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Barcelona’s decision to recall Diego Kochen, bringing him in as backup to Wojciech Szczęsny after No. 2 Joan García’s injury, prompted U.S. Soccer to make a late change to its FIFA U20 World Cup roster. The Blaugrana are also without Marc-André ter Stegen, who is dealing with a long-term injury. Brøndby’s Gavin Beavers has been called in as his replacement.

Missing major international opportunity

The 19-year-old Kochen, who has been developing with Barcelona's youth system since 2018, had initially been released by the Spanish giants to participate in the prestigious youth tournament. However, with the Catalan club facing an injury crisis at goalkeeper, it had no choice but the bring in its No. 3 keeper.

This represents a setback for Kochen, who would have been the presumed starter for the American side after establishing himself as one of the top goalkeeper prospects in the U.S. youth system.

AdvertisementFIFA regulations permit replacement

The switch was made possible through FIFA's tournament regulations, which specifically allow for player replacements when clubs withdraw previously granted releases. U.S. Soccer confirmed that while Kochen had initially received clearance to participate, FIFA approved the emergency roster change after Barcelona's recall decision.

Beavers recently made his first league appearance for Brøndby after previously playing for Real Salt Lake. The 20-year-old has made 40 league appearances between USL, MLS NEXT Pro, MLS and the Superliga. 

Updated U.S. roster

GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Gavin Beavers, 12-Adam Beaudry, 21-Duran Ferree

DEFENDERS (7): 2-Reed Baker-Whiting, 18-Luca Bombino, 5-Noah Cobb, 16-Ethan Kohler, 3-Nolan Norris, 17-Francis Westfield, 4-Joshua Wynder

MIDFIELDERS (6): 19-Matthew Corcoran, 8-Benjamin Cremaschi, 14-Taha Habroune, 6-Brooklyn Raines, 15-Pedro Soma, 10-Niko Tsakiris

FORWARDS (5): 11-Luke Brennan, 7-Cole Campbell, 20-Zavier Gozo, 13-Peyton Miller, 9-Marcos Zambrano

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AFPImmediate challenge for adjusted squad

The U.S. open the 2025 U20 World Cup on Monday against New Caledonia, followed by matches against tournament favorites France on Oct. 2 and South Africa on Oct. 5. All three Group E matches will be played at Estadio El Teniente in Rancagua, Chile.

West Ham United are now in “ongoing negotiations” over a dealt to sign a new centre-back, who Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich once described as a “beast”.

West Ham keen on new defender despite impressive Forest victory

West Ham finally got their first win of the new season under their belts on Sunday afternoon, securing a 3-0 victory at Nottingham Forest courtesy of late goals from Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and Callum Wilson.

Graham Potter will undoubtedly be pleased the three attackers were able to get on the scoresheet, but his side also looked far more solid from a defensive point of view, picking up a first clean sheet, after conceding eight goals in the previous two Premier League games.

Max Kilman was particularly impressive, winning all four of the duels he contested, with Konstantinos Mavropanos also catching the eye in his first league outing this season, making six clearances throughout the match to keep the home side at bay.

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However, it is clear that Potter wants to add more defenders to his ranks before the 7pm deadline, with talks ongoing over a deal for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Igor Julio, alongside Toulouse centre-back Charlie Cresswell.

According to an update from Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg on X, West Ham are also in “ongoing negotiations” over a deal for S.C. Braga defender Bright Arrey-Mbi, and they are exploring a deadline day deal for the 22-year-old.

It is unclear whether the move for Arrey-Mbi will go through today, but there is clearly firm interest on the Hammers’ behalf, with talks over a deal being opened days ago.

A potential transfer fee is not discussed by Plettenberg, but Braga spending €6m (£5m) to sign the defender from Hannover 96 last summer provides a reference point.

"Beast" Arrey-Mbi could be solid long-term addition for West Ham

The Braga defender, who represents Germany U21s internationally, has been hailed by former teammate Joshua Kimmich in the past, with the Bayern Munich man saying: “Bright is already a beast. You can tell that he uses every muscle on his body. It surprised me in training that he’s not shy at all. He really goes into challenges and has a certain calmness on the ball.”

