Category Uncategorized

New Zealand came close in the 219-run chase, but Sri Lanka did enough to get a consolation win

Madushka Balasuriya02-Jan-2025In the end, Sri Lanka did enough. That’s not something you’d expect to say about a team that had racked up 218 runs in their first innings, but it speaks towards just how well New Zealand had set about their chase for most of the innings. It was a victory set up largely by Kusal Perera’s maiden T20I ton, the fastest ever by a Sri Lankan, coming off just 44 deliveries.For about 15 overs of the chase New Zealand were keeping up with the nearly 11-an-over required rate, and when Daryl Mitchell struck Charith Asalanka for four consecutive sixes in a 25-run 15th over they might have even been ahead.Sri Lanka then thought they had done enough with a couple of wickets at the death, before Zachary Foulkes’ final-over fireworks provided yet another scare. But despite frayed nerves, Sri Lanka held on to close out a consolatory seven-run win.Having entered inside the powerplay, Perera fell with less than two overs left in the innings, and such was the impact of his innings even a run-a-ball final two overs couldn’t prevent Sri Lanka from registering their second-highest T20I total ever.Asalanka also played a starring role – despite the treatment meted out by Mitchell – backing up his 46 with the bat with a three-wicket haul that derailed New Zealand’s well-planned chase. He also took a scorcher of a catch at extra cover to cap an impressive outing. There was however no looking beyond Perera for the player of the match award.Jacob Duffy, a thorn in Sri Lanka’s side throughout the series, picked up just the solitary wicket this time round, although his economy rate of 7.50 was still the best of any bowler who bowled at least two overs in the game. He was deservedly named player of the series.SL and NZ trade early blowsThe rollercoaster nature of the game was telegraphed right from the start. Sri Lanka lost three of their top four inside the opening 10 overs, and their openers inside the powerplay, but they didn’t let that slow them down.Kusal Mendis struck 22 off 16, Pathum Nissanka 14 off 12 and Avishka Fernando 17 off 12, as Sri Lanka kept a steady rate of around eight an over.Despite the early wickets, it could have been better too, had New Zealand held on to miscued reverse sweep off Perera when he was on just 15.Despite taking two excellent grabs to dismiss both Nissanka and Mendis, it was the chance they will likely look back on and regret.Mitchell Santner celebrates Kusal Mendis’ wicket•MARTY MELVILLE/AFP via Getty ImagesPerera and Sri Lanka turn on the afterburnersDespite losing three wickets, Sri Lanka’s score of 85 after the first 10 overs constituted their best score at the halfway mark of an innings all series. But the 10 overs to follow would put that tally comfortably in the shade.Led by a belligerent Perera, and aided by some short boundaries at Nelson, Sri Lanka proceeded to plunder 133 runs off the final 10 overs – and that could have been considerably more if not for two excellent overs at the death from Mitchell and Duffy.Those two overs went for six each, but that Sri Lanka still ended up on a mammoth 218 speaks towards the damage done in the overs that preceded them – particularly devastating was a four-over period from overs 14-18 that brought 75 runs. Much of that was down to Perera, whose century came at a strike rate above 200 and included 13 fours and four sixes.While he initially targeted the boundaries behind square with a catalogue of sweeps, switch hits and outright slogs, by the end his knock was a true 360 exhibition – a monster six over cover to bring up his century emphatically ramming home the point.He was kept company by an equally combative Asalanka, who struck 46 off 24 during a 100-run fourth wicket stand that came off just 45 deliveries.Well prepared New Zealand come out firingRegardless of the match situation you can always count on New Zealand to come out with an effective plan, and their chase in Nelson was a prime example.Most sides would be overawed when hunting down a target of 219, but from the very first over of the chase New Zealand set the tone as Tim Robinson and Rachin Ravindra each took Chamidu Wickramasinghe for a boundary each.This was followed by a five-run over by Nuwan Thushara, but New Zealand made up for that by taking on Sri Lanka’s most effective seamer this series, Binura Fernando, for 18 off his opening over.Sixty-three runs were scored inside the powerplay, but the onslaught only continued afterwards. By the halfway point New Zealand had run up 108 runs and still had eight wickets in hand.Charith Asalanka struck in three consecutive overs•MARTY MELVILLE/AFP via Getty ImagesAsalanka the unlikely heroWith Thushara and Binura being saved for the death overs and Theekshana having an off day, Asalanka was left with a conundrum through the middle overs. Was he going to rely on the green Wickramasinghe to handle the fifth bowler quota on his own, or would he bowl a few himself?He ended up opting for the latter, and it might just be what swung the game in Sri Lanka’s direction. In his first over the Lankan skipper removed Mark Chapman, before taking out Glenn Phillips in his second. But it was his third that brought the big fish, sliding one past Ravindra’s inside edge to dismiss the New Zealand opener for a 39-ball 69.Perhaps Asalanka overestimated his capabilities in bowling himself out, and was duly punished by Mitchell. But his breakthroughs meant New Zealand would be forced to score heavily off Sri Lanka’s frontline bowlers at the death.New Zealand can’t stick the landingDespite Asalanka’s strikes, Mitchell’s monster striking had brought the equation down to 51 from 30 with six wickets in hand.At that point it seemed like the hard work had been all but done, but New Zealand just couldn’t stick the landing. Hasaranga’s double-wicket 16th over did much to reverse to momentum that had swung New Zealand’s way through Mitchell’s onslaught. And then when Mitchell fell an over later, looking to take on Thushara, the writing seemed on the wall.Foulkes however ensured Sri Lanka were made to work for their win with some powerful hitting at the death, but the visitors just about managed to hold on.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Russell Martin will not be pleased with the way his team have started the 2025/26 Scottish Premiership season.

