The transfer window is really heating up at Rangers.

On Wednesday, the Light Blues signed not one but two new players, with Joe Rothwell and Emmanuel Fernandez both arriving, the latter for a reported fee of £3.5m.

So, with the start of Champions League qualifying now less than three weeks away, Russell Martin’s mass overhaul of the squad he has inherited continues, with more new signings seemingly set to follow soon.

Rangers looking to bolster their back line

This Rangers squad requires a lot of surgery this summer, and this is no more so the case than in defence.

Transfer Focus

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

Leon Balogun has departed, joining Aris Limassol on a free transfer, while Robin Pröpper appears set to return to FC Twente too.

Meanwhile, Max Aarons has arrived on loan from Bournemouth, with Fernandez now signing too, but Martin is certainly still seeking to improve his defensive options.

Well, as reported by Anthony Joseph of Sky Sports News, Rangers are “in talks” with Wolverhampton Wanderers as they aim to sign Nasser Djiga on a season-long loan.

This would be a straight loan, with no option or obligation to buy, for the Burkina Faso international, who only joined Wolves from Crvena zvezda for a reported fee of £10m as recently as February.

The 22 year old made just six appearances in old gold following his arrival, his sole Premier League start coming at Crystal Palace in May, when Vítor Pereira made wholesale changes, with David Irvine of the Glasgow Times noting that Wolves are keen on this loan move to Ibrox so that he can ‘gain experience’ of British football.

Thus, could Djiga be a transformational addition for Rangers?

How Nasser Djiga will improve Rangers

The young defender is certainly highly-rated, described by Serbian Football Scout as a “duel monster” who reads the game well, but is also capable of a “last-ditch tackle” when required.

Meantime, writer Kai Watson believes he is the “ideal” centre-back for Martin’s possession-oriented style, labelling him a “strong passer” who possesses a “good understanding” of defensive play.

Before moving to Wolves, he caught the eye representing Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League, helping them dump out Bodø/Glimt in the play-off round, before also enjoying league phase victories over Stuttgart and Young Boys, so let’s take a look at his statistics.

As the table outlines, Djiga ranks very highly in the Champions League for all statistics included, when compared to his former teammates, doing so at a very high level, considering Crvena zvezda came up against Barcelona, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Benfica, PSV, Monaco and others during the league phase.

The centre-back’s defensive metrics are universally impressive but, more notably, so are his in-possession statistics, which will make him the perfect fit for a Martin team.

So, why will he be a more impactful signing than Aarons?

Well, in short, it’s due to what Rangers really need.

Aarons has presumably joined Rangers to play regularly, having seen just 338 minutes of action last season at Bournemouth and then Valencia, which raises serious question marks over current right-back and captain James Tavernier’s future.

Meantime, the Light Blues are desperate for central defensive reinforcements, with John Souttar and new arrival Fernandez currently the only options available to face Panathinaikos in a pivotal Champions League qualifier in just 19 days’ time.

So, while Djiga is clearly a high-potential player, he is also one that Rangers desperately require, making him a welcome and much-needed addition for Martin.

Ibrox's dream Igamane replacement: Rangers working to sign £5m striker

Rangers are eyeing up a move to sign a striker who would be a dream replacement for Hamza Igamane.

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Dan Emery

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Ligue 1 and European champions PSG have reportedly set their sights on a key Chelsea star, right after Luis Enrique’s side were dominated by him in the Club World Cup final.

Related Chelsea in talks to sign £40m "superstar" who'd brilliantly replace Madueke

With Noni Madueke on his way to Arsenal for £52m, Chelsea remain “in contact” to sign one of the Premier League’s “brightest young talents” for £40m.

Posts 1 ByBen Gray Jul 15, 2025

Enzo Maresca led the Blues to a triumphant 3-0 win over PSG at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey – a result very few on-lookers expected given PSG’s imperiousness in the build up to Sunday’s game.

