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Manchester United are now back in talks to sign highly-rated Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba in 2026.

The Red Devils’ midfield needs to be a key area of focus next summer, due to Casemiro being out of contract at Old Trafford when the season ends.

The Brazilian has enjoyed a resurgence of late, scoring in United’s 2-2 draw away to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League last weekend, however, he still isn’t the player he was and will soon need to be replaced by a younger model.

Baleba emerged as one of the front-runners to join the Red Devils in the summer transfer window, but in the end, he stayed put for the time being, with no defensive midfielders added to Ruben Amorim’s squad.

The 21-year-old Seagulls ace is sure to have plenty of suitors moving forward, though, with a switch to United still very much on the cards, following a new update.

Man Utd willing to pay £90m for Baleba

According to reports relayed by Caught Offside, Manchester United are once again negotiating over the signing of Baleba from Brighton, and INEOS would be willing to pay as much as £90m for his signature.

An official bid is expected to be incoming for the Cameroonian, as the Red Devils look to complete a significant piece of business next year.

Baleba may not have hit top form yet this season, with his focus arguably affected by the level of interest in him from various clubs, but he has all the tools to enjoy a fantastic career.

He is a force both in and out of possession, averaging 2.3 tackles per game in the Premier League last term, as well as scoring three goals, and Alan Shearer has hailed him as “absolutely wonderful” on Match of the Day.

As mentioned, Casemiro is not the player he once was, no longer being to cover so much ground at pace, but Baleba could bring that to United’s team, suddenly making them far harder to run through.

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BySean Markus Clifford Nov 3, 2025

He has so much time to improve further as a player, and while his age means that some inconsistency may be a part of his game to begin with, he feels like a leading option for Amorim, as the Red Devils look to bring in the perfect addition to a vital area of the pitch.

Casemiro isn't the only Man Utd star who has saved his career under Amorim

Those of a Liverpool persuasion will feel battered and bruised after Arne Slot’s side’s staggering drop-off this season.

The slew of defeats have forced a retreat from their position at the top of the Premier League ladder, and as Alexis Mac Allister said after arresting the losing run at West Ham United on Sunday, the title is not on anyone’s mind; rather, finding a measure of consistency and fluency on the pitch is the incentive right now.

Liverpool might have spent a bucketload this summer, but they also parted with key players, with writer Eddie Gibbs saying, “Liverpool right now look like a side caught between three different ideas of themselves, with none taking root.”

A few tweaks are needed, to be sure. And Liverpool are considering a new wide forward to restore balance across the frontline.

Why Liverpool want a forward

When Liverpool capped off their summer spending spree with the British-record addition of Alexander Isak from Newcastle United, the Premier League was in concert: Liverpool had signed a host of elite players.

And while Isak scored his first Premier League goal for the club on Saturday, it’s been a testing start to the season, with injuries and a lack of fluency a by-product of Liverpool’s wider struggles.

Florian Wirtz, too, looks like he is starting to click into gear, but the Reds have been imbalanced in the final third, and adding width would open up a new dimension from which Slot could rebuild his side’s form.

Well, according to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are frontrunners in the race for Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, who has been among the standout forwards in the Premier League this season.

The Ghana international, 25, has a £65m release clause which becomes active in January, and so Liverpool are not alone in their interest, with Manchester City and Tottenham also ready to lodge bids if the right opportunity presents itself.

In fact, Pep Guardiola’s side have initiated contact, so it’s time for Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes to roll up his sleeves.

Why Semenyo would be a better signing than Isak

Semenyo has only gone from strength to strength since joining Bournemouth from Bristol City in the Championship in January 2023. Andoni Iraola has taken that promising skillset and sculpted it into something special.

Now, Semenyo is considered to be “one of the best players in the league” by BBC writer Umir Irfan and it’s a sentiment many would agree with after a prolific start to the campaign, six goals and three assists posted in the Premier League already.

Two-footed and effortlessly dynamic, Semenyo has proved too tricky to handle for many Premier League defenders in recent memory, something of a monster in the duel and a fearsome, rip-roaring asset down the wing. He is a big-game player besides.

The thing is, Semenyo is conservative in his athletic application; he does not prance about with the force of an uncoiled spring. In this he echoes Luis Diaz, who brought a different flavour to Slot’s title-winning team and has not been directly replaced.

Perhaps Semenyo could be the signing that Liverpool need, one which would prove even more impactful than Isak, who has yet to prove he is worth the record sum, even when banked by such illustrious heights in black and white over the past several years.

