They might not have officially announced any signings yet, but Arsenal have finally started making moves this summer.

For example, last week reports claimed that Christian Norgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga are set to sign for the club.

On top of that, reports from earlier this week claimed that Martin Zubimendi was in London to finally complete his long-awaited move from Real Sociedad.

Finally, there has been an abundance of stories linking Arsenal to the incredible Eberechi Eze in recent days.

However, if recent reports are to be believed, the club could now be nearing an agreement to sign another attacking gem who would be an even more exciting addition to the team than the Englishman.

Arsenal close to signing goalscoring monster

With Arsenal creating the best defence in the Premier League for the second campaign running this season and still finishing second, it’s hardly a surprise to see them linked with an exhaustive list of incredible attacking talents in recent weeks.

The likes of Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon, Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, Real Madrid’s Rodrygo and Crystal Palace’s Eze have all been touted for moves to the Emirates, and while all feel like realistic targets, it’s the latter who has been the subject of more reports in recent days.

The England international has a release clause worth around £68m in his current contract, and according to Fabrizio Romano, he was involved in talks with the Gunners over the weekend.

Transfer Focus

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

The Eagles’ gem would undoubtedly be a seriously exciting addition to Arteta’s squad, but it now looks like the club might be closing in on another attacker and someone who’d be that bit more exciting a signing: Benjamin Sesko.

At least that’s according to a recent report from Caught Offside, which claims Arsenal have maintained their intense interest in the Slovenian international and that they are now ‘edging closer to an agreement with RB Leipzig’ for his transfer.

The report goes on to reveal that even though the German outfit want a fee in excess of €80m for the striker, which is about £69m, the two sides may be ‘nearing a compromise’ worth around €75m, which converts to about £64m.

Despite that news, the Gunners are still intent on signing Viktor Gyokeres too, with advanced talks also in place for the Swede.

Why Sesko would be a more exciting signing than Eze

Now, while Arsenal should try to sign both players this summer, there are two intertwined reasons why we think Sesko would have a greater impact than Eze, and therefore be the more exciting addition: his goal-scoring instincts and where he plays.

We say this because the Gunners’ biggest problem last season was not creating chances, but finishing them.

According to Understat, the Premier League runners-up produced an expected goals figure of 73.57, but scored just 69 goals.

Now, while one way to address this problem is to create more goal-scoring opportunities, bringing in a more clinical number nine seems far more straightforward than changing how the team approaches games, which is where the Leipzig star comes into play.

For example, in 33 league appearances this season, he scored 13 goals from an expected goals figure of 10.84, whereas Kai Havertz scored nine from a figure of 11.83, and Gabriel Jesus managed three from a figure of 3.38.

In short, the “monumental” Slovenian poacher, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, is far more effective in front of goal than the Gunners’ current crop of forwards, and even more clinical than Eze, as he scored his eight league goals from an expected goals figure of 1.88.

Finally, if we simply compare the Leipzig star’s overall output from this season to the Palace star’s, we once again see that he’s a better source of goals and assists, which is what the North Londoners need next year.

Appearances

45

43

Minutes

3258′

3303′

Goals

21

14

Assists

6

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.6

0.58

Minutes per Goal Involvement

120.66′

132.12′

For example, the former RB Salzburg monster scored 21 goals and provided six assists in 45 appearances, totalling 3258 minutes, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.66 games, or every 120.66 minutes.

In contrast, the Greenwich-born dynamo scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists in 43 appearances, totalling 3303 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal or assist every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes.

Ultimately, Sesko is far more clinical than Arsenal’s current centre-forward options and a better source of goal involvements than Eze, and therefore, would be the more exciting signing this summer.

A big upgrade on Eze: Arsenal discussing move to sign £80m "nightmare"

The international attacker would be brilliant for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 1, 2025

تحدث الدولي الفرنسي كيليان مبابي عن معادلة عدد أهداف الأسطورة تييري هنري مع منتخب فرنسا بعد هدفه أمام أوكرانيا في تصفيات أوروبا المؤهلة إلى بطولة كأس العالم 2026 بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.

وعادل مهاجم ريال مدريد رصيد أسطورة آرسنال السابق بـ 51 هدفًا مع منتخب الديوك بعدما سجل هدفا رائعًا أمام أوكرانيا بالمباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات كأس العالم 2026.

