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Rangers ended the Premiership season in second place as they failed to retain their title after lifting it at Ibrox last term.

The Gers finished four points adrift of their arch rivals and there are a number of reasons why Gio van Bronckhorst’s men failed to get over the line.

A deep run in the Europa League could have diverted attention away from the top-flight, whilst injuries to key players like Ianis Hagi and Alfredo Morelos did not help.

At the end of the league season, strikers Morelos (11) and Kemar Roofe (10) were the only players in double figures for goals. The Gers lacked a third centre-forward to provide them with real competition, in the way that Jermain Defoe could have done at the peak of his Ibrox power.

The now-retired striker scored 32 goals in 74 games for Rangers, providing ten assists along the way, as he proved to be a useful player to call upon when needed. He had the quality to pop up with goals, as his record shows, and van Bronckhorst could do with his own Defoe.

Cedric Itten has not been that player as he has scored eight goals and managed three assists in 49 matches for the Light Blues since his move to Glasgow. He has not been an adequate option to provide competition for Morelos and Roofe at the top end of the pitch.

This is where Sunderland striker Ross Stewart could come in. He can finally replace Defoe at Ibrox and be the player to put the pressure on the existing forwards at the club to give van Bronckhort a much-needed boost in that part of the squad.

The Gers have been linked with a swoop for the Scottish number nine and he would be an excellent addition to the team.

He produced 26 goals and three assists in League One for the Black Cats this season as he has shown that he can be lethal in front of goal on a consistent basis, albeit that it is difficult to gauge the difference in quality between that and the Premiership.

He was dubbed as a player “who never gives up” by ex-Sunderland man Kevin Phillips and this suggests that he would work his socks off for the team. Couple this with his potential to be an outstanding goalscorer and you have a player who can finally replace Defoe and give van Bronckhorst a strong group of striking options to work with next season. 

Therefore, the club must work hard to strike a deal with Stewart, if possible, as he would be an exciting, excellent, signing for the team.

AND in other news, Gvb must brutally axe £2.7m “out the picture” Rangers liability, he’s not good enough…

The day started in extraordinary fashion, before the teams fought hard on the best batting pitch of the series

Karthik Krishnaswamy09-Mar-2023On December 8, 1959, Ayub Khan and Dwight D Eisenhower, the presidents of Pakistan and the USA, attended the fourth day of a Test match in Karachi. Striving to save the Test against Australia, Pakistan scored 104 for 5 over that five-and-a-half-hour day. Only once have fewer runs been scored over a full day’s play in Test cricket.Sixty-three years and three months later, Narendra Modi and Anthony Albanese, the prime ministers of India and Australia, were in attendance on day one of another Test match, at a stadium named after one of them. Runs came quicker in Ahmedabad than they did in Karachi, but there was a similar attrition to proceedings, and it felt especially so coming after the frenetic contests in Nagpur, Delhi and Indore.You could almost call it a day of normalcy after the frenzied action of those three Tests, but there was nothing normal about it in other respects. The players didn’t warm up on the field of play. Before the toss, the prime ministers went on a lap of honour around the outfield, on a buggy decked out with stumps and bats, to the accompaniment of patriotic Bollywood tunes composed by AR Rahman and Salim-Sulaiman.Related

• In Green, Australia have a batter who will shape their middle order for years to come

