Tottenham Hotspur made a big splash in the market on Thursday night when they officially confirmed the signing of Mohammed Kudus from Premier League rivals West Ham United.

The Ghana international has put pen to paper on a long-term contract with the Lilywhites and will be hoping to shine on the Champions League stage next season.

Thomas Frank and Daniel Levy are not done there, though, as they are also looking to bring Nottingham Forest attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White to North London.

The Guardian reports that his expected £60m transfer to the club has been delayed by Forest’s complaint that Spurs did not have permission to speak with the player, and their complaint around the confidentiality of the £60m release clause in his contract.

It states that the Tricky Trees consider the deal to be off, but the feeling is that their protestations are likely to delay a transfer, rather than derail it.

However, it now remains to be seen exactly how this transfer saga is going to play out, as Spurs hope that they will be able to add him to their squad before long.

What Morgan Gibbs-White could bring to Spurs

The 25-year-old ace could add to Frank’s depth in the attacking midfield department as a player who has already proven his quality in the Premier League with Forest.

However, although it should not be completely ruled out, Spurs supporters should not be expecting a generational talent to arrive at the club in the form of Gibbs-White.

In fact, there is no guarantee that he will come in as a significant upgrade on Tottenham’s current number ten James Maddison, if they are even competing for the same place in Frank’s system.

Their respective performances in the Premier League during the 2024/25 campaign, despite Forest finishing higher in the Premier League, suggest that he may not be an upgrade on Maddison at all.

Appearances

34

31

xG

6.34

5.83

Goals

7

9

Big chances created

10

6

xA

4.69

5.91

Assists

8

7

Possession lost per game

12.7

10.3

As you can see in the table above, the former Norwich man’s output – goals and xA – was more impressive than Gibbs-White’s, despite playing fewer games and giving the ball away fewer times per game.

These statistics suggest that they are, in fact, fairly similar in what they offer at the top end of the pitch and could provide healthy competition for each other, rather than Gibbs-White, who has only been capped four times by England, coming in as an immediate upgrade.

Meanwhile, Spurs are reportedly interested in signing another English midfielder who is an even bigger talent than the Nottingham Forest attacker.

Spurs eyeing move for English midfielder

According to GIVEMESPORT, Frank has pinpointed Crystal Palace central midfielder Adam Wharton as a ‘leading target’ for the summer transfer window.

The report claims that it will be a difficult deal for the Europa League champions to pull off, but Daniel Levy has been given the ‘green light’ to make more big-money signings to bolster the squad.

Transfer Focus

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

It adds that Wharton is now ‘firmly’ in Frank’s sights as the Danish head coach wants to beef up his options in the middle of the park ahead of next season.

The outlet states that the English maestro is an ‘ambitious’ target for the Lilywhites, who are now weighing up whether or not to make a formal approach for the former Blackburn star.

GIVEMESPORT reveals that Palace are set to demand a fee of at least £80m for the left-footed defensive midfielder, and it remains to be seen whether or not Tottenham are willing to spend that much on him this summer.

Why Spurs should sign Adam Wharton

Tottenham should, if they have the funds, splash the cash to bring the Eagles sensation to North London in the weeks to come because he is an even bigger talent than Gibbs-White who is worth paying the extra £20m for.

The 21-year-old is four years younger than the Forest star, yet has already been capped by England and is currently valued at £20m more than him, at £80m.

Wharton, despite his young age, has emerged as one of the hottest midfield properties in the division because of the immense quality that he provides on the pitch at both ends of the pitch.

The left-footed star is a rare talent who combines physicality, athleticism, intelligence, technical ability, and determination. In short, he has everything that you could wish to ask for from a deep-lying midfielder.

Wharton, who was highly praised by Declan Rice last year, averaged 2.7 tackles and interceptions and 5.1 ball recoveries per game in the Premier League last term, without making a single mistake that led to a shot or a goal for the opposition.

To go along with the defensive qualities that the English youngster offers in the middle of the park, the Palace star would be an upgrade on what Frank currently has in midfield from an in-possession perspective.

Adam Wharton

7.31

4.03

Rodrigo Bentancur

5.47

2.46

Yves Bissouma

4.79

1.02

Archie Gray

2.06

0.31

Pape Matar Sarr

4.14

2.12

As you can see in the table above, Wharton is significantly better at progressing play with his passes and knitting together moves that result in shots for his side than the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma are, based on his form last term.

