Steven Smith will take charge of Rangers against Dundee United on Saturday while the club look to confirm their new permanent boss.
Former Rangers player Kevin Muscat remains the frontrunner for the post vacated by Russell Martin following the 1-1 draw at Falkirk before the international break.
Rangers full coaching staff to face Dundee United confirmed
Rangers Under-19 coach Smith, 40, who had two spells as a player at Ibrox, is currently overseeing first-team training on an interim basis along with B team coach Brian Gilmour, goalkeeping coach Sal Bibbo and head of performance Rhys Owen.
With such an important game on the return to domestic football, and negotiations ongoing and reaching the final stages, Rangers are looking for some certainty for the weekend.
Muscat established himself as the outright favourite for the post on Wednesday when former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl took himself out of the running after reportedly impressing the Ibrox hierarchy in talks over the past week.
The former Australia international has guided Shanghai Port to top spot in the Chinese Super League, where they are two points clear with four games left. Their domestic season ends on November 22 and the Light Blues may have to wait for his services.
Steven Gerrard, who won the 2021 William Hill Premiership title with Rangers, had been an early bookmakers’ favourite but had also ruled himself out of a return to Ibrox.
Martin departed the club after securing just five wins in 17 fixtures and having to get a police escort out of the Falkirk stadium as fans attempted to block the team bus from leaving.
Ahead of the visit of the Tannadice side, Rangers sit eighth in the Premiership, 11 points behind leaders Hearts and nine behind Celtic.
On the pitch, the Hoops were ignominiously dumped out of Champions League qualifying by Kairat, ousted on penalties in Almaty after over three and a half hours of drab, goalless football, before the most dull Old Firm derby in history at Ibrox last Sunday.
Supporters would argue that this is the metaphorical chickens coming home to roost, concerned all summer long about the Celts’ lack of attacking quality, given that Kyōgo Furuhashi, Nicolas Kühn and Matt O’Riley have not been sufficiently replaced.
So, following protests at a charity match against Manchester United legends on Saturday, the club issued an official statement that did nothing to quell dissenting voices, with the names of no individuals attached to the rambling statement, taking no accountability or responsibility for a transfer window many believe to be the club’s worst in modern times.
Thus, Brendan Rodgers has been left massively short ahead of a Europa League campaign that begins against Crvena zvezda in Belgrade later this month, so how he must wish the Hoops hadn’t sold Celtic’s “god of goals” for just £4m.
Celtic's catastrophic striker situation
On deadline day, having failed to replace Kyōgo, who departed in January, Celtic sold their only remaining centre-forward Adam Idah to Swansea City for around £7m, representing a £2.5m loss on the Irishman in just 12 months, but they actually did well to recoup such a large amount, following an underwhelming campaign.
As reports of this sale emerged, supporters thought that the Celtic hierarchy must have a replacement lined up, or at least that’s what one would assume.
The Hoops number one target was Kasper Dolberg but, after haggling over the price, Anderlecht instead sold him to Ajax for a reported fee of €10m (around £8.7m), with the Denmark international re-joining the Amsterdam-based giants.
The window then duly slammed shut, and Celtic did not have a striker, meaning they had 24 hours to secure a free agent, if they were to be included in their UEFA squad.
Emmanuel Dennis and Patrick Bamford were among the underwhelming names mentioned, but they instead secured Kelechi Iheanacho, albeit only after Sevilla had terminated his contract to facilitate the move, emphasising how wanted he was in Southern Spain.
The Nigerian actually scored against Celtic for Manchester City back in December 2016, as the pair drew 1-1 in the Champions League.
Once highly rated, Iheanacho’s career has essentially fallen off a cliff in recent years, scoring just 26 goals across the last four seasons, having netted 19 times during the 2020/21 campaign prior to this decline.
So, how Celtic supporters must wish they still had the forgotten goal machine from the Postecoglou era.
Kelechi Iheanacho at Leicester.
Celtic's "god of goals"
Giorgos Giakoumakis was not at Celtic for a long time, but he certainly made his mark in Glasgow.