Since then, the Cameroon-born defender hasn’t exactly kicked on, but he has managed to get a lot more first-team experience under his belt over the previous two seasons, making a combined 47 league appearances across spells with Hannover 96 and Braga.

Given that Arrey-Mbi is yet to prove himself in a major European league, it would make sense to bring in Igor or Cresswell alongside the young defender, but having caught Kimmich’s eye at a young age, he could have what it takes to be a long-term success at the London Stadium.

رفض فيرجيل فان دايك، قائد نادي ليفربول، التهويل من الهزيمة التي تعرض لها فريقه أمس السبت أمام كريستال بالاس بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ليفربول تعرض لأول خسارة له هذا الموسم في كافة المسابقات، وذلك على يد كريستال بالاس الذي انتصر على الريدز بهدفين مقابل هدف ضمن الجولة السادسة من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وتوقفت سلسلة انتصارات ليفربول التي وصلت إلى خمس مباريات في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز وبرصيد 15 نقطة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. لاعب كريستال بالاس يسخر من محمد صلاح: لم أكن متوهمًا

واعترف فان دايك في تصريحات نقلها الموقع الرسمي لليفربول، أن كريستال بالاس استحق الفوز على الريدز أمس.

وقال فان دايك: “التحدي الأكبر الآن هو الحفاظ على هدوئنا، لقد ذكرت ذلك مرارًا أن لا نبالغ في التفاؤل، فقط علينا العمل ولا تستمع كثيراً للعالم الخارجي”.

وأضاف: “أنت تعرف متى يمكنك تقديم أداء أفضل والجميع يعلم ذلك، نشعر بخيبة أمل من أدائنا ومن الخسارة وخاصةً من الطريقة التي تعاملنا بها مع اللقاء، أعتقد أننا لو تعادلنا لكان الأمر أفضل”.

وأوضح الدولي الهولندي: “لا أعتقد أن هناك ما يدعو للقلق لكن علينا أن نتحسن بسرعة كبيرة، لأننا سوف نلعب في تركيا يوم الثلاثاء ضد جالطة سراي في دوري أبطال أوروبا، لدينا مباراة صعبة للغاية هناك أيضاً لذا علينا أن نكون مستعدين”.

وأردف: ”لم نكن جيدين ضد كريستال بالاس، أحيانًا تمر بمثل هذه الأيام ونأمل أن يكون هذا هو اليوم الوحيد الذي نفعل فيه ذلك هذا الموسم”.

وتابع: “هناك سبب لكون كريستال بالاس لم يهزم لمدة 18 مباراة، من الصعب جدًا اختراق دفاعهم وهم منضبطون للغاية ويدافعون بعمق ولا يمانعون ذلك، ولديهم القدرة على إلحاق الضرر بك في الهجمات المرتدة”.

وواصل: “لكن كل شيء بدأ من أنفسنا، كنا سيئين في الاستحواذ وخسرنا الكرات الثانية ومنحناهم زخمًا، كان بإمكانهم التقدم بثلاثة أو أربعة أهداف بحلول نهاية الشوط الأول، نحن محظوظون لأن لدينا في رأيي أفضل حارس مرمى في العالم”.

واستكمل: “المشكلة تكمن في أدائنا، خاصة في الشوط الأول حيث كان أداؤنا أقل بكثير من المستوى وهذا شيء علينا تحسينه”.

واستطرد: “لا يهم حقًا إن سجلنا في الدقائق الأخيرة، لأن الفرق أحيانًا يصعب اختراق دفاعاتها ويجب إيجاد طريقة للفوز بالمباريات”.

واختتم فان دايك: “مع اقتراب نهاية المباراة، تشعر الفرق بالإرهاق وستزداد المساحات، لذا، ليست هذه هي المشكلة، الأمر يتعلق أكثر بأدائنا ولم يكن أدائنا جيدًا بالتأكيد، استحق كريستال بالاس الفوز الذي حققه في النهاية أيضًا”.

أدرك فريق ساوثهامبتون الإنجليزي، التعادل أمام خصمه ليفربول، خلال المباراة بين الفريقين ببطولة كأس رابطة الأندية الإنجليزية.

