Chelsea are now preparing a £43m offer for a “world-class” Real Madrid target, who could be brought in as a replacement for Levi Colwill, according to a report.
Blues readying bid for centre-back after Colwill blow
There were always concerns that competing in the Club World Cup may have a negative knock-on effect going into the new season, and the Blues have already suffered a major injury blow, with Colwill set to miss most of the campaign due to an ACL injury.
Since then, Enzo Maresca has hinted that another centre-back could be brought in to account for the loss of the 22-year-old, with the manager saying: “It depends – we will wait and see.
“You know in our way, how important Levi has been. I spoke with him yesterday and I told him that if we achieve what we achieved last year, it is also because of him – and he was a main player for us.”
It has since been revealed that the west Londoners are expected to make a bid for Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo imminently, but a Premier League centre-back has also now entered the frame as a potential option…
That is according to reports in Spain, which state Chelsea are now preparing a €50m (£43m) offer for Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate, who is also being targeted by Spanish heavyweights Real Madrid.
Madrid are confident about securing Konate’s signature on a free transfer next summer, upon the expiration of his contract, but the Blues have now entered the race, and they are willing to pay the exact amount Liverpool are looking for.
It's not Palmer: PSG now submit £130m offer for "unbelievable" Chelsea star
Paris Saint-Germain have launched a bid for one of the Blues’ key players.
By
Dominic Lund
Aug 11, 2025
At present, however, a move to Real Madrid is still the most likely outcome, given that the Reds are reluctant to strengthen one of their direct Premier League rivals, and the player himself is leaning towards a move to the Santiago Bernabéu.
"World-class" Konate would be major coup for Chelsea
In truth, it seems unlikely that the Blues will be able to get a deal done, considering the French defender has no reason to leave the reigning Premier League champions, and Liverpool are hesitant to let him move to Stamford Bridge.
However, the Reds are at risk of losing the 26-year-old on a free transfer if they don’t cash-in this summer, which means it could be tempting to sanction a sale, and he could be a fantastic acquisition for the Blues.
The France international played a major role in Liverpool’s 2024-25 Premier League title triumph, making 31 appearances, and journalist David Lynch believes he is now “world-class”.
Konate is clearly entering the prime of his career, and it would be a major coup if Chelsea were able to get a deal done, but it seems extremely unlikely that Arne Slot’s side will agree to a sale, given that they are already light on centre-back options.
“If given the responsibility, I would be more than happy to take it on,” Venkatesh says about the KKR captaincy
Vishal Dikshit24-Nov-20244:23
INR 23.75 crore for Venky Iyer – Moody ‘shocked’
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were among the two franchises – along with Rajasthan Royals (RR) – who came into the mega auction without any right-to-match (RTM) options in the bag, and they are getting close to retaining a majority of their core, although with the unexpected amount of INR 23.75 crore they shelled out for Venkatesh Iyer. But by spending a combined INR 5.60 crore on opening batters Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Quinton de Kock, the defending champions have “balanced off” after breaking the bank for Venkatesh.Along with their retentions of Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Harshit Rana and Ramandeep Singh, and by buying Anrich Nortje again, they have nine players of ten from the squad that won IPL 2024.”Auctions are this way only,” KKR CEO Venky Mysore said of splurging on Venkatesh. “At the end of the day it’s about the player you want and the type of player you want in the set-up. Of course, prices have a meaning within a certain band and so it surprises you all the time. When you have salary caps like this going up (INR 120 crore compared to 100 crore last auction), obviously [player] prices will also expand. For us it was about trying to keep our core. We’ve kept six players and brought 2-3 players back from last year. that was always the kind of thinking and as far as he (Venkatesh) is concerned we definitely did’t want to find ourselves in a situation where we may not be able to bing him back. But it always balances itself. When you look at Quinton de Kock (INR 3.60 crore) and Nortje (INR 6.50 crore) that we’ve picked, it balances off in many ways. On an overall basis, it all works out.”They’ve proven on the field what they can do. You saw in a championship