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In what could see them finally sign a target they set their sights on back in January, Leeds United are now reportedly plotting a summer move to sign a defender who’s been compared to Rio Ferdinand.

Leeds set sights on January target again

As the international break ends, Leeds are set to return to action against Swansea City on Saturday afternoon knowing full well that they cannot afford any more slips. With just eight games left to play in the Championship, the Whites sit top of the league on goal difference and only two points above third-place Burnley. To put it simply, the race for automatic promotion remains on a knife-edge.

Promotion to the Premier League is almost certain to provide those at Elland Road with a major boost on the transfer front this summer too, with names such as Matt Targett already threatening to steal the headlines.

Whether they secure their place in the top flight or suffer the ultimate promotion heartbreak, however, the 49ers look set to target one particular reinforcement at Elland Road this summer.

According to GiveMeSport, Leeds are now plotting a summer move to sign Andrew Omobamidele from Nottingham Forest after missing out on his signature during the January transfer window.

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Reportedly available for less than £10m if Strasbourg decide not to trigger their option to make his loan move permanent in the coming months, Omobamidele could complete a permanent exit from Nottingham Forest and join up with Daniel Farke. The Leeds boss remains a fan of the defender, who he brought through the Norwich City academy in 2021.

"Exciting" Omobamidele could find form at Leeds

Whilst his move to Nottingham Forest hasn’t quite worked out, there’s still every chance that Omobamidele finds his form elsewhere and perhaps even at Elland Road next season. The 22-year-old is yet to even reach his peak, but has already earned impressive praise from the likes of Vinny Perth.

The former Dundalk manager went as far as comparing Omobamidele with Premier League legend Ferdinand a few years ago, telling reporters: “I watched him play for the Ireland under-21s against Wales – he was ok. But I watched him against Preston in a 1-1 draw, and he subsequently stayed in the team. He has been outstanding – a really, really exciting footballer.

“They want to play out from the back, he is so comfortable on the ball. I hate giving players tags, but he looks like a young Rio Ferdinand. He has got bits to learn, in that he could develop his upper body strength but he is 18, playing against men.”

With that said, whether or not they earn a Premier League place, Leeds should push to reunite Farke with his former academy graduate and hand the German a key defensive reinforcement this summer.

Chido Obi has made a real impression for Manchester United so far this season. After scoring consistently in the youth team, the youngster has been rewarded with first-team experience by manager Ruben Amoirm, where he has impressed.

He has played four times so far, featuring for 78 minutes, including a 52-minute cameo against Fulham in the FA Cup. During the clash against the Cottagers, United legend Wayne Rooney said he has “been really impressed” with how Obi played.

For Arsenal fans, it must sting to see Obi performing so well in United’s first team. Most recently, the Gunners lost talented centre-back Ayden Heaven to Old Trafford, too, although he has just picked up an injury after a string of good performances.

The latest on Ayden Heaven’s injury

What a shame it was for Heaven that he picked up an injury. He had to be stretchered off with a leg issue around 50 minutes into United’s most recent game against Leicester City, after yet another fantastic start to the game.

At this stage, there is no diagnosis, nor is there a return time specified for the youngster.

However, he took to Instagram to explain he is “doing well and recovering fast”, and Manchester Evening News journalist Steven Railston stated United are ‘continuing to assess’ his issue.

It certainly comes at a bad time for the defender, who has now played four times for the Red Devils.

He impressed on his debut against Fulham in extra-time, before making a superb start to life in the Premier League against the Gunners. His first start came against Real Sociedad in the Europa League, and he also played from the off against the Foxes.

Talents like Heaven and Obi do not come around often, but United have a habit of making them prominent players in the first team.

Incredibly, the Red Devils may have an even more talented youngster in the academy, who is just waiting to break into the senior set-up under Amorim.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Man United's next-best talent after Heaven & Obi

Over the years, United have boasted several exciting academy talents in their first team. Most recently, of course, the likes of Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo have become prominent senior stars.

When it comes to Carrington graduates, next up for the Red Devils could be attacker Shea Lacey. Although he has struggled with injury at times over the past few seasons, he is a talented player, described as “unstoppable” by United academy-dedicated page Academy Scoop.

