Rangers are a complete mess right now, with their striker situation a microcosm of the entire club at Ibrox.

Danilo once again started Wednesday night’s demolition in Champions League qualifying, with Cyriel Dessers out injured and Hamza Igamane not available.

The big revelation following last Sunday’s miserable Scottish Premiership draw with St Mirren was Russell Martin’s claim that Igamane had refused to come on as a substitute at half-time, which isn’t ideal at all.

It has since been confirmed that the Moroccan has played his last match for the Light Blues, but are Rangers closing in on a replacement, who might just turn out to be even better?

Rangers' search for a new centre-forward

The reason Igamane did not want to play in Paisley at the weekend is that he did not want to risk injury, seeking a move away from the club.

Well, it has been reported that the 22-year-old is now set to secure a £10.4m move to Ligue 1 side Lille, just 12 months after arriving in Glasgow from AS FAR for only £1.7m.

This represents a more than decent return on investment, although Igamane will need replacing, having scored 16 goals last season, four of which came in the Europa League, so are the Gers close to securing their new centre-forward?

Well, according to journalist Nil Solà, Rangers are finalising a deal to sign Bojan Miovski from Girona.

They add that the North Macedonian international ‘is already on his way to Scotland’ to complete a deal that’ll cost €3m (around £2.6m) but could rise to €4.9m (around £4.2m), just 12 months after the Blanquivermells signed Miovski for £6.8m.

Transfer Focus

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

So, will he become only the second Macedonian player to call Ibrox home, after Bajram Fetai, who made just one appearance for the club in 2004, an 18-minute cameo against Dunfermline Athletic?

Most would expect Miovski to have a slightly bigger impact!

What Bojan Miovski would bring to Rangers

Miovski will be hoping a return to Scotland revitalises his career, having really burst onto the scene the last time he was here.

After joining Aberdeen from MTK Budapest in the summer of 2022, the striker became an instant fans’ favourite at Pittodrie, scoring 44 goals in 98 appearances for the Dons.

Of these goals, four were scored in Europe, while he also netted three times against Celtic and on four occasions against Rangers themselves.

The move to Aberdeen has also exponentially improved his international career, winning 33 senior caps, featuring in 18 of North Macedonia’s last 20 fixtures, scoring five goals in his last nine international outings.

However, his year at Girona did not go quite so well, scoring just four times for the Blanquivermells, two of which came in a Copa del Rey tie against fifth-tier Extremadura, albeit they did struggle as a team, avoiding relegation by just a solitary point, having finished all the way up in fourth the year before.

Nevertheless, Miovski is a proven striker at Scottish Premiership level, with former Celtic striker Chris Sutton labelling his performances “phenomenal”, adding that he is “capable of taking opportunities…in those big moments”.

Meantime, then-teammate Nicky Devlin asserted the he was “the best player in the league in his position”. The question though still remains, does he represent an upgrade on Igamane?

Let’s compare the duo to find out.

Appearances

98

49

Minutes

7,597

2,717

Goals

44

16

Minutes per goal

173

170

Assists

7

3

All stats below are per-90

Shots

2.6

2.3

Shots on target

1.5

1.5

Shots on target %

45.2%

39%

Shot-creating actions

2.2

3.56

Goal-creating actions

0.73

0.84

Big chances created

0.17

0.4

Big chances missed

0.47

0.25

% of touches in the box

19%

14%

Average Sofascore rating

6.88

7.08

The table outlines some of the key similarities and differences between Igamane and Miovski.

The Moroccan is more of a creative number nine, underlined by the fact he created more big chances and registered a higher number of both goal and shot-creating actions on a per 90 basis.

The North Macedonian, on the other hand, is a penalty box poacher, taking almost 20% of his touches in the opposition’s penalty area, while mustering more shots and shots on target per game, with a higher percentage of his attempts finding the target.

It’s also worth noting that Miovski’s statistics are even more impressive when you consider he was playing for Aberdeen in one of the least evenly-balanced leagues in the world, so his goals return is only likely to increase at Rangers.

In the SPFL-era, only three non-Old Firm players have scored 16 or more goals in back-to-back top division seasons, namely Lawrence Shankland, Adam Rooney and, of course, Miovski himself, so he is surely set to score a bucket load of goals at Ibrox.

Rangers could axe Martin to hire manager who McCoist thinks is "remarkable"

Rangers must sack Russell Martin to appoint a manager who was wanted by Ally McCoist earlier this year.

1 ByDan Emery Aug 28, 2025

Gus Poyet, in an exclusive chat with GOAL, has brutally explained why there is little chance of Harry Kane ending up at Manchester United if the England captain decides to return to the Premier League from Bayern Munich. There are said to be clauses in the prolific striker’s contract that could allow him to head home in 2026, but Old Trafford is not expected to be his next destination.