League Stats 25/26 – Cody Gakpo vs Antoine Semenyo

Match Stats (* per game)

Gakpo

Semenyo

Matches (starts)

13 (11)

12 (12)

Goals

4

6

Assists

3

3

Touches*

43.5

49.6

Shots (on target)*

2.5 (0.5)

2.2 (1.2)

Accurate passes*

19.1 (79%)

19.9 (77%)

Chances created*

1.9

1.3

Dribbles*

1.2

1.8

Recoveries*

2.7

5.2

Tackles + interceptions*

0.9

1.8

Duels won*

5.2

6.3

Data via Sofascore

Gakpo has enjoyed a quietly effective season on the left so far for Liverpool, even against the current of their crisis. However, he is far less mobile than Semenyo, and he lacks the clarity and sparkle on the ball that Semenyo imbues the Cherries flanks with.

It really cannot be understated how unique Semenyo is. This is a winger who is making incremental gains, a winger who could now bloom into a true superstar not only in the Premier League but in Europe’s elite club competition too.

Liverpool have been imbalanced this season, and this is the profile that Liverpool need. It has the potential to be the best signing of the season for the Reds, albeit one which should have been completed back at the start of the campaign.

Related Better move than Semenyo: Liverpool set to table bid to sign £53m "machine"

Liverpool and FSG are considering a host of positions ahead of the January transfer window.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Dec 1, 2025

Bumrah’s return, Suryakumar’s reliability, and the fresh spark from new recruits changed their fortunes

Vishal Dikshit29-May-20254:25

Can MI cope without Bosch, Rickelton in the playoffs?

After only one win in their first five games, Mumbai Indians (MI) were close to the bottom of the points table in IPL 2025. Around the halfway mark of the league stage, MI turned a corner and made it to the playoffs with a six-match winning streak along the way. They will now face Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Eliminator on May 30. Before that, here’s a look at the performers who helped MI, last season’s wooden-spoon holders, bounce back.The boom with BumrahJasprit Bumrah’s absence for the first four games this season hit MI hard. They were forced to throw new-ball specialist Deepak Chahar and the inexperienced Satyanarayana Raju in the death overs, and they stumbled to one loss after another with an economy rate of 11.04 between overs 17-20 in their first four fixtures.Related

No more second chances for Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans

