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The January transfer window officially slammed shut last Thursday and Tottenham Hotspur snapped up two new additions to their first-team squad.

Central defender Radu Dragusin was brought in on a permanent deal from Italian side Genoa to compete with the likes of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.

Ange Postecoglou and Daniel Levy also moved to sign Germany international Timo Werner on loan from RB Leipzig, and the former Chelsea man has enjoyed a strong start to his career in North London.

Appearances

Three

Goals

Zero

Big chances missed

One

Assists

Two

Big chances created

One

The end of the transfer window did not stop the club from doing more business, though, as 18-year-old Lucas Bergvall was snapped up for a fee of £8.5m earlier this month, and he will link up with his new team at the end of the season.

Latest Spurs transfer news

Tottenham may not be able to make more signings to bolster their squad for the second half of the current campaign but, like they did with the Swedish teenager, they can put work in ahead of the summer transfer window.

According to Corriere di Bologna, via Tutto Bologna Web, Spurs are one of many sides 'launching' their interest in Serie A centre-back Riccardo Calafiori as Postecoglou eyes up another new enforcer.

The report claims that Juventus, Napoli, AC Milan, and the Lilywhites are all keeping tabs on the impressive defender, who has caught the eye with his performances in Italy so far this season.

It also states that a fee of €30m (£26m) has been touted for the 21-year-old colossus. However, it remains to be seen whether or not any of the interested parties would be willing to pay it.

There is also the possibility that Bologna's valuation of the towering ace could fluctuate based on his form between now and the end of the campaign, as a drastic dip could lower his market value or it could skyrocket with a string of sublime displays.

Spurs already have van de Ven, Romero, and Dragusin on their books as recognised, natural, centre-backs, which means that they have two right-sided options and one, van de Ven, for the left, although Ben Davies can also cover in that position.

Signing Calafiori, who is left-footed, would leave Postecoglou with exceptional competition for places as he would have two first-team quality options in each role, for the right and the left of the centre-back pairing, and ensure that complacency does not creep in.

Whilst, as a left-sided titan, the £26m-rated gem could play alongside him, Spurs could land their next Romero in a swoop for the Bologna star as both players are progressive passers who can also read the game effectively to win possession back for their respective sides.

Cristian Romero's impressive performances for Spurs

The World Cup winner has been a terrific performer for Tottenham in recent seasons with his full-blooded, committed, displays at the heart of the defence.

Romero gives his all on the pitch and that is sometimes too much when it boils over, as it did when he gave away a penalty and picked up a red card for a poor challenge against Chelsea in the Premier League earlier this season.

Take those occasional moments of rash play out of the equation, though, and the 25-year-old colossus is vital to Spurs with his play in and out of possession.

Over the last 365 days, Romero ranks within the top 14% of centre-backs in the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions for progressive passes (4.86), and the top 11% for shot-creating actions (1.23) per 90 respectively.

This shows that the Argentina international is a forward-thinking defender who constantly looks to progress the play for his team to build attacks, rather than being a regressive centre-back who plays safe passes and stagnates build-up play.

Along with his superb use of the ball, the Tottenham star also excels as an out-and-out defender who can read the game and dominate in physical battles.

Romero ranks within the top 13% of his positional peers in the aforementioned competitions over the last 365 days for interceptions (1.56), and the top 5% for tackles (2.40) per 90 respectively.

He has also won 69% of his duels across 18 appearances in the Premier League so far this season for Spurs, which shows that opposition players rarely get the better of him.

Why Calafiori could be Romero 2.0

Postecoglou could land a left-footed version of Romero by securing a deal to sign Calafiori ahead of the likes of Napoli, Juventus, and Milan in the summer.

FBref list the Argentine enforcer as one of the most similar defenders to the Bologna star based on their respective statistics, and it is easy to see why when you look at the 21-year-old ace's form this season.

Calafiori, whose recent progression has been described as "insane" by analyst Ben Mattinson, is a progressive passer who does not shy away from his defensive responsibilities.

The Italian titan currently ranks within the top 6% of Serie A centre-backs for shot-creating actions (1.68), and the top 29% for progressive passes (3.53) per 90 respectively. He also ranks in the top 5% for successful take-ons (0.46) per 90 this season.

These statistics suggest that the Spurs target, who has played 19 league matches this term, is similar to Romero in how he excels at building attacks that lead to shots at the opposition's goal.

