Glasgow Rangers officially kicked off the 2025/26 campaign by playing their first pre-season friendly in front of supporters at Ibrox against Club Brugge on Sunday.

The Light Blues found themselves 2-0 down at half-time, having conceded twice in the opening 12 minutes, but second-half goals from Mohamed Diomande and Findlay Curtis ensured that they avoided defeat.

Russell Martin was without some of his summer signings to choose from, though, as the likes of Thelo Aasgaard and Joe Rothwell, for example, watched on from the sidelines.

The former Scotland international did get to see Emmanuel Fernandez and Max Aarons out on the pitch for the first time, as the Scottish giants ramp up their preparations for their Champions League qualifying clash with Panathinaikos.

Martin will surely be hoping to get Aasgaard up to speed as quickly as possible in the next couple of weeks, because the former Luton attacking midfielder has the potential to be an exciting addition to the team.

Why Thelo Aasgaard is an exciting signing for Rangers

The Gers recently snapped up the 23-year-old attacker on a four-year contract after agreeing a reported fee of £3.5m to sign him from the English League One outfit.

Aasgaard left the Hatters just six months after he signed for the club from Wigan Athletic, as they were relegated from the Championship last season, which activated a relegation release clause in his contract at Kennilworth Road.

Rangers took advantage of that to bring him to Ibrox this summer, and they will now be hoping that he plays a key role on the pitch for Martin for many years to come.

Whilst some supporters may not want to hear this, Aasgaard is similar in style to Todd Cantwell. He is another attacking midfielder who can also play out wide and thrive as a roaming number ten who can carry the ball and dribble past players, rather than being outstanding as a goalscorer or a creator.

Goals

0.12

Top 24%

Progressive carries

1.61

Top 26%

Take-ons attempted

2.74

Top 12%

Successful take-ons

1.31

Top 9%

Touches in opposition penalty box

2.62

Top 14%

Fouls won

1.96

Top 11%

As you can see in the table above, the Liverpool-born midfielder thrives with the ball at his feet in the middle of the park, picking it up in pockets of space that allow him to then drive forward into the box, taking players on or winning fouls.

He only produced two goals and one assist in his 17 Championship outings for Luton, though, and Martin may want him to improve his output in the final third at Ibrox.

It is his ball-carrying and willingness to take players on, though, that could make him an exciting signing for the club, who are now eyeing up a forward who would be even more exciting than Aasgaard.

Rangers eyeing Premier League winger

According to The Scottish Sun, Rangers are one of the clubs in the race to secure a deal for Crystal Palace youngster Jesurun Rak-Sakyi this summer.

The report claims that the Light Blues are ‘chasing’ a move to sign the left-footed star, who spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Sheffield United in the Championship.

Transfer Focus

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

It reveals that Palace are ready to demand a fee of around £10m to allow the right winger to move on from Selhurst Park before the end of the summer transfer window.

Rangers, however, would prefer to land the talented young forward on a season-long loan, rather than to splash the cash out to sign him permanently, but they would be willing to do a permanent deal if the asking price is reduced.

It now remains to be seen whether or not the Scottish giants can convince the Eagles to allow the dynamo to leave on loan, which may depend on whether or not any other teams are prepared to meet their £10m valuation for a permanent deal.

Why Rangers should sign Jesurun Rak-Sakyi

Vaclav Cerny returning to Wolfsburg at the end of last season, after his loan spell at Ibrox came to an end, left a hole in the team in the right wing position.

This means that Rak-Sakyi could slot straight into the starting XI as Martin’s right winger to replace the Czechia international, and his form for Sheffield United suggests that he has the potential to make an immediate impact.

Whilst Aasgaard is an exciting player in his own right, due to his technical ability, the Crystal Palace youngster would be even more exciting for supporters because he also has the ability to deliver goals and assists to get fans out of their seats.

The 22-year-old whiz, who produced 15 goals and eight assists in League One for Charlton in the 2022/23 campaign, ended last season with a return of seven goals and two assists in 22 league starts for the Blades.