وأصبح اللاعب البالغ من العمر 26 عامًا بفارق 6 أهداف عن الرقم القياسي لمنتخب فرنسا الذي يحمله أوليفييه جيرو والذي يبلغ 57 هدفًا.

وقال مبابي، في تصريحات نقلتها شبكة “بي بي سي سبورت”: “أشيد بتيتي (هنري)، ولكنني الآن أريد أن أتفوق عليه”.

اقرأ أيضًا | ديمبلي: لم أكن محظوظًا في برشلونة.. ولن أتوقف عن تناول الهامبرجر والبيتزا

وأكمل: “إنه لشرف لي أن أعادل لاعبًا مثل هنري، فالجميع يعلم ما يعنيه لنا نحن الفرنسيين وخاصةً للمهاجمين، إنه شخص مهد الطريق لنا وأكن له احترامًا وإعجابًا كبيرًا”.

وأضاف: “الرقم القياسي يقترب لكنني لا أفكر فيه، لا أعلم إن كان عدم تفكيري بسبب اعتقادي بأنني قادر على تحطيمه أم لأن هناك أمورًا أهم”.

وأتم: “الوصول إلى هذا الإنجاز وأنا في سن الـ 26 من عمري أمر جنوني لكنني أحبه، أريد الاستمرار والأهم من ذلك الفوز بالمباريات والألقاب”.

216-run stand with Luis Reece sets up cruise to nine-wicket victory

ECB Reporters Network27-Jul-2024

Harry Came scored a maiden List A hundred as Derbyshire moved to the top of Group A in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup with a thumping nine-wicket victory over Middlesex at Derby.Derbyshire’s second win in the competition was set up by Came and Luis Reece, 88, who shared an opening stand of 216 off 202 balls. Came was unbeaten on 110 from 130 balls as Derbyshire reached their target of 267 with seven overs to spare to condemn Middlesex to a second defeat.Joe Cracknell top-scored for Middlesex with 56 but the loss of three wickets in 19 balls undermined them before Martin Anderrson, 46, and the lower order lifted the total to 267, with Daryn Dupavillon taking 3 for 47.After being put in, Middlesex had looked on course for a more substantial total until a middle-order collapse forced them to regroup in the second half of the innings. Sam Robson appeared set before Sam Conners found some late movement to have him caught behind for 32 off 28 balls in the 10th over.Cracknell struggled initially but a pulled six off Conners got him going although he was dropped at slip off Dupavillon on 33. England Under-19 fast bowler Harry Moore again impressed with his control and he got one to lift to have Nathan Fernandes caught behind in the 17th over.Cracknell reached his 50 from 74 balls by lifting Reece over midwicket for his fifth four and with Mark Stoneman starting confidently, Middlesex were well placed at 117 for 2. But Stoneman then flashed at a wide ball from Dupvaillon and Jack Davies skied a pull to deep midwicket before Cracknell missed a sweep at Samit Patel to reduce the visitors to 131 for 5.Andersson and Luke Hollman had to temper aggression with the need to get their side up to a competitive score and they worked the ball around to add 61 from 77 balls. The return of Moore broke the stand when Hollman cut him to point but Josh De Caires helped Anderrson push Middlesex towards 250.He put a dent in Patel’s figures by launching him over long off for six but the Derbyshire skipper responded by bowling Andersson as he made room to cut. De Caires made 23 from 19 balls before he pulled Zak Chappell to deep midwicket but Middlesex were back in the game.To have a chance of building on the recovery, they had to bowl well from the start but both Noah Cornwell and Blake Cullen conceded five wides in their opening overs. Reece climbed into Cullen’s second over, pulling him into the car park and whipping him over the ropes at long leg before driving the last ball past mid off for four.Ethan Bamber also gave away five wides in his first over and Reece and Came sailed along serenely at six an over with Middlesex struggling to contain them. Reece reached his 50 from 48 balls and Came brought up his half-century off 72 by pulling Cornwell for his sixth four.Stoneman rotated his bowlers to no avail as the openers did much as they pleased with Came straight driving Hollman for six in the 30th over. The stand was finally broken when Reece was lbw sweeping Hollman but Came reached his century off 116 balls as Derbyshire cruised home in the early evening sunshine.