The 17-year-old, who was born in Liverpool, has sadly managed just eight appearances this season, after suffering from injury for much of the campaign. In that time, he has grabbed one assist, coming against FK Zalgiris in the UEFA Youth League.

That has not been Lacey’s only success in that competition. The teenager also grabbed an assist against Galatasaray last season. He impressed in both of those games and, as per Sofascore, created two chances against the Lithuanian side and one against the Turkish giants.

Touches

20

38

Pass accuracy

78%

100%

Dribbles completed

1/2

4/5

Duels won

4/7

5/7

Key passes

1

2

As for his exploits in domestic football for United’s U18s, the winger has once again impressed. He has five goals and five assists in 27 games in the U18 Premier League, including two goals and one assist in a 5-2 win over Newcastle United last term.

There is no doubting Lacey’s talent. The England U17 international is like a magnet with the ball at his feet, excelling at close control, and is someone who can create chances out of nowhere, an excellent trait for all attackers. So exciting is his potential that many have pointed out his similarities to PFA Premier League Player of the Year for 2023/24, Phil Foden.

If he can put his injury issues behind him, Lacey is more than talented enough to break through into United’s first team. He could become an important player for Amorim in the years to come and help form part of a dynasty alongside the likes of Obi and Heaven.

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نجح الوافد الجديد، ريان شرقي، في تسجيل هدفه الأول بقميص مانشستر سيتي في مباراتهم الجارية حاليًا ضد نظيره فريق العين، في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية.

وتلاقى الفريقان في خضم منافسات الجولة الثانية من دور مجموعات البطولة، لحساب المجموعة السابعة.

وتمكن مانشستر سيتي من تسجيل الهدف السادس في شباك نظيره العين، في الدقيقة 89 من عمر المباراة.

جاء الهدف عن طريق ريان شرقي، بعد تمريرة من إيرلينج هالاند، ليتمكن الفرنسي من تسجيل هدفه الأول بقميص مانشستر سيتي بعد قدومه من أولمبيك ليون هذا الصيف.

ودخل ريان شرقي كبديل في الدقيقة 74، لينجح في تسجيل هدفه الأول مع كتيبة بيب جوارديولا بشكل سريع.

💥 NUMBER 6!

Rayan Cherki joins the party with a clean finish — City running wild!

Watch the @FIFACWC | June 14 – July 13 | Every Game | Free | https://t.co/i0K4eUtwwb | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld #MCIAIN pic.twitter.com/jK32oG8ADi — DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) June 23, 2025

وتشير النتيجة في الوقت الحالي إلى تقدم مانشستر سيتي بستة أهداف دون رد، مما يعني خروج العين من البطولة بشكل رسمي.

Leeds United face Millwall at Elland Road tonight looking to return to winning ways after falling to a first Championship defeat since November against Portsmouth on Sunday.

Daniel Farke will want to see a reaction from his side as they look to further bolster their push for promotion as the season gradually approaches its conclusion.

The Whites have already received a boost ahead of the clash with Alex Neil’s side, with promotion rivals Sheffield United and Burnley both dropping points at home against Bristol City and West Brom last night.

However, if Farke’s side are to avoid following suit, multiple changes may need to be made from the side that lost on the South Coast at the weekend, handing them the best chance of extending their lead at the summit.

One player in particular needs to be dropped from the side, with his performance against Pompey below the levels expected of a player pushing for a return to the Premier League.

Why Aaronson needs to be dropped against Millwall

Attacking midfielder Brenden Aaronson returned to Leeds in the summer after spending last season on loan at Union Berlin following relegation from England’s top flight.

The American international has posted eight goals and two assists in his 36 league appearances to date, only managing one of those contributions since the turn of the year.

His showing against Portsmouth on Sunday afternoon was an unacceptable one, failing to deliver in the final third and unable to prevent the side from falling to defeat.

The 24-year-old only managed 21 touches, completing just 11 passes, but also lost 100% of the duels that he entered – highlighting how disappointing in and out of possession.

After such a disappointing showing, Farke must take action and drop him from the side, needing to hand one player a needed start to try and claim an important victory.

The player who Farke needs to start against Millwall

Since the start of the campaign, the Whites have often had a very settled side with very few changes made – mainly only occurring due to injuries or suspension.

