“It is an exciting time and hopefully we can give the captain and coach some good decisions to make”

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2023Sam Curran has hailed the competition for places among England’s white-ball seam attack as Jos Buttler’s squad builds towards the defence of their 50-over World Cup title in India later this year.Curran took 4 for 29 in the second ODI against Bangladesh on Friday, including a devastating burst of 3 for 19 in five overs with the new ball, as England sealed the series with one game to play. He also struck 33 off 19 with the bat to provide a timely reminder of his all-round abilities in the format where he has most struggled to pin down a regular spot.With Chris Woakes and Jofra Archer rested after the first match of the series, England were able to call on Curran and Saqib Mahmood, who was making his first international appearance since his Test debut in the Caribbean a year ago, having recovered from a back stress fracture.Related

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England could also select another World Cup-winner in Mark Wood, while Reece Topley and Olly Stone – who missed the tour of Bangladesh due to being part of the Test squad out in New Zealand – have recently returned to contention after injury problems. Throw in the likes of David Willey, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts and Luke Wood, and England can hope to have a strong pool of seamers to pick from for the World Cup.”It is a quality squad at the moment,” Curran said. “There are a lot of guys who have been on the Test tour who will come back in. Any time you play in a team for England you want to put in a performance but it shows we’ve got a great squad with Jof, Woakes, Woody being back now as well.”Everyone has had a tough year with injuries and everyone is pleased to see the quality of the bowlers we have around. You saw how great the Test team were bowling as well.”It is an exciting time and hopefully we can give the captain and coach some good decisions to make but right now I’m sure the bowlers just want to keep performing and be in that 15 for the World Cup. Conditions will dictate if there is extra pace or extra spin, so it is about enjoying it and not putting on too much pressure.”Curran was Player of the Tournament when England lifted the T20 World Cup in Australia last year, carving out a well-defined role as one of the side’s go-to death bowlers during the lead-up to the competition. His left-arm angle, ability to swing the new ball and then fall back on his variations later in the innings – not to mention his hyper-aggressive approach with the bat – should make him a strong candidate to be part of the group in India, where he has a wealth of IPL experience.His overall record in ODIs remains underwhelming, with 24 wickets in 22 appearances at an average of 37.29. In 2022, that blew out to four wickets at 72.65, having been largely used at first or second change; but in Mirpur he took the new ball for only the second time in 12 appearances and promptly produced his second-best figures (his maiden five-for, against Sri Lanka in 2021, also came when opening the bowling).”It is a nice time to bowl as a seam bowler because you get swing and movement but it is tricky as well because you have to be on the money and start really well because the white ball doesn’t swing for that long,” Curran said. “In these conditions, your cutters, your slower balls and cross-seam deliveries may become useful as well. It is about adjusting and seeing what is in front of you.”I don’t think too much to be honest. It is about chatting to the guys in the dressing room, guys who are out and what the surface is doing.”I like to react to what is in front of me. I’m not a massive planner. If my cutters are working, I’ll stick to them but today the ball swung so you play it as you see.”Monday’s fixture in Chattogram is England’s last ODI until they play series against New Zealand at Ireland at the back end of the English summer, by which time the World Cup squad will have already been picked – although performances at the IPL, where Curran will fulfil a $1.85m contract with Punjab Kings, could also help sway the selectors.”We don’t have much 50-over cricket during the summer, so to play in these similar conditions as a group is cool,” Curran said. “It is a great series win as well, to win in Bangladesh is awesome. They hadn’t lost for a long time [since 2016-17] and we’re really proud of that.”

