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Lancashire attack finds bounce and movement to reduce Northamptonshire to 67 for 6 before lunch

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay09-May-2025Lancashire 133 for 3 (Harris 53*) trail Northamptonshire 238 (McManus 53, Balderson 4-55) by 105 runsLewis McManus led a spirited fightback with a fine 53 off 89 balls to rescue Northamptonshire after they suffered an early batting collapse on day one of this Rothesay County Championship match against Lancashire at Wantage Road.All-rounder George Balderson took 4 for 55 and Anderson Phillip 3 for 65 as Lancashire’s attack obtained plenty of bounce and movement to reduce Northamptonshire to 67 for 6 before lunch after electing to bat.But keeper-batter McManus forged a series of enterprising partnerships with the tail to wrestle back the initiative. The last four wickets added 171 runs in 38 overs as Northamptonshire finished 238 all out, Liam Guthrie hitting 43 to register his highest first-class score.Northamptonshire took two early wickets after tea, but Keaton Jennings hit a sparkling 41 off 45 balls, and with Marcus Harris making 53 not out (119 balls) in a sometimes nervy unbeaten stand of 74 with Matty Hurst (31), Lancashire closed on 133 for 3 trailing by 105.Earlier, Lancashire’s bowling discipline stood in contrast to some loose strokeplay from home batters, Ricardo Vasconcelos (39) the only top-order batter to prosper.Will Williams struck in the day’s second over, the ball flying off the splice of Luke Procter’s bat to gully. George Bartlett and James Sales took the score to 33 when Bartlett was adjudged caught at third slip off Balderson. Sales cracked Phillip through extra cover for four, but the West Indian squared him up next ball as he edged low to Jennings at second slip.Rob Keogh was next to go, pushing outside off-stump, caught low down by Harris at third slip.Vasconcelos meanwhile was finding runs all around the wicket, hitting six over square-leg, driving and pulling comfortably before Phillip jagged one back to trap him lbw.Three balls later Saif Zaib had a rush of blood, charging down the pitch to Balderson, edging to Jennings at second slip to leave Northamptonshire reeling.Harrison (29) and McManus showed greater application ensuring no further wickets fell before lunch and extended their seventh-wicket partnership after the interval to 60. Harrison hit three boundaries, muscling Balderson through midwicket and punching through extra cover.Lancashire shelled two catches in quick succession, with Harrison and McManus both benefiting. Phillip though returned to the attack to quickly break the partnership, nipping one back to take Harrison’s inside edge, keeper Hurst taking the catch.Ben Sanderson had some fun in a quickfire stand of 32 off 20 deliveries with McManus, driving square for four and edging over the slips for another boundary. He punched Willliams through cover before the bowler snared him lbw.McManus was in excellent touch, driving pleasantly and particularly strong off his legs. He clipped Bailey square for four and whipped him in a similar direction for six. He added 57 in 10 overs with Guthrie before falling in lowkey fashion, caught off the leading edge off Bailey, the ball ballooning up to Luke Wells running from mid-off.Guthrie played offense. Facing Balderson, he smashed through midwicket and pulled a no ball for another boundary, departing when he hit the all-rounder straight to mid-on.Guthrie then gave Northamptonshire the best start with the ball, trapping George Bell in front with his third delivery.Bohannon has proved Northamptonshire’s nemesis averaging 83.77 against them and scoring 155 at Emirates Old Trafford last month. He was unable to extend that run further though, Harrison pulling off an incredible diving catch at third slip off Sanderson.Jennings took four early boundaries off Guthrie, flaying Procter through deep extra cover and playing an exquisite late cut. He drove Procter down the ground to bring up Lancashire’s 50 in 12.5 overs but fell soon after, bowled by Australian quick Harry Conway, playing his first home game for Northamptonshire.Harris looked less comfortable early doors, edging just in front of the keeper and wide of the slips and was dropped in the slips on 28. He started to hit his stride though with some handsome drives.Dropped at short-midwicket before he had scored, Hurst played some attractive shots, cutting Harrison for four shortly before stumps.

Senior executives at Manchester United are convinced that the squad is behind embattled head coach Ruben Amorim. CEO Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox have held informal discussions with members of the senior leadership team, including Bruno Fernandes. Those conversations have left the hierarchy at Old Trafford convinced there is genuine support for Amorim.

