Manchester City star Jeremy Doku was baptised almost immediately after the club's 3-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday. The winger enjoyed a dazzling display at the Etihad as Pep Guardiola's side won comfortably, and Doku claimed that the day was 'already a victory' before the whistle blew against Ruben Amorim's side.
Roberto Martinez's side kicked-off their World Cup qualifying campaign in style on an emotional evening
Cristiano Ronaldo led the way as Portugal swept aside Armenia in a 5-0 World Cup qualifying victory on Saturday. The 40-year-old icon struck once in either half and was too much for the Armenian defence to handle as the Selecao registered a convincing victory in their first match since the untimely passing of Diogo Jota.
It was Ronaldo's new Al-Nassr team-mate Joao Felix who opened the scoring in the 10th minute from a Joao Cancelo cross, heading home to set Roberto Martinez's side on their way. Eleven minutes later it was two, as Ronaldo diverted home an in-swinging Pedro Neto delivery with one touch of his prolific right boot. With the result already inevitable, Cancelo then turned goal-scorer as the Al-Hilal full-back powered home from the centre of the penalty area.
Just 45 seconds into the second half, Portugal had a fourth and it was Ronaldo again, this time with the best goal of the lot. After a defender turned aside Joao Neves' through ball, Ronaldo struck a sweet half-volley from 25 yards which flew past goalkeeper Henri Avagyan and high into the net. Despite coming close to netting a hat-trick on a couple of occasions and laying on the ball for Neves to strike the post, the ex-Real Madrid was then withdrawn in the 57th minute. Instead it was left to Felix to round out the scoring with an audacious scorpion flick.
GOAL rates Portugal's players from Hanrapetakan Stadium…
AFPGoalkeeper & Defence
Diogo Costa (7/10):
Kept a clean sheet but in truth had little to do on the day.
Joao Cancelo (8/10):
Registered a goal and an assist and was a constant thorn in Armenia's side with his creativity and quality on the ball. Had less to do from a defensive standpoint, but the 31-year-old was solid at both ends of the pitch.
Ruben Dias (6/10):
Similarly to his goalkeeper, Dias was solid at the back without needing to make many game-changing contributions.
Goncalo Inacio (6/10):
Making his 17th international appearance, the Sporting CP centre-back had a comfortable afternoon at the back alongside Dias.
Nuno Mendes (6/10):
A steady if not spectacular performance from arguably the world's best left-back in 2025.
AdvertisementAFPMidfield
Joao Neves (7/10):
Worked hard as ever in midfield, breaking forward at will as Portugal mounted attack after attack. Could – and possibly should – have scored after Ronaldo laid the ball on a plate for him in the second half.
Vitinha (7/10):
Controlled the ball in the midfield in a confident performance.
Bruno Fernandes (6/10):
Not quite a game-changing display from the Manchester United captain, but it didn't need to be. Tried to get himself into the box to cause a threat for the Armenian defence and was inches away from a tap-in on a couple of occasions.
AFPAttack
Pedro Neto (5/10):
Did little to impose himself on the game and was withdrawn at half-time to be replaced by Trincao.
Cristiano Ronaldo (9/10):
The Portugal icon scored twice, showing two different sides of his finishing ability with a poacher's goal and a long-range piledriver. Could have had a hat-trick on another day.
Joao Felix (8/10):
Linked up well with new club team-mate Ronaldo and scored twice to bookend the game.
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Francisco Trincao (5/10):
Came on at the break and made slightly more of an impact than Neto as Portugal eased through much of the second period with the game already won.
Nuno Tavares (6/10):
Came on for Mendes and played in a couple of dangerous crosses as Portugal continued to create opportunities late on.
Goncalo Ramos (6/10):
Got himself into goal-scoring positions after his introduction for Ronaldo.
Pedro Goncalves (6/10):
Replaced Felix and had some nice touches in and around the penalty area as Portugal looked to cause more havoc. Was presented with what appeared a simple chance to score after a poor back-pass, but Avagyan made an improbable save.
Joao Palhinha (N/A):
Came on with just over 10 minutes to play to shore up the midfield.
Roberto Martinez (8/10):
Started with a strong side and that proved a smart choice, as the game was won very quickly in the first half. Martinez withdrew key men such as Ronaldo in the second half and utilised his squad well.