In just 57 appearances in hoops, the Greece international scored 26 goals, averaging a goal every 97 minutes, winning the Premiership golden boot during his only full season at Parkhead.
Former Celtic forward Giorgos Giakoumakis.
However, unable to secure a regular starting spot due to Kyōgo’s presence, imagine having depth like that now, he was sold to Atlanta United for around £4m in March 2023.
Since then, Giakoumakis has become something of a globe-trotter, leaving Atlanta after less than 18 months in MLS, sold to Cruz Azul for $10m (around £7.4m), albeit he did not live up to expectations in Mexico City, returning to his homeland this summer by signing for PAOK on loan.
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Well, he has made an immediate impact in Thessaloniki, on target off the bench during a 5-0 victory over HNK Rijeka last month, a victory at Toumba Stadium that secured PAOK’s place in the Europa League.
Following Giakoumakis’ arrival in Major League Soccer, Jaime Uribarri labelled him the “Greek God of goals”, while Tom Bogert simply noted that, wherever he goes, the striker “just scores goals”, a useful skillset for a centre-forward to possess.
So, let’s assess how his recent seasons compare to Celtic’s latest centre-forward Iheanacho.
Iheanacho vs Giakoumakis comparison
Season
Iheanacho
Giakoumakis
2025/26
0
1
2024/25
4
9
2023/24
6
5
2022/23
8
28
2021/22
8
17
2020/21
19
29
Total
45
89
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt
As the table documents, across the last five seasons, and the start of this one, Giakoumakis has scored almost twice as many goals as Iheanacho, who hasn’t reached double figures in a single campaign since lockdown when he was at Leicester.
More recently, the Nigerian international endured a miserable loan spell at Middlesbrough this time last year, before scoring just three goals for Sevilla, all of which came in the Copa del Rey, bagging a brace against fifth-tier Las Rozas, before also scoring against UE Olot of the fourth division, but bagging no goals in La Liga.
Having worked with him before, Rodgers will believe he can resurrect Iheanacho’s form and confidence, but this is certainly a gamble, while Giakoumakis guarantees goals, so what a difference the Greek striker would make to this current Celtic side.
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Vidarbha 379 and 249 for 4 (Nair 132*, Malewar 73) lead Kerala 342 (Baby 98, Sarwate 79, Nalkande 3-52, Rekhade 3-65, Dubey 3-88) by 286 runsIf fate had played out differently two seasons ago, Karun Nair would have been playing for Kerala after he first reached out to them when he was dumped unceremoniously by Karnataka. They couldn’t commit at the time and Nair, having sat at home for an entire season, couldn’t wait to grab his next opportunity. That’s when Vidarbha came calling.Two seasons on, Nair is at the forefront of Vidarbha’s charge to a third Ranji Trophy title, having batted all day to construct an unbeaten 132, his 23rd first-class century and fourth of the season. It helped stretch Vidarbha’s lead to 286 at stumps on the fourth day, and they still have six wickets remaining. If Nair does lift the trophy, it’ll be his third – his first two were with Karnataka in his first two seasons, 2013-14 and 2014-15.Nair shouldn’t batted this long, but luck shone on him. On 31, in the very first session on the third day, indecision against young seamer Eden Apple Tom had him playing at one that reared up awkwardly to lob off the glove to first slip where Akshay Chandran put down a dolly. Having already lost two early wickets, Vidarbha would have been 55 for 3. Instead, Kerala saw Nair and Danish Malewar, the 21-year-old batter in his maiden season, torment them again, as if to complete the business they had left unfinished in the first innings when a mix-up between the two led to Nair’s run out for 86.Malewar and Nair put on 182 for the third wicket – Malewar making 73 to go with his 153 in the first innings – to defuse any tension there might have been in the Vidarbha camp after they lost Parth Rekhade and Dhruv Shorey inside the first three overs. Rekhade was bowled through the gate by Jalaj Saxena’s in-drift, and Shorey was out to Mohammed Azharuddeen’s brilliance as he dived full stretch to pluck a healthy edge in front of first slip to give MD Nidheesh an early wicket.Kerala could have had a third very quickly, but Malewar was aided by luck when DRS deemed a not-out lbw decision off Saxena to be umpire’s call. It was the start of a frustrating few hours for Kerala, where they dropped a sitter of a big-match player, two of their frontline seamers – Nidheesh and Nedumankuzhy Basil – received warnings twice for running on to the danger area of the pitch, and then saw two healthy nicks off Saxena, their most prolific and in-form spinner, go through the vacant slip cordon when the need of the hour was to attack, not defend. All these factors combined to give Vidarbha the push they needed.Danish Malewar scored 73 in the second innings after 153 in the first•PTI
