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Back in their favourite competition, can the sound of the Europa League anthem in Govan spark Rangers’ season into life?

Fair to say, the start of the Russell Martin era has gone, frankly, disastrously, with the Light Blues yet to win a Premiership match in five attempts, their worst start since 1978, thereby sat second bottom of the table.

They did at least beat Hibernian 2-0 in the League Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, thereby setting up a semi-final showdown with Celtic at Hampden in November, a result that will keep the universally unpopular Martin in a job, for another few days at least.

Now, the Gers will commence their Europa League campaign with a visit from Genk on Thursday night; they’ll also host Roma, Braga and Ludogorets Razgrad in the league phase, with away trips to Sturm Graz, Brann, Ferencváros and Porto on their schedule too.

Last season, Rangers finished eighth in the inaugural league phase, reaching the quarter-finals of the Europa League, continuing their love affair with Thursday night European action, having got all the way to the final of course as recently as 2022.

If Martin’s team are going to make a winning start against Genk, he needs to make his best player a central pillar, but just imagine if Rangers still had one key man in their squad, sold under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Nicolas Raskin's importance to Rangers

Nicolas Raskin was Rangers’ undisputed best and most important player last season, underlined by the fact that he was named both Players’ Player of the Year as well as Supporters’ Player of the Year.

Thus, any new manager would want to build the team around the Belgian international, well, except for Martin it would seem.

The midfielder was left on the bench for Champions League qualifiers against Viktoria Plzeň and Club Brugge, not included in the matchday squad at all for games against Celtic and Hearts, the latter a 2-0 defeat, with presenter Darrell Currie perplexed why any manager would choose to leave their “best player in the stand”.

Thus, after seemingly settling their differences, Raskin returned to Martin’s lineup against Hibs at the weekend and, to the surprise of no one, made all the difference, heading home the opening goal and putting in an all-round excellent performance.

Thus, the 24-year-old has to be considered simply undroppable going forward, set to partner Mohamed Diomandé at the base of midfield on Thursday, but just imagine if Rangers still had the “left-footed Yaya Touré” to complete this trio.

What happened to the forgotten Rangers hero

Back in the summer of 2019, despite reported interest from plenty of Premier League clubs, free agent Joe Aribo decided to join Rangers, convinced to move north of the border by manager Steven Gerrard, following the expiration of his contract at Charlton Athletic.

Well, the midfielder marked his Ibrox debut with a goal against St Joseph’s in a Europa League qualifier, bagging 26 goals and 25 assists for the club in total, winning a Premiership title and the Scottish Cup.

Speaking in 2021, Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa, who played alongside Aribo at the Valley, labelled him a “left-footed Yaya Touré”, adding that his “languid style [is] fairly unique”, praising his “great feet​​​​​​​” and fantastic “ability”.

Then manager Gerrard agreed, asserting that Aribo had “the world at his feet”, adding that he was “outstanding from start to finish” following a League Cup victory over East Fife in August 2019, shortly after his arrival.

The Nigerian international’s historic moment in a Rangers jersey came in the 2022 Europa League Final, breaking the deadlock against Eintracht Frankfurt at Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, as the Gers were heartbreakingly beaten on penalties in Seville.

This would prove to be his last goal for the club, sold to Southampton for around £6m soon after, and his career has not quite turned out as many forecast it would.

The table below documents his season-by-season performances.

2019/20

49

9 & 8

2020/21

43

8 & 7

2021/22

57

9 & 10

2022/23

27

2 & 0

2023/24

40

4 & 1

2024/25

37

3 & 0

2025/26

Zero

Zero

First and foremost, worth acknowledging that Aribo has not played a single minute for Southampton this season, completely frozen out by manager Will Still, initially due to transfer uncertainty but, now that the window has shut, he is yet to be reintegrated.

When he has been on the field for the Saints, he has registered only nine goals and a solitary assist for the club, despite getting into double figures for combined goals and assists during each of his three seasons in Glasgow.

Thus, Aribo surely regrets moving to the South Coast back in 2022, given that Southampton have been a yo-yo club since his arrival, and just imagine if this current Rangers team had him in his prime; he would make such an enormous difference alongside the likes of Raskin.

