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Glasgow Rangers play their first game since the Premiership split on Sunday as they travel to Paisley to face St Mirren.

The Buddies have enjoyed a wonderful season thus far, but if the Light Blues are serious in their ambitions of winning the league, a win is urgently required.

There will likely be a few changes from the starting XI that defeated Hearts at Hampden in the Scottish Cup semi-final last weekend, especially as a few players have suffered injuries.

Rangers team news vs St Mirren

Philippe Clement spoke to the media on Friday ahead of the league clash, discussing the current stage of his first team squad, saying:

“[Abdallah] Sima will be out, I hope to see him again this season he is very motivated for that.

“Matondo got a bad tackle against Hearts and is doubtful for the weekend. Ridvan and Jack I expect back in training next week.”

This means Clement will be missing four players against the Buddies, with Sima and Yilmaz’s absences proving to be the most felt in terms of improving the starting XI.

With Sima returning to Brighton once his loan spell finishes at the end of the season, is this the last that we see of the talented winger at Ibrox?

Abdallah Sima’s future remains unclear

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Rangers are in pole position to sign Sima during the summer transfer window as the Seagulls look increasingly likely that they will sell him.

The winger appears to want to continue his adventure at the Ibrox side but much will depend on the fee the Premier League side are after in order to secure his signature.

Signing a winger who impressed after a successful loan period isn’t a new thing for the Light Blues, as Steven Gerrard coughed up money to sign Ryan Kent on a permanent basis. Could the same be done for Sima?

Abdallah Sima’s stats for Rangers

If the 22-year-old hadn’t enjoyed a wonderful debut season in Glasgow, the idea of him making a permanent move would surely be off the table.

Despite missing 14 games after suffering a hamstring injury on international duty with Senegal in January, the youngster has scored 16 goals and registered two assists across all competitions, not a bad haul indeed.

Among his teammates, Sima currently ranks third for goals and assists (13) in the top flight, along with ranking third for shots per game (3) and second for successful dribbles per game (1.3), showcasing how vital he has been to the club this season.

The Senegalese starlet has clearly shown he can perform well in Scottish football. As evidenced by his 18 goal contributions in 38 matches. The question now is, can Clement lure him back this summer?

If he fails to make another appearance for the club, and they lose both the Premiership and Scottish Cup to Celtic, Sima may want to come back and attempt to lead the club to glory during the 2024/25 campaign.

If Clement cannot afford the 22-year-old, there is an academy player who has shown plenty of talent since arriving at Ibrox in 2022 who may be considered an ideal long-term replacement – Zak Lovelace.

Zak Lovelace’s career statistics

The teenager became the second-youngest player to feature for Millwall during a Championship clash against Coventry City in December 2021, suggesting he had a bright future ahead of him.

Lovelace made another four appearances for the Lions before the end of that season, yet it was Rangers who won the race to secure the highly coveted teen during Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s first summer transfer in charge of the club.

It was looked upon as a shrewd piece of business by the Dutchman, especially as he was looking to build ahead for the future, with then-sporting director Ross Wilson lauding him as an "exciting young player" at the time of his arrival.

Indeed, it didn’t take long for Lovelace to gain an opportunity in the senior squad, making a late cameo against Queen of the South in the League Cup back in August 2022.

While it took until the final Old Firm match of the season for him to make another appearance for the club, in between, he shone for the B team.

In 35 games during the 2022/23 campaign, the former Millwall gem scored an impressive 18 times while grabbing ten assists, showing exactly why the club signed him in the first place.

He has been plagued with injuries during the current season, playing just two senior games, but he is one to watch out for next season, especially as he could form a dream duo with Ross McCausland.

Why Ross McCausland and Zak Lovelace could be the future of Rangers

While the 18-year-old has struggled this season, McCausland has made his way from academy talent to first-team regular under Clement.

Indeed, since coming off the bench against St Mirren in October, the Northern Irishman has played a further 31 times for the Gers, scoring twice and registering three assists, developing well under the tutelage of the 50-year-old Belgian.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Of course, the 20-year-old isn’t quite the finished article yet, but regular exposure of top flight and European football will make him a better player faster than if he was still playing in the academy, no doubt about it.

