as has been said by pundit Dion Dublin and there haven’t been many standout moves since he headed to Old Trafford.

Even though Man United have struggled so greatly across the past year, the 30-year-old scored 19 goals and provided 19 assists across all competitions, with his artful passing and tenacious desire to win the ball and make things happen, something that could fuse wonderfully with Ekitike’s style.

For it is Fernandes whose qualities will get Ekitike up and running in the Premier League, but then it’s the striker himself who might just bloom into the club’s next superstar, emulating Fernandes, although hopefully doing so in balmier conditions.

1.

Bruno Fernandes

36

91

2.

Mohamed Salah

38

88

3.

Cole Palmer

37

86

4.

Enzo Fernandez

36

75

5.

Bryan Mbeumo

38

70

As per FBref, Ekitike ranked among the top 16% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues last season for goal contributions, the top 6% for shot-creating actions, and the top 4% for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90.

Such complete performances have led the data-driven site to draw Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak as one of his most comparable players, though it’s his countryman, Kylian Mbappe, who has been singled out as a player of striking likeness.

Indeed, journalist Graeme Bailey once hailed the striker as “the next Mbappe”, with his prodigious start to life as a professional and protean attacking style perhaps setting him up to be such a superstar.

If he can pass the Premier League test and spearhead a Man United resurgence, surely he would become a sensation every bit as momentous as when the Devils welcomed Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon for an initial £47m fee in January 2020.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig has already claimed that Ekitike “could reach world-class levels” in the future, but given the current praise and indeed performances that he has plied in the Bundesliga and Europa League, might he not be reaching that point already?

If Ekitike truly is the next Mbappe, INEOS may well be about to oversee United’s finest signing since the club’s Portuguese Magnifico walked through the gates.

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ByAngus Sinclair Jun 30, 2025

He played four Tests between 1964 and 1967 and was the first Pakistan batter to score a century on Test debut

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2024Former Pakistan allrounder Billy Ibadulla died on Friday at the age of 88. He had a short, but notable international career, playing only four Tests for Pakistan between 1964 and 1967, but became the first from his country to score a hundred on Test debut.Ibadulla made his Test debut against Australia in Karachi in 1964, one of six Test debutants in that game as Pakistan regenerated after their early years of success. Ibadulla had been drafted into the side at the insistence of the captain Hanif Mohammad and he immediately repaid that faith, with 166 in the first innings.He was part of a 249-run opening partnership with fellow debutant, and wicketkeeper, Abdul Kadir. It remains the highest partnership between two debutants for any wicket in Test cricket, and was a national record for the first wicket until Aamer Sohail and Ijaz Ahmed broke it in 1997.He would only go on to play three more Tests though, instead building a fine career with Warwickshire. He was one of the first Pakistanis to play county cricket (AH Kardar had played for Warwickshire for three seasons when Pakistan were not a full member and Khan Mohammad played one game for Somerset), after being overlooked for Pakistan selection for the 1954 tour to England. Unhappy, he came to England to forge a career as a professional cricketer and did so successfully, playing for nearly 18 seasons.That included key roles in two limited-overs cup titles in three years; he took 3-25 and scored 28 in Warwickshire’s four-wicket win in the 1968 final.After he finished at the county, he became a coach at a school in the UK, a sign of things to come. Soon after he moved to New Zealand to play for Otago (and some games for Tasmania in Australia) as well as do some coaching, He played a key role in the early development of Glenn Turner, one of New Zealand’s greatest batters.He ended with a prolific first-class career, scoring 17,078 runs at 27.28 and picking up 462 wickets at 30.96. Of his 417 first-class outings, 377 were for Warwickshire, for whom he played for more than a decade.”He was a special cricketer, one of the greatest, and we had lots of fun times together,” Warwickshire president Dennis Amiss, who played alongside Ibadulla at the club, wrote in a tribute to his former team-mate. “He could be really naughty at times, lots of mickey taking and he gave as good as he got. We loved him at Warwickshire.”In 64 List A matches, Ibadulla scored 829 runs and took 84 wickets. He also stood as an umpire in 20 first-class matches and 12 List A games. He also ran a private coaching clinic in New Zealand.His son, Kassem Ibadulla, also played 31 first-class games and 19 List A games for Gloucestershire and Otago.