The start of Glasgow Rangers’ season is now fast approaching with the Gers’ first pre-season fixture taking place a week on Saturday, with the start of European qualifying coming up as soon as 22 July.

That’s all before the new Rangers manager, Russell Martin, will commence his Scottish Premiership campaign on Saturday 2 August.

Ahead of that busy fixture list, the Light Blues have been busy off the field overhauling their squad, so could they secure a “phenomenal” new signing in the process?

Rangers' busy transfer activity

On Wednesday, Max Aarons put pen to paper, joining Rangers on a season-long loan from Bournemouth.

He is the club’s second signing of the summer, after Lyall Cameron, but many more are forecast in the coming days and weeks.

Indeed, according to a report by EFL analysis, new manager Martin is targeting a move to bring in goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who he signed for Southampton just 12 months ago, for a reported fee of £25m.

Bailey adds that, due to the fact he is earning £120,000-per-week, the Saints are willing to sanction a loan ‘with an option to buy’ for Ramsdale this summer; Wolves and Leeds United also ‘interested’,

A fee could prove prohibitive for Rangers, given that their record-signing of the post-liquidation era is the £7.5m spent on Ryan Kent in 2019.

Nevertheless, with Southampton looking to offload, thereby open to a loan move, could the England international end up in Glasgow?

Why Aaron Ramsdale would be a game-changing signing for Rangers

Max Aarons has arrived at Rangers to much excitement, and rightly so.

The 24-year-old did just endure a pretty miserable campaign, barely featuring for Bournemouth, thereby spending the second half of the season on loan at Valencia, albeit he then made only five appearances for los Murciélagos, totalling a miserly 208 minutes.

Nevertheless, the youngster is still a player of great potential, almost joining Tottenham for £15m as a teenager, with Tom Quartly of Breaking the Lines asserting that he offers ‘fluidity in both attacking and defensive phases’ from full-back.

Aarons’ arrival does bring into question the future of Rangers’ two existing right-backs, namely captain and long-serving stalwart James Tavernier, as well as the promising Dujon Sterling, as this was not an area of obvious need.

The same, however, cannot be said about goalkeeper, with the potential arrival of Ramsdale addressing a pressing issue.

After arriving two years ago, for so long, Jack Butland was Rangers’ undisputed number one, starting 102 of his first 111 matches at the club, before being dropped by interim manager Barry Ferguson, following a sequence of high-profile errors, hence why deputy Liam Kelly got the nod for the Europa League quarter-final tie against Athletic Club.

Even though the Scotland international shot-stopper dramatically saved Álex Berenguer’s late penalty in the first leg at Ibrox, the table below emphasises that neither Kelly nor Butland are perhaps what Martin is looking for.

Rangers’ GK statistics Premiership 2024/25

Statistics

Butland

SPFL rank

Kelly

SPFL rank

Goals against per 90

1.11

3rd

1

2nd

Save %

65.5%

17th

67.9%

11th

Clean sheet %

37.5%

5th

40%

4th

All statistics courtesy of FBref.com

So, would Ramsdale be a major upgrade?

Well, former Arsenal goalkeeper asserted that Ramsdale’s performances for the Gunners as “phenomenal”, while manager Mikel Arteta described him as “exceptional”, following a man of the match performance during a 2-2 draw at Anfield two seasons ago.

So, let’s take a deeper look at his statistics in the Premier League.

Ramsdale’s Premier League statistics

Stats

Ramsdale in 24/25 (Rank in PL)

Ramsdale in 22/23 (Rank in PL)

Saves

120 (2nd)

94 (10th)

Save %

67.6% (15th)

70.6% (11th)

Post-shot xG – goals conceded

-0.08 (17th)

-0.05 (12th)

% of crosses stopped

5.5% (16th)

5.8% (16th)

Short passes attempted

1,026 (9th)

956 (8th)

All statistics courtesy of FBref.com

The table includes last season, when Ramsdale was plying his trade for a historically terrible Southampton team, hence why only Mark Flekken made more saves than he did, as well as his final campaign as Arsenal’s number one, this 2022/23.

While the England international’s statistics don’t all leap off the page, it is clear that he is certainly a Premier League-level goalkeeper and a very good one at that, one that should not be playing for the team at the bottom of the division, that’s for sure.

His passing numbers are also impressive, which would very much fit into Martin’s style that prioritises control through possession.

Thus, if Rangers are able to lure him north of the border, this would be a massive coup, especially considering the trials and tribulations endured by Butland and Kelly last season.