IPL playoffs: How the four teams stack up

Suryakumar's solo show saves the day for MI

Enter Bumrah to turn MI’s fortunes around. Chahar and Boult could now focus on the powerplay, Hardik on the middle overs (7 to 16), and Bumrah led the attack with his pin-point accuracy, frugal economy and death-overs speciality.Bumrah’s presence also took bowling workload off Hardik, who sent down 10 overs in his three games before Bumrah joined, and then only another 20 in the 10 matches since. Trent Boult, the second-most experienced bowler in the line-up, and he and Bumrah pulled down the death-overs economy rate from over 11 to just 9.48, the second-best in that phase among all teams since Bumrah joined.The Jasprit Bumrah effect for MI•ESPNcricinfo LtdBoult’s plan was clear in the death: nail the yorker, the weapon he has used most often in that phase, to pick up wickets and stem the flow of runs. His 19 yorkers in the death during the league stage were not only the second-most (behind Avesh Khan’s 21), they fetched him the most number of wickets, with the second-best economy rate of a mere 2.75 (behind Josh Hazlewood’s 3.00).Bumrah, meanwhile, bowled like he was never injured, waltzing his way to the top of the charts for both overall economy rate (6.33) and bowling average (14.64) with the 17 wickets in just 39.2 overs.Trent Boult’s yorkers at the death in IPL 2025•ESPNcricinfo LtdWith Chahar and Boult taking care of the new ball – MI were the only team that didn’t change their opening pair this IPL – and the death overs in the hands of seasoned pros, MI’s bowling attack worked like a well-oiled machine, bringing their overall economy rate also down from 8.87 in the first four matches to 8.40 in the next 10 – the best in those matches. Credit to MI’s plans, their average in the middle overs without Bumrah was always the best, and it continued that way even after he arrived.The three new recruitsThat MI were looking to bank on their experience and core was clear from their retentions. After the mega auction, their head coach Mahela Jayawardene said the reason for bringing in Boult (who played for them in 2020 and 2021), Chahar, Mitchell Santner</a and Karn Sharma, was because they wanted players who had the taste of winning an IPL before.However, there are three players who have played nearly all league games and are, at best, in their second IPL season. MI invested in opener and wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton, England allrounder Will Jacks, and used the RTM option for Naman Dhir.Naman Dhir and Suryakumar Yadav company played crucial innings through the league stage•MB Media/Getty ImagesRickelton, who was bought at the auction for his base price of INR 1 crore, has been MI's second-highest scorer so far after Suryakumar Yadav. MI needed a wicketkeeper after letting go of Ishan Kishan and they showed their preference for a left-hand opening partner for Rohit Sharma. They did that by picking Rickelton, whom they had seen closely with MI Cape Town in SA20 for two seasons already – he was the top-scorer in the 2024 edition and then fourth on the runs charts in their title-winning run in 2025.When Rohit was struggling for runs early on, Rickelton, meanwhile, scored quickly. By the time Rohit got his first big score, in MI's eighth game, Rickelton had 180 runs at a strike rate of 150, and he has since more than doubled that count to 388, sharing the team's lowest balls-per-boundary ratio (4) with a few others. His form gave Rohit the comfort of time to regain his rhythm and often set the platform for the remaining batters.One of those batters was Dhir. His stock had risen from INR 20 lakh to INR 5.25 crore this year because of his big shots, especially the towering sixes he hits down the ground. It's no surprise that his strike rate of over 180 is the best for an MI batter this season, despite batting at No. 3, No. 6 and No. 7, excelling in each of those positions.He took down the international trio of Mitchell Starc, Mukesh Kumar and Mohit Sharma in the death overs in Delhi; his 25* off 11 lifted MI to a match-winning 215 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and his last two knocks saw him strike two fours and four sixes in a combined 20 balls to emerge as a reliable finisher. For a batter at No. 7 or below, Dhir has the second-most runs for an MI batter in a season. Another 19 runs and he will top that list. Apart from his batting, Dhir has also been a handy fielder in the deep, pouching the second-most catches.Will Jacks's bowling has been equally useful as his batting•AFP/Getty ImagesThe third cog in the trio is Jacks, who has played 13 of their 14 matches, but has headed home like Rickelton. With centuries to his name across the SA20, BPL and IPL in the span of just three months in early 2024, it would have been fair to assume MI selected him for his top-order bashing.But the surprise element – testimony to his six-for on Test debut – came in the form of his offbreaks, used astutely by MI against left-hand batters. Jacks often bowled soon after the powerplay, and has bowled two-thirds of his deliveries to them so far. The match-up peaked against LSG when he took out Nicholas Pooran and Rishabh Pant, both caught in his first three balls. Earlier in April, he had bagged a similar feat opposite SRH, when he had Kishan stumped for two and Travis Head caught for 28. On both occasions the oppositions were kept to 160-odd and MI won comfortably, with Jacks the Player of the Match.All his six wickets came against left-handers with a far better economy rate (7.50 compared to 10.71 against right-hand batters), but such has been his efficacy that he has the second-best economy rate and the best average for a spinner against them this season.SKY-rocketing his way through the middle oversIf there were any doubts about his T20 form coming into the IPL because of the low scores against England at the start of the year – which included two ducks – Suryakumar put them all to bed by marrying two factors, of which one often comes at the cost of another for top-order batters: consistency and a high strike-rate.Even before MI began to pick up the pieces after the initial defeats, Suryakumar had started churning out the runs in the middle overs. The crescendo of MI registering one win after another along with Suryakumar's form went hand in hand. He first put on steady scores of 25-plus every time and then hit the high notes in the second half of the league stage with match-winning performances during the crunch games, both home and away. If he swept his way to 54 against LSG and peppered the boundaries on flat tracks, Suryakumar also chaperoned the batting on challenging pitches in the last two outings, first at home with an unbeaten 73 against Delhi Capitals (DC), and then with a 57 opposite Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Jaipur.Suryakumar Yadav in middle overs in IPL 2025•ESPNcricinfo LtdHis T20 mastery is not a surprise anymore but the fact that he averages 71.11 this season proves that no bowling attack has found answers for his 360-degree play. His 14 straight 25-plus scores are a world record now, his tally of 640 is the highest for an MI batter in an IPL season. He is also the first non-opening batter in IPL history to have scored over 600 in a season two times (2023 and 2025). If he scores another 48 runs, he will hold the record for the most runs by a non-opener in a season, going past AB de Villiers' record of 687 from 2016.If MI play on more tricky surfaces in the playoffs or face a crisis situation, Suryakumar will hold the key for them, especially in the middle overs where he has scored 75% of his runs and he is, not surprisingly, the leading scorer in that phase by a big margin. He has scored 41.17% of MI's runs in overs 7 to 16, which is also the biggest contribution by a single batter in the middle overs towards his team.A lot has come together for MI in the last couple of months to put the string of losses behind them, boss different phases of the game, and rely on different match-winners to make it to the last four. The next challenge will be to continue this streak even in the absence of those who have left for national duty.

