Chelsea have been tipped to move for a “dominant” Germany international defender who is “exactly” what Enzo Maresca needs, coming amid the Blues’ major shortage of centre-back options.
Enzo Maresca demands centre-back signing for Chelsea
Before their 2-1 win over Premier League champions Liverpool, it was reported that Maresca is unhappy with Chelsea’s current squad, as he believes the west Londoners are still light in key areas (Simon Phillips).
The most obvious area of Maresca’s team that’s in desperate need of reinforcement is centre-half, and this was on full display against Liverpool on Saturday, after Chelsea elected not to invest a portion of their £285 million summer spend into a natural central defender in the summer.
Liverpool
£415,000,000
£187,000,000
£228,000,000
Chelsea
£285,000,000
£288,000,000
-£3,000,000
Arsenal
£255,000,000
£9,000,000
£246,000,000
Newcastle
£250,000,000
£152,000,000
£98,000,000
Man Utd
£216,000,000
£68,000,000
£148,000,000
Nottm Forest
£205,000,000
£107,000,000
£98,000,000
Tottenham
£181,000,000
£36,000,000
£145,000,000
Sunderland
£162,000,000
£44,000,000
£118,000,000
Man City
£152,000,000
£53,000,000
£99,000,000
West Ham
£124,000,000
£55,000,000
£69,000,000
via BBC
With Trevoh Chalobah (suspended), Tosin Adarabioyo, Wesley Fofana and Levi Colwill all unavailable for the game, Maresca was forced to start a pairing of youngster Josh Acheampong and Benoit Badiashile, with the latter only just returning from injury himself.
Chelsea’s boss publicly requested a centre-back signing before summer deadline day on September 1, but it is believed that BlueCo are in agreement with their manager that one should be a “priority” for January instead (Pete O’Rourke).
Chelsea chairman ToddBoehlyand co-sporting director Paul Winstanley in the stands before the match
They’re already making plans in that regard, having reached out to Marc Guehi’s camp last week over a potential cut-price January move with the England international’s contract expiring at the end of 2025/2026.
Chelsea tipped to move for Borussia Dortmund star Nico Schlotterbeck
Now, ex-Premier League chief scout Mick Brown, who remains well-connected in the beautiful game, has “heard” that Chelsea are looking at Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck as a potential option.
Nico Schlotterbeck for Borussia Dortmund.
The Germany international’s deal runs out in just under two years, meaning he could be available for a potentially doable fee in the winter window, and this is something that Chelsea are actively considering.
The 25-year-old, who captains Dortmund regularly, also has a questionable injury record — so BlueCo need to tread carefully here.
Schlotterbeck missed a large portion of this calendar year with a meniscus tear, which stretched into Dortmund’s Club World Cup campaign and early this season after he was sidelined near the end of 2024/2025.
The towering defender may not be a reliable ever-present depending on his fitness issues, but could be a very reliable back-up option as Maresca continues not to select ‘bomb squad’ member Axel Disasi.
Wrexham’s Hollywood-owned rise has been built not just on investment but on discipline — and a £500 fine is proof of that. Former goalkeeper Ben Foster has revealed that skipping the Red Dragons’ annual Christmas party comes with the heaviest punishment on the squad’s fines list, underlining the culture of unity set by Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac.
Wrexham's fine list revealed under Reynolds and Mac
Foster has lifted the lid on Wrexham’s internal fines system, revealing that the biggest penalty players face is for missing the team’s Christmas bash. The former England international spotted the list during a recent visit and was surprised to find a £500 sanction for failing to attend. It highlights the emphasis owners Reynolds and Mac have placed on togetherness off the pitch.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportFoster reveals Wrexham's Christmas party fines
Foster shared his discovery on That Wrexham Podcast, saying: “We were in the changing rooms yesterday and we saw the current fines list. One of the fines that’s on there is for not turning up for the Christmas do and it’s the biggest fine on the list. It’s a £500 fine for not turning up to a Christmas do.”
GettyCannon opens up on the importance of the Christmas party
Midfielder Andy Cannon backed the policy, insisting team bonding has been crucial to Wrexham’s success. "I think it's been key," Cannon said. "Some Championship clubs went to Vegas last year as well and I think there were only eight or nine people turning up. Then you're getting every single one of us going. On Christmas dos, I think it's the same because it's good to get everyone together. If you're on a Christmas do, you see a different side of people. You'd be surprised how teams can set off on a winning streak after Christmas dos. I've seen it before."