This shows that he is more likely to make an impact in front of goal than Aasgaard in the Scottish Premiership next season, as the Norway international only managed two goals and one assist in the same division.

xG

0.32

Top 13%

Goals

0.36

Top 11%

xG on target

0.36

Top 9%

xA

0.18

Top 22%

Assists

0.10

Bottom 47%

Successful dribbles

2.44

Top 7%

As you can see in the table above, Rak-Sakyi ranked highly among his positional peers in a host of key attacking statistics, aside from assists, which shows that his teammates let him down with their wasteful finishing.

The left-footed star, once hailed as “remarkable” by Roy Hodgson, is a forward who can provide a threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals on a regular basis, whilst also consistently taking on opposition defenders, as shown by his 2.44 successful dribbles per 90.

This suggests that Rak-Sakyi could be an incredibly exciting player for Rangers supporters to watch, because he can combine exciting dribbling skills with quality end product in the final third.

Whereas Aasgaard has the technical and dribbling ability to get around the pitch, but needs to prove that he can deliver the goals and assists to go along with it, which is why the Palace winger could be an even better signing for Martin in the here and now.

Ibrox's Cerny replacement: Rangers eyeing £9m ace who's "difficult to stop"

Rangers are eyeing up a deal for a star who would be a perfect replacement for Vaclav Cerny.

ByDan Emery Jul 7, 2025

Sri Lanka

The Oval win keeps Sri Lanka in contention for a top-two finish. If they win all six remaining matches, they’ll finish with 69.23, which will almost certainly take them to the final. Five out of six wins will take them to 61.54, which will still keep them in contention. Four of their six remaining Tests are at home, against New Zealand and Australia.Related

• India's stars descend upon Chennai as training begins for bumper Test season

• South Africa to decide whether to tour Bangladesh this week

• Sri Lanka do their bit to save Test cricket, the way only Sri Lanka can

• WTC 2023-25 final to be played from June 11 at Lord's

England

England’s unexpected defeat at The Oval against Sri Lanka means they can no longer breach the 60% mark in this cycle. The maximum they can achieve now, with wins in their six remaining Tests, is 57.95. That could still be enough if other results go their way.For instance, if India run away from the rest of the pack, then England can finish second if Australia get no more than 42 points out of the 84 on offer from their seven remaining Tests, and if other teams stay below 57.95 as well. If Australia finish on top then England need India to take no more than 58 points and stay below 57.95. However, if England drop more points – five wins and a draw will reduce their percentage to 54.92 – they will need even more help from other teams.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

India

India remain on top of the table with a healthy percentage of 68.52, but they still have 10 matches to go, the most for any team. To keep their percentage above 60 – they qualified for the 2023 final with 58.8 – they need 63 more points, which they can achieve with five wins and a draw. Six wins will lift the percentage to 64.03, but to match their current score they will need seven wins, which will lift their overall percentage to 69.3.

Australia

Currently in second place, Australia need 47 more points from their remaining seven Tests to finish on the right side of 60%. They can achieve that with either four wins, or three wins and three draws. To a large extent, their final standing will depend on how many points they rack up in the five-Test home series against India.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s terrific 2-0 series win in Pakistan has pushed their percentage up to 45.83 and fourth position in the points table. If they win each of their six remaining Tests, they will go up to 72.92, while four wins out of six will keep them at 56.25.

Pakistan

Pakistan not only lost 2-0 to Bangladesh, but they also dropped six points due to slow over-rates. Their percentage dropped from 36.66 at the start of the series to 19.05. From here, the maximum they can achieve is 59.52, if they win each of their seven remaining Tests.New Zealand will play three of their remaining six Tests in the cycle in India•AFP/Getty Images

New Zealand

New Zealand have played only six out of their 14 Tests in this cycle. Five of their eight remaining Tests will be in Asia. Out of the 96 points available, they need at least 65 to finish on 60%. That means five wins and a couple of draws (or six wins), but it’s a tough ask given three of those Tests will be in India.