Clement might not have much money to work with this summer as he seeks to improve his squad, with loan signings and potential free transfers the way to go if he seeks to build a team of his own targets.

With the likes of McCausland and Lovelace emerging as excellent talents, several positions may not need much depth added to them, which could save them a lot of money in the long run.

Not every single player who emerges from the academy is going to be the next Barry Ferguson, but youth prospects can have their place in the squad can contribute effectively across the course of an entire season.

Lovelace will hopefully recover from his injury issues over the summer and a solid pre-season will allow him to come back stronger ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Clement could kickstart new Rangers era by cashing in on £37k-p/w gem

Rangers could potentially sell one of their highest earners this summer…

By
Ross Kilvington

Apr 26, 2024

Michael Edwards is personally pushing for the first signing of Liverpool's post-Jurgen Klopp era, and has made one man in particular his "priority" target ahead of the new season.

Konate struggles in Everton defeat

With Virgil van Dijk now approaching the final years of his peak powers, the hunt is on for the next man to dominate the Liverpool backline. It had been hoped that Ibrahima Konate was going to be exactly that, but he has failed to kick on from his early promise at Anfield.

Against Everton, he was bullied by Dominic Calvert-Lewin and substituted just after the hour mark for young defender Jarell Quansah, as his performance contributed to the Reds slipping up in the race for the Premier League title, now trailing Arsenal by three points at the top.

Liverpool meet with "outstanding" PL boss after Slot bid rejected – report

The Reds have had a tough few days on and off the pitch.

ByBen Browning Apr 25, 2024

The Frenchman came in for criticism for the first goal from Sky Sports pundit and Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher: "The amount of times Liverpool have given fouls away in their own half and Konate, what is he doing?! He doesn’t know where he is. He just sticks a leg out at it."

After the game Carragher didn't hold back on his assessment of the Frenchman either, insisting that the Reds need to sign a defender before the new season to have any chance of success next season.

“Konate’s been so poor of late, really poor. Liverpool need to buy a centre-back in the summer”, he told Sky Sports.

With Joel Matip set to leave as a free agent this summer, and Quansah still only young, it is clear that the heart of defence is very quickly set to become a problem for whoever replaces Klopp at Anfield. Now, it has emerged that Michael Edwards feels the same, and is ready to try and nip the problem in the bud.

New priority target revealed

As per Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Liverpool have identified Willian Pacho as a potential addition this summer. Though this in itself is nothing new, he adds that the defender has now become a "priority" for the Reds this summer, with Pacho expected to be able to leave for around £51m (60m euros) this summer.

He adds that Michael Edwards is personally "already working" on strengthening the squad, and the club have identified Pacho as the "right profile", with the move now set to become a "priority".

Pacho in the Bundesliga 23/24

Appearances

29

Goals + Assists

2

Pass Accuracy

84.4%

Fouls per 90

0.69

Clean sheets

7

Tackles and interceptions per 90

3.45

Pacho, who has missed just one Bundesliga game this term, has been praised for his performances for Frankfurt this season, with his manager hailing the 22-year-old's "world-class potential". Meanwhile, Frankfurt's sporting director described him as a "very clever player" at the turn of the year.

"Willian is a very clever player, who listens well and is quick to implement what's asked of him. His speed and strength in the tackle are what make him stand out."

However, the Reds aren't alone in their interest, with Arsenal also thought to be tracking the Ecuador centre-back and reports in some quarters that they even went as far as making a bid last week.

If Liverpool do manage to land him, could he be the player that they hoped they were getting with Konate?