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Forget Raskin: "Glorious" star will be the best Rangers player this season

This Rangers player will be the club’s best star this season ahead of Nicolas Raskin.

ByDan Emery Sep 24, 2025

Delhi Capitals are still unsure on the availability of first teamers like Starc, du Plessis and Stubbs

Nagraj Gollapudi14-May-20252:26

Jaffer: Fraser-McGurk’s high-risk style difficult to sustain

Australia batter Jake Fraser-McGurk has become the second overseas player after Jamie Overton, Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) English recruit, to confirm his pull-out from IPL 2025, which will resume on May 17. Fraser-McGurk, who was signed by Delhi Capitals (DC) at the mega auction for INR 9 crore (USD 1.07 million approx.) is understood to have informed the franchise that he will not rejoin the squad.The IPL has announced that Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman has replaced Fraser-McGurk at DC for INR 6 crore. Mustafizur has previously played for DC in IPL 2022 and IPL 2023, picking up nine wickets across those seasons. However, he will not be eligible for retention by DC for IPL 2026 as per the tweaked replacement rules.The IPL’s original regulations permit teams to sign replacements in the event of illness or injury provided it occurs during or before their 12th match of the season. But the league has taken the call to change those rules, enabling temporary replacements to be signed for the remainder of the rearranged season.The Mustafizur signing, however, has run into complications, with the BCB stating that it hasn’t yet been approached for an NOC. Mustafizur has flown out to Dubai with the Bangladesh squad for the first of two T20I series – the other is in Pakistan – that are due to clash with the rejigged IPL schedule.From being indispensable towards the end of IPL 2024, Fraser-McGurk became dispensable for DC by the halfway mark this season after poor returns with the bat. Fraser-McGurk, 23, opened in DC’s first six matches, but returned single-digit scores in five of them with a highest score of 38 in an overall tally of 55 runs before he was benched.Despite that, the development won’t help DC, who remain in contention for the playoffs, as it is understood they are still waiting for confirmations from several of their first-choice overseas players.That list includes Australia left-arm quick Mitchell Starc and the South African pair of Faf du Plessis and Tristan Stubbs.Stubbs is part of South Africa’s squad for the World Test Championship final, which begins on June 11 at Lord’s, and CSA has said that the WTC-bound players will have to abide by the initial NOCs, which run up to May 25 – the original date for the IPL final.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has hailed Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Fabio Capello as the coaches who “changed football,” while admitting he always wanted to play under Jurgen Klopp and Sir Alex Ferguson. The AC Milan advisor also backed Ancelotti to lead Brazil to 2026 World Cup glory, saying "everything he touches turns to gold".

Ibrahimovic reflects on the managers who defined his career

Speaking at the European Club Association General Assembly in Rome, Ibrahimovic reflected on his glittering career and the managers who defined his success. The 44-year-old worked with several of football’s greatest minds during spells at Barcelona, Inter, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United, including the likes of Massimiliano Allegri, Roberto Mancini, Ronald Koeman and Laurent Blanc. but he identified four other names that stand above the rest.

AdvertisementAFPGuardiola and Mourinho among coaches who shaped modern football

Ibrahimovic had a contentious relationship with Guardiola during his brief spell at Barcelona. He scored 22 goals in 46 appearances for the Spanish club before his acrimonious departure due to his issues with the current Manchester City boss. Nonetheless, he listed the Catalan among the best in his career.

“I had Capello, Mourinho, Guardiola, Ancelotti: these four are football and they changed it,” Ibrahimovic said. “I would have liked to be coached by Klopp and Ferguson,” he added, as he recalled his experiences working with world-class managers across Europe.

Ibrahimovic says Ancelotti can deliver World Cup glory for Brazil

The former Swedish striker reserved special praise for Ancelotti, his former coach at PSG, tipping him to lead Brazil to success in the 2026 World Cup. 

“I hope Brazil win for my friend Ancelotti. I’m rooting for them. Everything he touches turns to gold, let’s see if he can do the same with Brazil,” Zlatan said.