Man Utd players and execs discuss Amorim's future

reports that Berrada and Wilcox were not explicitly trying to "sound out" the players on Amorim's future, but feedback on the former Sporting boss and the atmosphere in the dressing room was positive. 

Berrada and Wilcox, both of whom were appointed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe after the businessman became a minority shareholder of the club in February 2024, have been tasked with taking a hands-on approach in understanding the current mood around the club. Both execs are based at the club's Carrington training facility. The compound has undergone a £50m makeover this year, which has facilitated more interactions between the club's execs and the players in and around the newly-designed group areas.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMount and De Ligt express public support for Amorim

This new report backs up the public utterances of senior players. After the Red Devils' 2-0 win over Sunderland at Old Trafford on Saturday, Mason Mount he and his team-mates are giving Amorim their full support.

"We're 100% behind the gaffer," Mount said. "We've had some difficult results that hurt us, have been painful for the team, the staff and the fans, but it was important to win.

"It needs to be [the start of a winning streak] – we thought after Chelsea it would be the start of something, and then we go to Brentford and have a disappointing result.

"It starts [with the win over Sunderland], and we'll be working hard over the break. We want to get back-to-back wins, then three in a row and push on for the top four."

Matthjis de Ligt showed that even after a defeat, the players are unwilling to lay the blame solely at their boss's door. The Dutchman refused to blame Amorim's maligned 3-4-2-1 formation for their 3-1 defeat away to Brentford in September. 

"Of course, I mean it's always easy to look to the manager, but in the end the players on the pitch have to do it," said De Ligt. "We can't say the goals we conceded, or the chances we conceded, are because of what… I don't know, you guys always talk about the system. That also has a lot to do with focus, concentration, and, if that's lacking in key moments, it's going to make a difference."

Amorim appreciative of player support as outside criticism continues

Amorim will be grateful for the public and private displays of loyalty from his players, as the outside criticism of his tenure continues at pace. Not only has he had to deal with comments from prominent United legends such as Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney, he has also been negatively compared to flailing Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch by LBC host Nick Ferrari.

Specifically replying to Mount's comments after the Sunderland win, Amorim showed his appreciation for his players' continued efforts, while also suggesting they still have plenty to improve upon.

"I know they want to do the best, and I know they don't want to change the coach all the time," Amorim said.

"We need to show with actions. Sometimes, when we look at our team, I know for sure that when we see the games, in the end, they know sometimes we can do better. I feel [the support] during the week, but we need to show it on the pitch."

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Getty Images SportCan Amorim convert players' support into success?

The positive noises coming out of Carrington will be of scant comfort to United fans if it does not start translating into consistency on the pitch, and points in the league table. United return from the international break with a massive fixture against Liverpool. Given their arch rival's recent defeats, Amorim and his players might just fancy their chances in taking all three points at Anfield on October 19.

Scotland pulled off the first upset of the Women’s World Cup Qualifiers by denying Hayley Matthews, who single-handedly kept West Indies in the game despite leaving the field twice with severe cramps, and beating the side by 11 runs.Matthews became only the fourth player to take four wickets and score a century in an ODI but West Indies’ over-reliance on her cost them. She took four of the first five Scotland wickets and forced herself to return to the crease twice – once off a stretcher to keep batting when West Indies were nine wickets down – but it was not enough. Scotland were the side that rallied around Sarah Bryce’s 55 (off 56 balls) and her 82-run fifth wicket stand with Megan McColl and then their spinners. Offpinners Katherine Fraser and Darcy Carter and legspinner Abtaha Maqsood took six wickets between them to defend 244 and get their first points on the board.Temperatures were close to 40 degrees Celcius with humidity at around 60% and conditions took their toll across both games in Lahore. West Indies used cooling collars made of ice packs during drinks breaks, Scotland took shelter under umbrellas and Ireland’s Gaby Lewis received treatment on field three times for cramps during her 96 minutes of batting against hosts Pakistan.Related