Despite Aaronson’s poor form, he’s started every single game since the end of August, with the manager needing to take him out of the firing line and hand a start to Largie Ramazani this evening.

The Belgian joined in an £11m deal from Almeria in the summer but has struggled with injuries, returning to first team action over the last couple of weeks.

The 24-year-old has found starts hard to come by after his big-money transfer, appearing from the off just seven times in 2024/25, but still managing to register four goals and two assists in the process.

Ramazani, who’s previously been labelled “electric” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, came off the bench against Pompey at the weekend, looking to make an impact after falling behind.

During his 22 minutes on the pitch, he registered 11 touches and completed six passes whilst also completing 100% of his crosses – producing an encouraging showing in such a short period.

Largie Ramazani’s stats for Leeds against Portsmouth

Statistics

Tally

Minutes played

22

Touches

11

Passes completed

6

Crosses completed

1/1 (100%)

Chances created

1

Ground duels won

1/1 (100%)

Fouls won

1

Stats via FotMob

While he’s primarily a winger, Farke could look to shift him centrally or even opt for Daniel James or Manor Solomon to move inside and allow for Ramazani to enter the attack at Aaronson’s expense.

Sunday’s defeat was a disappointing one for the club, especially after their recent form, which has seen their phenomenal unbeaten run lead them to the top of the table.

Given the dropped points from their rivals last night, it’s pivotal that Farke’s side return to winning ways, putting them one step closer to ending their two-year absence from the top flight.

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MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo derrotou o Bahia por 1 a 0, pela terceira rodada da Série A2 do Campeonato Brasileiro de futebol feminino. No último lance do jogo, Kélen estufou a rede, aos 48 da etapa final, e carimbou mais um triunfo para as Gloriosas.

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O duelo contra as baianas foi realizado noestádio Giulite Coutinho, em Mesquita, no Rio de Janeiro. Sob forte calor, o clube carioca abriu as portas para os sócios, que assistiram a um jogo intenso e com um gol no último minutos.

+ Confira e simule a tabela do Brasileirão A2 de futebol feminino

No lance do gol Alvinegro, Miriam dominou e colocou na área para Kelén, de cabeça, colocar a bola no fundo da meta do Bahia. Com o triunfo, o Botafogo é o líder do grupo B com sete pontos. O Bahia permanece com quatro, na segunda colocação.

Os rivais Vasco e Fluminense fazem o outro jogo da rodada, neste domingo, às 15h, nas Laranjeiras. No fim da competição, quatro equipes garantirão as vagas na elite do futebol feminino. Os dois primeiros de cada grupo avançam para as quartas de finais para a sequência do mata-mata.

+Jogadores do Botafogo ‘que jogaram a Série B’ foram maioria em todas as vitórias de Luís Castro pelo Botafogo

O Botafogo voltará a campo no próximo dia 10, novamente contra o Bahia. Desta vez, o duelo será no CT Evaristo de Macedo, na região metropolitana de Salvador, às 15h.

أكد هاني سعيد، المدير الرياضي لنادي بيراميدز، أنه فخور بتحقيق الفريق بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا في الموسم الحالي، وذلك لأول مرة في تاريخ النادي.

وتوج بيراميدز ببطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، على حساب صن داونز الجنوب إفريقي، بالفوز بنتيجة 3-2 بمجموع المباراتين للدور النهائي من المسابقة القارية.

وقال سعيد خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر 2” لبرنامج “الكورة مع فايق”: “كانت توجد مرحلة شك من خارج النادي، الناس كلها كانت تشكك في النادي وقدرته على فعل شيء، اليقين كان لدينا نحن فقط داخل النادي والإدارة واللاعبين بهذا اليقين استطعنا أن نحقق البطولة”.

وأضاف: “لم يكن أمامنا شيء غير أننا نظل نحاول، خلال الـ 6 سنوات كان هدفنا المحاولة ونضيف العناصر التي تستطيع أن تفرق معنا ونتعاقد مع أفضل عناصر فنيًا وعلى مستوى الشخصيات”.

