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Manchester United slung themselves back into the win column with a hard-fought, turnaround win at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon.

When Crystal Palace took the lead through Jean-Philippe Mateta’s first-half penalty, there was a sense that Ruben Amorim’s squad would struggle to find the spirit to fight back. But, credit to the manager, his principles and the deepening tactical understanding led to goals from Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount after the interval.

United are eighth in the Premier League after 13 matches, yet trail second-place neighbours Manchester City by only four points.

This is an imperfect and imbalanced team, but one whose potential is starting to be realised. However, Amorim needs to add to his squad depth, for sure, if he is to shape his side into proper contenders.

Man United looking to add depth

Man United have a team filled with quality, but it’s not an expansive pool of talent, and it would be remiss to suggest there aren’t any stragglers.

In midfield, something hasn’t felt quite right from the get-go in Amorim’s system, and now Jason Wilcox and co must look to bring in some new quality.

Well, according to the Mirror’s John Cross, Man United are looking to take advantage of Federico Valverde’s contractual stalemate at Real Madrid and bring him to Old Trafford in 2026.

Los Blancos view their versatile midfielder at £100m, whereas United believe his price tag falls into the £70m ballpark.

With the 27-year-old’s future at Xabi Alonso’s outfit in doubt, this could be the perfect opportunity for INEOS to swoop in and seal a coveted signature.

What Fede Valverde would offer Man United

There’s no question that Casemiro has proved Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher wrong after his infamous rant, but the 33-year-old is surely approaching the twilight of his Premier League career.

With Kobbie Mainoo’s future at the Theatre of Dreams uncertain, United could do a lot worse than packaging their engine room with a player like Valverde who has “world-class technical ability”, as said by journalist Fentuo Tahiru Fentuo.

The Uruguay international splits his time between the centre of the pitch and a right-back berth, and he is immense in both roles. As per FBref, he actually ranks among the top 11% of positional peers for pass completion, the top 19% for progressive carries and the top 20% for successful take-ons per 90.

He is not an anchor, but in La Liga this term, he has won 58% of his duels and averaged 1.6 tackles per game (data via Sofascore), and he is unquestionably among the most physical and tenacious profiles in Spanish football.

Central midfield

282

19 + 27

Right-back

56

2 + 8

Right wing

33

11 + 4

Defensive midfield

15

1 + 0

Attacking midfield

14

1 + 0

Left-back

7

0 + 0

Centre-back

1

0 + 0

Valverde might not be an out-and-out defensive midfielder, but his completeness and dynamism in the centre of the park suggest he could be the perfect partner for a more mobile playmaker beside him.

That’s not to say Valverde isn’t an elite distributor, though, and he might come to be an incredible asset to pair up with a tough-tackling and single-minded number six.

Casemiro has been a dutiful and underrated part of Amorim’s project this season, but he is out of contract at the end of the term and lacking his typical combativeness – this season in the Premier League, he has won just 54% of his ground battles.

Valverde has the range and breadth to be a significant upgrade for a Man United side that just need a few on-the-money additions to become real contenders once again.

Imagine him & Mbeumo: Man Utd submit bid to sign "unbelievable" £53m winger

Man United and INEOS are already preparing a winter bid to strengthen Amorim’s team.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 1, 2025

West Ham are braced for an all-important January transfer window that may well define Nuno Espírito Santo’s first season in charge, with David Sullivan, Karren Brady and the Hammers board poised to back their new manager.

Following back-to-back Premier League wins and the first time they’ve won two straight home games since 2024, things are finally starting to click into gear for Nuno.

The Portuguese tinkered heavily with his first West Ham starting line-ups before finally discovering a winning formula against both Newcastle and Burnley, with Nuno naming an unchanged side for both matches as the east Londoners secured vital victories.

However, West Ham reportedly have no intention of resting on their laurels, and credible reports suggest that Nuno has been told they have a transfer budget to spend in the winter (Sky Sports).