This proves that the £80m-rated metronome, who has been called “world-class” by journalist Luke Weaser-Seychell, is a midfielder who combines defensive work with exceptional play on the ball.

Therefore, Wharton could arrive at Spurs this summer as an upgrade on what they currently have at their disposal, which is why they should be pushing to bring him in.

It is also further evidence that he would be an even bigger talent for the club than Gibbs-White, as a more expensive signing who could walk straight into the XI, whilst the attacking midfielder may not find it easy to take Maddison’s place.

Kudus' dream striker: £50m star now wants to join Spurs after Gibbs-White

Tottenham Hotspur have wasted no time in hunting for additional signings after agreeing a deal for Mohammed Kudus.

ByEthan Lamb Jul 11, 2025

Arsenal could be closing in on two successive signings in the space of a few days, if all goes to plan, with another key transfer target reportedly nearing a switch to London Colney this week.

Related He's Cazorla 2.0: Arsenal make £100k-p/w "superstar" their new top target

The incredible international could be Arsenal’s new version of the Spanish magician.

Posts 1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 16, 2025

Sporting director Andrea Berta has made quite an impression already since he was announced as Edu Gaspar’s replacement in late March.

Berta’s deals for Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard – all of which have been formally announced – strengthen key areas of Mikel Arteta’s squad ahead of another Premier League title challenge.

Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)

Money on new signings

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

25/26 – summer

£75m

The experienced Kepa and Norgaard provide top-level competition for nailed-on starters in Arteta’s preferred eleven, while Zubimendi comes in to replace Jorginho after many years impressing with Real Sociedad in La Liga.

Zubimendi rejected a move to Liverpool last year, having long been linked with a move to the Premier League, but Arsenal were the side who ultimately tempted him to finally leave his boyhood club.

Noni Madueke also signed his contract as an Arsenal player today, after the north Londoners agreed a deal worth around £52 million to sign the England international from Chelsea.

As links still surround Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze, who could join Arsenal as a central playmaker to complement club captain Martin Odegaard (Ben Jacobs), Berta is far more likely to see striker Viktor Gyokeres arrive at the club next.

Arsenal are believed to be closing in on Gyokeres after weeks of talks, and Arteta is on the verge of seeing a much-needed number nine arrive. Some reports in Europe have even suggested that he’s set for a medical on Friday (Diario AS), but this is yet to gain traction among reliable media outlets close to home.

As supporters wait for further updates, The Guardian’s Ed Aarons has shared what is holding up the deal just now.

Arsenal talks for Viktor Gyokeres near conclusion

According to the reliable journalist, Arsenal’s talks for Gyokeres are nearing their conclusion – and this last round of negotiations revolves around bonuses.

They’re thought to have reached an agreement in principle to pay an initial £54.8 million, plus £8.6 million in add-ons, and the striker’s agent even waived his commission fee to help this move go through (The Athletic).

However, Aarons reports that some add-ons discussions are ongoing, which could take the final cost of the transfer to around £68 million.

In any case, it looks like this will be done sooner rather than later, and there is reason for supporters to get excited.

Gyokeres bagged 54 goals in all competitions for Sporting last term, helping them to a first domestic double in 20 years, and former Arsenal star Cesc Fàbregas believes he’d be a perfect signing for Arteta.

“He is an extraordinary striker,” said Fabregas on Amazon Prime. “He is a focused player, who pays attention to details, he is competitive, never lets his guard down, and doesn’t want to rest. He is an athlete, a player and team-mate who instils confidence in his team-mates with what he gives to the team.”