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Wrexham have a subpar start to life in the Championship
Wrexham’s structured approach under Reynolds and Mac continues to shape their Championship campaign as they adapt to life in the second tier. With 10 points from their opening nine matches, the Red Dragons are learning fast in a more demanding environment. Maintaining the strong team bond that carried them through the lower leagues could prove vital in keeping their Hollywood story rolling.
It’s full steam ahead for batters at Chelmsford with Surrey looking to stay afloat
Andrew Miller05-Apr-2025Surrey 109 for 1 (Burns 59*, Pope 45*) trail Essex 582 for 6 dec (Critchley 145*, Pepper 109) by 473 runsPick your metaphor. Essex certainly did when unveiling the Ambassador Cruise Line as their new flagship sponsor. There may be choppy waters to come later in the season, but today at Chelmsford was plain sailing for the batters, in weather that could have been shipped in direct from the Adriatic.The deck was flat enough to play quoits upon, while Matt Critchley and Michael Pepper might as well have rolled out their sunbeds while reclining into a serene fifth-wicket stand of 216.The seagulls circled, the spectators lolled. Landmarks popped up intermittently before being submerged in a ripple of recognition, like dolphins frolicking in the bow waves, as the game pressed onwards towards the horizon – to the stress-free bliss of its passengers of a certain age.And so on and so forth, for as long as this contest will last. Can life really remain this cushty for Essex, a club whose projection of pre-season confidence has manifested itself at the very first attempt?One of Ambassador’s stated aims, incidentally, is to “inspire and delight” those who come aboard – a mission statement that the club might do well to keep out of earshot of their new Tier 1 women’s team as they embark on their own voyage of a lifetime later this month.And even if stalemate seems pre-ordained on a surface that Kemar Roach believes is one of the flattest he’s bowled on in England, there’s no questioning the extent to which Essex have carried themselves into this contest against the three-times county champions. First, they ground them down across five sweltering sessions, and then limited the England past-and-present pairing of Rory Burns and Ollie Pope to a distinctly pre-Bazballian run-rate of 2.59 in their frill-free reply.Had it not been for a sitter of a life for Pope on 10 – dropped at short midwicket by Critchley, while falling across his stumps in that all-too-familiar manner – the jeopardy for Surrey could have been all the more acute at 28 for 2. And never mind the extent to which it dented Critchley’s own day, it was an especially glaring moment for the eternal nearly-man of Chelmsford, Sam Cook, who would otherwise have had two wickets in his first four overs.For Cook had already sent another ex-England man, Dom Sibley, overboard in his first over with an lbw so plumb it all but lived up to the nautical origins of that curiously pervasive term. And given the fuss that had been made in this pre-season of a certain Anglo-Aussie Dan Worrall – absent from this contest for reasons that Surrey seem oddly determined to keep to themselves – it denied Cook a real chance to thrust his own bustling fast-medium methods back to the Test narrative … not that he ever quite seems to get there, despite now closing in on 300 wickets for Essex at an average of less than 19.Reprieve done and dusted, Pope and Burns endured to the close, steadfast in their 101-run stand, unlike the vast majority of a 1383-strong crowd, who strolled off into the evening sunshine to beat the road closures on the A12, and the rail replacement buses on the Norwich-London mainline, and the other sundry weekend transport hazards that proved anything but a cruise to negotiate. Such are the reality checks sent to try a venue that increasingly believes it is part of the London cricket conversation, but remains achingly, touchingly parochial to its core.Not that you’d necessarily want that to change in a hurry, if at all. There are big plans afoot for Chelmsford’s redevelopment, to lean into those East London connections and make real capital of that new women’s set-up. But for now, the ground makes do with a new 500-seater temporary stand where a windy marquee once stood next to the pavilion, and a lick of imperial purple paint that comes with their flashy new sponsorship.Beyond such cosmetic changes, Ann’s Pantry still rules as the one-stop shop for all your burger-based needs. Tangles of ivy still cascade over the rickety wooden fence between the Felsted School Stand and the County Place housing estate at midwicket, further narrowing the one-in, one-out alleyway that proved such a health-and-safety tripwire during Covid.One other notable change, however, has been the purging of the Graham Napier Heritage Trail: previously a collection of 16 vaguely interactive placards, dotted all around the concourse to mark the destination of each of the 16 sixes that