• Kane's record: Stunning strike rate of Bayern and England striker

  Kane stepped out of his comfort zone in 2023 when severing ties with Tottenham. He left north London as Spurs’ all-time leading goalscorer and 47 efforts short of breaking Alan Shearer’s record tally in Premier League competition. It has been suggested that Kane could look to make more history there at some point, with an impressive strike rate being maintained in Germany.

  Kane has reached 102 goals for Bayern through just 105 appearances in all competitions. He is a two-time Bundesliga Golden Boot winner and saw his trophy curse lifted in 2024-25 when savouring top-flight title glory at the Allianz Arena. The 32-year-old is eager to add more medals to his collection when turning out for club and country. His contract at Bayern is due to run until 2027.

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  Where next for Kane after Man Utd, Arsenal & Tottenham links?

  Exit fees can, however, be triggered in various transfer windows. Teams around the world are said to be monitoring Kane’s situation as they consider making moves for one of the most fearsome No.9s on the planet. Leading sides in England would be expected to head the queue if an exit door were to be nudged open at Bayern. Several potential landing spots for Kane have been speculated on.

  He has generated shock talk of moving to Arsenal or Chelsea in the not too distant past, while United are long-standing suitors of the Three Lions superstar. Spurs, meanwhile, have the option to match any bids that are lodged for Kane – having included that clause in the deal which took a home-grown hero off their books.

  Former Tottenham midfielder Poyet, speaking via the online casino affiliate site Casino.org, told GOAL when asked where Kane could end up: “If he goes to Man United, I won’t talk about Harry Kane anymore in my life! People talk about Man United, but this is not Man United in the last few years. He won’t go to Arsenal. The rest, I don’t know. I think people would take him back at Spurs as the player he is and the legend that he is. If he can go back and help the team in a certain way, score goals and get the record, it would be amazing. I’m not sure what will happen. Maybe he won’t go back. It’s very personal, so let’s see.”

• State of play: The latest on Kane's future

  Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has offered an update on the state of play when it comes to Kane’s future, with teams in the Middle East also keeping a close eye on events in Bavaria. He told : "The reality is that Spurs had a priority option clause inserted into their agreement with FC Bayern for Harry Kane; if and when Kane decides to leave, Spurs will be alerted first and the same will also happen in case other clubs decide to send proposals for the English striker.

  "But nothing has started at this stage and nothing is imminent; not with Spurs or any other Premier League club, amid links with Manchester United as always since Kane decided to leave Spurs years ago. Some sources also suggest Saudi Pro League clubs are monitoring Kane’s contract situation at Bayern with two years left; but that’s it for now, as his full focus remains on the German club."

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  Kane settled in Germany alongside wife Kate and their children

  Kane has offered no indication that he is looking for a way out of Munich. He has worked hard on adjusting to the demands of life in Germany, while bringing his wife Kate and their children over to a new country. With positive progress being made on and off the pitch, there is no need for him to consider a fresh start or a retracing of steps to familiar surroundings.

When it comes to Premier League academies, it’s hard to think of many as successful as Chelsea’s Cobham.

The sheer number of top-flight quality prospects that come out of the Blues’ youth set-up is frankly extraordinary, and while they wouldn’t admit it, likely the envy of many of their rivals.

For example, in Enzo Maresca’s current squad, you have the likes of Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah and even Jamie Gittens, who spent some time in West London as a youngster before moving back to Reading.

Another international-level star who cut their teeth in Chelsea’s youth ranks is Marc Guehi, and while some fans would surely love to have him back, the club’s already got an academy gem who’ll be an even bigger star.

Marc Guehi's failure to make it at Chelsea

Guehi joined Chelsea’s youth ranks at the age of eight and, after 11 years of hard work, was rewarded with his first professional contract in September 2017.

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However, first-team football was still a distant prospect, and even though he was named in a Premier League squad for the first time in May 2019, he wouldn’t make his competitive debut for the Blues until September, two years after signing his first contract.

He started against Grimsby Town in the Third Round of the League Cup and then in a defeat against Manchester United in the Fourth Round, which would be his final appearances for the club.

That January would see him make the first of two loan moves to Swansea City, where, over the following season and a half, the youngster would make 59 appearances before securing a £18m move to Crystal Palace in July 2021.

It might seem like Chelsea made a terrible mistake in selling the Englishman, but it made sense at the time, as he had no Premier League experience and the West Londoners had the likes of Thiago Silva, Antonio Rüdiger, Cesar Azpilicueta and more already in the squad.

Since moving to Selhurst Park, the Abidjan-born titan has made 161 appearances for the Eagles, in which he has scored nine goals, provided four assists, won the FA Cup and forced his way into the England set-up.

In all, leaving Chelsea has worked out for Guehi, and while some fans would understandably want him to return to Stamford Bridge, Maresca already has a player in his squad who could have an even brighter future.