Arsenal are on the lookout for promising talent this summer and could now beat Liverpool and Chelsea to one of Europe’s top young talents, according to a report.

Arsenal look to kickstart a summer of note

The Gunners have aspirations of claiming Premier League glory after coming close in years gone by and a big few months is expected by all involved at the Emirates to shift the balance of power that Liverpool currently hold.

Mikel Arteta previously promised a high turnover of players at Arsenal, stating earlier this year: “It’s going to be a big one and we are very excited about it. The way we planned the first five summers, they were going to be very big, and they were going to have different objectives.

“There were a lot of players with three, four or five-year contracts. So the turnaround of the squad and how you visualise the next five years was very dependent on that.”

Jakub Kiwior and Aleksandr Zinchencko could leave Arsenal to help create room for new blood in North London. A few others may join them, but who has been lined up to sign on the dotted line at the Emirates Stadium?

Understandably, Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres is the Gunners’ main target to strengthen their forward line following his return of 54 goals in 52 matches across all competitions, though he isn’t the only high-profile name linked with a move elsewhere this summer.

He's more proven than Gyokeres: Arsenal in talks to sign £63m "monster"

Arsenal could sign a proven elite striker instead of Viktor Gyokeres.

ByMatt Dawson Jun 15, 2025

Borussia Dortmund star Jamie Gittens could also be on his way to Arsenal if they can see off competition from Chelsea for his signature.

In a crowded market where deals are there to be done, Arteta may have designs on showing their London rivals who the boss is on more than one occasion.

Arsenal readying bid to sign Ajax defender Jorrel Hato

According to TBR, Arsenal are now readying a bid to sign Ajax defender Jorrel Hato after holding talks with the Eredivisie giants over a move for the Netherlands international.

Valued at around £40 million, the Rotterdam-born man is also the subject of interest from Chelsea and Liverpool, with the former also taking part in discussions to bring him to West London.

Jorrel Hato’s strong campaign for Ajax in 2024/25 – Eerdivisie (Fotmob)

Tackles won

36

Chances created

18

Long ball accuracy

60%

Duels won

128

Aerial duels won

51

However, he sees the Emirates as an ideal destination to continue his development and is viewed as someone who would fit Arteta’s philosophy ‘perfectly’ over the coming years.

Labelled “fantastic” by Jordan Henderson,, the 19-year-old has been followed by the Gunners over the last four years and the fact that Kieran Tierney has went back to Celtic alongside potential exits for Zinchenko and Kiwior has made the pursuit come to life.

Riccardo Calafiori and Myles Lewis-Skelly remain as potential left-back options, but Hato would definitely take Arsenal closer to where they need to be if all parties can come to an agreement.

It’s been a hectic couple of weeks for Arsenal.

After watching their Premier League rivals make signing after signing, the Gunners are finally starting to make a splash in the transfer window.

For example, after months of speculation, Martin Zubimendi was finally announced yesterday morning, and then, if that wasn’t enough, a deluge of reports suggesting a deal for Viktor Gyokeres is close also emerged.

Moreover, the Gunners are now getting close to securing the services of a Premier League star, someone who’d be a far better signing than Noni Madueke.

Arsenal looking at signing another Premier League star

While most of the links to players this summer, and the two signings already confirmed, have been met with positivity from the general fan base, the same can’t be said for links to Madueke.

Transfer Focus

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

It was revealed late last week that the Gunners had already reached an agreement on personal terms with the Chelsea player.

There is no denying that the winger is talented, but he’s hardly blown anyone away in West London, and at a potential price tag of £50m, it’s easy to understand why many fans might look at him as a misuse of funds.

Fortunately, the North Londoners are also reportedly closing in on a deal for another Premier League star, someone who’d be a far better signing than Madueke: Eberechi Eze.

At least that is according to David Ornstein, who, on a recent episode of The Athletic’s podcast, reaffirmed reports that Arsenal are highly interested in signing the Crystal Palace star this summer.

Ornstein reveals that he is now one of the club’s top target and is now seriously high in their consideration this summer. Moreover, he revealed that “they’ve held some conversations” with the player’s camp, and that they would like to sign him for under his release clause of £68m.