The Light Blues failed to win both of their opening matches in the division, drawing 1-1 with Motherwell on the opening day before drawing 1-1 with Dundee at Ibrox.

There is still plenty of time left in the summer transfer window for the Scottish giants to do more work to ensure that their team is ready to compete for trophies this season, though.

Whilst there will be a focus on incoming additions to excite the supporters and improve the current starting line-up, a new report suggests that Martin could be losing a player from his playing squad.

According to Brazilian journalists Andre Hernan and Bruno Andrade, Palmeiras are in the process of finalising a deal to sign Jefte from the Light Blues this summer, in what will be a permanent move for the defender.

After just one year at Ibrox after moving from Fluminense, the 21-year-old talent appears to be on his way out of Glasgow to return to his home country.

Why selling Jefte will be a blow for Rangers

Losing the left-footed ace will be a blow to Rangers in the short-term because he is the only senior left-footed left-back who has been utilised by Martin so far this season.

Ridvan Yilmaz has not made a single matchday squad in the 2025/26 campaign, and it was recently reported that he has reached an agreement with Besiktas over a return to Turkey. This means that Jefte’s proposed move to Palmeiras would leave Martin without a left-footed left-back in his side, which would result in Max Aarons going back to that position, a role in which he looked incredibly uncomfortable against Panathinaikos and Motherwell.

Whilst Jefte is not the finished article or the perfect left-back for Rangers, the 21-year-old gem does offer balance to the team as a naturally left-footed player in that position, which cannot be said for the right-footed Aarons.

24/25 Premiership

Jefte

Starts

30

Goals

1

Assists

4

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.3

Dribbled past

17x

Ground duel success rate

52%

Aerial duel success rate

57%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Brazilian defender did not have a completely awful first season at Ibrox in the Premiership, starting 30 of their 38 games and winning the majority of his physical duels on the deck and in the air.

However, Jefte had issues that are not easy to track on a stats sheet. Too often, the full-back would not be aware of the player over his shoulder and would get caught sleeping at the back post for goals.

The Palmeiras target also did not have his best game against Dundee in the Premiership last weekend. He only completed one of his five attempted crosses and was tackled in four of his five attempted dribbles, per Sofascore, which shows that the left-back struggled both technically and with his decision-making.

Putting all of this together, it is a blow for the Light Blues to lose their first-choice left-back in the short-term, but it also provides them with an opportunity to improve their team by swooping for a new option in that area of the pitch.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

Rangers and Celtic were both recently linked with an interest in Monaco full-back Kassoum Ouattara, who is currently valued at a fee of around £13m by the French side.

It was claimed that a permanent deal, which would be a club record for both clubs, is unlikely and that the Glasgow giants may look down the loan route for the 20-year-old dynamo, if possible.

Why Rangers should sign Kassoum Ouattara

The Gers should push to beat Celtic to Ouattara’s signature before the end of the summer transfer window with a move for him this month, because he could be a fantastic addition to the squad as a replacement for Jefte.

Should the Brazilian’s move to Palmeiras go through as reported, Rangers will need to find a left-footed left-back who can provide enough quality on the pitch to improve Martin’s team, and the Monaco youngster appears to fit the bill.

The young defender only started five of his 12 appearances in the French top-flight during the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, but showcased his quality in those limited outings for Monaco.

Ouattara also played in Ligue 2 with Amiens in the 2023/24 campaign and caught the eye with 3.3 tackles and interceptions and 6.1 ball recoveries per game, which shows that he can offer a strong defensive presence at left-back when needed.

However, his performances in Ligue 1 for Monaco in the most recent season showed what he is best at: attacking. The £13m-rated full-back was an effective attacking force down the left flank with his ability to create chances for his teammates on a regular basis in the final third.