• Pakistan squad for Qualifiers: Shawaal Zulfiqar back after long injury layoff

• Six teams, two World Cup spots on offer, many intrigues

• World Cup qualifiers 'a different kind of pressure', says Orla Prendergast

West Indies chose to bowl first on a green top at the LCCA Ground but Scotland were up to the task. Abbi Aitken-Drummond and Carter put on 48 inside 12 overs, in an innings laced with three boundaries each. Matthews brought herself on in the 12th over and had Aitken-Drummond and Kathryn Bryce caught behind in successive overs and Carter dismissed in her third and suddenly, Scotland were 69 for 3. When Chinelle Henry’s direct hit ran out Ailsa Lister West Indies finally looked like they had another player on the field and could run through Scotland.Sarah Bryce held the innings together but when she edged to slip, Scotland went into freefall. They lost 6 for 62 and were bowled out in 45 overs, as both Aaliyah Alleynne and Karishma Ramharack took two wickets each.The chase started poorly when Qiana Joseph gifted a caught-and-bowled to Carter. Zaida James was in at No.3 in the second over. She batted slowly but carefully and shared a 113-run stand with Matthews, which put West Indies well on track. They were 120 for 2 in the 27th over when James tried to hit Chloe Abel over fine leg but found the fielder at 45 and then chaos ensued.West Indies lost Shemaine Campbell, Stafanie Taylor and Henry in the space of 23 deliveries and of those, Taylor’s run-out was key but the required run-rate still manageable. West Indies needed 53 runs off 72 balls and Matthews was still batting, but only just.When Shabika Gajnabi was caught behind, Mathews was on 95 and hobbling. Cherry-Ann Fraser was out in the next over and it was clear Matthews was forcing herself to keep going but couldn’t. She left the field. Afy Fletcher lasted six balls and was dismissed for duck so Matthews came back on and hit four off the next ball she faced. She was on 99 and running out of partners. She fell to the ground wailing and then was stretchered off the field.Ramharack gave Fraser another caught and bowled to leave West Indies nine down when Matthews rolled herself off the stretcher and returned to bat. She brought a century and kept West Indies in the hunt but Alleynne couldn’t stay with her. She was out lbw in the 47th over, with West Indies 11 runs short. They have a day’s break before playing Ireland on Friday.File photo: Diana Baig picked up four wickets•Getty Images

In the day’s other match, hosts Pakistan had their bowlers, led by senior seamer Diana Baig, to thank for securing them a 38 run win over Ireland. Pakistan trudged through their innings to score 217 and Ireland were bossing the chase on 96 for 1 in side 24 overs. Left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu took three wickets in four overs to leave Ireland’s middle-order exposed before Baig took care of the tail. She finished with figures of 4 for 35 in her first appearance for the team since their opening match of last year’s T20 World Cup and got Pakistan’s campaign off to a winning start.Ireland will have the same amount of recovery time – physically and emotionally – after believing they had done enough against Pakistan. Jane Maguire removed Gull Feroza early and Sidra Amin found run-scoring tough which meant the dot ball mounted up. Muneeba Ali tried to keep the scoreboard moving but Pakistan were 79 for 1 after 20 overs and going nowhere. Sidra was on 29 off 61 balls. Muneeba fell trying to get things going and was replaced by Aliya Riaz.Aliya showed more initiative and was scoring at a run-a-ball when Amin finally got to 50 off 110 balls and was then dismissed at the end of the 36th over. Pakistan were 153 for 3 after 36 overs and a score over 200 looked some distance away. Natalia Pervaiz came in ahead of captain Fatima Sana but was runmout for 12, by which time Aliya was also dismissed. Pakistan did not have the batters for a last ten-over push and lost 6 wickets for 42 runs from Aliya’s dismissal. They were bowled out with an over to spare for 217.That total didn’t look enough despite Baig’s new-ball breakthrough. She had Sarah Forbes given out lbw in the ninth over but a 69-run second wicket stand between Lewis and Amy Hunter started to take the game away. Ireland were 96 for 1 when Sandhu trapped Lewis on the back pad and dragged Pakistan into the game. Both Hunter and Delany played on, leaving Ireland 119 for 4 and Pakistan had the opportunity to burst through.Sadia Iqbal got rid of Leah Paul before Baig was brought back and removed Christina Coulter Reilly, Louise Little and Arelen Kelley in three overs. Cara Murray’s run-out confirmed Pakistan’s win. They will take on Scotland on Friday.