In the seventh over of the day, Malewar survived again, this time overturning an lbw call on DRS after being given out to Nidheesh, with replays showing the ball swung in late and would have missed leg stump. Things were happening quickly, and Kerala should have remained on the offensive. They didn’t and paid the price.Nair was good enough to pick gaps through the covers as Kerala left the off side open to have him drive against the turn. His ability to mix that up by playing a superb reverse sweep all along the ground made him a tough prospect to bowl to. Malewar’s temperament stood out as he absorbed the pressure from Saxena and played largely within himself until he got to his half-century and then stepped out to play a glorious drive over mid-off.As the partnership grew, Kerala resorted to a leg-stump line briefly to try to unsettle the batters. But given Vidarbha were sitting pretty with a lead, realisation dawned for Kerala that they needed to be a little more on the offensive, by which time the pair had already put on 100 runs.Nair survived on 65 when a leading edge off Saxena didn’t carry to the bowler, and he responded by offsetting any pressure by playing the reverse sweep. En route, he went past the 800-run mark for the season and charged into the 80s by hitting Aditya Sarwate for two back-to-back sixes – one over long-on and one over long-off. As he brought up his century, Nair dropped his bat, removed his gloves and showed nine fingers towards the dressing room to signal his nine hundreds across the season, before taking guard and continuing to blunt the bowling.It needed Chandran’s left-arm, part-time spin to break the mammoth stand when Malewar jabbed at one that flicked the glove and lobbed to Sachin Baby at slip. Then Yash Rathod came out and battled serenely with Nair, and at one point in the final session, overtook Madhya Pradesh batter Shubham Sharma’s tally of 943 to lead the run charts for the season.Then a sharp turner from Sarwate spun back in to trap him lbw, a decision that Kerala got overturned in their favour through the DRS. But moments like those were few and far amid a largely frustrating day for Kerala, whose hopes of a maiden title seem all but gone, with them needing a miracle to make a match of this on the final day.
For the second year running, frustrations bubbling from the summer transfer window have threatened to slam the brakes on Eddie Howe’s project. But Newcastle United are made of sterner stuff.
Blunted by the absence of Alexander Isak at Villa Park last weekend, Newcastle kept a clean sheet and played well, albeit shaking hands with Unai Emery’s Aston Villa after failing to move forward from parity. But there was much to like, the visitors showing signs of eliteness maintained.
Tougher tests lie ahead – not least the clash with Premier League champions Liverpool at St. James’ Park on Monday night – but there’s every reason that the Tynesiders will find success once again in their travels this season.
As Arne Slot’s side continue to pursue the wantaway Isak, so too does PIF’s resolve remain taut. We’ve only a week until the transfer window slams mercifully shut, but whether the Sweden international remains on Tyneside is anyone’s guess.
The latest on Isak's Newcastle future
Isak’s incendiary comments last week put to rest any confusion or hopes regarding his stance: he is desperate to leave Newcastle and sign for Liverpool.
But ‘I want’ does not always get. The 25-year-old is contracted for three more years, and while he believes it had been intimated that he could leave for a new challenge this year, external forces have made that difficult, and he has little power from which to leverage his position.
While Isak will not play a part against Liverpool, a fixture seemingly dated by fate, all things considered, Howe is firm in his belief that Isak can still be reintegrated, if and when.
And PIF? Their stance has not changed: Isak isn’t for sale. Many figures have been bandied about, but it truly seems like an offer in the region of £150m is required if Newcastle are to part with their prized piece.
But the transfer market is a vicious beast, and every eventuality remains on the cards. With this in mind, Newcastle continue to push for new recruits at number nine.