• Khawaja in the subcontinent – unselectable to indispensable

• Live Report – India vs Australia, 4th Test, Ahmedabad

• Khawaja ton caps confident performance by Australia

• Khawaja and the century he never expected to happen

Tickets for days two, three, four and five of this match had gone on sale days before tickets for day one, as the organisers sought to balance the presence of the paying public and special invitees. There was talk before the match of record attendances, but the world’s highest-capacity cricket stadium was perhaps only 60% full through the first hour of play, which the prime ministers sat through. A curious thing happened once they left; the lower tiers, initially packed with men and women wearing badges around their necks with the word “volunteer” on them, began to clear out, while the upper tiers began filling up.All this was unusual, but the cricket was relentlessly old-school.It was the kind of day on which your attention could wander, but whenever you turned your eye back to the action, whether it was at 10am or 4pm, you were likely to find Usman Khawaja defending off the back foot, with his front pad pulled smartly away from the line of the ball.Khawaja’s timeless, unhurried grace was the one constant on a day of subtle shifts in mood and tempo. The new ball swung around corners, but India’s quicks took time to find their lines, and Travis Head, slashing at everything, rode his luck while scoring 32 off 44 balls. He played and missed constantly, survived a dropped chance, and achieved a control percentage of 77 on the flattest pitch of the series, but India could do little against him but wait for the next mistake. Once it came, a miscue to mid-on off R Ashwin, the bowlers got into their groove, and gained control over Australia’s run rate.A simplistic narrative has developed around this generation of India players, that they represent a new-age vision of India fuelled by a brook-no-questions aggression, but the cornerstone of their Test results both home and away has been the patience and control of their bowling attack. It was fully on display now, on this flat, first-day pitch. It took India 289 balls to pick up their next two wickets after they’d dismissed Head, but they only conceded 90 runs in that time.The pitch was slow and low with barely any turn on offer, and India met its challenge with time-tested methods. They tried to keep the stumps in play, and set fields for drives and flicks in the wide V from extra-cover to midwicket, primarily to protect runs against those shots, while also hoping for catches if the batters played too early.A frequent sight on day one in Ahmedabad: R Ashwin reacts after a close call•BCCIThe spinners looked to mix up their pace and angles and turn the batters’ muscle memory against them, hoping to get them playing for turn when there was barely any available. Steven Smith kept trying to clip Ashwin to mid-on, and kept playing the ball back to the bowler off the outside half of his bat. Ashwin’s hands kept going towards his head, but while he was troubling Smith with his drift and lack of turn, he wasn’t necessarily going to get him out with just those tools.India waited for mistakes, and kept the runs down while they waited. Marnus Labuschagne and Smith both looked good without managing to wriggle out of India’s stranglehold, and both were out in classic slow-pitch fashion, playing on with their bats drawn a mite too far from their bodies.So far, so attritional. It took until the 71st over of the day for an India bowler to do something spectacular at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Mohammed Shami produced that moment, as he somehow often seems to on seemingly lifeless pitches. He did it during a spell of reverse-swing, but he did it with a hint of seam movement, and in a manner that seemed almost inevitable.When he last came to India, Peter Handscomb had the reputation of being an lbw candidate; he’d stand deep in his crease, go back and across in his trigger movement, and often end up on the back foot against full deliveries with his pads in line with the stumps. On this trip, he’s changed his set-up slightly, at least when the ball has reversed. He still stands with both feet inside the crease, but he doesn’t go across his stumps quite so much, and stays leg-side of the ball.Watching this, you may have felt that a skiddy ball straightening to hit the top of off stump could get him in trouble. Umesh Yadav tried to bowl this for a while, before Shami took over. There’s probably no one in the world better at bowling that particular delivery, and Shami took exactly one ball to land it perfectly to Handscomb. Outside edge beaten, off stump cartwheeling, thank you very much.Mohammed Shami sent Peter Handscomb’s off stump cartwheeling in Ahmedabad•BCCIFor India in home Tests, this sort of moment has often opened the floodgates after hours and sessions of patient probing. For a while, Shami continued to threaten. Cameron Green shouldered arms to a ball he could have left on length in Perth or Brisbane, and was lucky to come away with his off stump intact.Shami then peppered Green with the short ball. As a towering man with a crouched stance, low hands, and a recently fractured finger, Green may well have expected to face this line of attack, particularly on this low-bounce pitch against skiddy fast bowling. He knew, however, that the bigger threat was the full ball at his stumps, and he was prepared to use methods to repel that mode of attack even if it left him looking awkward when it was up near his ribcage.Green got through the barrage, and India took the second new ball, an over after it became available. They may have hoped it would swing, while also giving their spinners a bit more purchase late in the day. It didn’t quite work that way, and from 201 for 4 in 81 overs, Australia sped to 255 for 4 in 90 with Khawaja bringing up his century, to pockets of warm applause, in the last over of the day.Australia had perhaps enjoyed the better of the day’s exchanges, but India had kept their scoring down for large periods. They will have had an anxious eye on the pitch throughout; it remains to be seen how long it will hold together under the harsh Ahmedabad sun.The turning pitches laid out for the first three Tests of this series were partly an effort to minimise the impact of the toss. Now, with a series win and a place in the World Test Championship final on the line, India had prepared – by design or otherwise – the flattest surface of the series. These pitches tend to stay flat through both teams’ first innings when India play Test matches in October and November; in the heat of March, there’s a chance they can start off flat and deteriorate rapidly.The course of the Test match may well hinge on how long it takes for this pitch to offer serious turn. Both teams can expect plenty more old-fashioned attrition until then, under the watchful eyes of a thousand larger-than-life likenesses of their respective prime ministers. They’ve left the stadium, but they’re still watching.

