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Towhid Hridoy wants each of Bangladesh’s top-order batters to find their own ways to bounce back in the remaining ODIs

Mohammad Isam06-Jul-2023

Rashid Khan and Co have troubled Bangladesh a lot in the last ten years•AFP/Getty Images

Bangladesh have found the Afghanistan spinners the most troublesome in ODIs in the last ten years.Since July 2013, Afghanistan’s spinners have the most wickets (50) – and the best average (26.02) – of all teams against Bangladesh in the format. That includes 5 for 69 for the trio of Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi in the first ODI on Wednesday. They combined to bowl 24 overs, and conceded runs at an economy of less than three per over.Although they made the most of the variable bounce on offer at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Bangladesh’s batters also didn’t do themselves any favours. While Litton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto were out to soft dismissals when they were starting to look comfortable, Mushfiqur Rahim let a Rashid half-tracker slip through his legs.Related

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Farooqi provides the spark as Afghanistan beat Bangladesh in the rain

Afif, Ebadot back in Bangladesh's T20I squad

Rashid, Shahzad back in Afghanistan squad

“Our seamers didn’t bowl well with the new ball, but then our spinners were excellent,” Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott said. “We didn’t expect the wicket to have as much uneven bounce as it did. It is surprising. Normally here in Chattogram, it goes through a little bit more. I think we adjusted well. We read the conditions. We played some good cricket.”Today’s wicket helped them [Afghanistan spinners] a little bit, but they have some good skills to put pressure on the Bangladesh batters. A lot of these [Bangladesh] batters would have been confident from the Test match [last month, which Bangladesh won by 546 runs]. But the quality of our spinners shone through on a wicket that we thought would seam more than it spun for us.”Trott highlighted the experience of his spin attack, which helped them switch from T20Is to ODIs. He said they knew exactly when to bowl in an attacking manner, and when to be a little defensive.”I don’t think it is too dissimilar nowadays [bowling in T20Is and ODIs]. Batsmen have an attacking mindset in both formats,” Trott said. “Spinners have to be clever. They are allowed four fielders out till the 40th over. That’s when they usually bowl. They sometimes bowl in the powerplay [too]. So they have to figure out how they attack at the right times, but also how to defend on wickets where there’s not much assistance.”But the one-off Test between Bangladesh and Afghanistan featured none of these three spinners, and Bangladesh had feasted on an inexperienced attack to post 382 and 425 for 4 declared.Bangladesh now have to face Afghanistan in the two remaining ODIs of the ongoing series, but also at least once in the upcoming Asia Cup in August-September, and then, in their tournament opener at the ODI World Cup, where they face each other in Dharamsala.How do Bangladesh try and limit the damage before the big games come around? Towhid Hridoy, the batter who hit his third ODI half-century in the first game – which was only his seventh in the format – said that individual batters would have to figure out their respective ways to counter the spinners.”It [Bangladesh] is a mature team. They have been serving the national team for a long time,” Hridoy said. “Nobody has to be told anything new. We will get out of this by thinking about it individually. We back everyone in the dressing room. We can come back from this position.”Towhid Hridoy expects the Bangladesh batters to find their own ways to succeed•AFP/Getty Images

Although this was Hridoy’s first time facing Rashid, Mujeeb and Nabi at the highest level, he already had some idea about Nabi and Mujeeb because of the BPL.”This was the first time that I faced Rashid. I have played Mujeeb in Under-19 cricket. We were also in the same team in BPL,” Hridoy said. “I played Nabi in the BPL. I think they are the best spin combination in the world. You can play spin better against any team after you do well against them. I was talking to Shakib [Al Hasan] and Afif played well. We also had a feeling that someone would do the job [in the first ODI]. We didn’t get a good partnership from the lower order. I am hopeful that in the next game, we will do better in a similar situation.”