West Ham’s results in the Premier League so far

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

West Ham 3-2 Burnley

Niclas Füllkrug’s damning injury record and lacklustre spell at the London Stadium is paving the way for him to leave in January, and it is believed that West Ham are actively targeting a striker to potentially replace the German.

While Callum Wilson has done well in West Ham’s last two games, even getting on the scoresheet against Burnley, Nuno won’t be too comfortable relying on the 33-year-old given his own torrid fitness record.

West Ham also want a new defender, and potentially a midfielder if they can manage it (Sky Sports), but it is worth noting that they won’t have a bottomless pit of cash for January either, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The potential sales of Fullkrug, Guido Rodriguez and James Ward-Prowse could be crucial when it comes to raising funds, with all three players linked to the West Ham exit door and seemingly not part of Nuno’s long-term plans.

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, in an interview with Hammers News, they could also make the surprise decision to sell another squad member who’s only just arrived.

West Ham now ready to sell summer signing Mads Hermansen

Goalkeeper Mads Hermansen swapped Leicester for the London Stadium in a £20 million deal last summer, putting pen to paper on a five-year deal in August, but the Dane has since lost his place in the starting eleven to Alphonse Areola.

He started West Ham’s first four games of the season, conceding 11 league goals in total, with Areola seizing the number one spot back and West Ham now pondering a shock January call.

According to Bailey, West Ham are ready to cash in on Hermansen if the opportunity arises, but could also send him out on loan to get minutes elsewhere before returning.

If the 25-year-old were to leave permanently already, it would mark one of the shortest stints of any new West Ham player in recent memory, but would it be the right move?

Hermansen’s had just four games to showcase his worth in a turbulent side who seem likely to be battling relegation, and the shot-stopper is still very young in goalkeeping years. His prime is still to come, and goalkeeping coaches like Casper Ankergren have revered the former Leicester star as a serious talent between the sticks.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has got much to sit on over the November international break, having been thrashed 3-0 at Manchester City last weekend.

That one stung. It condemned Liverpool to their fifth defeat in six Premier League matches, and it undid the positivity built across two recent wins over Aston Villa and Real Madrid, clean sheets kept on both evenings.

It was not just the scoreline but the manner of the loss that is so concerning for the Reds, whose title defence is as flaky as could be possible.

In a similar way, it is not Arsenal’s eight-point advantage at the top of the table that is so worrying, but the fact that Slot’s side are so shorn of tactical understanding and confidence within the system.

Changes are needed, even after a summer of record-breaking change in the transfer market.

The changes Slot needs to make at Liverpool

It’s telling that after significant summer spending, Liverpool are still alarmingly thin at the back. Giovanni Leoni’s season-ending injury after joining from Parma for £27m in August has hardly helped, but the failure to land Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi has been underlined in its bungled nature.

Even if Leoni had avoided such a setback, it likely wouldn’t have been enough to make up for the dismal form of Ibrahima Konate, who is out of contract next summer and playing so erratically that many fans have lost the desire to fight online for the defender as Real Madrid continue to circle.

While it’s true that those in central midfield have failed to produce levels of physicality and verve that are needed to balance and combine with a central defence, Konate has done anything but help himself with such shoddy displays, with Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley labelling the Frenchman “a serious, serious problem”.

Liverpool’s issues run deeper, though. There’s a case to be made that Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak are all ‘better’ players than Luis Diaz, who was sold to Bayern Munich for about £66m in the summer.

However, Lucho has been a cut above all three, and Slot needs to recraft his team and establish a new offensive sharpness and get the best from these big-money recruits who all arrived with such a weight of expectation.

It will come as no surprise that Liverpool are believed to be gearing up for a winter of bustle in the January transfer market, and Spanish sources even claim the Anfield side could part with upward of £200m to fix the faults in the Slot machine.

The dream XI Slot could build at Liverpool

Sporting director Richard Hughes was heralded after the summer transfer window, having overseen a spending spree that journalist Henry Winter described as “probably be the greatest transfer window by a club ever”, albeit a point made before the market’s closure and with the assumption that Guehi would sign too.

However, if Liverpool mean to sign the Three Lions star, they will do so on a free contract next summer, perhaps in a one-in, one-out situation that will see Konate leave.