England were at the receiving end of Haynes’ grit and text-book acceleration more than once, but one of her “most important knocks” came vs Sri Lanka

Vishal Dikshit15-Sep-2022
98 on Test debut vs England, Worcester, 2009
Barely a week after her international debut, Haynes walked out to bat at No. 7 in her first Test with the score on 28 for 5, with many experienced players back in the dressing room. With captain Jodie Fields leading Australia’s fightback, Haynes scored 98 to script a then world-record fifth-wicket partnership of 229. While Fields was a tad lucky, being dropped thrice in her century, Haynes struck 13 fours in her near five-hour stay at the crease.Related

• No grand farewell, but Haynes leaves an outstanding legacy

• Rachael Haynes retires from international and state cricket

• Haynes says 'it's nice to walk away on my own terms'

She was bowled by Laura Marsh at the stroke of stumps just two shy of a century. Unfortunately, she would never go on to breach the three-figure mark in her Test career.83 vs South Africa, Cuttack, 2013 ODI World Cup
Chasing 189 in a World Cup league game against South Africa, Australia slipped to 34 for 3 with two batters gone for ducks. Opening the innings, Haynes first took them close to the 100-run mark with the experienced Lisa Sthalekar and then to 150 with a fairly brisk 83 off 108, featuring 10 fours. That eventually took them over the line with three wickets in hand and into the Super Six stage.It was her fourth ODI half-century and set the tone for the rest of the World Cup as she scored two more fifties, including one in the final against West Indies, which gave Australia their sixth ODI title. She ended the tournament as their top-scorer, averaging 45.50.89* off 56 vs England, Coffs Harbour, 2017
Soon after her return to the side in 2017 after a gap of nearly four years, and in just her second Ashes game post-comeback, Haynes was named the stand-in captain in the absence of the injured Lanning. With the added responsibility and a platform already laid by Nicole Bolton, Alyssa Healy and Ellyse Perry, Haynes displayed a different side of her batting, blasting an unbeaten 89 off 56 to power Australia to 296 for 6, resulting in a 75-run win.Rachael Haynes’ 89* earned her the Player-of-the-Match award•Getty ImagesHaynes’ clean striking – nine fours and three sixes included – sent England’s fielders all over the Coffs Harbour ground. A few wickets fell at the other end in the death overs but she manipulated the strike expertly to lead them to a total that gave them a 2-0 lead.25* off 15 vs West Indies, semi-final, North Sound, 2018 T20 World Cup
Healy and Lanning’s knocks at the top took the team past 100 in the 16th over but a few late wickets hurt Australia when they were looking to accelerate. That is, until vice-captain Haynes came out and picked off three fours in an over by a hobbling Deandra Dottin, and then hit one more off Stafanie Taylor in the last over to help her team collect 26 from the last 12 balls.West Indies scored only half of Australia’s total of 142 in reply, and Australia marched towards their fourth T20 title. Days later it emerged that coach Matthew Mott and Lanning were thinking about moving the in-form Haynes up the order to make her face more balls, but the vice-captain was happy to stick to the middle-order role. “The icing on the cake was Rach coming in and doing that at the end and got a lot of momentum back at the back end of the innings, which is huge in T20, if you can go into that break with a bit of a kick along. She just played it so well,” Mott said.60* off 47 vs Sri Lanka, Perth, 2020 T20 World Cup