The Chelsea ace who'll be a bigger star than Guehi

One of the significant advantages of Chelsea’s transfer policy in recent years is the number of incredibly talented youngsters they now have on their books.

However, in this instance, we’re talking about a Cobham graduate, someone who would’ve surely had a brilliant season if he hadn’t suffered an unfortunate injury last month: Levi Colwill.

There are a few reasons why we think the Blues gem will eventually surpass the Palace star, and one of them comes down to how they are viewed by the team and those in the know.

For example, while Guehi impressed with Swansea and was looked at as a talented defender, the West Londoners made it abundantly clear that they did not view him as a future superstar when they sold him to the Eagles.

In stark contrast, they made a concrete effort to keep the Southampton-born gem on the books, opting to loan him to Brighton & Hove Albion for the 22/23 season.

Moreover, they even rejected a £30m offer for the “world-class talent,” as described by scout Jacek Kulig, at the end of that campaign, which would’ve been £12m more than they got for Guehi.

The second reason the 22-year-old could end up being an even bigger star than the Liverpool target is that he already measures up to him very well when we have a look at their underlying numbers.

For example, the “elite” defender, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, comes out on top in certain important metrics such as passing accuracy, interceptions, carries, aerial duels won, shots blocked and more, all per 90.

Passing Accuracy

89.3%

83.5%

Passes into the Final Third

4.23

3.91

Live Passes

69.1

48.9

Tackles

1.34

1.79

Tackles Won

0.97

1.00

Shots Blocked

0.71

0.68

Interceptions

0.94

0.82

Carries

46.3

33.6

Miscontrols

0.40

0.47

Dispossessed

0.23

0.53

Aerial Duels Won

2.34

2.00

Moreover, while he does win fewer tackles per 90 than the Palace star, he attempts significantly fewer, meaning he actually has a higher success rate.

Finally, while Guehi is an exceptional centre-back, that is the only position we’ve seen him play, whereas the Cobham star has proven to be more than qualified to fill in at left-back when required.

Ultimately, while the former Blues star has excelled since his move south of the river, Colwill looks like he will be the bigger star in years to come.

Alongside Lopez: Chelsea join race for Barcelona gem with "infinite" talent

The Blues have set their sights on another Barcelona attacker…

ByDominic Lund Sep 8, 2025

It’s difficult to remember when the mood in the Arsenal fanbase has been this positive.

While there are several reasons why, the most significant factor is undoubtedly Eberechi Eze’s arrival.

The England international has been one of the most entertaining players in the Premier League for years, and just before their North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur got their hands on him, the Gunners swooped in to bring him back to the Emirates.

Now with less than a week until the window closes, it looks like the club could be about to bring in another talented player in an Eze repeat.

Arsenal eye Eze repeat

While Arsenal have made a few signings from foreign leagues this summer, Andrea Berta and Co have made good use of the Premier League market as well.

Transfer Focus

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

On top of Eze, the Italian oversaw deals to sign Noni Madueke and Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea and then, staying in West London, a deal to sign Christian Norgaard from Brentford.

In years gone by, that would be more than enough business for the Gunners, but now it looks like they could be going back to the Bees for another star in an Eze-esque deal.

At least that is according to a recent report from Graeme Bailey, who has claimed that Arsenal are interested in Nathan Collins.

The journalist has revealed that the Brentford captain has caught the eye of several top sides this summer, and alongside Spurs, the Gunners are one of them.

While the West Londoners do want to sell the 24-year-old, who they signed for just £23m a couple of seasons ago, there are still six days left until the window closes, and therefore every chance the Gunners could pull off an Eze repeat.

Why signing Collins would be an Eze repeat

While Eze and Collins obviously play in totally different positions on the pitch, there are plenty of reasons why Arsenal signing the latter would mirror their deal for the former.

The first reason, and then one their fans will likely enjoy the most, is that it could be yet another example of them hijacking a move for a player Spurs want to sign.

Baliey’s story makes it clear that one of the other sides currently most interested in the defender is the Lilywhites, and therefore, if the Gunners get in first, it’d give the fans yet more opportunity to gloat.

Another key similarity between the two is that both were, or are, in Collins’ case, key players for a fellow London-based Premier League side.

For example, although he doesn’t receive nearly as much media attention, the Irish titan is now Brentford’s captain and has made 80 appearances for the club.

Moreover, he’s not just earned the armband through his leadership skills, but also for the fact that he’s an immense centre-back.

In fact, journalist Mario Marra has gone as far as dubbing him “one of the best defenders in the Premier League,” and while that might sound somewhat hyperbolic, his underlying numbers suggest it might not be.

According to FBref, he ranked in the top 1% of centre-backs in the Premier League last season for shots blocked, the top 3% for overall blocks, the top 4% for assists, the top 9% for shot-creating actions, the top 11% for aerial duels won and more, all per 90.