Nottinghamshire trail by 420 runs after just 10.5 overs possible in second innings
ECB Reporters Network10-Sep-2024Michael Pepper continued a rich vein of form that has now brought him centuries in successive Vitality County Championship matches to sit alongside two T20 Blast centuries as he helped Essex tightened their stranglehold over Nottinghamshire.The wicketkeeper-batsman’s 115 from 147 balls eclipsed his previous best score against Worcestershire last week by three runs as he built on Tom Westley’s 122 to take Essex to a formidable 457 in their first innings.After putting on 69 with his captain, Pepper joined forces with Simon Harmer in a stand of 133 for the seventh wicket that threatened to pile further pressure on the relegation-haunted visitors. Pepper seasoned his innings with12 fours and a six while Harmer’s 51 was his highest score of the season.Nottinghamshire had reduced the deficit to 420 for the loss of captain Haseeb Hameed in the 10.5 overs possible before play on day two was curtailed by bad weather with the visitors on 37 for 1.At the start of the day, Rob Lord struck for his third wicket of the innings with the 19th delivery of the new-ball – but the Kookaburra was more than 30 overs old before the next wicket fell. The only success of the morning session was when the pace bowler got one to jump up at Westley who dragged on to his stumps to depart after more than five hours of patient accumulation in scoring 122 from 241 balls.Pepper continued to bat sensibly, a textbook straight-driven four a stand-out alongside an unorthodox forehand smash through mid-off. His alliance with Harmer saw off the new-ball and took Essex to a fourth batting point.Harmer had been struggling with the bat but reached his first fifty of the season – and only his second score above 19. A six over midwicket off Farhan Ahmed and a reverse-swept four off Liam Patterson-White had already indicated that confidence was returning.A quickly scampered single took Pepper to three-figures from 135 balls and earnt a warm embrace from a batting partner who would depart soon after. An attempt at another reverse sweep in Freddie McCann’s first over proved to be Harmer’s downfall as the misjudgement ended in him being bowled. His fifty included five fours and a six.Neither Shane Snater nor Sam Cook lasted long, both going down the wicket to Ahmed (3 for 102) and being bowled and stumped respectively before Pepper was bowled by Patterson-White. The last four wickets went down for 27 runs in six overs.Nottinghamshire lost Hameed in the fourth over of their reply when he slashed Cook to point. However, his opening partner Michael Slater refused to be tied down, flicking three of his four boundaries off his legs in a 36-ball 26 before rain added to the gloom to curtail the day with 36 overs remaining.
Everton have now reached an agreement over the signing of a “top” international player this summer, according to a positive claim from journalist Pete O’Rourke.
Who are Everton being linked with signing?
Blues transfer rumours continue to come thick and fast, with Bayer Munich midfielder Joao Palhinha mentioned as a potential option ahead of the return of the Premier League next month.
The 30-year-old’s spell in Germany hasn’t worked out, but he showed what a dominant force he could be in a Fulham shirt, making more tackles than any other player in both the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons.
Everton are also believed to have made their first approach to sign Aston Villa ace John McGinn, with the Scotland international capable of bringing experience, quality and a winning mentality to David Moyes’ squad. However, the Toffees’ enquiry was rejected by those at Villa Park.
Meanwhile, both Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee have been linked with the Blues, too, fresh off the back of their triumphant European Championship campaign with England’s Under-21s.
Everton reach agreement to sign "top" international
According to a key update from O’Rourke on X, Everton have now reached an agreement over the signing Bournemouth goalkeeper Mark Travers this summer.
While Travers may not necessarily be a game-changing signing for the Blues ahead of next season, he feels like a shrewd addition who can provide competition for Jordan Pickford.
The four-cap Republic of Ireland international was limited to only five Premier League appearances last season, highlighting why a new challenge is likely to appeal to him, potentially at Everton.
Travers is a steady pair of hands who could fill in when needed for the Blues – he has beaten Everton three times before – with Scott Parker his team ethic during his spell in charge of the Cherries earlier in the ‘keeper’s career.
“You looked at times thinking, ‘is he ready for this?’ But we stuck with him. And more importantly, Mark Travers has worked tirelessly. He took the bumps along the way and improved drastically. It’s a sign of a top keeper that in big moments makes big saves. Saves you think, ‘wow he should not have saved that. Over the past three or four months, Travs is coming into the realms of making big saves at big moments. That’s happened over the course of the season.”