Ruturaj Gaikwad marked his return from a wrist injury with a sublime 92 off 50 balls, and set Chennai Super Kings on track for a 200-plus score, but a middle-overs slowdown, triggered by Alzarri Joseph, limited them to 178 for 7. That total looked even more subpar when Shubman Gill extended his rich form across formats with another half-century. But his dismissal and IPL debutant Rajvardhan Hangargekar’s variations at the death gave Super Kings an opening. It came down to Titans needing 30 from the last three overs, and despite the absence of Kane Williamson, who injured himself in the field, and David Miller (national duty), they completed the job in familiar fashion with Rashid Khan and Rahul Tewatia finding the crucial late boundaries.2:46

Moody: Players like Rashid are always involved in the hottest moments of the game

Impact of Impact Player rule

Williamson’s knee injury, sustained while attempting to save a six off Gaikwad’s bat, tested Titans’ batting depth and perhaps didn’t allow them to use the Impact Player rule as well as they would have liked to. If Williamson had been available to bat, Titans would likely have used him as their anchor and would have probably brought in Abhinav Manohar as their Impact Player down the order.B Sai Sudharsan, who ended up replacing Williamson as the Impact Player, started brightly at No. 3, but a legcutter from Hangargekar cut his innings short at 22 off 17 balls.Earlier, Tushar Deshpande became the first Impact Player in the IPL when he came in for Ambati Rayudu during Super Kings’ defence. Deshpande found some swing in the early exchanges and then had Gill holing out for 63, but was left with only seven to defend in the final over. Tewatia finished it off with four balls to spare.

Gaikwad special

Before the start of IPL 2023, Gaikwad had not played competitive cricket for two months and had joined the CSK camp in Chepauk late after undergoing rehab at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. He showed no signs of rust and quickly set to work with a brace of punched fours off Hardik Pandya.Devon Conway was bowled through the gate by Mohammed Shami for 1, but Gaikwad went on to play a range of sparkling shots, particularly against the seamers. Josh Little, the first Ireland player to feature in the IPL, was swatted over square leg for six while Joseph was hooked over the midwicket boundary for six more. Gaikwad charged to a half-century off just 23 balls, and when it seemed like a century was almost inevitable, Joseph had him splicing a full toss to long-on.Ruturaj Gaikwad’s 92 ended in vain•BCCI

Dube dawdles

When Dube came out to bat at No.6, Super Kings were well placed at 121 for 4 in the 13th over. Joseph and Hardik kept peppering Dube’s body with short balls and he just couldn’t get the pull away. According to ESPNcricinfo’s logs, 13 of the 17 balls he faced were short or short-of-good-length deliveries and he could manage only one boundary off them. His go-slow sent Super Kings’ innings spiralling out of control.After conceding 18 runs in his first over, Joseph hit back to give up only 15 from his next three while taking out Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja.

Gill and Hangargekar sparkle

Gill matched Gaikwad shot for shot. It is often fiendishly difficult to step out and hit Mitchell Santner and Jadeja for boundaries, but Gill made it look ridiculously easy. He also targeted Deshpande, taking him for 23 off 11 balls before ultimately falling to him.After bowling an over in the powerplay, Hangargekar also fronted up to bowl at the death and tricked Vijay Shankar (27 off 21) with a slower ball in the 18th over. His yorkers and cutters even had Super Kings’ former death-overs specialist and current bowling coach Dwayne Bravo applauding from the dugout. When Hangargekar finished his shift with 4-0-36-3, Titans needed 23 off the last two overs. Rashid and Tewatia sealed victory for Titans, who made it 3-0 against Super Kings.

حسم نادي الوكرة القطري موقفه النهائي بشأن مستقبل حمدي فتحي لاعب وسط الفريق، في ظل وجود مفاوضات متقدمة مع بيراميدز الذي يسعى لضم اللاعب خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الجارية.

وبحسب ما نشرته صحيفة “العرب” القطرية، فإن إدارة الوكرة أبدت موافقة مبدئية على انتقال لاعب الوسط حمدي فتحي إلى نادي بيراميدز، بعد تلقي عرض رسمي خلال الساعات الماضية، وسط رغبة واضحة من اللاعب في خوض تجربة جديدة بالدوري المصري.