The opener smashed 129 off 60 balls after which Mohit took 5 for 10 to knock out Mumbai

Hemant Brar26-May-20231:24

Manjrekar: Gill a once-in-a-generation player

Shubman Gill’s majestic 129 off 60 balls powered Gujarat Titans into the final of IPL 2023 with a 62-run win over Mumbai Indians in Ahmedabad. Titans will face Chennai Super Kings at this very ground on Sunday in a bid to defend their title.Earlier, rain delayed the match by 30 minutes. With the weather around, Rohit Sharma opted to chase after winning the toss. Titans didn’t have a great start, but Gill’s knock lifted them to a mammoth 233 for 3. This was Gill’s third hundred in four matches; only Virat Kohli and Jos Buttler (four each) have scored more in a single edition of the IPL. The knock took Gill’s run tally to 851. Once again, only Kohli (973 in 2016) and Buttler (863 in 2022) have had more productive seasons.No team had chased down this many in the IPL. And then Mumbai lost two early wickets. But they didn’t go down without a fight. Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma took them to 72 in six overs before Rashid Khan castled the latter. From there on, Suryakumar kept them in the contest almost singlehandedly with his 61 off 38. But Mohit Sharma uprooted his leg stump when the batter missed a scoop. In the next over, Rashid trapped Tim David lbw to end Mumbai’s hopes.Mohit, who hadn’t bowled till the 14th over, used his slower balls to good effect and finished with figures of 2.2-0-10-5.Shubman Gill earned praise from everybody, including the opposition captain Rohit Sharma•BCCI

Unstoppable GillDespite scoring at least one four in every over from the second to fifth, Titans reached only 38 for no loss after five. Gill then latched onto Chris Jordan in the last over of the powerplay. The second legal delivery of the over was too short and sat up on this sticky pitch. Gill waited for it and pulled it with disdain over deep square leg. The next one was slightly short outside off. Gill once again showed no mercy and cut it ferociously to the cover boundary.Luck too was on Gill’s side. In the same Jordan over, he punched one uppishly to the right of mid-on where Tim David dived, got both hands to the ball but couldn’t hold on to it. He was on 30 at that point.Titans finished the powerplay on 50 for no loss but Wriddhiman Saha was struggling for timing. In the fourth over of the innings, Akash Madhwal had hit him on the helmet with a skiddy bouncer, and soon after Piyush Chawla had him stumped with a leg-side wide. It was the sixth time in 16 innings this season that Chawla struck in his first over of the match.Gill brought up his fifty off 32 balls. And then he cut loose. In a space of nine balls, he hit five sixes and a four off Madhwal and Chawla. He didn’t slow down even in the 90s; his second fifty took just 17 balls. Immediately after reaching his hundred, he smashed Cameron Green for 6, 4 and 6. By the time Gill holed out to deep midwicket, off Madhwal, Titans had reached 192 in the 17th over.Titans retire out SudharsanAll this happened while Sai Sudharsan was playing second fiddle to Gill. But with nine wickets in hand, Titans needed both batters to attack. The 18th and 19th overs combined went for just 16, after which Titans retired out Sudharsan who scored 43 off 31. Rashid replaced him in the middle and hit his first ball for four. Hardik Pandya then applied the finishing touch, hitting the last two balls of the innings for four and six.Suryakumar Yadav lost his leg stump to Mohit Sharma•BCCI

Shami strikes twice in powerplayComing into this game, Mohammed Shami had represented Titans three times against Mumbai. On all three occasions, he went wicketless. Tonight, though, he struck twice inside the powerplay to put Mumbai on the back foot. Nehal Wadhera, who came in as Impact Player for Madhwal, was caught behind in the first over of the chase, and Rohit top-edged a pull in the third.In between those two dismissals, Hardik hit Green on the left forearm with a short ball, forcing the batter to retire hurt. During the first innings, Ishan Kishan had walked off the field after Jordan’s elbow hit him in the eye when the two were crossing each other. So when Rohit departed, leaving Mumbai 21 for 2, it felt like they were effectively 21 for 4. But Green came out to resume his innings later, and Kishan’s injury had seemingly resulted in a concussion, so Mumbai replaced him with Vishnu Vinod.Rashid, Mohit trump mighty MumbaiVarma started by hitting two sixes in his first four balls, and then smashed Shami for four fours and a six in a 24-run over. He had moved to 43 off just 13 with 100% control over his shots. Hardik turned to Rashid in an attempt to put the brakes on the scoring rate. The spinner duly obliged his captain by bowling Varma when the batter tried to sweep him.At the fall of Varma’s wicket, Green came out once again, and was looking dangerous. He and Suryakumar added 52 in 5.2 overs before Josh Little pinged his leg stump with a delivery that seamed in from good length.Suryakumar, though, was still battling in the middle. He reached his fifty, off 33 balls, with a scoop-pull over the wicketkeeper’s head. He brought down the equation to 79 needed from 34 balls before Mohit sent him packing. Two balls later, the seamer had Vinod caught at extra cover.David was Mumbai’s last hope. Hardik, as always, had saved Rashid’s one over and brought him on in the 16th. With his third ball, Rashid trapped David lbw. The batter reviewed the decision but he couldn’t have been more out. From the other end, Mohit cleaned up the tail to pick up his maiden five-for in T20 cricket.