Appearances

19

Tackles per game

1.4

Interceptions per game

1.8

Ball recoveries per game

6.9

Duel success rate

61%

As you can see in the table above, Calafiori has dominated attackers in physical contests and made made multiple defensive interventions to win the ball back for his team each game.

In fact, he ranks within the top 6% of Serie A centre-backs for interceptions (1.97) per 90, which illustrates his ability to read the game to step in and cut out opposition attacks.

Calafiori, who was described as a "monster" in the air by the aforementioned Mattinson, has also won 73% of his aerial duels in the league this season.

Therefore, the Bologna tank could be the left-footed Romero for Spurs if they secure his services in the summer due to his qualities in and out of possession.

International retirement appeared to beckon for the forward after Qatar, but he's still going strong and gunning for glory in Germany

Cristiano Ronaldo believes that the three aspects of reality are pain, uncertainty and constant work. It's easy to understand why: his remarkable road to Germany is a case in point.

It began with the pain of Qatar, where a calamitous campaign left Ronaldo's Portugal future shrouded in uncertainty. However, the hard work that followed has led him all the way back to a major international tournament.

Indeed, as Portugal prepare to kick-off their Euro 2024 campaign on Tuesday against Czech Republic, Ronaldo is not only still in the squad, he's set to start in attack for one of the most talented teams in Germany. There's every chance, then, that, at 39 years of age, a record-breaking international career that appeared set to end in embarrassment, will instead conclude with the most glorious demonstration yet of Ronaldo's remarkable resilience.

Make no mistake about it: this isn't just about Ronaldo enjoying his last dance; after being written off and ridiculed in Qatar. Ronaldo's also determined to have the last laugh in Germany, too.

GettyDeath of a 'dream'

The tears began to flow as soon as the full-time whistle blew in Doha on the night of December 10, 2002. Ronaldo was so upset he couldn't even bring himself to acknowledge Portugal's fans. The pain was too great.

A shock World Cup quarter-final loss to Morocco signified the death of a "dream". It also looked like the end of Ronaldo's international career. He was 37 years of age and quite clearly well past his brilliant best.

After relying on Ronaldo for almost two decades, the common consensus was that Portugal needed to move on. For so long the Seleccao's saviour, Ronaldo was now provoking more problems than he was solving.

AdvertisementGettyBetter off without CR7?

In all honesty, Ronaldo looked finished at the very highest level in Qatar. He had arrived intent on restoring his reputation as a world-class forward after an embarrassing end to his second spell at Manchester United – but his World Cup campaign was a sad story of poor performances and pathetic petulance, resulting in Fernando Santos dropping the forward to the bench for the knockout stage.

It was a decision that sent shockwaves through world football, but was undeniably the correct call: Portugal performed better without their all-time leading scorer, who netted just once in Qatar and appeared to be in complete denial over his dwindling abilities.

Ronaldo didn't walk away, though. Crucially, Santos' successor didn't want him to either.

Getty'Wasn't ready to step away'

One of the first things Roberto Martinez did after being named as Belgium's new boss in January 2023 was fly to Saudi Arabia to see where Ronaldo was at, mentally.

"He wasn’t ready to step away,” he revealed. “He wanted to be a part of the new cycle and, so it was very easy to include him into the March camp. After that, I could make a footballing decision."

For Martinez, it proved a no-brainer. Ronaldo bagged braces in both Euro 2024 qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Luxembourg. It wasn't just about the goals, though, as far as Martinez was concerned.

"He was a real leader, a captain and someone who brings an experience that no other player has in world football," the Spaniard said. "He's someone who can reach 200 caps for his country. You need to make use of someone like that in your dressing room."

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Getty'No doubts' over defending

Portugal ultimately progressed to Euro 2024 with a perfect record, winning all 10 of their qualifiers. Only Belgium's Romelu Lukaku (14) scored more times than Ronaldo (10).

There are ongoing doubts, though, over the true strength of a team led by a 39-year-old now plying his trade in Saudi Arabia. Portugal's group was desperately weak, while it's worth noting that they've lost two of their four warm-up games, away to Slovenia and at home to Croatia.

Given the prevalence of pressing in the modern game, the wisdom of selecting a forward who contributes next-to-nothing to the defensive phase has also been questioned in certain sections of the Portuguese press. Martinez, though, insists that Ronaldo is acutely aware of what's required of him.