ويستضيف ليفربول خصمه ساوثهامبتون على ملعب “آنفيلد” في دور الـ32 من بطولة كأس كاراباو لموسم 2024-2025.

وتعادل فريق ساوثهامبتون عن طريق لاعبه شيا تشارلز، وذلك في الدقيقة 76 من عمر المباراة بين الفريقين.

جاء هدف التعادل لصالح ساوثهامبتون، بعد خطأ من واتارو إندو، حيث وصلت الكرة إلى لاعب ساوثهامبتون وسددها شيا تشارلز في مرمى الريدز.

وكان ليفربول تقدم في شوط المباراة الأول، بهدف عن طريق لاعبه ألكسندر إيزاك في الدقيقة 43 من اللقاء.

ويمكنك متابعة أحداث مباراة ليفربول وساوثهامبتون لحظة بلحظة بالفيديو من خلال الرابط من هنا.

Celtic have made a habit out of buying and developing and selling on young talent over the years, as they have made millions in profit through player trading.

The likes of Matt O’Riley, Odsonne Edouard, Moussa Dembele, and Virgil van Dijk, among many others, have come and gone thanks to the club’s excellent recruitment work.

Whilst they have had success in plucking players out of top European countries, like van Dijk from the Netherlands or Dembele and O’Riley from England, they have also had success in snapping up talent from more obscure leagues.

For example, Celtic signed Kristoffer Ajer as a 17-year-old for £650k from Norwegian side Start, before they went on to sell him to Brentford for a reported fee of £13.5m.

The Hoops plucked the teenage talent up and sent him out on loan, to Kilmarnock, before integrating him into the first-team to develop into a £13.5m player, and they could repeat a similar trick with their interest in a midfielder this summer.

Celtic enquire about deal for Serbian midfielder

According to Cukaricki sporting director Vladimir Matijašević, Celtic have made contact over a potential deal to sign central midfielder Andrej Bacanin before the end of the summer transfer window.

Transfer Focus

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

Speaking to the club’s official website, he said: “There’s significant interest in our young players, and right now the spotlight is on Andrej Bačanin’s transfer. His performances last season for both our team and the Serbian national side at youth level have drawn attention from numerous clubs.

“We’ve had enquiries from Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers, and clubs like Ajax and Udinese are also interested, among others. It’s possible more options will emerge, but I expect the transfer to be completed within the next ten days.”

This shows that the Hoops are interested in the 18-year-old talent, who could arrive at Parkhead to follow a similar path to success in Scotland as Ajer.

Why Celtic should sign Andrej Bacanin

The Scottish Premiership giants should push to win the race for the teenage starlet’s signature this summer because he could be a future star for the club.

At the age of 18, Bacanin should not be expected to arrive as an immediate first-team star, as he only just made his breakthrough at senior level in Serbia in the second half of the 2024/25 campaign.

Instead, the Serbia U19 international could follow Ajer’s path by joining another Premiership team, or a club in another country, on loan to continue his development, before making the step to Brendan Rodgers’ team further down the line.

Although he may not be ready to make an instant impact in Glasgow for Celtic, his performances in the Serbian Superliga show that he does have potential.

Appearances

17

Starts

10

Goals

1

Assists

2

Tackles per 90

2.3

Interceptions per 90

1.8

Error led to goal

0

Penalties committed

0

As you can see in the table above, Bacanin offered a screening presence in front of the back four when he played, averaging 4.1 tackles and interceptions per 90 in the division.

Meanwhile, no central midfielder for Celtic managed more than 2.0 tackles and interceptions per game, which suggests that the Serbian youngster could offer a defensive midfield option that Rodgers does not currently have.

As was the case with Ajer, though, Bacanin will need to be playing games week-in-week-out to hone his skills and develop as a player, which is why bringing the young whiz in before sending him out on loan could be a shrewd move.

The Hoops could snap him up this summer, to ensure that their rivals do not steal a march of them, before sending him away to develop and improve, with the hope that he will come back a better player who is ready to make his mark on Parkhead in the 2026/27 campaign.

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Serbian Football Scout, who is a professional scout for MLS side Colorado Rapids, previously dubbed Bacanin a “true midfield controller”, and he could control games for Celtic in the future, if they get this deal done.