طالع | إيقاف وتغريم ثنائي بيراميدز.. رابطة الأندية تعلن عقوبات الجولة التاسعة من الدوري المصري

وتابع: “فخور جدًا وصدقنا أننا قادرون على تحقيق شيء، بعد التوفيق وفضل الله استطعنا أن نصل لهذه النقطة وتحقيق اللقب”.

وأكمل: “تركيز بيراميدز كان على الفوز بكل البطولات المشارك فيها ولم نتأثر بضغط المباريات، مباراة الجيش الملكي في دور ربع النهائي من دوري أبطال إفريقيا من أصعب مباريات بيراميدز هذا الموسم”.

وواصل: “شخصية يورتشيتش، هو بطبعه عصبي، يعمل كل شيء بقلبه وبروحه ويعطي كل شيء لديه في التمرين أو المباريات”.

وأردف: “تابعنا محمد الشيبي منذ البطولة العربية للمنتخبات أثناء تواجد كيروش مع منتخب مصر، الشيبي كان يشارك مع منتخب المغرب، وبدأنا في المفاوضات معه، وتعاقدنا معه بـ 400 ألف دولار”.

وأتم: “كنت أتوقع هذا الحضور الجماهيري لأن الأحداث قبل المباراة بيومين كانت تقول ذلك، وفرق معنا الحضور الجماهيري، بيراميدز أول نادي يتوج بالبطولة وهو فريق غير جماهيري”.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo empatou com o Avaí por 1 a 1 na noite deste sábado, na Ressacada, e deixou escapar a chance de encostar na liderança do Campeonato Brasileiro. Reinaldo abriu o placar em cobrança de pênalti, e Muriqui empatou para os mandantes pela nona rodada. Quando o Tricolor vencia, Calleri, artilheiro da competição, desperdiçou uma penalidade.

Galeria
>Saiba quais são os clubes que mais cederam jogadores à Seleção Brasileira em Copas

Tabela
> Veja tabela do Brasileirão e simule os próximos jogos

SÃO PAULO COMEÇA MELHOR
​
O Tricolor paulista conseguiu controlar o jogo em boa parte do tempo. As primeiras chances foram criadas por Luciano, que completou o 100º jogo com a camisa do São Paulo. Aos cinco minutos, finalizou de longe, mas Vladimir fez uma grande defesa.

O Avaí tentou pressionar um pouco mais a partir dos 15 minutos da primeira etapa. Bissoli recebeu em boas condições e mandou direto para o gol, na primeira finalização do Leão da Ilha, mas Jandrei fez uma tranquila defesa.

AVAÍ EQUILIBRA E EXPLORA ERROS DO SÃO PAULO
​
Perto dos 30 minutos, o time de Rogério Ceni perdeu o ritmo de jogo. O Avaí passou a explorar melhor os espaços deixados pelo Tricolor, além dos erros de passes e dribles sem sucesso. No entanto, as duas equipes tiveram dificuldades para finalizar e levar perigo.

Kevin tentou marcar aos 42 minutos, porém Jandrei caiu para a fazer a defesa sem grandes problemas.

SÃO PAULO SAI NA FRENTE EM COBRANÇA DE PÊNALTI
​
Nos acréscimos, aos 47 minutos, o VAR chamou Anderson Daronco para analisar possível pênalti a favor do São Paulo em toque no braço do defensor Arthur Chaves. Após a revisão, a penalidade foi marcada pelo árbitro.

Na cobrança, Reinaldo bateu no alto, sem chances para o goleiro Vladimir, que chegou a acertar o canto, colocando o São Paulo na frente.

SEGUNDO TEMPO COMEÇA COM PÊNALTI PERDIDO
​
A etapa final começou conturbada na Ressacada. Logo no primeiro minuto, os jogadores do Tricolor reclamaram de falta de Arthur Chaves em Luciano. Novamente o VAR foi acionado, e após análise, Daronco considerou pênalti mais uma vez.

Desta vez, a responsabilidade ficou na mão de Calleri, artilheiro do campeonato, que falhou na cobrança e mandou para fora.

AVAÍ RECUPERA RITMO E EMPATA
​
Após o pênalti perdido pelo artilheiro do São Paulo, o Avaí adotou uma postura ofensiva, ainda mais com as mudanças realizadas por Barroca. Aos 11 minutos, Eduardo bateu para o gol, mas saiu pela linha de fundo. O Leão da Ilha começou a incomodar um pouco mais a defesa do Tricolor.