In other words, while he doesn’t attract many headlines, the Bees star is an accomplished defender who excels at the basics and is more than adept at the technical aspects of the game.

Collins’ Scout Report
Statistics	Per 90	Percentile
GCA (Fouls Drawn)	0.05	Top 1%
Shots Blocked	1.50	Top 1%
Penalty Kicks Won	0.05	Top 1%
Blocks	2.03	Top 3%
Touches (Att Pen)	1.82	Top 3%
Assists	0.08	Top 4%
npxG/Shot	0.15	Top 9%
SCA (Fouls Drawn)	0.05	Top 9%
Goal-Creating Actions	0.21	Top 9%
GCA (Dead-ball Pass)	0.03	Top 9%
Aerials Won	3.08	Top 11%
Fouls Drawn	0.82	Top 12%
Goals + Assists	0.13	Top 13%
All Stats via FBref

Ultimately, from beating Spurs to another player, the team he currently plays for, and his overall quality, signing Collins would be something of an Eze repeat for Arsenal.

Arsenal place bid for bargain Piero Hincapie alternative as club respond

Andrea Berta has his eye on more than one defender.

By
Emilio Galantini

Aug 27, 2025

Gohar’s three-for keeps Middlesex fighting but big deficit is on the cards

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay05-Apr-2025Lancashire 353 for 9 (Harris 134*, Jennings 55, Jones 40) lead Middlesex 260 (Robson 70, Holden 69, Aspinwall 4-32) by 93 runsMarcus Harris’s century on Red Rose debut helped Lancashire take charge on day two at Lord’s.The Australian Test opener, batting at No. 4, survived an early scare to share a stand of 120 for the fifth wicket with Luke Wells (38). It was Harris’ 30th first-class ton and he became the sixth overseas player to make a hundred on his debut for the county, a trend started by his fellow Australian, the late Andrew Symonds in 2005.Keaton Jennings earlier weighed in 55 enabling the visitors to reach the close on 353 for 9.The Middlesex bowlers toiled hard, with little luck, Zafar Gohar returning 3 for 77 on debut and Blake Cullen 2 for 70, the latter’s first County Championship wickets since he dismissed Mohammed Rizwan at Hove in May 2022, such have been the young seamer’s injury woes.The alliance between Harris and Wells turned the tide of a day where Middlesex had initially held sway.Their frugal bowling in the morning session especially led to a pedestrian scoring rate of two an over by the visitors on a slow, unresponsive pitch.Lancashire’s inability to break the shackles brought reward for the home side, Jennings departing to a sharp catch at slip by Robson off Ryan Higgins, shortly after raising his 50 with the aid of eight fours.The wicket came in a spell of six overs for one run from the Zimbabwean allrounder and the pressure he exerted affected other batters too.Josh Bohannon was in skittish mood from the off, edging one just short of Robson at slip before he’d scored. He’d got to 11 when he slashed at a slightly wider one from Higgins only for Leus du Plooy to grass the chance away to his right hand in the gully.Even so, there was further reward for the Seaxes shortly before lunch when Toby Roland-Jones found the edge of Michael Jones’ bat and wicketkeeper Jack Davies took a low catch away to his right.On the resumption, Bohannon briefly suggested he’d left his pre-lunch struggles behind him, driving Henry Brookes straight for four, but the introduction of Gohar proved his undoing.Bohannon played back to one from the slow left-armer which went on with the arm and crashed into off stump.And when Matty Hurst injudiciously hooked a short one from Cullen down the throat of Nathan Fernandes at long leg the visitors were 169 for 4, still almost 100 in arrears.Even Harris wasn’t exempt from such rushes of blood to the head, having charged Gohar on 11, inside edging the ball beyond both leg stump and wicketkeeper Davies. Had he not made the thinnest of contacts the stumping would have been a formality had he not been bowled in any event.Harris though resolved to make the most of his slice of fortune, knuckling down to take charge, driving with increasing authority before raising his 50 with his eighth boundary, a savage cut to the cover fence.As the home bowlers tired in the glorious evening sunshine he forged on to three figures reached via an edge out of the clutches of slip to third man.At the other end, Wells, though playing second fiddle, hit two huge sixes, one over mid-on to get off the mark and the stand reached 120 before he waved lazily at one to be caught behind with the lead at 27.Harris was reprieved on 123 when dropped at slip by Robson, but late wickets for the persevering home attack offered Middlesex some hope ahead of day three.