However, the Eagles are understandably keen on receiving the full fee to sell their talismanic attacker this summer.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Eze’s ability, it’s one Arsenal should fight for, especially as he’d be a far better signing than Madueke.

Why Eze would be a far better signing than Madueke

Okay, so the first thing to say is that, yes, Eze and Madueke do operate in different areas of the pitch, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that the former would be a far better signing than the latter.

The first reason is down to their respective output, as in 43 appearances last season, totalling 3303 minutes, the Palace ace scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists.

That means he averaged a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes, and, on top of that, he scored important goals, such as the winner in the FA Cup.

In contrast, the Chelsea ace racked up a tally of 11 goals and five assists in 45 games, totalling 2625 minutes, which comes out to a far less impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.81 games, or every 164.06 minutes.

The second reason the Eagles’ “superstar,” as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, would be a better signing is their underlying numbers.

Non-Penalty G+As

0.52

0.44

Progressive Passes

3.37

3.05

Progressive Carries

2.40

6.81

Key Passes

2.01

1.42

Passes into the Final Third

1.70

0.71

Live Passes

29.5

29.2

Shot-Creating Actions

4.69

3.50

Goal-Creating Actions

0.35

0.35

Successful Take-Ons

2.33

1.99

Tackles

1.35

1.11

Ball Recoveries

5.07

3.72

For example, when we take a look under the hood, the former QPR gem comes out on top in practically every relevant metric, such as non-penalty goals plus assists, key passes and successful take-ons.

These statistics demonstrate that, in addition to scoring goals, the 27-year-old is a brilliant creator and someone who can generate chances through his passing and carrying abilities.​​​​​

Ultimately, if Arsenal can only afford to sign one other attacking star from the Premier League this summer, then they have to go with Eze, as he’s simply better than Madueke in every meaningful way.

Talks open: Arsenal submit offer to sign "standout" 17 y/o after Zubimendi

The midfielder is the Gunners’ second summer signing.

ByTom Cunningham Jul 7, 2025

Ottneil Baartman (Texas Super Kings) and Lungi Ngidi (Seattle Orcas) will also be joining the MLC roster midway through the season

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jul-2024Pat Cummins is due in the USA. The Australia fast bowler, last seen in action during the T20 World Cup that took place in America and West Indies, will begin his stint with the San Francisco Unicorns midway through the season at the Major League Cricket tournament.Cummins signed a four-year deal with the franchise. The 31-year-old has previously played in only one overseas T20 league, the IPL, and has not featured in Australia’s Big Bash League since the 2018-19 season due to his international commitments.The Unicorns have won only one of their three games so far this year and will enjoy the boost that Cummins will provide. He made history, picking up back-to-back hat-tricks at the T20 World Cup and, prior to that, led Sunrisers Hyderabad to the final in the IPL. He has played 151 T20s overall, picking up 172 wickets at an average of 26.66 and an economy rate of 8.11.Related

Visa issues stop Baartman joining Hampshire for Blast

Pat Cummins signs four-year deal with MLC's San Francisco Unicorns

Cummins’ arrival coincides with Sherfane Rutherford’s departure. The hard-hitting West Indies allrounder has not played any of the Unicorns’ matches so far and will miss the rest of the MLC due to a bereavement in the family.There were changes among the other teams as well with Ottneil Baartman replacing Gerald Coetzee (injury) at Texas Super Kings and Lungi Ngidi taking over from Wayne Parnell (player withdrawal) at Seattle Orcas.Baartman, the South Africa fast bowler, was ruled out of the T20 Blast currently taking place in England due to delays in getting his visa which left his schedule open. He has 107 wickets from 76 T20s and is known for his variations and death-bowling ability.Ngidi suffered a back injury during the SA20 at the start of the year and missed the IPL that followed but has since recovered and was part of South Africa’s squad at the T20 World Cup, along with Baartman.