An innings Haynes herself tagged “the most important that I played” on reflection after retiring, this one came against Sri Lanka in the 2020 T20 World Cup. Chasing 123, Healy fell for a duck, Mooney for 6 and No. 3 Ashleigh Gardner for 2. This time, Haynes played a combination of the rescue act and the finisher’s role with her match-winning 60 off 47.Rachael Haynes partnered with captain Meg Lanning to dig Australia out of a huge hole•Getty ImagesShe got a life along the way but was more aggressive in her partnership of 95 for the fourth wicket with Lanning, smashing 40 off her 60 runs on the leg side, including an 18-run 16th over off left-arm spinner Sugandika Kumari. That over turned what looked like a dicey situation, with Australia needing 44 off the last five, into a favourable one.130 vs England, Hamilton, ODI World Cup 2022

One among the best knocks – if not the best – of her ODI career came in her last World Cup, against arch-rivals England. She saw through some tight bowling from England’s quicks, with stifling field placements in play, to lay a platform along with Lanning. Once the conditions eased out for batting, she lifted herself from 39 off 60 balls at the halfway mark to a career-best 130 in what was then Australia’s second-highest stand – 196 – for any non-opening partnership at a Women’s World Cup.Rachael Haynes brought up a fine, match-winning century by shifting gears after a slow start•Getty ImagesHaynes went on to raise a fifty stand with Mooney off just 29 balls to take Australia beyond 300, with 59 coming off the last five overs. Sciver’s epic 109* took England close but not far enough, and Haynes’ century triggered what was a memorable swansong ODI tournament for her: 497 runs, just behind chart leader Healy’s 509, at an average of 62.12 with three fifties to go with this hundred.

West Ham United manager Graham Potter could be sacked by the Hammers very shortly, on one condition, with a potential timeline shared by one media source.

Graham Potter under growing pressure in east London

This time last year, David Moyes’ replacement, Julen Lopetegui, was in a very similar situation to Potter as critics and supporters alike called for the Spaniard to be axed following a poor start to 2024/2025.

Now, his successor, Potter, is facing the same pressure. Under the former Chelsea boss, West Ham have recorded their second-worst win percentage since the Premier League’s inception, with Avram Grant’s relegated side from 2010/2011 coming as the only Hammers team to fare worse.

The east Londoners have also leaked goals left, right and centre — conceding more than any other top-flight outfit thus far — with Potter’s West Ham also looking extremely vulnerable when it comes to set pieces.

Potter did give himself some breathing room with an impressive 3-0 win away to Nottingham Forest, which turned out to be Nuno Espírito Santo’s final game in charge, and the Portuguese is now being linked to the West Ham job after leaving the City Ground.

As well as Nuno, ex-West Ham player Frank Lampard has been mentioned as a candidate to replace Potter, with other reports suggesting Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna was in attendance at the London Stadium during their 3-0 derby defeat to Spurs.

However, any hope of a blockbuster move for big-name serial winner José Mourinho is being quashed by the special one’s imminent move to Benfica, so if West Ham are to sack Potter, they’ll need to decide quickly and avoid the other best-possible free agents being snapped up by other clubs.

Taking that into account, West Ham chair David Sullivan is apparently keen to avoid another Lopetegui-style saga, amid a major concern he has behind-the-scenes.

When West Ham could sack Graham Potter and it may be imminent

That is according to Hammers News, who shared an update on Potter’s future via one of their sources.

The informant, as quoted by HN, reveals that West Ham could sack Potter if they lose to Crystal Palace this weekend.

The 50-year-old’s unceremonious departure would bring his stock down even further after he was sacked by Chelsea, with Potter’s stellar days growing Brighton into an established Premier League side far behind the tactician.

It would be hard to envisage Potter getting another immediate big job if he’s given a P45 after Saturday, but as we’ve seen with ex-West Ham hero Moyes, you can always bounce back in the long-term.

Atlanta United goalkeeper and former USMNT stalwart Brad Guzan announced that he will retire following the conclusion of the 2025 MLS season. Guzan’s decision marks the end of a distinguished career that included 64 caps for the USMNT, a key role in Atlanta United’s formative years, and a significant tenure in both MLS and the English Premier League.

