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Glasgow Rangers head of recruitment Nils Koppen has been hard at work during the summer transfer window so far to land new signings for the squad.

Oscar Cortes, Jefte, Clinton Nsiala, Liam Kelly, and Connor Barron have all put pen to paper on deals with the Scottish giants, whilst Hamza Igamane is reportedly set to join them.

The Light Blues have also been linked with interest in the likes of Motherwell centre-forward Theo Bair, free agent attacking midfielder Callum O'Hare, and Norwich midfielder Kenny McLean.

Another player the Gers have been linked with is an attacking left-back who could be a dream partner for Rabbi Matondo down the left flank next season.

Rangers' interest in free agent whiz

HITC recently reported that Rangers are one of the teams eyeing up a possible swoop to sign Ryan Sessegnon on a bargain free transfer this summer.

The report revealed that the former England U21 international, who was once hailed as "fantastic" by ex-boss Jose Mourinho, is available on a free after Tottenham Hotspur decided not to extend his deal with the Premier League side.

Philippe Clement and Koppen are said to have 'checked in' to enquire about his potential availability, amid interest from a host of other clubs.

West Ham United, Fulham, Atalanta, Monzo, Leeds, and Real Betis, among others, are also said to be keeping a close eye on his situation as they weigh up a swoop for his services.

This shows that there is serious competition to land Sessegnon's signature ahead of the 2024/25 campaign and it remains to be seen whether or not Rangers have a realistic chance of tempting him to make the move to Ibrox.

If the Scottish giants can convince him to link-up with Clement's squad this year, though, then they could land a dream partner for Matondo on the wing.

Why Ryan Sessegnon would be a dream for Rabbi Matondo

The Wales international showed glimpses of his mercurial quality during the 2023/24 campaign as he scored five goals in seven league starts for the Light Blues.

Those five strikes came from an xG of just 2.93 and this speaks to the quality of his goals, with his trademark finish being a curling shot from distance after cutting in on his favoured foot.

As you can see in the clip above, Matondo loves to come in from the left flank to bend a shot into the far top corner and Sessegnon's presence could provide him with more chances to use that.

The English full-back, as you can see in the table above, ranked highly among his positional peers in a host of attacking metrics in the 2022/23 Premier League season.

Sessegnon had also produced 25 goals and 19 assists in 120 appearances in all competitions for Fulham earlier in his career, prior to his move to Spurs.

The free agent, who is a risk after missing 40 matches through injury last term, is a left-back who can burst forward to provide a strong attacking threat with his ability to score and create goals.

Rangers could repeat their Boyd masterclass in deal for SPFL star

Philippe Clement is eyeing up a move for a striker who starred in Scotland last term

By
Ross Kilvington

Jun 29, 2024

This could make opposition defenders put more thought into marking him and following his runs, which could then open up more space for Matondo to then take advantage of the defender focusing on Sessegnon and cut inside to fire in more shots from his favoured position.

Therefore, the full-back would be a bargain free signing due to his potential, at the age of just 24, and his proven attacking quality at Premier League level, which could help the Welshman to thrive.

Virgil van Dijk has explained how he collided with Ibrahima Konate as the Liverpool defender was taken off with an injury against Brighton.

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• Van Dijk collided with Konate in first half
• Injury less serious than first feared
• Dutchman expects him to be okay

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Late in the first half of Liverpool's comeback victory over Brighton, Van Dijk collided with Konate while both were attempting to play the ball, and the Frenchman came off worse. He was seen using his shirt as a sling for his arm as he plodded off at half-time and was replaced by Joe Gomez.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  At the time of injury, Liverpool were trailing to Brighton, courtesy of an early Ferdi Kadioglu strike, and were looking to hit back before the break after what was a sluggish first half showing. A late corner provided a potential goal scoring opportunity, and both Van Dijk and Konate went forward to provide aerial threats.

  Both men attempted to head the ball, and Van Dijk, with his eyes closed, pre-emptively nodded goal-wards. However, instead of connecting with the ball, he made heavy contact with Konate's upper arm, leaving the French defender in clear discomfort as the whistle was blown for half-time.

• WHAT VAN DIJK SAID

  Speaking to , Van Dijk explained the situation: "There were so many bodies around the ball and I think I headed him on the arm. Hopefully it is not too bad, we'll just have to wait and see. You can be quite ok as a player with an arm injury so hopefully he will be fine."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR VAN DIJK, KONATE AND LIVERPOOL?