NSW recovered from 124 for 6 to finish the opening day in a healthy position after the match had started in dramatic fashion

Andrew McGlashan18-Feb-2025

Scott Boland again enjoyed himself at the SCG•Getty Images

Scott Boland again enjoyed himself at the SCG but Ollie Davies rescued New South Wales on a day where Sam Konstas’ batting approach came under the spotlight.In fifth before the round started, NSW are in more desperate need of victory in a push for the final but were in danger of being well short of a competitive total when Boland reduced them to 124 for 6, having earlier won a brief duel with Konstas who fell for a frenetic 10 off 7 balls when he attempted to sweep Boland in just the third over.Related

Konstas flays century but Hearne's ton the matchwinner

2.1 overs, 30 for 1: Konstas involved in wild Shield start

With Nic Maddinson taking 20 off the second over of the match from Fergus O’Neill, the scoreboard read a bizarre 30 for 1 after 13 deliveries. Early in the afternoon, Boland took two wickets in three balls as NSW threatened to fall away but a seventh-wicket stand of 102 between Davies and Chris Green carried them to what appeared a competitive 238 on a surface expected to get tougher for batting.The home side were then able to take four Victoria wickets before the close with Green’s late removal of an aggressive Harry Dixon, who was caught a slip, tilting the day their way.Yet the major talking point of the day came in first 10 minutes. Konstas reverse scooped his second ball from Boland for four and thumped another boundary straight of mid-off. Then, having watched Maddinson target the short boundary with consecutive sixes, Konstas attempted to sweep Boland and was bowled.It provided plenty of fuel to the debate about how Konstas should style his batting, but while his brazen approach against Jasprit Bumrah had some tactical nous to it this felt purely reckless.”I knew Maddo was going to go after Fergus O’Neill, just because he’s so good at controlling his length and nicking people off,” Davies told ESPNcricinfo. “Maddo said, I just want to put him under the pump and get him off his game a little bit.”So that was Maddo’s plan, and I’m not sure what Sammy was doing. I didn’t speak to him about his plan before [he went out], but if he thinks that’s the best way he’s going to score runs, then I’ll back him in 100%. He has shown it before, at Test level and Shield level, that he can score hundreds and big runs. So I’m still backing him in. I hope there’s a big score around the corner, hopefully second innings from here.”Sam Konstas was bowled sweeping against Scott Boland•Getty Images

Normality returned to proceedings following Konstas’ departure and at 70 for 1 NSW had a solid platform. However, Maddinson, who did not take another boundary off O’Neill after his early onslaught, pulled to deep square leg and the in-form Kurtis Patterson edged a flat-footed poke at Boland shortly before lunch.On resumption, Matthew Gilkes was lbw offering no shot at O’Neill before Boland’s double intervention at the ground where he claimed 10 in the match against India on his previous appearance. Josh Philippe looked less than impressed at being given caught down the leg side but there was no doubt about Will Sutherland’s edge to first slip.Davies, another batter not shy of bringing out his shots, played positively but sensibly to resurrect the innings alongside the stubborn Green. He struck 13 boundaries and also collected a six over fine leg, which was a little more top edge than middle, to take him to fifty from 62 balls.He was given a life on 61 when Tom Rogers missed a chance at first slip and was in sight of a first century for the season before edging a drive off Sutherland as NSW lost their last four wickets for 12.Both Edwards and Jackson Bird struck early with the new ball – Edwards producing an excellent delivery that clipped Campbell Kellaway’s off stump – and when Peter Handscomb fell to Hanno Jacobs, Victoria were wobbling on 25 for 3.Dixon, who made his first-class debut in previous round, counterattacked including taking 16 off Jacobs’ fourth over but he couldn’t quite make it to stumps leaving a huge amount resting on Marcus Harris who was unbeaten with 33.