A hamstring injury sustained in the Hundred has denied Nathan Ellis the opportunity to nail down a spot in Australia’s T20I side, ruling him out of the rest of their series against Scotland and the eight subsequent white-ball games in England.Ellis was targeting the Scotland series as a rare chance to lead Australia’s attack, with Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins rested and Josh Hazlewood out with a calf niggle. But Cricket Australia announced on Friday that he had not recovered from his hamstring tendon injury in time to be considered for selection and would fly home imminently.The timing of the injury – picked up while playing for London Spirit in the Hundred – is particularly frustrating for Ellis. He has played 17 T20Is, including three appearances at the 2024 T20 World Cup, but his opportunities have generally depended on at least one of the ‘big three’ quicks being rested.Riley Meredith, who played his first international match since 2021 on Wednesday in Australia’s thrashing of Scotland in the first T20I, will stay with the squad as cover. It has left Somerset expecting to be without Meredith on T20 Blast Finals Day on Saturday, which takes place between the second and third matches of the England series.Hazlewood has landed in England ahead of Wednesday’s first T20I at the Utilita Bowl. “[He] will join the squad in Southampton having recovered from a minor calf strain,” a CA spokesperson said. Ellis was also due to feature in the five-match ODI series against England, which starts on September 19, with a replacement yet to be named.Meredith could, in theory, be released to play for Somerset on Finals Day – which takes place at Edgbaston on Saturday – but the club’s captain Lewis Gregory said after their quarter-final win on Thursday night that they were not expecting to have him available. Somerset do not have any players in England’s T20I squad, so will otherwise have their full squad at their disposal.

كشف مصدر مسؤول داخل نادي بيراميدز عن موقف الظهير الأيسر محمد حمدي من الاستمرار مع الفريق، مؤكدًا حقيقة الأنباء المتداولة حول انتقاله إلى الأهلي.

وكانت تقارير صحفية قد ربطت بين اللاعب محمد حمدي والنادي الأهلي خلال الفترة الأخيرة، تمهيدًا للتفاوض معه من أجل ضمه لصفوف القلعة الحمراء.

وأوضح المصدر في تصريحات خاصة لـ بطولات، أن عقد محمد حمدي ينتهي بنهاية الموسم الجاري، مشيرًا إلى وجود مفاوضات جارية بين إدارة بيراميدز واللاعب من أجل تجديد التعاقد.

وعلى صعيد آخر، شارك بيراميدز للمرة الأولى في تاريخه في بطولة كأس الإنتركونتيننتال، بعد تتويجه بلقب دوري أبطال إفريقيا في الموسم الماضي، وقد استهل مشواره بمواجهة أوكلاند سيتي النيوزيلندي في الدور التمهيدي الأول، وحقق الفوز بثلاثية نظيفة، ليحجز مقعده في الدور المقبل.

طالع أيضًا | الأهلي السعودي يتوجه بطلب إلى فيفا قبل مباراة بيراميدز في كأس إنتركونتيننتال

وينتظر بيراميدز مواجهة قوية أمام الأهلي السعودي، بطل دوري أبطال آسيا، حيث ستقام المباراة في مدينة جدة بالمملكة العربية السعودية، ضمن منافسات كأس القارات الثلاث (آسيا – إفريقيا – المحيط الهادي).

وأعلن الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم (فيفا) عن إقامة اللقاء يوم الثلاثاء الموافق 23 سبتمبر الجاري، في تمام التاسعة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية، على استاد الإنماء بمدينة الملك عبد الله الرياضية بجدة.

Foxes secure second place in Group B with home quarter-final against Hampshire on Friday