  With reports after the match stating the injury is less severe than it first appeared, it seems Konate will likely return a key run of Liverpool fixtures before the November international break. The Reds face former player Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen side in the Champions League on Tuesday, before hosting Aston Villa at Anfield on Saturday, fixtures that Arne Slot would like Konate to be available for.

With Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos possibly looking to bolster the playing squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, Manchester United are in for a busy few months.

Plenty of positions need recruitment, but one that proved to be an issue last season was at centre back, hence the interest in English titan Jarrad Branthwaite.

However, it seems that the Red Devils will not repeat their previous mistakes this time around, as they’re now willing to pull out of any deal unless Everton make their asking price more realistic.

This could be a blessing in disguise, particularly if United instead opt to sign one target who’d be a big upgrade on Branthwaite.

Man Utd’s search for a new centre-back

According to reports in Spain via TEAMtalk, Man United are interested in signing Jules Kounde.

It’s said that a bid in the region of £34m is currently being prepared, but Barcelona will reject the offer.

In order to secure his services, that fee will have to increase up to at least £50m, which would still make him a cheaper option than Branthwaite.

The report mentions that Kounde will be one of the players who are ‘sacrificed’ to raise funds, which will give United an advantage in the negotiations as they know that the Spanish giants need to cash in at some point.

Kounde would be an upgrade on Branthwaite

Prior to joining Barca in 2022, Kounde had already established himself as an experienced centre-back in Spain, but his time at the Spanish giants has seen his game go to another level.

During his debut season at the club, the French defender featured rather heavily, starting 28 league games as he helped his side lift the La Liga trophy.

Last season, his involvement increased, making 35 appearances in the league and playing a huge role in keeping 15 clean sheets.

However, he proved to be an incredibly valuable asset due to his ability to thrive at right-back, which gave Xavi plenty of tactical flexibility, as he can stay wide on the right or drop into a central area to create a situational back three.

Nonetheless, it’s clear that Kounde would be an upgrade on Branthwaite if Man Utd did decide to drop their interest in the Toffees defender.

Firstly, the former Sevilla ace is extremely technical, boasting the ability to play out from the back with ease, even under pressure, while his quality on the ball would help United assert more control and dominance.

All of Kounde’s possession stats are far superior to Branthwaite’s, as not only does he retain the ball well, but he can also progress play brilliantly, which will help Erik ten Hag’s team perform better against teams that sit deep.

On the other hand, despite the France international’s defensive stats not being quite as impressive as the 21-year-old’s, the number 23 is an extremely dominant defender, mainly due to his athleticism, speed, and proactive approach.

This is what makes him a “sensation,” as dubbed by football scout Antonio Mango, as unlike Branthwaite, he doesn’t always need to engage in duels to get the better of his opponent.

On top of his ball-playing ability, which makes him an upgrade, Kounde’s ability to serve as a versatile defender and play as a full-back is extremely priceless, particularly given the number of injuries United suffered last campaign.

Overall, Kounde would be a fantastic signing for Man United this summer, and given he would be cheaper and potentially better than Branthwaite, the deal is a no-brainer.

What Man Utd's dream XI could look like after £230m spending spree

Marcus Rashford doesn’t make the best eleven.

1

By
Tom Lever

Jun 7, 2024

Manchester United have been handed a positive boost in their chase of Ruud van Nistelrooy this summer as Sir Jim Ratcliffe aims to secure his backroom staff target ahead of the new Premier League season.

Ten Hag set to be offered new Man Utd deal

An FA Cup win followed by two weeks of Manchester United interviewing multiple other candidates for the role eventually culminated in the Red Devils deciding to keep the faith with Erik ten Hag heading into the 2024/25 season.

The Dutchman oversaw one of the worst seasons in Manchester United's Premier League history, finishing eighth and conceding as many goals as 16th-placed Brentford, while his side faced the second most shots per game of any side in Europe's top five leagues, behind only Sheffield United and behind relegated Luton Town.

However, there were mitigating circumstances, most significantly a lengthy injury list which led to defenders being played out of position and Casemiro ending the season at centre-back, making up the 14th different Red Devils centre-back pairing of the season.

According to Opta, the Dutchman was only able to call upon his first-choice pairing of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane for 11% of his side's Premier League games, while his most used pairing of Jonny Evans and Raphael Varane started just six games together.