Fast bowler Jacob Duffy has been added to New Zealand’s squad for the ODI tri-series against Pakistan and South Africa beginning in Lahore on February 8. His inclusion is primarily as cover for Lockie Ferguson, who is currently playing in the ILT20 in the UAE.Duffy, 30, has played ten ODIs, and taken 18 wickets at an average of 25.94 and economy of 6.25. He recently took four wickets in two ODIs, and eight in three T20Is against Sri Lanka in a home series that ended earlier in January.The New Zealand squad departs for Pakistan on February 3 to play the tri-series followed by the Champions Trophy. Their two round-robin fixtures in the tri-series are in Lahore, against Pakistan on February 8 and South Africa on February 10. The final is in Karachi on February 14.New Zealand then play a Champions Trophy warm-up game against Afghanistan on February 16, followed by the tournament opener against Pakistan on February 19, with both those fixtures also being in Karachi.They then travel to Rawalpindi to play their second Group A fixture against Bangladesh on February 24, followed by a trip to Dubai for the game on March 2 against India, who are not playing any of their Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan because they did not get government clearance to travel.

New Zealand squad for tri-series and Champions Trophy

Mitchell Santner (capt), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young, Jacob Duffy (tri-series only)

Villarreal boss Marcelino insists Thomas Partey is 'mentally prepared' to face Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League on Tuesday, just 24 hours before the midfielder appears in court over multiple rape charges. The former Arsenal star denies all allegations but will line up against his old rivals in north London before attending his plea hearing at Southwark Crown Court.

• Partey to appear in court after Champions League clash with Spurs

  Partey was charged in July with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, relating to alleged incidents between 2021 and 2022 while he was at Arsenal. He joined Villarreal on a free transfer in August and has already featured in all four of their Liga matches this season. On Wednesday, the Ghanaian will face a plea hearing in London after travelling with Villarreal for their European clash.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Marcelino says Partey 'mentally prepared' to face Spurs

  Speaking on Monday, Marcelino backed the midfielder to perform against Spurs: “He (Partey) is with the group. I’m totally convinced that he is mentally prepared, technically prepared, to play the game tomorrow night. For sure, he’ll be ready.

  He added: “We are really happy that Thomas is with us for his football capacity and ability, and his presence as a human. He’s a great player with lots of experience… I think he will get back to his top level which we all know that he’s got and I’m very happy he’s with us in the team.”

• AFP
  

  Partey's rape charges from time with Arsenal

  The five rape charges relate to alleged incidents between April 2021 and June 2022, while Partey was still at Arsenal. The sexual assault charge involves an incident alleged to have taken place in February 2022. Partey has been granted conditional bail, which requires him to inform police of international travel and prohibits any contact with the complainants.

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• Villarreal aware of rape charge before signing Partey

  Villarreal signed Partey knowing he was under investigation, stressing their respect for the presumption of innocence. The Spanish side have leaned on his top-level experience as they begin their Champions League campaign. His ongoing legal battle, however, threatens to overshadow his contribution on the pitch.

It would be fair to say that last season was something of a disappointment for Arsenal.

Instead of finally getting over the line, Mikel Arteta’s side had to make do with a third successive runners-up finish in the Premier League, only this time they ended up a distant second to eventual winners Liverpool.

However, while it wasn’t all doom and gloom, as last year also saw the incorporation of Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri into the first team, with the former making 39 appearances and the latter 37, in which he scored nine goals and provided two assists.

Yet, while Lewis-Skelly has signed a new long-term deal, Nwaneri has not, and if reports are to be believed, the club could be about to sign someone who’d be bad news for the Enfield-born gem.

Arsenal target star who could be bad news for Nwaneri

After coming up through the Hale End academy, making his first team debut in 2022 and being regarded as one of the most exciting talents in the game, Nwaneri put pen to paper on his first professional contract in March 2024.

Transfer Focus

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

Since then, the young Englishman has continued to develop, and although he’s not a regular starter for the first team, he’s shown real glimpses of quality and made quite a name for himself, despite being just 18 years old.

However, over the last week or so, there have been reports suggesting that talks over a new deal haven’t been progressing as well as some would have hoped, with the main sticking point being gametime.

While it still appears that this issue will be resolved, it’s a problem that could resurface in a few years, especially as the North Londoners look set to sign a player who could pose a threat to Nwaneri.

Indeed, amid reports of Viktor Gyokeres impending arrival, journalist Sebastien Vidal has reaffirmed that Arsenal are incredibly interested in signing Eberechi Eze this summer with Arteta ‘ready to hit hard’.

He has revealed that the Gunners are planning to submit an offer for the Englishman worth up to £60m in three instalments of £20m.