Sunderland ended a run of three matches without a win by turning around a 2-0 deficit to beat Bournemouth 3-2 at the Stadium of Light on Saturday in the Premier League.

Summer signing Bertrand Traore grabbed his first goal for the club to make it 2-2, before substitute Brian Brobbey scored for the second time in three matches off the bench to secure all three points.

The work done by Kristjaan Speakman and his team in the summer transfer window can only be described as miraculous at this moment in time, given that the Black Cats are fighting for European football, rather than battling against relegation.

Ranking Sunderland's top five summer signings

Sunderland, including permanent deals, free agents, and loans, made a whopping 15 additions to the team that earned promotion from the Championship in the 2024/25 campaign.

It is hard to look past Robin Roefs and Granit Xhaka as being the two best signings made by the club, as they are both undroppable stars within Regis Le Bris’ side.

The Black Cats number one has prevented 3.28 xG more than expected in 13 Premier League games, per Sofascore, whilst Xhaka has showcased his vast experience, starting all 13 matches and providing one goal and four assists from the middle of the park.

1

Robin Roefs

2

Granit Xhaka

3

Nordi Mukiele

4

Noah Sadiki

5

Omar Alderete

As you can see in the table above, we have put experienced signings Nordi Mukiele and Omar Alderete, as they have played a role in Sunderland only conceding 13 goals in 13 games so far.

Noah Sadiki also has to be up there because of his brilliant work rate in the middle of the park, averaging 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game across 13 starts, per Sofascore, after his £15m summer move from USG.

Of course, not every single signing goes to plan, and Sunderland are no exception. For example, Simon Adingra is currently on track to become the new Jeremain Lens on Wearside.

Why Simon Adingra may be the new Jeremain Lens

The Black Cats splashed £8m to sign Lens from Dynamo Kiev in 2015 to bolster their wide options, but he only went on to play 24 matches for the club, per Transfermarkt, with four goals and three assists to show for his efforts.

Lens found game time hard to come by after Dick Advocaat was replaced by Sam Allardyce. The winger went as far as to call it “annoying” and stated “I did not come to the Premier League to sit on the bench”.

He then went out on loan to Fenerbahce and Bestikas before signing for the latter permanently in 2018, ultimately leaving the Stadium of Light as a flop.

Unfortunately, Adingra may already be on the same path as the Dutchman after the club paid £21m to sign him from Brighton in the summer, making him the second-most expensive signing in the team’s history, behind the £27m deal for Habib Diarra.

Sporting director Speakman noted in the Ivorian star’s unveiling that he was “excited” to see the 23-year-old in action for the Black Cats, after the youngster had scored 12 goals in 73 games for Brighton, per Transfermarkt.

However, Adingra has not hit the ground running at the Stadium of Light, playing in eight of the 13 Premier League games this season, and is yet to register a goal or an assist, per Sofascore.

The right-footed flanker has struggled badly for game time in the top-flight his season, with one minute played in the last two matches, which will not be what the Black Cats were expecting when they decided to splash £21m on his services.

Bournemouth

0

Fulham

1

Arsenal

26

Everton

0

Wolves

0

Man Utd

37

Nottingham Forest

12

Aston Villa

0

Crystal Palace

69

Brentford

25

Burnley

63

West Ham

76

Adingra has been a bit-part player for Le Bris, with the likes of Traore and Chemsdine Talbi ahead of him in the pecking order, and it remains to be seen whether or not he can turn things around to become a key player for Sunderland.

If it gets to January, or next summer, and he is still struggling for minutes and rarely getting off the bench, the former Brighton man may end up in the position that Lens found himself in, where a loan will be needed for him to go out and play regular football again.

Not Ballard: Sunderland have signed their new O'Shea in £100k-per-week star

Regis Le Bris now has his very own John O’Shea at Sunderland in this £100k-per-week warrior.