West Ham United are ready to rival Inter Milan for a player who has been described as the next Carlos Tevez, according to a new report.

West Ham break rut with two wins on the bounce

After a tough spell that saw them go four Premier League games without a win, West Ham are finding their rhythm under Graham Potter.

Following a 1-0 victory over Arsenal that all but ended the Gunners’ title hopes, the Hammers built on that momentum with a 2-0 win against struggling Leicester City at the London Stadium, pulling further away from the relegation zone while deepening the Foxes’ woes.

A Tomas Soucek strike on his 30th birthday, along with an own goal from Jannik Vestergaard, secured the points for Potter’s side, who climbed back above Everton into 15th place.

The win marked just Potter’s third in the league since taking charge in early January, but with back-to-back victories for the first time, the former Chelsea boss is hopeful his team can push on.

“It’s been a really good week for us—two clean sheets, two wins, six points,” Potter told the club’s website after the Leicester match.

“As I said before, the players have responded really well, they’ve been working really well and really hard. You want them to get some points because it just shows you’re on the right path,” he added. “We need to keep moving forward.”

West Ham want Santiago Castro

If West Ham are to improve further under Potter, adding reinforcements is a must – most importantly up front. Michail Antonio and record signing Niclas Fullkrug both remain injured with no return date in sight, while Danny Ings has scored just five goals in 68 games since moving to the London Stadium from Aston Villa in January 2023.

According to a new report from Tuttosport, per Inter News, the man Potter wants to help solve his striking woes is none other than Bologna forward Santiago Castro. The publication claims that the Hammers recently sent scouts to watch Castro in action, but will face stiff competition from Inter Milan for his signature, who are also keen on the Argentine.

While Bologna would prefer to keep Castro, it’s thought an offer of somewhere between £21 million to £25 million could be enough to tempt them to part ways with the striker.

Santiago Castro Serie A Stats 2024/25

Matches

27

Goals

7

Assists

4

Chances Created

24

Successful Dribbles

16

Fouls Won

44

Stats via FotMob. (Correct as of 3/3/2025)

Castro, 20, has scored seven goals and laid on four assists in 27 Serie A games for Bologna this season, helping put the club firmly in the race for European football next season. Vincenzo Italiano’s side are currently sixth in the table, just three points off the top four.

According to Foot Italia, Castro’s idol is his compatriot and Inter Milan striker Lautro Martinez, but it’s another Argentine, and former West Ham striker, he’s been likened to.

“Santiago Castro looking even more like a Tevez 2.0,” wrote Italian football analyst Ben Mattinson of the young forward on X last year. In a separate post, Mattinson also described him as an “Argentine prospect with a complete forward profile”.

Everything you need to know about Emanuel Emegha's salary details playing for Strasbourg

Dutch attacker Emanuel Emegha signed for Ligue 1 side Strasbourg from Sturm Graz in the summer of 2023.

After a rather quiet 2023-24 campaign with the French side, Emegha has significantly improved in his second season at the club. The Dutchman has played an instrumental role in Strasbourg’s push to secure European qualification.

Emegha’s current contract with Strasbourg runs until 2028, but compared to other stars in the dressing room, his salary is relatively modest.

So, exactly how much does the Dutch forward earn playing in Ligue 1?

GOAL delved into the numbers with Capology and found out!

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Emanuel Emegha's wages at Strasbourg in numbers

Emegha's current five-year contract with Strasbourg specifies a weekly salary of €14,423 and an annual salary of €750,000.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in Euros

Annual wages in Euros

Emanuel Emegha

Dutch

€14,423

€750,000

AdvertisementAFPTop earners at Strasbourg

Djordje Petrovic and Sekou Mara are the top earners at Strasbourg, both receiving the same salary.

Andrew Omobamidele ranks third, followed by Habiba Diarra and Sebastian Nanasi in fourth and fifth positions, respectively.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in Euros

Annual wages in Euros

Djordje Petrovic

Serbian

€29,808

€1,550,000

Sekou Mara

French

€29,808

€1,550,000

Andrew Omobamidele

Irish

€28,846

€1,500,000

Habib Diarra

Cameroonian

€24,615

€1,280,000

Sebastian Nanasi

Swedish

€20,962

€1,090,000

Top earners in Ligue 1

Strasbourg players earn well, but Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has the highest wages in the league.