South Africa

If South Africa win each of their next six Tests, they will finish on 69.44, which will almost certainly take them to the final. They have home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan later this year, apart from what could be a tricky two-Test series in Bangladesh.

West Indies

West Indies have already played four series and have only scored 20 points out of 108. Even if they win their last four Tests, they can only finish on 43.59%.

كشف محسن عبد المسيح، عضو مجلس إدارة الإسماعيلي السابق، أسباب استقالته من منصبه، مؤكدًا أن الأوضاع الحالية داخل النادي لا تبشر بأي خير، كما أشاد بالمير الفني الحالي.

وقال محسن عبد المسيح في تصريحات عبر قناة “دي إم سي”: “الإسماعيلي في معاناة منذ عام 2012، ونستثني فقط موسم 2017-2018 عندما كان وصيفًا للنادي الأهلي، طبعًا توسمنا خيرًا وقلنا العام القادم سندعم ونحصل على بطولة، خصوصًا في وجود العثمانيين أو المهندس إبراهيم عثمان عندما كان رئيس مجلس الإدارة”.

وتابع: “فوجئنا أن نصف الفريق يتم بيعه، وحتى الآن أنا لا أعرف ما هو الغرض من ذلك؟، هل النادي الإسماعيلي يحتاج إلى أموال في وجود المهندس إبراهيم عثمان أم هو نفسه كان يحتاج إلى أموال؟ نحن كنا نحتاج إلى بطولة”.

طالع أيضاً.. طه إسماعيل: الأهلي يمر بأزمة مانشستر سيتي.. ووفرة النجوم “مشكلة”

وبسؤاله ما أسباب تقديم استقالتك؟ أجاب: “أرى من وجهة نظري كأحد جماهير نادي الإسماعيلي ومشجع لديه حماس، أريد أن أفعل أي شيء للنادي الذي ظهر فيه كل الرموز الكبيرة عبر تاريخه، لكن فوجئنا للأسف أن الغرامات أقوى منّا، نحاول أن نسدد لكن المبلغ كان كبيرًا جداً”.

وعن الحلول من وجهة نظره؟، أفاد: “لا يجب أن يلعب الفريق بهذا العدد الكبير من الأشبال الموجودين في النادي، (أنا بسمي ده فريق الأمل) وليس الإسماعيلي، كما أنني أرى أنه لا بد أن يتدخل سيادة اللواء أكرم جلال محافظ الإسماعيلية، ووزارة الشباب والرياضة ممثلة في الدكتور أشرف صبحي”.

وأكد: “الأمور صعبة جدًا ماديًا، نحن نعاني كل شهر، كيف ندفع رواتب الموظفين، وصلنا لهذه الدرجة، عقود اللاعبين عندنا قليلة جدًا لأن معظمهم صغار، يمكن أقل عقود في الدوري المصري كله”.

وأردف: “بصراحة المدير الفني الحالي مناسب لكنه جاء في الوقت غير المناسب، أكيد هو مدرب جيد جدًا ويجهز اللاعبين جيدًا، واللاعبون يقاتلون”.

وأتم: “أنا قدمت استقالتي، ومعنى الاستقالة أنني لا أرى أي خير لنادي الإسماعيلي، نذهب إلى الأسوأ، وأنا لن أسمح لنفسي أن أكون ضمن المنظومة التي سيحدث فيها ذلك”.