1 ByKelan Sarson Nov 29, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Foi realizado na noite de segunda-feira (18) o sorteio da fase de grupos da Libertadores, que definiu os adversários dos sete brasileiros que disputam o torneio. Dentre às tantas peculiaridades da competição, a distância percorrida com viagens é sempre uma preocupação das equipes envolvidas. Neste ano, Botafogo e Flamengo terão de lidar com os maiores deslocamentos, enquanto Grêmio e Palmeiras têm missões mais “tranquilas”.

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Equipe brasileira que tem o maior caminho a percorrer nesta Libertadores, o Glorioso está no Grupo D e encara LDU, do Equador, Junior Barranquilla, da Colômbia, e Universitario, do Peru. Assim, o Botafogo irá percorrer, contanto idas e voltas, 26.874 quilômetros em viagens.

Rival do Alvinegro, o Flamengo vem logo atrás, com 20.350 quilômetros de deslocamento para partidas da competição continental. O Rubro-Negro está no Grupo E, junto de Bolívar, da Bolívia, Millonarios, da Colômbia, e Palestino, do Chile.

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Por outro lado, o Grêmio é o time brasileiro que terá menos há percorrer nesta Libertadores. No Grupo C, o Imortal tem pela frente quilômetros de viagem e enfrenta Estudiantes, da Argentina, The Strongest, da Bolívia, e Huachipato, do Chile.

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➡️ Confira o calendário de jogos da Libertadores 2024; Flamengo e Palmeiras estreiam fora de casa

Confira abaixo o ranking de deslocamento dos sete brasileiros na Libertadores de 2024:

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The PCB was meeting in Lahore, the players were told not to leave the hotel, and there was uncertainty until quite late over the fate of Pakistan’s game against UAE

Shashank Kishore17-Sep-20254:11

Suryakumar: ‘A few things in life are ahead of sportsman spirit’

To grasp the full extent of the chaos that engulfed Pakistan’s final Group A match against UAE in Dubai on Wednesday, you needed to be in three places at once.At the team hotel in Marina, where uncertainty lingered until the last minute over whether the Pakistan players would leave for the venue as scheduled at 4.30 pm local time. They didn’t.At the Dubai International Stadium in Sports City, a 40-minute drive from the hotel, where the UAE players had arrived on time at 5pm but were unsure of whether they were going to play. The buzz of Pakistan possibly boycotting the game had begun to get louder.And at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) headquarters in Lahore, some 1900km away, where its chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also happens to be Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief, was in a meeting with two former board chairmen – Ramiz Raja and Najam Sethi – to discuss their next move. There was an initial announcement that the game would be delayed by an hour “for now”. That meant the toss at 7pm and the start at 7.30 pm.While trying to keep up with the deepening intrigue, there was more unfolding at the venue. The man with whom the PCB had a problem – Zimbabwean match referee Andy Pycroft – appeared shortly after 5 pm, only to make a beeline for the exit and to the ICC headquarters a five-minute drive away. The PCB wanted him out; the ICC wasn’t budging.Related

• Pakistan cancel pre-match press conference before India game

• Pycroft given just a few minutes' notice ahead of India-Pakistan handshake-gate

• The arrival of Shaheen Afridi, lower-order basher

• Fakhar, all-round Afridi lead Pakistan into Super Four

• PCB clears Pakistan to play UAE; says Pycroft apologised

When Naqvi finally posted on social media around 5.45pm that he had instructed the Pakistan team to leave the hotel for the stadium, doubts still lingered over the start time of the match. Organisers had been told 7.30pm but the local liaison team was warned by police that clearing traffic at such short notice was impossible given the weekday rush after 6pm. And it wasn’t until after the team departed for the stadium that there was confirmation that Pycroft would officiate the game.Mohsin Naqvi finally gave the Pakistan team the go-ahead to play UAE•Associated PressAs the politics played out, television news teams pursued the team, broadcasting Pakistan’s 40-minute bus ride to the ground. At 6.25pm, the players eventually arrived at the venue, by which time their opponents UAE had finished their drills, held a team meeting, and were waiting for toss time.While most Pakistan players headed straight for a brief warm-up, the team manager Naved Akram Cheema, captain Salman Agha and coach Mike Hesson attended a closed-door meeting with Pycroft.Soon after, the PCB circulated a muted video clip to Pakistani media of the team management talking to Pycroft. In an accompanying statement issued minutes before the 7pm toss, the PCB claimed Pycroft had apologised for “miscommunication” that led to the handshake-gate incident during Pakistan’s game against India on Sunday.The development diffused the tension that had built up over the last 24 hours, with Pakistan cancelling their pre-match press conference on Tuesday evening, and the PCB issuing a statement later that night that it was reviewing the team’s participation in the Asia Cup.By the time the Pakistan and UAE players finally walked out for the anthems on Wednesday night, the must-win contest that was about to begin to secure passage to the Super Four felt secondary to all that had gone before.