A hurricane warning has left the T20 World Cup-winning India team stranded in Barbados.Hurricane Beryl (Category 4) is expected to pass by Barbados on Sunday night local time with the centre of the storm approximately 80 miles off the south coast. India are currently staying at the Hilton Hotel. They were initially planning a charter straight home but the airport has been closed since Sunday evening. South Africa had left earlier on Sunday.BCCI secretary Jay Shah said that board is planning a felicitation for the victorious team after they reach India.”Like you we are also stuck here. After the travel plans are clear, we will think about the felicitation,” Shah told reporters in Barbados.Related

• Indian team expected to fly out of Barbados on Tuesday evening

• Good luck finding another Rahul Dravid

• Gambhir: 'I would love to coach the Indian team'

• 'Such a big role model' – Rohit reflects on Dravid's career-long influence

• Dravid: India's T20 World Cup win a 'great testament to the fight in the team'

Shah: New India coach to take charge from SL series

Shah has said that the Indian team will have a new head coach from the limited-overs series in Sri Lanka starting later this month, but did not reveal who has been finalised to succeed the outgoing Rahul Dravid.Former India opener Gautam Gambhir is the frontrunner to take up the position of the head coach. The Cricket Advisory Committee [CAC] has conducted the interviews for the post and shortlisted Gambhir and former India women’s coach WV Raman.”Both coach and selector appointments will be made shortly,” Shah who is in the Caribbean with the Indian team that won the T20 World Cup 2024, said. “CAC has interviewed and shortlisted two names and after reaching Mumbai whatever they have decided we will go by that. VVS Laxman is going to Zimbabwe but a new coach will join from the Sri Lanka series.”The Indian team is due to tour Sri Lanka for three T20Is and three ODIs starting July 27.2:46

What is Virat Kohli’s legacy in T20Is?

‘Seniors will be there for CT and WTC’

Shah has also said that “seniors will be there” in next year’s Champions Trophy and the World Test Championship final, if India qualify for it, while a decision on whether Hardik Pandya succeeds Rohit Sharma as the next T20I captain will be taken solely by the selectors.”The transition has already happened with three greats retiring,” Shah said when asked about the team’s next phase following the T20I retirements of Virat Kohli, Rohit and [Ravindra] Jadeja.”The way this team is progressing, our target is to win the World Test Championship final and Champions Trophy. There will be a similar squad playing there. The seniors will be there.”This means that the senior players, fitness permitting, are likely to be available for the nine ODI matches that India will play before the Champions Trophy scheduled for February-March 2025 in Pakistan.India’s ODI assignments before that include three games each against Sri Lanka (away), New Zealand (home) and England (home).8:43

Rohit Sharma: ‘This has to be my greatest achievement’

‘From Rohit to Virat, all excelled’

Shah also praised the efforts of Rohit and Kohli, who played a match-winning knock in the final against South Africa which India won by seven runs in Barbados. Both Kohli and Rohit announced their retirement from T20Is after the triumph and were joined by allrounder Jadeja in saying goodbye to the format a day later.”It was the same captain last year and same here in Barbados. We won all games except the final in 2023 [ODI World Cup] as Australia played better. This time we worked even harder and played better to win the title,” Shah said. “If you look at other teams, experience counts. From Rohit to Virat, all excelled. Experience makes a lot of difference. In World Cups, you can’t experiment much also. A good player knows when to say goodbye to the game, we saw that yesterday. You look at Rohit’s strike rate, it is better than a lot of young players.”India, who had lost big finals in the past decade, finally ended their title drought after losing two ICC finals – World Test Championship and ODI World Cup final – over the last 12 months and Shah hoped the winning run would continue.”I would want India to win all the titles. We have the biggest bench strength, only three players from this team are going to Zimbabwe. We can field three teams if the need arises,” he said. “The way this team is progressing, our target is to win World Test Championship final and Champions Trophy. There will be a similar squad playing there. The seniors will be there.”On Hardik’s all-round performance in the T20 World Cup and chances of him taking over the captaincy from Rohit, Shah said: “Captaincy will be decided by the selectors and we will announce it after discussing with them. You asked about Hardik, there were lot of questions over his form but the selectors showed faith in him and he proved himself.”India will next travel to Zimbabwe for a five-match T20I series which begins on July 6 in Harare. Shubman Gill will lead the Indian side there with plenty of seniors being rested. Shah also confirmed that an India A team will be travelling to Australia later in the year ahead of the Border Gavaskar Trophy.

With Newcastle United now confident that they’ll sign Anthony Elanga, Nottingham Forest have reportedly entered the race to sign his replacement in a deal worth over £50m.