"It is obviously important for us to attack and defend with 11," he acknowledged. "Ronaldo is obviously a player who knows very well how to make use of space in the area and is a special finisher, a special player.

"But Cristiano's reaction to the loss of the ball and his attention to defensive positioning were both perfect during the games we played. So for me, there are no doubts, there are no worries."

Three-member committee cleared of conflict of interest, expected to announce Ravi Shastri’s successor later this month

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Aug-2019The BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), led by Kapil Dev with Anshuman Gaekwad and Shanta Rangaswamy as its other members, has been cleared of conflict of interest and given the go-ahead to pick the next head coach of the senior Indian men’s team. The decision is expected to be made by mid-August.The three-member Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) received the required no-conflict notice from the panelists and subsequently voted on the issue, giving the CAC a 2-1 mandate.CoA member Diana Edulji was the one who voted against clearing the CAC. She was one of two persons who had flagged the potential conflict-of-interest issue in this case, the other being external complainant Sanjeev Gupta, a life member of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association.After the CoA meeting, Edulji maintained that the matter still needed to go to the BCCI’s ethics officer, Justice (retd) DK Jain. She contended that the CoA had no authority to appoint an ad-hoc committee and clear it of conflict. “It was a 2-1 call [against me],” she was quoted as saying by . “I said it has to go to the ethics officer to decide on conflict of interest. Ad-hoc committee is not in the constitution. As such I have voiced my dissent.”It is not CoA’s domain to decide who is conflicted or not. It has to be done by the ethics officer. An ad-hoc committee cannot pick the coach. It is not in the constitution.”CoA head Vinod Rai, however, told ESPNcricinfo that the matter had to be forwarded to the ethics officer by the CoA only if there was a “reason to” do so. “No, there’s no question of sending it to the ethics officer unless there is a reason to,” he said. “In this case, there was no such reason. There was disagreement [on Edulji’s part], but the majority voted.”The question of conflict came up because Kapil is also part of the steering committee on the newly formed Indian Cricketers’ Association (ICA) where he is also one of directors. Incidentally, the ICA is funded by the BCCI. Kapil also works as an expert for Indian television channels. As for Gaekwad, it is alleged that in addition to working as a pundit on television channels, he is also part of the BCCI’s Member Affiliation Committee, a sub-committee which grants membership to state associations. Gaekwad, too, is part of the ICA’s steering group, as is Rangaswamy, who is also an ICA director.Gupta, meanwhile, had argued that only an elected BCCI administrative team, and not the CAC, was qualified to do the work.Incidentally, Gupta had filed a similar charge against two members of the previous CAC – Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman – which Justice Jain had upheld.The current support staff of Ravi Shastri (head coach), Bharat Arun (bowling coach), Sanjay Bangar (batting coach) and R Sridhar (fielding coach) are all travelling with the team in the Caribbean, having been given an extension till the new support staff are in place. Meanwhile, Patrick Farhart, the physio, and Shankar Basu, the fitness trainer, have opted out of extending their contracts and have moved on.

When Leeds United lost 1-0 to West Bromwich Albion in their final game of 2023, they were fourth in the Championship table, closer to dropping out of the play-offs than they were to Ipswich Town in the automatic promotion places.

Since then, however, Daniel Farke's side have embarked on a scintillating eight-match winning run in 2024, most recently beating league leaders Leicester City 3-1 at Elland Road last Friday. All of a sudden, they've surged up to second place, level with Ipswich but comfortably ahead on goal difference. Some supporters may even be dreaming of winning the title, with the Foxes now just six points ahead.

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Of course, all that really matters is securing promotion, and Leeds are now well-placed to do just that with 12 games to go. The club will be making tentative plans for a return to the Premier League, while also drawing up contingencies.

49ers offer Farke £100m Leeds incentive

According to Football Insider and reporter Pete O'Rourke, owners the 49ers Enterprises could furnish Farke with a budget of up to £100m if Leeds do go up in an exciting new update. With revenue bound to increase, largely thanks to TV money, they'll be able to bankroll a series of big-money transfers.

The German will have at least £75m to spend, and he'll also have a better chance of keeping coveted players like Crysencio Summerville in West Yorkshire if they're in the top flight.