Perhaps with this in mind, the Dutchman was granted a stay of execution and is set to be offered a new deal, with ESPN reporting that the Red Devils are hoping that they can reach an agreement over a new contract "before their pre-season tour of the US", which begins on July 27th when they face Arsenal.

Though it is claimed negotiations are "complicated", it is added that talks have "progressed well" and a deal is now thought to be close. There could also be another new face in the dugout by then too, if all goes to plan.

Romano provides positive Van Nistelrooy to Man Utd update

That comes as transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Van Nistelrooy is "tempted by Man United" as they look to make him a part of the club's coaching staff.

The ex-Manchester United striker was understood to be the subject of interest from Championship side Burnley, who were looking at the Dutchman to potentially replace Vincent Kompany in the Turf Moor hot seat.

Man Utd willing to bid for £50m+ winger alongside Zirkzee

The Red Devils have been linked with a mega-money move.

By
Ben Browning

Jun 25, 2024

However, any hope of that seems to have gone up in smoke, with Romano explaining that a move to Old Trafford is "advancing fast", which could see him turn down the change to manage his own side and instead join compatriot Ten Hag at Old Trafford.

Van Nistelrooy scored 150 times in 219 appearances for the Red Devils, and United fans will be hoping that his arrival will allow them to get the most out of young talent Rasmus Hojlund, who blew hot and cold last season.

Kylian Mbappe just stopped short of matching Cristiano Ronaldo's despicable offside record at Real Madrid after a nightmarish El Clasico performance.

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• Mbappe struggled against Barcelona in Clasico
• Was caught offside eight times by Barca's high-line
• Came close to matching Ronaldo's 2013-14 offside metrics

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  In a one-sided El Clasico showdown at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday, Barcelona overwhelmed Real Madrid with a stunning 4-0 victory, leaving the European champions searching for answers. Robert Lewandowski led the charge with two goals, and Lamine Yamal and Raphinha contributed to complete the rout. For Mbappe, it was a horrific introduction to the historic fixture as he struggled to make an impact.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite his undeniable skill and goal-scoring prowess, the French forward was repeatedly caught offside, underscoring his difficult night against Barcelona’s organised defence. Mbappe had two goals disallowed for offside, and in total, he was flagged offside a staggering eight times, unable to find the rhythm to break through Barcelona’s meticulously executed defensive line.

  This performance brought Mbappe dangerously close to a record associated with one of Madrid’s all-time greats, Ronaldo. During the 2013-14 season, the Portuguese was caught offside 22 times in his first 10 La Liga games, a statistic that Mbappe now approaches with his tally of 17 offsides in the current season, the highest of any player in Europe’s top leagues – surpassing players like Dominic Calvert-Lewin of Everton and Fiorentina’s Moise Kean, both with 16 offsides each.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The record for the most offsides in a single game is a three-way tie at 10 offsides, held by Kevin Phillips (for Southampton against Wolves in 2004), Steven Savidan (for Valenciennes versus Sochaux in 2006), and Sergio Pellissier (for Chievo against Roma in 2010). Although Mbappe came close with his eight offside calls against Barcelona, the 2018 World Cup winner fell just short of this dubious benchmark.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?

  In his 14 appearances across all competitions for Madrid this season, Mbappe has notched eight goals and provided two assists. He will look to make amends to his form when he travels to Mestalla over the weekend. However, concerns are mounting that the fixture might be postponed due to heavy flooding in the Valencia area. If the game proceeds, it presents a chance for Mbappé and Real Madrid to reset their campaign and return to winning form before hosting AC Milan in a Champions League clash at the Santiago Bernabeu on November 5.

Norway boss Stole Solbakken has revealed that he plans to call up Martin Odegaard in November despite the Arsenal captain's injury absence.

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• Odegaard out injured since September
• Solbakken reveals recovery on track
• Hoping to call up Odegaard in November

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Due to an ankle injury he sustained while playing for Norway in September, Odegaard has been sidelined for over six weeks. The Arsenal captain has reportedly begun the last stage of his recovery but has been unavailable for Mikel Arteta's side as their injury struggles continue.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Odegaard was unavailable for Norway as well earlier this month when they took on Slovenia and Austria. Solbakken's men won their clash at home against Slovenia 3-0 but fell to a disappointing 5-1 loss to Austria, and they now sit atop their Nations League group stage level with the aforementioned sides. Solbakken has now revealed that he plans to call up Odegaard for the last two group-stage clashes in November as Norway look to qualify for the knockout stages.