“Very difficult” to feel motivated behind closed doors, says allrounder

George Dobell29-Apr-2020Moeen Ali has suggested the public health situation in the UK would have to “get drastically better” before players would consider a return to cricket.While Moeen accepted that both players and the wider public want a return to action as soon as possible, he believes it “would be very difficult to get players to play [while] things are not safe”.At present, the ECB have announced there will be no professional cricket before July 1 as they attempt to deal with the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. But while they continue to look into the feasibility of hosting games in bio-secure environments, there is widespread expectation that further delays to the season look likely. Moeen, at least, does not envisage a swift return and has already called for the launch of the Hundred to be delayed a year.ALSO READ: Five key issues for the ECB in face of Covid-19 disruption”Of course we want – everyone wants us – to be playing cricket but if things are not safe it would be very difficult to get players to play,” Moeen said.”At the moment it’s too early. 500 people dying [a day] is still a big number. That would have to get drastically better for players to consider playing.”There’s still some time to go. In my mind there’s probably three or four weeks – maybe a couple of months – that it would take for us to start training.”The ECB are very open with us and we’re having a lot of dialogue. Hopefully sport will be back on soon but when the time is right, everyone is safe and the players don’t feel like they’re going out to play and they might get it. With so many people dying around the world – and in this country in particular – it’s difficult for the players to really switch on.”Moeen also expressed reservations about playing behind closed doors, but accepted it will “probably have to be the case for a while.”The final rounds of PSL group games were played without fans•AFP”We played the last two or three games in the PSL with no-one in the crowd and it was so bad,” Moeen said. “It’s different and it’s not quite the same. It was actually very difficult to play in an empty stadium.”If was very difficult to get yourself up for the game. I don’t know what it would be like in an international game but it was so different. It felt like those warm-up games you play before a big series. It’s not ideal, but it will probably have to be the case for a while.”ALSO READ: Moeen ‘probably now ready’ to make Test returnIn the longer term, however, Moeen is now committed to try to fight for a recall to England’s Test side and says a chance to “put things right” in an away Ashes series remains a motivation. Moeen endured a tough Ashes tour in 2017-18 – he averaged 19.88 with the bat and 115 with the ball – and, having subsequently taken a break from the Test game, knows there are now several people ahead of him in selection terms.”In the back of my mind it’s still there,” he said. “I would want to go out and put things right if I was going to play Test cricket in the Ashes. I definitely learned a lot from last time going out there. The type of bowling required out there was different to how I was bowling at the time. It is in the back of my mind but it is still a long way away. And things could change drastically for that as well.”I still back myself to get back into the side and some stage. It’s obviously worked out that no games were played in Sri Lanka and I know the guys selected for that tour are ahead of me. The door is still open to perform and get back in.”

Russell Martin will hope his Southampton players are full of vigour and energy for the visit of Middlesbrough today, having last played a Championship game all the way back on 9 March.

The Saints boss will further be praying for a more defensively solid performance against Michael Carrick's men, with the promotion hopefuls leaking two goals last game to Sunderland and three the match prior away at Birmingham City.

The issues in the Saints ranks aren't just all at the back, however, which could see Martin axe centre-forward Che Adams for the Good Friday clash.

Adams was quiet in attack against Sunderland last match, even as his teammates managed to put four past the hapless Black Cats.

Che Adams' performance vs Sunderland in numbers

Whilst the likes of Adam Armstrong, Stuart Armstrong and Joe Rothwell all shared out the goals in the 4-2 win over the Black Cats, Adams went without a strike in the back-and-forth contest and could risk being dropped as a consequence.

The Scotland international would only muster up one effort on goal in the 84 minutes he managed on the St. Mary's turf before being hauled off, on top of only making 21 accurate passes as a quiet figure on the pitch.

In stark contrast, Southampton's number nine in Armstrong would register six shots on Anthony Patterson's net alongside managing to notch up ten more accurate passes as a lively attacker.

Adams did manage to find the back of the net in Southampton's last two games before this underwhelming display, but with the likes of Sekou Mara available at Martin's disposal over him, the former Birmingham City man could find his spot taken by a new body for the clash with Boro.

Jack Stephens could also be another casualty when their Teesside opponents make the lengthy trip down the South Coast today, having won zero duels last time out in a dire 73-minute display from the experienced Saints servant.

Jack Stephens' performance vs Sunderland in numbers

Clearly admired by his manager who once described the 30-year-old defender as a "real leader", Martin won't be able to still be blinded by his past praise when it comes to assessing Stephen's torrid display against the Black Cats last match.

Winning zero duels from the three he attempted to launch himself into, Stephens was also lackadaisical with the ball at his feet at times with the Saints' number five squandering possession seven times from his poor 73-minute spell.