طالع أيضًا | خاص | الوكرة يكشف لـ”بطولات” تفاصيل عرض بيراميدز لضم حمدي فتحي.. وموقف اللاعب

ومن المقرر أن تعقد إدارة النادي جلسة مع اللاعب لمناقشة تفاصيل العرض المالي وآلية سداد الصفقة، وذلك بعد حصولها على موافقة الجهاز الفني على رحيله، تمهيدًا لتوقيع العقود خلال الساعات المقبلة.

يُذكر أن حمدي فتحي انضم إلى صفوف الوكرة في يوليو 2023 بعقد يمتد لأربع سنوات، وشارك في عدة بطولات محلية وقارية، من بينها دوري نجوم أريد، كأس الأمير، ودوري أبطال آسيا، كما تُوّج مع الفريق بلقب كأس قطر، وسبق له الظهور مع الأهلي في كأس العالم للأندية خلال فترة إعارته.

Aston Villa fans have been involved in a shocking brawl with Paris Saint-Germain supporters ahead of Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final.

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• Villa face biggest game in a generation
• PSG and Villa fans brawl in city centre
• Punches and chairs thrown

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Warning: Video embedded below contains images some viewers may find upsetting.

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Villa are preparing for their biggest game in a generation, when they take on PSG in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. As a result, thousands of fans have descended on Paris ahead of their clash, but footage posted on social media has shown Villa fans engaged in a huge brawl with PSG supporters in the city centre.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In the video, footage shows both sets of fans throwing chairs and glasses, while punches are exchanged. One group appear to be slightly younger, with their hoods up, and the melee lasts for just over a minute.

• WATCH THE VIDEO

  Warning: The video contains images some viewers may find upsetting.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Villa and PSG meet on Wednesday evening. Officials will hope there is no trouble at the Parc des Princes.

Everton were defeated at Goodison Park on Wednesday evening, David Moyes’ return spoiled by poor finishing and a lack of control.

Aston Villa claimed a 1-0 victory through Ollie Watkins’ strike, condemning Everton to a third straight Premier League defeat. The Blues have also blanked across five of the past six top-flight matches.

Moyes will of course know that he has a massive task in front of him; he will be under no illusions about Everton’s issues and the importance of fixing the attacking problems that have blunted the Merseysiders’ blade.

But the lack of confidence and genuine creative quality are glaring concerns. It goes without saying that the new owners, The Friedkin Group, need to authorise a first-team signing before January is up.

More Everton misery up front

Away from the on-field issues, Everton’s depth has been cruelly damaged through Armando Broja’s prognosis after the on-loan Chelsea forward injured his ankle in the FA Cup against Peterborough, resulting in an expected three-month layoff.

It heightens the need for a new striker, especially since Dominic Calvert-Lewin is still producing such abject results as Everton’s chief centre-forward.

If the match against Villa served as an audition, Calvert-Lewin failed miserably. That’s now 16 Premier League matches in succession without a goal or an assist for an outfit struggling against the tractor pull of the relegation zone.

Moyes’ saving grace will centre around his side’s aggression and desire, creating three big chances to Villa’s four, as per Sofascore.

Calvert-Lewin squandered two of those chances. Out of contract at the end of the season, he’s got to be replaced.

Everton looking at Calvert-Lewin replacement

As per The Daily Mail’s Sami Mokbel, Everton are in the race for Leicester City striker Tom Cannon, who earned his stripes with the Finch Farm academy before leaving in September 2023.

With a reported £10m price tag, Everton would need to swallow some pride in bringing Cannon back to the fold, but really this is an affordable figure for a rising star at the season’s midpoint.

The Foxes recently recalled Cannon from his successful loan spell with Stoke City in the Championship as they look to profit from his upsurged performances. Given that the bulk of the competition stems from the second tier, Everton might feel they can triumph in engineering a reunion.