PSG's leading position in Ligue 1 is shown by the top earners list. PSG players hold the first thirteen positions, with Adrien Rabiot from Marseille at fourteenth.

Player

Club

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in Euros

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in Euros

Ousmane Dembele

Paris Saint-Germain

£297,548

€346,154

£15,472,512

€18,000,000

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Paris Saint-Germain

£270,438

€314,615

£14,062,794

€16,360,000

Marquinhos

Paris Saint-Germain

£222,235

€258,654

£11,561,405

€13,450,000

Lucas Hernandez

Paris Saint-Germain

£218,202

€253,846

£11,346,509

€13,200,000

Achraf Hakimi

Paris Saint-Germain

£218,202

€253,846

£11,346,509

€13,200,000

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AFPHighest paid players in the world

PSG is at the top of Ligue 1, but none of their players rank among the top five highest-paid footballers worldwide.

The top five earners are all from the Saudi Pro League. Cristiano Ronaldo earns the most at Al Nassr.

Karim Benzema, previously with Real Madrid, is second. Riyad Mahrez, formerly of Manchester City and now with Al-Ahli, is third.

Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly, both from Senegal, are fourth and fifth, respectively.

Player

Club

Weekly wages GBP

Weekly wages Euros

Annual wages GBP

Annual wages Euros

Cristiano Ronaldo

Al Nassr

£3,216,155

€3,846,154

£167,250,468

€200,000,000

Karim Benzema

Al Ittihad

£1,608,178

€1,923,077

£83,625,234

€100,000,000

Riyad Mahrez

Al Ahli

£839,469

€1,003,846

£45,652,372

€52,200,000

Sadio Mane

Al Nassr

£643,271

€769,231

£33,450,094

€40,000,000

Kalidou Koulibaly

Al Hilal

£558,038

€667,308

£29,017,956

€34,700,000

After confirming the arrivals of Ayden Heaven and Patrick Dorgu from Arsenal and Lecce respectively, Manchester United have now reportedly joined the race to land Ruben Amorim’s next signing.

Man Utd transfer news

After struggling in his first 13 games in charge, Amorim will be desperate for Dorgu to particulalry hit the ground running in a Manchester United shirt and provide a solution to their wingback problems at long last. Heaven, meanwhile, has arrived at the Red Devils as one for the future and a player who they will hope to see provide Arsenal with one of their most frustrating regrets.

Speaking to the Manchester United website for the first time after putting pen to paper, Dorgu said: “I am incredibly proud to be able to call myself a Manchester United player; this is a very special day for my whole family.

“I cannot wait to work with Ruben Amorim; his vision for this team and the future of the club is incredibly exciting. There is a clear plan set out for my development, and I feel that Manchester United is the perfect place to fulfil my potential and complete my huge ambitions.”

Permanent new role for Mainoo: Man Utd keen on late move for £42m "engine"

Man United could look to strengthen in midfield late on

By
Joe Nuttall

Feb 3, 2025

Both Dorgu and Heaven may yet be the first of many arrivals under Amorim at Old Trafford, with the Red Devils already setting their sights on the summer transfer window. According to reports in Spain, INEOS have now joined the race to sign Paulo Dybala as Amorim’s next Manchester United arrival.

The AS Roma star has just over a year remaining on his current deal, but United could yet make an early summer swoop and sign an attacking midfielder who is arguably ready-made for Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system. A World Cup winner with Argentina, Dybala would certainly steal plenty of headlines.

"Gem" Dybala would perfectly suit Amorim's system

As talented a manager as Amorim is, it’s been clear throughout his Manchester United reign that his new side simply does not currently suit what has been a complex system. Far too often, the former Sporting boss has been forced to use square pegs in round holes at both wingback and in the two attacking midfield roles, but both the current window and the summer should help solve those problems.

Already, the young manager has been handed Dorgu to at least ease his wingback concerns. Now, when the summer arrives, Dybala could follow suit and provide him with an ideal attacking midfield option.

