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After Pep Guardiola revealed the news that Kyle Walker will not be at the Club World Cup as he prepares to leave the club this summer, Manchester City have reportedly made one particular target their no.1 priority.

Kyle Walker set to leave Man City

Following a loan spell at Milan, Walker is set to leave Manchester City on a permanent basis this summer. The veteran defender looks set to bow out as one of the best defenders to play for the Citizens and will forever have his part cemented in their history books. After eight successful years, however, he’s set to bring his Manchester City career to an end.

Guardiola confirmed the news that the defender will not be at the Club World Cup, with Fabrizio Romano then revealing that he is on course to depart Manchester City in the coming months.

Man City now eyeing shock chance to sign £84 million Arsenal contract rebel

This would certainly steal headlines…

By
Tom Cunningham

May 23, 2025

Walker’s exit should come as little shock. For all of his impressive work in Manchester, the England international was beginning to fall away from his best form before his loan spell away at AC Milan. Often at the centre of moments to forget for Guardiola’s side, a departure always seemed inevitable.

By the time his exit is confirmed, however, fans around The Etihad won’t remember Walker for this season’s defensive blunders. Instead, they will remember a right-back who became a mainstay in one of, if not the most successful side in Premier League history.

Replacing such a player should be among City’s priorities this summer in a task that certainly won’t be easy. Without Walker, Guardiola has been forced to turn towards some surprising options at right-back, including the likes of Matheus Nunes and the impressive Nico O’Reilly.

If the Spaniard wants to take his side back to Premier League glory after a season away, he will know more than anyone how important it is that City welcome a right-back this summer.

Man City prioritising Livramento move

According to Romano, Manchester City are now prioritising a move to sign Tino Livramento from Newcastle United this summer and have made the right-back their No 1 target.

The former Chelsea youngster has impressed at St James’ Park ever since arriving, but nailed his place down in Eddie Howe’s side ahead of Kieran Trippier once and for all this season. Now, he could be on his way to The Etihad if City get their way.

At 22 years old, Livarmento’s best years are yet to come and may well come under Guardiola as has been the case for several stars over the years. As Walker prepares to leave, the Newcastle man, who Howe described as “excellent” in April, should be seen as the perfect heir to his Manchester City throne.

Clearing £75,000 a week from their wage bill whilst welcoming a player who could spearhead a new era at The Etihad would, in many ways, represent an ideal way for Manchester City to commence their summer spending.

It would be fair to say that prior to last night, this had been Tottenham Hotspur’s worst season for a generation.

However, now that Ange Posteocoglou’s side have secured a place in the Europa League final, there is a chance to make history.

One of the stars of both legs was Dominic Solanke, who scored a crucial penalty in the first game and then slotted home the opener last night.

The Englishman has come in for some criticism since joining the club, but with his goal tally starting to rise, it feels like he’s justifying his club-record fee.

Yet, even still, Daniel Levy and Co may regret selling a former academy gem who’s outscoring him and another of the club’s transfer targets.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

Spurs' striker search

With the domestic season going the way it has this year, Spurs have understandably been linked with a number of exciting strikers in recent weeks, from LOSC Lille’s Jonathan David to Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Tim Kleindienst.

However, one of the more exciting and just as realistic targets the North Londoners have been linked with has been Liam Delap.

According to reports from earlier this week, the club have been considering a move for the Ipswich Town star, who has a release clause worth £30m in his contract now that the Tractor Boys have been relegated.

While that certainly isn’t cheap, it would probably represent good value in the current market, as the Lilywhites would be getting a young, Premier League-proven striker who’s homegrown and has arguably been one of the Suffolk sides’ best players.

For example, even though he’s been playing for the third-worst team in the competition, the Winchester-born marksman has managed to rack up a decent tally of 12 goals and two assists in 37 appearances, of which 34 have come in the Premier League.

Yet, as with Solanke, the former Manchester City prospect is being outscored by a forward sold by Levy and Co.

The former Spurs gem sold by Levy

So, while the player in question joined a club abroad, he’s actually faced Tottenham three times this season, coming out on the losing side each and every time.

We are, of course, talking about Troy Parrott, who is a product of Hotspur Way and even has four Spurs appearances to his name, but he currently plays his trade in the Netherlands for AZ Alkmaar.