The French heavyweights won five out of six matches en route to the final, including convincing performances against Atlético Madrid, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, with the elite European trio all failing to score against them.

Chelsea’s best performers in the Premier League last season

Average match rating

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

However, while Enrique managed to shut their previous CWC rivals out, he had no answer for Chelsea’s tactical masterclass.

In what was a real statement performance all-round, Chelsea transitioned from defence to attack in devastatingly effective fashion, with Cole Palmer’s brace and a strike from summer signing Joao Pedro putting the result beyond all doubt before half-time.

Chelsea hoisted the Club World Cup trophy aloft with US president Donald Trump on stage, finally putting an end to their long 2024/2025 campaign, and BlueCo also received a seismic £87.5 million financial windfall via the tournament’s prize money pool.

Attention now turns to 2025/2026 with pre-season for most clubs already starting, with Chelsea having almost no time for any rest ahead of what will be yet another crucial season for Maresca.

Stamford Bridge chiefs are also working to trim their bloated overall squad, which will have a profound effect on any plans to bring in more new recruits (Simon Philips), which they could still do.

Lesley Ugochukwu, João Félix, Renato Veiga, Christopher Nkunku, Armando Broja, Axel Disasi, Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell and Carney Chukwuemeka are among the players up for sale at Chelsea right now, and striker Nicolas Jackson could yet follow Noni Madueke out of the exit door.

This comes after Djordje Petrovic sealed a £25 million move to Bournemouth and Mathis Amougou joined Strasbourg in a permanent deal last week, just months after he signed for Chelsea from Saint-Étienne.

PSG prepared to pay £217 million for Chelsea star Cole Palmer

Now, a very bold claim has surfaced from the European media.

According to reports in Spain, PSG are “prepared” to pay £217 million for Chelsea forward Palmer, coming after the England international’s two goals against them secured Chelsea a memorable Club World Cup final win at Enrique’s expense.

Palmer is one of Maresca’s most crucial star men, and has been since his move from Man City in 2023. This definitely isn’t lost on PSG, according to this report, and their alleged potential bid would smash the world-record £200 million fee they paid for Neymar in 2017.

PSG’s sporting directors have apparently “outlined an ambitious plan” to sign Palmer, but they’re set to fall short.

Indeed, unlike many of the surplus players on their books right now, it is believed that £217m might not even be enough to get Palmer, as Chelsea are not considering his departure “under any circumstances”.

The doors are “firmly closed” when it comes to any negotiations, and the 23-year-old is happy at Chelsea as he gears up to spearhead a 25/26 trophy charge.

We are only in June, but Chelsea are wasting no time at all when it comes to the transfer window.

For example, even though the likes of Liam Delap, Mamadou Sarr and Dario Essugo are already through the doors at Stamford Bridge, the Conference League Champions are still looking to make more significant additions.

That said, with the Champions League and more expectations in the Premier League to come next season, it’s not hard to understand why the West Londoners want to make sure Enzo Maresca has everything he needs.

One of the names most heavily touted for a move to Chelsea is Jamie Gittens, but interestingly, another international has now been linked with the club, someone who’d arguably be an even better signing.

Chelsea target Premier League star

Since wrapping up their prior transfer dealings, the most significant saga Chelsea have been in has been about Gittens.

Transfer Focus

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

Interestingly, the club were first linked with him back in October and then again during the winter window, but it would be fair to say that the links have seriously heated up in the last few weeks.

In fact, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano revealed yesterday afternoon that the deal was close to being completed, while stories from late last week claimed that a fee of around £55m would be enough for Borussia Dortmund to sell.

However, while the young Englishman is undoubtedly very talented and will be an incredibly exciting addition to the squad, it now looks like the club are moving after someone from the Premier League who’d be an even better signing.

At least that is according to a recent report from Caught Offside, which has revealed that Chelsea are very interested in Nottingham Forest’s Murillo.