“I thought it was just good thinking of using home tactics [to] your advantage,” Trent Boult says of Gujarat Titans opting for a black-soil pitch

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Mar-20251:40

Pujara: Good to see Prasidh developing variations

Prasidh Krishna hadn’t played any IPL cricket since 2022. At one point, he seemed locked-in as a bowler India would turn to during the middle-overs of a white-ball game because he had pace, height, and an ability to hit the middle of the pitch hard and trouble batters with his natural variations. However, injuries forced him into the sidelines.Playing his second game of IPL 2025, for a new franchise, Prasidh came on when Mumbai Indians (MI) were 97 for 2, needing 100 runs in the remaining 54 balls. “I was itching to bowl actually,” he said at the post-match presentation. “It was the tenth over. I was just thinking I haven’t really waited so long in a game, in a T20 game, before bowling but everything paid off.”We were sitting on top and watching how the first innings went. We could kind of read that cutters into the wicket and balls into the wicket were doing well. So just had that in mind and whenever I got to bowl, the plan was to make sure I use the length.Related

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“I just figured [slower balls] were working well. I didn’t really want to test the speed gun or try and do anything different. I just wanted to keep things simple. Knowing what the scoreboard was, I knew every single over, every single ball was really important. Just tried to keep things simple.”Prasidh is not particularly known for his variations but here they worked so well that he bowled his four overs on the trot, picking up the wickets of MI’s two top-scorers, Suryakumar Yadav for 48 off 28 and Tilak Varma for 39 off 36. He was named Player of the Match.”I think he did more than pretty well,” Prasidh’s Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Shubman Gill said in the press conference. “He did a pretty amazing job for us to be able to come in like that in a pressure situation and I think he changed the game for us in the way he bowled. I think he gave around 14 runs [18] out of which I think a couple of boundaries that he got hit for came in the last over. In the first three overs he gave around six or seven runs. In a T20 game, when the opposition is chasing 200 [197 to win], you know the match is almost done.”Ahmedabad, GT’s home ground, has two kinds of pitches – red soil and black soil. Gill and his team management chose to play this game on a black-soil pitch, which tends to be a little slower and lower than its red soil counterpart.1:40

Pujara: Good to see Prasidh developing variations

“I thought it was just good thinking of using home tactics [to] your advantage,” Trent Boult, the MI quick, said in the press conference afterwards. “Obviously there should be an advantage for the home team. We understood the wicket, that was black soil, and we didn’t adjust nicely enough.”Obviously there’s a difference. Wankhede is obviously typically red soil. Good tactics from the opposition. If you’ve got those options to do that, it obviously makes things… But I don’t think we will be using that as an excuse. There are players in our team that have played all over the country on all different types of wickets, as well as the international players there. So, I don’t want to say [anything] off the game tonight. They scrapped their way to a good total and they showed us how to bowl on that wicket. So credit to them.”Gill explained why GT did what they did.”I think each team has their own strengths and the way they like to play certain type of cricket I think this kind of a wicket suits our batting and bowling and overall strength of our team more than on the red soil and I think the way the game is going, you know, we see 250 to 240 runs [being scored].”We have to sometimes give that cushion for the bowlers so there’s something in it for the bowlers and it’s an equal game. We just don’t want all the games to be, you know, 240 to 250 runs. I feel if there are such high-scoring games the skill out of cricket, it takes away from that.”

تحدث مدرب ريال مدريد تشابي ألونسو عن لاعبي فريقه، قبل المباراة أمام يوفنتوس في دوري أبطال أوروبا، وقيّم أداء البعض منهم، وتطرق كذلك للحديث عن إمكانية رحيل مهاجم الفريق في يناير.

ويخوض ريال مدريد مباراة أمام يوفنتوس غدًا الأربعاء، ببطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، خلال مرحلة الدوري، على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”.

وظهر تشابي ألونسو خلال مؤتمر صحفي، ونشرت صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية تصريحاته قبل المواجهة. 

عن رأيه في موقف ريال مدريد من إقامة مباراة برشلونة وفياريال ببطولة الدوري الإسباني، في ميامي بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، قال: “لقد رددتُ عدة مرات، ورأيي واضح، النادي يدافع عن مصالحه، سنرى ما سيحدث”.

وانتقل المدرب للحديث عن لاعبه فينيسيوس جونيور، قائلاً: “فينيسيوس جيد جدًا وحاسم، أنا سعيد برؤيته يستمتع بوقته ويبتسم، تحدثنا عن التأثير الذي يمكن أن يُحدثه وكيف يُمكنه تغيير مجرى المباراة، نحتاجه أن يُركز على المباراة وما يُجيده، أداؤه اليومي جيد، ويتفاعل بشكل ممتاز في المباريات”.

وعن لاعبه أردا جولر وإذا كان يُذكره بالنجم السابق مسعود أوزيل، أردف: “ليس فقط بسبب أصولهما، بل هو مزيج من أوزيل وجوتي، كان جوتي يتمتع بهذه الكفاءة في بناء الهجمة وفي التمريرة الأخيرة، وكذلك مسعود، لقد استمتعتُ كثيرًا بأوزيل، كلما تمكّنا من الوصول إلى أردا، تحسّن أداؤنا، علينا أن نواصل الضغط، نحن سعداء جدًا به”.