ECB Reporters Network14-Aug-2024Ajinkya Rahane and Peter Handscomb staged an outstanding match-winning partnership of 120 as Leicestershire beat Gloucestershire by four wickets on the Duckworth/Lewis/Stern Method at Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium to book a quarter-final berth in the Metro Bank One Day Cup.Chasing a revised target of 196 in a contest reduced by rain to 36 overs a side, the Foxes registered their fifth win in six games in Group B with 14 balls to spare, the fourth-wicket pair of Handscomb and Rahane scoring 65 not out and 62 respectively.Having already raised two hundreds in the competition this season, Handscomb reaffirmed his rich vein of form, the Australian mustering five fours and two sixes in a superbly-judged innings off 70 balls, while Louis Kimber contributed a quickfire 28 in 18 balls to put the outcome beyond doubt as Leicestershire recovered from 19 for 3 to win with something to spare.Put into bat on a used pitch beneath low cloud cover, Gloucestershire struggled to build partnerships and came up short on 192 for 9, Cameron Bancroft top-scoring with 36.Leicestershire took full advantage of the damp conditions, seamer Tom Scriven claiming 3 for 37 from seven overs and Liam Trevaskis and Alex Green weighing in with two wickets apiece in a disciplined performance with the ball.Victory helped defending champions Leicestershire secure a second-place finish in Group B and their reward will be a home quarter-final tie against Hampshire at Grace Road on Friday in a repeat of last season’s final.Their confidence high on the back of four wins in five matches, Gloucestershire were buoyed by an opening stand of 50 between Bancroft and Miles Hammond in 10.4 overs. But things changed quickly following the introduction of Scriven, who bowled Hammond for 19 to spark a decline which saw the home side lose seven wickets for 95 runs in 18 overs.Gloucestershire’s cause was further hindered by the return of rain, the elements forcing the players to leave the field with the score on 55 for 1 after 12 overs. When play finally resumed, a further four overs had been lost and the situation now required urgency on the part of Bancroft and new batsman Joe Phillips.Leicestershire made the most of favourable circumstances to assume control thereafter. Bancroft had advanced his total to 36 from 51 balls when, no doubt frustrated by lack of progress, he chanced his arm against Scriven, attempting an expansive on-drive and falling to a brilliant diving catch by Handscomb at mid-on.Teenage seamer Green then had Phillips, who had scratched 10 from 32 balls, held by Rahane at mid-wicket to reduce the hosts to 76 for 3.The defending champions continued to turn the screw, slow left armer Trevaskis luring dangerman Jack Taylor into an ugly shot, Gloucestershire’s captain holing out to short fine leg for eight. Scriven accounted for James Bracey for 18, the left-hander falling to another fine catch at mid-on by Handscomb, at which point Gloucestershire were 109-5 and in danger of falling short.With 11 overs in which to make an impact, Irish international Curtis Campher announced himself with two successive sixes at the expense of Green, only to be caught at the wicket off the bowling of Roman Walker after raising 21 from 14 balls, a score matched by Ben Charlesworth when he was bowled by Trevaskis.It was left to Graeme van Buuren and Tom Smith to pick up the pieces, Gloucestershire’s veterans deploying all their considerable knowhow to stage a restorative alliance of 32 in 6.1 overs for the eighth wicket. Green had van Buuren held in the deep for 17 in the penultimate over, Smith finishing on 27 not out from 23 balls.A Gloucestershire bowling unit denuded by injury and call-ups to The Hundred and England Lions, nevertheless made the perfect start, Josh Shaw striking with his first and fifth deliveries to remove Ian Holland and Lewis Hill without scoring. Fellow seamer Dom Goodman got in on the act in the sixth over, Sol Budinger miss-timing a pull shot and holing out to mid-on as the Foxes slipped to 19-3, requiring a further 177 to win at 5.8 an over and already heavily dependent upon Rahane and Handscomb.Leicestershire’s fourth wicket pair saw off the new ball bowlers, punished the occasional poor delivery during tight spells from Campher and Smith and took advantage when Gloucestershire, short of seam options, sought recourse in Charlesworth for the first time this season, to stage a 50 partnership in 10 overs and put pressure back on the home side.Rahane was first to his half century, attaining that landmark via 59 deliveries and bringing up the 100 partnership in the process, while Handscomb required seven balls fewer to realise 50 as the required rate came down to five an over for the first time.Having accrued 7 fours and a brace of sixes, Rahane was looking to accelerate when his 76-ball innings came to an abrupt halt, Hammond taking a catch at short extra off the bowling of Smith to afford Gloucestershire the breakthrough they so desperately needed. But Kimber promptly smashed 23 in one over from van Buuren, helping himself to 3 sixes and a four, to effectively quash any prospect of a West Country revival.

With just days until they’re forced to file their accounts for the Premier League’s PSR deadline, Aston Villa are now reportedly prepared to sanction the sale of a 16-goal star in ruthless fashion.

Aston Villa closing in on PSR deadline

It’s been a summer full of frustration for those in the Midlands thus far, but things will only get worse if they fail to comply with PSR regulations by the time that Monday arrives. As things stand, it looks as though Villa still need to sell at least one player before the deadline even if Philippe Coutinho completes his move to Vasco da Gama in that time.

It is, therefore, time to get ruthless. As the deadlines closes in, Villa Park chiefs have been desperately attempting to find a way past the rules and are even reportedly considering the sale of their women’s team – following Chelsea’s previous methods in doing so.

More question marks would arrive about PSR rules if Aston Villa managed to navigate a way past any sanctions by selling their women’s team like Chelsea decided to do not so long ago. And it wouldn’t be the first time that questions have arrived about the rules, either.

Aston Villa’s co-owner, Nassef Sawiris told reporters last year: “Some of the rules have actually resulted in cementing the status quo more than creating upward mobility and fluidity in the sport. The rules do not make sense and are not good for football.”