Promotion-chasers extend lead before bad light gives Glamorgan reprieve

ECB Reporters Network10-Sep-2024Skipper John Simpson became the first Sussex batter for ten years to score five Vitality County Championship hundreds in a season as the second division leaders took charge against Glamorgan at Hove.Simpson also passed 1,000 runs in his unbeaten 112 as Sussex responded to Glamorgan’s under-par 186 with 407 for 5, a lead of 221.With promotion rivals Yorkshire and Middlesex in position to win their games, it is crucial that Sussex do the same and apart from a careless hour before lunch, when they lost four wickets for 25, they were in control at the 1st Central County Ground.Simpson has so far added 194 for the fifth wicket with Tom Clark, who played his part with an unbeaten 73, and just before bad light intervened at 4.20pm the pair took 19 off ten balls to ensure Sussex collected a fourth batting point.Ed Joyce – who also left Middlesex to move to the south coast – was the last batter as prolific as Simpson has been in what is his first year with Sussex, and not for the first time this season he made sure his team didn’t squander a good position.At the start of the day Daniel Hughes and nightwatchman Henry Crocombe extended their second-wicket stand to 78 and their only alarm came when Dan Douthwaite put down a tough chance at midwicket when Crocombe was on 25.Hughes looked on course for back-to-back hundreds but on 83 (14 fours) he chipped a straightforward catch to midwicket off Douthwaite, who was Glamorgan’s best bowler on a tough day. Crocombe forced Douthwaite through the covers for his seventh boundary to bring up a maiden first-class fifty before he was taken at short leg attacking off-spinner Ben Kellaway.The ambidextrous Kellaway, who later in the day switched briefly to bowling left-arm spin, had Tom Alsop caught at slip pushing forward and James Coles, the only right-hander in Sussex’s top seven, wafted at a ball he could have ignored in the last over before lunch to give Douthwaite his second wicket.Clark’s fifty was only his third of a difficult season and here he was tied down early on by Kellaway in particular. He didn’t score a boundary until his 58th ball when he cut Kellaway through backward point but with Simpson counter-attacking at the other end Clark grew in confidence and Sussex assumed control.Glamorgan only bowled eight overs of seam with the new ball before Kellaway was back on again at the sea end and the 20-year-old from Newport, who is playing only his fourth first-class match, impressed with his control on a surface offering some turn.But as the sixth-wicket stand prospered the only question was how many batting bonus points Sussex could secure in 110 overs. Simpson took two boundaries off Kellaway, the second of which took the left-hander to his 15th first-class hundred, as ten came off the 109th over and a pulled six off Ned Leonard from the first delivery of the next followed by three singles took them to a fourth point with two balls to spare.By then the light was fading and shortly afterwards umpires Nigel Llong and Sue Redfern took the players off but with two days left and a good forecast Sussex will feel they have enough time to press home their advantage and secure a seventh win of the season.

While there have been more than a few bumps in the road, Chelsea have built a team stuffed with talented players in recent years.

The likes of Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandes, and Pedro Neto are all brilliant internationals who could be part of a special project at Stamford Bridge.

However, when it comes to the crown jewel of the Blues’ ambitious project, one name jumps out: Cole Palmer.

Since joining the Pensioners in 2023, the young Englishman has scored 41 goals and provided 28 assists in 96 appearances, and so fans should be delighted about reports linking the club to someone who could be their next Palmer.

Chelsea's summer so far

As they have in years prior, Chelsea have mainly focused on signing younger players this summer.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, Liam Delap is still just 22 years old, Joao Pedro is only 23, and Jamie Gittens turns 21 next month.

Add to those three premier signings the additions of Mamdou Sarr and Dario Essugo, and it’s clear that the West Londoners are still committed to primarily bringing in young talents with high ceilings.

Yet, while the afformentioned players are all incredibly exciting, it would be hard to describe them as the next Palmer, which isn’t the case for Ethan Nwaneri.

Yes, according to a recent report from The Athletic, Chelsea are very much interested in the Arsenal gem.

The report claims that after attempting to sign him in 2023, the Blues are monitoring the teenager as talks over a new deal with the Gunners are currently failing to bear fruit.

Additionally, transfers expert Fabrizio Romano revealed that the West Londoners will move for the Hale End product if he doesn’t agree to a new deal with the Premier League runners-up, and with his current one ending next summer, he’d then be available for nothing at the end of next season.

If BlueCo can mastermind a situation where they can bring the Englishman to the Bridge for free, then that would be incredible, as he’s valued at £64m by Football Transfers, and has the potential to be another Palmer.

Why Nwaneri could be Palmer 2.0

There are a few reasons why Nwaneri could be the next Palmer, and the first is that it would be another example of Chelsea signing a young talent from a ‘big six’ side.