Ibrahimovic believes Ancelotti’s calm leadership and tactical flexibility could finally end the Selecao’s 24-year wait for a World Cup trophy, making him the first European coach to lift it with Brazil.

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Getty ImagesInside Zlatan’s evolving role at AC Milan

Since being appointed as a consultant to Milan’s ownership group in December 2023, Ibrahimovic’s influence at the club has grown behind the scenes. While he often jokes about his vague job title, reports suggest he played a key role in convincing summer targets Christopher Nkunku and Ardon Jashari to join the Rossoneri project. At the ECA conference, he represented Milan’s management alongside senior RedBird figures, reaffirming his growing presence in football’s executive circles.

Michael Bracewell will continue as captain while uncapped Rhys Mariu has also been called up as batting cover

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Mar-2025Tom Latham has been ruled out of the ODI series against Pakistan after suffering a fractured hand during training with Michael Bracewell to lead the side in his absence while Henry Nicholls has been called up.Latham, who was due to the captain New Zealand with Mitchell Santner at the IPL, was struck on the right hand this week with x-rays confirming the extent of the damage.Related

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Mitch Hay will replace Latham as wicketkeeper while Bracewell will continue to lead the team as he did in the T20I series.Meanwhile, Will Young will drop out of the squad following the first match in his hometown of Napier ahead of the birth of his first child. The uncapped 23-year-old batter Rhys Mariu, who has a first-class average of 61.73, has earned his first call-up as cover.”We’ve had to be flexible this tour with numerous players unavailable for different reasons,” New Zealand coach Gary Stead said. “What it does do is offer opportunities to others players and it’s nice to introduce Rhys into the environment for the first time, as well as welcome back Henry.”Henry’s been in good form since returning from his three-month injury lay-off and he’ll add valuable skills and experience to the team.”It’s obviously disappointing to lose Tom as captain on the eve of the series and we wish him a speedy recovery. The side is in safe hands with Michael who’s done a great job through the T20I series.”Finally we wish Will and his wife Elise all the best next week as they await their first child which is such a special and important time for them.”The uncapped pair of Muhammad Abbas and Nick Kelly had previously earned call-ups for the series while Kane Williamson made himself unavailable.New Zealand won the T20I series 4-1.

Much of the aftermath of Manchester City's 1-1 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium focused on the cautious tactics of the hosts, somehow ignoring that it was the visitors who resorted to park-the-bus mechanisms in order to try and grind out a win. In the end, neither side truly deserved the victory and a point apiece seemed fair, but the performance from Pep Guardiola's men was strange in several ways.

Having lost 5-1 in this very same fixture back in February against a weaker Arsenal team than this, you can forgive City for returning to north London with the handbrake on. If they suffered another obliteration in that manner, they could already begin to kiss their Premier League title dreams goodbye.

In order to prevent this, Guardiola set out his stall in a far more conservative manner than ever before. Given Mikel Arteta had also picked a starting lineup showing a bit too much respect, City were actually good value for their 1-0 lead at half-time, hitting the Gunners with a killer counter which was expertly finished off by Erling Haaland. That excursion nine minutes in appeared to signal the end of their ambition, however, mustering up only one other chance of note from there on in. Nobody in blue could have any complaints about their barricades finally being breached by one straight ball over the top and a delectable dink from Gabriel Martinelli.

It begs the question over where City are going. Are they actually serious contenders or are they still way behind in their rebuild? Can Guardiola reinvent himself to keep up with this new wave of managers?

• AFP
  

  Breaking records in Arsenal draw

  Not only did City's performance fail the smell test with a wild whiff, but the numbers and stats back it up. The 32.% possession that his side recorded on Sunday was the lowest-ever for a Guardiola team. The extra wrinkle is this was done with the full 11 men on the pitch.

  In his post-match press conference, Guardiola claimed it was not exactly by design for City to stand off Arsenal so much, rather Arteta's outfit had outwitted them and forced such a change. "I can't live in this country with another record!" Guardiola laughed. "I'm so proud of it. You have to give Arsenal a lot of credit. One time in ten years is not bad, eh? I have to prove myself again with a different strategy. So, now I have a transition team. I said I don't give a f*ck about the results, I want to see the spirit back in the training sessions and us enjoying. After that is tactics. We lost it last season and we had to recover. This week we have recovered. We have to continue. And from there we will, learn the process, the tactics, our way we feel more comfortable to win games and be proud of ourselves."