Why Everton should sign Tom Cannon

Cannon only made three first-team appearances for Everton before being sold to Leicester in a deal worth roughly £7.5m. He’d previously impressed during a loan stint with Preston North End but Sean Dyche didn’t view the young star as the solution up front. If only he did.

The aptly-named number nine has hit a rich vein of goalscoring form with Stoke this season, bagging nine goals from 22 matches, including an incredible four-goal haul against Portsmouth at the start of October, leading Potters correspondent Pete Smith to hail the “insane” effort.

An active and intelligent player, Cannon’s ball-striking ability allows him to rifle shots past goalkeepers, using his movement and pace to shimmy into openings, into gaps between the lines.

A loping gait and charged confidence from his performances at the Bet 365 Stadium could be exactly what Moyes needs to front his system, for Cannon has only missed nine big chances – the same as his goal tally – across the 2024/25 Championship campaign, as per Sofascore, also averaging 0.5 key passes and 4.4 successful duels per game.

Calvert-Lewin, conversely, has missed 11 big chances in the Premier League this term, though the 27-year-old, of course, has only scored two goals.

What to do? One thing’s for certain: Everton cannot afford to emerge from the January transfer market without fresh quality at number nine.

15.

Man United

23

15=

Crystal Palace

23

15=

Leicester

23

18.

Ipswich

20

19.

Everton

15

20.

Southampton

12

Lest we forget that 17th-placed Ipswich Town host Brighton & Hove Albion tonight and a victory would knock Everton closer toward the precipice, dangerously so.

There are mitigating circumstances (there always are). Dwight McNeil has missed the past six matches with a knee injury and his playmaking quality has been sorely missed. He’s created nine big chances from 13 top-flight fixtures this year, averaging an impressive 2.5 key passes per game. Still, ‘DCL’ has toiled to no avail.

A younger and more dynamic striker in Cannon could be the solution – and one who knows the club at that. The 5 foot 11 ace ranks among the top 19% of centre-forwards competing in the Championship this season for clearances and the top 14% for aerial duels won per 90, as per FBref.

That latter metric likely makes for the most compelling reading. Calvert-Lewin, for all his faults, is a monstrous focal point in the air, with former teammate Richarlison once even claiming “he has an incredible leap on him, Like Cristiano Ronaldo.”

It’s more than a little food for thought, right? Everton have a strong defensive base and an industrious unit operating under an industrious manager who will hopefully expand the outfit’s horizons over the coming months.

Transfer Focus

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

But Calvert-Lewin cannot be allowed to continue to fester in the final third, and with Broja ruled out and potentially called back to Stamford Bridge, Cannon could be the one to fire Everton back into the limelight.

Everton in contact to seal a "phenomenal" signing who's better than DCL

Everton are interested in a deal to snap up the forward from their Premier League rivals.

ByDan Emery Jan 15, 2025

Everything you need to know about Benjamin Sesko's salary details playing for RB Leipzig

Talented youngster Benjamin Sesko arrived at RB Leipzig from RB Salzburg in 2023. The Slovenian international had previously spent four seasons with Salzburg, including a two-year loan spell at FC Liefering, before making the move to the German Bundesliga.

Since his arrival in Germany, Sesko has impressed fans and pundits alike with his forward play and clinical finishing.

Despite his young age, Sesko has established himself as a regular starter in the Leipzig lineup.

His current contract at Leipzig runs until 2029, under which he is also one of the top earners in the squad.

GOAL delved into the numbers with Capology to find out exactly how much he is earning!

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Benjamin Sesko's wages at RB Leipzig in numbers

Under his current contract with the Bundesliga club, Sesko commands a significant salary of £93,562 ($123,618) per week. This places him seventh on Leipzig's wage list, just behind fellow talent Xavi Simons in sixth and Willi Orban in fifth.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Benjamin Sesko

Slovenian

£93,562

$123,618

£4,865,245

$6,428,129

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTop earners at RB Leipzig

At the forefront of the German club's wage hierarchy are David Raum and Benjamin Henrichs, both earning top salaries. Their versatility in playing as midfielders and fullbacks makes them invaluable assets.