24/25 season *per 90

Ouattara (Ligue 1)

Jefte (Premiership)

xA*

0.29

0.11

Chances created*

1.38

1.14

Successful crosses*

1.62

1.00

Cross accuracy

41.2%

28.3%

Assists*

0.23

0.13

Dribbles completed*

1.15

1.17

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Ouattara’s attacking output was even more impressive than Jefte’s was in the Premiership in a Rangers side that ultimately finished second in the division.

These statistics show that the French starlet has outstanding potential as an attack-minded left-back, as he created almost three times as much xA per 90 in comparison to the Brazilian.

Analyst and writer Kai Watson described Ouattara as a “very offensive” full-back and these statistics certainly back up that claim, as he is an exceptional passer and crosser on the evidence of his form in one of Europe’s major leagues last term.

The task for him, though, is to prove that he can do it over the course of an entire season. A move to Ibrox would provide him with a platform to do exactly that, with a vacant spot at left-back if Jefte moves on, and in a team that will be competing for the title this term.

Related Exciting Gassama repeat: Rangers submit bid to sign "dangerous" £3.5m star

Rangers are reportedly in talks to sign a star who would be an exciting Djeidi Gassama repeat.

Posts ByDan Emery Aug 13, 2025

Therefore, the Light Blues should be making a move to sign Ouattara from Monaco this summer because he could come in as a dream replacement for Jefte as an attack-minded full-back for Martin.

Ishan Kishan marked his return to first-class cricket with a counterattacking 126-ball 111 that helped India C dominate proceedings on the opening day of the second round of matches in the Duleep Trophy, in Anantapur.Not originally part of the revised squads named by the BCCI on September 10, Kishan was a late inclusion on match-eve. Having made a late dash from Bengaluru, 200 kilometers away, Kishan slotted in for India C, not India D who he was originally set to play for, before picking up a groin injury that forced him to miss the first round of matches last week.Kishan dominated during the course of a 189-run stand for the third wicket with B Indrajith, which formed the bedrock of India C’s batting performance; they ended on 357 for 5 after 79 overs. Indrajith contributed 78, his second half-century in three innings.Kishan, who brought up his seventh first-class century, hit 14 fours and three sixes in all during his knock, which officially marks his comeback to proper red-ball cricket for the first time since his Test debut in the Caribbean in July 2023.Last month, he had led Jharkhand in two games of the pre-season Buchi Babu Invitational in Tamil Nadu – the scores of which aren’t classified under first-class records. There, Kishan had struck a hundred in his very first outing against a Madhya Pradesh XI.Three of the five India C wickets were picked up by seamer Mukesh Kumar, while Navdeep Saini and legspinner Rahul Chahar picked up one apiece.India C, however, will be encouraged by the return of Ruturaj Gaikwad, their captain, who had retired hurt in the very first over after twisting his ankle. Gaikwad, who returned to bat at the fall of Indrajith’s wicket, added 42 more to his score to remain unbeaten on 46 at stumps.B Sai Sudharsan and Rajat Patidar, both seeking to firmly cement themselves as first back-up middle order picks, couldn’t build on strong starts, making 43 and 40 respectively.

Sunderland are now reportedly part of a seven-club battle to sign a huge young talent this summer, with six other English clubs also in the mix to snap him up.

Sunderland agree move for Xhaka

The Black Cats are edging closer to their return to the Premier League, with their opening clash at home to West Ham now less than three weeks away, arriving on August 16th.

Regis Le Bris is still eyeing important summer transfer business for Sunderland, with more quality required within his squad, and Granit Xhaka is now on the verge of joining from Bayer Leverkusen, according to Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie. The Swiss will join on a three-year deal, arriving for an initial fee of £13m, with a total of £4.3m in add-ons for the former Arsenal midfielder.

Meanwhile, the Black Cats are also thought to be pushing to sign Galatasaray forward Nicolo Zaniolo, with the Italian earning some Premier League experience on loan at Aston Villa in the past.

New attacking signings appear to be the order of the day for Sunderland after Xhaka is signed, and now a young player with a potentially big future ahead of him has been linked with a switch to the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland make contact with England international

According to a fresh claim from Football Insider, Sunderland have “enquired” about the availability of young Metz striker Idrissa Gueye, who is valued at £17m by his current club.

The Black Cats are far from the only club in the race to bring in the 18-year-old, however, with Liverpool, West Ham, Crystal Palace, Brighton, Southampton and Ipswich Town all mentioned as potential suitors.

Gueye is described as “one of the hottest properties in Europe” in the report, so Sunderland beating the other six clubs to his signature, among others dotted around Europe, would be a real statement of intent by the Premier League newcomers.

The Metz ace has already scored five goals in 20 appearances for the French outfit at senior level, not to mention already winning one cap for Senegal at international level at a tender age.

Gueye wouldn’t necessarily arrive at Sunderland as a more polished attacking player like Zaniolo, but he would be seen as a footballer with a high ceiling who could grow into something special over time.

Sunderland make £13m bid to sign "goal machine" and want deal done ASAP

The Black Cats have included a buy-back clause.