  When asked whether there was a sense of enjoyment at his team effectively sh*thousing their way to a result, Guardiola shook and replied: "I suffered! I want the ball to be closer to [David] Raya, not Gigi [Donnarumma]."

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Donnarumma hint

  While on the subject of Donnarumma, it's important to remember exactly why he was signed. Sure, he's an excellent shot-stopper and an imposing presence, but he's the polar opposite profile to his predecessor, Ederson. The manic Brazilian was arguably the world's best goalkeeper with the ball at his feet, someone capable of playing short and long. It even got a point where people asked if he was talented enough to play in midfield rather than between the sticks.

  The pivot to Donnarumma isn't accidental. Well, at least in theory. The Italian treats the ball like a hot potato when asked to pass it, which is part of the reason why Paris Saint-Germain were happy to move him on despite last season's heroics en route to their first Champions League triumph.

  "I wouldn't demand Gigi to do something he is uncomfortable with," Guardiola confirmed after his arrival. "We aren't asking Gigi to do what Ederson has done… it's not about undermining the other one. They are different."

  In short, City are moving on from their days as a team who solely play from the back. They cannot count on the goalkeeper as an extra outfielder anymore. To properly utilise Donnarumma, they are almost asking opposition teams to pile more pressure on in their own box.

  Guardiola's continued insistence on using the technically-limited Abdukodir Khusanov as a right-back speaks similar volumes, with the Uzbekistan international one of City's best players in the first half against Arsenal before being withdrawn at the break.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Squad unsuited to new tactics

  Nevertheless, City remain a work in progress, not only in their roster reconstruction but in adapting to a totally new way of playing. To their credit, they limited Arsenal to very few chances at the weekend, particularly as the clock wound down and they sought to waste as much time as possible, yet they were still undone. The instinct of their star players to push higher and squeeze the game afforded Martinelli the space to run into, and he made them pay with the equaliser. This way of playing has historically been the way to combat Guardiola's City. He and his players have continually bemoaned such tactics, so it's interesting that the roles have been reversed.

  Perhaps more than any other player in the squad, 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri has not been afraid to share his views on what he deems negative football. After City were eliminated by Real Madrid on penalties at the quarter-final stage of the 2023-24 Champions League, he said: "To be honest, I saw only one team. In terms of defending, they defended (well). They knew how to suffer and we know how tough Real Madrid are. But in my opinion we should go through with that amount of chances but this is the trick of this competition."

  Similarly scything quotes went viral across Europe a year earlier when his Spain side were beaten by Scotland in a European Championship qualifier, with the midfielder then commenting: "It's the way they play – for me it's a bit rubbish. It's always wasting time, they provoke you, they always fall. For me, this is not football. The referee has to take a part in this but he said nothing. It's a bit frustrating because we want to win and it's difficult because they waste time, waste time. It is what it is."

  Taking off Erling Haaland and playing up to six defenders at any given point was such an outwardly negative move that it took even the Norwegian scoring sensation by surprise. We don't know what the opinions of the entire City squad are on their game-plan for the Arsenal draw, but maybe those thoughts don't even matter if they simply aren't up to scratch with them anyway.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Collapse since 2023-24

  Ironically, Rodri's absence through an ACL injury was largely seen as the main reason behind City's decline last season. Without their midfield anchor, quite literally one crowned as the best player in the world, they split open like a sieve out of possession and lost all sense of equilibrium. In that sense, it's a fair assessment, but one man can't be the reason for a team that had just won four titles in a row falling apart in such dramatic fashion.

  We now have a decent enough sample size to say City are nowhere near the level of those previous winners. They had already lost Kevin De Bruyne in spirit last year with the midfielder ageing and entering a different stage of his career, and they haven't come close to finding someone to replace that creative void.