League stats 24/25 (via FBref)	Paulo Dybala	Bruno Fernandes
Starts	14	23
Goals	5	5
Assists	2	6
Key Passes	33	49

Described as a “gem” by former Roma striker Roberto Pruzzo, Dybala could yet tick the Premier League and Manchester United off his list of impressive clubs after Juventus and Roma.

Whilst there may be concerns about his age at 31 years old, Manchester United undoubtedly need players capable of stealing the spotlight sooner rather than later under Amorim.

Melbourne Stars held on for victory in Moe to leave the defending champions needing favours

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff19-Nov-2022Perth Scorchers’ WBBL finals hopes are on the rocks after a six-run loss to Melbourne Stars.Alana King threatened to win the game in dramatic late style with 26 off nine balls but fell with seven deliveries remaining. A no-ball at the start of the final over from Sasha Moloney added to the tension, however the Stars held on.Scorchers remain in fifth position on 13 competition points, two points outside the top four and their loss guarantees second-placed Brisbane Heat of a finals berth.Sydney Sixers are on top of the ladder with 21 points and will host the WBBL decider on November 26.The Heat are second on 16, followed by Hurricanes and Strikers on 15. Hurricanes have a net run rate of 0.54 while the Strikers are just behind on 0.31.The result does not end Scorchers’ chances of playing finals but they must now beat \Melbourne Renegades in Moe on Sunday and hope either Hurricanes lose to the Sixers or Strikers get beaten by Sydney Thunder. Heat will secure second position if they beat Stars in Moe.Stars were 0for 44 after four overs against Scorchers, the most runs scored in the powerplay this WBBL season.Openers Lauren Winfield-Hill (36 off 25 balls) and Sophie Reid (24 off 13) ignited the start of the innings before a cameo at the end by Sasha Moloney (28* off 16).Scorchers took 3 for 14 in the power surge, the best in the WBBL this season, to limit the damage to some extent with Amy Edgar in form.In reply Scorchers lost the competition’s leading run-scorer Beth Mooney early. Rain started falling in the run chase with both teams keeping an eye on the DLS required rate.King and Marizanne Kapp (23 off 12) threatened to win it for the Scorchers but they fell just short. The 58 runs conceded by Annabel Sutherlands was the most by a Stars bowler in the WBBL.

The hosts were 94 for 5 and 128 for 6 before a late-order rally took them up towards a decent score but it wasn’t enough

Vishal Dikshit18-Sep-2022

Smriti Mandhana made 91 off 99 balls with 10 fours and a six•Getty Images

A solid and classy knock of 91 from vice-captain Smriti Mandhana powered India to victory after their bowlers restricted England to 227 for 7 in the first ODI in Hove. Nearly everything went right for India after they won the toss and chose to bowl on a slow pitch. They got early wickets. They kept things tight. And they were so ruthless they allowed only one partnership to cross fifty runs in the entire innings. If that wasn’t enough of a clinic, when it was their turn to bat, three of the top four – Mandhana, Yastika Bhatia and Harmanpreet Kaur – hit half-centuries to seal the chase with 34 balls to spare.India’s bowling was a collective performance from the quicks and spinners that left England devoid of any kind of momentum in a stop-start innings and the conditions were such that low bounce accounted for two wickets. The hosts had slipped to 94 for 5 and then 128 for 6 and were staring at a much lower total until Danni Wyatt hit 43 and Alice Davidson-Richards made unbeaten 50 towards the end.India had England’s batters on a leash right from the start with the return of Jhulan Goswami after six months for her farewell series. Emma Lamb whipped Meghna for two fours through the leg side before she edged a bouncer behind off the same bowler in the eighth over. Nine balls later, Goswami’s inswinger trapped Tammy Beaumont lbw for 7 off 21 with England having crawled to just 26 for 2 in 10 overs.Sophia Dunkley, who scored heavily against India in the T20Is, and debutant Alice Capsey steered the hosts through a stable period but a spin squeeze from both ends ended the 43-run stand when Harmanpreet took a one-handed catch at short midwicket to send Capsey back. In what would become a pattern for the entire England innings, just when it looked like Wyatt and Dunkley were rebuilding steadily, Dunkley first handed a straightforward catch to cover off Harleen Deol and a ball that kept really low from Rajeshwari Gayakwad deflected off Amy Jones’ back foot to hit the stumps, leaving England 94 for 5.Alice Davidson-Richards anchored and held England’s innings together•Getty Images