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New Zealand folded for 75 in a chase of 160 as Afghanistan made it two wins in two

Hemant Brar07-Jun-20241:22

McClenaghan: Gurbaz taking down Bracewell the turning point

Afghanistan boosted their Super Eight chances with yet another dominating win, this time thumping New Zealand by 84 runs in Providence. Having beaten Uganda by 125 runs in their opening match, they are now at the top of Group C with a net run rate of 5.225.After being sent in, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran gave Afghanistan a start of 103 in 14.3 overs. It came off the back of the 154 the pair added against Uganda, thus making them the first opening pair to register two successive century stands in the history of the T20 World Cup.Afghanistan’s was an innings of two halves. They scored 55 for no loss in the first ten overs and 104 for 6 in the last ten, with Gurbaz contributing 80 off 56 balls. New Zealand, who had decided not to play any warm-up games, looked every bit rusty as their fielders dropped catches and missed run-out opportunities.With the pitch assisting both seamers and spinners, chasing 160 was not going to be easy. But few would have expected New Zealand to collapse in the manner they did.Related

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Fazalhaq Farooqi picked up three wickets in the powerplay and Rashid Khan three just after it. Eventually, both ended with identical figures of 4 for 17 as New Zealand were bowled out for 75 in the 15.2 overs. Glenn Phillips and Matt Henry were the only New Zealand batters to reach the double digits.Afghanistan’s shaky startTrent Boult found some swing in the opening over but Gurbaz and Ibrahim showed their intent by picking up three fours off Henry from the other end.Both batters had luck on their side, too. Gurbaz got a second life when he skipped down the track to Santner and missed the ball, which went on to brush the leg stump but the bails did not budge. In the following over, Finn Allen dropped Ibrahim off Henry at the deep-square-leg boundary.That was not all. Gurbaz got another reprieve after being involved in a miscommunication with Ibrahim. Having taken off for a single, Gurbaz had to retrace his steps and would have been run out had Conway not fumbled the throw.Two balls later, New Zealand finally seemed to have found success when Santner pinged Ibrahim’s pads and umpire Kumar Dharmasena ruled it lbw. But the batter got the decision overturned on review as the ball was heading down the leg side. Immediately after that, Ibrahim hit Santner for an inside-out four as Afghanistan ended the powerplay on 44 for no loss.Bracewell, Ferguson put the brakes onNew Zealand went against the prevailing wisdom of not bowling an offspinner when two right-hand batters at the crease, and Michael Bracewell repaid that faith by conceding only six off his first two overs.Lockie Ferguson was even more frugal, going for five in his first two. He could have had Ibrahim off a slower full toss but a leaping Kane Williamson failed to pull off a one-handed stunner at mid-off. That meant while Afghanistan remained unscathed, they had only 55 on the board after ten overs.The accelerationAfghanistan had not hit a single six in the first ten overs, but there were five in the next three, including three in one Bracewell over as Gurbaz and Bracewell stepped on the accelerator. The pair took the side past 100 in the 14th over. New Zealand finally broke through when Ibrahim bottom-edged a short ball from Henry onto his stumps, after having been hit on the grille on the previous delivery.Promoted to No. 3, Azmatullah Omarzai played his part with 22 off 13, which included two sixes in three balls off Henry. Mohammad Nabi fell for a first-ball duck but Gurbaz kept finding the boundary at regular intervals. However, a three-wicket, three-run final over by Boult kept Afghanistan to 159.Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored his second fifty in as many games•ICC/Getty ImagesFarooqi rocks New Zealand earlyFarooqi gave Afghanistan a dream start with the ball. With the very first delivery of the innings, he uprooted Finn Allen’s leg stump as the ball moved in late. In the seamer’s next over, Conway pushed at one that seemed to come slower off the surface and was caught at extra cover.The decision to give Farooqi a third over in the powerplay brought further rewards. This time, bowling around the wicket to Daryl Mitchell, he got a length delivery to just straighten and take the outside edge. Gurbaz took a regulation catch to complete the dismissal and leave New Zealand 28 for 3.It could have been worse for New Zealand. In between, Naveen-ul-Haq had rapped Kane Williamson’s front pad after the batter had moved across to play a delivery. Afghanistan sent it upstairs for an lbw review but the umpire’s call saved the New Zealand captain.Rashid joins the partyAfghanistan did not have to wait too long for Williamson’s wicket. Rashid brought himself on after the powerplay and struck straightaway as Williamson guided one to first slip. But Rashid was just warming up. In his next over, he dismissed Mark Chapman and Bracewell off successive deliveries to leave New Zealand on 43 for 6. Chapman went for a pull and got bowled; Bracewell was late to bring his bat down and was lbw.Phillips was New Zealand’s last hope. He did hit a couple of boundaries but was soon caught at long-on when he tried to take on Nabi. That ended any hopes of revival New Zealand might have had.