Aos 20′, Eduardo arriscou mais uma vez. Jandrei defendeu, mas deu rebote nos pés de Muriqui, que aproveitou e garantiu o empate na Ressacada. Jandrei falhou no lance.

TRICOLOR SENTE O EMPATE E PERDE INTENSIDADE
​
Após o empate, o São Paulo perdeu ritmo de jogo e cedeu espaços para o adversário – o que deu chance para o Avaí encontrar contra-ataques.

Aos 30′, Muriqui colocou o Tricolor paulista em perigo e quase marcou o gol da virada. Jandrei fez uma boa defesa e salvou a equipe.
Os últimos minutos mostraram dificuldade da equipe de Ceni de adentrar a área adversária e criar oportunidades.

Aos 41′, Copete perdeu um gol sem goleiro. O atacante recebeu sozinho na área, tirou Jandrei da jogada e mesmo assim chutou para fora.

Calleri também perdeu a chance de garantir a vitória do Tricolor. Ao receber uma bola de Rigoni nos minutos finais, tentou de cabeça, mas foi para fora.

Com o resultado, o São Paulo chegou aos 14 pontos na tabela do Brasileirão 2022 e agora está em sexto lugar. Já o Avaí, chegou aos 11 pontos e está na 12º colocação.

O Tricolor volta a campo na próxima quinta-feira (9), contra o Coritiba, no Couto Pereira, às 20h já pela nona rodada. Já o Leão da Ilha, joga um dia antes, na quarta-feira (8), contra o Atlético-GO, fora de casa, às 20h30.

FICHA TÉCNICA
AVAÍ 1 X 1 SÃO PAULO
Local: Estádio da Ressacada, em Florianópolis (SC)
Data/Horário: 04/06/2022, às 19h
Árbitro: Anderson Daronco (RS)
Assistentes: Rafael da Silva Alves (RS) e Michael Stanislau (SC)
VAR: Wagner Reway (PB)
Gols: Reinaldo, aos 48´/1ºT (0-1) e Muriqui, aos 22´/2ºT (1-1)
Cartões Amarelos: Arthur Chaves e Bruno Cortez (AVA), Léo e Alisson (SP)
Cartões Vermelhos: –

AVAÍ:Vladimir; Kevin, Rodrigo Freitas (Jean Pyerre, 9´/2ºT), Arthur Chaves e Bruno Cortez; Raniele, Bruno Silva e Eduardo (Jean Cléber, 32´/2ºT); Morato (William Pottker, 9´/2ºT), Bissoli (Copete, 38´/2ºT) e Muriqui. Técnico: Eduardo Barroca

SÃO PAULO: Jandrei; Diego Costa, Miranda e Léo; Igor Vinicius (Rigoni, 27´/2ºT), Gabriel (Pablo Maia, 27´/2ºT), Rodrigo Nestor, Alisson e Reinaldo (Welington, 35´/2ºT); Luciano (Eder, 35´/2ºT) e Calleri. Técnico: Rogério Ceni.

In recent years, Chelsea have had some excellent attackers play for the club. Of course, leading the attack for the Blues now is Cole Palmer, who has an extraordinary record for the West Londoners. The Manchester City academy graduate has 39 goals and 21 assists in 70 games for the club so far.

Didier Drogba is perhaps the best striker in Chelsea history. He scored 164 goals and grabbed 80 assists in 381 appearances. Legendary Belgian winger Eden Hazard was another deadly attacker for Chelsea, and he bagged 110 goals and assisted 85 times in 352 games for the club.

Another dangerous former Blues attacker was Frenchman, Nicolas Anelka.

Anelka’s Chelsea career

The now-retired Anelka was something of a journeyman in top-level football. He played all over Europe, having spells at Real Madrid, Arsenal and Liverpool among others, as well as experiencing football in China and India.

However, he arguably played his best football for Chelsea. Indeed, the West Londoners were the club he played for more than any other, making 184 appearances in total. He managed 59 goals and 30 assists over five seasons at Stamford Bridge.