With that in mind, FSG may look to complete a marquee move for Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni. Earlier this month, reports from Spain suggest the Reds are looking to complete a deal for the Italian, who is valued at €100m (£87m).

Regarded for his “world-class” technical ability by commentator Matteo Bonetti, Bastoni’s ball-playing tendencies would ostensibly pave over the error-strewn struggles of Konate.

But Liverpool’s problems are wider, and there’s a sense that the midfield needs an addition, especially with Alexis Mac Allister so badly out of sorts.

Though this latest rumour might be viewed as something of a pipe dream, there have been murmurs nonetheless of Merseyside interest in Paris Saint-Germain superstar Vitinha, who pipped Mohamed Salah to third place in the 2025 Ballon d’Or.

Vitinha, 25, would certainly not come cheap after orchestrating PSG’s glittering 2024/25 campaign, and it’s reported that a £114m offer might be needed to bring him over to the Premier League.

We cannot deny the Argentina star has been well below his best this season, and Liverpool could do with more press resistance and control in the middle of the park.

Vitinha would solve these issues, hailed by Portugal manager Roberto Martinez as “the best midfielder in the world” for his performances in Paris.

League Stats 25/26 – Vitinha vs Mac Allister

Stats (* per game)

Vitinha

Mac Allister

Matches (starts)

11 (9)

10 (9)

Goals

1

0

Assists

6

2

Touches*

117.5

45.1

Accurate passes

102.3 (94%)

30.3 (86%)

Chances created*

1.5

0.9

Dribbles*

0.5

0.0

Recoveries*

4.9

2.9

Tackles + interceptions*

1.2

1.6

Duels (won)*

2.3 (60%)

2.5 (45%)

Data via Sofascore

The vast difference in form between the respective midfielders is staggering, and while Vitinha isn’t a midfielder who gets all that stuck in defensively, his accuracy in the duel and energy in closing down and recovering balls emphasise the quality he would add to Liverpool’s engine room.

Perhaps such an acquisition would rekindle Liverpool’s attacking fire. After all, with the likes of Isak and Ekitike competing for a berth at number nine, Wirtz and Salah and the rest surrounding them, there is every reason for Slot to find a solution and bring this club back to the fore.

Whether Liverpool would actually succeed in pulling off two audacious winter deals is another question, but there’s no question that Hughes is prowling across the market and looking to find ways to revive this struggling side.

With Vitinha and Bastoni restoring balance to the defence and midfield, we might still see another spectacular season.

Liverpool’s dream XI in full: (GK) Alisson; (RB) Conor Bradley, (CB) Alessandro Bastoni, (CB) Virgil van Dijk, (LB) Andy Robertson; (DM) Vitinha, (CM) Ryan Gravenberch, (CM) Dominik Szoboszlai; (RW) Mohamed Salah, (LW) Florian Wirtz, (CF) Alexander Isak

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Posts 2 ByKelan Sarson Nov 13, 2025

Should Celtic re-appoint Ange Postecoglou to replace Brendan Rodgers?

Well, the Australian did enjoy great success during his two seasons in Glasgow, winning five trophies, meaning he may remain the club’s most universally popular manager of the modern era.

However, following an ill-fated 39 days stint in charge of Nottingham Forest, reports suggest that Postecoglou is not looking to jump straight back into management, while his record at Tottenham and the City Ground, Europa League triumph aside, would be causes for concern, suggesting he may not be the dream candidate some supporters believe him to be.

Instead, should they target “one of the best coaches” around in a move reminiscent of what occurred in the year 2000?

Martin O'Neill's Celtic career

On Monday evening, when news of Rodgers’ resignation was announced, Celtic also confirmed that Martin O’Neill would be placed in interim charge, working alongside Shaun Maloney.

This is the 73 year old’s first managerial position since an Ange-esque 19 game stint at Nottingham Forest in 2019 and, having been in charge of the Republic of Ireland for five years before that, he hasn’t truly been a club manager since leaving Sunderland in 2013.