The report goes a step further, revealing that the Blues have already made contact with the Tricky Trees to find out more information about the player.

Unfortunately, one potential sticking point for a deal for the Brazilian is that Forest reportedly value him at more than €80m, which comes out to around £68m.

While that is an enormous amount of money, this might be a deal worth fighting for as Murillo has proven himself in the Premier League and could end up being a better signing than Gittens for Chelsea.

Why Murillo would be a better signing than Gittens for Chelsea

Now, the first thing to say is that both players would be good additions to Chelsea’s squad.

After all, it’s never a bad thing to sign an exciting and dynamic young winger, who’d not only scored at the Bernabeu but also managed to rack up a tally of 17 goal involvements in 49 games for a top European side at just 20 years old.

However, in the context of what the Blues actually need this summer, there are two significant reasons why Murillo would be a better signing than Gittens, the first of which relates to the club’s abundance of wingers in the squad.

As things stand, Maresca will be able to choose from ten players who are capable of playing on the wing next season – not including Mykhaylo Mudryk – so signing the Dortmund star will make it 11, which for any team is unnecessary.

That also leads us to the second reason: due to the number of attacking options at the Bridge, the Forest ace is likely to have a greater impact if he were to join.

After all, only one centre-back made 40 appearances across all competitions this season, Levi Colwill, while Tosin Adarabioyo made 38.

Moreover, when we compare the relevant underlying metrics between the former Fulham ace and the Tricky Trees star, like tackles, block interceptions and more, it becomes obvious that the “monstrous” Brazilian, as dubbed by journalist Ryan Taylor, would be a noticeable upgrade.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.07

0.07

Progressive Passes

3.25

2.68

Progressive Carries

0.62

0.32

Passing Accuracy

78.5%

91.1%

Key Passes

0.37

0.06

Passes into the Penalty Area

0.37

0.06

Shot-Creating Actions

1.24

0.96

Tackles

1.50

1.08

Blocks

1.95

0.57

Interceptions

1.02

0.70

Clearances

7.03

5.10

Ball Recoveries

4.01

2.61

Ultimately, Chelsea would be smart to sign both Gittens and Murillo this summer, but when it comes to who will likely have more of an impact next year and, therefore, be the better signing, we’d have to lean heavily towards the latter.

Chelsea ready to offer £80k-p/w ace in exchange for "amazing" 17 G/A star

The Blues could have a transfer trick up their sleeve.

BySean Markus Clifford Jun 24, 2025

أكد حسام غالي، عضو مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي، أن محمد أبو تريكة، زميله السابق في صفوف الفريق ومنتخب مصر السابق، خسر الكثير.

وقال حسام غالي في تصريحات لبودكاست “G.Talks”، إن محمد أبو تريكة، نجم كبير وشخصية محترمة جدًا ومؤدب، ولم ير منه أي شيء سيئ، مضيفا أنه خسر كثيرًا بسبب انتمائه السياسي.

طالع | حسام غالي يحسم موقفه من الترشح لمنصب رئيس النادي الأهلي وأول قرار سيتخذه

وتابع: “حسام حسن كان مثلي الأعلى، وكنت مهاجمًا في الصغر، فكان زملائي في مدينة بيلا بكفر الشيخ، في بعض المناسبات يطلقون علي حسام حسن، وصورته هو وإبراهيم حسن، في غرفتي منذ صغري”.

وأضاف: “البعض يرغبون في تشويه صورتي حتى لا أكون رئيسا للنادي الأهلي، وأن الانطباع السائد أنني لا أصلح لهذا المنصب”.

وكشف: “أحب الشخصية القوية، لكن بشرط ألا تكون فردية، الأهلي نادٍ بني على الجماعية وروح الفريق، وهذه القيم كانت حاضرة بقوة في فترات سابقة وأتمنى استعادتها”.