Newcastle's search for a striker
The protracted bid for Yoane Wissa still hasn’t come to a head. There are parallels to Isak’s situation, for sure, with the DR Congo forward desperate to leave Brentford and join Newcastle within the week.
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However, Isak’s future at Newcastle and the prospect of Wissa joining are not mutually exclusive; Callum Wilson left the Toon at the end of his contract last season, and so two strikers must be signed for Isak to leave.
And in the dreaded event of that happening, Italian outlet Tuttosport have claimed – via Sport Witness – that Newcastle have made a late approach for Paris Saint-Germain star Randal Kolo Muani, who has been slated to join Juventus after his recent loan spell.
Differences between French and Italian terms have proved a sticking point, with PSG looking for €70m (£61m), and if a breakthrough cannot be found, Newcastle could swoop in, having already made an official approach, along with an unnamed Saudi club.
What Randal Kolo Muani would bring to Newcastle
Newcastle need a striker. Kolo Muani would be a fantastic buy in replacing Isak, especially if welcomed along with Wissa, who is far less dynamic and athletic, yet a reliable marksman in front of goal.
Juventus loanee Randal Kolo Muani celebrates.
In September 2023, Kolo Muani left his rich career at Eintracht Frankfurt and signed for PSG in a £76m deal, but his time back in his homeland has been disappointing, posting only 11 goals and seven assists over 54 matches.
However, a short-term move to Juventus in January has built the 26-year-old back up, eight goals scored in Serie A, 13 goal involvements racked up in all competitions, just 22 matches played.
The Les Bleus star’s big move to PSG hasn’t worked out, but that’s okay. He’s still one of the most dangerous strikers around, proven across other divisions, hailed as a “superstar” by German legend Lothar Matthaus during his Frankfurt days.
With Wissa adopting a more straightforward role in Howe’s system, Kolo Muani could step into Isak’s boots, taking the veritable form of the £120k-per-week sensation and preserving his presence, that style of play which has served United so well.
Nick Pope once described Isak as being “like a wizard” after setting up that goal against Everton, but Kolo Muani has a similarly creative slant to his game.
Across his 13 matches in the Serie A last year, the Frenchman averaged 1.1 key passes per game, as per Sofascore, and regularly sparked chances when taking on his man, beating him.
Actually, looking at Kolo Muani’s metrics across the past year in comparison to Isak’s, Newcastle’s interest becomes clearer. He’s the real deal, all right, and has the mobility and roundedness to replace the Swede, should he leave.
Goals scored
0.48
0.78
Assists
0.11
0.17
Shots taken
2.45
3.21
Touches (att pen)
6.28
6.31
Shot-creating actions
2.34
3.04
Pass completion
70.2%
75.3%
Progressive passes
1.49
2.94
Progressive carries
1.54
2.80
Successful take-ons
1.54
1.42
Ball recoveries
2.24
1.79
Tackles + interceptions
1.28
0.44
These are centre-forwards with skill beyond that of merely scoring goals, complete strikers both. While Isak is clearly the more confident and productive man, it’s worth noting that Kolo Muani spent the first half of the 2024/25 campaign languishing in Paris, scoring twice and assisting once across ten Ligue 1 games.
Would Kolo Muani replicate Isak’s output? Perhaps not. Isak scored 27 goals and assisted six more across all competitions last season, with his clinical edge a large part behind his billing as England’s record-breaking man, should Liverpool sign him.
But Kolo Muani would be a more than adequate replacement, retaining some of the Scandinavian star’s same style. With Wissa joining too, it could be a fantastic deal for Howe’s side.
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The two new arrivals from Bayer Leverkusen have had fitness issues whereas the Hungarian has hit the ground running this season
Liverpool made a succession of significant signings during the most sensational transfer window in the club's history. The summer-long pursuit of Alexander Isak obviously dominated the headlines, given the saga was only concluded on deadline day, but the acquisition of Florian Wirtz was the deal that nobody saw coming.