He did make a winning start to life back in the dugout, overseeing a 4-0 demolition of Falkirk in the Premiership on Wednesday night, with Johnny Kenny bagging a brace, while Benjamin Nygren and Sebastian Tounekti were also on target.

Sunday’s League Cup semi-final against fierce rivals Rangers at Hampden should be a significantly tougher assignment, but O’Neill certainly has pedigree when it comes to winning Old Firm games.

The Irishman began his managerial career in the ’90s with very impressive stints in charge of Wycombe Wanderers and Leicester City, gaining promotion in charge of both, before winning two League Cups with the Foxes.

This earned him the Celtic job in 2000, viewed very much as a left-field choice at the time, but this proved to be a masterstroke.

Prior to his arrival, Rangers had won 11 of the last 12 Scottish titles, but O’Neill won the league in three of his first four seasons as well as leading Celtic to the UEFA Cup Final in 2003, ultimately defeated by José Mourinho’s Porto at the Cartuja in Seville.

Not since Jock Stein has a Celtic manager been so successful in Europe, with O’Neill also winning 13 of his 24 Old Firm games, while he also boasts the best win percentage of any permanent Hoops boss in history, before even including Wednesday’s win.

Celtic managers’ win %

Manager

Matches

Win %

Martin O’Neill

283

75.6%

Ange Postecoglou

113

73.5%

Neil Lennon

335

70.7%

Jock Stein

761

69.6%

Brendan Rodgers

292

68.8%

Gordon Strachen

195

64.6%

Willie Maley

1,617

64.4%

Ronny Deila

118

63.6%

Billy McNeill

455

60%

David Hay

209

56.9%

Tommy Burns

140

55.7%

Liam Brady

126

54%

Jimmy McGrory

843

49.7%

Note: minimum 100 matches in charge.

Stats via Transfermarkt

O’Neill will be hoping to improve that win ratio further, for however long he remains in the dugout, although that won’t be easy, with games against Rangers and then Midtjylland in Herning next on the agenda.

So, should Celtic appoint someone who is reminiscent of when O’Neill first arrived a quarter of a century ago?

Celtic could appoint 'one of the best coaches' in England

Of all the people reportedly in contention to become Celtic manager, Nicky Hayen, Craig Bellamy, Robbie Keane, Kjetil Knutsen and others, would Kieran McKenna represent the biggest coup?

Manager Focus

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Sky Sports has reported that the Ipswich Town boss is a name whom the Celtic hierarchy are ‘very keen on’, although it remains to be seen if he would leave mid-season – while a reported £5m get-out clause could also prove prohibitive.

Just 39 years old, the Northern Irishman has been in coaching since 2009, employed by Tottenham and Manchester United as a youth coach and scout, before working alongside José Mourinho and then Ole Gunnar Solskjær as an assistant at Old Trafford.

Solskjær spoke glowingly about McKenna, describing him as “the most thorough and analytical… process-driven coach that I’ve worked with”, while fellow ex-Man United great Nicky Butt agrees, labelling him “one of the best coaches I’ve ever seen on the grass”.

His reputation earned him his first head coach role at Ipswich, enjoying unparalleled success in Suffolk, guiding the Tractor Boys to back-to-back promotions, leading them back into the Premier League for the first time since 2002, even if they were relegated straight away.

A mixed start to this EFL Championship campaign has the Blues 12th, but there is still firm belief that, with McKenna in charge, the East Anglian-based outfit will be promotion contenders.

In fact, despite taking a battering pretty much every week in the Premier League last season, only Mick O’Brien in the ’30s and Sir Alf Ramsey have a better win percentage of any Ipswich boss in history.

As outlined by the Coaches Voice, McKenna favours a ‘short-passing style’ with width provided by attacking full-backs, allowing wingers to drift inside, concluding that this approach should take him ‘ to the top of the game as a coach’, something that would suit how Celtic have played in the past and their current squad.

Also, as documents, McKenna’s history working with youth teams means he is more than willing to bring through younger players, helping Omari Hutchinson and others realise their true potential at Portman Road.