Glasgow Rangers officially confirmed that both CEO Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell left their roles at Ibrox on Monday after the club’s underwhelming start under the new ownership.

Chairman Andrew Cavenagh revealed that the ownership believes that they need different people in those roles in order to bring success back to Ibrox in the months and years to come.

Thelwell was let go by the Gers after he played a key role, as sporting director, in the appointment and firing of Russell Martin, as well as the signings throughout the summer transfer window.

The former Everton chief was given the funds to retool the squad for the head coach in the summer, but after that appointment and the signings he made, Rangers won one of their first eight Scottish Premiership matches.

However, Thelwell would be far from the first sporting director to make some mistakes in the transfer market. Former Gers technical director Nils Koppen, for example, made his fair share.

One signing that officially went through in the summer but was sanctioned before Thelwell’s arrival was the permanent addition of Oscar Cortes.

Why Oscar Cortes has been a waste of money for Rangers so far

The 21-year-old forward initially joined on loan from Lens for the second half of the 2023/24 campaign, and produced one goal and one assist in six games in the Premiership, per Sofascore.

That convinced the Scottish giants to sign him on a season-long loan with an obligation to make it permanent at the end of the season in the summer of 2024, which led to him signing for £4.5m earlier this year.

He is currently the ninth-most expensive signing in the history of the club, with that £4.5m move from Lens, and the Gers have simply not got enough back from him on the pitch to justify that expense.

In the 2024/25 season, the Colombian winger made ten appearances in the Premiership without delivering a single goal or assist for the team, whilst he also missed out on 22 matchday squads and was an unused substitute on six occasions, per Transfermarkt.

Despite his dismal form last term, Rangers had to sign him permanently for a hefty fee of £4.5m because it was an obligation that was put in place in the previous summer. That led to him leaving on loan to Sporting Gijon this season.

Appearances

5

Starts

1

Unused sub

6

Goals

0

Key passes per game

0.0

Big chances created

0

Assists

0

As you can see in the table above, Cortes has struggled badly in Spain since his temporary switch to the second division outfit, with more games left sat on the bench than appearances in LaLiga 2.

His lack of goal contributions for the Spanish side means that he still has not provided a goal or an assist since registering one of each in a 5-0 win over Hearts in February 2024.

With over three years left on his contract at Ibrox, it remains to be seen whether or not the 21-year-old whiz will make a success of his Rangers career or not, but it is not looking good on current evidence.

With his form for the Gers and out on loan, Cortes currently looks like a big waste of money for the significant fee that the club agreed to pay Lens for him, unfortunately.

Whilst Thelwell did not have any say in that move, it was going through irrespective of anything he did after becoming sporting director in April, one of his own summer signings looks to be an even bigger waste of money than Cortes.

Chalkboard

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

The former Light Blues chief opted to splash the cash on Portugal U21 international Youssef Chermiti, and the early signs from his Ibrox career are far from promising.

Why Rangers should not have signed Youssef Chermiti

Thelwell agreed a deal with his former club Everton to sign the striker for a fee of £8m. That made him the most expensive signing made by the Gers since they signed Tore Andre Flo for £12m in 2000.

When signing a player for that kind of outlay at Ibrox, it is fair to expect that they should be able to make a relatively immediate impact for Rangers, even if they are not the finished product, because Chermiti is their most expensive signing in 25 years.

Unfortunately, though, the Portuguese marksman has failed to prove his worth to the Light Blues on the pitch with his performances so far in the 2025/26 campaign, with just one goal to his name so far.

The former Premier League flop has produced one goal and one assist in 13 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants, per Sofascore, which shows that he has not offered a regular threat at the top end of the pitch.

Chermiti’s form in the Premiership, in particular, has left quite a bit to be desired for a player who is the club’s most expensive signing in 25 years.

FotMob rating

6.48

16th

Goals

1

Joint-3rd

xG

0.3

14th

xA

0.2

15th

Dribbles per 90

0.4

14th

Dribble success rate

16.7%

14th

As you can see in the table above, the Portugal U21 international ranks poorly in the Gers squad in a host of key metrics, and the only reason that he ranks highly for goals is that only two players in the squad have scored more than one league goal.