Better signing than McGinn: Everton holding talks over "world-class" star
David Moyes is looking to sign a midfielder or two this summer at Everton
ByRoss Kilvington Jul 11, 2025
It remains to be seen what the fee for Travers’ services will be for Everton, but he should arrive for a relatively cheap amount in the modern game, allowing plenty of funds to still be available for players seen as key starters before the window slams shut at the end of next month.
Amid concerns that Luis Diaz could leave the club this summer, Liverpool have now reportedly joined the race to sign a versatile winger in a deal worth £17m.
Al-Nassr still chasing Diaz deal
With Darwin Nunez reportedly edging closer and closer to a Napoli move, clubs in the Saudi Pro League have reportedly turned their attention towards an alternative Liverpool star in Diaz. The Colombian winger is yet to sign a new deal at Anfield and has just two years remaining on his current contract with fresh terms currently looking unlikely.
Whilst the Reds reportedly told Barcelona that Diaz is not for sale this summer, it will be interesting to see whether Al-Nassr are able to change that stance as they prepare to offer around €85m (£73m) to sign the former FC Porto star. Those at Anfield have already spent big this summer and may yet be tempted to do so again by selling Diaz.
Had this been this time last year, the idea of Diaz’s departure may have been absurd after Liverpool decided against welcoming extensive additions in Arne Slot’s first summer in charge. One year later, however, there will be question marks over whether a £73m offer is simply too good to turn down for those at Anfield.
Having broken the British transfer record to sign Florian Wirtz and since set their sights on £85m-rated Hugo Ekitike, Diaz could yet find himself plummeting down the pecking order in Merseyside. And if that is the case, a sale would be best for all parties as he enters the final two years of his current deal.
He betters Isak in key areas: Liverpool make the "next Mbappe" a key target
Liverpool are interested in signing a new striker this summer.
ByAngus Sinclair Jul 1, 2025
With that £73m, not only could Liverpool spend big to sign a striker this summer but they could also turn their focus towards replacing Diaz with a younger, cheaper option.
Liverpool racing to sign Moussa
As reported by O Jogo and relayed by Sport Witness, Liverpool are now racing to sign Anis Hadj Moussa ahead of Nottingham Forest from Feyenoord, who value the 23-year-old winger at just €20m (£17m) this summer. The versatile Algerian can play all across the frontline and could offer Slot an instant replacement for Diaz if the Colombian departs.
League stats 24/25 (via FBref)
Moussa
Diaz
Starts
22
28
Goals
8
13
Assists
3
5
Key Passes
35
56
In fewer appearances, Moussa managed to keep up with Diaz for the most part last season and a move into Liverpool’s frontline in front of new man Wirtz is only likely to increase his numbers.
Praised for a “fantastic” run of form by scout Jacek Kulig in December, in which he scored six goals in seven games, Moussa’s rise has been a pleasant surprise at Feyenoord.
For just £17m, the winger could quickly become an impressive bargain compared to Liverpool’s high spending so far this summer. If they manage to sell Diaz for big money at the same time too, then Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes can tick off yet more impressive business.
Will Chelsea make any more signings ahead of the Club World Cup?
Last week, the Blues unveiled Liam Delap as their new signing, paying Ipswich his £30m release clause.
Now, Chelsea have until 7pm (BST) on Tuesday 10th June to register any more signings ahead of the Club World Cup, with their opening fixture against Los Angeles FC taking place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta the following Monday.
So, before then, will Enzo Maresca have another new centre-forward at his disposal?
Chelsea chasing another striker
The Blues are looking to significantly improve their forward line this summer with mooted interest in Frankurt forward Hugo Ekitike.
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Further reports have suggested that a deal could be on the cards for Jamie Gittens too, with the club having held talks with his club side, Borussia Dortmund, ahead of a possible move. However, there are more targets on the horizon for BlueCo.
Indeed, according to TEAMtalk, Chelsea are targeting a move for Brighton & Hove Albion forward João Pedro, with Newcastle United also interested.
Fabrizio Romano claims that the Brazilian is ‘expected to leave Brighton’ this summer, after not featuring in any of the Seagulls’ final five Premier League fixtures this season, the first three due to suspension, before being left out of two matchday squads by manager Fabian Hürzeler following a training ground ‘altercation’ with teammate Jan Paul van Hecke.