The common consensus was that if Bayer Leverkusen were to actually sanction the sale of their most prized possession, he would go to Bayern Munich or Manchester City. However, Liverpool suddenly and surprisingly emerged as the frontrunners in the race to sign Wirtz at the start of June before agreeing to pay an initial £100 million (£135m) for the attacking midfielder.
The news understandably sparked mass excitement around Anfield. Fenway Sports Group (FSG) had finally decided to splash the cash – and one of the finest young players in world football was on his way to Liverpool.
Amid all of the hype and hysteria, Dominik Szoboszlai was largely forgotten. The Hungarian had played a pivotal part in last season's title triumph yet the presumption was that he'd simply accept a supporting role in Arne Slot's squad.
Szoboszlai, though, has been Liverpool's star performer during the first three rounds of the new Premier League season – and even with Isak now on board, there's no reason to think that he'll suddenly be relegated to the bench.
On the contrary, Szoboszlai has arguably made himself un-droppable – because he's not just posing a threat to Wirtz's status as a starter, he's also emerged as an attractive alternative to another summer signing from Leverkusen, Jeremie Frimpong, at right-back.
Getty Images'Runs for two players'
Jurgen Klopp once described Szoboszlai as "a joy to work with" – and Slot quickly came to understand why. As the Dutchman said in January, "Dom's work-rate is un-be-lievable! He just keeps on running with the highest intensity and that is so important for a team that wants to compete for something."
Slot wasn't wrong. Szoboszlai's pressing was a key component in Liverpool's game plan all season long, while he also made some decisive contributions in massive matches – most notably his goal and ingenious assist in the 2-0 win at Manchester City on February 23, and the opener in the victory over Newcastle three days later that effectively sealed a record-breaking 20th championship.
"He wins the ball back for us, he runs for two players," Slot enthused at the time. "That probably deserves even more credit than him scoring a goal."
Despite pointing out that Szoboszlai's importance to Liverpool was "underestimated", the £60m (£81m) signing still came in for criticism last term for his perceived lack of end product. The 24-year-old may have been directly involved in more Premier League goals during the 2024-25 campaign than the likes of Declan Rice, who was nominated for Player of the Season, Martin Odegaard and Kevin De Bruyne, but his numbers still became a big topic of debate.
Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesOminous arrival
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, for example, made no secret of the fact that he was "not Szoboszlai's biggest fan" and felt that the Reds were entitled to expect more from a player who was regularly deployed as an attacking midfielder.
"I know he's a completely different player, and he's got great energy, but when you think of what Arsenal have got in Odegaard, what Man City had in De Bruyne in the past, what Chelsea have got in Cole Palmer, you want someone who’s going to get you close to 15, 20 goals a season from that position," Carragher told the 'Stick to Football' podcast. Essentially, the England international was arguing that Liverpool need to sign a more productive No.10 during the summer – which is exactly what they did.
Unbeknownst to the fans, Liverpool had been exploring the possibility of signing Wirtz for some time and their interest in the 22-year-old's services made perfect sense. The Germany international is a very different type of attacking midfielder to Szoboszlai. He's a proper No.10, an old-school trequartista with a very modern approach to pressing.
As well as being a wonderful dribbler, Wirtz has a wonderful gift for finding space and picking out passes in between the lines – as he demonstrated during the first half of the Community Shield clash with Crystal Palace.
Getty Images SportSlot's masterstroke
Given his cost and his qualities, then, Wirtz was always going to play in his preferred position when Liverpool began their Premier League title defence at home to Bournemouth on August 15. Szoboszlai started, too, of course but as part of a midfield pivot with Alexis Mac Allister due to the unavailability of the suspended Ryan Gravenberch. It was, thus, thought that when the latter returned to the starting line-up for the game at Newcastle on August 25, Szoboszlai might drop to the bench.
Slot had a problem, though. Not only was Mac Allister missing for the trip to Tyneside due to the birth of his first child, Frimpong was ruled out through injury and the obvious replacement at right-back, Conor Bradley, wasn't match fit. Consequently, Slot picked Curtis Jones to replace Mac Allister in midfield and asked Szoboszlai to fill in for Frimpong. Remarkably, it proved a masterstroke.