Chermiti, who was described as a “nothing player” by Portuguese journalist Kevin Fernandes, has simply not done enough with the game time that he has been given, domestically or on the European stage.

The ex-Everton striker was signed for almost twice as much as Cortes and appears to be heading in the same direction as the winger, as another expensive flop who is unable to make a significant impact on the pitch for Rangers.

Therefore, Chermiti looks on course to be an even bigger waste of money than the Colombian forward because he cost £3.5m more and has been just as underwhelming at the start of his Ibrox career.

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Tottenham’s unbeaten Champions League run came to a dramatic end at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night against PSG, but there were positives to take from the thrilling encounter.

The European champions were rocked by Thomas Frank’s plucky Spurs side, who gave Luis Enrique a real nightmare, with PSG mounting two separate comebacks to secure a pulsating 5-3 victory.

Midfielder Vitinha claimed a memorable hat-trick, with PSG having to rely on moments of sheer quality just to overcome the north Londoners in France.

Frank’s men stunned the home side by taking a deserved lead on 35 minutes through Richarlison, who headed home from close range after brilliant build-up play involving youngsters Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray. The Brazilian’s opener looked set to give Spurs a halftime advantage, but Vitinha crashed in a spectacular 25-yard equaliser via the crossbar just before the break.

PSG 5-3 Tottenham – best performers	Match Rating
Randal Kolo Muani	8.7
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia	8.4
Vitinha	8.4
Willian Pacho	8.1
Joao Neves	8.0
via WhoScored

Tottenham regained their lead five minutes into the second period when Randal Kolo Muani fired home against his parent club, converting the rebound after Gray’s effort was cleared off the line. However, PSG responded immediately with a devastating 13-minute blitz that turned the contest decisively in their favour.

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Vitinha curled home his second goal after being afforded excessive space to cut inside, before Fabian Ruiz completed the turnaround six minutes later following a costly turnover from Pape Matar Sarr outside his own penalty area. William Pacho then extended PSG’s advantage to 4-2 after Tottenham failed to clear Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s corner adequately.

Kolo Muani bundled his way through to drill home his second goal with 18 minutes remaining, briefly offering Spurs hope of salvaging something from the match. Those aspirations were dampened moments later, when Cristian Romero’s handball gifted PSG a penalty, which Vitinha confidently converted to complete his hat-trick and seal all three points.

The loss was Tottenham’s first in nine Champions League matches and leaves them sitting 15th in the league phase standings. Despite showing attacking intent and twice taking the lead, Frank’s young side were ultimately undone by defensive lapses during crucial moments in the second half.

Kolo Muani’s man of the match display against PSG, a club he’s still under contract with, gave Spurs major hope that they could have the answer to their striking problems after all.

The Frenchman, who’s suffered repeated injury setbacks since joining on loan, bagged his first goals for the Lilywhites and proved a real mence against one of the continent’s top sides.

However, Kolo Muani wasn’t Tottenham’s only bright spark on the night.

Thomas Frank praises "very impressive" Archie Gray in Tottenham loss to PSG

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Frank reserved special praise for Gray, who linked up with Bergvall for Spurs’ opening goal of the contest and provided real energy in midfield.

The 19-year-old has spent most of this season out with a calf injury so far, and before that, found it hard to get consistent first-team minutes with Joao Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Sarr and Bergvall all ahead of him in the pecking order.

Much like last season, Gray responded with a solid performance when called upon last night, and it could be time for the Englishman to earn Frank’s starting nod much more often.

The former Leeds United sensation was given a baptism of fire under Ange Postecoglou last season when asked to play multiple unfamiliar roles during Spurs’ 24/25 injury crisis, and he’s done arguably done enough to earn the club’s favour.

With the 2026 World Cup just round the corner, Gray will be hoping that he can potentially stake his claim in Thomas Tuchel’s squad, but he’ll need Frank’s faith with more game time.