  City used to be relentless, maybe only bettered by Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool in that department, but they've lost that edge. Following the Arsenal draw, Guardiola and Bernardo Silva both bemoaned the schedule. It's true that this increased number of games will inevitably hamper a team's intensity, though that then begs the question of why the manager was so eager to trim his squad down from twenties into the teens. They had become used to winning for so long that they seemingly forgot how to reinvent and stay with the times, thus bringing about Guardiola's belated change to transitional tactics.

Newcastle United are ready to pay £55m to sign a Premier League star ahead of both PSG and Tottenham Hotspur.

Newcastle’s transfer window going from bad to worse after Sesko snub

The Magpies have so far had a transfer window to forget, missing out on numerous targets to bolster Eddie Howe’s side ahead of their Champions League return.

PIF have tried and failed to bring Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Bryan Mbeumo, James Trafford and Hugo Ekitike to Newcastle, with Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City all beating them to deals.

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Now, it looks as if those at Old Trafford are about to pip them to a transfer for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, with both clubs making offers. Sesko wants to move to Man Utd instead of Newcastle, despite the Magpies having a €85m proposal accepted by the Bundesliga side.

Time is ticking ahead of the opening Premier League weekend and the transfer deadline on September 1, with Anthony Elanga the only real marquee signing to shout about at St James’ Park.

Now, it looks as if they are willing to make a move for another target who is also wanted by numerous clubs.

Newcastle ‘ready’ to pay £55m for Zabarnyi

According to reports in France, Newcastle are now willing to hijack PSG’s move to sign Bournemouth star Illia Zabarnyi.

The Cherries have been holding out for €70m but are reportedly willing to accept PSG’s offer of a €60m fee, should they also include €3m in add-ons, which takes the total package to £55m.

However, the report adds that Newcastle are ‘ready to immediately meet’ Bournemouth’s demand, if they get wind that Zabarnyi is willing to make the move to St James’ Park. Tottenham have also been linked and are in the same position as Newcastle.

Those at the Parc des Princes are still expecting to sign the Ukraine international, but it appears as if PIF are ready to complete a hijack of their own after experiencing multiple transfer blows in recent weeks.

Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool

Manuel Akanji

Man City

Levi Colwill

Chelsea

Jonathan Tah

Bayern Munich

Maxence Lacroix

Crystal Palace

As can be seen, Zabarnyi has been compared to numerous high-profile defenders after starring on the south coast for Bournemouth, including Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk.

Still just 22 years of age, Zabarnyi could partner Sven Botman in the long run at St James’ Park, but it looks as if any attempted deal would be tough to complete given PSG’s optimism.

Tottenham have been given some encouragement over the potential signing of a star player after unceremoniously missing out on Morgan Gibbs-White.

Tottenham set to make offer for "sensational" £45m star after holding talks

Spurs have been in contact over a deal for a midfielder, with an opening bid now in the works.

2 ByDominic Lund Jul 28, 2025

Gibbs-White was due at Hotspur Way for a medical nearly three weeks ago (BBC), and chairman Daniel Levy was ready to activate the England international’s £60 million release clause (ESPN), only for Evangelos Marinakis to block the transfer, threaten legal action and somehow convince the player to stay.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Marinakis proudly watched over Gibbs-White from an uncomfortably short distance in his interview confirming the surprise contract extension on Saturday evening, with the player both praising Forest’s owner and exclaiming his delight at remaining.

After what was an unprecedented twist, the 25-year-old will no longer become a Tottenham player despite all signs previously pointing in that direction. Luckily for Spurs supporters, the end of this bizarre saga by no means spells the conclusion of Levy’s search for new attacking options.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham are actively working on an alternative to Gibbs-White, and there are even other suggestions that Frank’s side have now emerged as shock contenders for Real Madrid forward Rodrygo.

The forward, who signed for Real seven years ago from Santos for around £40 million, has gone on to become a notable first-team star for Los Blancos, with midfielder Jude Bellingham calling him their most underrated star.

However, uncertainty surrounds Rodrygo’s future, with Real apparently telling the Brazil international’s agents in a recent meeting that they’re open to letting him go this summer.

“His agents are talking to Real Madrid,” said Romano on his YouTube channel last week.