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Getty Images Sport'Absolutely outstanding'
Szoboszlai was sensational at St. James Park, first doing an outstanding job in nullifying the threat posed by Newcastle winger Harvey Barnes, and then, after being moved into midfield, effectively creating the winning goal for Rio Ngumoha with an outrageous dummy.
As he didn't touch the ball, Szoboszlai wasn't credited with an assist (Thierry Henry argued he should have been!) – but his characteristic selflessness was rightly and widely lauded, with even Carragher lauding him for an "absolutely outstanding" all-round display. As for Slot, he felt Szoboszlai personified his side's winning mentality.
"It is not easy to play as a full-back if you've only been a midfielder in your career," the Reds boss said after the 3-2 victory. "He played there once in pre-season – I think it was against Stoke when we played behind closed doors – but in that game we only had the ball and now he had to defend a lot. For him to put in a performance like that, you can say a lot about his character."
Kicking on with their summer business, West Bromwich Albion have now reportedly reached an agreement to sign an attacking reinforcement worth around £5m.
Since appointing Ryan Mason and signing Nat Phillips from Liverpool, West Brom’s summer business has slowed down somewhat. And with just one month until the Championship gets back underway, the Baggies must rediscover their momentum to welcome some key additions for their new manager.
That’s not to say the rumours haven’t been coming thick and fast, though. Whilst West Brom haven’t acted since signing Phillips, there are still several names on their reported radar.
Among them includes the experienced Barry Bannan. The veteran midfielder is currently at Sheffield Wednesday, who remain in a precarious spot financially and struggling to pay staff on time. Failure to solve that problem will likely to result in an exodus of players, allowing West Brom to take full advantage.
Any signing would be following Phillips through the door, who expressed his delight after putting pen to paper at The Hawthorns last month, saying: “A big factor was that this is obviously a big club with high aspirations – and I’d say those aspirations align with mine. I think everyone at the club and involved would like to see it competing for promotion and pushing for Premier League football – and that’s the same as me.
“I’m really looking forward to it and as soon as I found out about the interest I just wanted to get here and get going. Throughout my career I’ve always wanted to develop a rhythm and continue to play week in, week out. I feel like I did that in the second half of last season, and I want to continue that rhythm and try to take that into the season coming up.
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“I’ve had a number of loans over the past few years and it’ll be really nice for me and my family to go somewhere and know we’re staying there to develop a relationship with the club and the fans.”
As impressive as the defender is, the Baggies require more reinforcements and have now reportedly turned towards a fresh name in pursuit of exactly that.
West Brom agree deal to sign Heggebo
According to Fabrizio Romano, West Brom have now reached an agreement to sign Aune Heggebo from Norwegian side Brann. In a deal worth around €5.5m (£5m), the 23-year-old striker will hand Mason an instant attacking boost to kickstart the Baggies’ summer business.
The young forward will be a new name to most, but those in Norway will know him as the player who scored seven goals in just 13 league appearances last season and eight goals in all competitions.
Whether those numbers translate to the Championship will be the big question next season, especially as Heggebo enters the peak of his powers in the coming years.