Napier launched – into the crowd, river and housing estate alike – during his epic 152 from 58 balls against Sussex, way back in 2008.The subtext is clear. Now is the time for a new generation of heroes to emerge for this county. And whether it’s a case of faking it til you make it, or a genuine belief in the resources at the team’s disposal, Chris Silverwood’s first days back in the job have leant into that remit with impressive resolve.The run-up to Surrey’s visit included two pretty critical setbacks. First there was the loss of Shardul Thakur to the IPL, and then Essex’s second high-profile import, Dean Elgar, was granted extended leave to remain back home in South Africa, where he’s dealing with his own version of double trouble as the new father of twins.And when you consider that Elgar (86 Test caps) had himself been a direct replacement for the retired Alastair Cook (a then-England record 161) then Silverwood’s faith in the Colchester-born 20-year-old debutant, Charlie Allison, to open up alongside Paul Walter (four previous first-class innings in the role, and none since 2022) was bold, to say the least.That 78-run first-day stand set the tone, and while Allison’s maiden innings of 25 from 55 balls has long since been dwarfed by a torrent of runs from both sides, the message it sends has not. This season won’t always be conducted on such cruise control – all manner of contagions can spread rapidly and without warning in such cooped-up surroundings – but there seems already to be a certainty to the club’s direction of travel. And while the sun shines, the passengers’ contentment levels will know no bounds.
After confirming the arrival of Jackson Tchatchoua from Hellas Verona, Wolverhampton Wanderers are now reportedly very keen to sign a La Liga star before the transfer window slams shut.
Tchatchoua "excited" by Wolves move
Providing those at Molineux with some positive news just days after Manchester City defeated them 4-0 to open their Premier League campaign, Wolves have announced their fourth signing of the window in Tchatchoua.
The Cameroon right-back has joined Fer Lopez, Jhon Arias and Jorgen Strand Larsen, who made his loan move permanent, on Wolves’ list of incomings and has wasted no time before expressing his excitement about getting going in the Midlands.
He told the club’s official website: “I feel good. I feel happy to be here and I’m excited. I spoke a little bit with the coach, but I’ll speak more. The Premier League is one of my dreams and it’s one step that I want to do in my life, and also the history of the club, the stadium, the fans, this convinced me.”
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The new arrival then went on to say: “My first impressions are that we have everything here. It’s not too big, it’s not too small, it’s very good. I spoke with some people from the club and everyone enjoys it. I feel a good atmosphere in this club. I’m very excited to play. It’s one of my dreams, and I want to conquer this dream.”
With a trip to Bournemouth awaiting next weekend, Vitor Pereira will hope to get Tchatchoua involved as soon as possible as his side aim to pick up their first points of the season at the second time of asking.
Meanwhile, away from the action, Tchatchoua may not be the final name to arrive this summer amid reports that Wolves are now very keen to sign a La Liga star.
Wolves very keen to sign Uche
As reported by Marca and relayed by Sport Witness, Wolves are now very keen to sign Christantus Uche after Getafe president Jose Bordalas admitted that the club “have to accept” offers for the attacking midfielder this month.
Christantus Uche in action for Getafe.
Bordalas told reporters: “We’ll have to release some so we can register all or almost all of them. I wouldn’t like Uche or anyone to leave, but we have to accept the offers we have, and there are several.”
Dubbed “superb” by scout Jacek Kulig, who also rightly predicted that Uche would be a man in-demand this summer back in April, the Getafe star looks set to be one to watch as the transfer window nears deadline day.
Liverpool are believed to have submitted their first official bid for Alexander Isak, while there has also been news on the rumours of the striker agreeing personal terms.
The biggest transfer of the summer is still on the cards for the Reds, with Isak making it clear that he wants to seal a move away from St James’ Park.
Liverpool will likely have to break their transfer record for the second time in the same summer, in order to sign him, having already brought in Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for a mammoth £116m fee.
Sky Germany journalist has claimed that talks over the transfer are “progressing well”, with Isak’s representatives “very positive” about the saga reaching its conclusion sooner rather than later.
An agreement is believed to be in place for the Sweden international, but it looks as though Liverpool will bide their time and try to be as respectful as possible to the Magpies, perhaps waiting for them to sign a new striker first.