Moreover, as Manchester City must massively regret losing such an incredible player to one of the rivals, we do not doubt that Arsenal would feel just as bad about losing the Hale Ender.

The second reason is that both players occupy similar positions on the pitch.

Since making his way to West London, the former City prospect has primarily played in an attacking midfield role, with his second most played position being on the right wing.

This mirrors the Enfield-born gem’s experience in North London, as since making his debut for Mikel Arteta’s side, he has primarily played in two positions: on the right wing and as an attacking midfielder.

However, the 18-year-old has spent more time on the wing, which is good news for Maresca and Co, as that means he’d likely be happy to play there at the Bridge, with Palmer in the number ten role.

Furthermore, while we haven’t seen as much of the North Londoners’ young phenom, what we have witnessed suggests he could be as dangerous as the Pensioners’ talisman.

Nwaneri’s 24/25
Appearances	37
Minutes	1378′
Goals	9
Assists	2
Goal Involvements per Match	0.29
Minutes per Goal Involvement	125.27′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, in just 1378 minutes, across 37 first-team appearances last season, the dynamic “monster,” as dubbed by podcaster Adam Keys, scored nine goals and provided two assists.

In other words, he produced a goal involvement on average every 125.27 minutes, which for someone of his age is undeniably incredible.

Finally, if you still aren’t convinced that the Arsenal gem could reach the same levels, then just listen to his former coach, Dan Micciche, who boldly placed him in the same “tier” as him, along with some other future superstars.

Ultimately, if Chelsea have the chance to sign Nwaneri for free next summer, they should take it, as, alongside Palmer, they’d have two of the most exciting talents in the country.

Forget Pedro: 8/10 Chelsea star showed why he's Maresca’s "best player"

Chelsea confidently progressed through to the final of the Club World Cup with this star standing out once more.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jul 9, 2025

يبدو أن منتخب إسبانيا قد لا يشارك في منافسات كأس العالم، العام المقبل، والتي سوف تقام في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية وكندا والمكسيك، وذلك بسبب احتمالية تواجد منتخب إسرائيل.

إسبانيا تخوض منافسات تصفيات قارة أوروبا المؤهلة لبطولة كأس العالم العام المقبل، حيث فازت على بلغاريا وكذلك تركيا خلال فترة التوقف الدولي الأخير.

ويشعر العالم بغضب كبير من إسرائيل، وذلك في ظل تصرفات الكيان الصهيوني الغاشمة تجاه الشعب الفلسطيني المقيم في غزة على مدار أكثر من عامين.

طالع .. قلت لوالدي هذا فريقي الجديد.. رودريجو يكسر صمته بشأن أنباء رحيله عن ريال مدريد

وأشار باتشي لوبيز، المتحدث باسم الحزب الاشتراكي الإسباني في مجلس الشعب، أنه يقيم وضع مشاركة إسرائيل في كأس العالم، وعلى أساسه قد لا يلعب منتخب إسبانيا في المسابقة.

ودعا باتشي في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “ليكيب” الفرنسية، جميع الاتحادات الرياضية لكرة القدم في مختلف البلاد، إلى استبعاد إسرائيل من اللعب في أي بطولة، مثلما حدث مع روسيا، بعد غزوها لأوكرانيا، حيث قال: “هذا ما نفعله حاليًا، ثم سنقيم الوضع”.

وأضاف باتشي، أن استبعاد إسرائيل من أي بطولة سيجعل العديد من الدول تهتم بالموقف الذي يحدث في غزة، وأن هذا القرار يجب تطبيقه في كافة الرياضات.

كما أكدت المتحدثة باسم الحكومة ووزيرة الرياضة، بيلار أليجريا، على ضرورة استبعاد إسرائيل من المسابقات الدولية، في ظل الإبادة التي يمارسها الكيان الصهيوني على شعب غزة.

وأوضحت أليجريا: “الرياضة ليست ولا يمكن أن تكون جزيرة معزولة عما يحدث في العالم الحقيقي، وخاصةً عندما يخبرنا هذا العالم أن حقوق الإنسان تنتهك”.