year, and one year we went to the final as well, in 2021. He (Venkatesh) was highly instrumental and terrific guy in the team. He had clearly given us an ultimatum that, ‘If you don’t pick me, I will be very sad’. So we didn’t want him to be sad, and we’re also very happy.”The first day of the auction saw as many as three players bag deals of over INR 20 crore each, with two of them – former KKR captain Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant – breaking the previous record of the biggest IPL deals. When asked if he was surprised by the big price tags this time as many big-name players wanted to explore the market, Mysore said, “Not really, to be honest. Players put in their base prices only, we’re the ones who are raising the paddle. It’s always a function of what the availability of the purse is and in that situation and timing what not. I still maintain that the RTM rule should have been the old rule.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Kolkata Knight Riders (@kkriders)
Venkatesh Iyer ‘more than happy’ to be KKR captain”I had the opportunity to captain the side in Nitish Rana’s absence when he was unfortunately injured, and I was the vice-captain as well,” Venkatesh was quoted as saying by . “I’ve always believed that captaincy is just a tag, but leadership is about creating an environment where everyone feels they can play for this team and contribute. If given the responsibility, I would be more than happy to take it on. Together, we will aim to defend the championship and continue our winning campaign.”Venkatesh became the third-most expensive buy at the IPL 2025 mega auction behind Pant and Shreyas.”To be honest, I’m at a loss for words, but I’m elated to be part of the KKR team once again,” Venkatesh said. “The KKR coach [Chandrakant Pandit] was also my coach in Madhya Pradesh. We were discussing how I felt nervous about coming back to KKR. But again, it’s a message of the franchise’s focus on winning championships and player development and how much they value its players. I’m thrilled to play for KKR again and happy they’ve shown so much confidence in me.”
Graham Potter has enough credit in the bank as a Premier League-proven manager to turn around West Ham United’s fortunes.
During his final full season at the helm of Brighton and Hove Albion, the 50-year-old would guide the Seagulls to a fantastic ninth place in the league standings, with the Hammers jumping for joy at a potential top-half finish themselves, after an unsatisfactory 14th spot was sealed last season.
Those watching on week after week at the London Stadium might have expected Potter to hit the ground running with speed when joining last campaign, but with a transfer window soon to be under his belt, he should be able to stamp his authority on proceedings more effectively to try and make his Irons stay a success.
Kyle Walker-Peters is the standout addition so far this summer, having just been picked up on a free transfer deal from Southampton, with another purchase from a recently relegated side looking to be in the works.
West Ham enter race for Premier League star
West Ham are also scouring the rest of the Premier League, away from just looking to raid the unlucky clubs that have unfortunately fallen through the relegation trapdoor.
Harvey Elliott celebrates for Liverpool
Indeed, James McAtee is reportedly on their shopping list from Manchester City, although his £35m valuation might prove to be too steep, whilst Harvey Elliott is also allegedly on the Hammers’ radar from City’s rivals in Liverpool.
They are also setting their sights on Leicester City when attempting to add in some fresh bodies centrally, with journalist Ben Jacobs recently revealing, when talking to talkSPORT, that Potter and Co. are keen on Wilfred Ndidi’s services.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Jacobs does state that there could be an intense race ahead for the Nigerian’s in-demand signature, owing to the likes of Manchester and Everton also keeping an eye out on the 28-year-old as a potential recruit:
“A quick word on West Ham United because now that they’ve sold Mohammad Kudus to Tottenham, I expect West Ham to have a little bit more financial leeway to really get going. My expectation is that Graeme Potter is going to be pushing this window for an attacking midfielder and also a number six.
“And the latest player that I’ve heard on the radar for number six is Wilfred Ndidi, who has been discussed by Manchester United, Everton, Real Betis and Juventus and even Saudi. There are so many clubs in for Ndidi that my feeling is that it will resolve itself relatively quickly.”
Declan Rice
Yet, if West Ham wants to finally fill the void left behind by Declan Rice’s exit in the middle of the park, they might have to flex their muscles and advance to the front of the queue for Ndidi.