اقرأ أيضًا | كورتوا: فينيسيوس يُجنّن الخصوم مثل كوستا.. وهناك قوانين أولى بالتغيير من التسلل

وبشأن مستقبل لاعبه البرازيلي إندريك وإمكانية إعارته في يناير، أكد: “لم نصل إلى هذه المرحلة بعد، المنافسة في خط الهجوم محتدمة، يجب أن نكون مستعدين لكل مباراة، يجب أن يكون إندريك وجونزالو وإبراهيم دياز على أهبة الاستعداد، سينضمون إلينا، ويجب أن نكون مستعدين، هذه هي النخبة، ونحتاج إلى العديد من اللاعبين المميزين”.

وإذا كان ريال مدريد يحتاج إلى تشابي ألونسو (كلاعب وسط)، أجاب المدرب: “آمل ألا يكون بحاجة إليّ، سنمضي حتى النهاية بهذه المجموعة من اللاعبين، نحن نتطور ويمكننا تقديم أداء جيد، والمنافسة باستمرار”.

وواصل: “لدينا قائمة مكتملة تضم لاعبين بصفات مختلفة، يتميزون بالحيوية ولديهم إمكانات كبيرة للنمو، مهمتي أن أستثمر فيهم ليصبحوا أفضل مع نهاية الموسم، خلال شهرين فقط رأينا تطورًا واضحًا لدى كثيرين منهم، نريد المنافسة الآن، ونحن نفعل ذلك بالفعل، بطموح أن نستمر في التحسن”.

وعن مدى جاهزية دين هويسن، أجاب: “بالنظر إلى الغد، لا أعتقد أن هويسن، أو ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد، أو كارفاخال سيعودون، سأقدم لكم التقرير النهائي يوم السبت (قبل يوم من مواجهة برشلونة بالدوري)”.

وبشأن تقييمه لموسم كيليان مبابي حتى الآن، علّق: “الأمر لا يقتصر على الأهداف فحسب، تأثيره لا يقل أهميةً عن متابعة زملائه له بالكرة وبدونها، إنه يُساعدنا. لقد سجل أهدافًا في كل مكان”.

وواصل: “التأثير، ليس فقط على التسجيل، هو ما يحتاجه الفريق، كيليان يمرّ بفترة رائعة، على الصعيدين الحيوي والشخصي، إنه تحليلي للغاية، يفعل الأشياء لأسبابٍ مُحددة، وعليه فهمها جيدًا، كل شيء مُترابط في ذهنه الآن، ولهذا يُقدم أداءً رائعًا”.

وسُئل تشابي عن الأفضل بين تيبو كورتوا وحارس ريال مدريد السابق إيكر كاسياس، ورد: “تيبو هو الأفضل في العالم، كما أنه فضولي بشأن كرة القدم، قد يكون مدربًا في المستقبل، من المهم لأي مدرب أن يكون على تواصل مع هؤلاء اللاعبين الذين يحبون فهم كرة القدم، لقد عشت تجارب رائعة مع إيكر؛ لا يمكنني الاكتفاء بلاعب واحد فقط، الآن لديّ تيبو، لكن كاسياس قيمته كبيرة”.

وبشأن لاعبه كامافينجا، أفاد: “لم يكن متاحًا إلا لبضعة أسابيع، كان في حالة ديناميكية لمدة ثلاثة أسابيع، لم يلعب مع ريال مدريد منذ فترة، وقد قدم أداءً جيدًا في كثير من الأحيان، كلاعب وسط، يتمتع بأسلوب ديناميكي، وطريقة تمرير مختلفة تمامًا عن الآخرين، علينا أن ندمج مهاراته الفردية مع الفريق”.

وسُئل تشابي عما يحتاجه ماستانتونو للتحسن، وأتم: “لقد وصل مؤخرًا وهو في الثامنة عشرة من عمره فقط، علينا الاستثمار فيه ومساعدته، نحن سعداء بوجوده معنا”.

Antoine Griezmann created history for Atletico Madrid on Tuesday in the Champions League during their 5-1 drubbing of Eintracht Frankfurt. After the game, head coach Diego Simeone was delighted with his performance and reserved special praise for the former France international. The Argentine expressed his gratitude to Griezmann and said that "talent has no age."

• Griezmann creates history with Atletico Madrid

  Griezmann created further history with Atletico on Tuesday as the "ageless" Frenchman brought up his 200th goal for the Spanish side, becoming the first player in Los Rojiblancos' history to reach the milestone. Simeone spoke highly of Griezmann after his team beat Frankfurt 5-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday to continue their red-hot winning streak. 