Batter answers coach’s challenge to rediscover her form on domestic circuit

Valkerie Baynes14-Jun-20242:21

Lewis explains how Dunkley can win back her England starting spot

Sophia Dunkley has met her England brief to secure a return to the ODI squad for the upcoming home series with New Zealand after losing her place in the top order over the winter against the same opposition.Naming a 14-strong squad on Friday for three ODIs against the White Ferns starting on June 26, Jon Lewis, England Women’s head coach, said Dunkley had done exactly as he’d asked in rediscovering her form and batting rhythm on the domestic circuit upon losing her spot after four T20I and one ODI innings in New Zealand in March and April, where she only reached double-figures once.Dunkley was added to the 50-over squad for the last two games of England’s three-match series with Pakistan last month, but didn’t play in either – she was named 12th for the second fixture in Taunton, which was washed out after 6.5 overs.That followed a run of strong performances for South East Stars in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, where she is the competition’s leading run-scorer with 293 runs at 97.66 and a strike rate of 83.00, with a century and a fifty to her name. That competition will resume at the end of June, meanwhile, Dunkley scored two half-centuries last week for Stars in the Charlotte Edwards Cup T20 competition.”She’s worked incredibly hard over the last probably 12 months, nine months maybe, on her batting, on her technique and on how she plays the game and her approach to the game, her mindset, and actually how she’s able to be more consistent as a batter whilst maintaining the super strength that she has, that’s being able to attack at any point in the game,” Lewis said.”Her strike rate might have dipped a little, but she’s actually, from my point of view, earned the right to be back in the squad through weight of runs and really good, solid, consistent performances. Her job now is just to put pressure on all the people that are in possession of their spot and try and force them out. She’s doing that, which is great.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

That Dunkley has turned her form around at domestic level, away from the glare of international cricket, is an important detail. Last December, ahead of England’s multi-format tour to India, Dunkley told ESPNcricinfo of the challenges of playing under the intense spotlight of a home Ashes series. She subsequently missed England’s two home white-ball series against Sri Lanka before returning to play the Test and three T20Is in India, where her highest score in five innings was 15.In five ODI innings since scoring 57 on England’s tour of West Indies in December 2022, Dunkley has not passed 13 and, in nine T20I innings since scoring a half-century against Australia last July, she has not passed 32.”Without being disrespectful to the regional game, she’s got more of a chance to think and play under less pressure and less scrutiny than she does when she plays international cricket because every single decision or shot that she makes is scrutinised and by everyone,” Lewis said.”Everyone watches what you do and judges and when you take yourself out of that, the pressure does drop off a little bit and it’ll be interesting to see when and if she plays across this series whether or not she can keep the same calmness as she’s shown in regional cricket.”Sophia Dunkley is back in the reckoning for England•ECB/Getty Images

Dunkley faces stern competition to regain a regular berth from the likes of Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Danni Wyatt and Alice Capsey, although England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt was the only stand-out performer in the ODIs against Pakistan, which England won 2-0. Sciver-Brunt scored an unbeaten 124 in the third game but no other player reached fifty during the series, and Lewis said he was seeking more consistent form from his top six against New Zealand.Similarly in three T20Is against Pakistan, only Wyatt’s 48-ball 87 was truly eye-catching amid some handy contributions from captain Heather Knight and, further down the order, Dani Gibson and Amy Jones.England defeated New Zealand in their ODIs earlier this year 2-1 and won the T20I series 4-1. England plan to name their T20I squad at the end of next week for a five-match series with New Zealand to follow the ODIs as they monitor “a couple of niggles”.In question is Sciver-Brunt’s ability to bowl after suffering a flare-up of a knee problem which first struck during the Women’s Ashes a year ago, having bowled during the latter stages of Pakistan’s visit.”As far as I’m aware, she’s progressing back to bowling really well and we’re just working with her to make sure that she’s really confident in her body in terms of how much she can bowl,” Lewis said. “But we’ll make those decisions as we go along because obviously Nat’s an incredibly precious player for us. We’ll make sure that the bowling doesn’t get in the way of her scoring the amount of runs that she does for England.Related