Newcastle optimistic about Elanga deal

After rejecting Newcastle’s initial offer, some around the City Ground may have been hopeful that would be the end of the Magpies’ chase to sign Elanga, but that has proved to be far from the case. Instead, the Magpies have reportedly returned with an offer worth £55m and are now optimistic that they’ll secure the Swede’s signature, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Given the importance of Elanga in Nuno Espirito Santo’s side last season, it would be an undeniable blow if Forest were to lose the winger to Newcastle this summer. As ever though, their attention is likely to turn towards incomings of their own.

Already, those in the Midlands have welcomed a fresh attacking boost in the form of Botafogo star Igor Jesus and now they could shift their focus towards other reinforcements.

After putting pen to paper, Jesus told Forest’s official website: “I’m really happy to be a part of this new story, especially at a club like Nottingham Forest.

Related The next Murillo: Nottingham Forest lining up bid for £13m sensation

As Nuno Espírito Santo looks to bolster his Nottingham Forest backline, could they sign a “quality” centre-back who could be the next Murillo?

Posts ByBen Gray Jul 2, 2025

“I didn’t have to think twice about the offer, I embraced it. I embraced the project that they sent me. I am delighted to be coming here and hope to do some great work. I will do my very best to achieve great results and bring joy to all the Forest family.”

With Jesus secure and Elanga potentially leaving, reports are now suggesting that Forest’s efforts have turned towards a winger who’s worth over £50m this summer.

Nottingham Forest join race to sign Lookman

According to reports in Spain, Nottingham Forest have now joined the race to sign Ademola Lookman from Atalanta, who are set to demand as much as €60m (£52m) to sell their star man this summer. Joined by Atletico Madrid and Midlands rivals Aston Villa in the battle for the Nigerian winger, Forest will hope that the funds gained by potentially selling Elanga are enough to jump ahead of their competitors.

Losing Elanga but replacing him with Lookman could quickly prove to be an act of genius by all involved at Nottingham Forest. The latter enjoyed a sensational season in Italy last time out, scoring 20 goals in all competitions, and could finally prove any doubters wrong in the Premier League following tough spells at Everton, Fulham and Leicester City.

Full of praise, former Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini told reporters last season: “Lookman became a fantastic player when he improved his perception of the team. He used to have a more individual approach.

“He wasn’t a bad guy, but he mostly focused on the individual. He made Atalanta great, and Atalanta made him great. I am convinced he can be the captain before the end of the season.”

رحب جيانلويجي دوناروما بمنافسة جيمس ترافورد على حراسة مرمى مانشستر سيتي بعد انضمامه من صفوف باريس سان جيرمان مقابل 30 مليون جنيه إسترليني.

وكان الحارس الإيطالي صاحب الـ26 عاماً قد وقع لصفوف مانشستر سيتي في اليوم الأخير من سوق الانتقالات، وقد كانت هذه الخطوة مفاجئة بعد انضمام ترافورد من بيرنلي في وقت سابق مقابل 27 مليون جنيه إسترليني.

وكان ترافورد قد انضم لمانشستر سيتي بدلاً من إيدرسون الذي انتقل إلى فنربخشة مقابل 14 مليون جنيه إسترليني الأسبوع الماضي ليكون حارساً أساسياً قبل أن يتذبذب مستواه في بداية الموسم حيث كان مسؤولاً عن هدف جواو بالينيا في فوز توتنهام بهدفين نظيفين على ملعب الاتحاد.

وقال دوناروما في تصريحات عن المنافسة على قميص حارس المرمى في تصريحات نشرتها “الجارديان” البريطانية: “أنا سعيد لأن المنافسة مفيدة للجميع”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. بينهم عمر مرموش.. فيروس الفيفا يضرب الأندية في مقتل خلال التوقف الدولي

وأضاف :”أتطلع بشوق للقاء زملائي الجدد وعلينا أن نكون مجموعة قوية ومتحدة تضم أشخاصا يهتمون ببعضهم البعض وهذا مفتاح النجاح ومعاً يمكننا تحقيق نجاح باهر”.

وواصل: “أريد الاستمتاع بكل شئ، أريد التعرف على المدينة وأشخاص وزملاء جدد، أتطلع بشوق لاكتشاف أجواء الملعب والنزول لأرض الملعب والاستمتاع بأجواء الملعب التشجيعية”.