Following closely is Danish forward Yussuf Poulsen, who shares his salary bracket with Lukas Klostermann and Willi Orban. This parity in wages underscores the club's commitment to rewarding talent and versatility.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

David Raum

German

£124,805

$164,897

£6,489,859

$8,574,624

Benjamin Henrichs

German

£124,805

$164,897

£6,489,859

$8,574,624

Yussuf Poulsen

Danish

£109,101

$144,148

£5,673,254

$7,495,698

Lukas Klostermann

German

£109,101

$144,148

£5,673,254

$7,495,698

Willi Orban

Hungarian

£109,101

$144,148

£5,673,254

$7,495,698

Top earners in Bundesliga

Leipzig players do not feature in the top-five highest-paid players in the league.

Bayern Munich's financial dominance in the league is starkly evident when compared to other clubs' wage bills.

Among all Bundesliga footballers, the top thirteen highest earners are Bayern stars.

Borussia Dortmund's Niklas Sule is the first non-Bayern player, ranking fourteenth.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Harry Kane

English

£402,044

$526,303

£20,906,308

$27,367,765

Manuel Neuer

German

£337,717

$442,095

£17,561,299

$22,988,923

Joshua Kimmich

German

£321,636

$421,043

£16,725,047

$21,894,212

Jamal Musiala

German

£303,463

$397,254

£15,780,082

$20,657,189

Serge Gnabry

German

£303,463

$397,254

£15,780,082

$20,657,189

AFPHighest paid players in the world

Despite the substantial earnings of Bundesliga players, particularly Bayern stars, they don't make it to the top five highest-paid players globally. This elite list is entirely dominated by Saudi Pro League stars, with the legendary forward Cristiano Ronaldo leading the pack.

Following closely is his former Real Madrid colleague, Karim Benzema, in second place.

Next, Riyad Mahrez secures the third spot, with Senegalese stars Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly completing the top five.

Player

Club

Weekly wages GBP

Weekly wages USD

Annual wages GBP

Annual wages USD

Cristiano Ronaldo

Al Nassr

£3,216,155

$4,210,425

£167,250,468

$218,942,120

Karim Benzema

Al Ittihad

£1,608,178

$2,105,213

£83,625,234

$109,471,060

Riyad Mahrez

Al Ahli

£839,469

$1,098,921

£45,652,372

$57,43,893

Sadio Mane

Al Nassr

£643,271

$842,085

£33,450,094

$43,788,424

Kalidou Koulibaly

Al Hilal

£558,038

$730,509

£29,017,956

$37,986,458

The progress made in such a short space of time by Chelsea Football Club this season has been phenomenal. After a few torrid seasons and billions of pounds spent, they are finally playing in a way that reflects the money they have spent.

Under new manager Enzo Maresca, the Blues are sitting comfortably in second in the Premier League, two points behind leaders Liverpool, although the Reds do have a game in hand. Momentum is on Chelsea’s side at the minute, having won their last five and not lost in their last eight in the top flight.

The young players Chelsea invested in have certainly stepped up this season more than ever, and the pieces are beginning to fall into place.

Chelsea’s best youngsters this season

The Blues’ starting lineup for the 2-1 win against Newcastle United was their second-youngest squad by average age in the Premier League era. That puts into context the inexperienced Maresca has to work with.

However, that does not define quality, and Chelsea’s young players have certainly stepped up this season. One of their stars in 2024/25 has been Nicolas Jackson. The 23-year-old striker has scored an impressive nine Premier League goals this season in 15 games, also grabbing three assists.

Another player who has stepped up and performed well is Noni Madueke. The former PSV Eindhoven winger is having a good time of things this term, reflected in the fact he is now an England international. He has scored five times and registered three assists in the top flight, having played 15 games. He also scored a hat-trick against Wolves in a 6-2 win at Molineux.