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  Career spanned two decades

  Guzan confirmed he will retire after the 2025 MLS season, closing a career spanning two decades. His announcement marks the end of a significant era for both Atlanta United and the USMNT, where Guzan was a steady presence in goal and a leader on and off the field. The American international’s statement, on social media, confirmed the news and thanked

  “21 years is a long time. I’m just a kid from Chicago who instantly knew this game was for me,” Guzan posted on his social media. “Today, as I prepare to hang up my gloves, I know this journey was never just about me. THANK YOU – TO EVERYONE.”

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• What Guzan posted

• Guzan’s career journey

  Guzan launched his professional career with Chivas USA in 2005, quickly establishing himself as a reliable goalkeeper in Major League Soccer. His performances earned him a move to England’s Aston Villa in 2008, where he spent over a decade, becoming a fan favorite and a consistent presence between the posts. 

  In 2017, Guzan returned to MLS as one of the first signings for the newly formed Atlanta United. His experience and composure were instrumental in stabilizing the team’s defense during its inaugural season. Guzan’s leadership contributed significantly to Atlanta United’s rapid ascent, culminating in the club’s MLS Cup victory in 2018.

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  What's next?

  As the 2025 MLS season draws to a close,  Guzan’s retirement signals the end of an era for both Atlanta United and the USMNT community. His contributions on and off the field have shaped the trajectory of American soccer domestically and internationally.

Former Paris Saint-Germain star Rafinha has explained why the era of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in the French capital never worked. The trio played together at PSG for two years from 2021, when Messi joined the club from Barcelona on a free transfer, and lasted until 2023 when both the Argentine and Neymar left for Inter Miami and Al-Hilal respectively.

• Star trio of Messi, Mbappe and Neymar never clicked for PSG

  PSG chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi grabbed the limelight in August 2021 when he did the unthinkable by signing Messi from Barcelona. The Argentine, who spent close to two decades at the Catalan club, finally left  to sign for the Ligue 1 giants. There he linked up with the likes of Mbappe and Neymar to form the most glamorous attacking trio in European football at that time. Al-Khelaifi also brought in Achraf Hakimi and Sergio Ramos to bolster his backline.

  The star-studded side, however, did not click as they won only the Ligue 1 title in their first season and repeated the feat in their second campaign, along with winning the French Super Cup, but they never delivered the Champions League – the trophy the club was desperate to win at the time.

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  Rafinha explains why famous era never worked

  Speaking on the , ex-PSG and Brazil midfielder said: "During pre-season, in the first training session where everyone was present, I said, 'This can’t possibly work'. Let’s start with the goalkeeper: Keylor Navas or Donnarumma. Whoever doesn’t play will be furious. There will be arguments, discussions with the coach. 

  "In defence: Marquinhos, the starter, no one will replace him, Kimpembe, PSG idol, and Sergio Ramos. The three best full-backs for each. In attack, Di María, Mbappe, Neymar, and Messi. Who do you take off? Di María, for his weight within the team, and even then, he’s not a player you can take off. It can’t work.

  "For a coach, it’s impossible. They were the best team in the world in terms of players, names, but at the same time, difficult to manage. I wasn’t playing, so I was watching."

• Messi was unhappy in Paris

  A source close to L’Equipe recently claimed that Messi was unhappy in the two seasons he spent at PSG and even felt that the club protected French star Mbappe more than any player in the squad. The source was quoted as saying: "He didn’t have one good moment in Paris. He couldn’t go out. He found himself in the middle of the Neymar-Mbappe rivalry. He even felt that the club protected the Frenchman and didn’t even honour his World Cup title. In Barcelona, he was a god. He was used to taking his kids to school, the sun…it was a lot of things combined."

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  PSG finally went on to win the UCL

  After Neymar and Messi exited the club in the summer of 2023, Mbappe remained there for one more year before walking out as a free agent to complete his dream transfer to Real Madrid. The next season, PSG won the treble. including the elusive Champions League title under the leadership of Luis Enrique. Ousmane Dembele was the star of the team as his performances earned him his first-ever Ballon d'Or.