ودافعت أليجريا كذلك عن المظاهرات التي يقوم بها الشعب الإسباني ضد إسرائيل، حيث اختتمت: “المواطنون الإسبان في مواجهة هذا الواقع والوضع المؤلم ليسوا صامتين ولا مختبئين”.

Tottenham Hotspur are prepared to grant a discounted transfer away for one of their star players, with chairman Daniel Levy and the Lilywhites recruitment team conceding their inability to demand a large fee.

Tottenham advancing move for £24m defender after 'emerging' as favourites

Spurs have been told what it would take to get a deal done.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 23, 2025

Spurs boss Thomas Frank oversaw an unprecedented two pre-season friendlies on Saturday, as two separate first-team sides took on Wycombe Wanderers at the Hotspur Way training ground and Luton Town at Kenilworth Road respectively.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Frank’s reason for this was to give as many minutes to his players as possible, before flying out for their pre-season tour of Asia, and Spurs are reportedly just as busy off the field as they are on the grass.

Levy and technical director Johan Lange sealed the signing of Mohammed Kudus in a £55 million deal from West Ham earlier this month, following on from their signings of Kevin Danso, Mathys Tel and Kota Takai, with Spurs in the market for further upgrades.

Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White was a key target for Frank in that regard.

The England international had been booked in for a medical just over two weeks ago, but his once-imminent move to N17 was blocked by Evangelos Marinakis. Despite Forest’s threat of legal action for an alleged ‘illegal’ approach, Tottenham were thought to still be prioritising a deal for Gibbs-White.

However, following a sensational Saturday night twist, the 25-year-old is now poised to stay at Forest and has even put pen to paper on a new three-year contract – dealing a hammer blow to Frank and Levy in their search for a number 10.

As the club attempt to get more new attackers over the line, with Brentford striker Yoane Wissa also a target for Spurs, uncertainty surrounds the future of legend Son Heung-min.

The South Korea star will be a key centre-piece on their tour of the Far East, given his status as an heroic figure in that part of the world, and reports suggest that Tottenham won’t be able to sell Son until they return from Asia as a result.

In any case, Son has plenty of suitors in the meantime.

Tottenham in talks with Los Angeles FC over selling Son Heung-min

Chief among them is MLS side Los Angeles FC, with renowned transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano confirming that Steve Cherundolo’s side have made an approach to the 33-year-old.

Now, GiveMeSport have an update on this, and the outlet reports that Tottenham are in talks with LAFC over selling Son as negotiations between “all parties” continue.

What’s more, Levy and co are prepared to sell him to the States for as little as £15 million. This is to make his exit as smooth as possible in a bid to honour the player’s decade-long service, with Spurs chiefs conceding that they’re unlikely to get their £35 million valuation from an MLS side.

The “superstar” does have interest from Saudi Arabia, but Son isn’t particularly keen on a move to the Middle East.

Called one of the Premier League’s most underrated ever players, supporters will be sad to bid goodbye to Son, but winning the Europa League last season was a perfect way to call time on his memorable Tottenham career.

“What he brings to the team. Goals, of course, but his energy, his assists, the way he plays the game with a smile on his face,” said Robbie Keane to talkSPORT in 2022.

“For me, he’s the most underrated player in Premier League history. He could play for any team in the world.”

Ponting, it is understood, will take the final call on the rest of the coaching staff

Nagraj Gollapudi18-Sep-20246:27

What is Ponting’s biggest challenge at Punjab Kings?