The Irish international joined the Dutch outfit last summer for a fee of around £6.7m after a stellar 23/24 campaign on loan with Excelsior Rotterdam, in which he scored 17 goals and provided five assists in just 32 games.

This season has been just as successful for the “phenomenal” forward, as dubbed by former manager Ryan Lowe, aside from the games against the Lilywhites, that is.

For example, in 45 appearances, totalling 3411 minutes, the 23-year-old dynamo has scored 20 goals and provided five assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.8 games, or every 136.44 minutes.

For comparison’s sake, Solanke has managed to score 15 goals and provide eight assists in 42 appearances, totalling 3221 minutes this term, which comes out to a slightly worse average of a goal involvement every 1.82 games, or every 140.04 minutes.

Now, to be clear, we are not suggesting that the Dublin-born poacher would outscore the former Bournemouth star in the Premier League, but it does raise a question about how he might have fared as Postecoglou’s second-choice striker, as Richarlison’s hardly done much when he’s played.

Ultimately, hindsight is a wonderful thing, and selling Parrott to AZ was probably the right thing to do for his career, but we can’t help wondering how he would have fared in North London this season.

Forget Porro: 9/10 star with 96% passing is looking like Spurs' best player

It was a sensational performance from the Spurs star.

1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

May 9, 2025

Glasgow Rangers will be on the lookout for a new manager this summer after Barry Ferguson’s time as the interim head coach comes to an end.

The Scottish boss came in to replace Philippe Clement on a short-term basis and has the job until the end of the 2025/26 campaign, when a decision will be made on the holder of the position on a long-term basis.

Ferguson has not done too much to further his claim to take the job on permanently after a fairly unimpressive collection of results in the Europa League and the Scottish Premiership so far.

His side failed to score in three of their four Europa League outings, eventually getting knocked out by Athletic Bilbao, and the Scottish manager has only won three of his seven top-flight games in charge, most recently drawing 2-2 with St Mirren.

The Light Blues may, therefore, have to look further afield to find their manager for next season and beyond, because Ferguson does not look up to the task of returning Rangers to their former glory on the evidence of his interim period in charge.

In fact, a fresh report on the club’s search for a new head coach suggests that the club are looking at other options to come in and replace the former Scotland international in the Ibrox dugout.

Rangers considering moves for two managerial candidates

According to TEAMtalk, the Scottish giants have whittled their shortlist of managerial candidates down to two in their search for a new tactician.

The report claims that former RB Leipzig manager Marco Rose has emerged as a contender for the job, as the Gers hierarchy are said to be thinking about him for the job.

It states that the pending takeover will put the club in a better financial situation, and that they are looking for an exciting managerial appointment to take the team in the right direction.

Rose is said to have been sounded out about the job and that he is open to taking on a new role next season, having left his position at RB Leipzig in March.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

The German head coach, however, is not the only manager on the shortlist. TEAMtalk adds that the Light Blues are seriously considering a swoop for former Ibrox boss Steven Gerrard.

It states that the English manager, who left Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq in January, would be interested in a return to Glasgow to manage the team for a second time.

In fact, TEAMtalk reports that many managers see the job as an attractive prospect because of the potential to win domestic trophies, as well as the prospect of Champions League or Europa League football, which Gerrard has not had since his first spell in Scotland.

With all of this in mind, the 49ers and Kevin Thelwell, who is set to take up the position of sporting director this summer, must move to bring the Liverpool legend back to Ibrox ahead of a swoop for Rose.

Why Steven Gerrard would be better for Rangers than Marco Rose

The German boss is, certainly, a strong candidate for the job because he has achieved relative success in both Austria with RB Salzburg and Germany with RB Leipzig.

Rose won two titles in two seasons in the Austrian Bundesliga before making his way to his home country with Borussia Monchengladbach, with whom he finished fourth and eighth before joining Borussia Dortmund and finishing second in the 2021/22 campaign.

The 48-year-old boss then joined Leipzig and finished third and fourth in his first two seasons, before leaving the club in sixth place in the division this season.

This suggests that Rose, despite winning the German Cup in the 2022/23 campaign, regressed during his time at Monchengladbach and Leipzig, as their respective league positions dropped the longer he stayed.

Rangers must, now, swoop for Gerrard instead because he would be an even better appointment than the German head coach, as he is a proven quantity at Ibrox and in Scottish football.

The 4-3-3 boss joined the Light Blues in the summer of 2018 and led the club to second-placed finishes in the Premiership in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons, before winning the league title in his third year in Glasgow.