وعن مانويل جوزيه مدرب الأهلي الأسطوري، اختتم: “قد لا يوصف بالمدرب العبقري، لكنه من أفضل الشخصيات التي يمكن التعامل معها، عصبيته وطموحه وإيمانه إن الفريق هو النجم الأوحد كانت أهم مميزاته، والأجمل إنه كان مقتنع بهذا، وهو من أنجح المدربين في تاريخ الأهلي”.

India will start training in Chepauk on September 12 ahead of their first Test against Bangladesh, who will begin training on September 15

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Sep-2024

India’s red-ball players are scheduled to begin their training at Chepauk on September 12 ahead of the first Test against Bangladesh, starting September 19. Bangladesh, meanwhile, will start training at the same venue on September 15.The BCCI is yet to name the squad for the Two-Test series against Bangladesh. The announcement is likely to happen after the first round of the Duleep Trophy, to be played from September 5 to 8 in Bengaluru and Anantapur. In action will be Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant, Mukesh Kumar, Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep Singh and KS Bharat, among others.Many other Test hopefuls, such as batters Abhimanyu Easwaran, Devdutt Padikkal, B Sai Sudharsan, and bowlers R Sai Kishore, Saurabh Kumar and Yash Dayal, will be in action in the domestic season-opener.Related

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Ranji Trophy in two phases: a welcome experiment or harsh momentum breaker?

Bangladesh's small wonders conjure a Rawalpindi miracle

India are set to begin their long Test season, all part of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25, with two matches against Bangladesh, with the second Test in Kanpur. The series concludes on October 12 after three T20Is. Following this, India will play three Tests against New Zealand at home before travelling to South Africa for five white-ball matches and then go on to Australia later in the year for five Tests.India’s last Test series was against England in February-March at home which Rohit Sharma’s men won 4-1. Since then, there has been the IPL and the T20 World Cup, in the USA and the Caribbean, which India won, and white-ball series in Zimbabwe and in Sri Lanka.Bangladesh, meanwhile are coming off a historic Test series sweep against Pakistan in Rawalpindi and will be keen to take this confidence forward to Chennai.The 2-0 scoreline in Pakistan has lifted Bangladesh to No. 4 on the WTC table with 45.83 percentage points. India, meanwhile, are at the top of that table with 68.52 percentage points and will be hoping to strengthen their position in the series against Bangladesh.

Chasing 185, Bangladesh need another 143 with all ten wickets intact

Ashish Pant02-Sep-2024Hasan Mahmud and Nahid Rana combined to pick up nine wickets as Bangladesh took a big stride in their quest towards a 2-0 series sweep over Pakistan on the fourth day of the second Test in Rawalpindi.Mahmud, who picked two wickets at the fag end of the third day, added three more to his tally on the fourth afternoon to claim his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket, finishing with 5 for 43 in 10.4 overs in his third Test. Rana also registered his best Test figures – 4 for 44 – as Pakistan were bowled out for 172 in their second innings, setting up a target of 185. With Taskin Ahmed taking the other wicket, this was the first time in Bangladesh’s Test history that all ten wickets were picked up by fast bowlers.Zakir Hasan then came out with a positive intent and scored 31 not out off 23 balls with two fours and two sixes as Bangladesh wiped 42 runs off the target in just seven overs. He had Shadman Islam for company on 9 when bad light and then rain forced an early finish to the day shortly after tea. Bangladesh require another 143 runs on the final day to secure just their third overseas Test series victory and first since their 1-0 win in Zimbabwe in 2021.Related