Leeds know money itself isn't everything

Leeds were actually very busy ahead of their last season in the Premier League, bringing in nine new players. Only Nottingham Forest (23), Fulham (11) and Southampton (10) made more signings that summer.

Player

Signed from

Fee (€)

Brenden Aaronson

Red Bull Salzburg

33m

Luis Sinisterra

Feyenoord

25m

Tyler Adams

RB Leipzig

17m

Rasmus Kristensen

Red Bull Salzburg

13m

Marc Roca

Bayern Munich

12m

Darko Gyabi

Manchester City

5.8m

Wilfried Gnonto

FC Zurich

4.5m

Joel Robles

Real Betis

Free

Sonny Perkins

West Ham United

Free

Leeds spent around £94m, so some would say the proposed budget is nothing new, but the key difference is that they generated £97m through sales that year as Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips moved on. That meant they actually turned a profit overall, but this time it sounds like Farke would have £100m in addition to any money generated through exits.

Money itself is no guarantee of success, though, as Leeds discovered in 22/23. Brenden Aaronson (now on loan at Union Berlin) only managed one goal and three assists in 40 appearances, Rasmus Kristensen (on loan at Roma) wasn't able to nail down a place in the team and the unfortunate Tyler Adams saw his season ended by injury in mid-March before leaving for Bournemouth.

Luis Sinisterra enjoyed more success with seven goals in 22 games, but he's already sealed a permanent exit to Bournemouth alongside Adams, and Marc Roca could follow him out the door if Real Betis activate their option to buy. With Victor Orta gone and a new behind-the-scenes team in place, Leeds will hope to use their resources much more effectively this time if they do indeed return to the first tier.

Thakur’s three-wicket burst played a key role in dismissing the visitors cheaply before Gill struck an unbeaten 66

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Sep-2019India A extended their dominance over South Africa A on day one of the first four-day match in Thiruvananthapuram, bowling the visitors out for 164 before going to stumps within 35 runs of taking a first-innings lead with eight wickets in hand. Shardul Thakur’s three-wicket burst played a key role in dismissing the South Africans cheaply before captain Shubman Gill struck an unbeaten 66 to put India A in a commanding position.The India A quicks wreaked havoc with the new ball and the spinners cleaned up the tail to shoot out South Africa in the 52nd over. The visitors were in deep trouble at 22 for 5 in the 13th over before some lower-order contributions saved them from a complete collapse. Mohammed Siraj had the captain Adien Markram caught behind for a four-ball duck in the first over and Thakur followed that up with the wicket of Pieter Malan for an eight-ball duck in the fourth, to leave the scoreboard reading 0 for 2.There was no respite with the introduction of spin either, as Shahbaz Nadeem removed No. 3 Zubayr Hamza for 13, and Thakur soon sent back Khaya Zondo and Heinrich Klaasen in consecutive overs to leave them five down.A series of small partnerships thereafter – 30, 31 and 30 for the sixth, eighth and ninth wickets respectively – took South Africa past 100. Wiaan Mulder scored 21 and Dane Piedt chipped in with a quick 33 off 45, with six fours. But it was for the final wicket that the visitors added the most runs – 33 – with Marco Jansen top-scoring with an unbeaten 45, with four fours and two sixes, and Lungi Ngidi, the last man out, contributing 15.K Gowtham, who was reported unwell on the eve of the match, chipped in with three lower-order wickets, including those of Piedt and Mulder. Thakur finished with 3 for 29 while Nadeem bagged 2 for 37.In response, India started fluently, the openers adding 48 before Ruturaj Gaikwad was bowled by Jansen for 30. Gill was then joined by Ricky Bhui for a 58-run stand, which was broken by Ngidi, who cleaned up Bhui for 26, before Gill and No. 4 Ankit Bawne negotiated the last few overs of the day.

There are plenty were plenty of star performers over the past two weeks in Germany – but who makes our combined XI?

The Euro 2024 group stage was a tense affair. Free-flowing football was in short-supply, with tense tactical battles far more frequent than end-to-end thrillers, but there was still no shortage of drama – and own goals!

After 36 gruelling matches and seemingly never-ending permutations, eight teams have been sent packing, including 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia, while the Netherlands, Georgia, Slovakia and Slovenia have qualified for the knockout stage as the four best third-placed teams. There are plenty of fans who miss the greater jeopardy of the old 16-team format, but there was still a real competitive edge to every game, and the tournament has been lit up by a number of high-quality individual performances.