Undoubtedly the Frenchman’s best campaign at the club came in 2008/09 when he won the Premier League Golden Boot. Anelka scored 19 goals that season, winning the esteemed prize outright, beating Cristiano Ronaldo by one goal, in his final year at Manchester United.

The attacker, who hails from Versailles in France, was a player highly regarded within the footballing world. Former Chelsea boss, the legendary Carlo Ancelotti, described him as a “top player” back in January 2010.

There was no doubt that Anelka was scintillating for Chelsea, and surely current boss Enzo Maresca would love to have a player like him in the squad again. Well, the Blues have been linked with someone once compared to the former Chelsea number 39.

The Anelka-esque player Chelsea want

The player in question here is another French attacker who wears the number 39, Mathys Tel. The Bayern Munich star has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge as recently as Thursday by TEAMTalk, who explain they are in ‘active conversations’ for his signature.

They are not alone in the race to sign the 19-year-old. Manchester United and Arsenal are also showing strong interest, and, according to Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham Hotspur had a £50m bid accepted, although the player rejected the move. It is safe to assume Tel would cost Chelsea the same amount if they were to sign him permanently.

It was football analyst Ben Mattinson who compared Tel to Anelka, and he was full of praise for the youngster outside of that. He described the 19-year-old as a “deadly finisher”, something which certainly rang true for Anelka during his career.

It has been a tough campaign for the dynamic attacker this season. He has played just 14 games across all competitions, is yet to score, and has just one assist to his name. However, he has only featured for 458 minutes, the equivalent of 5 full 90-minute games.

Last season, the French prodigy was fantastic and showed what he can do when given an opportunity in the side.

In all competitions, Tel played 41 games, scoring ten goals and grabbing six assists. However, his 140 minutes were equal to 16 full 90-minute games, meaning he averaged a goal involvement per game.

Tel stats by competition in 2023/24 season

Competition

Games

Minutes

Goals

Assists

Bundesliga

30

1023

7

5

Champions League

8

139

2

1

DFB Pokal

2

180

1

0

DFL Supercup

1

64

0

0

Stats from Transfermarkt

Chelsea will be hoping the Bayern youngster can deliver these kinds of performances at Stamford Bridge. He is a player with bags of potential, who, if in the right environment, can hit some extraordinary numbers,

If Tel can come close to the levels of Anelka at Chelsea, the Blues might have another French superstar on their hands.

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Rangers are seeking reinforcements for Philippe Clement’s team this January.

On Sunday, the Gers cruised through to the fifth round of the Scottish Cup by steamrollering Highland League outfit Fraserburgh 5-0 at Ibrox; Cyriel Dessers the scorer of a hat-trick.

Up next, a slightly trickier challenge, Clement’s men will take on Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Europa League, currently eighth in the gigantic league table, probably requiring four points from their remaining two fixtures to remain there, with Royale Union Saint-Gilloise still to visit Govan a week later.

With the Premiership title race over, the Light Blues are a humongous 13 points adrift of league-leaders Celtic, despite dismantling their fierce rivals 3-0 earlier this month, an elongated European escapade is the priority, so could the addition of a new midfielder help their chances?

Rangers could sign their new Glen Kamara

According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, CSKA Moscow have “opened the door” for Rangers in their attempts to sign midfielder Saša Zdjelar.

The 29-year-old’s contract expires this summer, and O’Rourke, speaking on Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, claims the 13-times Russian champions would “rather cash in on him now… than allow him to run down his contract”.

Who is Saša Zdjelar

Zdjelar has won nine caps for Serbia, featuring in each of the four most recent UEFA Nations League matches in October and November, starting a competitive senior international for the very first time against Spain in Córdoba.

At club level, he has played for Olympiacos, RCD Mallorca and Partizan Belgrade, winning a Greek Super League title and the Serbian Cup, before joining CSKA Moscow for a reported €500,000 in July 2022, helping the Red-Blues win the Russian Cup during his first season, starting the final which saw them prevail after a penalty shootout against Krasnodar at the Luzhniki.

His only goal for CSKA came during a 6-2 hammering of Pari Nizhny Novgorod last May, but scoring goals isn’t really his game, with this just the eighth of his senior career, more well-known for collecting cards, shown 78 yellows and three reds to date, giving you some idea of what type of midfielder he is.