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Resuming on 9 for 2 with a lead of 21, it was shaping up to be a good morning for Pakistan, with Shan Masood and Saim Ayub looking positive. Masood began by punching Taskin down the ground before Ayub clipped the pace bowler off his pads. There were a few plays and misses, and tight leaves, but the duo largely looked untroubled as they collected 34 runs in the first 6.2 overs of the day.But soon after that came a loose drive from Ayub and Bangladesh came galloping back. Taskin bowled one full outside off stump and Ayub went for a drive on the up only to find Najmul Hossain Shanto at mid-off. Babar Azam started with a cracking a square cut off Taskin but was far from his usual self. He missed a straight ball from Mehidy Hasan Miraz and was hit on the pad. Bangladesh reviewed the on-field decision of not out, but replays suggested the ball was missing the leg stump.Nahid was brought into the attack in the 17th over, and it took him all of three balls to strike. He sent back Masood, whose half-hearted attempt at a drive only found the outside edge for a simple catch to the wicketkeeper. Nahid then had Babar edging to first slip with a good-length ball that bounced a touch more than what the batter expected. He should have dismissed Mohammad Rizwan first ball but Shadman, who had taken a catch the previous delivery, spilled an almost identical chance.Zakir Hasan stared briskly in a chase of 185•AFP/Getty ImagesEven when he was not taking wickets, Nahid caused plenty of trouble. He consistently bowled over 140kph and generated awkward bounce with his high-arm action. He threatened both edges and even hit Rizwan on the helmet with a nasty bouncer. Rizwan, visibly shaken, called the physio a few times but carried on.Nahid picked up his third wicket when Saud Shakeel hung his bat out, offering a simple catch to Litton Das as Pakistan slipped from 47 for 2 to 81 for 6. Rizwan and Salman Agha, though, made sure Pakistan did not lose another wicket till lunch while extending the lead to 129.With Rizwan still feeling fuzzy and looking for quick runs, Bangladesh stuck to their plan, making sure there were no easy runs. Mahmud, who wasn’t as incisive in the first session, stuck to the channel outside off stump. That brought about a false shot from Rizwan, playing away from his body and getting a thin edge to the wicketkeeper. The very next ball, Mahmud had Mohammad Ali edging to first slip.While the hat-trick was averted, Abrar Ahmed lasted only 12 balls and became Rana’s fourth victim with the scoreboard reading 145 for 9. But a swift end to the innings was delayed by Agha, who added vital runs with the lower order for the second time in the match. He stitched a 27-run stand with Mir Hamza before Mahmud claimed his fifth wicket. It came via an inside edge onto the pad with the ball lobbing to Mehidy at second slip. Mahmud bowed to the turf before leading the team off the field with the ball raised high.Pakistan needed early wickets but their hopes were quashed by Zakir, who was on the move early. He was aggressive with his footwork, often charging at the bowlers early. He clipped Khurram Shahzad for a six over long leg before pulling him for another six, this time over deep-backward square leg as Bangladesh moved 37 for no loss in six overs at tea.Only one over was possible after the break before it got too dark for play to continue.

Nottingham Forest are now in talks to sign an “insane” £30m winger, who could be brought in as a replacement for Anthony Elanga this summer, journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed.

Elanga set to seal £55m Newcastle move

Forest, of course, made an unexpected push for the Champions League places last season, and Elanga was key to their success, finishing with a total of six goals and 11 assists after featuring in every single Premier League match.

However, the Sweden international is poised to seal a move to Premier League rivals Newcastle United in the very near future, having recently arrived on Tyneside ahead of the big-money move to the Magpies.

It will be a difficult task for Nuno Espirito Santo to find a suitable replacement for the winger, but the Tricky Trees have wasted no time searching for potential options, and they are now in talks over a deal for PSV Eindhoven’s Johan Bakayoko.

That is according to Jacobs, who took to X to reveal that Bakayoko is viewed as a replacement for Elanga by Forest, and he could be available for a relatively affordable fee, with the Dutch side looking to receive around £30m.

However, Newcastle have also been named as potential suitors, which could pose a problem for Nuno’s side, although it is unclear whether they will remain keen after the deal for Elanga is wrapped up.