That's in spite of the fact that many of the pre-tournament favourites have struggled to find their rhythm, including England and France. Spain and Germany are the only big-guns purring at the moment, while the likes of Austria and Georgia have emerged as dark horses.

The question is, which players have stood out the most so far? GOAL has compiled the best of them for our Team of the Group Stage, which includes a goalkeeper who has picked up from where he left off at Euro 2020…

GettyGK: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy)

Donnarumma was Italy's talisman during their run to the title three years ago, and although the Azzurri are not quite as strong collectively this time around, he is once again rising to the occasion. The Paris Saint-Germain No.1's brilliant late stop to deny Rey Manaj ensured Italy scraped past Albania, and he also made a vital contribution in their final group outing against Croatia.

He made three key saves and kept out a Luka Modric penalty before Mattia Zaccagni scored a last-gasp equaliser to earn Italy the 1-1 draw that sealed their place in the last 16. The prospect of Italy reaching another final seems unlikely given their lack of strength in depth, but with Donnarumma serving as the last line of defence they cannot be written off.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesRB: Dani Carvajal (Spain)

Fresh from landing his sixth Champions League crown at Real Madrid, Carvajal has helped provide the base for Spain's impressive start to the Euros. The 32-year-old racked up 12 ball recoveries across Spain's wins over Croatia and Italy, while also chipping in with a goal, and has led by example with his outstanding work-rate.

Carvajal is one of the best right-backs in the game because he always delivers on the grandest stage, and his experience will be vital as La Roja bid to win back the trophy they took possession of between 2008 and 2012. Spain have a host of more flashy players who will inevitably steal the spotlight, but Carvajal is their general.

Getty CB: Marc Guehi (England)

To say that England have failed to live up to expectations at Euro 2024 would be a massive understatement. Watching Gareth Southgate's side negotiate their way through Group C was a painful experience, with Phil Foden, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice among those to underperform in spectacular fashion after stellar seasons for their clubs.

But Guehi can arrive in the last 16 with his head held high. England only ended up winning the group because the Crystal Palace man was so solid at the back, bringing much-needed composure and steel to a team desperately short on confidence. The Three Lions will have to improve significantly to end almost 60 years of hurt, but in Guehi they do at least have one player who looks up for the challenge.

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GettyCB: Riccardo Calafiori (Italy)

Calafiori has had quite a year. The 22-year-old defender was colossal during Bologna's fairy-tale run to secure Champions League qualification in Serie A, which earned him a place in Italy's European Championship squad.

He could hardly made a better first impression either, as he drove out of defence at every opportunity against Albania, and although an unfortunate own goal ended up condemning Italy to a subsequent loss to Spain, he's shown real character to bounce back. It was Calafiori who provided the assist for Zaccagni's equaliser against Croatia, to cap a stellar all-round display, but he also picked up a booking, and will be a huge miss for Luciano Spalletti's side as he serves a suspension in the last 16.

Hamish Rutherford leads Worcestershire as Moeen ‘takes break’ from red-ball game, while Sussex recover to 150 for 5 on rain-hit day