So, while his lack of experience, and poor Premier League record, with an admittedly weak squad, are causes for concern, the Celtic board must be bold, rather than churning through the same three of four faces.

If Neil Lennon wasn’t currently Dunfermline Athletic manager, he’d almost certainly be in the dugout; the Pars face Scott Brown’s Ayr United on Friday, winner gets the Celtic job anyone?

On a serious note, when O’Neill arrived in 2000, this was off the back of work with Wycombe and Leicester largely in the EFL, so who is to say McKenna could not do something similar, as he would certainly bring a freshness and new ideas to a club going a bit stale.

​​​​​​​

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Posts ByDan Emery Oct 30, 2025

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is braced to make a ruthless call on new manager Ange Postecoglou after his dreadful start to life at the City Ground, which was compounded by a surprise 3-2 loss to Danish minnows FC Midtjylland in the Europa League.

Ange Postecoglou reacts to Nottingham Forest sack rumours

Just six games into his tenure, Postecoglou is already facing reports that he could be sacked if they lose to Newcastle United this weekend.

The 60-year-old has guided Forest to four losses and two draws from his opening matches in charge, having just been appointed under a month ago, and Marinakis could ruthlessly cut ties with Postecoglou despite only just arriving.

While Forest have displayed brief flashes of brilliant, interchange attacking play, the squad is really not coping well with Postecoglou’s brand of ‘Angeball’ as they struggle to adjust to a completely new system to that of his predecessor.

Ange Postecoglou’s tenure at Nottingham Forest so far	Competition
Arsenal 3-0 Forest	Premier League
Swansea 3-2 Forest	Carabao Cup
Burnley 1-1 Forest	Premier League
Real Betis 2-2 Forest	Europa League
Forest 0-1 Sunderland	Premier League
Forest 2-3 FC Midtjylland	Europa League

Unlike Nuno’s dogged, pragmatic and counter-attacking style, Forest are tasked with playing a more front-footed, open and offensive game — and this has resulted in Forest conceding 13 goals since Postecoglou’s arrival.

They’ve also looked extremely vulnerable to set-pieces, which was on full display against Midtjylland, as chants of ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’ rang around the City Ground.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Newcastle at St. James’ Park, Postecoglou sent a defiant message that he’s unfazed by the noise and solely focused on winning matches.

Fabrizio Romano has suggested that Forest could be patient with Postecoglou, but Sky Sports report that Marinakis isn’t afraid to make a cut-throat decision.

Sky Sports share Ange Postecoglou sack update out of Nottingham Forest

The broadcast giant, sharing an update via their live broadcast, says that Marinakis isn’t afraid to pull the plug on Postecoglou and could do it imminently if results continue to on a downward trajectory.

Postecoglou, if sacked after Newcastle, could break the Premier League record for shortest reign by any manager, and it would be another unwanted blotch on his CV after also making the worst start by any Forest boss for 100 years.

That being said, despite Forest’s woeful form, Sky pundit Jamie Redknapp believes it would be “crazy” for Postecoglou to go already.

MatériaMais Notícias

Contratado no fim de 2022 junto ao Pouso Alegre, o zagueiro Caio Dias estendeu seu contrato com o Guarani até o fim do Paulistão de 2024. Com isso, o defensor deve ser integrado ao profissional em breve e, consequentemente, receber oportunidades à partir do estadual do ano que vem.

Com o contrato renovado, Caio fez questão de exaltar a grandeza do Bugre bem como a sensação de seguir vestindo a camisa alviverde e agradecer a confiança do clube campineiro.

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>Assista aos jogos do seu clube do coração com aquela gelada! Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00

– É uma sensação incrível poder renovar com o Guarani e seguir fazendo parte de um clube como esse. Sou muito grato a Deus, ao clube, por confiar no meu trabalho e ter me dado a oportunidade de seguir vestindo essa camisa grandiosa, onde sempre darei meu máximo dentro de campo – relatou.