“They already had a meeting last week [with Madrid] to just present their own position. In that meeting, from what I’ve heard, Real Madrid confirmed that they are open to letting Rodrygo go.

“Now it’s Rodrygo, together with his agents, who has to decide what he wants to do – stay and fight for a spot or leave and explore all the options.”

Now, according to journalist Graeme Bailey and TBR Football, his team are also speaking with Tottenham.

Rodrygo hints he's prepared to join Tottenham as Spurs speak with agents

It is believed that Spurs have opened discussions with intermediaries over signing Rodrygo, and the versatile attacker has “indicated that he would be open” to making a move to N17 before deadline day on September 1.

Levy is after a statement signing in the event Son Heung-min formalises a move to Los Angeles, and that is growing distinctly possible amid reports that the South Korean is close to agreeing personal terms.

The Lilywhites have also made it ‘known’ that they’re ready to make Rodrygo their highest-paid player, with a lot of their discussions encouraged by the 24-year-old’s willingness to join Frank’s side.

In more good news, Levy has apparently set aside funds in Spurs’ transfer budget to allow for another ‘big-name addition’. That being said, Tottenham would still need to break their transfer record for Rodrygo, given Alonso’s side value him north of £70 million.

It has not been the easiest summer transfer window for Newcastle United. Eddie Howe’s side have constantly seen their first-choice targets across the pitch turn them down, or they have lost out to other clubs. Bryan Mbeumo’s proposed move to Manchester United is a prime example of that.

Well, the Magpies have lined up a deal for former Man United academy star Anthony Elanga as an alternative to the Brentford winger, with the Nottingham Forest man set for a medical before a proposed £55m move.

At the other end of the pitch, Atalanta defender Giorgio Scalvini is a clear target for the Tynesiders. However, the Italian is not the only defender Howe’s side are lining up this summer.

Newcastle’s new defensive target

It remains to be seen just how realistic a deal to sign Scalvini is for Newcastle this season. The Magpies were reportedly engaging in discussions with Atalanta over the weekend, as per reports.

Well, another centre-back that the North East giants are pursuing is Chelsea’s French international defender Axel Disasi. According to a report from RMC Sport, Newcastle are one of a few sides who ‘have begun talks’ for the former AS Monaco star.

They are thought to be ‘interested in the international’s profile’, and could look to do a deal in the region of £25m, the fee Chelsea want from the move.

However, they are not the only club in the race, with Spanish outfit Villareal the one side ‘particularly persistent’ ahead of the deal.

Why Disasi would be a good signing

The 2024/25 campaign was by no means an easy one for 27-year-old Disasi. He fell out of favour under Enzo Maresca at Chelsea and departed the club on a six-month loan deal in January, joining Aston Villa temporarily.

The centre-back, who was a part of France’s 2022 World Cup squad, made 27 appearances across all competitions for the Blues and the Villans last term. However, with just 852 Premier League minutes under his belt for both sides, he surely did not play the number of games he may have wanted.

Yet, the Frenchman did impress at Villa Park, despite the lack of football he played last term. Villans boss Unai Emery said in March that Disasi was a player “growing in confidence” the more he played. That came after a Player of the Match performance against Brentford away from home.

As football talent scout Jacek Kulig once said, he is a “dominant” player when at his best.

The Chelsea defender could be the perfect alternative to Scalvini, who also didn’t play in 2024/25. However, that was due to injury, with the 21-year-old first recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, before picking up a shoulder injury which essentially ended his season.

So, last season, the Italy star made just eight appearances. However, in 2023/24, a season in which Atalanta won the Europa League, Scalvini played 44 games. In the final, he played 45 minutes against a Bayer Leverkusen side who had, until that clash, gone invincible. He helped keep a clean sheet and steer his side to a 3-0 win.

With little football for both players last season, it is perhaps tough for the Magpies to judge who is best to sign. However, stats on FBref from the 2023/24 season can be used to help make a better call, with Disasi’s numbers stacking up well against his Italian counterpart.

For example, the Chelsea number two, who will surely leave Stamford Bridge this summer, averaged 3.9 progressive passes and 3.55 clearances per 90 minutes. In comparison, the Atalanta star averaged 4.1 progressive passes and 2.51 progressive passes each game.