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“I’ll be very, very careful to make sure that Nat is fit and available for the [T20] World Cup. So that might mean we manage a little bit of her work through this series and also through the Hundred. But Nat will keep pushing on that. I know she’s incredibly keen to make sure that she’s still a fully fledged allrounder and we’re just working with her to make sure that she’s able to do both roles at the priority moments that we need her to.”Another player England are looking to manage carefully is Capsey, mindful of the volume of cricket she has been playing since bursting onto the scene as a 16-year-old. Since July 2022, Capsey has played 90 top-level T20 games behind only New Zealanders Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates – all of whom will be touring England – and West Indies’ Hayley Matthews. As a result she has just returned to training after taking a break instead of playing domestic cricket since the Pakistan series.”I’d like her to be one of our best top-five batters in this format,” Lewis said of Capsey’s ODI role. “At the moment, Alice’s schedule and program is primarily T20 cricket… to balance that and learn how to play 50-over cricket, which is a slightly different tempo, is a really tricky thing for her to do without just continually playing all the time. So Alice has had a really well-earned rest and hopefully she’ll come back really refreshed for this ODI series.”England ODI squad: Heather Knight (capt), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danielle Wyatt

Manchester City are “close” to completing the signing of a “crazy” attacking player this summer, according to a new update from reliable journalist Joe Crann.

Man City not messing around this summer

Pep Guardiola’s side suffered a hugely disappointing by their high standards, with not winning a single trophy almost seen as a disaster after so much success under the Spaniard.

It’s fair to say that City have acted fast since the 2024/25 campaign reached its conclusion, with Rayan Ait-Nouri joining from Wolves to bolster Guardiola’s left-back options.

While Rodri’s return from injury will be huge next season, a new midfield signings was essential, not least considering Kevin De Bruyne has moved on, and Tijjani Reijnders has arrived from AC Milan in an exciting piece of business.

City’s most eye-catching addition of the summer so far is Rayan Cherki, however, with the former Lyon winger an incredibly talented player who Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has lauded: “I have never seen a player in history who dribbles as quickly as him, with both feet.”

Man City close to signing "crazy" striker

According to ]The Sheffield Star‘s Crann on X, Sheffield Wednesday teenager Caelan-Kole Cadamarteri is “close to finalising” his move to Manchester City, having bid for him earlier this year.

He adds that the 15-year-old striker is “now expected to complete a switch once he returns to the UK”, as City add another big talent to their ranks after their deal for Sverre Nypan, which has been widely reported.

At 15, Cadamarteri is clearly one for the future, but he has already made waves in his young career to date, standing out as one of Wednesday’s most exciting academy products in years.

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The Englishman has been hailed as “crazy” by Crann, while 24 goals in just 23 appearances for the Owls’ Under-18s is a stunning return, as highlighted by his father and former Everton striker, Danny Cadamarteri.

For City, this should be seen as a major long-term coup, beating others to the services of Cadamarteri, and it will be interesting to see how he develops at the Etihad in the coming years.

After signing Florian Wirtz for a British-record £116m on a contract worth £200,000-a-week, Liverpool are now reportedly willing to sell one of their star men after he demanded to match that salary.

Liverpool unveil Florian Wirtz

Not many gave Liverpool a chance when rumours initially emerged that they were battling Bayern Munich and Manchester City for Wirtz’s signature, but the German’s mind was soon made up and football’s latest open secret quickly stole the headlines. With a Premier League winners’ medal around his neck following his first season at Anfield, Arne Slot now arguably has the best No.10 that European football has to offer at his disposal.

Wirtz didn’t come cheap, but talents of his calibre rarely do in today’s market and that record price-tag will quickly become worth it if he replicates his Bayer Leverkusen numbers during his time at Anfield.

Appearances

197

Goals

57

Assists

65

It’s no surprise that Liverpool decided to make their new signing one of their highest earners, either, with reports suggesting that he’ll earn around £200,000-a-week in Merseyside – a salary that only Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk better on the Reds’ wage bill.

After putting pen to paper, Wirtz explained his move – telling Liverpool’s official media channels: “I just thought that it was the right point in my career to make the next step and of course I wanted to get to a club that is from the top three in the world, and in my opinion Liverpool was one of them.”

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The Reds are making more moves on the market.

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Despite spending big money on their new signing, however, it seems as though Liverpool are not prepared to do the same to keep hold of one of their star defenders this summer.