When it comes to summer transfer windows, Arsenal haven’t always been a club that like to go big.

However, this year saw the thrice Premier League runners-up smash open the war chest and make the addition that could finally get them over the line come May.

Andrea Berta oversaw the arrival of eight first-team quality players, and while several of them have the potential to be real game-changers, Viktor Gyokeres might just be the most exciting.

The Swedish shot-stopper could be the missing piece in Mikel Arteta’s attack, but he’ll have to take the league by storm to see his valuation match that of one of his new teammates.

Gyokeres' start to the Premier League season

To describe Gyokeres as prolific during his time with Sporting CP would be a colossal understatement.

In 102 appearances, totalling 8417 minutes, he scored 97 goals and provided 28 assists, which comes out to an average of 1.22 goal involvements every game, or one every 67.33 minutes.

With numbers like these, it’s easy to understand why Arsenal spent £64m on him and why there are such high expectations about what he could do at the club.

Yet, while it is still early days, it would be fair to say that he’s not exactly got off to a flyer in red and white.

For example, in the games against Manchester United and Liverpool, he failed to have a single shot, let alone one on target.

Moreover, while his teammates weren’t providing him with adequate service, he was not helping himself with some lacklustre runs and heavy touches.

Fortunately, we got to see what he can do in the game against Leeds United, as he opened his account with a lovely run early in the second half and then doubled his tally with a thunderous strike from the penalty spot towards the end of the game.

In all, Gyokeres could be a huge difference-maker for Arsenal this season, although there is already someone in the team competing with him who is worth millions more.

The Arsenal star worth millions more than Gyokeres

Even before this summer’s spending spree, Arsenal could boast a team overflowing with sensational talent.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

From William Saliba in defence, to Declam Rice in midfield and Bukayo Saka in attack, there are superstars all over this team.

However, in this instance, the attacker in question is none other than Kai Havertz, and while he might divide opinion at times, his valuation remains incredibly high.

For example, the CIES Football Observatory prices the German international at a whopping €91m, which is about £79m, or £15m more than Gyokeres cost the Gunners.

That might sound like an awful lot of money for a player who has quite the reputation for being wasteful in attacking situations, but contrary to how many view him, the 26-year-old has quite an impressive record for the club.

For example, since making the move to North London, the former Chelsea ace has scored 29 goals and provided 13 assists in 88 appearances, which is an average of a goal involvement every 2.09 games.

However, when you look purely at the games in which he played as the team’s striker, the numbers become even more impressive.

In those 48 matches, totalling 4004 minutes, the “magnificent” ace, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored 19 goals and provided 13 assists.

In other words, when he has played as a striker, the Aachen-born monster averages a goal involvement every 1.5 games, or every 125.12 minutes, which is a brilliant rate of return.

Ultimately, he might still divide opinion among fans and pundits alike, but Havertz’s numbers are undoubtedly impressive and help to explain why he currently has a higher valuation than Gyokeres.

Arsenal sold homegrown Gyokeres for £4m, now he's one of the best in Europe

Arsenal had a promising talent in their ranks who could have been their own homegrown Gyokeres.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Sep 3, 2025

Paris Saint-Germain stars “don’t give a damn” about what opponents have to say when it comes to ‘best team in the world’ titles, with Lamine Yamal and Pedri being made to eat their words as the current holders of the prestigious Champions League crown secured another notable victory over Barcelona. A thrilling contest in Catalunya, which swung one way and then the other, ended in dramatic circumstances as PSG snatched a 90th-minute winner.

• Champions League thriller: PSG snatch points off Barcelona

  Goncalo Ramos was the man to have the final say, as he swept into the back of the net following a swift counter-attack from PSG. Luis Enrique – who was facing his former employers – had seen Barca take the lead inside 19 minutes through Ferran Torres, as Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford added another assist to his tally in 2025-26.

  Teenage forward Senny Mayulu restored parity five minutes before half-time when opening his goal account for the season. Both teams had opportunities in the second-half, but it was Ramos who stole all three points for the visitors.