Reports in Spain claim that the Albion value their star striker at around £70m, with Football.London noting that Chelsea are willing to pay around £50m, so some sort of compromise will have to be made if Pedro is going to feature stateside this summer.
How Pedro and Delap could function together at Chelsea
Having only just signed Delap, pointedly presenting him with the number nine shirt too, it may seem peculiar that Chelsea are targeting another attacker.
Nevertheless, with Christopher Nkunku on his way out this summer, Matt Law of the Telegraph believes they are in the market for a versatile forward, but is Pedro actually a bigger talent than his potential future teammate?
Let’s try and answer that question.
Goals
0.46
0.42
Assists
0.28
0.07
Shots
1.94
2.29
Shots on target %
35.7%
43.9%
Shot-creating actions
3.32
2.15
Open-play passes completed
20.8
7.4
Chances created
1.3
0.7
Lay-offs completed
1.6
0.9
Touches
44
24
As the table outlines, Delap is much of a penalty box presence, emphasised by the fact he registered more shots, a higher proportion of which hit the target, while also taking almost half the number of touches on a per 90 basis.
Pedro meantime, is a significantly more well-rounded forward, underlined by his higher number of chances created, passes completed and touches per 90 statistics.
Bundesliga commentator Kevin Hatchard has hailed his “really magical” quality on the ball, while Adrian Clarke of the Premier League labelled him ‘hardworking, creative, and calm in front’, praising his ‘deft pieces of link play’ and believing he has started to show ‘a poacher’s instinct’ this season too.
Meantime, Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout notes that Pedro ‘is capable of playing anywhere across the attack’, while Liam Tharme of the Athletic outlines how he is adept at ‘dropping deep to link play’.
Thus, this all suggests that Delap and Pedro could function in a team together, with the former holding his position in the penalty area, while the latter drops deep to link play alongside Chelsea’s abundance of other high-quality attackers.
Thus, he would surely be an excellent addition for the Blues, even if getting this deal over the line by Tuesday appears unlikely at this stage.
Shades of Hazard: Chelsea to make £59m bid for "generational" star
Chelsea could be about to land themselves a star who can follow in the footsteps of Eden Hazard at Stamford Bridge.
ByEthan Lamb Jun 7, 2025
Even though he missed almost four months of action, it would be fair to say that Bukayo Saka was one of Arsenal’s best players this season.
It shouldn’t have been much of a surprise, though, as the Hale End superstar has been getting better seemingly year after year for some time now.
However, even so, his tally of 12 goals and 14 assists in 37 appearances this year was nothing short of remarkable, and had he been fit for more of it, the Gunners might have run Liverpool a lot closer in the Premier League.
So, fans should be incredibly excited about recent reports linking Arsenal with a young wonderkid who’s been compared to the talismanic number seven.
Arsenal transfer news
Before we get to the player in question, it’s worth looking at a couple of the other brilliant players linked with Arsenal in recent weeks and months, like Ademola Lookman and Karou Mitoma.
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The former could be available for around £55m this summer and would be a great addition to the Gunners’ squad, as in 40 appearances for Atalanta this season, he has scored 20 goals and provided seven assists.
Mitoma, on the other hand, could end up costing as much as £80m, and with a tally of 11 goals and four assists in 41 games, he might be less appealing of a target, even though he’s tried and tested in the Premier League.
However, neither of these wingers can be classed as a young up-and-coming wonderkid like Kenan Yıldız.
Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are now interested in the tremendously exciting Juventus gem.
Interestingly, the report reveals that much of this interest stems from the soon-to-be-hired Matteo Tognozzi, who was a scout at the Old Lady and was the man who discovered the talented Turkish ace.
However, if the Gunners are to get their man, they’ll likely have to match the Italian giant’s asking price of up to €80m, which converts to about £68m.
It would be a lot to spend on someone so young, but given Yıldız’s immense ability and potential, this is a transfer worth fighting for, especially as he’s been compared to Saka before.
How Yıldız compares to Saka
So, before we get into some of the other reasons Arsenal should be signing Yıldız this summer, it’s important to examine this comparison to Saka and where it has come from.
Well, in this instance, it stems from FBref, which looked at players in similar positions in last summer’s European Championships, before creating a list of the ten most comparable players.
By doing this, it concluded that the Englishman was the third most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Turkish wonderkid in the entire competition.