Liverpool willing to give Isak £15m-a-year wages as bid submitted
David Ornstein revealed on Friday lunchtime that Liverpool have submitted a formal offer to Newcastle for Isak, which has been rejected.
And, according to a fresh claim from The Boot Room, Liverpool are “prepared” to pay Isak over £300,000 a week which is exactly what the striker is demanding, earning him around £15m per year.
It is added that “discussions have taken place via intermediaries”, with these wages “putting him just behind” the likes of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, both of whom signed extensions earlier this year.
Liverpool fans are right not to get too carried away about Isak moving to the club, but at this point, it would be a surprise if he wasn’t a Reds player come the end of the current transfer window.
It is clear that he wants to leave Newcastle, with Ornstein revealing he has turned down a new contract with a release clause included, and the Premier League champions see him as their No.1 option to add to their attack.
Assuming Isak does become a Liverpool player, and if they manage to sign a centre-back as well – Crystal Palace and England ace Marc Guehi would be ideal – this could arguably end up being the most exciting transfer window in the club’s history.
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To sign both Wirtz and Isak is a summer that Reds supporters could only have dreamed of earlier in the year, and the likes of Jeremy Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitike are all exciting additions, too.
Jafer Chohan, the Yorkshire legspinner, is to return home from England’s white-ball tour of the Caribbean before he has had a chance to make his international debut, with the team management choosing instead to manage his workload ahead of the forthcoming Lions tour of South Africa.Chohan, 22, made history last month when he became the first graduate of the South Asian Cricket Academy (SACA) to be named in an England squad. Launched in 2021 by Dr Tom Brown, the academy aimed to remedy the under-representation of British South Asian players in the professional game, with Chohan’s opportunity with Yorkshire arising after he had been released by Middlesex as a 17-year-old in 2019.Chohan will not, however, be making the step-up to England international status just yet. Instead, he will fly home on Monday, with the rest of the squad relocating from Barbados to St Lucia, having last night taken a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series, following a comfortable seven-wicket win.In addition to the Lions tour, which takes place from November 20 to December 14 and will be Andrew Flintoff’s first outing as head coach, Chohan is also due to play for Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League, with that tournament commencing on December 15.Related
'Unknown' Jafer Chohan grateful to SACA after England's leap of faith
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Rihanna has to wait, it's family time for Salt and Bethell
His release from England’s white-ball squad is a reflection of the T20I team’s current success, as well as the wealth of spin options already available to Jos Buttler and Marcus Trescothick, the interim head coach.In addition to Adil Rashid, Chohan’s mentor at Yorkshire, with whom he has been working in the nets for the past fortnight, England also have Rehan Ahmed waiting in the wings as a back-up legspinner, plus Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Dan Mousley and Will Jacks in the current starting XI.Nevertheless, his fast-tracking into the England set-up remains a notable achievement, given the distance he has come since 2022, when he was playing National Counties cricket for Berkshire.”SACA helped me a hell of a lot,” he told ESPNcricinfo in the wake of his call-up. “I felt like my game was in a pretty good place, but there’s no real way in, once I got out of the system. It was really tough to think, ‘Okay, I want to become a pro cricketer, how can I actually do it?’ And SACA provided that opportunity for me.”
