Everton are one of the clubs in the mix to sign a “brilliant” former Premier League player on a free transfer this summer, according to a new report.

Everton left-back signs new deal

The Blues may be looking at signing experienced players this summer, but retaining the services of their most exciting players is also of the utmost importance.

One big positive has emerged in that respect, with Everton left-back Josh van Schoor signing his first professional contract at the club, keeping him on Merseyside until the summer of 2027.

The 18-year-old is clearly delighted to have committed his future to the Blues, speaking about the new deal and calling it a “really special” moment for him.

“It’s a really special moment for me and my family. It’s something you work towards your whole life, and as a little lad you dream about it, so to sign is a very proud moment. When you’re working hard towards things, and then again over the past few years when you’re so close, to finally achieve it is a very good moment. Last season was good, I think I really found a good bit of form and captained the side a few times as well, which was really good for me.”

Everton keeping tabs on "brilliant" free agent

According to a fresh report from Caught Offside, Everton are also “keeping close tabs” on former Tottenham left-back Sergio Reguilon, who is available on a free transfer after leaving Spurs last month, having been on loan at Manchester United.

Bournemouth and West Ham are also mentioned in the update, with the Hammers mentioned as the “most enthusiastic” among the three Premier League clubs.

Reguilon could be an astute addition for Everton between now and the beginning of the new Premier League season, possessing lots of experience at a high level and no doubt wanting to get his career back on track, following a nomadic spell of late.

The 28-year-old has tasted victory against the Blues before, scoring in a 5-0 win for Spurs back in 2021/22, and Noel Whelan once called him “brilliant”, also saying:

“I’ve been an admirer of Reguilon for some time. He really stamped his authority on the game and grabbed the winner to show what a quality player he is.”

At 28, Reguilon is far from an ageing player, so he should be able to be a good player for Everton for the next four or five years, and the fact that he has Premier League experience is an added bonus.

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The Spaniard could come in and provide stiff competition for Vitalii Mykolenko at left-back, giving the Blues two great options in that position.

أجرى هانز فليك مدرب برشلونة مؤتمراً صحفياً للحديث عن آخر استعدادات فريقه لمواجهة فالنسيا مساء الغد ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم.

وقال فليك خلال مؤتمر صحفي نشرته صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية: “لقد قدم كوربيران أداء رائعا العام الماضي وساهم في استقرار الفريق، إنه مدرب يتكيف مع خصومه، لديهم لاعبين مميزين وفريق رائع”.

وأضاف عن لامين يامال الذي غاب عن المشاركة في تدريبات برشلونة اليوم وتعامل لويس دي لا فوينتي معه: “لا، لن يكون متاحاً للمباراة، إنه لأمر مؤسف، ذهب للمنتخب وهو يتألم ولعب وحصل على مسكنات للألم ليواصل اللعب، لعب 79 دقيقة و73 دقيقة، وهذا لا يمثل رعاية للاعبين، إسبانيا لديها أفضل اللاعبين في كل مركز، من الأفضل رعاية اللاعبين الشباب، أنا حزين لهذا الوضع”.

وواصل عن العودة للعب في الكامب نو: “نعلم الوضع في الملعب والنادي، تحدثت مع الرئيس وشرح لي كل شئ، أثق به ولن يتأثر الفريق، نحن نركز على أنفسنا وليس لدينا أعذار، علينا الفوز، لم نتوقع أن تكون الأمور هكذا، الأهم العقلية والسلوك في الملعب، قد يستغرق الأمر وقتًا أطول للعودة لكني أهتم بالفريق، أحب العمل لهذا النادي والعيش في هذه المدينة، لا شئ يتغير، سيكون هذا الموسم أصعب من الماضي وسنبذل قصارى جهدنا وسنقاتل حتى النهاية للفوز بالنقاط الثلاث”.

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وسئل فليك عن لامين يامال مع المنتخب الإسباني: “لم أتحدث معه، تلقيت رسالة نصية وبصعوبة أتحدث الإسبانية وهو لا يتحدث الإنجليزية، كان من الممكن أن يكون التواصل أفضل، مررت بنفس الموقف مع المنتخب وقبل ذلك كانت العلاقات جيدة دائماً، لا أعرف كيف أشرح ما يعاني له، يعاني من مجرد انزعاج بسيط في عظم العانة، لذا مشاركته ضد نيوكاسل أيضاً محل شك أما مشكلة الظهر فهي غير صحيحة”.

وحسم فليك موقف دي يونج و بيرنال والذي حصل على التصريح الطبي من المشاركة غداً: “لن يكون فرينكي حاضراً غداً ولن يلعب، لكن مارك سيجلس على دكة البدلاء، إنها الخطوة القادمة في رحلة عودته، نحن سعداء جداً بجودته في الفريق، غداً كل هذا الحماس للعودة لمقاعد البدلاء وعلينا أن نديره ونعتني به”.