Romeo Lavia is someone else excelling this term. It has been something of a stop-start season for the Belgian, who has struggled with injuries since making the move to Stamford Bridge. However, he has played nine Premier League games at the heart of their midfield, and Jamie Redknapp has been full of praise, explaining he has “done ever so well” for the Blues.

Maresca clearly believes in the young players at Stamford Bridge. He might well give a chance to another of the Blues’ highly rated players this weekend against Everton, Josh Acheampong.

Why Acheampong could start vs. Everton

Young defender Acheampong has been fantastic when given a chance for Chelsea. He has played three games this term after making his first-team debut in the Premier League in 2023/24, although he is yet to make a top-flight appearance this term, having only been seen for five minutes in league action before today.

Highly reputable journalist David Ornstein broke some good news to Chelsea fans last week. He reported that the 18-year-old had agreed to sign a new four-and-a-half-year deal at Stamford Bridge. That is crucial for the Blues, who have locked down a player that Real Madrid wanted to sign, at least according to a report in October.

The young defender was impressive for Maresca’s side against Shamrock Rovers in the UEFA Conference League last Thursday. As per Sofascore, he had 127 touches of the ball, completing 101 out of 107 passes and winning eight from nine duels. He oozed class on and off the ball.

Acheampong stats vs. Shamrock Rovers
Stat	Number
Touches	127
Passes completed	101/107
Pass accuracy	94%
Ground duels won	6/7
Aerial duels won	2/2
Tackles won	3/3
Dribbles completed	2/2
Stats from Sofascore

Should the London-born defender get the nod to start against Everton at the weekend, he could have a big job to play in keeping Iliman Ndiaye quiet. The Toffees attacker has two goals in the Premier League this term, including one in a 2-0 win over Ipswich.

Acheampong, described as an “outstanding” player by football analyst Ben Mattinson, could be vital in keeping the talented Toffees number 10 quiet. His obvious defensive talent, showcased against Shamrock Rovers in the week, could be crucial to stopping Ndiaye. Standing at 6 foot 1, the defender is an imposing figure, and his strength in duels could make life difficult for the Everton man.

In terms of how he may fit into the side, Acheampong can slot in at centre-back or right-back. With Marc Cucurella banned, Malo Gusto could move over to left-back, meaning the 18-year-old could play at right-back and potentially go up directly against Ndiaye.

Starting Acheampong against the Toffees would be a bold move from Maresca. However, his faith in young players and the obvious talent of the defender would not make it much of a surprise if he did unleash him.

Everton have yet to make a signing during the January transfer window so far, despite several areas needing to be upgraded.

David Moyes appears to be getting things right on the pitch since taking over from Sean Dyche, recording two wins from his first three Premier League matches.

Plenty of players have been linked with a move to Goodison Park, but time is running out to secure a new arrival or two.

Although their recent win over Brighton and Hove Albion gives the Toffees some breathing space in the league table, they aren’t out of the woods just yet.

Moyes will be keen to see his side keep their foot on the gas over the next few games. Leicester City are the next opponent in the league, which represents an ideal opportunity to move even further away from the drop zone.

Might the manager have a signing or two in the door by the time this game rolls around? It looks as though he is working hard to make things happen.

As it happens, they could well sign their next Big Dunc before the window is done…

Duncan Ferguson’s Everton stats

Cast your mind back over 30 years ago. Ferguson joined Rangers in the summer of 1993 for a fee in the region of £4m, making him the most expensive British player at the time.

It didn’t quite work out as planned for the burly Scot, who failed to settle in Glasgow, despite his obvious talents, It wasn’t until he joined the Toffees on loan in October 1994, before eventually signing for the English side on a permanent basis, that he begun to shine.

He endeared himself to the Goodison Park faithful by helping the club defeat Manchester United in the 1995 FA Cup final, which is still their last major honour.