Bangladesh allrounder could be in England for a four-day game on September 9 and then fly to Chennai for the start of a Test series against India
ESPNcricinfo staff30-Aug-2024
Shakib Al Hasan played a key role in Bangladesh’s win in the first Test against Pakistan earlier this month•AFP/Getty Images
Shakib Al Hasan could be in line to play one County Championship game next month with Surrey working on a deal to bring him in, before he leaves for Bangladesh’s tour of India. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has reportedly issued him a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the match, set to be played from September 9, against Somerset in Taunton. Surrey will be without all of their England players as that round coincides with the end of the ongoing Sri Lanka Test series and the start of the Australia white-ball series.From London, Shakib will fly to Chennai where Bangladesh play their first Test against India from September 19. Bangladesh are set to play two Tests and three T20Is against India, before their home series against South Africa in October. Shakib is currently playing in the Test series in Pakistan.A former member of parliament in Bangladesh’s previous government, Shakib is among 147 people against whom charges have been filed in connection with an alleged murder during the protests in Bangladesh in early August. At that time, Shakib was out of the country, playing in the Global T20 Canada.Related
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The BCB had said that Shakib can continue playing for Bangladesh since the investigation is in its nascent stages. “It’s an FIR (first information report), there are a lot of legal procedures left to prove someone guilty following the filing of FIR,” new BCB chief Faruque Ahmed told the Dhaka-based the on Tuesday. “At this moment there is no bar on Shakib to continue playing. We have responded to the legal notice served to us and we have said the same thing (no bar on Shakib playing in the UK) there too.”ESPNcricinfo has learned the ECB has the right to withhold Shakib’s registration to play in their domestic system even if he is granted a UK visa.Bangladesh’s Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs adviser, Asif Nazrul, said on Wednesday it was unlikely for Shakib to be arrested.”This is a matter for the police administration,” Nazrul told reporters in Dhaka. “We have tried to say as much as we can. Filing a case does not mean an arrest. I believe our Ministry of Home Affairs will take steps to ensure that no one becomes overly enthusiastic about making an arrest. I hope Shakib will not be arrested. As far as I know, our police force has been given certain instructions.”Bangladesh posted a historic win against Pakistan in the first Test in Rawalpindi, with Shakib taking three important wickets on the fifth day. He is also part of the second Test, whose first day, on Friday, was washed out due to rain.
Aston Villa are leading the race for a promising young defender, who is expected to cost over £17m, and they are now pushing to get a deal over the line, according to a report.
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Premier League teams are having to come up with inventive new ways to get around PSR, and Villa now appear to have followed in Chelsea’s footsteps by agreeing to sell their women’s team.
As a result, Unai Emery should hopefullyhave more money to work with in the transfer window, and the manager is particularly keen to bolster his options in the middle of the park, with a £17m bid being made for Galatasaray’s Gabriel Sara.
According to a report form France, Aston Villa are also leading the race for versatile Toulouse player Jaydee Canvot, who is able to play at both defensive midfield and centre-back, and they are now pushing to get a deal over the line.
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Toulouse are undecided about whether they are willing to cash-in on Canvot this summer, but should the French club choose to sanction a departure, it is expected that they will hold out for a fee of €20m (£17m).
The Villans are said to have had a scout at the Maurice Revello tournament, which was won by France U20s, and they were clearly impressed by the defender’s performances, although it remains to be seen whether they are willing to stump up £17m.
Canvot could be excellent long-term signing for Villa
The Toulouse ace is only 18 years old, so it is an impressive feat that he has already managed to force his way into the first team, making 20 appearances in all competitions last season, which indicates he may not be too far off Villa’s first-team level.
One scout was also left impressed after watching the teenager in a midfield role, praising him for his ability in possession of the ball.
It is too early to say definitively whether the youngster would be a success at Villa Park, but he is certainly displaying good signs, and the Frenchman’s versatility is an added bonus.
As such, it is promising news that Villa are pursuing a deal, but £17m would be a large fee to pay for a player yet to prove himself over a sustained period.
Liverpool won the Premier League this season but already FSG are planning for the future. Arne Slot came and conquered English football when none beyond Merseyside’s red reach thought he had the capacity, and he did it with minimal transfer investment.
Now, though, is the time for action. This is the squad Jurgen Klopp build over so many years, carefully created and layered to now stand among Europe’s elite.
That’s not to say Slot has ridden the coattails of his predecessor, who failed to add to his one Premier League triumph across each of the previous four campaigns.
Arne Slot celebrates Liverpool's Premier League triumph
The Dutch coach has taken the tools handed to him and built something new, but with Trent Alexander-Arnold now officially a Real Madrid player and Liverpool’s fiercest rivals at home and abroad gearing up to strengthen, it was always going to be important to build.
The latest Liverpool transfer targets
Liverpool have acted with consummate efficiency in the build-up to the summer transfer window, already announcing the signing of Jeremie Frimpong as Alexander-Arnold’s direct replacement at right-back.
Bayer Leverkusen have lost their electric right-sider, and their star playmaker is set to follow. Florian Wirtz is one of the most talented midfielders on the planet, and FSG have entered the final stages of what should become a club-record €130m (£110m) signing.