Wyatt and Davidson-Richards collected boundaries off loose deliveries from Meghna, Rana and Deol. Wyatt, however, fell to a soft dismissal too when she missed a sweep off Deepti to lose her stumps. England could have been six down in the same over had Deepti hung on to a low return chance from Ecclestone while diving to her right. Ecclestone and Davidson-Richards revived England from 128 for 6 with a much-needed fifty stand. Ecclestone scored briskly off the spinners with a few sweeps, including two for fours against Sneh Rana in an 11-run 40th over, while Davidson-Richards rotated the strike by coming down the pitch regularly. But another delivery kept low, this time from Deepti, to strike Ecclestone right in front on the back foot for 31 off 33.Davidson-Richards made sure they survived 50 overs as Dean deftly opened the face of the bat late on the off side for her two fours and also got a life when Goswami spilled a low catch diving forward from short fine leg. Davidson-Richards then went after Deepti in the penultimate over and Meghna in the last to help them collect 45 runs in the last six overs.India lost Shafali Verma for 1 but Bhatia and Mandhana’s 96-run stand kept them ticking at over 5.50 an over. If Bhatia’s innings saw several half chances and edges land safely, Mandhana’s was replete with elegant cover drives that fetched her regular boundaries. She struck three of those in quick succession off Kate Cross and Issy Wong. India were 59 for 1 at the end of the powerplay, having hit 11 fours compared to England’s three in the same period. Conditions looked much better for scoring during the chase and Bhatia cashed in, top-edging a six and clattering three more fours to bring up a 45-ball fifty. She fell immediately after though, when she came down the track and missed one from Dean.Mandhana was confident as ever and along with Harmanpreet eased along with the asking rate around four an over. Harmanpreet took out her trademark sweeps and Mandhana crunched Dean back down the ground for her 24th half-century. England also tried a spin squeeze with Ecclestone, Dean and Lamb but it didn’t work. With a comfortable 71 needed off 20 overs, Harmanpreet scooped Cross for a four and Mandhana smoked Wong over long-on for six to close in on her century, but a cross-batted swipe against Cross resulted in a top edge and Mandhana was caught at mid-on to fall nine short.Only 30 runs left for victory from there, Harmanpreet brought up a patient 80-ball fifty before hitting the winning runs with a sweep for six.

Ipswich Town are close to making an offer for a powerful forward who title chasers Liverpool are also interested in, according to a new report.

Ipswich Town want more signings after Enciso

Kieran McKenna and those behind the scenes at Portman Road have been busy during the January transfer window, bringing in three new faces for the second half of the Premier League season.

The latest arrival was attacking midfielder Julio Enciso, who joined on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion. Defender Ben Godfrey has also signed on a temporary basis from Atalanta, whereas winger Jaden Philogene penned permanent terms from Aston Villa.

Talking after completing his move to Ipswich, Enciso said: “I am so happy to be here. The conversations with the Manager have been good. I am very grateful to him and the Club for believing in me. I can’t wait to get going. I’m a real fighter and I will do my best in every game.”

McKenna was also thrilled at landing the Paraguay international, adding: “He’s had some good games this year but not played as many minutes as he had the previous year and a great opportunity for us to bring in a very, very talented player to the football club, a player that we like.

“With the attributes he has, I think he can help the team. A good opportunity for him to get another experience, a completely different experience in his young career. So hopefully, it will be a good move for both parties and will be a good boost for us.”

Ipswich have struck gold on "superb" star who is worth as much as Enciso

Ipswich Town already have this excellent talent who is worth as much as Julio Enciso.

ByKelan Sarson Jan 24, 2025

More could be on the way before the transfer deadline, though, with reports stating McKenna and Ipswich could make up to five signings this month.

An offer for versatile Galatasaray full-back Elias Jelert has reportedly been made by Ipswich, and now a new attacking target has emerged.

Ipswich Town close to making offer for Championship forward

According to reports from France, relayed by Sport Witness, Ipswich are ‘close to drawing an offer’ for Sheffield United forward Ryan One. It isn’t just the Tractor Boys who are keen, though, with AS Monaco, Juventus and RB Salzburg also named as potential suitors.

One made the move to Bramall Lane from Scottish Championship side Hamilton Academical back in 2023, and he has gone on to make 13 senior appearances for the Blades, 12 of which have come during the 2024/25 season under Chris Wilder.

The Scotland U19 international’s debut came in the Premier League against Arsenal, and he got his first senior goal for Sheffield United against Bristol City in November.