Disasi and Scalvini key stats 2023/24 season compared
Stat (per 90)	Disasi	Scalvini
Progressive passes	3.9	4.1
Progressive carries	1.05	1.06
Tackles	1.15	1.87
Clearances	3.5	2.51
Ball recoveries	5.23	5.76
Aerial duel win rate	69.9%	66.7%
Stats from FBref

Whilst there is no doubt that Scalvini would be a good addition for the Magpies, his injury record is a worry, and Disasi could prove to be the dream alternative. The 27-year-old brings experience, progression from the back and good reading of the game, as stats like ball recoveries show.

For just £25m, this could be the dream addition for Newcastle this summer, to enhance the quality they have at the back.

He'd be a dream with Scalvini: Newcastle very close to signing £30m star

As Newcastle United increase their interest in Atalanta centre-back Giorgio Scalvini, the Magpies are also “very close” to sign a “world class” star.

By
Ben Gray

Jul 6, 2025

Having already reinforced their frontline with the addition of Thierno Barry, Everton have also reportedly joined the race to sign an impressive 27-goal striker.

The latest in Everton's incomings

The Toffees commenced the transfer window in statement fashion – welcoming Carlos Alcaraz in a permanent deal and talented forward Barry – and have since also welcomed new No.2 Mark Travers. But, if reports are anything to go by, they’re only just getting started. Recent rumours have suggested that The Friedkin Group could even spend as much as £150m on additions this summer.

Top of Everton’s wishlist on that front seems to be Manchester City’s James McAtee. The young midfielder is reportedly looking to leave the Etihad in pursuit of much-needed game time this summer, with a permanent switch to the Hill Dickinson Stadium now among his options.

Even as he struggled to hand McAtee a consistent place in his plans, Pep Guardiola took the time to praise the 22-year-old after he scored a hat-trick against Salford City.

The Spaniard told reporters: “I am so happy for him, he is a special player. A hat trick is not easy. He has an incredible sense in front of goal, he has the right tempo, he changed the rhythm to score and I am very happy for him.”

He's a dream for Barry: Everton open talks to sign £50m "superstar"

Everton initiate talks to sign LaLiga star in bold bid to strengthen attack

ByWill Miller Jul 23, 2025

McAtee’s not the only name on Everton’s shortlist, however. The Toffees have also reportedly set their sights on Douglas Luiz and former Real Madrid gem Takefusa Kubo.

Attacking targets seem to be the priority in Merseyside too, whether it’s Kubo who arrives or an impressive 27-goal striker this summer.

Everton now battling to sign Mika Biereth

As reported by Caught Offside, Everton are now battling to sign Mika Biereth from AS Monaco this summer. The Toffees are joined by Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Wolves in a very busy race, but the fact that the forward is represented as the same agent as Barry could yet hand those at the Hill Dickinson Stadium an advantage.

Minutes

2,495

2,559

Goals

24

16

Assists

6

4

Scoring a combined 40 goals between them last season, Biereth and Barry would form quite the partnership at Everton. In two moves, David Moyes would go from a fairly blunt attack to an underrated and dangerous frontline.

After watching on as Biereth missed a penalty then went on to score in a 2-1 victory against rivals OGC Nice last season, Monaco boss Adi Hutter told reporters: “This is his mentality, his character. He never gives up and he fights for the team. It is fantastic.”

Six months on from welcoming the Dane into his side, however, and Hutter could be forced to bid farewell if Everton or others get their way this summer. And just like when he swapped Sturm Graz for France in January, Biereth would be more than ready to hit the ground running elsewhere.