As time went on, Ferguson secured cult figure status in Merseyside. Across two different spells, he went on to make a total of 267 appearances for the club, scoring 70 goals while registering 12 assists.

He later returned in a coaching capacity, before assisting Carlo Ancelotti, even taking charge of Everton in a caretaker role on two occasions.

So, why in 2025 is this all relevant? Well, Everton look as though they’re heading back to Rangers for a new recruit.

Everton targeting attacking starlet

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, the Toffees are still showing an interest in Rangers striker Hamza Igamane.

Transfer Focus

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

“Igamane is a player of real interest to a number of Premier League clubs as the window closes. Everton still like him, they have done work on him,” said Bailey.

“It remains to be seen if they make a push, Tottenham have joined the hunt for him but a host of clubs are now looking – he is one to really keep an eye on the final week or so of the window.”

It was reported before Christmas that Everton had sent scouts to watch Igamane during the Europa League clash between the Gers and Tottenham Hotspur, but it looks as though Moyes is keen to make a deal happen sooner rather than later.

If so, Everton could perhaps land Ferguson 2.0 by signing the Moroccan striker, luring a promising attacker from Glasgow south of the border.

Why Hamza Igamane would be a good signing for Rangers

Plenty of eyebrows were raised when the Light Blues paid around £1.7m to sign the unknown Igamane from Moroccan side AS FAR last summer.

Considering Philippe Clement required a player who was able to hit the ground running and had plenty of experience in senior football, Igamane’s arrival was a surprise indeed.

Fast-forward a few months later, however, and it appears to have turned into a wonderful bargain.

Since making his debut against Celtic at the start of September, the 22-year-old has played 27 times for the Ibrox side, finding the back of the net on 13 occasions, proving plenty of the doubters wrong.

It isn’t just his goalscoring feats that have pleased the Ibrox faithful either, as his overall abilities have been impressive. He is able to hold the ball up well, linking up with those behind him, plus his versatility has seen the striker perform better than expected.

He was praised by journalist Josh Bunting following the stunning 3-0 win over Celtic, who said of the centre-forward: “Hamza Igamane is not staying at Rangers long in my opinion. Think someone at a higher level will pick him up. So much talent and potential there. Movement is so good out of possession, smart with his runs. Into channels or into the central zones. I’ve been so impressed with him.”

Goals

4

9

Assists

1

1

Shots on target per game

1.2

1.2

Big chances created

1

5

Successful dribbles per game

1.4

1.3

His performances in the Europa League have been the most impressive aspect, however. Across five matches in the competition, the youngster has scored four goals, scoring once every 71 minutes for the Gers.

Additionally, the Moroccan, who’s been dubbed “outrageous” by analyst Ben Mattinson, also averages 1.6 shots per game in Europe’s second-tier competition, along with creating one big chance and averaging 1.4 key passes and successful dribbles each match for the club.

These displays on the continent have arguably shown the clubs interested that Igamane has everything in his locker to shine at the very highest level.

Moyes is desperately keen on bringing in some new attacking talent, especially with Dominic Calvert-Lewin suffering an injury against Brighton recently.

Much will depend on the sort of fee Rangers are after, especially considering the striker only joined the Scottish club last summer.

If an offer high enough was presented to Clement, he may find it hard to turn down, with the financial issues at the club needing to be resolved as soon as possible.

Igamane may have started the season as a work in progress, but just seven months later, he is showing the sort of form which has attracted those in the Premier League.

Everton aren’t alone in their admiration of the 22-year-old, indicating the need for Moyes to act swiftly.

Not Lovelace: Rangers may have next big talent in "really bright" teen

Rangers have a few young talents in the squad who deserve more game time.

ByRoss Kilvington Jan 24, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

da pixbet： Com a intenção de aumentar a segurança em Guayaquil, palco da final da Taça Libertadores, a Conmebol organizou uma reunião com membros das diretorias de Flamengo e Athletico Paranaense na manhã desta quarta-feira (horário local) em Guayas.