Rashford upgrade: Monchi looking to sign £68m "superstar" for Aston Villa

With Marcus Rashford seemingly unlikely to be returning to Aston Villa next season, has Unai Emery identified a “phenomenal” star as an alternative?

By
Ben Gray

Jun 26, 2025

No matter what Sawiris or anyone else thinks about the rules, however, Aston Villa must ensure that they comply by Monday and may need to get ruthless in attempting to do so.

Aston Villa prepared to sell Louie Barry

With the likes of Emiliano Martinez already linked with a move away, the Villans could now lose a talented gem this summer. According to Hull Live, Aston Villa are now prepared to sell Louie Barry this week in an attempt to meet PSR requirements. The young forward’s sale would count as pure profit thanks to his homegrown status and would go a long way to solving Villa’s problems as a result.

As wise as his exit would be on the PSR front, that doesn’t take away from the frustrating blow that it would deal those in the Midlands. At 22 years old, Barry is a product of Villa’s academy and showed impressive potential on loan at Stockport County last season – scoring 16 goals in all competitions.

Injury then disrupted a later loan spell at Championship side Hull City but the academy graduate more than showed his talent in the first-half of the season.

Praised for a “superb” season by scout Jacek Kulig, it looks as though Barry could be part of Aston Villa’s PSR sacrifice as Monday’s deadline looms.

St Lucia Kings sign up New Zealand’s Tim Seifert as a replacement

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Aug-2024

Heinrich Klaasen was part of the Guyana Amazon Warriors team in CPL 2022•Associated Press

Heinrich Klaasen will not be taking part in the 2024 season of the Caribbean Premier League, which begins on Thursday, due to a family emergency. The South African middle-order batter is one of the world’s best power-hitters, especially against slow bowling and is a significant loss for St Lucia Kings, who had signed him up, in June ahead of the CPL draft.Kings, who made it to the Eliminator after finishing third on the points table last season, have replaced Klaasen with New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert, who has previously played for Trinbago Knight Riders and won the title with them in 2020.Klaasen was part of the Guyana Amazon Warriors team in 2022, but that was before he came into his own as a limited-overs cricketer. He made 118 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 137. In the two years since then, he has played 82 T20s for both club and country, scoring 2293 runs at a strike rate of 169, including two hundreds and 16 fifties.Related

Theekshana: 'I've been bowling the carrom ball since I was 12'

'It's not rocket science' – CPL's CEO asks T20 leagues to collaborate on scheduling

Stars in the making – five young West Indians to look out for at CPL 2024

CPL 2024 FAQs: New team, new players, new intrigues

There were personnel changes in other teams as well with Knight Riders bringing USA’s Andries Gous on board as a temporary replacement. The 30-year-old wicketkeeper-batter impressed as the seventh-highest scorer at the T20 World Cup earlier this year and will sub in for Australia’s Tim David, who is expected to join Knight Riders only after their first four matches of the season.Barbados Royals needed short-term cover as well with David Miller and Keshav Maharaj due to miss the first two matches to attend the Cricket South Africa awards function on September 5. They’ve brought in Sri Lanka allrounder Dunith Wellalage, who was a standout performer in the recent ODI series against India, and Shamarh Brooks.Sikandar Raza has pulled out of the CPL as well with an injury. The Zimbabwe allrounder posted on X (previously Twitter) that he would be missing the entire tournament. St Kitts and Nevis Patriots are yet to name a replacement.For more details on the CPL squads for the 2024 tournament, click here.

Celtic will return from their pre-season camp in Portugal and could now be set to announce an imminent signing to strengthen their forward line amid recent developments.

Celtic's hunt for a striker to challenge existing options goes on

Adam Idah, Daizen Maeda and Johnny Kenny are currently Celtic’s senior options to lead the line for the coming season, while Callum Osmand’s arrival on a free transfer from Fulham has introduced another competitor for minutes at Parkhead.

Despite Brendan Rodgers potentially sending Irish striker Kenny out on loan, the former Shamrock Rovers striker has given his manager food for thought after laying on an assist and winning a penalty in the Bhoys’ 2-0 victory over Sporting Clube de Portugal on Wednesday evening.