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  What Yamal & Pedri said ahead of clash with PSG

  The Portugal international striker was among those afterwards to respond to pre-match comments made by some prominent figures in the Barca camp. Kopa Trophy-winning wonderkid Lamine Yamal posted a story on Instagram which saw him calmly sitting on a railing while wearing a Spain shirt. His message read, having nursed a knock picked up on international duty: “Pressure? I’m back and the mission is back too.”

  Yamal’s club colleague Pedri said ahead of the game: “PSG is a team that already showed last season what it was, one of the best teams in the world, and I consider us to be the best.”

  He added, having seen the Blaugrana suffer a 4-1 quarter-final defeat to the Ligue 1 giants in April 2024: “All of us Barca fans regret having been so close to qualifying. Football always has revenge, everyone wants to play these matches. Both teams are favourites and we want to win the Champions League. We have the squad to do it and it will be one of the best matches of the moment.”

• Ramos & Vitinha respond to comments from Barcelona stars

  Talk of revenge was fresh in PSG’s mind when they lined up against familiar opponents. Ramos was eager to ensure that the French giants were not knocked from the loftiest of perches. He told reporters: “We're the European champions, I can't say more than that. If you're the best, you have to show it on the pitch, not talk.”

  Midfield maestro Vitinha was also among those to speak in the mixed zone, as he faced questions from the likes of . He said when asked about the comments made by Yamal and Pedri before a ball was kicked: “It happens sometimes. There are often statements made before matches, and it can happen. We don't give a damn. We don't care, we just want to play the match, we won, and we're happy about that.”

  He went on to say of downing Barca while missing a number of senior stars: “It's incredible, I'm proud of this team because it's happened several times before to turn the result around. You have five players who normally start who aren't there, you have some kids who play, others who come on very well. Other players who play less often came on and gave a great response. We were behind against one of the best teams in Europe away from home, and even then, you manage to come through in the second half and turn the game around. It's a great statement from our team. I want to thank all my team-mates.”

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  What next for Barcelona & PSG? Upcoming fixtures

  Barcelona will be back in La Liga action on Sunday when taking in a trip to Sevilla – with their unbeaten record in domestic competition, which sees them sat top of the table, being put on the line there. PSG, who have suffered one defeat in Ligue 1 this term, are due to face Lille on Sunday. The latest round of fixtures will take clubs around the world into the next international break.

Birmingham City have found their return to Championship life to be comfortable so far.

Unlike fellow promoted new side Wrexham, who have already been made well aware of the jump-up in quality, Chris Davies’ Blues look ready for the challenge ahead of the 46-game marathon, having recently fought back dramatically to win 2-1 at Blackburn Rovers.

Having also just been acknowledged at the PFA Awards with seven members of the Birmingham first team squad in League One Team of the Year, everything appears to be rosy currently at St. Andrew’s.

That’s the case even after rumours linking the Blues to an audacious move for Aleksandar Mitrovic were rubbished, with the temporary thought of Mitrovic leading the line for another Championship side a terrifying prospect.

Birmingham's rumoured interest in Mitrovic

There may well have been some weight behind Birmingham plotting a stunning move for the ex-Fulham attacker, considering they have forked out a notable £10m on Kyogo Furuhashi’s services in recent times.

However, landing the Serbian would have undoubtedly been the signing of the summer from the Blues’ perspective – away from the former Celtic man’s arrival on to the scene – when you assess his unbelievable goalscoring exploits in the EFL’s elite division previously.

In total, Mitrovic has managed to bag an insane 83 strikes from just 126 career appearances in the competitive league, with 43 of those coming during just one Championship season.

Of course, it wasn’t just Birmingham taking a look at Mitrovic in isolation, unfortunately, with Leeds United and Sunderland also named as other parties keen on snapping up the imposing centre-forward.

The Al-Hilal attacker wouldn’t be joining the Blues camp on a cheap deal, either, with reports suggesting that he had a £26m price-tag above his head, before you even factor in his wild £414k-per-week salary in the Saudi Pro League, as per Capology.

Therefore, it’s safe to assume – despite Journalist Alex Crook hinting on talkSPORT (17:55, 17th August) that it could have been a possibility – that Mitrovic leaving the luxuries of the Middle East behind for St. Andrew’s was always going to be far-fetched to pull off.