Mitchell Starc made a dramatic entrance to the ODI series with a searing inswinging yorker to England captain Harry Brook, after Alex Carey had produced a match-changing innings as Australia, strengthened by the return of key names, went 2-0 up in the series with a convincing 68-run victory at Headingley.Starc’s brilliant set-up of Brook, which he capped off with a wicked delivery that thundered into his pad as he was beaten for pace, added to England’s early problems in a chase of 271 after Carey’s 74 provided crucial late runs to a curious Australia innings. A short while later the home side were 65 for 5 when Aaron Hardie claimed two wickets in two balls, including a brilliant caught-and-bowled to remove the in-form Ben Duckett, to leave them with a mountain to climb.Jamie Smith and Jacob Bethell stopped the bleeding with a stand of 55 before Bethell somehow managed to skew a short, wide long hop from Glenn Maxwell to backward point. The game was just about done when Smith clipped Josh Hazlewood to midwicket for a very neat 49 although England’s lower order showed there were few demons in the surface.Australia had been bowled out with more than five overs remaining, having been nine-down in the 37th over before a last-wicket stand of 49 between Carey, only playing due to Josh Inglis’ quad injury, and Hazlewood. But with the visitors having welcomed back Hazlewood and Starc from illness, it still felt as though it would be a considerable test of an England side still trying to reestablish their one-day credentials. The Test duo would finish with five between them.Hazlewood landed the ball on a handkerchief to give Phil Salt a working over – a tough chance was put down at second slip by Matt Short – and it was little surprise when Salt slashed an edge to Carey. In the next over Will Jacks drove expansively outside off stump against Starc and this time Short held on safely in the cordon.Starc, playing his first game since the T20 World Cup in June, then produced a classy over against Brook, barring a delivery on the pads that was clipped for four, probing away across the right-hander before going fuller, straighter and with sharp inswing to have Brook trapped in front of leg stump.Alex Carey pulls during his fighting half-century•AFP/Getty Images
Duckett had again played well, scooping Hazlewood over the keeper and sending a bottom-handed whip over the leg side for six, but toe-ended a slower ball to the left of Hardie who took a spectacular catch low to his left. Next ball Liam Livingstone glanced a leg-side delivery to Carey who took an excellent grab to his left and England’s frontline batting was nearly done.In the first half of the game, Australia were not as dominant with the bat as they had been at Trent Bridge. Mitchell Marsh and Marnus Labuschagne took them to 145 for 3 when Bethell and Adil Rashid, who claimed his 200th ODI wicket, took three quick wickets with another mini-collapse following a stand of 55 between Carey and Hardie.But Carey, who had been welcomed to the crease by a crowd needlessly reminding him of events last year, played smartly as he took singles late in an over to protect Hazlewood – who contributed just four to the stand – while exploiting boundary opportunities including handsome off-side sixes against Potts and Olly Stone.There had been movement for England’s new-ball attack, particularly Stone who was impressive after being recalled for the rested Jofra Archer, but Travis Head was just starting to move through his gears when he picked out deep backward square with a whip-pull off his hip. In his second spell, Potts nipped the ball both ways: movement away found Short’s edge then a peach of a delivery zipped back to take Smith’s off stump.Marsh and Labuschagne went about their task carefully and the run-rate slowed. They had to combat some sharp spin from Rashid, but Marsh flicked a switch with two sixes in three balls off the struggling Carse, the first a huge pull deep into the Western Terrace to take him to a 47-ball fifty and the second coming from a free hit after Carse overstepped.Adil Rashid claimed his 200th ODI wicket when he removed Glenn Maxwell•Getty Images
Then, much as it did for Australia two days ago, spin made an impact. Labuschagne spliced a pull against Bethell to mid-on and Marsh missed a sweep to give the left-armer his second. Maxwell pummeled his first ball from Bethell for six but picked out deep midwicket while attempting a repeat to hand Rashid his 200th ODI wicket.Carey and Hardie played positively as they took advantage of Brook’s decision to squeeze out some extra overs of spin, with Livingstone and Jacks going for 34 in three between them. A curious innings involved another twist when Carse’s day took a turn for the better. Recalled to the attack, he removed Hardie first ball with a pull spliced to midwicket and next delivery had Starc flicking into the leg side.When Adam Zampa carved Rashid to point it appeared the innings was on the brink of a very early finish but the final-wicket stand, coupled with Australia’s start with the ball, put a very different complexion on the game.