Nevertheless, Rodgers urged Adam Idah to ‘come alive’ when chances fall his way after he missed two gilt-edged opportunities in the Algarve, which could’ve put his side in a more comfortable position.

He stated: “He needs to come alive. You can’t be caught thinking at this level. You have to anticipate and move and then have authority in the box. I know he can score goals and it’s also the time of pre-season.”

The Bhoys’ search for a new number nine has been well-documented this window, and reports continue to suggest Odsonne Edouard could be on Celtic’s radar despite Rodgers pouring cold water on the scenario for now.

Balikwisha will love him: Celtic exploring deal to sign "exciting" star

Celtic could land a dream signing alongside Michel-Ange Balikwisha by landing this star.

ByDan Emery Jul 17, 2025

Napoli’s Giuseppe Ambrosino could also secure a move to Parkhead on loan, albeit it remains to be seen if the Hoops can win the race for the Italy Under-21 international.

Plates are starting to spin in Celtic’s hunt for a forward, and they now look to be on the verge of confirming a striker signing in the next couple of days.

Celtic set to sign Shin Yamada with medical booked

Speaking last night, Rodgers also confirmed that Shin Yamada is set for a medical at Celtic ahead of his £1.3 million move from J League outfit Kawasaki Frontale.

He stated: “He’ll have a medical over the next couple of days and we’ll have a look at him. We’ve lost a lot of goals, so we need to replace that. Hopefully, this can be one of a number of players we can bring in that aspect.

Shin Yamada’s goalscoring record at Kawasaki Frontale

Appearances

121

Goals

32

Assists

9

“He’s got intensity and workrate. It’s something the scouts have seen. In terms of the club, we will bring in players to develop and players for now. Even though he’s a bit older, he’s probably one that can give us that intensity and pressure.

“I need to look and see him when he comes in and hopefully he can do well. The idea was to bring him in and assess him. He’s a strong boy, but we’d want to add to our front line also.”

Dubbed “impressive” by Hudl Wyscout, he earned his maiden cap for the Japan national team against Hong Kong as a group of domestic-based players took part in the East Asian Football Championship, claiming glory in the mini-tournament.

Barring any last-minute hitches, Rodgers will have the striker he is looking for after Kawasaki Frontale announced his departure to an ‘overseas’ club, but his comments suggest there could be further movement to strengthen his forward line.

Glasgow Rangers manager Russell Martin finally has the chance to meet some of his players in the flesh for the first time after they returned for pre-season testing on Monday.

The Light Blues head coach will have a lot of difficult decisions to make over the playing squad at Ibrox in order to end the summer transfer window with a squad that is capable of competing for the Scottish Premiership title.

Martin will be working with sporting director Kevin Thelwell, who is now in his first window at Ibrox as well, to secure new signings to bolster the team.

In fact, Thelwell is reportedly pursuing a deal for a new player who would leave the Scottish manager with a big decision to make on two of his current options in the same position.

Rangers set to bid for Premier League defender

According to DAVEOCKOP, Rangers are interested in a deal to sign left-back Owen Beck from Premier League champions Liverpool this summer.

Transfer Focus

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

The report claims that the Light Blues are planning to submit a bid to sign the Wales international, as Thelwell aims to add another full-back option to Martin’s squad.

It adds that Liverpool have held talks with Beck over a potential new contract and that the plan has been to send him out on loan for the 2025/26 campaign.

However, Rangers are now looking to disrupt those plans by swooping in with an offer to sign the left-footed star on a permanent deal this summer, although it remains to be seen how likely a move is at this moment in time.

Why Rangers should sign Owen Beck

The Light Blues should push to convince the Reds to part ways with the 22-year-old full-back because his performances on loan at Dundee in the Premiership in the 2023/24 season suggest that he has the potential to be an upgrade on Jefte.

Beck spent this season on loan at Blackburn in the second tier of English football and started 21 of his 24 appearances in the division, averaging 3.4 tackles and interceptions per game at left-back.

The Welsh star, who was once hailed as a “spectacular” player by talent scout Jacek Kulig, really caught the eye whilst playing in Scotland with Dundee, though.

Jefte started 30 of his 33 appearances in the top-flight during his debut campaign in Glasgow in the 2024/25 campaign, but the arrival of Beck on a permanent deal could put an end to his role as a regular starter.