وقال فليك عن حالة جافي: “بإمكانه أن يكون قلب هذا الفريق بفضل عقليته، هو يبذل قصارى جهده من أجل الفريق والنادي، كنت خائفاً من هذا الوضع بعد إصابته الخطيرة، بالنسبة لي، ما عليه فعله هو العمل والاجتهاد لنرى كيف سيتطور، لا نريد أن نضغط عليه في هذا الوضع، عليه ان يعود بصحة جيدة وواثقاً بجسده وركبته”.

وحول عودة تياجو ألكانتارا للجهاز الفني لبرشلونة ذكر فليك: “أنا سعيد جداً بعودته وكذلك جميع أعضاء الجهاز الفني، لم يكن من السهل إقناعه لكنه سيساعدنا كثيراً، بالنسبة لي هو يمتلك خبرة كبيرة وقادر على نقل خبرته للاعبين، أرى كيف يستمعون له ويمكنه أن يكون جزء أساسي من نجاحنا”.

وأكد فليك جاهزية رافينها لمباراة فالنسيا، قائلًا: “إنه بخير ومتاح، لقد تدرب جيداً مع أنه عاد مؤخراً”.

وأتم فليك عن اللعب في ملعب يوهان كرويف: “تحدثت مع اللاعبين ومع القائد وأخبروني أن الأمر لن يؤثر عليهم، اللعب هنا يختلف، لكن لا ينبغي أن يؤثر علينا، لقد فعلنا ذلك بالفعل ضد كومو”.

وختم توضيحاً لتصريحه بأن الغرور يقتل النجاح: “هناك أمور تحدث في الملعب أو غرفة الملابس ووظيفتي حلها، أريد من الجميع التركيز على الفريق ومعرفة ما يجب فعله، الفرق بين اللاعبين الجيدين والمتميزين هو أنهم يعرفون كيفية حل الأخطاء وأن يكونوا في المكان المناسب، إذا فكرت في اليوم، ربما لعبنا بنسبة 50% إلى 60%، هذا ما أريد غرسه في اللاعبين، الجميع يستحق 100%، لهذا السبب حققنا انتصارات وألقاب الموسم الماضي وعلينا العودة لذلك”.

Manchester United are interested in signing an “outstanding” attacker in a surprise move, and he wants a £100,000-a-week contract to move to Old Trafford.

Man Utd still hopeful over Mbeumo signing

The signing of Matheus Cunha felt like a significant piece of business by the Red Devils, showing that they still have plenty of pulling power, despite failing to qualify for Europe last season.

Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo has stood out as United’s primary transfer target since the arrival of Cunha from Wolves, but Tottenham are thought to be providing stiff competition for his signature, having appointed Thomas Frank as their new manager.

Some reports have said that the Red Devils are closing in on the signing of the Cameroonian, who was one of the Premier League’s best attacking players last season, scoring 20 goals in the competition and starting all 38 of Brentford’s matches.

Mbeumo would surely be a perfect option on the right-hand side of United’s attack, with Ruben Amorim admitting he wants a signing in that position, despite the emergence of Amad Diallo: “I think Amad in that position (right wing-back) he could be an option but in this moment with the type of players we have we need a left footer on that position in front. I try to reinforce the team with the idea and try to use the characteristics of the players.”

Free agent wants £100,000-a-week to join Man Utd after talks

Now, according to a fresh claim from Caught Offside, Manchester United are “considering” completing the surprise signing of Dominic Calvert-Lewin ahead of the new Premier League season after recently holding talks with the free agent.

The England international is available after leaving Everton earlier this summer, and it is believed that he is looking to earn £100,000-a-week at his next club, coming in at over £5m per year, which the report says could be too much for the Red Devils.

In truth, there are both positives and negatives to United signing Calvert-Lewin, with the free element of the signing jumping out as a good thing, not to mention the fact that Sean Dyche lauded him during their time together at Everton.

“I thought he was excellent. He’s had a bit of illness. We’re hopeful that has passed, he had it before the game, so I must commend him on that. His physical performance was outstanding, He’s not quite over it but we hope it settles down a bit.”

On the flip side, though, Calvert-Lewin has suffered badly with injury problems down the years, not starting over 30 Premier League games in a season since the 2020/21 campaign, so there would be a big risk element in bringing him in.

At 28, the striker, who scored at Old Trafford in 2021, is also no longer a young player who could develop or overcome fitness issues, so United should arguably be looking elsewhere for someone to lead the line.

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If Amorim brought in Calvert-Lewin as a squad option, as well as a superior signing to play most weeks, it could be sensible business, but it may be a non-starter due to his wage demands.

Liverpool haven’t pulled their punches in the transfer market this summer, and Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes are still planning to throw a few more haymakers before the window slams shut.

Having won the Premier League with ease last summer, some might have felt the Reds should have kept their title-winning squad together, but with Trent Alexander-Arnold now playing for Real Madrid and Luis Diaz on the cusp of signing for Bayern Munich, a £65.5m deal agreed, change is afoot.