ByCharlie Smith Jul 28, 2025

Admittedly, £17m is a lot to pay for a player who is still only 18 years of age, but if the Black Cats see him as someone who can become a superstar at the Stadium of Light eventually, he could be worth every penny.

“Brendon just brings this energy, it helps being somebody who’s been there and done it, in the way he played.”

Andrew Miller08-Sep-2024

Moeen Ali was an integral member of two World Cup-winning squads, in 2019 and 2022•AFP/Getty Images

Moeen Ali believes that Brendon McCullum is “100 percent” the right man to revive England’s flagging white-ball fortunes, and backs him to bring out the best in his captain Jos Buttler too, after confirming that he is calling time on his own international career at the age of 37.Moeen, who played 138 ODIs and 92 T20Is in a ten-year England career, was an integral member of two World Cup-winning squads, in 2019 and 2022, the latter as Buttler’s vice-captain and on-field sounding board.Having also featured at the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, Moeen went on to play a key role in the white-ball revolution under Eoin Morgan and Trevor Bayliss. Now, he backs McCullum and Buttler to forge a similarly successful partnership, as the squad seeks another rebuild after their poor defences of both the 50- and 20-over titles in 2023 and 2024.Related

Moeen Ali was cool the way cool is meant to be

PCB says Multan and Rawalpindi to remain as venues for England Tests

'Felt the time was right' – Moeen Ali retires from international cricket

Ollie Pope is a potential weak link for England at No. 3

McCullum takes over the white-ball role from Matthew Mott, who was sacked in July after England’s semi-final exit at the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean. Speaking to Sky Sports during the ongoing Oval Test match, Moeen suggested that McCullum’s aura, as a former New Zealand captain and one of the great white-ball batters of all time, would give him a standing in the dressing-room that his predecessor never had.”Brendon just brings this energy,” Moeen said. “It helps being somebody who’s been there and done it, in the way he played.”Sometimes, when the coach says ‘go and do this’, and they never did it themselves, it’s quite difficult to take on. But Brendon brings that energy, and I think it’d be great for Jos more than anything, because he’s got so much on his plate with batting, bowling, keeping, captaining and all that.”Brendon will take the pressure off Jos, and he can just play as captain on the field. Brendon will be more in control, I think.”Speaking in the wake of his appointment, McCullum noted that Buttler had cut a bit of a “miserable” figure in recent months, with some noticeably terse exchanges with the media during the World Cup, and with a long-standing calf injury preventing him for playing any competitive cricket since that semi-final exit against India.Moeen had been an increasingly influential figure in the field throughout Buttler’s captaincy, often ringing the changes in the field and communicating with the bowlers from mid-on and mid-off while Buttler focussed on his role as wicketkeeper. He led England on 13 occasions (12 T20Is and a one-off ODI in Australia), including England’s entire seven-match series in Pakistan in October 2022 that doubled as a warm-up for their T20 World Cup victory.But, with a new generation of white-ball cricketers coming through, Moeen insisted that Buttler would not lack lieutenants as he embarks on England’s rebuild. Phil Salt will captain next week’s T20I series against Australia, while Harry Brook is on standby to lead the ODI squad if Buttler does not recover from his calf injury in time.”When Morgs initially took over, he didn’t really have a right-hand man, but a good, tough captain produces leaders, and I think over time you’ll get that,” Moeen said. “At the moment, obviously you’ve got Sam Curran and these guys who can lead, but sometimes as a vice-captain you can almost talk too much, and give too much advice.”I felt that sometimes, maybe, I did that, but I think Jos will make everyone feel like they can come and speak to him. He’s very approachable, but I think he will do his own thing. There’s a lot of leaders out there who potentially can be great leaders in the future.”

Chelsea can officially start to make moves during the summer transfer window after it opened for business on Sunday, and that includes exits as well as incomings.

Towards the end of last month, the Daily Mail reported that Crystal Palace could make a move to bring Trevoh Chalobah back to Selhurst Park, after they qualified for the Europa League by winning the FA Cup.

It remains to be seen whether or not the Blues would be willing to part ways with the academy graduate, whom they recalled in January, but they were willing to send him out on loan to Palace last summer.

Chalobah started the Conference League final against Real Betis, but was also an unused substitute in the last two Premier League games as Chelsea chased a top-five finish.

Chelsea eyeing deal for new centre-back

The 25-year-old defender, whose sale would represent pure profit for the Blues as a homegrown player, could find himself on his way out of Stamford Bridge amid talk that the club are interested in bringing another centre-back to the club.

He is already behind Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, and Wesley Fofana, when available, which suggests that the addition of another player in that position could send him too far down the pecking order.

Transfer Focus

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

With a move for Liam Delap all but sewn up, now according to The Guardian, Chelsea are ‘considering’ a swoop to sign England international Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Blues are eyeing up a deal for the English centre-back, who is ‘widely expected’ to move on from Selhurst Park ahead of next season.

