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Glasgow Rangers have had their takeover officially confirmed, with Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises taking a 51% stake, and the investment group have put £20m in to begin with.

New sporting director Kevin Thelwell has also officially started his job at Ibrox, having joined from Everton, and he will assist with finding the club’s next head coach to replace Barry Ferguson after his interim spell came to an end.

Despite there still not being any official word on who the next manager is going to be, work will be going on in the background to identify targets to bolster the squad.

The summer transfer window opened for business on Sunday and the Light Blues will be looking at players who have the potential to improve the team ahead of next season.

49ers eyeing first Rangers signing

Cyriel Dessers ended the 2024/25 campaign with a return of six goals in his last five matches in the Scottish Premiership, yet his goal burst did not stop him from underperforming against his xG.

The Nigeria international scored 18 goals from 19.73 xG in the Premiership and three goals from 5.3 xG in the Europa League, which shows that he consistently underperformed over the course of the season.

This may be why, according to the print edition of the Daily Mail (2 June, page 69), as relayed by IbroxNews, the 49ers are interested in a deal to sign Jamie Vardy this summer.

The report claims that the Gers are one of a number of clubs to have expressed an interest in signing the former England international on a free transfer, after he confirmed his exit from Leicester City.

Transfer Focus

It remains to be seen, however, whether or not the Foxes legend would be willing to make the move up north to Ibrox to have a crack at Scottish football.

If the 49ers can make Vardy the first signing of the new era in Glasgow, though, then the next Rangers manager could have an upgrade on Dessers on their hands.

Why Jamie Vardy would be an upgrade on Cyriel Dessers

The Leicester icon, who was described as a “living legend” by manager Ruud Van Nistelrooy, may appear to be at the wrong end of his career, at the age of 38, but the striker still plundered nine Premier League goals this season.

Vardy ended his Leicester career with 200 goals in 500 matches, including 145 in 342 games in the Premier League, which shows that he has been prolific throughout his time in England.

The experienced marksman scored 145 goals from 142.02 xG in the top-flight, illustrating how clinical he is in front of goal, whilst finishing chances efficiently has clearly been a problem for Dessers with his xG underperformance.

Appearances

35

xG

17.07

Goals

18

Minutes per goal

99

Big chances missed

16

Assists

2

As you can see in the table above, Vardy played for a Leicester team chasing the title in the 2023/24 Championship season and led them to the trophy with 18 goals from 17.07 xG.

This suggests that, despite his age, the prolific attacker is still at the top of his game as a finisher and has the potential to be a lethal forward option for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership next season.

Vardy also offers a physical presence in the centre-forward position, having won 48% of his ground duels and 48% of his aerial duels in the Premier League this season. Whereas, Dessers only won 34% of his ground battles and 31% of his aerial contests in the Premiership.

This shows that the English star would provide the team with a better outlet in the number nine position, as he is better than the Nigerian lightweight when it comes to duelling with opposition centre-backs.

Rangers eye manager who Arne Slot said creates top build-up and pressure

Is he the perfect man for the job?

ByHenry Jackson Jun 2, 2025

Therefore,

Rangers are now “definitely” targeting an “unbelievable” manager as a potential alternative to Real Madrid assistant Davide Ancelotti, according to former scout Mick Brown.

Gers' new manager pursuit rumbles on

The Gers have been without a permanent manager since the end of February, at which point Philippe Clement was dismissed, and they are yet to find a successor to Barry Ferguson, who has been the interim boss since the Belgian’s departure.

However, it appears as though the 49ers are now stepping up their pursuit, with Real Madrid assistant manager Davide Ancelotti recently emerging as a major target, having submitted an offer to lure the Italian away from the European heavyweights.

Ancelotti is not the only target in the frame, however, with Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl still under consideration, while there have also been whispers that Steven Gerrard could be in line for a return to Ibrox.

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In an interview with Football Insider, Brown has now revealed that Gerrard is under consideration to replace Ferguson in the Rangers dugout, while also stating he can envisage the 44-year-old returning to his former club.

The former scout said: “I’m always a little bit concerned when players or managers go back. But Gerrard is very well thought-of in Glasgow and he’s very well-connected in the game.

“That will give Rangers a boost, like we saw the first time he was there, in the transfer market which could be key for them when the window opens.

“I can see Gerrard going back, he’s definitely one of the targets, but they need a clear direction and clear path to go and improve.”

"Unbelievable" Gerrard is proven at Ibrox

Brown may be correct to have reservations about the Liverpool legend returning to Ibrox, especially considering his managerial career hasn’t kicked on since leaving the Gers, being sacked by Aston Villa before failing to pull up any trees with Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia.

However, the Englishman, who likes to utilise a 4-3-3 formation, knows what it takes to win the Scottish Premiership title, having led Rangers to glory in the 2020-21 campaign, picking up 102 points and going the entire league season undefeated.