Yıldız & Saka
Statistics per 90
Yıldız
Saka
Expected Assists
0.11
0.11
Non-Penalty Expected G+As
0.20
0.20
Passing Accuracy
83.65%
83.8%
Shot-Creating Actions
3.65
3.30
Goal-Creating actions
0.26
0.47
Tackles Won
0.53
0.57
Blocks
1.05
1.00
All Stats via FBref for EURO 2024
The best way to see how this is worked out is by taking a look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including but not limited to non-penalty expected goals plus assists, expected assists, tackles won, blocks, passing accuracy and more, all per 90.
However, while a comparison to someone as brilliantly talented as the Englishman is certainly encouraging, it’s not the only reason the Gunners should be looking to sign the young Juve ace.
For example, the “special talent,” as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, can play almost anywhere in attack, from both wings to attacking midfield and even up top.
Moreover, despite being 19 for most of this season, the Regensburg-born prospect scored seven goals and provided five assists in 35 appearances, which comes out to a pretty decent average of a goal involvement every 2.91 games for someone so young.
Ultimately, while it would be a lot of money, Yıldız looks like he could be one of football’s next great stars, and for that reason, Arsenal should do what they can to sign him – the comparison to Saka is a nice bonus.
A hybrid between Gabriel & Saliba: Arsenal join the race to sign £68m star
Arsenal could sign a defender who’s like Gabriel and William Saliba.
ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 12, 2025
It is the dawn of a new era for Glasgow Rangers after Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises officially completed a takeover of the club last week.
They have immediately invested £20m into the club and will now oversee the search for the team’s next head coach, after Barry Ferguson stepped away at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
The former Scotland international was appointed as the interim boss after Philippe Clement was dismissed in February, and he only won six of his 15 matches in all competitions in the dugout at Ibrox.
Ferguson, whose team was held to a 2-2 draw by Hibernian on the final day of the Scottish Premiership campaign, failed to do enough to convince the board that he was the man for the job moving forward.
The 49ers and new sporting director Kevin Thelwell are now tasked with finding a manager who can bring glory back to Ibrox, after four seasons without a Premiership title.
One of the first items on the agenda for any incoming Rangers head coach should be convincing Nicolas Raskin to remain with the Gers beyond the summer.
Why Nicolas Raskin could leave Rangers
The Belgium international could move on from Ibrox in the summer transfer window, as Premier League clubs Aston Villa and Leeds United are both reportedly interested in the central midfielder.
Raskin has attracted interest from elsewhere due to his impressive performances for the Gers during the 2024/25 campaign, which led to him winning the club’s Men’s Player of the Year and the Men’s Players’ Player of the Year awards.
The 24-year-old star was deemed to be the best player at Ibrox this season and there are now teams who want to test how he would adapt to Premier League football next term.
Rangers, however, should be doing everything in their power to keep hold of the Belgian talent during the summer transfer window, because they will need as much quality as possible to finally beat Celtic to the Premiership title.
The former Standard Liege star is tenacious out of possession, as he averaged 3.4 tackles and interceptions per game and won 57% of his duels in the league this term, but the Light Blues star also provides plenty of quality on the ball.
24/25 Premiership
Nicolas Raskin
Appearances
33
Touches per game
68.4
Goals
4
Big chances created
9
Assists
10
Pass accuracy
87%
Dribbles completed per game
1.0
Dribble success rate
68%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Raskin is a player who thrives on the ball with his ability to both score and create goals from a central midfield position, whilst being efficient as a passer and a dribbler.
This suggests that the Belgian star would, therefore, love a manager who is committed to a ball-dominant style of play, which is why he should be pleased with the latest update on the Rangers manager search.
The latest on Russell Martin to Rangers
According to the Daily Mail, former Southampton head coach Russell Martin is one of the ‘main contenders’ to land the vacant managerial position at Ibrox.
The report claims that the former Scotland international, who had a loan spell with Rangers during his playing career, and Davide Ancelotti are the two main contenders for the role.
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It adds that Francesco Farioli, who recently left Ajax, and Brian Priske, most recently of Feyenoord, are also still in the running, but they are not as high up the list as Martin and Ancelotti.
The Daily Mail claims that the ex-Saints head coach was set to fall out of the race for the Rangers job when he was being lined up for the Leicester City position, but they have yet to sack Ruud Van Nistelrooy, so he remains in contention to replace Ferguson at Ibrox.