And the Merseysiders have, of course, been busy with incomings. Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong make a new wide duo; Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike will redefine Liverpool’s frontline.

Giorgi Mamardashvili’s red gloves are on, one year after a £29m package was agreed with Valencia for their fast-rising shot-stopper.

However, despite Wirtz, 22, signing from Bayer Leverkusen for a British-record £116m fee, Liverpool are primed to smash the record which they set only one month ago, with Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak in FSG’s sights.

Why Liverpool want to sign Alexander Isak

The potential for Isak to complete the attacking set remains. It would be quite a thing, and has left many of Liverpool’s rivals incredulous. But the finances are there and if Darwin Nunez is sold, this dream could become a reality.

Napoli pulled out of their bid for the Uruguayan due to financial differences between the two clubs, but he still has suitors over in the Saudi Pro League and is open to getting on the flight to the Gulf nation.

Isak, it goes without saying, would stand as a significant upgrade. After all, due to his 27-goal campaign with the Magpies, Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher declared him to be “the best striker in the Premier League right now.”

While Isak is ostensibly Diaz’s replacement, the Colombian is typically a high-speed wide player, only used by Slot last year as a makeshift striker due to the likes of Nunez flattering to deceive.

With this in mind, Liverpool might need another left-sided forward too.

Liverpool in for new winger

According to Spanish reports, Liverpool are preparing a mammoth bid for Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, who is anticipated to leave the Santiago Bernabeu after falling down in Xabi Alonso’s estimation, only starting one Club World Cup match.

Rodrygo, 24, would cost around €120m (£104m) to sign, but Los Blancos are indeed open to selling. Liverpool are putting a formal proposal together but Arsenal are also keen on the Brazilian.

Liverpool have also had Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon on their shortlist, but it’s highly unlikely Eddie Howe would grant his departure along with Isak, having priced the Three Lions star at £100m.

Why Liverpool should sign Rodrygo

Rodrygo is quite the player, and he ticks a lot of boxes for Slot’s Liverpool side. The Reds head coach demands fluidity and dynamism from his forwards, and he wants them to work hard too.

Rodrygo, hailed for his work-rate and selflessness by pundit Thierry Henry last season, would fit right in, especially as he yearns for more football on the left flank, as opposed to the right-hand side he has so often been deployed on under Carlo Ancelotti’s wing.

The right-footed has a wide span of skills to inflict damage on defenders, but his sharp goalscoring ability is an admirable thing, having been described by journalist Sam Tighe for having a “terrifyingly good” eye for the back of the net.

Playing him on the side which he favours, naturally, would elevate his performances. Slot will know this.

Right winger

29

7

4

Left winger

12

6

6

Centre-forward

8

0

0

Slot will also know that Rodrygo could be deadly alongside Isak at number nine, with his dangerous goalscoring ability only one string to his bow, ranked as he was last season among the top 2% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues last season for pass completion, the top 14% for progressive carries and the top 21% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.

Even coming off a ‘bad’ year, Rodrygo shone as one of the game’s finest forwards, certainly proving himself to be the “world-class superstar” that former teammate Luka Modric has said he is.

His big-game mentality attests to that, and in this way, he could help settle Isak by being his next Gordon, who shall remain at St. James’ Park.

Newcastle signed Gordon from Everton for £45m in January 2023, and he’s made the steady progress toward renown as one of the Premier League’s most talented wide forwards, with Bruno Guimaraes hailing his “unbelievable” ability to bring all the aspects of his game together.

Though Cody Gakpo is a fine player for Liverpool, Gordon plays the out-and-out role of a winger, and that’s something that Rodrygo can do too, even though he’s an excellent goalscorer.

In this way, Rodrygo could prove to be Isak’s dream partner, maximising Slot’s chances of winning the biggest prizes next year.

Gordon has even said that the Sweden striker is “the best in Europe”, when asked about what it is like to combine with him.

The English talent has become quite the player over the past several years, and he would be a credit to Slot’s side.

Across his two full campaigns at Newcastle, the 24-year-old has scored 22 goals and supplied 17 assists across all competitions. Quite an interesting balance of output.

Well, Rodrygo can match that, and actually eclipse both modes of direct involvement. Liverpool could do far worse than sign the Real Madrid mainstay this summer, who would effectively replace Diaz while bearing the specific qualities to create a wonderful partnership with Isak.