Sri Lanka were 140 for 1 in a chase of 214 but then lost nine wickets for 30 runs

Shashank Kishore27-Jul-2024

Suryakumar Yadav hit a half-century in his first match as India’s permanent T20I captain•Getty Images

India’s new T20I era under Suryakumar Yadav began on a winning note, even if it was jittery at various points in their defence of a big score. A spirited Sri Lankan batting unit, spearheaded by Pathum Nissanka and his free-stroking 79 left an Indian team playing with just five bowling options hanging onto crumbs of hope. One of them was scoreboard pressure. Sri Lanka had nine wickets in hand but they still needed 74 off 36.Nissanka, reprieved a ball earlier by Ravi Bishnoi at deep midwicket, fell to Axar Patel to open the floodgates. India converted that opening into a double-strike when Kusal Perera fell four balls later. It would be the start of a sensational meltdown; Sri Lanka losing 9 for 30 in all to concede a game they would’ve backed themselves to win.Gill and Jaiswal lay down a markerOn match eve, Shubman Gill had acknowledged the need to improve his T20I batting template. On Saturday, he walked the talk, cutting and pulling anything fractionally short to put pressure on the bowlers during the powerplay. Yashasvi Jaiswal was equally aggressive, as India’s new opening partnership turned into a healthy contest of one-upmanship.Jaiswal’s intent upset Sri Lanka and their plans to introduce spin early. He welcomed Maheesh Theekshana with a clean hit for six over long-off and followed it with a ferocious slog sweep for four. In all, India scored 11 fours and three sixes in the powerplay during a 74-run first-wicket stand before Dilshan Madushanka had Gill miscuing a lofted shot to mid-on for a 16-ball 34.SKY offsets Sri Lanka’s double-strikeGill’s wicket was followed by Jaiswal’s off the very next ball for a 21-ball 40, Wanindu Hasaranga having him stumped off a ripping googly. But Suryakumar was quickly into his element, moving inside the line to play the pick-up flick for six from just his fourth ball. He offered a chance on 15 when he top-edged a Madushanka bouncer in the eighth over, only for Asitha Fernando to drop the catch at fine leg. It would prove costly.Suryakumar peppered different arcs on the legside boundary with his plethora of sweeps, punishing Hasaranga and the ambidextrous Kamindu Mendis to raise a half-century stand for the third wicket; Rishabh Pant’s contribution to it a mere 11 runs. Suryakumar soon brought up his half-century off just 22 balls, his second-fastest in T20Is, but fell in an attempt to take on Matheesha Pathirana, who was held back till the 12th over to close out the innings.Matheesha Pathirana got rid of Suryakumar Yadav•Associated Press

Pathirana leads Sri Lanka fightbackIt took Pant a dropped catch – by Asitha at deep square leg – and 15 balls to find his first boundary. His next one, a helicopter shot over midwicket in the 16th over broke a 14-ball boundary-drought following Suryakumar’s dismissal. In fact, Pant barely managed to get out of second gear for much of his innings. Prior to his first six, he scratched his way 20 off 23. He made 29 off the next 10, eventually falling 49 while attempting to takedown Pathirana for a third boundary in a row.Pathirana stuck to a simple mantra of bowling straight and fast, relying on a slight tail in to clean bowl Hardik and Pant, while dismissing Riyan Parag in the same way he did Suryakumar – lbw to a low-arm slinger as they missed full balls. Pathirana finished with 4 for 40 as India finished with 213 after being 135 for 2 after 12 overs.The Nissanka-Mendis turbochargeSri Lanka kickstarted their chase in the third over as both batters got stuck into Axar’s drifters into the stumps. Nissanka cranked it up a notch when he hit Mohammed Siraj for two sixes in the fourth over, ramping him first over third man and then clubbing him over deep midwicket. Sri Lanka raised their fifty off 31 balls.Hardik was welcomed with a bludgeon through point, Ravi Bishnoi swept and reverse-swept with disdain as he kept firing deliveries down leg. When Mendis got inside the line to mercilessly flick Arshdeep Singh into the grass banks in the ninth over, India were nervy. But off the next ball, the batter’s attempt to repeat the shot had him holing out to deep midwicket.Sri Lanka’s counter-punch forced mistakes from India, Nissanka raising his half-century off 34 balls with an overthrow that gave him five runs. Nissanka’s exhibited his full range soon after, reverse-sweeping Axar, pouncing on anything dragged down and even improvising to get inside the line of length balls and swatting them over the ropes. But at 140 for 1, Nissanka chopped on attempting to cut. The slow walk back signalled a job unfinished.Parag justifies selectionSiraj and Arshdeep had two overs apiece. With four overs left and India needing to defend 56, it seemed obvious Suryakumar would turn to his two frontline pacers. Instead he threw the ball to Parag, who had been picked ahead of Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar. And unlike Bishnoi and Axar, Parag slowed it down and gave it a rip.After India got lucky with Dasun Shanaka’s wicket courtesy a run out made possible by Siraj’s athleticism at short third, Parag bowled Kamindu and gave away only five runs at a crunch moment. Then with Sri Lanka in a freewill and all but out needing 44 off six, he was given a second over, when he picked up Theekshana and Madushanka off successive deliveries to seal victory.