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• AFP
  

  Simeone in awe of Griezmann

  "I'm grateful to Antoine and his time at Atletico Madrid," Simeone told reporters after the game. "He's scored 200 goals, which is crazy. I remember when he arrived. He was a short winger on the left, and we invited him to play one-on-one and as an attacking midfielder, and he grew to become a world champion. He's always been a role model for his effort and work, and today he's received the thanks he deserves. We're grateful for everything he has given us and for everything he gives us and will continue to give us, because talent has no age."

• Griezmann's reduced role after renewal

  At the end of last season, there were rumours indicating that Griezmann's time at the Metropolitano was coming to an end. Despite not being an indispensable member of the starting XI, the 34-year-old decided to prolong his stay in the Spanish capital until 2027 after reports that he was leaning towards to a move to MLS side Los Angeles FC. This season, he has only managed 416 minutes in nine games so far. Indeed, Simeone has handed Griezmann a starting berth just four times, twice in the Champions League and as many times in La Liga. 

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  More history on its way to Griezmann?

  It is clear that Griezmann will be used majorly in an impact role off the bench this season, with Simeone placing his bets on the likes of Julian Alvarez, Giacomo Raspadori and Alexander Sorloth in attack. However, the French playmaker will have a chance to create more history with Los Colchoneros this season. Indeed, he is currently seventh of the list of most appearances for Atleti. By the end of the season, he could become just the fourth player in Atleti history to play 500 games for the club, after legend Adelardo and current team-mates Koke and Jan Oblak.

Leeds United were handed a sobering reminder of the reality of the Premier League when Arsenal hammered five past them at The Emirates on Saturday.

Whilst supporters will not have been expecting an easy game, by any means, the 1-0 win over Everton may have provided a bit of cautious optimism heading to North London.

Unfortunately, Mikel Arteta’s Gunners were firing at their very best and made the game look a bit too easy at times, with Viktor Gyokeres and Jurrien Timber both grabbing two goals, alongside Bukayo Saka’s strike.

There was no single individual player to blame for the result, but Daniel Farke will surely be disappointed with several individual performances across the pitch. Ilia Gruev was given a chance in light of Ethan Ampadu’s injury, for example, but failed to take his opportunity.

Why Ilia Gruev should be dropped

The Bulgarian midfielder was selected ahead of summer signing Sean Longstaff to start at the base of the midfield, but did not look ready for the task at hand.

Gruev played the full 90 minutes in the middle of the park, in a team that was defending for the vast majority of the time, and only won one duel, out of three contested, per Sofascore.

The left-footed lightweight did not offer any, or at least enough, protection in front of Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon to prevent the Arsenal midfield from linking up with the forward line as easily as they did.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

This is why, with the prospect of a physical Newcastle midfield on the horizon, Farke should drop Gruev next weekend. However, he is not the only player whose position in the XI should be in danger, as Joel Piroe must also be ruthlessly ditched.

Why Joel Piroe should be dropped

The Dutch forward, who was handed a 4/10 rating by the Yorkshire Evening Post, does not look up to the physicality of dealing with Premier League central defenders.

In two starts against Everton and Arsenal, Piroe has lost nine of his ten physical duels and has not won a single ground duel, per Sofascore, to go along with one shot on target and zero chances created for his teammates.

With the caveat that he was up against two top-class players, it was too easy for William Saliba and Gabriel to nip in ahead of him to get to balls first, without him even being able to compete for them.

The introduction of Lukas Nmecha, in both matches, has shown Leeds what they need in a centre-forward at that level. He came on in difficult circumstances against Arsenal, but still put himself about and used his frame well to relieve a bit of pressure at times.

Vs Arsenal	Joel Piroe	Lukas Nmecha
Minutes	58	33
Shots	0	0
Passes completed	9	5
Key passes	0	0
Ground duels won	0/0	1/2
Aerial duels won	0/2	1/1
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Nmecha competed in and won more duels in 33 minutes on the pitch than Piroe managed in almost an hour at The Emirates, as the former Swansea man lost 100% of his duels.

Leeds will be battling against relegation this season and that means that there will be a lot of games where they cannot expect to dominate the ball and have it all their way. As Gary Neville put it in the Sky Sports commentary, the front three that started the game – including Piroe – looked like they needed everything to be perfect for them to perform.

Whereas, Nmecha is a physical forward who can play off scraps and make things happen by causing problems for opposition defenders, which is why he may be a better choice to lead the line against Newcastle after the midweek League Cup clash with Sheffield Wednesday.

Therefore, Farke should ruthlessly ditch Gruev and Piroe for the clash with the Magpies to better stand up against the physical battle that they could be faced with.

Better signing than Okafor: Leeds make approach for "incredible" £35m star

Leeds United could be about to strengthen the frontline despite the arrival of Noah Okafor.

By
Ethan Lamb

Aug 22, 2025

Manchester United have been here before. And they are here again. Ruben Amorim was brought in from Sporting Lisbon to replace the floundering Erik ten Hag but his Red Devils side have sunk to a new low since his appointment.