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Batter praises six-wicket bowling display as Pakistan crumble in wake of mammoth innings

Andrew Miller10-Oct-2024

After a historic day of batting records in Multan, Joe Root said that the motivation behind his England-record fourth-wicket stand of 454 with Harry Brook had been to drive their team into a winning position on another unforgiving Pakistan deck. And by the close of the fourth day, that goal was almost close enough to touch, as their opponents crumbled to 152 for 6 in their second innings, still needing 115 more runs to avoid an innings defeat.Regardless of the final result, it has already been an extraordinary turnaround from England, who were made to toil in the Multan heat and dust for 149 overs across the first two days of the match, as Pakistan racked up an imposing 556, with Shan Masood’s 151 the most imposing of his side’s three centuries.In reply, however, England batted for just one over longer, but by the time Ollie Pope declared at the end of the 150th over, they had amassed 267 more runs – their eventual 823 for 7 being the fourth-highest total in all of Test history. By batting once and going huge, England had bought themselves enough time to turn the screw across a possible 127 overs in Pakistan’s second innings, and as soon as Chris Woakes bowled Abdullah Shafique with the first ball of their reply, the full impact of that time in the field was brought to bear on the hosts.”That last session there, the way that we bowled was fantastic,” Root told Sky Sports at the close of play. “You’ve obviously got to play on the fact that they’ve been out there for long periods of time, the mental disintegration that you can sometimes go through when you’ve been waiting to bat for so long. It feels so flat, and then you see one scoot low first ball of the innings, and all of a sudden, it looks like a very different pitch, and a very different game.”After Woakes’ early incision, Gus Atkinson struck twice to dislodge the key pair of Masood and Babar Azam, whose desperate form now extends to 18 innings without a half-century, before Brydon Carse continued his quietly impressive Test debut with two more breakthroughs, including a hard length to bowl the dangerous Mohammad Rizwan for 10. Jack Leach then capped a superb evening session for England by extracting a fluent Saud Shakeel for 29.”It’d be a hell of an achievement [to win this Test],” Root added. “We worked really hard to get into this position and, tonight, I thought that was equally as phenomenal as the way that we played with the bat.”You’ve got to try and play on that and understand that, as a bowling group, if you hit the right areas and you create those opportunities, then you could really cause some havoc. And for us to be here now six-down is brilliant going into the last day.Highest team scores in men’s Tests•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“To exploit the little that was there on offer for us, to get ahead of [the game] and get their bowling allrounders out there batting, is a great achievement for us. With another day’s wear into the wicket, I’m sure we’re going to create some opportunities tomorrow. If we can open the door early, things will hopefully fall in our favour, and we can enjoy what’s been a really good week.”The manner of England’s batting hardly needed vindication, but Root in particular has played in enough Tests in the subcontinent – including a not-dissimilar contest against India in Chennai in 2016, when Karun Nair’s triple-century made England’s first-innings 477 look inadequate – to know quite how quickly teams can crumble when the pressure is unrelenting.”When you’ve got that position of strength in these conditions, you know things can happen quickly, late on in the game. But you’ve got to really work hard to earn the right to do that, and to have that chance of winning. So it’s all about trying to get to that position where you can put your foot down and dictate terms a little bit.”As a consequence, Root and Brook were able to resume at the start of day four knowing that they not only had licence to turn their then-imposing stand of 243 into something truly historic, but that the higher and harder they went, the better their team’s match situation would be.”It was all about getting a position where we can have a real shot at trying to do something special,” Root said. “It was challenging, obviously it was very hot and quite tiring, but that’s part of the fun of it. When you’re sore and tired, you just remember what it feels like being on the other end of it, fielding out there. You know that things are in your favour, so you just got to try and make the most of it.”Related

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Though he eventually fell for a career-best 262, Root did have one huge life on 186, when Babar spilled a sitter at midwicket. It wasn’t a moment he was about to dwell on, however.”You know what it’s like in this game,” he added. “There are periods where you’re really struggling, and every little mistake [gets you out], and all of a sudden you’re not in good nick. And you get days out today, where you’re dropped at midwicket in the first half an hour of the game. You’ve got to make the most of it. It’s that mentality that Goochy [Graham Gooch] used to say to us when he was batting coach, ‘you’ve never got enough’.”Brook, whose career-best 317 was just the sixth triple-hundred in England’s Test history, and the first since Gooch’s 333 in 1990, said that Root’s presence and stature at the other end of the pitch had kept him hungry for more throughout their huge stand.”He’s obviously one of the best players, and England’s greatest-ever batter,” Brook told Sky Sports. “What comforts you the most when you’re out there is watching how easy makes it look, and how hard it is for the bowlers to get him out. He’s playing the ball so late, you bowl your best ball, and he’s scoring runs off it.”It feels pretty good,” he said of his record knock. “We had a lot of fun out there. we didn’t say much to each other, but we had a lot of fun. It was hot and it was hard work, but we enjoyed it. I’m just glad that the team’s in a strong position now to win the game tomorrow.”