Gerrard’s team, incredibly, went unbeaten in the 2020/21 campaign in the top-flight, winning 32 matches and drawing six, to beat Celtic to the title.

It was a remarkable accomplishment by the manager, whose reputation was described as “amazing” by former England defender Glen Johnson, who won the league title for Rangers for the first time in ten years.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Michael Beale, and Philippe Clement have all attempted to replicate the success that Gerrard had at Ibrox, but failed and were all relieved of their duties without winning the league title.

The former Liverpool midfielder’s experience and success at Ibrox are exactly why he would be an even better appointment than Rose, because he knows what it takes to win the Premiership and has proven that he can put together a team to do exactly that.

As you can see in the table above, Gerrard only lost one of his last 50 Premiership matches in charge of Rangers, leaving the club at the top of the table after 12 matches in the 2021/22 campaign when he left to join Aston Villa.

The Gers have lost seven of their 34 games in the league in the current season, which illustrates just how impressive that record across 50 outings was, and they clearly need a manager who can bring a winning mentality back to Glasgow.

Therefore, bringing Gerrard back to Ibrox in the hope that he can recapture the spark that he had in his first spell at the club could be a brilliant move for the 49ers and Thelwell to make.

The out-of-work tactician could bring the feel-good factor back to Ibrox, more so than Rose, who has no experience in Scotland or prior connection with the fanbase, and it is a move that seems to make a lot of sense on paper.

Rangers must axe £3m flop who has missed more games than Lawrence

Kevin Thelwell has a big job on his hands at Rangers

By
Ross Kilvington

Apr 27, 2025

It’s been a rough ride for the Lilywhites this year. The end of the 2024/25 campaign is just one month away, but despite the pain that Tottenham Hotspur have endured, there may yet be light at the end of the tunnel.

Ange Postecoglou made a big claim in the early stage of the season, suggesting silverware may be on the way. Well, even though Spurs are languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League with just a few years of the term left to play, they have one foot in the Europa League final.

Despite his polarising time at the helm, Postecoglou may yet leave an unforgettable legacy down N17.

Postecoglou's Spurs legacy

Tottenham have fallen by the wayside this season, of that there is no doubt. However, they could yet pick themselves back up, with Ange’s attacking philosophy looking to dig its claws back in ahead of the penultimate hurdle in the Europa League.

He’s received a lot of stick for his team’s issues across the term, but Postecoglou’s reign has unfortunately been characterised by persistent injuries.

Even so, he’s managed to create a semblance of offensive quality that was vacant in the years preceding his tenure, those post-Mauricio Pochettino years when things went awry and Tottenham regressed away from their staple flair and fearlessness in the final third.

And it’s remarkable that he’s achieved this. Long gone are the days of Harry Kane, who joined Bayern Munich in an £86m deal two years ago. The Three Lions skipper became Tottenham’s record goalscorer when netting against Manchester City in February 2023, scoring 280 goals across 435 appearances.

His partnership with Dele Alli and Heung-min Son was truly a thing to behold, but Son, now skipper, is the only one still kicking around down N17.

Dele might have endured his share of off-field issues in recent years but he will always be remembered for his prodigious start to life in the Premier League, scoring 37 goals and supplying 27 assists across his first three top-flight campaigns alone.

Son, meanwhile, has long been regarded as a “world-class” forward, as has been said here by former boss Jose Mourinho, with his 127 goals in England’s top flight placing him joint 16th in the all-time scoring charts.

Dele and Kane’s brilliance felt irreplaceable, and Son’s influence and longevity in the Englishg capital too, but Postecoglou’s formula appears to have found a new generation of forwards capable of collecting the torch from their Tottenham predecessors.

Postecoglou took on quite a weight when replacing Antonio Conte, but he’s succeeded in restoring Spurs’ attacking quality, their flair. In fact, he’s even moulded the Londoners’ frontline back into top shape, with three current stars looking like the next version of the iconic trio.

Spurs' new attacking superstars

Though this has been a campaign fraught with peril, Postecoglou has still managed to keep his attacking identity somewhat intact, with the 16th-placed Premier League side still among the division’s top goalscorers.

This is largely down to Dejan Kulusevski, whose energy and creativity have been an invaluable source of respite for a sinking ship. However, he’s not done it alone; Brennan Johnson has hit 16 goal contributions in the Premier League alone, despite only starting 23 times throughout an injury-affected year.