Appointing Martin as the first head coach of the 49ers era could be good news for supporters who want to see Raskin remain at the club, as the central midfielder could be a perfect fit for the Scottish tactician.
Why Nicolas Raskin would love Russell Martin
Analyst John Walker hailed Martin’s style as “exciting” and “total football”, due to the ball-dominant nature of how he wants his teams to play, and that could suit the Belgium international perfectly.
As aforementioned, Raskin is a technically brilliant footballer who constantly looks to make things happen from a central midfield position, with passes, dribbles, goals, and assists, and he could have plenty of chances to influence games in this manager’s system.
The clip above, from his time at MK Dons, is a flavour of the way Martin’s teams play, with plenty of short passes under pressure and movement off the ball to provide players with multiple passing options at all times.
Raskin would be a perfect fit for the way the ex-Norwich City and Rangers centre-back likes to coach his sides, because of his dynamism off the ball and his quality in possession.
Russell Martin’s attacking style of play
23/24 Championship
Southampton
League rank
Pass accuracy
87.7%
1st
Passes into the penalty area
594
1st
Progressive passes
2556
1st
Shot-creating actions
1255
1st
xG
79.8
2nd
Points per game
1.89
4th
Stats via FBref
As you can see in the table above, Martin successfully deployed a possession-based system to get Southampton promoted out of the Championship in the 2023/24 campaign, building a team that was incredibly dominant when it came to passing forward and creating high-quality chances.
These statistics suggest that Raskin, who created nine ‘big chances’ in the Premiership, would thrive in his system as a midfielder who would constantly have chances to dictate play and create even more opportunities for his teammates with the dominance that the style of play creates.
Therefore, the Belgian midfielder could be more inclined to stay at Rangers for another year because of the prospect of thriving in a side coached by Martin, as it could help him to take his game to the next level ahead of a bigger move next year.
49ers not messing: Rangers advancing free transfer to sign 29 y/o defender
He could be the first arrival of the 49ers era.
ByTom Cunningham May 31, 2025
Glasgow Rangers extended their winless run to six matches in all competitions after they held their Glasgow rivals to a 1-1 draw at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.
Barry Ferguson has failed to lead the team to a win since the dramatic 4-3 victory over Dundee away from home at the end of March, and has not done his chances of landing the job on a permanent basis many favours.
The Light Blues decided to move on from Philippe Clement earlier this year and will have to source a long-term replacement for him this summer, with a familiar name leading the list of candidates.
The latest on the Rangers managerial chase
Football Insider recently reported that former Rangers head coach Steven Gerrard is the leading candidate to secure the job on a full-time basis ahead of next season.
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The outlet claimed that the English manager is the favourite for the role, ahead of Marco Rose, and that he is at the top of the club’s shortlist of options.
The 44-year-old boss usually deployed a 4-3-3 system during his first spell at Ibrox, which yielded an incredible, unbeaten, league title success in the 2020/21 campaign, and that could mean that the Gers need to recruit in a certain way to suit that system this summer.
It could also mean that there are some players currently in the Rangers squad who could move on from Glasgow because they do not fit what Gerrard would want in that position, and Danilo is a player who could fall into that category.
Why Danilo may not suit Gerrard
The Brazilian forward, who joined from Feyenoord in the summer of 2023, may not be ideally suited to Gerrard’s set-up because he has not shown himself to be suited to playing as a lone centre-forward.
Danilo has been used as a second-striker, or attacking midfielder, or as a centre-forward as part of a front two, either alongside Cyriel Dessers or Hamza Igamane, rather than being relied upon to play on his own.
That may be because the 5 foot 9 forward lacks the physicality to play as a sole number nine. He has lost 63% of his ground duels and 75% of his aerial battles in the Premiership so far this season, which shows that opposition defenders find it too easy to get the better of him.
The 26-year-old dud is reportedly on a wage of £26k-per-week, which is more than Mohammed Diomande (£12k-per-week), who provided the assist for Dessers on Sunday, and Nicolas Raskin (£19k-per-week), despite the duo being regular starters in midfield with 55 league starts between them this season.
Meanwhile, Danilo, who was described as being “sloppy” on the ball by pundit Steven Thompson, has started seven league matches this term and has struggled with multiple injuries during his two seasons at Ibrox so far.