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  WHAT SOLBAKKEN SAID

  Speaking to VG, Solbakken said: "Odegaard's recovery? Everything indicates that things are going according to plan.

  “So it's about the last steps when you have to train with opponents and in team training. It depends on how he responds to that, but we have a legitimate hope that he is ready.”

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• WHAT NEXT FOR NORWAY?

  Solbakken's men will be in action up next when they take on Slovenia and Kazakhstan on November 14 and November 17, respectively. Norway will be hopeful that Odegaard will be fit enough to affect those games as they look to secure promotion to League A as Group B3 winners.

It has emerged this week that a £150,000-per-week Aston Villa ace wants to join another club, coming amid claims Jhon Duran is eyeing a Chelsea switch.

Villa negotiating player sales amid PSR deadline

In their latest set of financial accounts, the Villans announced a near-£120 million loss for the 2022/23 season.

Aston Villa must sell £25m star who earns more than Weston McKennie

He could be set for a move to Italy this summer.

By
Joe Nuttall

Jun 13, 2024

Despite adding Champions League money to the revenue pot next season, Villa are unfortunately being forced to sell key players to avoid PSR sanctions. They have a deadline of June 30 to raise cash through sales, or risk punishment from the Premier League.

Clubs are allocated a £105 million loss allowance over a rolling three-year period, but Unai Emery's side currently exceed the limit. Villa are currently in talks with Juventus over selling Douglas Luiz, with both Samuel Iling-Junior and Weston McKennie potentially coming the other way.

Alongside the Brazilian, who bagged 11 goals and 11 assists in all competitions as a key player for Villa, it is believed that Jhon Duran wants to join Chelsea with talks ongoing over the 20-year-old's exit.

Fabrizio Romano backs that Duran is currently prioritising a move to Chelsea, but a report this week suggests that the Colombian isn't the only one who's set his sights on a Villa Park exit.

Tielemans eyeing move to Galatasaray

According to Turkish news outlet Dirilis Postasi, that player is Youri Tielemans. The Belgium international penned a £150,000-per-week contract last summer after joining on a free transfer from Leicester City, but the outlet claims Galatasaray want to take him away after just one season.

It is also claimed that Tielemans is "looking forward" to leaving Villa for Galatasaray. The 27-year-old endured a slow start to life under Emery, but eventually picked up more form as the campaign went on.

“Tielemans now looks a lot happier," said journalist Neil Moxley midway through 2023/24.

"He had played earlier on in the season against Everton in a Carabao Cup game and looked like a fish up a tree. It wasn't as if he wasn't trying, but everything he did try, just didn't come off. And it was difficult not to feel a little bit sorry for him.

"I know Aston Villa lost that game until Tielemans was used by Emery and also in the game against Legia Warsaw, he seemed a little bit off the pace. He had not played a lot of football and Warsaw hit Aston Villa with all the force of a cold shower, I don't think they really realised that they were stepping into such a bear pit.

"So yeah, it's taken a little bit of time for him to warm up. But if Aston Villa can utilise Tielemans to his best advantage, which is basically his use of the ball, and his experience now. I mean, you don't get to play centre midfield for the number one FIFA-ranked side on the planet, which is Belgium, if you can't do a bit, and Tielemans can."

Tottenham Hotspur are now keen on a move for Pervis Estupinan…

What’s the word?

According to El Periodico Mediterraneo (via Sport Witness), the north London outfit are targeting the Villarreal left-back and have even made contact with his representatives over a potential move.

It’s thought that manager Antonio Conte has made Sergio Reguilon available for transfer this summer and that he sees the Ecuador international as a viable replacement.

The 24-year-old, who is valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, was once on the books at Watford, though he never made a senior appearance for the former Premier League side.

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Emerson 2.0

It would be an interesting move from Spurs if they were to ship Reguilon out in favour of Estupinan, who may not even be an upgrade on the Spaniard. Last summer’s arrival of Emerson Royal should be enough to put the Lilywhites off completing this deal.

The ex-Barcelona full-back has struggled to adapt to life in England, leading to major concerns about his ability. According to The Times back in January, the Italian head coach wanted to sign a new right wing-back because of Emerson’s poor qualities in the final third.