South Africa opener Reeza Hendricks fetched the highest bid of Rand 4.3 million at the SA20 auction ahead of the 2025 season. MI Cape Town won a fierce bidding war against Pretoria Capitals to scoop up the batter.Hendricks had a wretched T20 World Cup earlier this year and was released by Joburg Super Kings ahead of the auction, but his recent form – he had scored back-to-back half-centuries against Ireland in the UAE – meant he was still in demand for SA20 2025. Hendricks will reunite with his Lions team-mates Rassie van der Dussen and Ryan Rickelton at Cape Town.”Reeza Hendricks adds a lot to the group in terms of his skill,” MICT coach Robin Peterson said. “He is an international, quality cricketer with lots of experience at the top of the order.”A day after the auction, Super Kings unveiled Sri Lanka slinger Matheesha Pathirana as their wildcard player. Pathirana has had success with Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, but this will be his first time at the SA20.Temba Bavuma and Tony de Zorzi went unsold at the auction with six franchises having only 13 spots to fill on Tuesday.Related

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Durban’s Super Giants filled up their only slot by snapping up West Indies fast bowler Shamar Joseph (R 425,000), who had originally gone unsold. Joseph has already played for Lucknow Super Giants, Durban’s parent franchise, in the IPL. He is currently in action for defending champions Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL. If Joseph makes himself available to West Indies for their two-Test tour of Pakistan in January, he will miss a chunk of the SA20. The Test tour will run from January 16-28, clashing with the SA20, which will get underway on January 9.The SA20 will be Joseph’s second T20 stint in an overseas league after IPL 2024. Joseph will work with Allan Donald, the new bowling coach of Super Giants.MICT also added batter Colin Ingram to their roster, picking him for his base price of R 175,000. Offspinner Dane Piedt will shore up Cape Town’s spin attack, having been picked up for R 175,000. This will be the 34-year-old’s first stint in the SA20 and will he work with coach Peterson, who had been his team-mate at Cobras.Dane Piedt, who returned to Test cricket earlier this year, will play his maiden SA20 for MI Cape Town•Getty Images

Piedt had ended his South Africa career in 2020 and moved to the USA but a SOS from South Africa red-ball coach Shukri Conrad brought him out of retirement from South Africa cricket earlier this year.Back-to-back champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape, who are usually big on fast bowlers, continued in the same vein, forking out R 2.3 million for England’s Richard Gleeson, who had represented Super Giants in SA20 2024. Super Giants were keen to buy him back, but Sunrisers eventually won the bidding war. They also spent R 175,000 on Dolphins’ fast bowler Okuhle Cele.Gleeson will turn 37 this December but was among the very few fast bowlers at the auction who could clock 140kph. Gleeson also has the yorker and bouncer in his repertoire and could potentially slot in for Dan Worrall, who has signed up for ILT20 2025, and complement Craig Overton. Gleeson’s recent form is also encouraging: he was the joint-highest wicket-taker in the Zim Afro T10 with 12 strikes in eight matches.As for Cele, he was Dolphins’ leading wicket-taker in the 2023-24 T20 challenge with 17 wickets in 14 games at an economy rate of 8.14.Super Kings spent R 175,000 each on allrounders Wihan Lubbe and Evan Jones in set three. Both Lubbe and Jones had been part of Paarl Royals in the past. Super Kings also recruited New Zealand allrounder Doug Bracewell for his base price of R 175,000 in the express set. Bracewell will return to Super Kings, having been part of their side as a replacement player for Romario Shepherd in SA20 2024. The 34-year-old had recently given up his domestic contract with Central Districts to become a T20 freelancer and hence will not feature in New Zealand’s Super Smash, which will also overlap with the SA20.Shamar Joseph played for Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2024•Getty Images

Royals, who had just one spot open, filled it by picking wicketkeeper Rubin Hermann for R 175,000.Capitals, who missed out on Hendricks, spent R 800,000 on Dolphins’ Marques Ackerman, who was previously with Sunrisers in the SA20, and R 1.50 million on West Indies opening batter Evin Lewis. Royals completed their business with the signing of former Super King Kyle Simmonds for R 175,000 in the express round.”I think all six teams look very strong,” Graeme Smith, the former South Africa captain and current SA20 commissioner, said. “From a league perspective we want to see all six squads competitive. It’s a nice mix of some quality South Africans and superb international names that have joined us for season three.”As a cricket competition, we want to see the South African players get stronger every year. We have seen the success of the IPL and the number of players that can be picked for India. I think we saw that progression last year with the likes of Ottneil Baartman. He had a great World Cup, and we are starting to see those types of players come through.”Super Kings selected Warriors’ allrounder JP King as their rookie player, having invited him to their training sessions last season. JP King’s brother CJ King, meanwhile, went to Super Giants as their rookie player.With Super Kings signing Pathirana all six teams have locked in their wildcard players. Notably, Royals had picked former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik as their wildcard player. Having retired from Indian and international cricket in June earlier this year, Karthik will become the first Indian to feature in the SA20.