Then there’s Dominic Solanke, Kane’s belated replacement as the focal frontman. Injuries have been the crux of Tottenham’s struggle this year, and their club-record signing has very much been a victim of the blows. Even so, he’s been a worthy presence at number nine, notching 22 goal involvements across just 34 starts.

The trio, whose combined wages total some £270k per week, have definitely staked their claim for central roles over the coming years, be that under Postecoglou’s wing or in a different manager’s system.

Having each registered over 20 goal involvements across all competitions, they’ve proven their attacking credentials, with Son and James Maddison also hitting that mark.

But Son is indeed approaching his twilight in the Premier League, and Ange and co will be well aware that Tottenham need a new attacking lifeforce, one which could revive the feeling that the South Korean provided when alongside Dele and Kane.

Of course, these were attacking superstars capable of firing their way to lofty hauls every year, actually becoming the first trio to hit 20 goals each in a campaign back in the 2016/17 year, when the Pochettino era was in its heyday from an attacking standpoint.

Now, Postecoglou has found new players capable of breaking such records, and though there’s been plenty to be desired this year, this certainly bodes well for the years ahead.

Three of Tottenham’s brightest stars of the modern age, they may well be reborn through this new batch of talent, one which might just go one further and end this ceaseless wait for silverware.

Better than Johnson: Spurs racing to sign prolific £25m "physical beast"

The sensational international would be perfect for Spurs.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

May 3, 2025

Will Celtic move one step closer to completing the treble?

On Saturday, the Hoops steamrollered Kilmarnock 5-1 at Parkhead, 4-0 up inside 24 minutes; Reo Hatate bagged a brace, Daizen Maeda tapped home from mere picometres out and then Cameron Carter-Vickers launched an absolute rocket in the top corner, before Anthony Ralston completed the rout in injury time.

This leaves Celtic 15 points clear of Rangers with only 15 points left to play for, and with a goal difference that is 42 superior, thereby able to mathematically secure the title at Tannadice against Dundee United next Saturday.

Before then, Brendan Rodgers’ team will take on St Johnstone in the Scottish Cup semi-finals at Hampden on Easter Sunday, certainly not taking the Saints lightly, having been beaten 1-0 by the Premiership’s bottom club at McDiarmid Park just a fortnight ago.

Nevertheless, on course for a sixth domestic treble in nine seasons, having also reached the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in 12 years, this Celtic side is clearly strong, but would they be even better had they been able to keep hold of an “immense” fan favourite?

Alistair Johnston: Celtic's unsung hero

Earlier this week, Celtic launched their player of the year voting, with Alistair Johnston front and centre.

Given that Maeda has scored 31 goals, and counting, across all competitions, the Canadian is unlikely to win the award, but he certainly deserves recognition for his performances.

Johnston is likely to surpass 4,000 club minutes this season, starting 43 of the Hoops’ 50 fixtures to date, including all ten in the Champions League, underlining his importance and consistency too.

Graham Falk of the Scotsman believes he has been one of Celtic’s ‘best performers’ since arriving from Club de Foot Montréal in January 2023, with Jesse Marsch, the Canadian national team manager, claiming the Scottish Premiership is “too much of a breeze” for his star full-back.

Back in November, Johnston was rewarded with a new contract, keeping him in Glasgow until 2029, after which Rodgers praised his “phenomenal work ethic and attitude”.

Ange Postecoglou’s decision to sign the defender – and sell a potential competitor – has certainly proven the correct call for the Hoops…

Celtic's right-back before Alistair Johnston

The reason Johnston arrived straight after the World Cup in Qatar was to replace the outgoing Josip Juranović.

The Croatian joined the Celts from Legia Warsaw for a reported fee of £2.5m when Ange Postecoglou first arrived in the summer of 2021, made just 53 appearances in hoops and was then sold to Union Berlin for up to £10m a mere 18 months later.

During his relatively brief time at Parkhead, Juranović quickly became a fan’s favourite, later describing his time at Celtic as “the best of his life”.

Postecoglou praised the defender for performing “really well… against world-class opponents”, and was disappointed when he ultimately chose to leave, with editor Zach Lowy claiming his World Cup performances were “immense on both sides of the ball”.