Visando a transição para o profissional, o zagueiro revela que está com a expectativa alta para este momento de sua carreira e afirma que seu objetivo é seguir evoluindo para estar pronto quando receber oportunidades na equipe principal do Guarani:

– A expectativa para a sequência é sempre a melhor possível. Acredito que vai ser uma transição e uma experiência incrível para mim estar no profissional. Meu objetivo é continuar fazendo bons jogos e trabalhando forte todos os dias para quando a oportunidade surgir agarrar e honrar essa camisa.

Tottenham Hotspur are finding their feet in the Premier League this season and there is a swell of internal belief surrounding one of their most promising stars.

Tottenham's resilience leaves Frank delighted

Over the years, external narratives involving Spurs have questioned their mentality to grind out results when the pressure is on, but Thomas Frank appears to be in a position to reverse that trend.

Speaking after Tottenham’s hard-fought 2-1 victory over Leeds United last weekend, the Danish boss made it clear that his side have the dig needed to secure momentous victories even in testing circumstances.

He stated: “I think if you want to build any successful team you need mentality and character and cohesion and togetherness. No matter if you play like Inter or Barcelona or whatever style of play, you need that willingness to do everything to win, and I think we are building that more and more in the team.”

Of course, stiffer tests are to come and Frank’s men will need to show they have the mettle to claim a regular stream of points. Regardless, one loss in seven Premier League fixtures is a marked improvement on last term.

Ambition inside the building will lead that charge, and Spurs’ reported move for Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is a sign that they aren’t willing to settle for just being part of the chasing pack.

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Putting that aside, Frank will need to focus on the talent he has at his disposal for now, even if the January window offers an opportunity to add new faces to his collective.

Listening to that advice, the Spurs manager now believes he has a player that can rival some of the world’s best in his position over the coming years.

Frank makes exciting Archie Gray prediction

Profiling his role, Frank believes Archie Gray could one day be as good as Declan Rice or Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, and has urged the former Leeds United man to take his game to the next level under his stewardship.

He stated: “I see him as a midfielder who can play six or eight. That is his position and these days midfielders need to be more complete.

Five similar players to Archie Gray (FBRef)

Marin Pongracic

Fiorentina

Clinton Mata

Lyon

Christian Mawissa

Monaco

Jean-Clair Todibo

West Ham United

Ismael Doukoure

Strasbourg

“You need to be a little bit of a six, a little bit of eight and 10 and two of the best in the world right now are probably Rodri and Declan Rice. They can do a little bit of everything. I see Archie, and they are big names to compare him to, but I see he has got the same potential.”

Making 51 appearances for a club of Tottenham’s standing at 19 years of age is a commendable achievement, though it remains to be seen if the England Under-21 international can one day rival two of the Premier League’s most established midfielders.

Chelsea could push to sign a “world-class” Robert Sanchez replacement in the January transfer window, after the goalkeeper’s disastrous performance against Manchester United.

Sanchez sent off in Man Utd defeat

The Blues suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season on Saturday afternoon, succumbing to a 2-1 loss against Man United at Old Trafford, with Sanchez’s early dismissal making the task considerably more difficult.

The Spaniard saw red just five minutes into the game, after bringing down Bryan Mbeumo when the forward was through on goal, with Enzo Maresca criticising his goalkeeper for the tackle in his post-match interview.

Maresca looked at replacing Sanchez in the summer, with the west Londoners being linked with a number of goalkeepers, and the Italian may now be regretting his decision not to bring in an upgrade.

As such, according to a report from The Express, Chelsea could now push to sign AC Milan’s Mike Maignan in the January transfer window, with a view to bringing him in on a free at the end of the season.

Maignan was known to be a target for the Blues in the summer, with Maresca said to be a fan, viewing the goalkeeper as an ideal fit for his style of play, and there are signs that a deal could be possible.

The Frenchman was persuaded to remain at the San Siro during the summer, but the Italian club have since made no progress in talks over a new deal, potentially giving Maresca’s side the opportunity to sign him on a free transfer.

"World-class" Maignan could be upgrade on Sanchez

There are indications the Milan shot-stopper could be an upgrade on Sanchez, given that he has averaged fewer goals against per 90 over the past year, while he is also impressive with the ball at his feet.