Ricky Ponting has been appointed head coach of Punjab Kings (PBKS) from IPL 2025, a little over two months after he and Delhi Capitals parted ways ending his seven-year tenure at the franchise.ESPNcricinfo has learned that Ponting has signed a four-year contract with Kings, a franchise with multiple owners. Ponting, it is understood, will take the final call on the rest of the coaching staff. There is no clarity yet on who remains on the books from the coaching unit from last year: Trevor Bayliss (head coach), Sanjay Bangar (head of cricket development), Charl Langeveldt (fast-bowling coach), Sunil Joshi (spin-bowling coach).”I am grateful to Punjab Kings for presenting me with the opportunity to be the new head coach,” Ponting said. “I am excited to take up the new challenge. I had great conversations with the owners and the management about the way forward and was truly elated to see the alignment of our visions for the team. We all want to repay the fans who have stayed with the franchise over the years and we promise that they will see a much different Punjab Kings going forward.”Ponting will be the third head coach in four seasons at Kings, who finished ninth in the 2024 season. They have not qualified for the IPL playoffs since 2014, when they finished runners-up. Ponting’s first challenge would be shortlisting players who could be potentially retained for the next season even as the franchises wait for the IPL to finalise the retention rules.Related

Punjab Kings part ways with Bayliss and Bangar

Ricky Ponting on his Punjab Kings role: 'We are not going to sit back and just accept mediocrity'

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Shikhar Dhawan retires from international and domestic cricket

Dravid unveiled as Rajasthan Royals head coach

Harshal Patel, who won the purple cap for the second time in IPL 2024, along with the uncapped Indian pair of Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma were among the key performers for Kings last season. Kings also have India left-arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh, wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma, legspinner Rahul Chahar in their squad along with a healthy bunch of overseas players, including the England trio of Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow and South Africa quick Kagiso Rabada.With Shikhar Dhawan retiring recently, Kings will also be keen to identify a new captain.Ponting has been part of the IPL set-up since the inaugural season in 2008, first as a player at Kolkata Knight Riders followed by Mumbai Indians where he stepped down as captain midway through the 2013 season, paving way for Rohit Sharma to take over. Mumbai won the title the same year, with Ponting continuing in an advisory role in 2014 and then serving as head coach for two seasons in 2015 and 2016.In 2018, Ponting took charge as head coach of Capitals who made the playoffs for three successive seasons between 2019 and 2021, during which period they qualified for the first IPL final in 2020. After ending his association with Capitals in July, Ponting was head coach during Washington Freedom’s title-winning campaign in the 2024 season of Major League Cricket (MLC).

Leeds United were very much the entertainers in the Championship last season as they romped home to the title in style.

In total, the free-flowing Whites would fire home an emphatic 95 strikes across the 46-game campaign, with Joel Piroe also winning the second-tier’s top goalscorer accolade when contributing to a sizeable 19 of that high amount.

Still, the newly promoted side will know the Premier League is a different kettle of fish altogether, resulting in some proven top-flight attackers now appearing on their ever-growing shopping list, as their goalscoring heroics in the EFL are pushed to the side.

Leeds consider move for new number ten

At one end of the pitch, Farke and co appear to have finally sealed a replacement for Illan Meslier, in the form of Lyon’s Lucas Perri, with the 27-year-old set to sign for a fee of around £13m from the Ligue 1 outfit.

At the other end, Leeds have already added Lucas Nmecha to their forward options, with the German attacker already helping himself to a pre-season goal for his brand new team.

But, with his sketchy injury record, it would be foolish to halt the striker additions there, as Rodrigo Muniz continues to be talked about as one of the Whites’ priorities up top in winning themselves a Premier League-ready performer.

Muniz does have a respectable 17 goals next to his name in the tough division for Fulham, but it remains to be seen what amount Farke and Co. would be willing to fork out to land the clinical Brazilian, with £50m coming in as his reported, eye-watering valuation.

Alongside securing a fresh striker, Leeds will also be on the hunt for an exciting number ten to complement the striker makeover, with Bilal El Khannouss an option they’re now considering in this department from recently relegated Leicester City.

Leeds-centric journalist Beren Cross has revealed that development amid interest in the Moroccan playmaker also coming from Sunderland and Aston Villa in the Premier League.

This level of interest in the £22.5m ace’s services might make it hard for Leeds to sneak a deal over the line, but if they want a promising attacking talent that could set up Muniz with even more chances, they should persist in trying to bring the up-and-coming youngster to West Yorkshire.