Appearances

25

33

Big chances created

6

4

Assists

4

4

Key passes per game

2.3

1.0

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.9

3.3

Ground duel success rate

57%

53%

Dribble success rate

60%

46%

As you can see in the table above, Beck’s performances for Dundee suggest that the potential is there for him to offer more to the team as a creator and as an out-and-out defender.

The 22-year-old star put up more impressive creative numbers than Jefte did whilst playing in an inferior team, with respect to the Premiership, which suggests that he could thrive even more at the top end of the pitch as part of a ball-dominant Rangers team led by Martin.

Couple that with his superb defensive numbers, which suggest that he does not shirk his responsibilities going back the other way, and it appears as though Beck would come in with a real chance of being an upgrade on Jefte.

As a proven Premiership performer, the Liverpool dynamo would also have the potential to hit the ground running without having to get used to the physical demands of the style of football in Scotland.

A Colak repeat: Club now pushing to sign Rangers star in the next 48 hours

Rangers could repeat their Antonio Colak masterstroke by selling this star this summer.

ByDan Emery Jun 23, 2025

Therefore, this is a signing that would make a lot of sense for the Light Blues, but it would also leave Martin with some big decisions to make on Jefte and Ridvan Yilmaz.

The Bangladesh allrounder is believed to be playing in the Chennai Test with discomfort on his spinning finger and shoulder

Mohammad Isam21-Sep-2024Lack of overs and suggestions that he is struggling with multiple injuries have raised questions about Shakib Al Hasan’s appearance in the ongoing Chennai Test against India. Shakib, who on Saturday became Bangladesh’s oldest Test cricketer, bowled seven overs on the third day after captain Najmul Hossain Shanto brought him into the attack belatedly. Shakib was uncharacteristically poor, with Rishabh Pant hitting him for six fours and two sixes.Shakib eventually finished with the most expensive match figures of his Test career. It was also only the fifth time that Shakib had gone wicketless in a Test after bowling at least 20 overs. As Shanto kept him off the attack for most of the morning session on Saturday, Murali Kartik, the former Indian left-arm spinner, said on air that Shakib had informed him about discomfort on his spinning finger and shoulder.”Having seen him and known him for such a long period of time, I did go up to him and ask the reason why he has not bowled enough,” Kartik said. “And the thing which he said to me is something I completely resonate with. He’s had a finger surgery on his bowling finger which is the point of his finger of his left hand. It is swollen, it is rigid, there’s no movement no suppleness to it. So he feels he is not getting any feeling out of it. As a spinner you need the feeling. Also he is having issues with his shoulder so it’s a combination of both and it’s tough to bowl in Test cricket where you need that feel as a spinner.”Related

Shakib won't be 'harassed' on return to Bangladesh, say officials

Shakib trials strap around neck as head-positioning tool in Chennai

Gill, Pant and Ashwin boss day three at Chepauk

Indian bowling attack's signature skill

Ashwin: 'Bowling and batting are very separate sports in the same game'

Shakib sustained the left index finger injury during Bangladesh’s World Cup match against Sri Lanka last year. He also missed the match against India during the same tournament due to a shoulder injury. The finger injury kept him out of action for a few months, and then Shakib also had an eye problem that prolonged his absence from the Bangladesh team.Tamim Iqbal later said on air that if Bangladesh have knowingly picked Shakib despite the discomfort in his spinning finger, then the visitors are playing with a bowler short.”Murali Kartik said that Shakib is having trouble gripping the ball due this finger injury. If that’s the case, Bangladesh are playing with four frontline bowlers. The team management should inform whether they knew about this injury or not,” Tamim said.BCB’s chief physician Dr Debashish, however, said that they are not aware of any discomfort for Shakib due to the finger or shoulder injury.”Shakib had a fracture in his finger from the World Cup in India,” he said. “Before that, he had an infection from another finger injury a few years ago. Shakib though hasn’t recently complained about a finger or shoulder injury. A broken finger however can cause discomfort.”There’s some concern that Shakib may have overextended himself in recent weeks. He bowled 63.2 overs for Surrey during a county match in Taunton last week. He had left for the UK from Bangladesh’s tour of Pakistan, played the game, and then reached Chennai one day before the first Test.Besides failing to take a wicket in the Test, Shakib got out to an untimely reverse sweep shortly after Litton Das got out in the first innings. Shakib is also trying something new in his batting approach, biting down on a strap around his neck apparently to keep his head from falling over when playing the ball.