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The 30-year-old has averaged 43.02 touches per 90 over the past year, compared to 40.04 from Chelsea’s current goalkeeper, which suggests the Milan captain is comfortable in possession of the ball.

Journalist Carlo Garganese has also been left impressed by the 34-time France international in the past, describing him as “world-class” after putting in a solid performance in the Milan derby.

Sanchez has made far too many mistakes over an extended time period, making three errors leading to goals in the Premier League last season, so it is no wonder Chelsea are looking at bringing in a replacement, and Maignan could be a fantastic option.

It is shaping up to be an incredibly busy end to the summer transfer window for Glasgow Rangers as they look to build a squad that can turn things around at Ibrox.

Bojan Miovski was announced by the Light Blues as their latest signing earlier this week, and he made his debut against Celtic at Ibrox on Sunday.

The Macedonia international scored 32 goals in his two seasons in the Scottish Premiership with Aberdeen, per Transfermarkt, and will be looking to provide a big goal threat for Russell Martin.

One player who may not be a part of the manager’s squad beyond Monday’s deadline, though, is central midfielder Nicolas Raskin, who was left out of the squad to face Celtic.

The Scottish Sun reported that the player was left out of the squad because of his conduct behind the scenes in the build-up to the match, and that the decision was backed by senior players and members of staff.

Players and staff backing Martin’s decision suggests that the player has let himself down with his behaviour, rather than it being a case of the manager making a bad call.

Why Nicolas Raskin may leave Rangers

It was recently reported that Raskin’s father, Thierry, put out a rant on Facebook before later deleting the post, but not before outlets were able to pick up on what was posted.

Sport Witness relayed a translation of the post: “A coach who leaves out eight players from a team that reached the Europa Cup [Europa League] quarter-final last season, a coach who transfers eight players [and puts them in the team] that he knows very well [this kind of thing still exists!!!!!], but guys who come out of nowhere, and the guy has an oversized ego, to put it mildly, thinks he can play a match for the Champions League. Incredible, this football world is…”

If accurately reported, that does not bode well for Raskin’s future at Ibrox beyond the end of the transfer window, particularly when you add in that TEAMtalk claimed that West Ham, Burnley, and Wolves are all keen on the £15m-rated star.

Appearances

33

12

Tackles per game

2.8

3.7

Interceptions per game

0.6

1.3

Ball recoveries per game

5.6

7.4

Ground duel success rate

57%

50%

Aerial duel success rate

56%

55%

As you can see in the table above, Raskin produced impressive performances, particularly out of possession, in the Scottish Premiership and the Europa League for Rangers last season.

On top of those defensive showings under Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson, the Belgium international also delivered four goals and ten assists in the Premiership, per Sofascore.

But the reported issues behind the scenes, his omission against Celtic, the interest from Premier League teams and his father’s alleged comments, all suggest that he may be on his way out of the club.

Rangers interested in Championship star

With all of the speculation surrounding Raskin, it should not come as a surprise to learn that the club are reportedly looking to sign another midfielder.

Transfer Focus

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

According to journalist Alan Nixon’s Patreon, Glasgow Rangers want to complete a last-minute swoop for Norwich City captain Kenny McLean before the deadline.

The reporter claims that the Scottish giants are interested in a deal to snap up the 33-year-old central midfielder to bolster their options in midfield and to ‘organise their shambolic side’, as Nixon put it.

Nixon adds, though, that Norwich want to keep the Scotland international, who started in their 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, and that means that it could be a difficult deal to get done.

The midfield star has one year left on his contract at Carrow Road, with a 12-month option, and Rangers may have to splash out a decent fee to secure his signature.

Why Rangers should sign Kenny McLean

As long as the Gers do not have to break the bank to bring the 33-year-old talent to Ibrox, McLean would be a shrewd addition to the squad to allow the club to cash in on Raskin.

The situation with the Belgian star emerging so close to the end of the window is far from ideal, as it means that the club do not have loads of time to identify and sign a perfect long-term replacement.