Scottish Football writer Kai Watson describes him as a “vastly experienced” player who can play either at the base of midfield or “cover at centre-back”, suggesting he could be an astute addition for cash-strapped Rangers.

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How Saša Zdjelar could help Rangers

In recent times, club captain James Tavernier, Leon Balogun, John Souttar, Dujon Sterling and forgotten man Neraysho Kasanwirjo have all spent time on the sidelines, with Clement stating that no one could’ve “predicted” they’d endure such a defensive injury crisis.

Rafael Fernandes, who’s arrived on loan from Lille, will help alleviate this issue but, given that Zdjelar is capable of playing centre-back, he would be a welcome addition also.

Nevertheless, he would primarily be joining to play in midfield, as the Gers search for Nicolas Raskin’s perfect partner, with Connor Barron and Mohamed Diomandé both having enjoyed a run of games, without either nailing down a position.

In truth, Rangers have never properly replaced Glen Kamara, who arrived from Dundee for just £50,000 in 2019, which Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge labelled “the best 50 grand Rangers have ever spent”, while then manager Steven Gerrard called Kamara a “bargain”.

After making almost 200 appearances for the Light Blues, winning a Scottish Premiership title and reaching the Europa League Final, the Finnish international was sold to Leeds for a reported £5.5m, now with Stade Rennais, following a £5m move last summer.

Like Kamara, Zdjelar would also arrive on the cheap, and he’d hope to have a similar impact in Glasgow, so let’s see how the duo compare.

Appearances

119

179

Minutes

9,444

13,283

Pass completion %

80.1%

87.4%

Tackles won

1.02

0.66

Interceptions

0.78

1.03

% of aerial duals won

53.3%

49.2%

Ball recoveries

0.84

1.41

Kamara at his peak during his time at Rangers is statistically slightly better than Zdjelar since the start of the 2021/22 season, albeit the Serbian does rank higher when it comes to tackles and aerial duals.

Stylistically too, the duo are similar, as are their, potential, arrivals at Ibrox, and the 29-year-old appears as though he’s exactly the tough-tackling, disciplined midfielder that would really help Rangers right now.

Rangers have already sold their own Lyall Cameron in "world-class" star

Rangers let a player go in 2017 who could have been their very own Lyall Cameron

ByRoss Kilvington Jan 21, 2025

Kevin De Bruyne has confirmed that he will be leaving Manchester City as a free agent at the end of the season.

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Moved to the Etihad Stadium in 2015Won six Premier League titles and Champions LeagueSet to walk away when contract expiresFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

The classy Belgian midfielder returned to England – having previously endured a tough time at Chelsea – in the summer of 2015. He has gone on to become a Premier League legend, claiming six top-flight titles. De Bruyne is also a Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup winner with over 400 appearances for City to his name.

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At 33 years of age, De Bruyne will see his current contract expire in the summer. No extension to those terms will be put in place, meaning that a new challenge will be sought after a decade of loyal service at the Etihad Stadium.

WHAT KEVIN DE BRUYNE SAID

De Bruyne has said in an emotional message to City fans on social media: "Dear Manchester. Seeing this, you probably realise where this is heading. So I'll get straight to it and let you all know that these will be my final months as a Manchester City player.

"Nothing about this is easy to write, but as football players, we all know this day eventually comes. That day is here – and you deserve to hear it from me first.

"Football led me to all you and – and to this city. Chasing my dream, not knowing this period would change my life. This city. This club. These people… gave me EVERYTHING back! And guess what – we won EVERYTHING.

"Whether we like it or not, it's time to say goodbye. Suri, Rome, Mason, Michele and I are beyond grateful for what this place has meant to our family. 'Manchester' will forever be on our kids' passports – and more importantly, in each of our hearts.

"This will always be our HOME. We cannot thank the city, club, staff, teammates, friends and family enough for this 10-year ride.

"Every story comes to an end, but this has definitely been the best chapter. Let's enjoy these last moments together! Much love, Kevin."

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WHAT NEXT FOR KEVIN DE BRUYNE?

De Bruyne sits second to Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs (162) on the all-time list of Premier League assist-makers, with 118 to his name. Various landing spots have been mooted for the Belgium international, ranging from MLS to the Saudi Pro League.