The Guardian recently reported that Palace value Guehi at a fee of around £65m, although it remains to be seen whether or not Chelsea would be willing to pay that much for their former defender.

Why Chelsea should sign Marc Guehi

The Conference League champions should swoop to sign the £65m-rated England international this summer because he would arrive as a big upgrade on Trevoh Chalobah, due to the defensive qualities that the former Cobham star can bring to the side.

Guehi, who has previously been hailed as “unbelievable” by podcast host Aaron Moniz, is a proven Premier League performer who has been there and done it and could hit the ground running at Stamford Bridge.

As a former academy graduate, he would also not need much time to adapt to life at Cobham and with some of the players with whom he would already be familiar, like the captain Reece James, which could work in his favour.

24/25 Premier League	Marc Guehi	Trevoh Chalobah
Appearances	34	25
Tackles + interceptions per game	2.6	2.4
Clearances per game	4.6	4.2
Blocks per game	0.2	0.1
Duels won per game	4.9	4.2
Duel success rate	59%	59%
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Guehi’s performances in the Premier League this season also suggest that he would be a big upgrade on Chalobah as an out-and-out defender.

Whilst the individual statistics may not show a big difference, with only 0.4 more clearances per game or 0.2 more tackles and interceptions per game, it is the fact that he is ahead of the Chelsea defender in every category that stands out.

This means that Guehi could come in and offer more to Enzo Maresca’s side as a centre-back in every aspect of defending, from winning duels, to making blocks, to being in the right place at the right time to make vital clearances.

He is also less prone to making mistakes. Chalobah made two errors that led to goals in the Premier League, whilst Guehi did not make a single error that led directly to a goal, which suggests that the Palace star would be more reliable at the heart of the defence.

Big Sancho upgrade: Chelsea step up move for 'one of the world's best'

Chelsea could be ready to land an upgrade on Jadon Sancho this summer

1

By
Robbie Walls

Jun 1, 2025

Therefore, Chelsea should press ahead with a deal to sign the £65m-rated English star this summer because he could come in as a big upgrade on Chalobah to improve Maresca’s defence next season.

Glasgow Rangers will have new owners and a new manager at Ibrox by the time pre-season comes along.

The deal for the 49ers Enterprises appears to be close to completion and this could give the Gers a massive boost ahead of the 2025/26 season.

Appointing a new manager is first up on the priority list for the 49ers and this decision could be the most important one Rangers make in their recent history.

Get it right and the Ibrox side could challenge Celtic for all three domestic trophies next season, reasserting their dominance of Scottish football.

Bring in the wrong man, however, and the same vicious cycle that has plagued the club since Gerrard left in 2021 will be repeated.

Whoever arrives in Glasgow as the new manager will have plenty of work to do. The first-team squad needs to be stripped of the deadwood, which will allow the manager to raise funds and clear the wage bill.

The likes of Ben Davies, Kieran Dowell, Rabbi Matondo and Tom Lawrence should all be moved on when the window opens.

On the other hand, several players have massive futures, notably Nico Raskin, Hamza Igamane and Mohamed Diomande.

The former two are attracting interest due to their performances of late, but Diomande also has an extraordinarily high ceiling in the game.

Why Diomande has such a high ceiling

While Raskin and Igamane have been generating plenty of interest of late, Diomande has gone about his business in a quieter manner.

That isn’t to say he isn’t as important, as the midfielder can operate in a few roles within the midfield area.

The 23-year-old has spent time as a number ten on occasions this term, contributing five goal involvements. While he has also played a number of games in a more deep-lying role for the Gers, he has still chipped in with seven goal involvements.

Crucially, the Ivorian starlet helped lead the Light Blues into the quarter-finals of the Europa League this season, and when compared to his peers in the competition, Diomande ranks in the top 6% for passes into the final third (4.11), the top 10% for interceptions (1.26) and in the top 20% for take-ons attempted (2.51) per 90.

These statistics prove that the midfielder can mix it with the best in Europe’s sister competition regarding those performance metrics.

Mohamed Diomande’s stats for Rangers this season
Metric	Premiership	Europa League
Goals	4	1
Assist	7	2
Big chances created	11	3
Key passes per game	1.2	0.9
Total duels won per game	4.3	5.3
Via Sofascore

He was even better in the Scottish top flight. Going forwards, Diomande has created 11 big chances, averages 1.2 key passes, and succeeds with 64% of his dribble attempts.

Defensively, the midfielder wins 55% of his total duels contested, along with making 1.2 tackles, recovering 4.3 balls and making 0.6 interceptions per game for the Gers.

This combination of defensive solidity and attacking dynamism has seen the player shine at Ibrox throughout the current season. There is no doubt that he can continue to get better and better.