Full squads

Durban’s Super Giants: Brandon King, Quinton de Kock, Naveen-ul-Haq, Kane Williamson, Chris Woakes, Prenelan Subrayen, Dwaine Pretorius, Keshav Maharaj, Noor Ahmad, Heinrich Klaasen, Jon-Jon Smuts, Wiaan Mulder, Junior Dala, Bryce Parsons, Matthew Breetzke, Jason Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Shamar Joseph, CJ King (rookie)Joburg Super Kings: Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Maheesh Theekshana, Devon Conway, Gerald Coetzee, David Wiese, Leus Du Plooy, Lizaad Williams, Nandre Burger, Donovan Ferreira, Imran Tahir, Sibonelo Makhanya, Tabraiz Shamsi, Wihan Lubbe, Evan Jones, Doug Bracewell, Matheesha Pathirana, JP King (rookie)MI Cape Town: Rashid Khan, Ben Stokes, Kagiso Rabada, Trent Boult, Azmatullah Omarzai, Dewald Brevis, Ryan Rickelton, George Linde, Nuwan Thushara, Connor Esterhuizen, Delano Potgieter, Rassie van der Dussen, Thomas Kaber, Chris Benjamin, Corbin Bosch, Colin Ingram, Reeza Hendricks, Dane Piedt, Tristan Luus (rookie)Pretoria Capitals: Anrich Nortje, Jimmy Neesham, Will Jacks, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Liam Livingstone, Will Smeed, Migael Pretorius, Rilee Rossouw, Eathan Bosch, Wayne Parnell, Senuran Muthusamy, Kyle Verreynne, Daryn Dupavillon, Steve Stolk, Tiaan van Vuuren, Marques Ackerman, Evin Lewis, Kyle Simmonds, Keagan Lion-Cachet (rookie)Paarl Royals: David Miller, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Sam Hain, Joe Root, Dinesh Karthik, Kwena Maphaka, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Bjorn Fortuin, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Van Buuren, Keith Dudgeon, Nqaba Peter, Andile Phehlukwayo, Codi Yusuf, John Turner, Dayyaan Galiem, Jacob Bethell, Rubin Hermann, Dewan Marais (rookie)Sunrisers Eastern Cape: Aiden Markram, Zak Crawley, Roelof van der Merwe, Liam Dawson, Ottneil Baartman, Marco Jansen, Beyers Swanepoel, Caleb Seleka, Tristan Stubbs, Jordan Hermann, Patrick Kruger, Craig Overton, Tom Abell, Simon Harmer, Andile Simelane, David Bedingham, Okuhle Cele, Richard Gleeson, Daniel Smith (rookie)

Glasgow Rangers officially confirmed on Saturday that central defender Robin Propper has moved on from Ibrox after just one year at the club.

The Dutch centre-back has returned to FC Twente just 12 months after he joined the Light Blues from the Eredivisie side, as it did not quite work out for him in Scotland.

Propper found the physicality too tough to deal with, as he lost 55% of his ground duels and 56% of his aerial duels in the Europa League last term, and it was the right call to cash in on him this summer.

Despite scoring against Celtic, Propper did not do enough to show that he was ready to deliver quality performances in Scotland, as he was dribbled past 11 times in 22 starts in the Scottish Premiership.

The 31-year-old dud is far from the only Rangers flop to have struggled with the physicality of Scottish football, though, and another one of those flops is closing in on an exit from Ibrox.

Rangers full-back edging closer to transfer

According to journalist Sebastien Vidal, Turkey international Ridvan Yilmaz is “edging closer” to a move away from the Premiership giants this summer.

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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The reporter claims that the left-footed dud is not a part of Russell Martin’s plans, as evidenced by his exclusion from the Champions League squad list, and that the club are now preparing for life without him.

Vidal adds that the 24-year-old flop is ready to secure a return to Besiktas, three years on from leaving the Turkish giants to sign for Rangers for a reported fee of £5m.

All parties should now be pushing for a transfer to go through sooner rather than later because Yilmaz is not part of the club’s plans, and he was as bad as Propper last season.

Why Rangers must sell Ridvan Yilmaz

The £5m-rated flop should be sold this summer because he was as bad as Propper in the 2024/25 campaign in the sense that he also struggled with the physicality of the game.

Yilmaz, who has been a bit-part player for three years at Ibrox, only started 11 of the club’s 38 matches in the Scottish Premiership last term, coming off the bench a further six times.

In those games, the Turkish full-back failed to deliver well-rounded performances in or out of possession to show the club that he deserves a long-term future in Glasgow.

24/25 Premiership

Ridvan Yilmaz

Appearances

17

Starts

11

Goals

0

Assists

2

Error led to shot

2

Ground duel success rate

60%

Aerial duel success rate

0%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Yilmaz made as many errors that led to shots for the opposition as he provided goal contributions at the other end of the pitch.

Staggeringly, the Rangers flop also lost 100% of his aerial battles, which means that he did not win a single contest in the air in 17 appearances in the league.

Martin has clearly decided that Yilmaz will not be a part of his plans for the upcoming season, with his squad selections, and the lack of physicality from the full-back may have played a part in that.

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Therefore, Rangers should be pushing for the defender to return to Besiktas in the coming days because he was as bad as Propper in Scotland and should be moved on as soon as possible.

وجه الإعلامي أحمد شوبير، رسالة قوية إلى آدم وطني وكيل أعمال إمام عاشور لاعب الأهلي، بسبب التصريحات التي أطلقها بشأن وجود عروض احتراف لـ اللاعب، وعلاقته مع القلعة الحمراء.