Liverpool now willing to sell Konate

According to Caught Offside, Richard Hughes and Liverpool are now willing to sell Ibrahima Konate this summer for around €60m (£51m) after he demanded a wage increase to £200,000-a-week at Anfield.

With just one year remaining on the Frenchman’s current deal too, the Reds are desperate to avoid a repeat of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s exit as a free agent and have reportedly set a contract deadline until the end of the summer.

What only adds fuel to the fire of Konate’s current position are reports that Liverpool are now looking to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace this summer. Whilst, as things stand, it seems as though the Palace man would be replacing the Leverkusen-bound Jarrel Quansah, there’s no doubt that the Reds will be well aware that he could also solve their Konate problem.

Whether Guehi can truly match Konate’s quality will be the big question if the move happens. It would certainly be a bold move by all those involved at Anfield.

Wes Agar has been forced to cut short his 2024 season at Kent after sustaining a shoulder injury in their County Championship match against Worcestershire in the second week of May.Though Agar recovered sufficiently enough to play against Essex at the end of last month, the decision has been taken for the fast bowler to return to Australia to facilitate a full recovery. Agar, who has two ODI caps, was originally due to be at Canterbury until the end of July, available for both the County Championship and the Vitality Blast. He leaves having not appeared in the latter this summer.The loss of the South Australian was softened by confirmation that Agar will return for the 2025 season, again on an all-format deal running from April to July, subject to regulatory approval. Agar took 12 County Championship wickets at 34.25 this season, having taken 21 at 28.33 during his first stint at the club in 2023, which saw him finish the campaign as their joint-leading wicket-taker alongside Matt Quinn, despite playing just six matches.”I’m thrilled to be coming back to my ‘home away from home’ again next year,” said Agar in a statement on Tuesday. “I feel fully part of the Kent Cricket Family now – it’s a great Club full of great people on and off the field and the decision to sign on again for another English summer was an easy one to make. I can’t wait to pull on that Kent shirt again and perform in front of our Members and supporters in 2025.”I’m gutted to be leaving the lads early this time, and I’ve absolutely loved my time in Canterbury this year. See you all in April!”Kent’s Director of Cricket, Simon Cook, said: “Wes is a talented multi-format cricketer and a very popular member of our dressing room – we’re extremely pleased that he will be joining us again next Summer.”His ethos and work ethic is great to have around the place, and we’re looking forward to him being an important part of our attack at the front end of our 2025 season. It’s sad to see him leave early with his shoulder injury, but we know that he will come back with the same enthusiasm to perform at his best in a Kent shirt next year.”Agar’s recovery will be with a view to playing a full part in South Australia’s Sheffield Shield campaign. He will then turn out for Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League, having left Adelaide Strikers after eight seasons as the first player in the BBL to be traded as part of a pick exchange in the overseas draft.

Milos Kerkez is edging toward a move from Bournemouth to Liverpool, with sporting director Richard Hughes discussing the final details with his successor in the Cherries transfer seat.

This in itself is a fantastic deal for Anfield, whose veteran left-back Andy Robertson is an “absolute legend” but one “hanging on in every game” for Arne Slot’s side this season, says pundit Jamie Carragher.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold signing for Real Madrid at the end of his Liverpool contract, it was also important for FSG to welcome a successor, and Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong has been picked as the man for the job, signed for £29.5m.

Further change is afoot higher up the field, but Liverpool have already shown a willingness to secure a new centre-back this summer, pushing to sign Dean Huijsen before he rejected a wealth of Premier League interest for Real Madrid.

Why Liverpool need a defender

Virgil van Dijk is now a two-time Premier League winner, dominant and immense as the captain guided his team through the campaign with elite consistency.

It’s brilliant that Van Dijk signed a new deal on Merseyside, extending his stay for two more years, but he turns 34 next month and Liverpool need to find a long-term heir.

That could have been Huijsen, who was hailed as “the perfect left centre-back” by analyst Ben Mattinson after his campaign on the south coast. Complete in an age-belying fashion, the Spain international, only 20, would have secured Liverpool’s backline for years to come, had he joined.

And though FSG are big on acting upon unique market opportunities, they must surely recognise the need for a fallback. Ibrahima Konate arrived in 2021, and no first-team centre-back has since followed him.

Konate, moreover, is being courted by Los Blancos, who want to snap him up as a free agent next summer. Liverpool are currently locked in talks over a new deal with their French defender.

Given Jarell Quansah’s future is also uncertain, a Huijsen alternative to ease the burden on Van Dijk and co would be great, and the Premier League champions have identified the man for the job.