With a deal that runs to 2028, Diomande should be at Ibrox for the long haul. He currently earns just £12k-per-week which places him among the lower-earning players at the club.

There are several at the club who are taking more home than the African star, despite failing to impress.

Dowell and Matondo are notable examples, but it is Jose Cifuentes, someone who makes more than Diomande, who should be given the boot.

Why Rangers signed Jose Cifuentes

Michael Beale was in the market for a new midfielder ahead of the 2023/24 campaign and earmarked Cifuentes as someone who could offer plenty to the club’s cause.

His performances for LAFC during his time in America were certainly impressive. Across 121 games, he registered 35 goal contributions – 15 goals and 20 assists – while even helping the club win the MLS Cup during the 2021/22 campaign.

He even played twice at the 2022 World Cup for Ecuador, and it surely wasn’t going to be long before he sealed a move away from North America.

Enter Rangers. Given his contract was due to expire in December 2023, Beale spent only £1.2m to secure his services a few weeks before the transfer window closed.

On the surface, the “dynamic” midfielder – as dubbed by LAFC assistant manager Marc Dos Santos – appeared to be an excellent signing, especially judging by the fee. The reality, however, was rather different.

What went wrong for Jose Cifuentes at Rangers

Despite the hype surrounding his arrival at the club, the Ecuadorian would only go on to play 20 times for Rangers, scoring just one goal.

Chalkboard

He failed to have an influence on the pitch, and it was evident that Philippe Clement didn’t have him in any future plans.

The midfielder was thus sent out on loan to Brazilian side Cruzeiro, but this spell was cut short after six months, before he was shipped out to Aris Thessalonki last summer on another temporary deal.

In Greece, Cifuentes’s performances slowly improved and, at the time of writing, he has registered four goal contributions – one goal and three assists – while helping his club to fifth in the top flight.

It looks as though he could be set to depart Rangers this summer after admitting he wishes to turn his loan move into a permanent one when the campaign comes to an end.

The Light Blues have slapped a £2.2m price tag on his head, a fee which Aris will be looking to bring down should any potential move go through.

The Ecuadorian is currently earning £16k-per-week which is slightly more than what Diomande is taking home.

Hopefully, the new manager will be able to move Cifuentes this summer. Not only will it bring in a couple of million to spend on future transfers, but it will also help free up some of the wage budget.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite meant to be at Ibrox for the former LAFC star, despite a solid reputation upon arriving in Scotland.

Making a profit on him would be an excellent piece of business by the club, that’s for sure.

Their new Morelos: Rangers eyeing "top striker" who'd cost just £8,000

Rangers have their eyes on a talented young striker

By
Ross Kilvington

May 12, 2025

A left-arm quick, a six hitter who can bat in the top order, and a couple of mystery spinners are all part of our list

Deivarayan Muthu12-Aug-2025The 13th season of the CPL, which will kick off on August 14, will feature a number of T20 stars from the Caribbean as well as from other parts of the world. Here are five CPL rookies who could make a mark in the upcoming season.Jediah Blades (Guyana Amazon Warriors)Jediah Blades made his T20I debut recently•Randy Brooks/AFP via Getty ImagesHaving moved on from the likes of Sheldon Cottrell and Obed McCoy, West Indies are trialling Jediah Blades in the left-arm seamer’s role ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. Even before he had played in the CPL, Blades, now 23, was fast-tracked into the West Indies side after impressing with the new ball for Guyana Rainforest Rangers in the inaugural West Indies breakout league, a tournament that was held earlier this year to identify emerging talent in the region.After conceding 40 runs in three overs on T20I debut against Australia, Blades bounced back in his second match, trapping Mitchell Marsh lbw with a sharp inswinger with the new ball before dismissing Mitchell Owen and Cooper Connolly with the older one. A good CPL season could potentially put Blades in T20 World Cup contention.Kofi James (Barbados Royals)Kofi James isn’t really a rookie – he is 27 and has played 12 CPL games so far – but hasn’t fulfilled his potential yet. Could this be James’ season?He showed attacking enterprise at the top for Leeward Islands Thunder in the breakout league, finishing on top of the runs charts (240 at a strike rate of nearly 158) and on top of the sixes chart with 16. With both Rahkeem Cornwall and Alick Athanaze moving out of Barbados Royals, James could be combined with Quinton de Kock and Brandon King in a new-look top order. James also bowls offspin and can be matched up against left-hand batters.Usman Tariq (Trinbago Knight Riders)Usman Tariq has played two seasons of PSL•PCBThe Knight Riders franchise has always been big on mystery spinners across leagues and for this CPL season, they have recruited Usman Tariq, who has had success with Quetta Gladiators in the PSL.Tariq, who is predominantly an offspinner, comes to a near-complete halt as he approaches his delivery stride before firing darts with a slinging, side-arm action. He often slings it in from wide of the crease, making it even more difficult for batters to pick him.The 27-year-old has played ten games in the PSL, taking 12 wickets at an economy rate of 7.64, and the upcoming CPL will be his first stint in a franchise T20 league outside Pakistan.AM Ghazanfar (Antigua & Barbuda Falcons)Afghanistan teenager AM Ghazanfar is another mystery spinner who is set for his maiden CPL stint. He impressed Mumbai Indians with his variations during a trial in the UAE and had them forking out INR 4.80 crore (US$ 570,000 approx.) for him during the IPL 2025 auction.Though Ghazanfar missed the IPL with injury, he reminded the world of his mystery in the T20 Blast for Derbyshire, where he took 16 wickets in 14 games at an economy rate of 7.05. It included a mesmerising spell of 4-2-5-2 against Yorkshire at Headingley. Ghazanfar could be just as deadly and unhittable on the spin-friendly surfaces in the Caribbean.However, he might miss the second half of the CPL if he gets picked in Afghanistan’s squad for the Asia Cup starting September 9 in the UAE.Bevon Jacobs (Antigua & Barbuda Falcons)Bevon Jacobs has a T20 strike rate of 147.31•BCCIBevon Jacobs is another emerging T20 star who is part of Mumbai Indians in the IPL and MI Emirates in the ILT20 in the UAE. He is now poised to make his CPL debut for Antigua & Barbuda Falcons along with Ghazanfar.At over six feet tall, the New Zealand power-hitter has the height and reach to mess with the lengths of bowlers. He has always been good against pace, and this CPL will be a test of his skills against spin on potentially slow surfaces.New Zealand currently have a settled middle order in T20Is, but success against spin in the Caribbean could prompt the team management to include him as a wildcard for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