Why El Khannouss could be a dream for Muniz

Muniz’s 17 strikes for the Cottagers in total look like a reasonable amount of goals for a striker to have next to his name on first inspection.

However, that amount suddenly holds more weight when you consider eight of those strikes were hammered in Premier League action last season from just eight starts, with one of his Fulham teammates in Willian, even declaring him as “one of the best strikers in the Premier League” off the back of this blistering form.

An extended run in the team under Daniel Farke could well help Muniz become even more potent, with the likes of Daniel James no doubt chomping at the bit to supply him with golden opportunities, alongside El Khannouss if he ditches the King Power Stadium for Elland Road.

Even as Leicester fell through the relegation trapdoor last season, El Khannouss still managed to stand out as a thorn in the side of many top-flight outfits, with his promising output of two goals and three assists only telling the basic, surface-level story of an impressive individual campaign.

El Khannouss’ league numbers (24/25)

Stat

El Khannouss

Games played

32

Goals scored

2

Assists

3

Touches per game

42.5

Accurate passes per game

42.5 (80%)

Key passes per game

1.3

Big chances created

8

Stats by Sofascore

Indeed, if the 21-year-old had the potency of Muniz next to him in the Midlands, his assist count would be sitting at a far heftier amount, with a steep eight big chances created by the “sensational” El Khannouss – as he was glowingly labelled by football analyst Ben Mattinson – when donning Foxes blue.

Four goals and 14 assists would also come the slick midfielder’s way when performing out of his skin for Genk before Leicester came calling, culminating in Miguel Ribeiro – who coached the Moroccan sensation in Belgium – further lauding the 21-year-old for possessing “eyes in his back” regarding his split-second ability to carve out an opening.

Both signings – as well as that of Perri – could be key, therefore, as Leeds attempt to play with confidence and swagger in the attacking areas in the Premier League, over receding into their shell as relegation candidates.

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Leeds United are now set to sign another defender and this time for a fee of under £500,000, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed.

Leeds announce Gudmundsson on four-year deal

With Junior Firpo exiting Elland Road, Leeds needed to bring in a new left-back, and they have wasted no time in their pursuit of Lille’s Gabriel Gudmundsson, with the defender signing a four-year contract on Tuesday.

The fee is thought to be in the region of €12m (£10m) although the club’s announcement does not disclose the true figure, after the 26-year-old completed his medical checks on Monday.

Gudmundsson is not the only left-back set to make a move to Elland Road, however, with Romano recently taking to X to reveal the Whites are on the verge of signing a defender from a rival Premier League club.

The transfer expert states that Manchester City’s Jayden Lienou “will join Leeds United” for a package amounting to under £500k, with the 17-year-old set to link up with the U21 team to begin with.

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Andrew Taylor and Adam Underwood are said to have been “key” to securing a deal for Lienou, and the deal now appears to be completely agreed, suggesting that an official announcement could be imminent.

Leeds’ opening Premier League fixtures

Date

Everton (h)

August 18th

Arsenal (a)

August 23rd

Newcastle United (h)

August 30th

Fulham (a)

September 13th

Wolverhampton Wanderers (a)

September 20th

Gudmundsson and Lienou are savvy signings for Leeds

Lienou has been showing some promising signs at youth level, most notably scoring a remarkable solo goal for Wales a little over a year ago, showcasing his quality on the front foot.

However, at 17-years-old, the Welshman is clearly one for the future, and Gudmundsson is more likely to make more of an instant impact at Elland Road, given that the Sweden international is vastly experienced.

The Malmo-born defender made nine appearances in the Champions League last season, and his performances across the campaign clearly impressed journalist Joe Donnohue, who described the full-back as a “fun” player and a “risk-taker”.

The former FC Groningen man also caught the eye in an attacking sense during his time with the Dutch club.

Given that Firpo was well-known for his attacking contributions, Gudmundsson could be an ideal replacement for the Dominican Republic international, while Lienou’s performances at youth level indicate he could also be a savvy signing with the potential to become a prototype modern day attacking full-back.