Tottenham Hotspur have a new manager at the helm in Thomas Frank, though he could now have a decision to make on one of his key stars, according to a report.

Tottenham make Tel second signing under Frank

There were plenty of mixed opinions when Ange Postecoglou was relieved of his duties at Tottenham. He delivered on his promise to bring a trophy to North London, but Daniel Levy couldn’t look past the Lilywhites’ dismal form in the top flight.

Frank has since been appointed and arrives as a revered figure among many of his Premier League peers. The former Brentford boss released an emotional statement after swapping Hounslow for N17 as he gets to work ahead of pre-season.

He stated: “I want to extend my profound gratitude to the club for giving me the chance to pursue my dreams and for everyone involved who made the journey such a memorable one.

“For my family and I, it has been a privilege to be allowed to be part of such a special community – it’s an experience and adventure that we will cherish for life. So, thank you.”

Mathys Tel has been announced as a permanent Tottenham star and has signed until 2031, becoming an early signal of the former Brentford man’s transfer intent. Kevin Danso has also joined after his loan spell from RC Lens.

Looking to tempt one of his old flames to work together again, Spurs boss Frank is targeting a move for Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, who has reportedly changed his stance on potentially swapping the Gtech Community Stadium for Manchester United amid recent talks.

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Jadon Sancho has also been linked with a surprise switch to Spurs. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if the Red Devils would be willing to deal with a direct Premier League rival after his spell at Chelsea.

Making inroads, Frank has now been left with a crucial decision to make after a big-money proposal came to light for one of his established stars.

Tottenham star Son Heung-min has offer to join Fenerbahce

According to reports in Spain, Fenerbahce have tabled a big-money proposal to Tottenham icon Son Heung-min that could see the South Korea international earn around £195,000 per week in Istanbul.

The outlet suggests that a deal between all parties is ‘very close’ despite nothing being fully set in stone, which could mark the end of an era for the 32-year-old after lifting the Europa League trophy last month following a decade-long wait for silverware.

Son Hueng-min – the end of an era at Tottenham Hotspur?

Appearances

454

Goals

173

Assists

101

Trophies won

UEFA Europa League

Admittedly, he did wane during a difficult campaign on a week-to-week basis for the Lilywhites, though he still managed to register 11 goals in 12 assists in 46 appearances across all competitions.

From a personal perspective, Son bowing out with a winners’ medal in-hand would be the perfect way to depart, even if his exit would be an emotional one following his excellent ten years in North London.

While they were less successful on the trophy front than the current Tottenham Hotspur team, it would be fair to say the side Mauricio Pochettino built was the best the club has seen in the modern era.

From front to back, the team was filled with simply sensational players who really should have won at least a couple of major honours during their time in North London.

The likes of Harry Kane and a younger Son Heung-min would give opposition defenders nightmares, while Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld did the same to opposition attackers.

However, arguably, the most talented player in that squad was Mousa Dembélé, and now it looks like Ange Postecoglou might be brewing his own version of the Belgian.