Liverpool begin move for new CB

As per Caught Offside, Liverpool have entered the race for Bayern Munich centre-back Kim Min-jae, with sources close to the South Korean claiming he will be allowed to leave the Allianz Arena this summer.

With the various parties all seeking a swift resolution, Bayern have reduced their asking price from €50m (£44m) to about €35m (£30m), which would work well for the Reds given their need for reinforcements across a myriad of positions.

With Chelsea and Newcastle United also exploring a move, Liverpool would be wise to take their interest up a notch, ready to pounce.

What Kim Min-Jae would bring to Liverpool

Kim has struggled to truly hit his stride for Bayern, but certainly showcased his quality as an elite-level central defender when in the Serie A with Napoli, heralded as an “iron barrel” of a player by his former teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

According to Luciano Spalletti, former Napoli boss, Kim has the minerals to become “the best centre-back in the world”, keeping 14 clean sheets from 35 matches as the Blues won the Scudetto in 2022/23, a colossus in protecting his side’s goal.

A player capable of getting stuck in and performing with a more elegant touch, Kim’s is the prototypical modern profile, his strength suggesting he would thrive in the rigorous Premier League.

Bayern signed the 28-year-old from Napoli in July 2023 after meeting his £43m release clause, and though he’s since recovered the Bundesliga from Leverkusen after missing out in his debut term, it hasn’t been the smoothest sailing for the left-sided defender, who made four direct errors leading to a goal this term, as per Sofascore.

Still, such lapses haven’t prevented the £194k-per-week titan from producing otherwise impressive performances, completing 93% of his passes, averaging 5.7 ball recoveries per game and winning 65% of his aerial battles.

His aerial dominance, crisp and progressive passing and left-sided berth suggest Kim could be the perfect foil for Van Dijk, especially when data-led site FBref suggest the two players bear a tactical likeness.

Goals

0.09

0.08

Assists

0.02

0.00

Touches

87.13

103.14

Pass completion

91.7%

92.9%

Progressive passes

5.05

6.45

Shot-creating actions

1.19

1.02

Progressive carries

0.50

0.62

Ball recoveries

3.11

5.51

Tackles + interceptions

2.31

3.06

Clearances

4.55

3.60

Aerials won

2.85

3.06

Securing a new centre-half who can ease Van Dijk’s defensive burden wouldn’t be a bad thing, especially with Liverpool determined to go one better than this term and compete for silverware across four different major fronts.

There’s clearly a likeness to the players, who both employ confident passing games but maintain creative flair too. Moreover, they are persistent commanders of aerial traffic, directing whipped-in danger away from the box.

If Liverpool wish to maximise the time they have left with their legendary skipper, overloading him with minutes might not actually be the best track to take. Instead, Van Dijk could thrive in an environment that allows him to step away from the action without sending Slot’s system into a spin.

Kim’s similarities to the Dutchman would allow him to do exactly that, regarded in the past as ‘the South Korean Van Dijk.’

Given Quansah was used so sparingly this season, and indeed Konate’s future is uncertain (as is his fitness, routinely missing chunks of the campaign), this would be the perfect, affordable deal for an experienced and dynamic defender who could fill in for the captain or play alongside him.

He'd be incredible with Wirtz: £80m star dreaming of signing for Liverpool

Liverpool are making some serious moves in the transfer market.

ByAngus Sinclair Jun 6, 2025

Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund was mere centimetres away from netting a potentially crucial goal in last month’s Europa League final, having seen his goalbound header denied by a simply remarkable acrobatic clearance from Micky van de Ven.

The suggestion from TNT Sports commentator Ally McCoist that the Dane could have done better with that attempt appeared distinctly harsh, with his colleague, Darren Fletcher, perhaps putting his best when suggesting that the 22-year-old might be the “most unlucky number nine” that the Red Devils have ever had, following his disallowed goal on the final day against Aston Villa.

Whether it is the fault of the £64m man, or due to the wider problems of the team, he simply hasn’t kicked on in a United shirt as expected, with the player who ran Galatasaray ragged in October 2023 having hardly been seen since.

Short of quality and confidence, Hojlund ended 2024/25 with just ten goals to his name in all competitions, having only netted four times in the Premier League, while missing just six ‘big chances’.

That latter statistic illustrates that the ex-Atalanta starlet isn’t necessarily wayward in front of goal, albeit the lack of opportunities created perhaps points to the lack of trust in him from his teammates – something which was said to be an issue at the tail-end of the previous campaign.