It’s not yet clear if that’s something Crystal Palace will accept, as per plenty of other stories this summer, the talented playmaker has a release clause worth around £68m in his current deal.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but Eze has proven he’d be worth it, even if his arrival could spell trouble for Nwaneri.

Why Eze could be bad news for Nwaneri

The primary reason Eze’s arrival at Arsenal could be bad news for Nwaneri is pretty straightforward: game time.

Based on the stories we have seen this week, that seems to be the teenager’s biggest concern at the moment, and that is something he could see reduced if the Palace star were to move to the Emirates.

For example, while the 27-year-old is unlikely to take minutes away from him off the right, he would be yet another established international who’d be ahead of him in the pecking order for midfield minutes.

Therefore, if the Hale Ender wanted to gain more experience in the role, so many believed his ultimately destined play, he’d need to outperform Martin Odegaard and the Greenwich-born ace, which, based on his form last season, seems like it would be a tough ask.

Indeed, the Eagles’ incredible “duel monster,” as dubbed by reporter Simon Collings, was able to score 14 goals and provide 11 assists in 43 appearances, which came out to a goal involvement every 1.72 games.

Appearances

43

Minutes

3303′

Goals

14

Assists

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.58

Minutes per Goal Involvement

132.12′

Moreover, the former QPR gem has demonstrated that he has the mentality to make a difference in big games, scoring in the quarter-final and semi-final of the FA Cup before then scoring the only goal in the final as well.

Ultimately, while signing Eze might not have a massive impact on Nwaneri’s game time off the right, as a backup to Bukayo Saka, it would undoubtedly impact his potential game time in the middle of the park.

Therefore, while Arteta and Co should still look to bring in the Palace monster, they should do so while looking to give more minutes to the Hale End phenom.

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

Glasgow Rangers kicked off the Russell Martin era with a big result on Tuesday night in the Champions League at Ibrox, as they beat Panathinaikos 2-0.

Goals from Findlay Curtis and Djedi Gassama in the second half of the match, aided by a red card for the away side, secured the victory for the Light Blues, who now take a two-goal advantage over to Greece next week.

Whilst it was not a perfect performance from the Scottish Premiership giants, as they needed goalkeeper Jack Butland to pull off a number of impressive stops, there cannot be too many complaints about a 2-0 win in a European match.

Especially when you consider that the likes of Gassama, Cyriel Dessers, and Hamza Igamane were resigned to the bench and Thelo Aasgaard was missing through injury.

Due to various fitness issues, Martin opted to go with Brazilian centre-forward Danilo through the middle as the starting number nine against Panathinaikos.

He failed to register a goal or an assist in his 74 minutes on the pitch, but did not have a single ‘big chance’ in front of goal, and there could be more to come from the striker this season.

What Danilo needs to be successful at Rangers

Possibly the biggest hurdle the 26-year-old marksman needs to jump over to be successful at Rangers is avoiding injuries, as he has been absent for far too many matches since his move to the club in 2023.

The Light Blues reportedly paid a fee of up to £6m to sign the attacker from Dutch giants Feyenoord two years ago, but the clash with Panathinaikos was only his 49th appearance in all competitions.

Type of injury

Broken cheekbone

Knee injury

Knee injury

Date of injury

September 2023

December 2023

September 2024

Return date

October 2023

May 2024

November 2024

Days out

43

171

65

Matches missed

9

32

12

As you can see in the table above, Danilo has missed 53 games through injury since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, with two knee injuries and one broken cheekbone, which led to him having to wear a protective face mask.

The Rangers number 99 has showcased his quality when he has been available, as rare as that has been, though, with a return of 12 goals and nine assists in his 49 appearances.

Last season, Danilo scored five goals, created eight ‘big chances’, and registered four assists in 23 matches in the Premiership, despite only starting eight of those games.

But the Brazilian attacker did not get any service against Panathinaikos, and that is why the Gers need to sign more creative players to provide the striker with the opportunities he needs to score.

Rangers told to pay record fee for creative star

Rangers may have to pay a club-record transfer fee to land one of the creative stars on their wishlist for the summer transfer window, though, as per a fresh report.