KSCA is looking at alternative venues, including its own facility in Alur as well as the Wadeyar Ground in Mysuru

Shashank Kishore01-Aug-2025The Bengaluru police is yet to give clearance to the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) to host the Maharaja T20, the state’s franchise-based T20 competition, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The tournament is scheduled from August 11 to 27.The non-clearance by police is primarily due to the ongoing investigation into the June 4 stampede around the Chinnaswamy premises during RCB’s IPL victory celebrations. An independent state police crime branch investigation into the incident, which resulted in 11 deaths and over 50 injuries, is ongoing.Anticipating potential hurdles, the KSCA had announced on July 11 that the Maharaja T20 would be played behind closed doors. The association is now looking at alternative venues, including its own facility in Alur on the outskirts of Bengaluru, as well as the Wadeyar Ground in Mysuru. While Alur has excellent drainage and infrastructure, the absence of floodlights and spectator seating is an issue, especially for broadcasters and franchises.Related

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As things stand, Alur is set to host the group matches of the six-day women’s competition – the Maharani T20 – from August 4. The KSCA was considering the idea of hosting the women’s final at the Chinnaswamy, but that seems unlikely with police approvals yet to come.While the KSCA grapples with the possibility of a late venue switch, the franchises have voiced frustration and concern about the financial losses they now face. They have already made hotel bookings for players and staff on the understanding that the entire tournament would be held in central Bengaluru (Chinnaswamy).The issue puts the KSCA in a tough spot. Bengaluru is also the venue for the opening game of the women’s ODI World Cup, as well as one semi-final and possibly the final. India play Sri Lanka in the tournament opener on September 30. The Chinnaswamy is also set to host two warm-up games ahead of the competition.Last week, a one-man committee appointed by the Karnataka government to investigate the stampede deemed the Chinnaswamy “unsafe” for large-scale events. The commission “strongly recommended” that large-scale events be relocated to venues that are “better suited” to handle significant crowds.India’s domestic season-opening Duleep Trophy will be played entirely at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The board had earlier considered hosting the final at the Chinnaswamy, but those plans were cancelled owing to preparations at the venue for the women’s World Cup.

It was recently reported that Tonda Eckert is in pole position to be named the permanent Southampton manager after an impressive performance as the interim head coach.

The German tactician has won four of his five Championship games in the dugout, notably beating Charlton 5-1 away from home, but did lose 3-2 to Millwall last weekend.

It would be understandable if Sport Republic feel that Eckert has done enough in his interim spell in charge to earn the job on a permanent basis, but there is cause for concern with the former U21s boss.

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This means that it would be a big risk to appoint a permanent manager based on five games as a first-team manager in England, as he had never managed a game at any level in any country before this run of matches, per Transfermarkt.

It is hard, therefore, to judge whether the first four wins were a byproduct of a ‘manager bounce’ or if they were down to his coaching, as he does not have a managerial history to back up his credentials.

Southampton need to find their next Nigel Adkins, who joined from Scunthorpe United to lead Saints to promotion from League One and the Championship and left the club in 15th place in the Premier League in his only season in the top-flight.

Instead of appointing Eckert, Sport Republic could hire their own version of Adkins by making a move for reported target and free agent manager Michael Carrick.

Why Carrick could be Southampton's next Adkins

Like Adkins, Carrick would arrive at St. Mary’s with a wealth of experience in English football already under his belt, thanks to his time with Middlesbrough.

The former Saints boss had managed Scunthorpe for four seasons, including two in the Championship, and won promotion from League One on two occasions, before taking Southampton from League One to the Premier League.

Carrick, of course, will not have to get the club out of the third tier, thankfully, but he is an English manager who has the potential to be a brilliant appointment.

Matches

16

30

Wins

4

18

Draws

5

4

Losses

7

8

Points

17

58

Points per game

1.06

1.93

League position

18th

4th

One of the reasons why he could be a great hire for the Saints is that he has achieved success in the position that they currently find themselves in, as he took Boro from 18th to 4th in his first season with the club.

The former Manchester United midfielder then led Middlesbrough to 8th and 10th place finishes in the second tier, but they ranked 5th and 6th for Expected Points in those two seasons, per FotMob, which suggests that his coaching deserved higher league finishes than it got.

Carrick, who Tom Cleverley once claimed “oozes class” as a manager, is a proven Championship head coach who has shown, over three seasons, that he can coach a team to deliver play-off quality performances, which Eckert, through no fault of his own, does not have in his corner.

The ex-Boro boss also picked up seven points in two games as interim manager at Manchester United in the Premier League before his spell in the Championship, and played 481 games in the division as a player, per Transfermarkt.

This suggests that he could also be an appointment with the Premier League in mind, because of his experience at that level, whilst Eckert has never played, managed, or coached in that league.

Therefore, Carrick appears more likely to be Southampton’s next Adkins than Eckert is, because of both his proven quality in the Championship as a manager and his potential to be a successful Premier League boss.

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This is why Sport Republic should consider pushing to appoint the English tactician as their next permanent manager, rather than giving the interim German boss the job on a permanent basis.