Sunday’s chastening defeat against Manchester City at the Etihad kept United in the bottom half of the Premier League table.

It is, in fairness, just four matches into the new season, but with Chelsea travelling to Old Trafford next weekend and no European football on the cards, it’s crucial that an upswing is made and quickly.

Already dumped from the Carabao Cup by League Two’s Grimsby Town, United haven’t quite collapsed this term but they do need to right the wrongs, especially since Amorim’s win percentage is the lowest of any manager at the club in 80 years.

After finishing 15th last season and losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur, the summer transfer window felt crucial, but much has been left to be desired.

Man United's missed summer targets

Man United did address a series of issues in the summer transfer market, welcoming Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, arguably the Premier League’s two standout forwards beneath the Champions League zone last season.

However, INEOS failed to sign a centre-midfielder, and scrambled to replace Rasmus Hojlund at number nine, eventually landing on Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig, signing him for a £74m fee.

Sesko ghosted throughout United’s recent drubbing by Man City, and while the talent is undeniable, it’s clear there’s much work to be done.

Does Amorim have the time on his side to nurture the Slovenian’s skillset over the coming months, years?

The deadline day signing of goalkeeper Senne Lammens adds further cause for optimism, with Andre Onana now gone, but Altay Bayındır stood between the sticks against Pep Guardiola’s side, still trusted despite his wobbles, two years on from his £4m move from Feyenoord in Turkey.

Lammens and Sesko are both 23, and both first-teamers might bloom into superstars at Old Trafford.

However, Amorim needs a fast turnaround, and he may well be frustrated that his side didn’t manage to sign two of their biggest targets instead of the developing talents.

Amorim wanted his own Donnarumma and Haaland at United

Both of those targets, coincidentally, remain at Aston Villa: Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez.

At the end of the 2024/25 campaign, Martinez bid farewell to Villa Park. Teary-eyed, the distinguished shot-stopper appeared to be gearing up for a move away, and Man United were heavily linked.

But it wasn’t to be, with United opting to settle for Bayindir and sign Lammens instead. Thus, the Argentina hero is staying in the Midlands.

No doubt, Amorim has got his hands on an exciting up-and-comer, but Martinez is “genuinely world-class”, as said by Sky Sports’ Dan Bardell, and has 198 Premier League appearances and a World Cup gold medal to his name.

The 32-year-old’s distribution is good, but it’s his shot-stopping and command in the box that draws the plaudits. With Gigi Donnarumma standing in the opposing box at the weekend – another United summer transfer target – it’s perhaps frustrating to some that an established keeper has not been welcomed to Amorim’s project.

Watkins might also have been a top-class addition. The 29-year-old isn’t on the level of the finest striker in the league, the brace-bagging Erling Haaland, but he’s certainly got the skills to lead the line with confidence at Man United, actually described as “one of the best 9s in the world” by Statman Dave.

The England striker was reportedly really keen on joining Man United this summer, but ultimately, that wasn’t the track INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe headed down.

One that got away

The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast’s One That Got Away series.

Still, a powerful runner with sharp intelligence and silky link-up play, Watkins could have been an invaluable addition to this United side, certainly bearing the experience and know-how to have made more of himself against City, whereas Sesko let the game pass him by.

Players like Haaland and Donnarumma make up the benchmark for a team like Amorim’s United, chasing something greater than they’ve achieved in recent years.

But it’s easier said than done, and there’s little to suggest that the signings made have what it takes to propel the club back into the ascendancy with the speed that is required.

Man United’s strategy has been tailored toward a new emphasis on Prem-proven players, and though they haven’t clicked into gear yet, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have both shown flashes of brilliance so far this season; they look well-oiled and comfortable within the English game.

Sesko is a raw striker, and that’s why Jason Wilcox and co may be kicking themselves for failing to sign someone like Watkins. Older the Three Lions star may be, but he knows his game inside and out, and he’s a high-level goalscorer.

24/25

38

16 (8)

23/24

37

19 (13)

22/23

37

15 (6)

21/22

35

11 (2)

20/21

37

14 (5)

Viktor Gyokeres is the same, and did so well under Amorim’s wing at Sporting Lisbon. You can certainly see why the Portuguese tactician wanted to sign him this summer.

Ultimately, United have to cope with the options at their disposal, and while the likes of Lammens and Sesko have plenty of potential yet untapped, there’s no denying that this was not a season that could afford a transitional period.

Instant results are still expected, and Martinez and Watkins, both so accomplished in the Premier League, might have proved the icing on the cake to achieve that.

Man Utd have two players to blame for Sesko's nightmare first start

Benjamin Sesko was an isolated figure during his first start for Manchester United.

ByMatt Dawson Sep 15, 2025