In that sense, a move for the ex-Liverpool man could make sense ahead of Ancelotti, given that the 35-year-old is yet to prove himself in the hot-seat, having only been assistant manager to his father, Carlo, during spells with Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton and Madrid.

However, the way in which Gerrard left the Scottish side the first time around left a bitter taste, so it may also be a wise idea for the 49ers to get the new era underway by appointing a totally new manager.

Daniel Farke had a daunting task before him when picking up the pieces from Leeds United’s promotion near-miss during the 2023/24 season, with the likes of Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter all leaving Elland Road behind for good.

Losing all these exceptional talents in quickfire succession hasn’t quite derailed the Whites’ promotion mission this time around thankfully, as the West Yorkshire outfit aim to just keep picking up the wins to see a top two spot be officially clinched come May.

Then, it will all be about tinkering here and there to transform Leeds into a Premier League capable side, with one transfer rumour already giving fans a sneak peek as to what business they might conduct.

Leeds interested in new midfielder

As per Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, the promotion-chasers are already monitoring Borussia Mönchengladbach captain Julian Weigl ahead of a potential summer swoop.

Farke did momentarily manage Weigl when he was Gladbach coach – with that good working relationship highlighted by Plettenberg – but any move getting off the ground rests on Leeds sealing promotion back up to the top-flight.

Initial contact has occurred between the two parties surrounding the £5.1m-rated star, but Leeds might not need to go after another face in the middle of the park after all, considering they already have this past import from Germany on their books who is worth more than Weigl.

The Leeds hero who's worth more than Weigl

Whilst Farke did have to deal with that worrying mass exodus last summer, he did also manage to welcome in a number of stunning buys, with loan sensation Manor Solomon up to a bumper eight goals and nine assists this season in the league action.

But, it could be argued that the pick of the bunch from the summer buys looking back now was former Fortuna Dusseldorf ace Ao Tanaka, who has been consistently top-notch for his new employers since an understated £2.9m switch occurred.

Indeed, the Japan international has instantly managed to fit into his new surroundings, with this audacious back-heel effort against Sheffield Wednesday back in January one of four strikes he’s managed to bag under Farke’s wing.

With 72.6 touches amassed on average per league clash too, it could be argued that the “unbelievable” 26-year-old – as he was lauded by his manager after a breakneck start to life in England – has become somewhat of a heartbeat for the title hopefuls since his arrival, culminating in his once humble £2.9m valuation shooting up.

Tanaka’s numbers at Leeds (24/25)

Stat – per 90 mins*

Tanaka

Games played

39

Games started

33

Minutes averaged*

77 mins

Goals scored

4

Assists

2

Touches*

72.6

Accurate passes*

53.8 (90%)

Ball recoveries*

5.0

Total duels won*

4.6

Value when joining

£2.9m

Value now

£6.8m

Sourced by Sofascore/Transfermarkt

As per Transfermarkt, Tanaka’s value now stands at a far heftier £6.8m, meaning the 32-time Japan international is worth around £1.7m more than the Gladbach target and deservedly so based on his sparkling Championship numbers above.

With Farke also able to call upon the likes of Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev in the holding midfield ranks, there might not be that much of a thirst to land Weigl moving forward, especially if Tanaka – who has further been donned “exceptional” by Opta statman Jonny Cooper – takes to the potential challenge of the Premier League swimmingly.

Whilst the Whites will have to presumably spend big on occasion in the top-flight to secure their safety, Farke and Co will want to stray away from spending for spending’s sake, with a more shrewd approach in the market paying off when Tanaka entered through the door.

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Kusal Perera – originally unsold – forces his way into the list, which also has Hasaranga and Pathirana among other expected names

Madushka Balasuriya21-Jul-20241. Andre Fletcher (Kandy Falcons)This season hasn’t been short of opening talent, with the likes of Dinesh Chandimal, Pathum Nissanka and Alex Hales all making strong cases, but it’s Fletcher’s consistency which has seen him win out. His 321 runs across ten innings have included three fifties and three further scores of 20 or more, all at a healthy strike rate of 158. His 22 sixes meanwhile are comfortably the most by a player this LPL.2. Kusal Perera (Dambulla Sixers)It was quite the surprise when Perera went unsold at the LPL auction, but when Dambulla’s ownership changed post-auction – there is a proviso that such an eventuality allows new owners to bring in new talent – he was among the first names on the wishlist. A duck in his first game proved to be a red herring, as next time out he struck an unbeaten 102 off 52 balls. One thing Perera has shown is that when he gets going it takes a lot to stop him. His strike rate of 169 is the best among the tournament’s top-ten run-scorers.Related