Since Juranović moved to Union Berlin just over two years ago, it’s been an up-and-down period for die Eisernen.

The club based in East Berlin were promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time ever in 2019, making it an astonishing achievement that they qualified for the Champions League just four years later, shortly after Juranović’s arrival, having been in the Europa League the year before, and the Conference League the season before that.

However, the following campaign, they only avoided relegation on the final day, thanks to Janik Haberer’s 92nd minute winner against Freiburg at Stadion An der Alten Försterei, and with the Union Berlin 13th right now, it’s been tougher for Juranović.

So, let’s assess how he compares to his Celtic replacement Johnston.

As outlined in the table, Johnston has outperformed Juranović across the last two seasons, albeit the Croatian’s time in Berlin has been blighted by long-term injuries.

Transfermarkt believe Juranović’s current market value is just £3m, having been as high as £10m when he joined Union, underlining that Celtic were right to cash in and strike while the iron is hot.

Indeed, Johnston, by contrast, is now valued at around £9m, ensuring he is three times as valuable as the man he replaced and has now perhaps comfortably surpassed in a Celtic shirt.

Celtic have hit gold on star who's worth even less than Nawrocki & Sinisalo

Celtic have hit the jackpot on this star despite him being worth less than Maik Nawrocki and Viljami Sinisalo.

By
Dan Emery

Apr 18, 2025

Rangers have been hit with a massive injury blow to an “immense” player, following an update from interim manager Barry Ferguson.

Rangers hold Bilbao in spirited display

The Gers produced an impressive performance at Ibrox on Thursday evening, drawing 0-0 at home to Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie.

Robin Propper was shown a red card with only 13 minutes played, giving Rangers a huge uphill battle, but they held on in the end, with Liam Kelly saving an Alex Berenguer penalty in the second half, leading to scenes of joy inside the stadium.

While Ferguson’s side still have a huge amount of work to do to make the semi-finals ahead of their daunting trip to Bilbao next week, they still have a fair chance of progressing.

However, one of the few negatives for Rangers on the night was a serious-looking injury to Dujon Sterling, with the 25-year-old stretchered off, leading to concerns about the length of his absence.

Ferguson confirms huge Rangers injury blow

Speaking to reporters on Friday (via Sky Sports), Ferguson confirmed that Rangers defender Sterling suffered a long-term injury against Bilbao, with his season definitely over:

“I just got a bit of bad news about Dujon – he’s going to be out long-term. He’s had a serious one. I’m devastated for him for a few reasons.

“He’s come in and been immense for me at the back. He’s had his injury issues and now we need to suffer another lengthy spell on the sidelines, which I’m devastated about. We’ll get around him, he’s a popular member of the dressing room and has been a big player for me.

“We just need to get him back fit as quickly as we can. I don’t know exactly [how long he will be out for] but I mean long-term. I’m no medical expert, but I’ve spoken to the doctor, he’ll go for surgery on Monday and we’ll just need to wait and see how that surgery goes.”

This is a cruel blow for Sterling, who has been a solid performer since arriving from Chelsea back in 2023, making 70 appearances for Rangers to date.

This season, the Englishman has made 20 appearances in the Scottish Premiership, while Andy Halliday has shown his appreciation for him, saying:

“I’m sure I’m sitting here along with a lot of other people thinking, ‘Where’s Dujon Sterling been all season?’. For me, his two performances since he’s come into the team have been nothing short of incredible.”

Rangers messed up selling "mountain" who is better than Propper

Rangers sold a player last year who is better than Robin Propper.

By
Ross Kilvington

Apr 11, 2025

Hopefully, Sterling returns the same player as before when he does eventually return – and at 25, that should be the case – but he will be a big loss for Rangers as an effective squad player, especially in the Europa League.

Australian becomes leading Test wicket-taker among left-arm quicks with Gabba six-for

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2025Mitchell Starc declined to call himself the GOAT of left-arm pace, saying Wasim Akram was “still a far better bowler than I am” after surpassing the Pakistan great as the leading Test wicket-taker among left-arm fast bowlers on day one of the Brisbane Test against England.Starc claimed 6 for 71 at the Gabba, his fourth haul of six wickets or more in four innings, to once again shoulder the burden of leading an Australia attack shorn of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood at the start of the 2025-26 Ashes. That took him to 418 Test wickets, four more than Wasim, who tweeted his congratulations to Starc during the day’s play.