Having ended the 2023/24 season as the club’s top scorer, there is a player in there somewhere. The issue is, United’s patience appears to have – rightly – worn thin.

Man Utd's search to replace Rasmus Hojlund

While Hojlund may be keen to stay and prove himself at Old Trafford, a return to Italy does appear the most likely outcome, with Champions League finalists Inter Milan reportedly ready to bring him back to Serie A.

With one number nine seemingly on his way, another could be set to arrive in the form of Viktor Gyokeres, albeit with the Swede currently in a public dispute with Sporting CP over his future, amid the suggestion that the club have rowed back on their willingness to let him leave for around €70m (£59m) this summer.

Things are getting messy in Lisbon, it would seem, hence why United’s newly crowned sporting director, Jason Wilcox, must continue to consider alternatives, with TEAMtalk reporting that talks have been held between the club and the representatives of Juventus striker, Dusan Vlahovic.

Transfer Focus

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The suggestion is that the Serbian’s agents reached out to Wilcox and co in order to try and engineer move, with the 25-year-old believed to be prioritising a Premier League switch.

While the report does state that the former Fiorentina man is not deemed to be a ‘priority target’ for Ruben Amorim, the contact was said to be ‘positive’, ensuring the Premier League outfit could return to the table later down the line.

Amorim, it would seem, might have his heart set on a reunion with Gyokeres, although Vlahovic would surely be the next best thing. Oh, and he might be available for just €30m (£26m).

How Vlahovic compares to Viktor Gyokeres

The ‘definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results’, with United perhaps wary of dipping into the Serie A market for a third successive summer in order to sign a new striker.

Indeed, 2023 saw Erik ten Hag plump for Hojlund, despite the then 20-year-old having scored just nine league goals for Atalanta the year prior. A year later, the Dutchman then forked out £36.5m for Joshua Zirkzee, a player who had netted just 11 times in Serie A for Bologna in 2023/24.

The result? Two goal-shy, albeit talented figures who scored just seven league goals between them for United last time out, with there certainly a fear that Vlahovic could continue the trend, having actually only scored ten Serie A goals last season – plus a further five in all competitions.

2024/25

29

10

4

2023/24

33

16

3

2022/23

27

10

2

2021/22 (Juventus)

15

7

1

2021/22 (Fiorentina)

21

17

4

2020/21

37

21

2

2019/20

30

6

1

2018/19

10

0

0

The difference is, Vlahovic’s work prior to that is reason for excitement, having scored 81 top-flight goals, across his time in Turin and Florence, since the start of 2020/21, with a further six strikes coming the year before that for his former employers.

It is for that reason that, much like Gyokeres, he has been hailed as a “goal machine” by scout Antonio Mango, with writer Emmet Gates also tipping him to be a “generational talent” in the past.

A hulking, brute of a striker at 6 foot 4, the Serbian star truly is an imposing focal point at the top end of the pitch, a trait he shares with the 6 foot 2 Gyokeres.

While the latter man may be the “hottest striker in Europe” right now, as per ESPN’s Mark Ogden, following his haul of 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting, the Swede certainly boasts similar traits to his Juventus counterpart.

That is particularly seen in their ability to score out of nothing from range, with both men possessing a cannon of a stronger foot. Indeed, analyst Ben Mattinson has hailed Gyokeres as a “ball-striking monster”, while Sky Sports’ Nick Wright has described Vlahovic as ‘dangerous from long distance’.

Such quality is evidenced by the fact that both men have taken on free-kick duties of late, with Vlahovic scoring four between 2022/23 and 2023/24, while Gyokeres netted three in 2024/25 alone, as per Transfermarkt.

As alluded to in the case of Hojlund, United are in desperate need of a striker who can conjure up a moment of magic on their own, with neither Vlahovic nor Gyokeres particularly reliant on the service around them.

That said, both can provide that poacher’s instinct when required too, with the Juve sensation ranking in the top 10% of strikers across Europe for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, as per FBref, while the former Coventry City man ranks in the top 15% in that regard.

While Vlahovic may be a left-footer, unlike Gyokeres, the pair are both a force to be reckoned with, with the Belgrade-born star’s consistency at the elite level over a number of seasons certainly to be admired.

Yes, he may not be the leading target for Amorim and Wilcox, although if prising Gyokeres from Lisbon proves too great of a task, then they may have already opened the door to the next best thing.