Since then, Liverpool have been keeping an eye on the forward in recent months, with reports claiming those at Anfield like the ‘powerful striker’. The Reds are poised to make a move for One, however, the Blades ‘would look for a big fee if Anfield chiefs do come calling’.

It now seems as if Ipswich could rival Liverpool in their own move for One, making this one to keep an eye on before the deadline.

“A player like him, who has won so many matches, needs only one or two good innings to bounce back”

Nagraj Gollapudi14-Jul-20221:41

Rohit on Kohli’s form: ‘Why is this discussion happening?’

” (Why is this discussion happening. I can’t understand this)”India’s captain Rohit Sharma had a bemused expression just as a journalist started a question on Virat Kohli.Kohli’s form in the last few years has become a national debate, with some ex-players including former India captain Kapil Dev, wondering why the senior India batter could not be dropped. The debate will continue after Kohli once again failed to convert a start in the second ODI at Lord’s on Thursday.Having missed the first ODI due to a groin strain, Kohli took a batting fitness test of sorts on Thursday morning, before giving a firm nod to India coach Rahul Dravid indicating that he was good to play. But Kohli had already been in the news before his return to the eleven. About an hour before the Indian team arrived at Lord’s, the BCCI had announced the squad for the T20I series in the West Indies starting on July 29. It did not specify a reason for Kohli’s omission.Related

Kohli's slump: two factors that might have had a role to play

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Jos Buttler praises batters' positivity as England bounce back from Oval drubbing

Topley's career-best 6 for 24 blows India away

Kohli, Bumrah, Chahal rested for T20Is in West Indies

At Lord’s, Kohli walked in to bat in the third over and his first runs came off a straight drive to the boundary. But before that shot, he had played seven dot balls, including a maiden over. Two consecutive fours followed against Reece Topley, but Kohli could not find fluency and ended up pushing away from his body and edging David Willey to the wicketkeeper.When asked if Kohli needed the support of the team during this difficult phase, Rohit said there was no need for a debate in the first place.”He [Kohli] has played so many matches. He is playing for so many years. He is such a great batsman so he does not need reassurance,” Rohit said after the game. “I pointed to this in my last press conference, too: form goes up and down, that is part and parcel of any cricketer’s career. So a player like him, who has played for so many years, who has made so many runs, who has won so many matches, he only needs one or two good innings [to bounce back]. That is my thinking and I am sure all those who follow cricket will think similarly.”This is the second time Rohit has backed Kohli publicly during the white-ball leg of the England tour. Rohit agreed that Kohli was going through a “slump” but said the team management still had firm belief in him.Virat Kohli walks back after nicking behind outside off•AFP via Getty Images

“We do have chats about this topic, but we should also understand and think when we talk about such things. We have seen that the performance of all players goes up and down, but the quality of the player never gets worse. That we all should keep in mind. That is very important. (he has made so many runs), check his average, how many hundreds he has made, he has [vast] experience of doing that. There is a slump in every player’s life. Even in the personal life it comes.”It wasn’t just Rohit, even the England captain Jos Buttler said Kohli was “due” a big innings.”I suppose in a little way it’s quite refreshing for the rest of us that he [Kohli] is human and he can have a couple of low scores as well, but look he has been one of the best players, if not the best player in ODI cricket in the world,” Buttler said.”So he’s been a fantastic player for so many years and all batters, it just proves, go through runs of form where they don’t perform as well as they can do sometimes. But certainly as an opposition captain, you know a player of that class is always due, so you’re hoping that it doesn’t come against us.”Like Rohit, Buttler also wondered why Kohli was facing criticism over his form. “Yeah, incredibly surprised, as I said, his record speaks for himself. The matches he’s won for India and yeah, why would you question that?”

Glasgow Rangers Premiership title hopes went up in flames on Boxing Day as they suffered their fourth league defeat of the season against St Mirren, conceding a late goal to lose 2-1.

If the pressure on Philippe Clement was easing up after several weeks of solid performances, then this defeat puts him right back at square one. Matches against Motherwell and Celtic are coming up over the next six days and more dropped points could see his position become untenable.

While thoughts are on these games, surely one eye is focused on the upcoming January transfer window, which gives the Ibrox side a chance to bolster their squad ahead of the second half of the season.

Much will depend on how much of a budget the manager will be handed once the winter window opens next week, and he might have to sell a couple of players in order to raise significant funds.