Amassing just 48 touches, with his centre-back partner on the day in Jan Bednarek just about doubling that with a superior 99 touches registered, Martin could see potential returning figures to the Southampton camp from injury as a blessing to ditch the seasoned defender for the test of Carrick's Boro.

Kyle Walker-Peters potentially being back and ready for selection could see Martin reshuffle accordingly, with Taylor Harwood-Bellis taking Stephens' shaky first-team spot for Walker-Peters to come back in and star at right-back after nursing a knock.

Martin will hope that whatever team is selected can pick up a third home win on the trot against their Teesside opponents as seen in the head-to-head table above, with Stephens and Adams at risk of both being out of the Saints manager's plans to try and pick up another three points.

Arsenal are believed to be willing to make a £94m offer to sign an “incredibly energetic” star this summer, according to a fresh transfer update.

Arsenal transfer news

Mikel Arteta has assembled arguably one of the Gunners' most impressive squads of all time, ensuring that they are still fighting for both Premier League and Champions League glory in April. That doesn't mean that more top-quality signings aren't needed in the summer transfer window, in order to make the north Londoners an even more daunting proposition moving forward.

Bologna attacker Joshua Zirkzee is one player who has been linked with a move to the Emirates, even being called "better than Erling Haaland", summing up how highly he is rated. He has 13 goal contributions (10 goals and three assists) in 26 Serie A starts in 2023/24 to date.

Another reported target is Martin Zubimendi, who Arteta is believed to be a huge fan of, with his compatriot shining at Real Sociedad currently, starting 27 La Liga matches this season and scoring four goals in the competition.

Arsenal could also look to add to their attack in the summer, in order to have a more prolific striker leading the line than Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, and both Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres have been backed to join in the coming months.

Arsenal want "incredibly energetic" Real Madrid star

According to a new claim from Defensa Central, Arsenal are willing to spend as much as €110mm (£94m) to sign Real Madrid midfielder Edouardo Camavinga. The £205,000 per week midfielder's current deal doesn't expire until the summer of 2029, however.

The Gunners believe he can be an even greater force in the Premier League than in Spain, in terms of the attributes he possesses in his game.

In truth, Arsenal could find it hard to snap up Camavinga, considering what a prized asset he is at Madrid currently, arguably standing out as one of the finest midfielders in Europe. At just 21 years of age, he is already a key man for the European giants, showcasing his versatility by excelling at left-back, too.

Carlo Ancelotti has made it very clear how highly he thinks of the France international recently, saying of him:

"This is exactly what he's shown since arriving here, that he can make more of a difference coming off the bench. He is incredibly energetic. Eduardo is very young, he has to improve and learn more about how positioning, but he is still very important to us."

It is so encouraging to see Arsenal even in the conversation for such a brilliant footballer, outlining how much progress has been made under Arteta in recent years, and Camavinga could be a sensational addition to the squad.

Arsenal ready contract offer for striker called "better than Haaland"

He could earn just under £100,000-a-week at the Emirates.

ByCharlie Smith Apr 7, 2024

He is a player who may go on to become world-class for a long time, assuming he avoids serious injury, but it would be a surprise if Madrid were willing to part ways with him any time soon unless he suddenly decides that he wants a fresh challenge. It'll be interesting to see if Arsenal launch a huge bid, though.

Liverpool have been handed a significant boost regarding one of their "world-class" superstars, following an update from a reliable journalist.

Liverpool's greatest players under Klopp

The Reds have enjoyed extraordinary success under Jurgen Klopp, with the German masterminding a memorable period at Anfield over the past eight-and-a-half years. While the 56-year-old has been the driving force behind Liverpool winning so many trophies, not to mention playing superb football, there have also been numerous world-class stars who have had a major impact, too.

£128m release cause: Liverpool “come really close” to signing “top talent”

The Reds are still keen on completing a move.

By
Henry Jackson

Mar 9, 2024

Mohamed Salah has become one of the greatest players in the club's history since arriving from Roma in 2017, smashing endless records, including being on the verge of becoming the first Reds player ever to score at least 20 goals in seven consecutive seasons.