Fifties from Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh powered India to 201, and UAE barely got going in the chase
Shashank Kishore21-Jul-2024
Richa Ghosh finished with an unbeaten 64 off 29 balls•Getty Images
India all but guaranteed themselves a semi-final spot with a convincing win over UAE in which their middle order got a much-needed hit out and their bowlers plenty of miles.Harmanpreet Kaur top-scored with 66, but it was Richa Ghosh’s sensational late acceleration – she hit an unbeaten 29-ball 64 – that helped India post their first-ever score of 200-plus in T20Is.UAE hardly posed a challenge, even though Esha Oza, the captain, and Kavisha Egodage gave good account of themselves in hitting 36 and 40 not out respectively. That UAE hit more than the 115 for 8 they managed against a lower-ranked Nepal should be confidence-boosting.Despite the loss, UAE aren’t mathematically out of the semi-finals race. A win for Pakistan against Nepal in the evening game should keep them alive.Related
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India vs Pakistan goes cold yet again
India wobble earlyIndia were put in, and they weren’t particularly disappointed. There was the looming threat of their marauding openers – Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana – running away with it once again. But at 52 for 3 inside the powerplay, the opportunity was UAE’s to seize.Among those who fell early, D Hemalatha would’ve been particularly disappointed at having missed out yet another opportunity to make the No. 3 spot her own. In nine innings at that position since the tour of Bangladesh, an unbeaten 41 she made in her first opportunity there remains the highest.Richa on the rampage•ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Two nights ago against Pakistan, she was out slicing a lofted hit to point for 14 in a low-pressure chase after the openers had shellacked 85 in 9.3 overs. Here, the openers were up and away quickly with the platform set – India brought up fifty inside five overs. But Hemalatha’s dismissal for 2 after she was bowled attempting a pull off Heena Hotchandani had India wobbling briefly.One of the consequences from Hemalatha batting at No. 3 is that India have had to rejig a batting position for Jemimah Rodrigues, who has built a reputation of being a touch player. Hemalatha’s continued lean run could at some point have the team management into reinstating Rodrigues at No.3, considering the lower-order firepower at their disposal.On Sunday, Rodrigues made all of 14 in a 54-run stand with Harmanpreet before picking out mid-off in her first attempt to hit over the top.Renuka Singh Thakur struck early for India•Getty Images
Harmanpreet, Richa up the tempoHarmanpreet was happy to knock singles and twos early, but upped the tempo soon after the halfway mark, when she welcomed legspinner Vaishnavee Mahesh for back-to-back fours. On 31, she had a steak of luck when a leading edge while attempting to work one into the leg side landed short of backward point.That aside, Harmanpreet seemed intent on taking the innings right till the end. Along the way, she brought out her plethora of sweeps that found different arcs on the leg-side boundary, ranging from deep backward square to wide long-on.The beauty of Harmanpeet’s sweeps is that when on song, she has the ability to take the bowlers and pitch out of the equation; she can hit just as effectively against the turn as she can with it, primarily because of a giant forward stride and how she gets on top of the bounce most times.At the other end, Ghosh made heads turn with some aesthetically pleasing cover drives and lofted hits with the spin. It’s a bit of a misconception that her game is only centered around power. On Sunday, she showed she can hit authentic strokes and find boundaries with regularity without looking to bash the ball.She hit a crisp cover drive off her fourth delivery, and a six two balls later to quickly get into her stride. She was particularly severe on Oza’s gentle long hops, hitting her for four boundaries, including three back-to-back, in the 15th. Ghosh was comfortably the aggressor in the half-century stand off just 32 balls. Yet at 156 for 2 in 17 overs, 200 seemed a long way off.It needed Harmanpreet to tee off in the penultimate over that brought India 17, and Ghosh’s five back-to-back boundaries off Heena Hotchandani’s left-arm spin in a 20-run final over to give India their highest total in women’s T20Is. Ghosh hit 54 of her 64 runs in boundaries (12 fours and a six). UAE’s chase fizzles in powerplay UAE barely made a push for the target. Theertha Satish took nine balls to get off the mark and was the first to fall in the fifth over as she chipped Renuka Singh to mid-off. Pooja Vastrakar had her first wicket six balls later when she beat Rinitha Rajith to hit top of off.Oza held firm without looking spectacular, but showed signs of shifting gears when she muscled Deepti Sharma out of the ground. In Kavisha Edodage, she found some support as their pair added 40, before Oza became debutant Tanuja Kanwar’s first international wicket.Kanwar, who has forced herself into contention on the back of an excellent WPL for Gujarat Giants, lulled her in flight and beat her in turn to have her stumped. She would finish with figures of 4-0-14-1 to cap off a dream debut that didn’t seem likely even 48 hours ago. From there on, the only academic interest left was to see if UAE could narrow the margin of defeat.
Now that Russell Martin has officially been unveiled as the new Rangers manager, he has plenty of work to do if his team are going to be ready for the start of Champions League qualifying on 22/23 July, with Panathinaikos, Servette or Brann their potential opponents; the draw takes place next Tuesday.
With pivotal European ties just around the corner, Martin is eager to get his transfer business done early, so could it be all change in the striker department?