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da marjack bet： +Final da Libertadores: Flamengo conta com a torcida equatoriana e LANCE! traz a explicação

O encontro também contou com políticos da cidade, forças municipais e federais do Estado e membros das forças armadas do Equador. A intenção é melhorar a segurança ao redor do Estádio Monumental Isidro Romero Carbo, palco da partida do próximo sábado.

A região da arena, como o LANCE!publicou, é uma das mais perigosas de Guayaquil. A tendência é que a Polícia do Equador reforce o local com viaturas de forma imediata, permitindo que torcedores possam chegar ao estádio com mais segurança.

Esta reunião de segurança é algo de praxe na Conmebol no que diz respeito às finais. A entidade realiza encontros com os representantes nas decisões sempre no penúltimo dia antes da bola rolar quando é jogo único para decidir o título.

Enzo Maresca has had a brilliant start to life with Chelsea, sitting fourth in the Premier League after 20 games played, winning ten, drawing six and losing just four. However, the Italian’s side have hit a bump in the road in their last four games, only taking two points from their last possible 12.

Heading into the January window, Maresca and the Chelsea directors could look to strengthen the side in order to really push for Champions League football in the second half of the season, retaining their top-four Premier League spot.

With Roméo Lavia suffering from injuries again this season, and the likes of Andrey Santos and Lesley Ugochukwu out on loan, the Blues could look to add another midfield player alongside Enzo Fernández and Moises Caicedo this window.

Chelsea could sign England international

According to reports from The Daily Mail, Chelsea are “leading the chase” for Manchester United midfielder, Kobbie Mainoo, should he leave Old Trafford behind.

The 19-year-old has currently stalled in contract talks with the Red Devils, opening the door to a possible sale this month with Chelsea ‘ready to move.’

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Much like Jadon Sancho, who also made the move from Manchester United to Chelsea in the summer, Mainoo could follow the same route, with the “generational” star – as labelled by teammate Rasmus Hojlund – yet to tie down his future.

Mainoo has made 17 appearances so far this season but is yet to register a goal or an assist in his 1,216 minutes played.

How Kobbie Mainoo compares to Romeo Lavia

Lavia has made ten appearances for the Blues this season in all competitions, providing one assist and contributing to two clean sheets in 487 minutes played. The 21-year-old has already missed 11 games so far this season, suffering from two hamstring injuries.

This has seen Fernandez and Caicedo start the majority of games, only being rested in cup competition. Bu, approaching the competitive half of the season, where the Blues will play knockout European football, alongside important Premier League games, more depth in midfield could be required, which is where Mainoo comes in.

Goals + Assists

0.19

0.00

Progressive Carries

1.38

0.38

Progressive Passes

3.90

3.21

Pass Completion %

86.6%

92.1%

Key Passes

1.06

1.13

Shot-Creating Actions

2.11

1.89

Tackles

2.68

2.83

Blocks

1.06

1.13

Interceptions

1.20

2.08

When comparing the metrics between Mainoo and Lavia, you can see the two players have differing styles, whilst still having similar attributes. Both midfielders are known for being extremely press-resistant, receiving the ball under pressure and making the right decision to aid build-up.

Mainoo is slightly more forward-thinking, averaging more progressive carries and trying riskier passes at times (shown by his 86.6% passing accuracy).

That being said, the England international still puts in a good amount of defensive actions, showing he can hold his own in a competent midfield two, where the second midfielder also has defensive responsibility (e.g. Caicedo).

The addition of Mainoo would add real quality to the Chelsea midfield, providing a progressive carrier from deeper areas, and allowing the likes of Fernandez, Caicedo and even Lavia (when he returns) to be rested, protecting their fitness.

Forget Vlahovic: Chelsea could sign "monster" star who's the "new Haaland"

Chelsea have wasted no time in targeting attacking reinforcements this January.

ByEthan Lamb Jan 8, 2025