There are some similarities to be had with the Yellow Submarines star, as he has struggled to influence the game further up the pitch – as per FBref, the 24-year-old dynamo has some of the worst attacking returns compared to his positional peers.

He ranks outside the top 70% of full-backs for shot-creating actions, averaging 1.34 per 90, and also ranks outside the top 70% for assists per 90, too.

Elsewhere, even former Spurs liability Serge Aurier (6.53) registered a better average WhoScored rating for the Yellow Submarines than Estupinan (6.52), who ranked 20th from all of Unai Emery’s players for the 2021/22 campaign.

Despite being lauded as “one of the best left-backs in LaLiga” and “underrated” by scout Jacek Kulig, it seems as if the former Hornets man would be something of a big risk to take this transfer window.

Spurs already know what they get with Reguilon and aside from some injury concerns, he is a pretty solid alternative to Ivan Perisic.

Given their track record with signings from the Spanish top-flight under the current regime, it would be wise for sporting director Fabio Paratici and Conte to swerve this deal.

Otherwise, they risk signing another Emerson and that’s surely a recipe for disaster at Hotspur Way.

AND in other news, Sky Sports drop exciting Spurs transfer update…

Newcastle United have seen several new players make moves to St. James’ Park in the January transfer window and the early stages of the summer market.

One figure that joined Eddie Howe’s ranks back in January that didn’t take long to become a big hit at the Tyneside club is Kieran Trippier.

Signed from Atletico Madrid in a deal worth £12m, the right-back scored two goals in his first four Premier League appearances for the Toon.

Unfortunately, the Englishman picked up an injury that kept him out of action until May, when he was then able to make two appearances before the end of the campaign.

In fact, with an overall performance rating of 7.38/10 from WhoScored, the England international ended the season as Newcastle’s highest-rated player.

With next season in mind, one player that the Toon could look to bring in this summer that would give Howe the chance to create a formidable duo on the right-hand side of the pitch is PSV Eindhoven winger Noni Madueke.

Last month, it was reported that Newcastle are one of the clubs in the top division with an eye on signing the attacker.

After spending time in the youth ranks of both Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur, the Englishman joined PSV back in the 2018 summer transfer window.

With 114 appearances for the Dutch club across their senior and youth sides, the 20-year-old has scored 36 goals and supplied 27 assists along the way.

In 34 appearances last season, Madueke found the net nine times and delivered six assists, all of which came whilst playing on the right-wing.

To further highlight what sort of player he is and what he’d be able to offer Howe on the pitch, former PSV midfielder Tommie van de Leegte had this to say about the youngster. “He’s fast and has the capability to trick his opponent. He brings creativity and is very explosive in his actions.”

This shows how a right-hand side duo of Trippier and the England youth international could be a deadly force for Newcastle.

Having already been linked with a £20m return to England last summer, Madueke would surely be a fine addition to Newcastle’s ranks.

AND in other news: Howe can land huge Almiron upgrade with Newcastle bid for “fearless” £18m-rated target

Everton correspondent Chris Smith has now revealed some interesting transfer news on Steven Bergwijn and Lucas Moura.

The Lowdown: Richarlison swap

As per The Daily Telegraph, Tottenham Hotspur had offered the Goodison Park outfit £20m plus Bergwijn for Richarlison, which was rejected.

Moura and Harry Winks were also thought to be players who Spurs were open to including in a deal to sign the Brazil international, but the Merseyside club got straight cash in the end.

The Latest: Driven by Tottenham

Taking to Twitter, Smith of 90min has now revealed that the links to both Bergwijn and Moura were driven more by the Lilywhites, and the Toffees are looking to replace Richarlison quickly but have never considered trade offers:

“Also, to add, I’m told the links to Steven Bergwijn/Lucas Moura were always driven more by the Spurs side. They wanted to bring down the Richarlison fee & reduce their wages ahead of his arrival.

“Everton looking to replace Richarlison fast but never considered trades. Only cash.”

The Verdict: Interesting

It is certainly interesting to hear that Frank Lampard’s team would not consider trade offers for Richarlison, especially given that they were offered the chance to sign Bergwijn and Moura.

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The pair managed five goals and seven assists in the Premier League between them last season, despite often being left out of the side to accommodate Harry Kane, Son Heung-Min and Dejan Kulusevski (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, if the Blues want to sign either, it looks as if it will be another cash-only deal, and with confirmation that James Tarkowski has officially signed, they can now move on to attacking targets.