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Ireland allrounder can provide knockout cover for Chris Green if he plays this week

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George Dockrell swings into the leg side•Getty Images

Lancashire have signed Ireland’s George Dockrell for the T20 Blast, with Chris Green set to be unavailable for the knockout stages due to his Caribbean Premier League commitments.ECB regulations dictate that overseas players must have featured in at least one group-stage match in the Blast in order to be eligible for the knockout stages. The rule was initially introduced after Essex signed Dwayne Bravo specifically for Finals Day in 2010.The Blast’s schedule has been compromised by the combination of June’s T20 World Cup and the Hundred’s summer-holiday window this season, and there is a six-week gap between the end of the group stages and the quarter-finals this season. It has left several counties scrambling to find overseas players who will be available in mid-September.Lancashire will circumvent that rule by adding Dockrell to their squad for their final two group games at Emirates Old Trafford, against Nottinghamshire on Wednesday night and Northamptonshire on Friday. They have not yet mathematically qualified for the quarter-finals but another point would secure their progress.Related

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“We are really pleased to add George into our squad for the rest of the Vitality Blast this year,” Dale Benkenstein, Lancashire’s coach, said. “With the potential for knock-out round matches in September and uncertainty around player availability, George provides us with another overseas option for the latter stages.”He will go straight into the squad for the final two matches of the group stage this week [and] will offer us an experienced left-arm spin option, while he can also be a match-winner with the bat in the finisher role as he has proven on the international stage with Ireland.”Green, the Australian offspinner, is Lancashire’s leading wicket-taker in the Blast this season with 13 but his contract initially only covered the group stages, and he is due to play for Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in the CPL from August 29 until October 6. He could feasibly be available for Finals Day on September 14 if he flies back to the UK between games.Tom Bruce, the New Zealand batter, has been Lancashire’s other overseas player in the Blast this season. He struggled for form and was dropped for their defeat at Headingley but hit an unbeaten 50 in their recent win over Worcestershire after regaining some confidence in the second XI and in a game of club cricket.Dockrell, who has reinvented himself as a batting allrounder after spending most of his career as a specialist left-arm spinner, said he was “delighted” to join Lancashire. “We are in a really strong position in the North Group, with two important home games remaining as we look to secure that all important home quarter-final at Emirates Old Trafford in September,” he said. He will be reunited with Lancashire’s assistant coach William Porterfield, his former international captain.Liam Livingstone is also in Lancashire’s squad for the first time this season, though Jos Buttler is resting after the T20 World Cup. England’s white-ball players are likely to be available for the Blast’s quarter-finals but not for Finals Day, which falls on the day between two T20Is against Australia.

Sydney Thunder have secured a significant signing ahead of WBBL10 by bringing in allrounder Georgia Voll from Brisbane Heat on a three-year deal.Voll, 20, is one of the most highly regarded batting talents in the Australian game and has also had an impact with her offspin.Last season was somewhat of a struggle with the bat in the WBBL as she slid down the order during the tournament, finishing with 206 runs at 18.72 and a strike-rate of 112.56, but she claimed 4 for 19 in the Challenger final against Perth Scorchers before Heat went down to Adelaide Strikers in the final.Related

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However, her batting prowess was on show later in the season when she struck a double century in the red-ball ‘Green and Gold’ game in Adelaide and also made two WNCL hundreds for Queensland.Voll had interest from a number of WBBL clubs but said conversations with Thunder coach Lisa Keightley had swayed her decision.”I never expected myself to play for a New South Wales team, to be honest, but after talking to Lisa and the guys down there, I’m super excited for the opportunity, and it’s a really good young group coming through,” she said.”Lisa was quite clear on the role she wants me to play and what she wants me to do and that sort of got me over the line. I liked what the Thunder were about last year, really playing as a team and getting around each other on and off the field.”Trent Copeland, Sydney Thunder general manager, added: “Georgia has shown since the day she arrived on the scene that she is a special talent with both bat and ball If you were to pinpoint the next young star to crack the Australian setup, Georgia is it. The 200 for Australia A in red-ball cricket, two hundreds in WNCL last season and the all-round capabilities we’ve seen for the Heat in WBBL. This is a huge signing for the club.”Voll’s departure continues significant change at Heat during the off-season with them also losing New Zealand allrounder Amelia Kerr to Sydney Sixers while coach Ashley Noffke has departed for a job in New Zealand. However, they have signed South Africa allrounder Nadine de Klerk on a two-year deal and will still have a formidable top order that includes Grace Harris, Georgia Redmayne, Laura Harris and emerging allrounder Charli Knott.