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 IbroxNews, the Scottish giants will need to pay a fee of around £15m to sign winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi from Premier League side Crystal Palace.

The report claims that the Eagles would prefer to sell the 22-year-old forward, rather than send him out on loan, and they will want a fee of at least £15m to part ways with him.

Tore Andre Flo’s £12m move from Chelsea in 2000 remains the club’s current record signing to this day, which means that a £15m splurge on Rak-Sakyi would smash that.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein claimed that Rangers have had an offer of a loan with an obligation to sign the forward for around £10m turned down by Palace, and they may now have to break their transfer record to bring the Englishman to Ibrox this summer.

Why Rangers should sign Rak-Sakyi

Splashing out a club-record fee of £15m would be a huge gamble by Rangers because there would then be immense pressure on Rak-Sakyi to be a superstar in Scotland.

The left-footed winger would have to win the club many trophies and or go on to be sold for a healthy profit for the transfer to be viewed as a success, which may be why the Gers may be hesitant to commit such funds to a deal.

However, Rangers could land an excellent right-wing prospect and reignite Danilo’s career at Ibrox if they decide to sign Rak-Sakyi, or if they are able to negotiate a loan deal with Palace.

The 22-year-old starlet, who was likened to a “slalom skier” by former boss Dean Holden, has shown great promise in his loan spells away from Palace so far, shining in League One with Charlton and in the Championship with Sheffield United.

Appearances

43

34

Starts

40

22

Goals

15

7

Minutes per goal

233

248

Big chances created

5

3

Key passes per game

1.3

0.9

Assists

8

2

As you can see in the table above, Rak-Sakyi has scored 22 goals and provided ten assists in 77 games in the EFL in his career to date, which shows that he has the potential to score and create goals from the right flank.

At the age of 22, he also has the time left ahead of him to continue to grow and develop as a player, which is why he could be an investment that has the potential to grow in value, even if the club smash their club-record to sign him.

The left-footed wizard could also help to reignite Danilo’s Ibrox career by providing the striker with a winger who can score the ‘big chances’ that he creates, whilst also being able to offer creativity from the flank to ensure that the forward has opportunities to score.

Of course, the Brazilian forward also needs to work on his fitness to ensure that he is available for Martin to select week-in-week-out in the 2025/26 campaign, but if he can do that then Rak-Sakyi could be a dream winger for him to play with.

Worth more than Gassama: Rangers hit gold on Ibrox star who Chelsea wanted

Rangers have hit the jackpot on this star who is now worth even more than Djeidi Gassama.

ByDan Emery Jul 24, 2025

Whether that means that the Palace youngster is worth £15m is hard to say, as it will depend on how his career at the club ultimately plays out, but he is a quality winger who could thrive alongside Danilo and be a strong addition to the squad, however a deal gets done for him.

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”.

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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”.

There could be plenty of change at the top end of the pitch for Leeds United ahead of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, after they made their first signing of the summer on Sunday.

The Whites officially confirmed the signing of Lukas Nmecha on a free transfer from Wolfsburg, with his contract at the Bundesliga side due to expire at the end of the month.

He is a centre-forward by trade, playing 193 career matches in that position, but the German attacker has also played on both the left and right flanks in his club career, which means that he could provide useful versatility across the frontline for Daniel Farke next season.

24/25 (Wolfsburg)

8

20

3

23/24 (Wolfsburg)

39

4

2

22/23 (Wolfsburg)

17

18

4

21/22 (Wolfsburg)

9

31

10

20/21 (Anderlecht)

0

37

18

19/20 (Wolfsburg + Middlesbrough)

4

25

0

18/19 (Preston North End)

0

41

4

As you can see in the table above, though, Nmecha looks set to be a risky signing for Leeds because he has struggled with injuries in recent seasons and has failed to deliver goals on a regular basis since the 2021/22 campaign, which included two goals in five Champions League outings.

The 26-year-old star, who was described as a “complete” striker by Vincent Kompany during his time at Anderlecht, could be a quality option for Farke if he can regain the form that he displayed in front of goal in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons.

With Nmecha’s arrival, and the news that they are after another number nine, Leeds may have to part ways with some of the strikers already at the club, and avoid a Chris Wood repeat.