Meanwhile, Alisson and Virgil van Dijk have grown into arguably among the best of all time in their respective positions, as Klopp and Michael Edwards used the Philippe Coutinho money expertly, bringing in two colossal figures.

Others are also worthy of a mention, from current heroes Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson to past legends such as Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, and the key now is for Liverpool to kick on without their iconic manager around.

Now, a new update has emerged regarding one of those aforementioned Anfield heroes, in what represents positive news in the short-term.

Liverpool given Salah boost

According to journalist Ismael Mahmoud on X, Salah will not have to represent Egypt in the upcoming international break, after Liverpool requested he stays put on Merseyside after a recent injury absence:

"Mo Salah will be ruled out from Egypt squad for the next international break. Good news for Liverpool and for Mo."

This will come as a massive relief for Liverpool supporters and Klopp, with Salah needing to be wrapped in cotton wool during the internationals, as he looks to be in the best possible shape between now and the end of the season.
The Reds have already lost their star attacker in recent times because of his involvement at the Africa Cup of Nations, so seeing him head off on Egypt duty again could have been a massive concern.

If Liverpool are to go all the way in the Premier League this season, they will surely need Salah available for the run-in, with Klopp himself lauding his player's adaptability alongside Darwin Nunez in the recent past, saying:
"Now it’s slightly different, especially with Darwin [Nunez] when he is playing, we have another speed player up there. So that changed Mo’s position, definitely, and he is smart enough to adapt to all these different things. Yes, massive development since he arrived, but he was in all phases world-class – and that is probably the best you can say about a player."

The hope is that Salah stays at Liverpool long beyond this summer, ignoring any potential interest from Saudi Arabia, with many more record-breaking moments to come.

Tottenham Hotspur are now in charge of their own Champions League destiny after defeating Aston Villa 4-0 over the weekend.

The three points took Ange Postecoglou’s side to two points of fourth-placed Villa while having a game in hand.

Three of the Australian's signings got on the scoresheet: James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, and Timo Werner, which just highlights how well the club has recruited this season.

However, new players living up to their price tag hasn’t always been the case for the Lilywhites, with one player in particular now worth far less than what they once cost.

What Spurs paid for Tanguy Ndombele

Prior to his move to the Premier League, Tanguy Ndombele was thriving in France for Lyon, picking up six assists and seven assists in consecutive seasons from 2017-2019.

After the 2018/19 campaign, Spurs looked to secure themselves a midfielder to build their team around for the future, splashing a huge club-record £63m on the French star during the reign of Mauricio Pochettino.

The start to the number 28’s career at Spurs was fantastic, scoring on his competitive debut against Aston Villa, and setting up Erik Lamela’s goal in the 2-2 draw against Manchester City just a week later.

However, the rest of Ndombele’s debut campaign was hindered by multiple injuries, picking up five setbacks and missing 17 matches across all competitions.

The former Lyon star did feature much more heavily in the 2020/21 season, playing 33 matches and making 28 starts. This would be his best period at the club in terms of game time, with his career not going to plan since.

Ndombele’s transfer value in 2024

Ndombele has been starved of consistent minutes in recent years, with loan spells to Lyon and Serie A winners Napoli failing to reignite the “unplayable” talent, as he was once dubbed by Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold, that was once displayed.

Fast forward to this season, and the 27-year-old is playing his football on loan from Spurs at Galatasaray, but unfortunately, the same old problems keep occurring.

The number 91 has suffered two different injuries this campaign, which have made him miss six matches. This has hindered his progress and seen him feature mainly as a substitute, tallying up 656 minutes across 25 matches.

These unfortunate setbacks and his inability to showcase his talent in the most elite leagues in Europe have caused Ndombele’s estimated worth to decrease significantly by £50m, to the point where he’s now valued at just £7m as per Football Transfers. Dismally, that's now even lower than another Spurs flop in Vincent Janssen, a man now plying his trade in Belgium and valued at £8.2m.