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3. Tim Seifert (Galle Marvels)Galle have proven to be the team to beat this season, and the 29-year-old Seifert’s form has been one of the primary reasons why. While his strike rate of 136.29 is lower than other batters on this list, it’s his ability to see an innings through that has proved so invaluable. Thrice he’s remained unbeaten, despite coming in at No. 3 – two of them were during a chase while the other was a 63-ball 104. Seifert’s reliability has given those around him the freedom to bat without fear.4. Avishka Fernando (Jaffna Kings)Avishka is not only the highest run-scorer this season, he is now the all-time highest run-scorer in the LPL. But while in previous years he’s done the damage at the top of the order, this year he’s been rejigged to a pivotal middle-order role at No. 4 – and taken to it like a duck to water. Striking well above his career strike rate, he’s scored five fifties across ten innings, showing a particular liking to pace. Only his propensity to get dismissed by spinners taking the ball away from him has held him back thus far.5. Kamindu Mendis (Kandy Falcons)Kamindu, who debuted for Sri Lanka in 2018, had been biding his time on the fringes for a while. It was this year, though, that he finally found his way into the national side consistently, and he has now carried that form into the LPL. Comfortable against both pace and spin, and striking at above 150, his middle-order exploits have invariably coincided with Kandy’s better batting performances. Add to this his handy ambidextrous spin, and you have a very unique utility player.ESPNcricinfo Ltd6. Isuru Udana (Galle Marvels)When Galle bumped up Udana’s base price of US$ 30,000 to US$ 100,000, despite being the only franchise to bid for him, the first reaction from many was disbelief. This was a 36 year-old fast bowler who hadn’t turned out for Sri Lanka since 2021. But perhaps they knew something the rest of us didn’t, as Udana rolled back the years. His adept variations have grabbed 14 wickets – many at the death – while with the bat, in four innings he struck two fifties – one, a 72 off 38 that nearly resulted in a miraculous come-from-behind win.7. Wanindu Hasaranga (Kandy Falcons)While not quite the needle-moving all-round masterclass of last season, when he was both the highest run-getter and the highest wicket-taker, Hasaranga has nevertheless impressed. His bowling was challenged this year by the more batter-friendly surfaces in Dambulla and Kandy but he managed to still prove effective, even if nine of his 15 wickets came across four games in the more spin-friendly tracks in Colombo. With the bat he was less consistent, only once – in a back-to-the-wall 65 off 32 – did he manage to scale the heady heights he is capable of.8. Shadab Khan (Colombo Strikers)Shadab had a torrid 2024 leading up to the LPL. In ten T20Is he picked up just one wicket (didn’t bowl thrice) at a dismal economy rate of 10.3, while with the bat his nine innings had brought about just two knocks of any substance. But this season in the LPL, while his batting still hasn’t been at its best, Shadab has been a legspinner reborn, topping the charts for wickets while keeping runs in check. He has taken three four-fors, including a hat-trick – and he might have had another too if not for the most suspect of DRS ball projections. He has utilised his pace, trajectory and variations expertly. Pakistan, you’re welcome.From bowling with the new ball to starring in a Super Over, Maheesh Theekshana’s done it all•SLC9. Maheesh Theekshana (Galle Marvels)Theekshana hasn’t summited the wicket-taking charts, nor has he been the most economical, but of all bowlers to have played as many games as him this season (nine), he’s the only one to have bowled his full allotment of overs. That not only speaks to how essential he has been, but also his versatility – regardless of game state, you can always call on Theekshana. Openers off to a flyer? Throw the ball to Theekshana. Power Blast over? Theekshana’s got one in the bag. Need to defend eight off the final over and then bowl the Super Over that follows? You get the picture.10. Binura Fernando (Colombo Strikers)Binura’s career used to be one of ifs and bu… actually, it was just one big if – if he hadn’t had so many injuries. Now it has become a career of whens. When will he get a consistent run with the national side? When will we all stop sleeping on him? The numbers, after all, speak for themselves: 13 wickets at an economy rate of 6.81 across nine LPL games, bowling primarily in the powerplay and at the death. Despite never really clocking above 130kph, batters regularly struggle to get him away due to his clever variations in length and pace. And if you’re worried about his fitness, he ended the season playing four games across five days. It’s time to wake up to Binura Fernando.11. Matheesha Pathirana (Colombo Strikers)Pathirana is the polar opposite of Binura, all action, all hype, all X-factor. No one is sleeping on him. And season long, he’s been all business. Fifteen wickets at an economy rate of 8.33 is great output – especially for the LPL’s record signing – but the way he has been utilised by Colombo should be the blueprint for any side he’s a part of. On several occasions he has bowled his four overs in one spell, after the 11th over or so. While his yorker is as devastating as ever, he looks to be adding more strings to his death bowling bow. His accuracy is also steadily improving.

She is the most capped player in women’s cricket. She has the most runs. And the most 50-plus scores too

Sampath Bandarupalli08-Jun-202210,868 Runs scored by Mithali Raj across all three formats in international cricket, the most by any woman. She also holds the record for the most 50-plus scores (93) in women’s internationals.