Next up, Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez should join the Anfield rebuild, with Kostas Tsimikas mooted for a departure and Andy Robertson, 31, taking a step back, handing the Hungarian Kerkez the keys for the long-term berth.
AFC Bournemouth's MilosKerkez
When all this is wrapped up, you’d think the Reds would turn toward exits, with Darwin Nunez expected to depart and the futures of younger squad members like Harvey Elliott and Jarell Quansah uncertain too.
Such financial gains would lead Liverpool toward a new number nine, but they may not stop there. Extra cover at centre-back has been discussed, and sporting director Richard Hughes may even move for a new centre-midfielder.
Liverpool enter race for new midfielder
Liverpool are well-stocked in the centre of the park, but Ryan Gravenberch’s qualities were exhausted in the deep-lying role across the campaign, and some competition would do nicely.
That’s why – according to GIVEMESPORT – Liverpool are prepared to hijack Manchester United’s potential move for Atalanta’s Ederson, 25, whose performances in Italy have earned praise, leading to a stunning Europa League final victory over Bayer Leverkusen last season.
Though the Brazilian would cost around £50m, this could be a worthwhile investment for a Liverpool side determined to challenge for silverware across a range of various fronts.
Why Liverpool want to sign Ederson
It may not be a priority position this summer, but the beauty of Liverpool completing the lion’s share of their transfer business is that they can turn toward bonus deals, and Ederson would surely be the icing on the cake.
Atalanta's Ederson in action
An athletic and robust player, Ederson thrives at the heart of the field, flying in with challenges, recycling possession and driving the ball forwards.
A man of different parts, then. Ederson completed 87% of his passes in Serie A this season, winning 4.9 duels per game at a success rate of 56%, suggesting he has the physical strength and technical crispness to succeed in the Premier League.
As per FBref, Ederson ranks among the top 12% of central midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for progressive passes and the top 19% for ball recoveries and aerial battles won per 90, emphasising a rounded approach that ‘Slotball’ would welcome with open arms.
Ederson’s powerful eye for goal and Brazilian heritage suggest he could become Slot’s own Fabinho, with the iconic Klopp favourite doing the dirty work in the middle of the park for Liverpool, allowing the forwards to flourish and steal the headlines.
Liverpool signed Fabinho from AS Monaco in a deal worth £44m back in May 2018, the Brazil international going on to feature prominently across five campaigns, winning the full gamut.
Fabinho might not have had the flair of, say, Gravenberch, who is more of an elegant, shoulder-dropping maestro of a number six, but his industrious approach to his craft bred rich results for the Anfield side, anchored as he was in the middle, dispossessing opponents and calmly picking out teammates in opportune areas.
Now, it’s time to bring in the next version, one who could give Slot a greater width of possibility to pick from in the centre of the park. Described as a “machine” of a midfielder by journalist Carlo Garganese, Ederson is the real deal, a proven winner in Italy with the physicality and dynamism to make a positive impression with Slot’s champions.
He’s also tuned to the modern way of things, with a broad tactical reach that could see Liverpool’s boss shuffle him across a variety of positions to best serve their goals, maybe even discovering a formula which could see Gravenberch and Ederson playing together on the field.
Central midfield
151
16
6
Defensive midfield
62
5
1
Attacking midfield
20
–
–
Right-back
3
1
–
Centre-back
2
–
–
Left midfield
1
–
–
Given Liverpool fell by the wayside across tournament fronts this season, it might be wise to bring in a different profile to jockey with Gravenberch, who has performed remarkably well and was crowned the Premier League Young Player of the Year; however, sometimes a grittier style is required.
It’s the kind of profile Fabinho utilised so expertly across the span of his Liverpool career. Wataru Endo has been brilliant since arriving as a stop-gap replacement, but becoming a cult hero and a Premier League champion besides, but the 31-year-old doesn’t bear his predecessor’s completeness.
Transfer Focus
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It’s clear: if Liverpool manage to complete their business this summer and recoup some lost money through the sales of several fringe stars, Ederson is the man to go for, especially if it foils Man United in their pursuit of a much-needed rebuild.
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