Spurs' Lowest Valued Players

Player

Value

Manor Solomon

£10m

Ben Davies

£9m

Gio Lo Celso

£9m

Bryan Gil

£8m

Tanguy Ndombele

£7m

Fraser Forster

£1m

Via Football Transfers

As you can see, this would only make Fraser Forster less valuable than him in the entire current Tottenham squad, with the likes of Ben Davies and Bryan Gil relatively on par.

Given that Ndombele hasn’t played a game for Spurs since 2022 and he’s still contracted to the club, it is clear that his transfer can certainly be classified as one of the biggest howlers in the club’s history.

Australia pacemen has match figures of 9 for 60 as Tasmania have just one wicket intact with a lead of only 36

Alex Malcolm20-Oct-2019Australia paceman Mitchell Starc proved why he is such a valuable asset on flat pitches, tearing through Tasmania’s top and lower order to put New South Wales on the brink of victory on day three at Drummoyne Oval.Starc took 4 for 20 in 19 blistering overs as Tasmania crumbled to 9 for 132 in their second innings with a slender lead of just 36 heading into day four. He had match figures of 9 for 60 from 43.3 overs after claiming 5 for 40 in the first innings.Starc picked up both openers when Alex Doolan failed to get on top a cut shot to be caught at point and Jordan Silk was lbw caught on the crease by a ball searing into middle from around the wicket.Tasmania could not find a way to get the scoreboard moving against an unrelenting New South Wales attack. Beau Webster was castled by a sharp inswinger from Trent Copeland.Test batsman Matthew Wade was uncharacteristically restrained, crawling to 40 off 113 balls before Sean Abbott found his outside edge.Tim Paine was caught at square leg, cramped for room trying to pull Abbott to leave Tasmania 6 for 112 before Starc returned to fire a missile into the base of Alex Pyecroft’s middle stump. He also found the outside edge of Sam Rainbird. Lawrence Neil-Smith and Riley Meredith bravely held out to stumps.Earlier, Meredith’s maiden five-wicket haul dragged Tasmania back into the game after twin centuries from Moises Henriques and Steve Smith put the Blues in a position to only bat once in the match.Meredith picked up three wickets in two overs with some express pace of his own. He bounced out Henriques before rattling the stumps of both Peter Nevill and Smith. His yorker to remove Smith was especially impressive, leaving the world’s No.1 Test batsman in a tangle.New South Wales went from 3 for 286 to 9 for 338 when Meredith had Abbott caught at leg slip. Nathan Lyon produced a useful cameo of 30 while Kurtis Patterson, batting at No. 11 with a runner due to his quad injury, contributed 16 not out in a tenth-wicket partnership of 28.

Northamptonshire launched themselves into the promotion places in Division Two of the Specsavers County Championship with a thumping 10-wicket win over Worcestershire at Wantage Road.Needing to take another six wickets in Worcestershire’s second innings on day three, Northants bowled the visitors out for 223 just after lunch and it left them needing only 34 for victory. Rob Newton and Ben Curran saw off the target in only 4.3 overs to complete a 22-point victory, lifting them above Glamorgan and into the top three.It was a match Northants completely dominated and with Leicestershire, Durham and Gloucestershire now to play in September, promotion is in their own hands.Worcestershire lost for a sixth time this season with a performance devoid of confidence. They took only two points and any lingering hopes of re-entering the promotion race have now ended. But with matches against Glamorgan, Gloucestershire and Sussex remaining they could still have a big say in the promotion race.Their captain Joe Leach spoke on the second evening of trying to battle back after two poor days and he and Moeen Ali enjoyed a positive opening 40 minutes of play as Worcestershire resumed 42 for 4 trailing by 148.But Leach was the first wicket to fall, sweeping at Rob Keogh’s offspin and being given out lbw for 27, and from there the visitors slid away and needed Riki Wessels’ counterattacking 84 not out to avoid an innings defeat.Moeen had a golden chance to regain some form on a pitch where batting looked straightforward the previous afternoon. Having looked horribly out of touch in the first innings, making a very scratchy 42, he was far more assured second time around.He drove Brett Hutton pleasantly through cover in the opening over of the day, defended with confidence and advanced down the wicket to lift Dwaine Pretorius over mid-off for six.But the ball following Leach’s dismissal was flicked down the leg side by Ben Cox to fine leg and Moeen charged back for a third run with Hutton having chased to the boundary. The throw was flat and right over the bails and Moeen was comfortably short of his ground and gone for 40 as Peter Such, the ECB’s lead spin-bowling coach, looked on.Moeen was later handed the new ball and sent down two long-hops and a moon ball over Newton’s head, completing a very disappointing return to the County Championship.Moeen’s run-out was the second wicket of a slide from 95 for 4 to 112 for 7 as Cox had his middle stump ripped out by a nip-backer from Petorius. But Wessels always has the bit between his teeth when playing against his old county and played a typically-positive innings to pass fifty in 56 deliveries with six boundaries – the milestone reached via four overthrows taking quick single – to get Worcestershire past lunch.After the break he flicked Blessing Muzarabani for six over square leg but was left stranded on 84 not out – his third score over 50 in the Championship this season.He shared 54 with Ed Barnard who again showed a pleasant technique to reach 18 before Muzarabani, who replaced Nathan Buck as a concussion substitute on day two, angled a ball in and trapped Barnard lbw on the crease. Muzarabani also cleaned up Wayne Parnell for 7 before last man Josh Tongue – whose side strain will rule him out of the rest of the season – was caught at slip via an inside edge off Keogh.The chase was given short shrift. Newton drove Moeen’s first ball for four through cover before pulling a long hop through midwicket for another boundary. A classic extra-cover drive then sped away from Leach before Curran ran a ball past third slip to complete a fine victory.