Mousa Dembélé's Spurs career

Dembélé joined Tottenham in the summer of 2012 from fellow Premier League side Fulham for a fee of just £15m, which, in retrospect, has to be looked at as one of the deals of the century.

It didn’t take long at all for the former Cottagers star to settle into life with the Lilywhites, scoring his first goal for the club on his debut – a 1-1 draw at home to Norwich City.

He finished his first campaign in North London with two goals and five assists to his name in 44 appearances, and while he looked the part, he only improved when Pochettino took charge ahead of the following season.

Under the Argentine, the Antwerpen-born titan became the all-action “monster,” as dubbed by Eric Dier, that he’s remembered as today.

It was practically impossible to get the ball off of him, and if he didn’t have it, you could be sure that he’d do everything he could to win it off the opposition – usually to great success.

The 37-year-old icon was the engine of that Spurs side, and to say his teammates appreciated him would be a massive understatement, with Kyle Walker once describing him as “the best player I’ve ever seen play football” and Harry Kane simply calling him “incredible.”

After making 249 appearances for the club, in which he scored ten goals and provided ten assists, the midfield maestro finally left in January 2019 to join the Chinese Super League.

Dembélé’s Spurs career

Appearances

249

Starts

181

Minutes

16115′

Goals

10

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.08

Minutes per Goal Involvement

805.75

All Stats via Transfermarkt

However, some of his teammates would have liked him to stay for the rest of that season, as Kieran Trippier would later claim that Spurs could have won the Champions League with him still in the side.

He might have done what the club’s new Dembélé did for them against Manchester United on Wednesday night.

The Spurs star becoming their new Dembélé

Okay, so the first thing to say here is that we aren’t arguing that anyone in the current Spurs squad is as good a player as Dembélé was, as that would be absurd.

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However, there is one youngster who starred on Wednesday night and has some of the characteristics that could see him develop into the team’s modern version of the Belgian: Pape Matar Sarr.

The Senegalese international joined Tottenham under Nuno Espírito Santo’s reign for around £14.6m, and after spending the 2021/22 season on loan with the French side, made his way to North London, where he has continued to develop since.

Much like the club’s former number 19, the 22-year-old is primarily a central midfielder but has the ability and flexibility to play in defensive midfield and, even on occasion, slightly further up the pitch.

In terms of his style of play, the “sensational” dynamo, as dubbed by Spurs content creator tehTrunk, is constantly on the move, be that darting forward to help out in attacks or covering ground to help out the defence, and while he’s not quite as safe on the ball, you’d have described the former Lilywhites star in a similar way.

We saw all of these characteristics in Bilbao, with Spurs writer Alasdair Gold awarding him a 9/10 match rating at full-time for his ‘constantly running display’ and how well he did ‘to break up United’s play.’

Ultimately, while we would never say Sarr is on the same level as Dembélé, we do think there are parts of his game that are quite similar, and with another few years of development, he could get close.

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Rangers’ chances of hiring Jose Mourinho as their next manager could hinge on one key factor, according to a new update regarding their next boss.

Latest on Rangers' next manager

After bowing out of the Europa League at the hands of Athletic Bilbao last week, Barry Ferguson feels increasingly unlikely to be handed the Gers job on a permanent basis. The former captain has done a good job at times, mopping up after the disappointing reign of Philippe Clement, but he has only won four of his 10 matches in charge in all competitions.

Steven Gerrard has been strongly linked with a return to Ibrox, having led the Gers to Scottish Premiership title glory back in 2020/21, with the Liverpool legend perhaps feeling that he has unfinished business at the club. The 44-year-old was most recently in charge of Saudi Pro League team Al-Ettifaq.

Former Southampton boss Russell Martin has also emerged as an alternative to Gerrard, with the Englishman favouring a ball-playing style, while Sean Dyche has been mentioned as an option, too, and would bring a very different approach. Mourinho’s name has also been mooted, and a now fresh claim has dropped regarding Rangers potentially hiring him this summer.

Mourinho has one key demand for 49ers

According to TEAMtalk, Mourinho “would be open” to becoming Rangers’ next manager, as has been recently reported, but only if he is backed with “new additions” by 49ers Enterprises. The update also claims that the Gers “have not approached his entourage yet”, with Gerrard still looking like the front-runner to replace Ferguson.