Knee injury
September 2024 – November 2024
65
12
Knee injury
December 2023 – May 2024
171
32
Broken cheekbone
September 2023 – October 2023
43
9
As you can see in the table above, the former Feyenoord marksman has missed 53 games through injury for Rangers since his move to the club in 2023, which shows that he is not reliable in terms of his availability.
Therefore, Rangers should ruthlessly cash in on Danilo in the summer transfer window because he does not have the physicality to suit playing on his own up front in a Gerrard system and does not have the availability to make him a worthwhile squad member, particularly with a wage that is higher than club Player of the Year Raskin and Diomande’s.
Bad news for Dessers: 4-3-3 boss becomes leading candidate for Rangers job
Rangers have identified their leading candidate to replace Barry Ferguson at Ibrox.
ByDan Emery May 5, 2025
It’s been another season of disappointments for Arsenal this year.
Mikel Arteta’s side couldn’t get past Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals of the Champions League despite creating enough chances; they fell to Newcastle United in the semi-finals of the League Cup and didn’t even get past the Third Round of the FA Cup.
Worse yet, after running Manchester City so close in the Premier League for the last two seasons, the Gunners completely fell away from Liverpool this year, who are currently 15 points ahead with two games to go.
1
Liverpool
83
37
83
2
Arsenal
66
33
68
3
Newcastle
68
45
66
4
Man City
67
43
65
5
Chelsea
62
43
63
One of the reasons the Reds have had such a comfortable time of it is the incredible, talismanic form of Mohamed Salah, something Andre Berta and Co are seemingly intent on bringing to the Emirates next season in the shape of a striker who’s outscoring Alexander Isak this year.
Arsenal's striker search
As things stand, Arne Slot’s Champions-elect have scored a whopping 17 goals more than Arsenal, so it’s hardly been surprising to see the Gunners linked with a host of prolific number nines in recent weeks, like Jonathan David and Benjamin Sesko.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The former is set to be available for free this summer, and it’s not hard to see why so many teams, including the North Londoners, are vying for his signature, as in just 48 appearances for LOSC Lille this season, the Canadian poacher has scored 25 goals and provided 12 assists.
Sesko, on the other hand, would cost Arteta and Co around £67m, but as he’s still just 21 years old and has managed to rack up 21 goals and six assists in 44 appearances for a team in one of Europe’s top five leagues, it would be hard to argue that’s not a fair valuation.
However, to really take that next step, the Gunners need to bring in someone with a truly remarkable record, someone like Viktor Gyokeres.
According to a recent report from Portuguese outlet A Bola, Arsenal remain incredibly interested in the Swedish international and have stepped up their pursuit of him.
The report has revealed that the club have now made an offer to the Swede’s agent worth around £7m a year, which is about £135k-per-week, and that they are prepared to make an offer of up to €75m (£63m) to Sporting CP.
It would be a costly transfer to get over the line, but given his incredible goalscoring ability, it’d be more than worth it, especially as he could become Arsenal’s own Salah.
Why Gyokeres could be Arsenal's own Salah
So, the first thing to say is that this comparison obviously has nothing to do with their position, as Salah almost exclusively plays off the right, while Gyokeres is an out-and-out centre-forward.
Instead, the latter could become Arsenal’s version of the former in the sense that his sensational goalscoring ability could fire the club to glory next season, making him a talisman for Arteta’s side.
It’s not hard to imagine this happening either, as in 50 appearances across all competitions and totalling 4038 minutes this season, the Swedish “monster,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, has scored 52 goals and provided 13 assists, which comes out to an average of 1.3 goal involvements per game, or one every 62.12 minutes.
In contrast, Isak, who has long been a target for the Gunners, has scored 27 goals and provided six assists in 41 appearances, totalling 3234 minutes this season, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.24 games, or every 98 minutes.
Moreover, the Stockholm-born phenomenon is also leading the race for the European Golden Boot, with 38 goals in just 32 league games, while second-placed Salah has 28 goals to his name in 36 league appearances.
1
Gyokeres
32
38
1.18
2
Salah
36
28
0.77
3
Mbappe
31
27
0.87
4
Kane
30
25
0.83
5
Lewandowski
31
25
0.80
Ultimately, while it might cost the club a pretty penny, they should be doing all they can to sign Gyokeres this summer, as his simply sensational ability to put the ball in the back of the net could see him become a Salah-esque talisman for them next year, and lead them to the title.
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