Rangers seeking a new striker
According to a report by Scott McDermott and Anthony Evans of the Daily Record, Rangers remain in talks with Maccabi Tel Aviv over the signing of striker Dor Turgeman, who they claim is valued at £4m.
Liav Nachmani of Israel Hayom previously documented that Turgeman has ‘expressed a willingness’ to join the Scottish giants, who have ‘been monitoring him for several months’, although the Israeli champions do not want to let him leave easily.
Born in Ashdod, Turgeman joined the Yellows as a 15 year old, making 109 senior appearances since his senior debut five years ago, scoring 32 goals.
This season, he was the third-highest scorer in Ligat HaAl with 16 goals, also on target four times in the Europa League, netting against Panevėžys and then TSC Bačka Topola twice as Maccabi Tel Aviv made it through qualifying, before also getting on the scoresheet against Real Sociedad in October.
Turgeman has international experience too, a key figure in the Israel side that reached the U21 Euros semi-finals two summers ago, earning eight senior caps to date, scoring against Norway in a World Cup qualifier in Debrecen back in March.
So now, could the 21 year old swap the Israeli Mediterranean coastline for Glasgow’s west end?
How Turgeman compares to Dessers
According to a report by Andrew Newport of the Daily Record, Greek side AEK Athens ‘are willing to spend big’ to sign Cyriel Dessers this summer, adding that the Nigerian striker is valued at £5m.
On top of this, Greek journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos of SporTime claims that the Yellow-Blacks are “in talks” with Rangers, so is now the right time to cash in?
Let’s assess Dessers’ statistics for the club since he arrived from Cremonese for a reported £4.5m two summers ago.
Appearances
109
Minutes
6,845
Goals
51
Assists
16
Big chances missed
58
As the table outlines, Dessers’ scoring record at Rangers has been impressive, on target every 134 minutes on average, but the fact he has missed 58 big chances across the Scottish Premiership and Europa League goes a long way to explaining why Alan Pattullo of the Scotsman describes him as a complex ‘enigma’.
Cyriel Dessers
So, would Turgeman be an upgrade? Let’s try and find out.
Appearances
55
44
Minutes
3,423
2,887
Goals
29
20
Minutes per goal
118
144
Assists
7
6
Big chances missed
31
4
Big chances created
4
12
Shots on target (per 90)
1
0.7
Shots on target %
50%
37.5%
Touches per 90
29.1
31.6
Touches in opposition box per 90
5.5
3.1
Average Sofascore Rating
6.81
7.10
As the table outlines, while Dessers did score more goals this season, Turgeman’s underlying statistics are broadly more impressive, missing 27 fewer big chances, creating eight more big chances and registering a greater number of touches per 90.
Writer Kai Watson describes the Israeli international as a strong ball carrier and “lethal inside the box”, while Nene Afadzinu of Football Talent Scout praises his ‘excellent first touch’, hold-up play and close-control, adding that he is capable of being deployed as a team’s ‘focal point’ considering he ‘relishes a duel’ and ‘presses intensely’.
Meantime, Rui Martins of Total Football Analysis outlines how Turgeman’s physical attributes give him a ‘significant competitive advantage’, believing he ‘is ready to be tested at a higher level’.
Thus, if Rangers are able to sell 30 year old Dessers and sign 21-year-old Turgeman for a lower fee, this would appear a no-brainer of an upgrade.
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One year ago, Liverpool stared down the barrel of a gun. Jurgen Klopp had finally wrapped up his tenure, packing his bags after almost nine years at the helm.
The consternation washed through Anfield and out onto the red-bannered streets of Merseyside, but Klopp has been vindicated in his decision, seeing something the Liverpool faithful didn’t when handing the keys to someone else.
That someone, Arne Slot, deserves his share of credit and then some, having taken Klopp’s squad and won the Premier League with relative ease, not wiping the slate clean but dovetailing into the heavy-metal system and toning down the volume, creating a smoother tune to which the players have danced to across the campaign.
Liverpool, after several transfer windows of bided time, are now ready to strengthen considerably. Jeremie Frimpong has signed and deals for his Bayer Leverkusen teammate Florian Wirtz and Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez in the works.
However, none of these players are centre-backs, and Liverpool could do with some more depth at the rear, especially after missing out on Dean Huijsen.
Liverpool's failed bid for Dean Huijsen
Liverpool made it clear Bournemouth’s Huijsen, 20, was to be a top summer target when it became clear his £50m release clause would be activated at the end of the season, a whole host of high-profile suitors lining up.