Rangers hiring Mourinho would be one of the most high-profile appointments in the club’s history, considering the Portuguese is among the most successful managers of his generation.

The 62-year-old is a two-time Champions League winner, having led both Porto and Inter Milan to European glory, and there is also the small matter of him winning eight league titles in four different countries – the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and Primeira Liga.

Mourinho possesses the winning mentality to help bridge the gap between Rangers and Celtic, and he has the ability to create a siege mentality and endear himself to his own supporters.

Admittedly, at 62, he may not quite be at his absolute peak as a manager anymore – he would arguably be in a bigger job than Fenerbahce if that was the case – but he remains a born winner who could be an instant hero at Ibrox.

The fact that Rangers haven’t approached Mourinho yet does suggest that he is an outside bet to come in at the end of the season, with Gerrard feeling like the more likely choice.

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For all the former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager’s controversial character, though, there is no doubt that the Gers hiring him would be a huge story and a potentially game-changing appointment.

If he makes his debut, Brendan Doggett will become just the third Indigenous man after Jason Gillespie and Scott Boland to play Test cricket for Australia

AAP16-Nov-2025Seven years after Brendan Doggett was first picked in an Australia squad, the ultimate late-bloomer is poised to become the country’s 472nd Test cricketer.After the untimely hamstring injury to in-form quick Josh Hazlewood, Doggett is set to make his debut when the Ashes gets underway at Optus Stadium in Perth on Friday. The 31-year-old will slot into Australia’s fast-bowling attack alongside Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland, a man with many similarities to his journey.Just two Indigenous men – Boland and Jason Gillespie – have represented Australia in almost 150 years of Test cricket. But Doggett is set to become the third, learning more about his Aboriginal heritage in his 20s after first earning a contract with Queensland Bulls.Related

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Proudly from Toowoomba, the man with 190 first-class wickets has spent the last four seasons helping South Australia rise from perennial battlers to Sheffield Shield champions.Doggett first received a call-up to an Australia squad in 2018, just months after the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. Injuries slowed him down, but a move to South Australia in 2021 to become the leader of their attack has paid off.He has been consistently named in Australian squads over the past 18 months, stuck behind Starc, Hazlewood and captain Pat Cummins. But with Cummins and Hazlewood both injured for the start of the Ashes defence, the three-time Shield winner should get his shot.”He’s one of the quicker bowlers in Australia,” Gillespie, who coached Doggett for South Australia, told ABC Radio on Sunday. “Got a good motor, he’s a greyhound and is as fit as a fiddle. He’s ready to go.

“His path to a potential Baggy Green is not a common one in the modern game. It just shows the value of our local competitions, plying away and working on your craft”Jason Gillespie on Brendan Doggett

“England will sniff an opportunity [without Cummins and Hazlewood], but I’m confident the Australian seam attack is good enough to get the job done.”Doggett’s selection will only prompt further “Dad’s Army” jibes from England.Like Tasmania allrounder Beau Webster did in January, Doggett will join a small club to have made their Test debuts for Australia without having played a white-ball international in their 20s. Before Webster was brought in for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy decider, Bryce McGain was the only member of that group. If Jake Weatherald is selected to open the batting with Usman Khawaja in Perth, he will also be making his international debut at 31.If Jake Weatherald plays the Perth Test, Australia will have two 30-plus debutants in the same game•Getty ImagesDoggett never made any representative team until he was in his 20s, eventually making his domestic debut for the former Cricket Australia XI that played in the One-Day Cup in October 2016.He was plucked out of local cricket in his 20s, after dominating for Toowoomba Souths.”His path to a potential Baggy Green is not a common one in the modern game,” Gillespie said. “It just shows the value of our local competitions, plying away and working on your craft.”Doggett’s former Queensland team-mate Michael Neser was added to the squad on Saturday when Hazlewood was ruled out. If Hazlewood and Cummins still aren’t fit for the second Test at the Gabba, Neser could join Doggett in the XI.The only two Tests of Neser’s career were with the pink ball, with Australia preferring to play four quicks instead of veteran spinner Nathan Lyon when they last played a day-nighter.