Transfer Focus

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However, going back in for this former target does seem more realistic and a perfect way to get over this ambitious switch not happening.

Birmingham can forget Mitrovic by signing £13m star

For half of Mitrovic’s extortionate valuation, Birmingham could set their sights on this alternative figure up top instead, with Che Adams – who is worth £13m according to Football Transfers – tipped for a return to St Andrew’s.

As was reported earlier this month, the Championship newcomers still hold some interest in bringing their former striker back to the West Midlands, having been in the race for his signature earlier in the transfer window.

While he might not boast a 43-goal season at the unforgiving level, the Scotsman certainly knows how to find the back of the net with some venom in the EFL’s top league to be seen as an adequate move to go after, instead of landing a more expensive Mitrovic.

Indeed, Adams has managed to register a healthy 49 Championship strikes across his well-travelled career to date, with his last season at the punishing level seeing him bag a career-best 17 goals as his then employers Southampton soared up to the Premier League.

This will surely pique Birmingham’s interest as they try to make the best possible moves to ensure back-to-back promotions occur, with the 29-year-old proving himself to be a reliable goal machine wherever he’s been across his playing days so far. Indeed, ex-Torino manager Paolo Vanoli hailed him as “perfect” for the Serie A side’s system when powering home ten strikes from 39 clashes in Italy.

Rather than Mitrovic ditching the Saudi Pro League for a chance back in England, therefore, it could soon be Adams tempted by a second chance at glory with his ex-side.

In an ideal world, Birmingham might well have shown more purpose as they attempted to bring Mitrovic into the building on a statement deal.

But, any potential lost move for the ex-Championship menace irking Birmingham will be swept under the carpet if Adams joins Davies’ camp last minute, especially if he powers home more crucial second-tier strikes to add another promotion up to the Premier League on his resume.

Birmingham eyeing "great player" with 44 Premier League goal contributions

What a signing this could be.

By
Henry Jackson

Aug 19, 2025

Michael Owen has raised doubts over England’s ability to go all the way at the 2026 World Cup under Thomas Tuchel, warning that age, declining form, and testing conditions could hinder their chances. The former Liverpool striker expressed concern that several key players, including Harry Kane, may be past their best by next summer, while questioning whether the squad is improving.

• England enter new Tuchel era

  England have enjoyed a strong run in major tournaments in recent years, reaching two finals and a semi-final since 2018. However, following Gareth Southgate’s departure after Euro 2024, Tuchel has now taken charge. Owen believes that with several players ageing and others struggling for form, England could face a tougher challenge than before.

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  Owen warns Tuchel about his ageing Three Lions squad

  Speaking to , Owen cautioned: “Star players such as Kane are getting older — he’s not going to be getting any better. While world-class players such as Kyle Walker will no longer be there. Even players like Foden are not at the top of their game compared to what they were a year or two ago. Defensively, I worry too. We used to have a lot of good defenders. Now I’m thinking who’s going to play left-back? Who’s going to play centre-half? John Stones isn’t getting any younger.”

  He added: “I think we were probably better a year or two ago. But a lot changes in football. It might turn into a big year for us, but no, I wouldn’t be confident about us winning the World Cup at this stage. We’re knocking on the door – finals, semi-finals – we’re a top footballing nation, but I think other nations may be better suited to the conditions this time.”

• England warmed about 'baking hot' conditions

  Owen also went on to warn England fans that the conditions in the United States, Mexico and Canada may not be suitable to Three Lions stars: “There’s a lot going against us at the moment. A World Cup in America and Mexico at that time of year is going to be absolutely baking hot. The conditions won’t be to our advantage at all. I’m not sure our team’s getting better at the moment. You could argue it’s slightly getting worse.

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  Tuchel working on improving squad ahead of 2026 World Cup

  Tuchel’s immediate priority will be ensuring England’s younger core — including Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, and Bukayo Saka — step up to replace ageing stars like Kane and Stones. The German coach is expected to experiment with new tactical setups in upcoming friendlies to build chemistry before qualifying resumes. England’s preparations for 2026 will be closely watched, as fans hope this generation can finally turn promise into a major trophy.