Newcastle United may be active in the January transfer market, with a number of areas in need of work.

After winning the Carabao Cup last season and securing Champions League qualification for the second time in three seasons, Eddie Howe has struggled to get a tune out of his Magpie squad, who languish in 14th place in the Premier League.

Struggles on the road have been well documented in recent weeks, but Newcastle have a wider crisis of creativity that must be fixed.

#

Club

xG Total

1.

Chelsea

20.4

2.

Man City

19.3

3.

Crystal Palace

19.0

4.

Arsenal

18.8

5.

Man United

18.2

12.

Newcastle

12.8

Nick Woltemade has been the shining light at number nine, so exciting and promising in Alexander Isak’s former berth, but he can only do so much as United struggle to fashion chances with the regularity that is required to compete at the top of the table.

Latest on Newcastle's transfer search

While Newcastle have dynamic wingers and a robust and compact central midfield, there’s no question that more is needed, and with Joelinton under fire for his performances this season, there’s a vacancy emerging for a hungry new playmaker.

Newcastle did sign Jacob Ramsey from Aston Villa for a fee in excess of £40m this summer, but the 24-year-old has yet to hit a rich vein of form on Tyneside. A new solution may be needed here.

Well, according to GIVEMESPORT, Newcastle could land the help that they need in the form of Kees Smit, having learned that they will have to make the 19-year-old AZ Alkmaar’s club-record sale if they wish to prise him away from the Netherlands in 2026.

The Eredivisie outfit would be looking for a £22m payment if they are to relinquish control of their prized prospect, and with Barcelona and Real Madrid lurking, Newcastle will need to act speedily.

Why Newcastle want Kees Smit

Smit might be a teenager, but he’s already welcomed a few onto the hype train, with analyst Ben Mattinson marvelling at the “duel monster” and his all-encompassing midfield qualities.

Effortlessly calm in tight spaces, Smit is fostering an exciting and creative skillset, with FBref recording that he ranks among the top 6% of similar midfielders over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 9% for through balls, and the top 10% for both progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90.

He thrived against Crystal Palace in their recent Conference League clash, grabbing an assist, completing three dribbles and winning six duels.

There’s a maturity about this creator that suggests he could be tailor-made for a career in the Premier League, with Sofascore recording that he has averaged 3.5 duels, 1.2 tackles and six ball recoveries per Eredivisie match too. He’s the complete package.

19 years old. We might even be talking about a bigger talent here than Woltemade, a dominant athlete whose technical understanding has seen him become one of AZ’s most important cogs at this fledgling phase.

Woltemade has been one of Newcastle’s star players this season, and he will continue to improve, but Smit’s playmaking may elevate the German to another level entirely down the line.

Smit or Woltemade? Who’s the bigger talent? Perhaps we’re splitting hairs. United just need to get the deal over the line, thus combining two brilliant footballers and reenergising Howe’s attack.

He'd revive Gordon: Newcastle could hire Howe 2.0 in "the best coach in PL"

Recent form has made Newcastle consider the unthinkable possibility of Howe moving on at some stage.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 15, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur have only won one of their last four matches in all competitions after a last-gasp goal meant that they had to settle for a point against Manchester United on Saturday.