وأطلق آدم وطني تصريحات قوية أمس، بشأن وجود عروض احتراف لـ إمام عاشور، وطالب إدارة النادي الأهلي بتقدير اللاعب واحترامه بشكل أكثر.

طالع | وكيله: على الأهلي معاملة إمام عاشور باحترام.. لديه عروض وجلبت 650 مليونًا للنادي

وقال أحمد شوبير في تصريحات إذاعية عبر آثير اون سبورت اف ام: “أمس ظهر آدم وطني، وكيل اللاعب إمام عاشور، وتحدث وأثار جدلًا ونقاشًا غير ضروري، مما تسبب في أزمة لا داعي لها، وإمام عاشور لا يزال لديه عامين ونصف في عقده، فالأولى أن نتمنى له الشفاء العاجل، ولا أفهم حقًا، ألا يجب أن يكون الوكيل أكثر حكمة؟”.

وواصل: “كيف يتحدث عن لاعبه وهو مريض ومُقيم في المستشفى، وإمام عاشور محجوز منذ يوم مباراة الأهلي وإنبي، واللاعب يعاني من المرض ويتألم”.

وزاد: “ليس هذا وقت الحديث عن العقود أو الانتقالات هنا أو هناك، ويؤدِي الوكيل عمله كما يشاء، لكن اختيار التوقيت أمر مهم جدًا، وهذا التوقيت غير مناسب على الإطلاق، بل هو غريب جدًا لهذا الحديث، سواء كان التوقيت مناسبًا لي أم لا، وسواء كان يتعلق بالاحتراف أو أي أمر آخر”.

وأردف: “إمام عاشور مريض وفي المستشفى، والحمد لله الأمور تحت السيطرة، وحالته تتحسن يومًا بعد يوم بفضل الله، وقد أعلن الأهلي أنه أغلق هذا الملف بالفعل”.

واستطرد: “الأولوية أن ينتظر حتى يتعافى اللاعب ويخرج من المستشفى، وإمام على الأقل سيحتاج إلى شهر حتى يعود إلى الملعب، ومع ذلك هناك نقاش الآن عن فرصته في بطولة أمم إفريقيا، لأنه سيعود للتدريب وسيكون الأمر صعبًا للغاية، وعندما يعود سيبدأ من جديد، وإمام أصلاً ليس قويًا جسمانيًا بشكل كبير”.

وأتم: “يا سيدي الفاضل، وكيل إمام عاشور، هل يمكن (تسكت شوية) حتى نطمئن على اللاعب ويصبح في حالة جيدة تمامًا، ويعود للعب بكامل لياقته؟ وبعد ذلك تحدث كما تشاء، اختيار التوقيت المناسب أمر مهم جدًا عند إثارة مثل هذه المواضيع”.

The new Premier League season inches ever closer, although Manchester United’s search for a new striker is still dragging on.

Speaking in Friday’s press conference, manager Ruben Amorim hinted that he could even trial Matheus Cunha or Bryan Mbeumo in a number nine role, having suggested that the two new arrivals “can play as a striker”.

Of course, the pair – who scored 35 league goals between them in 2024 – can lead the line if needed, but it would not be the ideal solution. United can no longer tolerate a ‘square pegs in round holes’ policy.

Yes, a dearth of funds – and an inability to move on the likes of Rasmus Hojlund – could well force Amorim’s hand, although the Portuguese coach should not have to resort to plugging the gap with an unorthodox option. A proper striker is in order.

So far this summer, United’s top-flight rivals have already strengthened their own ranks in that department. Indeed, Chelsea have acquired Liam Delap and Joao Pedro. Arsenal have snapped up Viktor Gyokeres. Liverpool – fresh from signing Hugo Ekitike – could even land the cream of the crop, Alexander Isak.

The Old Trafford side now need to join the party…

Leading targets emerge in Man United striker search

As already stated, the Red Devils aren’t exactly armed with a transfer war chest, with recent reports outlining that deals for the likes of Isak – and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko – are likely to prove too expensive at present.

In the case of Sesko, The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell outlined that United have been interested in the Slovenian “for years”, and have stayed in regular contact, albeit with the 22-year-old seemingly being lined up to replace Isak at Newcastle United.

According to reports in Spain, the £70m-rated marksman remains on INEOS’ five-man striker shortlist, with Crystal Palace talisman Jean-Philippe Mateta also noted as one of those ‘leading targets’.

Transfer Focus

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

The 28-year-old – who has reportedly been valued at around £40m-£50m – is deemed to be among the more ‘accessible’ of the club’s targets, having previously been linked with a move to Old Trafford earlier this summer.

While Mateta might not be a glamour acquisition amid a summer of high-profile centre-forward signings, he could represent the perfect alternative to a player like Sesko.

How Mateta compares to Benjamin Sesko

It does appear the case that United have repeatedly missed the boat with regard to Sesko, having reportedly turned down the chance to sign him for just £2.5m back in 2019, while also losing out as the 6 foot 4 sensation joined Leipzig in 2022.