ESPNcricinfo staff and ECB Reporters Network23-Sep-2019Moeen Ali began his break from red-ball cricket as he sat out of Worcestershire’s game at Hove, as half-centuries by Stiaan van Zyl and Delray Rawlins helped Sussex recover to 150 for 5 on a rain-shortened first day.Moeen told ESPNcricinfo he was “not ruling out playing Test cricket in the future” on the eve of T20 Finals Day after he missed out on a red-ball central contract, but was not involved at Hove, as Hamish Rutherford captained in his absence.ALSO READ: Moeen Ali ‘takes break’ from red-ball cricketIn a dead rubber – that both sides might have expected to be a promotion shoot-out at the start of the season – Sussex had been 32 for 3 following an uncontested toss with openers Luke Wells and Tom Haines both dismissed for ducks.But van Zyl and Rawlins led the recovery before both departed in an afternoon session cut short by bad light.Rain arrived shortly afterwards and umpires Jerry Lloyds and Paul Baldwin abandoned play at 4pm with only 50.4 overs possible.Worcestershire’s decision to bowl first was no surprise and they struck with the third ball when Wells, playing well away from his body, was caught behind off Ed Barnard.After a short stoppage for a shower, Haines’ leading edge ended up in the hands of mid-off and Sussex were 32 for 3 when wicketkeeper Ben Cox took a superb catch diving in front of slip to remove Will Beer for seven and reward Barnard for a lively new-ball spell.But gradually conditions eased and van Zyl and Rawlins began their rebuilding job. Rawlins reigned in his attacking instincts and took Sussex past 50 with successive boundaries down the ground off Charlie Morris, while van Zyl passed 50 for the sixth time this season off 91 balls with seven boundaries.They had put on 94 for the fourth wicket when van Zyl was superbly caught diving forward at mid-on by Rutherford to give Charlie Morris his second wicket. He had faced 119 balls and hit eight fours.Rawlins was struck on the shoulder by Morris and needed more treatment a few minutes later when he pulled a ball from Brett D’Oliveira into his midriff. Rawlins drove the next ball he faced from Adam Finch for his eighth boundary but then slashed outside off stump and Daryl Mitchell clung onto a sharp chance at second slip. It was the left-hander’s third half-century of the season but, like van Zyl, he was frustrated to get out when seemingly well set.”It was nice to get some runs today and I was disappointed to get out when I did because Delray and I had put together a good partnership,” van Zyl said.”From a personal point of view, it’s been an OK season, but extremely frustrating from a team point of view. We haven’t put together enough complete batting performances as a batting unit and hopefully the guys can go into their off-season, reflect on what they need to do and be better than we were this year.”England under-19 batsman Tom Clark, who has been in Sussex’s system since he was 10 years old only had time to face one ball from Finch on his debut, a bumper which he only just evaded, before the teams came off.Moeen isn’t the only big name not involved in a game where only pride is at stake. Sussex have rested both Phil Salt, who has been carrying a finger injury for much of the second half of the season, and Chris Jordan.

Lamine Yamal savaged Adrien Rabiot with a two-word message after helping Spain knock France out of Euro 2024.

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Yamal shone brightly against FranceScored an incredible equaliser to silence RabiotMade history with that remarkable strike from distanceWHAT HAPPENED?

In the build-up to the last-four encounter, Rabiot had doubted the Barcelona wonder kid's abilities to impact a battle of such magnitude on the continental stage.

"Obviously it could be difficult for him to deal with a semifinal in a big tournament," he said. "It's up to us to put pressure on him and to take him out of his comfort zone. And to reach a final at the Euros, he needs to do more than he's done up until now."

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Barcelona prodigy, however, had different plans for the match and his response was nothing short of spectacular. Yamal ensured that the French midfielder had the best view in the stadium when he curled his sensational equaliser past a flying Mike Maignan between the sticks.

WHAT YAMAL SAID

Spain went on to win the semi-final 2-1, and Yamal appeared to bite back at Rabiot’s pre-match comments as he looked into a camera at full-time and said: "Speak now!"

On the eve of the match, Yamal had taken to Instagram and posted a cryptic message in what also seemed like a response to Rabiot, which read: "Move in silence, only speak when it's time to say checkmate."

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DID YOU KNOW?

The remarkable goal etched Yamal's name in the history books, making him the youngest player ever to score in a men's European Championship. His performance didn't stop there; he continued to be a pivotal force throughout the game, showcasing his exceptional talent and composure under pressure. His efforts were recognised as the 16-year-old became the youngest player to win a Man of the Match award in a UEFA game.

Yamal wrote another message on Instagram the day after the semi-final to rub more salt in Rabiot's wounds, which read: "Check mate. Come on Spain, we're in the final!"

After surviving last weekend's scare, courtesy of Celtic's slip, Rangers remain on course to complete their title comeback and secure the Scottish Premiership in stunning fashion under Philippe Clement. It is the type of scare that they'll want to avoid in the future, however, with a move to sign a Championship star now lined up to strengthen the squad further over the summer.

Rangers transfer news

If Rangers come out on top and win the Scottish Premiership this season, then they will be perfectly placed to welcome vital additions ahead of Clement's first full campaign in charge. It is the type of pull that Celtic have used so often in recent years to commence eras of dominance in Scottish football and one that the Gers will now be hoping to benefit from.