Nottingham Forest identify Elanga replacement in £50m Premier League star

Nuno is considering his options.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 5, 2025 "Insane" Bakayoko could be ideal Elanga replacement

Nuno is likely to consider Elanga’s departure a big blow, having singled out the 23-year-old for high praise after scoring in the 1-0 victory over Manchester United last season, saying: “It was an amazing goal because he (Anthony Elanga) did it all by himself!

He has ability and pace to drive with the ball and it was magnificent to see.”

However, all the manager can do now is try and bring in a like-for-like replacement, and Bakayoko could fit the bill, given that the PSV winger is also a fantastic dribbler of the ball, showcasing his ability to take-on defenders regularly over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Non-penalty goals

0.51 (97th percentile)

Progressive carries

7.41 (99th percentile)

Successful take-ons

2.68 (94th percentile)

Touches (Att pen)

7.41 (99th percentile)

The 22-year-old has also been lauded for his “insane” talent by football scout Ben Mattinson, and given his age, he is well-placed to be a fantastic long-term replacement for Elanga.

As such, it is exciting news that Forest have now made an approach for Bakayoko, and £30m could be a fair fee, given his talent, but they will be hoping that top clubs do not renew their interest, with Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich previously being named as potential suitors.

Andy Umeed struck a commanding, clinical 63 as Somerset made short work of Northamptonshire Steelbacks, chasing down 156 to win this Metro Bank One Day Cup clash at Wantage Road with 148 balls to spare.Umeed faced 66 balls, blasting six fours and two sixes and combined with George Thomas (28) to get Somerset’s run chase off to a rapid start, the pair racing to 50 off just 31 balls in a blaze of boundaries. While Umeed fell with just 21 needed for victory, James Rew and Sean Dickson saw them home by seven wickets.In a match reduced to 49 overs a side due to rain, Saif Zaib cut a lone figure with 57 as Northamptonshire were bundled out for 155 inside 38 overs. Josh Davey claimed two early wickets before Zaib rebuilt, finding support from Ricardo Vasconcelos (29) and Lewis McManus (20).But hopes the Steelbacks might post more than 200 were soon dashed as the lower order collapsed, the last four wickets falling for seven runs in four overs, all seven Somerset bowlers taking at least one wicket. Somerset’s victory will give them extra confidence heading into next month’s Vitality Blast T20 quarter final between these two sides.Somerset made a crucial early breakthrough to remove their nemesis Prithvi Shaw, who plundered 244 off their attack in last season’s corresponding fixture. Shaw started positively, taking two boundaries off the opening over before he was caught behind off Alfie Ogborne.Davey then struck in consecutive overs, spearing one back in to clean bowl former Somerset teammate George Bartlett before James Sales played inside the line of a straight ball which hit the top of off-stump to leave Northamptonshire 33 for three at the end of the powerplay.Vasconcelos pulled Ogborne for two boundaries and helped take Northamptonshire past 50. But after sweeping a wide ball from Archie Vaughan for four, he attempted the same shot to a straight one and was was adjudged lbw, giving the offspinner his first senior wicket.Archie Vaughan – pictured being presented with his Somerset cap – took his first senior wicket•Getty Images