How Leeds fumbled Chris Wood

The New Zealand international enjoyed a prolific spell at Elland Road between 2015 and 2017 after his move from Leicester ahead of the 2015/16 campaign.

As you can see in the graphic above, Wood, who joined the club at the age of 23, averaged a goal every other game for the Championship side, but he never got the chance to play in the Premier League because of his £15m move to Burnley in 2017.

The Kiwi marksman left before the Marcelo Bielsa revolution in West Yorkshire, and has gone on to prove himself to be a very impressive goalscorer in the top-flight.

Wood, who scored 20 goals in the Premier League for Nottingham Forest in the 2024/25 season, has racked up 89 goals in 263 top-flight games in his career for Burnley, Newcastle United, and Forest combined.

This shows that Leeds fumbled a brilliant Premier League striker option because they cashed in on him before he got the chance to his his peak at Elland Road, and they could be about to repeat a similar blunder with Mateo Joseph.

The latest on Mateo Joseph's future

Earlier this month, journalist Graeme Bailey told Leeds United News that Real Betis had agreed a fee worth up to £8.5m to sign the Spain U21 international this summer.

However, Spanish outlet Estadio Deportivo, as relayed by Sport Witness, then rubbished that claim and reported that a deal between the two clubs is nowhere near complete.

In fact, Estadio Deportivo stated that there was a big gap between what the LaLiga outfit would be willing to pay for Joseph and what the Championship champions want for their back-up forward.

Now, Sunday’s edition of ABC Sevilla, as relayed by Sport Witness, reports that Real Betis are currently in talks with the striker and his representatives over the possibility of a move to the club.

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The report claims that Betis, who will play Europa League football next season, are planning to convince the player to make the switch before they enter serious negotiations, after making initial contact with Leeds to gauge a price tag for him.

That price tag is reported to be as high as £13m, as per Mundo Deportivo’s separate report on Sunday, which is not all too dissimilar to the fee that the Whites received for Wood from Burnley.

Why selling Joseph could be a Wood repeat

As aforementioned, the New Zealand international moved on from Elland Road for a big fee before he had the opportunity to fulfill his potential as a Premier League goalscorer.

Joseph is not in the exact same situation as Wood was in, as he only scored three goals in 39 matches in the Championship this season, but it would be a similar move in the sense that he would be leaving before fulfilling his potential.

The Spanish marksman produced three goals and three assists in just 11 starts, mainly coming off the bench, as he found himself behind Joel Piroe in the pecking order.

Selling him now would mean that Leeds will never see him flourish at first-team level, which would be a shame when you consider the level that he could reach in the future.

Non-penalty xG

0.36

Top 29%

Shots total

2.73

Top 11%

Shots on target

1.05

Top 17%

Non-penalty goals

0.21

Bottom 34%

xAG

0.13

Top 20%

Assists

0.21

Top 6%

Shot-creating actions

2.31

Top 20%

Touches in the opposition’s box

5.25

Top 10%

As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old marksman showed plenty of encouraging signs in the Championship, as he regularly got shots on target, got himself into great postions to score, and was effective at creating chances for his teammates.

However, Joseph, who was hailed as “dynamite” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, needs to find consistency in his finishing, because that appears to be the one area of his game that is letting him down.

The Leeds youngster, though, scored 19 goals in 33 games for the club’s U21 team and has scored eight goals in 11 caps for Spain’s U21 side, which suggests that the potential is there for him to deliver goals on a regular basis.

Given his impressive scoring record at youth level and the great situations he is getting in at first-team level, it could be down to confidence or nerves in front of goal that is stopping him from exploding for Leeds.

This is why Joseph leaving to sign for Real Betis, amid talks with the Spanish outfit, could be a Wood repeat for Leeds because it could be another case of a promising young forward leaving to fulfill their potential elsewhere.

The Championship champions could end up watching on as Joseph finds his feet in front of goal to become a regular scorer for Betis, given that the rest of his game already appears to be at a high level.

Terms agreed: "Dominant" £17m star says yes to signing for Leeds United

Leeds United appear to be closing in on their first signing of the summer window.

ByDan Emery Jun 15, 2025

The signing of Nmecha has put another hurdle in front of Joseph at Elland Road, but the club should avoid selling him for now due to the potential he has to be a star in the future.