Manchester United will be desperate to make up for their poor start in the second half of the season.

Erik ten Hag’s team has an opportunity to do so on Sunday as they host Spurs in the Premier League.

With the Red Devils eighth in the table after 20 games, the former Ajax boss will look to bolster his squad in January.

Man Utd transfers latest – Youssouf Fofana

According to reports in Spain, Man United are interested in signing Youssouf Fofana.

The 25-year-old midfielder is viewed as the perfect replacement for Sofyan Amrabat, who has struggled to adapt this season.

However, a move for Fofana is unlikely this winter due to United’s strict financial fair play guidelines unless notable sales can be made, amid his estimated £26m value – as per CIES Football Observatory –

January transfer window: All the deadline day deals from England and Scotland

Stay on top of all the latest transfer deals across the Premier League, EFL and SPFL as the January window closes.

By
Charlie Smith

Feb 1, 2024

Youssouf Fofana’s style of play

A 19-year-old Anthony Martial introduced himself to United fans with a goal against fierce rivals Liverpool on debut in 2015.

Despite struggling with injuries throughout his time in Manchester, there is no doubt that he has been an excellent player when available over the years. The France forward has scored 90 goals and registered 55 assists in 317 games in a United shirt.

Martial famously came from France via Monaco for around £50m including bonuses, but that money certainly hasn’t gone down the drain, and the Old Trafford outfit will look to repeat their Martial masterclass by signing Fofana, who could also follow the 28-year-old's path from Stade Louis II to the Premier League.

The Ligue 1 engine has become a key player at Monaco, featuring in 16 matches and even contributing to four goals in the process. Fofana is a versatile midfielder who is extremely complete, and his signature would enhance United’s performance levels massively, as according to football writer Ben Mattinson, he is a “game changer."

The table below showcases his profile by displaying statistics from the last year across the top European leagues.

Fofana is a physically dominant midfielder who can cover ground without breaking a sweat, yet he is just as strong with the ball at his feet as he is when undertaking defensive tasks. In short, the France ace is extremely technically secure, and he loves to influence the game in the buildup phase, as highlighted by his passing and bally carrying stats.

This is what makes him particularly attractive to United, as they struggle to control the game in the middle of the park, as proven by Scott McTominay ranking in the bottom 9% for passes attempted in the Premier League, as per FBref.

The former Strasbourg player is also extremely intelligent and can read the game extremely well. This allows him to intercept the ball frequently and react first to pick up any loose balls, which would not only give Ten Hag’s team more control but also make them less vulnerable to counterattacks.

Overall, Fofana is the perfect fit for United, and he could just be the player to fix a handful of their problems, with the club needing pluck another star from Monaco.