Zaib and McManus rebuilt, putting on 46 in 10.2 overs. Zaib smashed Vaughan down the ground for six and pulled Thomas from outside off-stump for another maximum. McManus too cleared the ropes when he dispatched Vaughan over long-on.But the break for drinks brought two quick wickets as first McManus had his off stump uprooted and next over Gus Miller was bowled by a Jack Leach delivery which straightened.Zaib duly scooped Leach for four to bring up his half-century off 62 deliveries, but that was where Northamptonshire’s celebrations ended as their lower order imploded.Zaib was first to go, caught in the deep when he attempted to muscle Lewis Goldsworthy over long-off for six. Michael Finan was bowled when he heaved at one from Riley Meredith and missed, Ben Sanderson chipped a return catch back to Goldsworthy, and Freddie Heldreich was caught behind off Ogborne. Justin Broad provided some late resistance, finishing 19 not out.In the run chase, Thomas took on Sanderson, who unusually failed to hit his trademark metronomic form. Thomas drove fluently and punched Sanderson through midwicket and flicked him over midwicket for six.Umeed meanwhile was unfurling textbook cover drives off Finan and played some attacking shots in the air, carving a Sanderson free hit behind square for four and flicking the same bowler over deep square leg for six.Thomas’ downfall came courtesy of an excellent diving catch from Vasconcelos at short midwicket off Broad, but next batter Goldsworthy (20) was soon into his stride. He got off the mark by cover driving Finan for four and leant into a wide delivery from Broad to square drive him to the ropes.Broad picked up his second wicket though when he pinned Goldsworthy in front lbw with Somerset 88 for 2.Umeed meanwhile was motoring, pulling Sales nonchalantly for four to bring up his half-century and clubbing Heldreich over deep midwicket for a huge six. He was ultimately unable to see his side over the line, edging a catch behind off Sales, leaving Rew and Dickson to wrap up the win.

Rangers transfer business so far this summer has been solid under Russell Martin as he embarks on his maiden season in charge of the club.

A couple impressed during the 2-0 win over Greek side Panathinaikos in the Champions League qualifier on Tuesday evening, with winger Djeidi Gassama scoring the crucial second goal with a smart finish.

It was a positive second half display by the Ibrox side, and they now have one foot in the next round of qualifiers.

The likes of Max Aarons, Nasser Djiga, Thelo Aasgaard and Joe Rothwell all look excellent signings for the Light Blues, but Martin wont be stopping there when it comes to adding more players.

Others have been linked with a move to the club of late, with names such as Luuk de Jong, Salvatore Esposito and even Jamie Vardy being touted over potential moves to Glasgow.

Much will depend on the money Martin has at his disposal, as he could be waiting for a few players to depart before eyeing any further move.

Robin Propper has completed his move back to former club FC Twente, which will free up some of the wage bill.

One player who has been linked heavily with a move to Rangers is Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi. Signing the player would signify a statement of intent by Martin, no doubt about that.

What Martin has said about Rak-Sakyi deal

The Palace winger is of interest to the club and Martin has stated that he has tried to sign him previously.

“He’s a player I liked at Southampton. We tried to take him there and it didn’t quite happen,” said Martin amid the links to the youngster. “So, he’s a player I like and I think he’s a player the recruitment staff like. But, how far that’s gone, I’m not too sure.”

A few days ago, Rangers made an offer to Palace for the 22-year-old. The proposed deal was for Rak-Sakyi to move to Ibrox on a season-long loan ahead of making the move permanent next summer for a fee worth up to £10m.

This was rejected by the Premier League outfit and it remains to be seen whether Martin will adopt a different strategy or move on to other targets.

Last term, the Englishman spent a spell on loan with Sheffield United in the Championship. He scored seven goals and grabbed two assists for the Blades, but it wasn’t enough to see them secure promotion back to the top flight.

Improving his wide options is something Martin is keen to do before the transfer window shuts. A move for Rak-Sakyi would certainly be an interesting one, especially given how much the club were willing to pay for him permanently.

He is certainly a talented player, yet during his spell with Palace, he has made just ten senior appearances, registering zero goal contributions.

Appearances

43

34

Starts

40

22

Goals

15

7

Minutes per goal

233

248

Big chances created

5

3

Key passes per game

1.3

0.9

Assists

8

2

Should any proposed move cool down in the coming weeks, Martin could perhaps go after an alternative option – Abu Kamara.

Rangers’ search for a new winger

While Gassama may have been signed, bringing another wide player into the squad could prove advantageous for Martin and his team. A few weeks ago, it was reported via Sky Sports that the Gers were weighing up a potential offer to sign Hull City star Kamara.

Due to Hull’s financial issues, any deal for Kamara – who joined his current side for £4m last year – would likely be a cut-price one, which could suggest this is a more likely move to go ahead compared to the Rak-Sakyi one.