That said, the majority of the headlines regarding Rangers transfer news have been stolen by potential departures in recent weeks, rather than incomings. As things stand, Kemar Roofe, Ryan Jack, Leon Balogun and Borna Barisic are all among the players set to leave Ibrox upon the expiry of their contracts this summer. Meanwhile, a new deal for John Lundstram has reportedly been made a priority at Rangers, as they look to avoid the midfielder's exit.

Among talks of potential exits though, the rumour mill has still already started regarding incomings. According to Carlton Palmer, Rangers are eyeing a move to sign Callum O'Hare from Coventry City, who will become a free agent at the end of the season.

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Palmer told Football League World: "One player who has been attracting a lot of attention is Callum O'Hare. Three La Liga clubs are looking at him. Celtic and Rangers are also said to be keen on the 25-year-old too.

"He's yet to sign a new contract at Coventry and his current deal is set to expire in the summer. He's had an outstanding season, and it's very unlikely now, with so few games left, that he'll sign a new deal."

Palmer then went on to say: "He was offered a new contract and a good contract at that, but he wants to keep his option open at the end of the season. Unless they are promoted to the Premier League, I feel that it's more than likely that Callum O'Hare will play his football in pastures new come next season."

"Outstanding" O'Hare can follow Cantwell path

As his Coventry contract runs down, O'Hare has the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Todd Cantwell, who swapped the Championship for Scotland in January of last year when completing a move from Norwich City to Rangers. Now, it is O'Hare that the Gers are seemingly eyeing a move for this summer, as they turn to the Championship for reinforcements once again. After the season that the Coventry man has had too, interest from Ibrox comes as no surprise.

Starts

14

Goals

6

Assists

3

Progressive Passes

102

Now 25-years-old, O'Hare is entering his prime years as an attacking midfielder, meaning that Rangers would be getting a bargain deal if they managed to secure the Coventry man on a free this summer.

As FSG look to set to map out what the post-Jurgen Klopp era at Liverpool will look like, the Reds have now pulled ahead in the race to sign a popular free agent.

Liverpool set for huge summer rebuild

Whilst securing Klopp's successor in the dugout is the most pressing matter for the summer, FSG have a number of matters to address both on and off the pitch.

The Reds' hunt for a new coach has seen the Premier League side show a strong interest in ex-player Xabi Alonso, however nothing concrete has been agreed so far. Meanwhile, the search for an individual to head up the football operations has come to an end with Michael Edwards agreeing a deal to return to Anfield.

Liverpool man holding meetings to pick next club after exit decision made

He is planning to use the two-week international break to weigh up his options.

ByBen Browning Mar 16, 2024

As the backroom of this new-look Liverpool begins to take shape, attention has also turned to the playing squad with the Reds now leading the race to complete a free transfer ahead of competition from Europe's elite sides.

Liverpool leading race for free transfer

As reported in Italy, relayed by Liverpool news outlet Paisley Gates, the Reds are the favourites to secure the services of Lloyd Kelly this summer. The Bournemouth man is out of contract at the end of the season and has rejected a number of offers from his current club as he pushes for a move away from the Vitality Stadium.

The 25-year-old has caught the attention of sides across Europe with Spurs and Newcastle showing an interest in the defender as well as Italian giants Juventus and AC Milan. Despite the strong competition for the Englishman's signature, it now appears that the Reds are leading the race to complete a deal.

Kelly joined Bournemouth in a £13million deal back in 2019. Arriving from Championship outfit Bristol City, the left-footed defender has cemented himself on the south coast, playing on 132 occasions for the Cherries. Whilst the 25-year-old has earned praise during his time at Bournemouth he has struggled with injury, spending large portions of his career on the treatment table.

It was these persistent injuries that led to a false start on Kelly's time with the Cherries however then-coach Eddie Howe still saw the defender's potential, telling the press:

"I think one of the great things about Lloyd when I first met him – I was blown away by how mature he was. How much mental capacity he had to want to improve and learn and to become the very best player that he can be."

“He’s certainly someone who I think could have leadership capabilities as he grows through his career.”

“But he is an outstanding player, got great potential. We just have to be careful with him in these first few weeks.”

Whilst Kelly would not walk straight into the starting eleven at Liverpool, there is no denying that he would be a vital asset to the team. Securing his services for free and commanding a modest pay packet of just £30,000 per week, bringing Kelly to Anfield would be a no-brainer for FSG.