This means that signing McLean on a two-year contract, for example, could be the perfect short-term solution that would then allow Rangers to sell Raskin before Monday’s deadline to ensure that they do not have a potentially disruptive figure, given the report around why he was dropped on Sunday, behind the scenes.

That would then provide the recruitment team with the time that they need to identify the long-term option in that position ahead of the January transfer window, or next summer.

McLean’s performances for Norwich in recent seasons in the Championship suggest that he could be an ideal short-term replacement for Raskin as a combative central midfielder who also offers creativity on the ball.

Starts

46

33

Goals

1

0

Big chances created

7

4

Assists

5

4

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.2

3.4

Ball recoveries per game

6.0

5.0

Duel success rate

59%

66%

As you can see in the table above, McLean is constantly looking to disrupt opposition attacks with tackles and interceptions, whilst winning the majority of his physical duels, which could help the leaky Ibrox defence.

The left-footed star provides a calm presence on the ball at the base of the midfield and has shown creativity already this season, with an excellent assist for Josh Sargent with his weak foot against Middlesbrough.

McLean could spray those kinds of passes over the top to find Miovski when they play games that have space in behind for the striker to run into, most likely in European matches.

Couple that with his defensive strengths in the middle of the park and it is easy to see why the Gers are reportedly interested in completing a last-gasp deal for the Canaries captain to potentially wave bye-bye to Raskin.

Rangers tipped to hire Russell Martin replacement in "box-office" move

The tactician is already attracting huge criticism.

2 ByEmilio Galantini Aug 30, 2025

Liverpool sporting director, Richard Hughes, justified the £450 million ($606m) summer spend which saw two club records shattered, and a squad reshaped with some of Europe’s hottest talents. Alexander Isak arrived for a record £125m ($168m) breaking the club’s transfer ceiling, whereas Florian Wirtz joined in a deal worth £100m, potentially rising to £116m ($156m).

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  An Anfield full of stars

  Alongside Isak and Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike came in for £69m ($93m), with Jeremie Frimpong joining at £30m ($40m). Milos Kerkez was snapped up for £40m ($54m), while young Giovanni Leoni signed in a deal that could reach £30m. It was a whirlwind of deals that pushed Liverpool’s gross spend higher than any other Premier League side.

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• Ignore the price tags

  Speaking at the IMG x RedBird Summit alongside CEO Billy Hogan, Hughes explained that Liverpool’s philosophy is to tune out the noise surrounding transfer prices.

  “As best you can, you have to detach yourself from what the transfer fee is likely to be,” Hughes said. “First and foremost, the identification of the right player for the right system for the right head coach has a fair amount of importance, and I think this is not something that’s necessarily new for the football club and its ownership. We pay what we believe to be fair market value for a player based on age and based on necessity of that individual to fit into the squad."

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  History shows the plan works

  For those questioning the wisdom of such colossal spending, Hughes pointed to Liverpool’s past successes in the market. When Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk were signed for what were then record-breaking sums, critics scoffed. Today, they’re considered bargains in hindsight.

  “If you look at what was paid for Alisson Becker (£66.8m in July 2018) and Virgil van Dijk (£75m in January 2018) in history and you equate that to what that would be in 2025 money, you’re not far away from where you are with some of the fees that have been spent this summer," he argued. 

  “In the fullness of time, we hope that, instead of talking now about what a huge fee it is, it has been value for money for the football club whenever we’re making that assessment in the future. And because of the ages of the players that we’ve bought, we’re confident that will end up being the case.”

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• Preparing for the long haul

  Hughes is clear that this summer’s recruits are not short-term fixes or quick-profit flips. The goal is longevity. Both Isak and Wirtz are seen as cornerstones who can serve Liverpool for years to come.

  “That would be very much the hope and in buying a player young, you give yourself the ability for that to be the case,” he said. “We also want to try and win now, and that’s important as well, so I’m not describing them as works in progress or anything like that. These are players who have already done a lot in their individual careers. We talk about Florian and Alex, but Milos, Jeremie and Hugo are players that have achieved a certain level in the game already.”