Keshav Maharaj bowled 28 overs unchanged from the Media Centre End, albeit with weather-related interruptions, as South Africa frustrated West Indies on the third day of a rain-affected Test. The squeeze only brought four wickets, and with 90 minutes lost in the day and more rain on the way, the chances of victory for either side seems slim, but South Africa will consider themselves as having the upper hand.West Indies are 212 runs behind on a slow, dry pitch, and runs continue to be hard to come by. South Africa only added 13 runs to their overnight score but managed their highest first innings total in nine away Tests since Christchurch 2022 but needed quick wickets to make it count. They were blunted by the West Indies’ line-up and committed a few lapses in the field on a surface unsuited to urgency.Batting has been laboured so far and the early signs on the third morning were that it would become even more difficult. The second ball, from Jayden Seales, kept low and Wiaan Mulder was fortunate that it did not seam back in enough to take out off stump.Still, South Africa seemed to have a clear directive to score quickly and Kagiso Rabada led the charge. He flicked Seales through backward square leg and then attempted a drive but edged wide of second slip in a productive over. His intent did not last long. Rabada faced five more balls before Jomel Warrican found the edge and Joshua Da Silva did the rest. Seales finished off when he bowled Lungi Ngidi six balls later to end South Africa’s innings 20 minutes into the session. They added just 13 runs to their overnight score.West Indies were in the field for 117.4 overs and would have had enough time to know that batting would be tough especially against South Africa’s best. Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi shared the new ball and had different but equally testing questions for the openers. Rabada kept it full, Ngidi was more back of a length, and West Indies managed only 23 runs in their first ten overs. Mulder, playing as the third seamer, replaced Ngidi but when Rabada’s spell ended, South Africa were forced to turn to spin early.Maharaj was given the ball in the 13th over and came close to an early breakthrough. In his second over, Maharaj drew Kraigg Brathwaite forward and induced the edge, which lobbed low but carried to Aiden Markram at slip. However, he could not hold on. Brathwaite was on 7 off 43 balls at the time. Brathwaite went on to cut Maharaj through point for his first four but, much like South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma on day two, was content to spend time at the crease and let the runs come from the other end.Mikyle Louis was more proactive, particularly through the covers, with four of his five boundaries coming in that region. He hit the single that took West Indies to fifty which was also the fourth half-century opening stand between him and Brathwaite in three Tests and helped West Indies nearly get through the session unscathed. But, the ball before lunch, Louis played for turn to a Maharaj arm ball and was bowled.Kraigg Brathwaite and Keacy Carty put on 60 for the second wicket•AFP/Getty Images

Play was delayed for 55 minutes after the scheduled second-session restart, but one over later, rain forced another 20-minute break. The interruptions had no effect on Brathwaite’s concentration as he hit Maharaj for six three overs into the second session, but left it to Keacy Carty to do most of the attacking. On debut, Carty impressed with his assuredness and played the shot of the day when he got up on his toes to punch Rabada behind point for four.With their options limited to four frontline bowlers, South Africa had to keep Maharaj at one end – and he kept Brathwaite quiet for a period in which the West Indian captain scored just 6 runs off 37 balls from him – and rotate through the three seamers and matters became pedestrian. None of them looked like taking a wicket but a chance came in the field when Carty, on 28, defended a Mulder ball to point and took off a run but had Ryan Rickelton to contend with. Carty turned back and if Rickelton’s throw was accurate he would have been caught short of his ground but the ball went wide and Carty batted on. Three overs later, Carty was on 32 and hit Maharaj aerially to cover. Tristan Stubbs ran back to take the catch over his shoulder but misjudged and spilled it.Just when South Africa may have become disheartened, a sedate Brathwaite hit Ngidi to Mulder at mid-on and ran for the single but a direct hit found him on the line and out on the stroke of tea. Brathwaite’s 35 runs took 131 balls, and he maintains the lowest strike rate among batters who have scored 5,000 Test runs since 2001. With the interval, came the rain and there was a further 35 minute delay before the start of the last session.Seven balls into the evening, a Maharaj ball ended Carty’s debut innings as it skidded and struck him on the front pad. Aiden Markam, operating as South Africa’s second spinner, could have had another five overs later when Kavem Hodge, on 3, edged but Kyle Verreynne did not react quickly enough to hold on. Instead, Markram was the fielder when Maharaj struck again in the next over. Alick Athanaze edged an arm ball to Markam at slip. Markram and Maharaj bowled out most of the rest of the session, apart from a final late burst by Rabada, who could not remove either Hodge or Jason Holder.