Furthermore, he is a year younger than the Palace starlet, and he also played in the Championship last season.

Given Palace’s demands for their young talent, perhaps a move for Kamara is the more feasible option out of the two. If so, Martin could forget all about Rak-Sakyi, as Kamara has all the attributes which could see him shine for the Light Blues this season.

Why Rangers want to sign Abu Kamara

Throughout his embryonic career thus far, Kamara has already racked up 95 senior appearances for Hull, Portsmouth and Norwich, scoring 16 goals and grabbing 15 assists for these clubs.

Despite being a year older, Rak-Sakyi has made the same number of senior appearances, although he has scored 22 goals and grabbed 11 assists in the process.

With the two players starring in the second tier last season, it is important to measure how they performed to see who stood out in a range of statistics.

Indeed, Kamara registered a shots on target percentage of 38.9%, while also recording 74 shot-creating actions, taking 494 touches in the final third, completing 519 carries and delivering 55 crosses into the opposition penalty area.

In comparison, Rak-Sakyi registered a shots on target percentage of 34.8% in the Championship last term, along with generating 71 shot-creating actions, taking 405 touches in the final third, completing 427 carries and delivering 34 crosses into the box.

As you can see, Kamara has better stats across all of these performance metrics compared to the Palace winger.

Kamara even created more big chances in the second tier last season compared to Rak-Sakyi (seven vs three) and missed fewer big chances (five vs six), suggesting that he was the better creator of opportunities.

Former teammate Conor Shaughnessy lavished plenty of praise on Kamara during their spell at Portsmouth, saying that “he will be dangerous on the right wing for them” when referencing his return to Hull City after his loan spell.

There is no doubt Kamara will get better as time goes on and experiencing European football at Ibrox will certainly aid his development.

Rak-Sakyi would be a fine signing, especially given his talent. But for the fee mentioned, it looks as though this deal could drag on throughout the summer.

In Kamara, Martin could sign someone who has demonstrated better stats in the same league as the Palace starlet, and he would be available for a cheaper price.

Watch this space.

Rangers target now up for sale in long-term deal after loan-to-buy offer

The youngster is up for sale…

ByBrett Worthington Jul 25, 2025

تحدث الأرجنتيني خافيير ماسكيرانو، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي إنتر ميامي عن مستقبل قائده ليونيل ميسي وحقيقة استمراره الفترة المقبلة بالدوري الأمريكي.

وكانت الشكوك تحوم حول مستقبل ليونيل ميسي بشكل كبير مع الفريق الأمريكي بعدما اقترب عقده من الانتهاء.

النجم الأرجنتيني جاءت له عروض مغرية كثيرة وعلى رأسها من صندوق الاستثمار السعودي من أجل الانتقال إلى دوري روشن لكن الأمر لم يتم حتى الآن.

كان ميسي قد أفاد في تصريحات سابقة له بأنه من المحتمل ألا يشارك في بطولة كأس العالم 2026 المقبل والمقرر إقامته في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية وكندا والمكسيك.

اقرأ أيضًا | تشكيل ليفربول المتوقع أمام إيفرتون اليوم في الدوري الإنجليزي

ومن جانبه قال خافيير ماسكيرانو، المدير الفني لفريق إنتر ميامي بشأن تجديد عقد ميسي في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “موندو دبورتيفو”: “أتمنى أن يحدث ذلك قريبًا”.

وأكمل: “أتمنى أن يستمر ميسي معنا لأنني أعتقد أنه خبر رائع، ليس فقط للنادي، بل للدوري الأمريكي عمومًا، أليس كذلك؟”.

وأتم: “لا أعتقد أن الأمر يقتصر على الفريق فقط، من الواضح أنه أمر فريد من نوعه بالنسبة للفريق وللنادي ولتاريخ هذا النادي والدوري”.