An exciting, high-potential striker who has scored 27 Bundesliga goals across the last two seasons, it is easy to see why the former Red Bull Salzburg man is generating such interest, with any side likely to reap the rewards of bringing him into the fold.

Mateta, at six years his senior, might be more of a short-term fix than a marquee, long-term solution, although on the evidence of his recent Palace heroics, he would be worth the investment.

Also a towering, physical focal point of a striker, like Sesko, at 6 foot 4, the Frenchman is actually deemed to be a statistically and stylistically similar striker to the Leipzig starlet, among those in their position across Europe’s top five leagues, as per FBref.

Like Sesko, Mateta has been a solidly consistent performer over the last two campaigns, in particular, having scored 30 league goals combined at Selhurst Park in that time.

Like the Slovenian international too, Oliver Glasner’s main man previously made his mark in German football, prior to moving to south London, having scored 27 times in 71 games for Mainz.

On the statistical front, as evidenced below, the pair do share a real likeness, having boasted a similar scoring rate, while also enjoying a similar record with regard to progressive carries and progressive passes, alongside touches in the attacking penalty area.

Goals

0.48

0.49

Goals + Assists

0.54

0.68

Progressive passes

1.53

1.78

Progressive carries

1.77

1.74

Shot-creating actions

2.21

1.93

Shots on target

0.99

1.10

Pass accuracy

65.1%

67.6%

Touches in opposition box

3.20

3.45

Aerial duels won

2.14

2.65

The beauty of both men is that they are true strikers through and through, operating as an orthodox, almost old-fashioned attacking figurehead.

Indeed, according to Transfermarkt, Mateta has only once played as a winger, with the rest of his career outings coming through the middle. Sesko, meanwhile, has only made five recorded appearances outside of operating as the main man in attack.

While there may be intrigue over deploying a more fluid attack, involving a figure like Cunha or Mbeumo as the spearhead, recent years have outlined the need for United to go back to basics with the addition of a proper poacher.

Sesko would, undoubtedly, be an exciting addition, although – as hailed by journalist Rory Smith – Mateta is an “extraordinary” talent in his own right, having been playing “like original Ronaldo” for the Eagles.

He could be just what Amorim is in need of.

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Manchester United could be about to forget about Benjamin Sesko with another move elsewhere.

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Rajiv Shukla pointed to the ground’s age and ownership structure to highlight the difficulty of redoing its outfield

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Sep-2024BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla has defended the facilities at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur, which have come under fire after two days of play in the second India-Bangladesh Test were abandoned, one of them despite no rain during the scheduled hours of play.”Well, criticism is one thing which we are used to in the administration of the BCCI in cricket. But everything is being criticised,” Shukla said on Monday. “When we are not giving matches to Kanpur because [of certain reasons], then also I was being criticised. Now we are giving the match and I am still being criticised why it has been given to Kanpur. So that goes on.”You know the problem is that this ground is around 80 years old. It is our heritage ground. If you remember it used to be a permanent Test centre. The original six permanent Test centres were Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai and Kanpur. This is a permanent centre. So the whole idea was to have Test matches here. This is the first time in 80 years that it rained so much that we were not able to host the match for two days.”There was precious little rain during the hours of play on both the second and the third days which were lost. The damage was done in the hours leading up to play on both days and the drainage system seemed unable to handle the workload it was put under.Related

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How Green Park made cricket disappear

Shukla, who was born in Kanpur and wields considerable influence in UP cricket, said there have been no matches abandoned at Green Park (a 2017 Duleep Trophy game, however, witnessed no play on three out of four days) and eventually conceded the need for upgrades.”The history suggests that no match has been abandoned here in Kanpur. There are many venues in the world where because of the rains, matches have been abandoned. So here if for two days the match couldn’t take place, I don’t think there should be too much hue and cry,” Shukla said. “When this ground was being built, and the stadium was being built, then those technologies were not available. Now technologies are available. Like in our Lucknow stadium, we have got that technology. And in Varanasi, we are building another stadium. There we have got high-tech, modern technology to take away the rainwater.”Here also we are planning. Today I had a discussion with administration about how we can develop this system by which the rainwater can immediately be [drained].”The Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association [UPCA] uses the Green Park Stadium on the basis of an MoU they have signed with the UP government. The government owns the land but based on the MoU, the stadium and its upkeep are the responsibility of the UPCA.”The moment I came here, I had a long discussion with government officials because this stadium belongs to the government. We are in agreement with them,” Shukla said, “So, now for that, the ground has to be dug, new technology has to be applied and everything has to be done. So, immediately after coming here, I had a discussion with the authorities and they are also on the same page and I think we will be able to improve the conditions here shortly.”Sometimes it happens, though we all pray to [the rain god] Lord Indra, not to rain, but, you know, it happens. And it happens throughout the world. So, why unnecessarily Kanpur and Green Park is being blamed for something which is in nature’s hands?”