Real Madrid won the race, the Spain international never thinking twice about making the move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
After such an incredible breakout campaign on the south coast, it’s disappointing that FSG were unable to get this one done, but then the player’s mind had been set.
With Jarell Quansah mooted for a summer sale after his nominal role under Slot’s wing, Liverpool could have struck gold in securing Huijsen’s services, especially when Quansah is also reportedly worth around £50m.
Jarell Quansah for Liverpool
In any case, given that Ibrahima Konate, who is out of contract in one year, was the last senior centre-half to join the Liverpool cause, leaving RB Leipzig in 2021, it’s clear Liverpool need to identify a new star to join Virgil van Dijk’s ranks.
And they might just have at that.
Liverpool line up Huijsen alternative
According to Football Insider, Liverpool are planning to accelerate their interest in Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi after the defender made it clear he would not be joining Tottenham Hotspur this summer.
Newcastle are also in the race; the Magpies saw four mammoth bids turned down for the England international last year, and are now expected to return for the £65m-rated ace, as corroborated by The Telegraph.
Crystal Palace's MarcGuehireacts after the match
The FA Cup champion is out of contract at the end of the 2025/26 season and does not intend to renew, thus convincing Eagles chairman Steve Parish that he must cash in while he still can.
Why Marc Guehi would be perfect for Liverpool
Guehi has got a taste for silverware, defeating Manchester City in the FA Cup final last month, and while Tottenham have ended their interminable drought, Liverpool offer more stable conditions and a squad replete with title-winning credentials.
Crystal Palace's MarcGuehireacts
The 24-year-old has been a pillar of strength for Palace since signing from Chelsea back in 2021. He struggled to make that chasmic leap from Cobham to the Stamford Bridge senior set-up, but Chelsea’s loss was the Eagles’ gain as he is now regarded as “the best centre-back” his side have had since promotion 12 years ago, according to content creator HLTCO.
Liverpool could really benefit from his addition, especially if he could emulate Van Dijk in being a right-footer on the left, a rarity in the modern game. Analyst Ben Mattinson echoed this, calling him “one of those versatile CB’s who can play both sides equally as comfortably,” while he’s also now renowned as “England’s best centre-back” following his immense form at Euro 2024.
Huijsen, admittedly, is naturally left-footed, but then he is out of the equation now, and Guehi might just be the perfect alternative.
Matches (starts)
34 (34)
32 (26)
Goals
3
3
Assists
2
2
Clean sheets
11
7
Touches*
64.9
63.9
Pass completion
84%
84%
Key passes*
0.5
0.5
Ball recoveries*
4.3
3.3
Tackles + interceptions*
2.6
2.7
Clearances*
4.6
6.1
Duels (won)*
4.9 (59%)
3.6 (56%)
Errors made
2
4
There’s a case to be made that Guehi, in spite of the noise around Huijsen, was the better defender throughout the campaign. Certainly, he was more robust in defensive scenarios, more active, crisper.
Huijsen established himself as something of a menace in the final third for Bournemouth this season, but Guehi has showcased an attacking weaponry just as efficient, if not more so.
Guehi’s former England U21 teammate Josef Bursik has even remarked that his peer is a “tank” of a defender, so complete in his defensive work and with an underrated technical ability that would allow him to thrive in Slot’s ball-playing system.
Is Guehi the long-term solution? Maybe so. He might not have quite the same pedigree as Huijsen, who operates in a modern suit that allows his remarkable strength in skill to stand out among the rest of Europe’s central defenders, but the Englishman is well-rounded and a progressive player besides, completing 86% of his dribbles in the top flight this term.
If Liverpool are to sell Quansah this summer, bagging Guehi feels like something of a no-brainer, for it would reinforce Liverpool’s backline with another player capable of playing a significant role in the years ahead.
And even if this doesn’t happen, FSG were clearly willing to green-light a sizeable outlay on Huijsen this summer, and though he will continue to make gains over the coming years, in Guehi, Liverpool would sign a ready-made star to add that little bit of extra defensive fortitude.
Marc Guehi for Crystal Palace.
If Tottenham are indeed lagging behind in the fight for Guehi’s signature, Liverpool might want to make their move quickly, before Newcastle steal ahead.
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