وأكمل: “اللعب في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز مع مانشستر سيتي تجربة رائعة بالنسبة لي، وأنا مستعد لهذا التحدي، لطالما حلمت باللعب في البريميرليج لأنه أفضل دوري في العالم”.

وختم: “أعتقد أن تحقيق النجاح في الدوري الإنجليزي أقصى ما يمكن تحقيقه في مسيرتي، لذلك أنا سعيد جداً بوجودي هنا ومستعد للعب في النادي الذي بذل جهودا كبيرة لضمي وآمل أن أكون عند حسن ظنه”.

The start of Rangers’ competitive season is fast approaching.

In just ten nights’ time, the Gers will commence their Champions League campaign, entering in the second qualifying round, thereby needing to come through three ties to get into the group stages for only the second time since 2010.

So, before that massive tie, will Russell Martin add to his six summer signings?

Rangers looking to add a new winger

In an otherwise generally miserable campaign, Václav Černý starred for Rangers last season, scoring 18 goals in 52 appearances for the club, on target six times during their run to the Europa League quarter-finals, meaning only Bruno Fernandes, Kasper Waarst Høgh and Ayoub El Kaabi bettered his tally in the competition.

The problem though, is the fact that the Czechia international was only on loan from Wolfsburg, and will not be returning, leaving a rather large void in the squad, one that’ll require replacing.

Thus, according to a report by Sky Sports News, Rangers are ‘close to finalising a deal’ to sign Sheffield Wednesday winger Djeidi Gassama.

Manager Martin stated that the deal is “all done at our end”, stating that he “fully expects” the move to be completed “very, very soon”, adding that Gassama provides something “different to what we’ve got”.

Transfer Focus

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

Andrew Newport of the Daily Record claims that the 21 year old will cost £2.5m, with controversial Owls’ owner Dejphon Chansiri ‘stalling’ in an attempt to create some sort of bidding war, thereby driving up the price, even though the EFL Championship side are ‘desperate to raise funds’ as they risk going into administration.

Nevertheless, this all suggests a deal will be finalised sooner rather than later.

How Djeidi Gassama will improve Rangers

Gassama first caught the eye playing for Paris Saint-Germain’s youth teams, scoring five goals in eight UEFA Youth League matches for les Rouge-et-Bleu in 2021/22, spending the following season out on loan at Belgian club Eupen, before making a surprise move to Sheffield Wednesday two summers ago.

The French youth international scored just 12 goals and registered four assists in 84 appearances for the Owls, but his performances have earned plenty of plaudits.

He was named Supporters’ Player of the Year last season, while writer Kai Watson labelled him “clinical in front of goal”, adding that he is an “exciting player to watch​​​​​​​”, who “loves carrying the ball” and is “capable of producing moments of brilliance​​​​​​​”.

Meantime, analyst John Walker is impressed by his dribbling ability too, stating that supporters should be “very excited” about this addition.

So, let’s assess how his statistics compare to those of Černý.

Appearances

47

52

Minutes

3,197

3,933

Goals

8

18

Assists

1

9

Shots

1.5

2.6

Shooting accuracy %

46.94%

55%

Chances created

1.2

2.1

Take-ons completed

2

2.1

Dribble success %

44.6%

51.3%

Touches

44

55.2

Touches in the box

4.7

5.6

Average SofaScore rating

6.9

7.39

As the table outlines, Černý’s statistics are universally more impressive than Gassama’s, but there are caveats.

The Czech winger was playing for a dominant team in Scotland, outlined by his touches and touches in the opposition penalty area statistics, while Sheffield Wednesday finished 12th in the EFL Championship.

The encouraging aspect ahead of Gassama’s move to Ibrox is the fact his numbers are very similar to Černý’s, attempting a near-identical number of take-ons per 90, with a similar number being completed, emphasising their stylistic similarities.

Thus, still only 21 years old, he is clearly a high-potential player, and one who could certainly arrive at Rangers and make a big impression.

Better than Gassama: Rangers "weighing up" move for "dangerous" starlet

Rangers are on the hunt for a winger or two this summer

ByRoss Kilvington Jul 11, 2025