This could see several players leave Ibrox, with one current first team player already attracting interest ahead of January – Cyriel Dessers.

Why Rangers should finally sell Cyriel Dessers

Unfortunately, Rangers are now in a position where they have to sell players before thinking of making signings, such is the nature of their finances.

Hopefully, Clement is ruthless and moves on those who are either taking up a place in the squad that isn’t warranted, or earning a lavish wage which is not representative of their performances on the field.

This could see a host of players depart the club next month, but it is Dessers who is the one attracting the most attention as of late.

Before Christmas, news emerged from France that Saint-Étienne were showing a keen interest in the striker ahead of making a potential move for the player once the window finally opens.

This wasn’t the first time that the Nigerian international had drawn interest from elsewhere. During the summer transfer window, Cagliari were hoping to bring the forward to Serie A, but no move ever materialised.

Things might have been different if Clement had more centre-forwards in his squad, but with Danilo still recovering from a knee injury and Hamza Igamane still settling in at Ibrox, it was perhaps too risky to sell Dessers.

January could be the ideal time for the club to recoup what they paid for him 18 months ago, especially as he hasn’t been the first choice over the previous few weeks.

Transfer Focus

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Across 28 games in all competitions for the Gers, Dessers has found the back of the net on 12 occasions, yet he has scored just three league goals since the start of September.

Recently, Danilo and Igamane have taken turns being deployed as the lone striker in Clement’s 4-2-3-1 system, meaning Dessers has had to settle for a place on the bench.

Cyriel Dessers’ stats in the Premiership for Rangers
Metric	2023/24	2024/25
Goals	16	6
Assists	4	2
Big chances missed	27	6
Big chances created	8	2
Shots per game	2.9	1.7
Via Sofascore

Additionally, the striker is also earning £27k-per-week, which places him among the highest earners at the club.

All of these factors should be taken into consideration with regard to his future. Is he contributing enough considering his high wage? The answer is no. Therefore, if a decent bid arrives, then the Light Blues should accept it.

This could free up funds for Clement to move for a player they have been linked with lately who is currently shining in South Africa…

Rangers' search for a striker

As reported by South African news outlet SNL24 (via the Scottish Sun), the Light Blues have been keeping a close eye on striker Iqraam Rayners, who currently plays for Mamelodi Sundowns.

“There has been an enquiry about Iqraam (Rayners) from Rangers of Scotland,” a source told SNL24.

“I don’t think there has been an offer from them at this stage. What I know is they have shown interest and they continue monitoring him.”

There is no information on how much Rangers would have to pay to bring the South African to Glasgow, but it appears he is doing everything right in order to earn a big move abroad.

If a move for Rayners is concrete, this could see Dessers finally packing in what would be a popular move among the supporters. That’s for sure.

How Iqraam Rayners compares to Cyriel Dessers

Rayners may be the same age as Dessers, but he is currently in the form of his life for his club side.

Across just 17 matches in all competitions, he has scored 13 goals while chipping in with an assist, a wonderful strike rate in front of goal, that’s for sure.

Indeed, throughout the entirety of 2024, he has notched 24 goals for two clubs, which has led writer Joshua Henricks to hail the player as “impressive” due to his goalscoring ability.

Domestically, Rayners averages 1.7 shots per game, has created one big chance while succeeding with 75% of his dribble attempts. Crucially, he has missed only one big chance, indicating that he is more clinical in front of goal than Dessers, who tends to miss a large number of chances.

The 29-year-old has also shone for his country throughout 2024, scoring four goals in ten games for South Africa, with two coming during qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations as the nation avoided defeat in their group.

This proves that he is able to star on the international stage, suggesting he may not be fazed by moving to Ibrox in January.

With Hamza Igamane making the move to Scotland from Africa earlier this year and adapting fairly well, hopes are high that Rayners, who has more experience than the young Rangers striker, could follow suit.

Once again, finances could be the crux of any potential deal. If interest in Dessers is genuine, then securing a decent fee for the 29-year-old could certainly aid in Clement’s future transfer plans.

Will Rayners be included in this? Only time will tell, but the South African has proven his talents in front of goal throughout the calendar year.

Not just Bajrami: Clement must drop Rangers man who lost 11 duels

Rangers suffered defeat to St Mirren on Boxing Day

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By
Ross Kilvington

Dec 27, 2024