The Lilywhites turned the game around from 1-0 down to lead 2-1, but they were unable to get the three points over the line, as they were napping in stoppage time to allow Matthijs de Ligt to head in at the back post.

Spurs have only won one of their last four matches in the Premier League after that result, which has seen them drop out of the top four in the division.

Thomas Frank will surely be disappointed with the nature of the two goals that were conceded, because they were both unmarked headers inside the box that should have been dealt with.

The former Brentford head coach should look at his full-backs and demand more from them defensively, as Destiny Udogie was on the scene for the second goal and Pedro Porro was caught out for Bryan Mbeumo’s header.

In fact, Porro is one player who may be on borrowed time in the starting line-up under Frank, because his defending has come into question on multiple occasions.

Why Pedro Porro should be dropped

The Spanish right-back’s marking, or lack thereof, for Mbeumo’s goal was simply not good enough. He was not aware of arguably the biggest United threat in the box, and allowed him to have a free header to score past Guglielmo Vicario.

To his credit, though, the former Manchester City youngster did react to a comment from a supporter after the match and acknowledged that he was not at his best against the Red Devils.

This is not the first time that Porro’s defensive qualities have been called into question. Last year, former Ireland international Keith Treacy said: “Pedro Porro is a good footballer, obviously, he plays in the Premier League, he’s a decent footballer, but he’s not a good right-back, he can’t defend.”

The former Blackburn star added: “If I was a coach going up against Spurs I would say to isolate him, run at him all day long.”

Back in 2023, former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood said that Porro was “all over the place” because he “just wants to run forward” and play as a winger. The Tottenham defender later reacted to those comments by saying that he is not a “machine” who could integrate straight away, as he had only just joined the club from Sporting.

On top of the long-standing question marks over his defensive capabilities, the 26-year-old full-back has also been incredibly wasteful with the ball at his feet in the last two Premier League matches.

Minutes

73

67

Tackles won

0

1

Duels won

3

3

Error led to shot

2

0

Key passes

0

0

Crosses completed

0/5

1/12

Possession lost

24x

29x

Pass accuracy

58%

64%

As you can see in the table above, Porro has lost possession of the ball a staggering 53 times in the last two league games, without creating a single chance for his teammates, and creating two chances for the opposition with errors that led to shots.

This shows that the Spaniard has been dismal defensively and offensively of late for the Lilywhites, which is why Frank should ruthlessly ditch him from the starting XI after the international break for the North London derby.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The obvious solution in the short-term would be for Udogie, who assisted Mathys Tel’s goal on Saturday, to come in at left-back and Djed Spence to move over to right-back.

However, the long-term plan that could put an end to Porro’s career in North London could be for Archie Gray to eventually nail down a place in the team as a right-back.

Why Archie Gray can end Pedro Porro's Spurs career

The England U21 international is currently sidelined with a calf injury that he sustained at the end of last month, and he is expected to be back in action around the end of this month or at the start of December.

Gray signed for the Lilywhites from Leeds United for a fee of £40m in the summer of 2024, with Joe Rodon heading back the other way, but he has failed to establish himself in one position since his move to the club.

The English youngster had to fill in at centre-back far too many times under Ange Postecoglou because of the injury crisis in that position, with the likes of Radu Dragusin, Micky van de Ven, and Cristian Romero all picking up injuries last term.

Centre-back

20

Right-back

9

Defensive midfield

8

Left-back

6

Central midfield

3

As you can see in the table above, Gray’s second-most played in position at Spurs has been right-back, which is where he played the majority of his first-team football with Leeds, despite coming up through the academy set-up in West Yorkshire as a central midfielder.

The young defender played 44 out of 46 league matches for Leeds in the Championship in the 2023/24 campaign, mainly as a right-back, and earned the Championship Young Player of the Year award.

Gray, who was hailed as “ridiculous” by Como scout Ben Mattinson, showcased his defensive quality as a right-back in that second tier season with the Whites, winning 92 tackles and 186 duels in total.

Per FotMob, he ranked within the top 7% of full-backs for tackles won and the top 14% for duels won, whilst also ranking in the top 7% for ball recoveries (196), which shows that he was one of the best defensive full-backs in the division, for a team that finished third in the league.

Frank must never start £130k-per-week Spurs duo together ever again

Tottenham ended up drawing a frenetic Premier League clash against Manchester United this weekend.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 9, 2025

These statistics suggest that he has the defensive resolve to eventually nail down a place at right-back as a reliable defender for Spurs in the future, which is why he could end Porro’s career at the club by offering Frank a steadier presence than the Spaniard, who has struggled on and off the ball.

It is now down to Gray, though, to return from injury and deliver quality performances when called upon to show that he can be better than Porro defensively week-in-week-out, which would leave Spence free to compete with Udogie at left-back.