How Ndidi can help West Ham to finally replace Rice
Expecting the £75k-per-week talent to instantly be West Ham’s new answer to the England international straight away is a lot to ask.
He is well accustomed to the pressures of the Premier League already, though, having notched up 220 top-flight appearances for the Foxes to date, meaning he should be able to perform with the same confidence centrally that Rice showed in spades when he was still situated in East London.
Before taking his game to an unbelievable new level at Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal – with the £105m talent now not looking out of place against world beaters Real Madrid – Rice was well-known as a vibrant and lively midfield option at his boyhood employers, with a split second ability to fire home a stunning strike in his locker, just like this one he arrowed home back in 2021 for the Hammers.
But, he also had a bite present in his game that made him a formidable foe to come up against, as seen in him winning a high 4.4 duels on average in league action during his swansong campaign at the London Stadium.
Ndidi’s league numbers for Leicester (24/25)
Stat – per 90 mins*
Ndidi
Games played
28
Goals scored
0
Assists
5
Touches*
53.2
Accurate passes*
29.5 (82%)
Ball recoveries*
4.5
Total duels won*
6.3
Stats by Sofascore
Looking at the table above, Ndidi seemingly operated in a very similar manner to a much rawer Rice for his relegation-doomed side last campaign, with a willingness to push up the pitch and get involved in attacks seen in his five assists, away from his further seven goals across his entire Premier League playing days.
However, it’s also his desire to get stuck in from deep, away from just bombing forward, which makes him an ideal candidate to finally fill that Rice-shaped hole, with a hefty 6.3 duels won on average.
In contrast to the “absolute monster” of a midfielder – as described by ESPN’s Colin Udoh – despite being in the form of his life now at the Emirates, the ex-Hammers number 41 would only win 3.4 himself across the same span.
Labelled as a “first-class” talent by Brendan Rodgers when the pair were together at the King Power Stadium, West Ham might well deem winning the services of Ndidi as a more important venture now than replacing Mohammed Kudus, especially if it finally allows for the heartbreak of Rice’s departure to be put to bed.
Their new Kudus: West Ham open first talks to sign "intelligent" £30m star
West Ham United could snap up their next Mohammed Kudus by signing this £30m attacker.
Manchester United are exploring deals to improve their squad during the summer transfer window, as they look to add to the signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers last month.
The Red Devils are reportedly confident that they will be able to complete a deal to sign Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.
In the 2024/25 season, the Cameroon international delivered 20 goals and seven assists in all competitions, which suggests that he could add a huge threat to Ruben Amorim’s side next term.
Whilst the signings of Cunha and Mbeumo, if the latter goes through, show that United are looking for Premier League proven performers to help them kick on, the Red Devils are also looking further afield.
Man Utd eyeing up LaLiga ace
As well as wanting to improve their options at the top end of the pitch, by signing players who can score and assist goals, the club would like to improve their midfield.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to Caught Offside, Manchester United are one of a number of teams in the race to sign Barcelona defensive midfielder Marc Casado this summer.
The report claims that Amorim’s side are interested in a deal to bring the Spaniard over to England, but they have not made contact with the LaLiga champions yet.
FC Barcelona's MarcCasadocelebrates scoring their second goal with teammates
It reveals, however, that their Premier League rivals, Chelsea and Arsenal, have spoken to Barcelona to enquire about a potential swoop for the 21-year-old talent.
Caught Offside adds that it will take a fee of around £43m to tempt the Spanish giants into cashing in on the midfielder, despite him having an £86m release clause.
Man Utd could find their next Carrick
If United can get a deal over the line for the Barcelona star this summer, Amorim could unearth his own version of Michael Carrick in the middle of the park.
The former Red Devils star, who recently managed Middlesbrough, was a metronome in midfield for the club during his playing days with his fantastic ability to dictate play with his quality on the ball.
From the 2009/10 season onwards (from when the data became available), the England international completed 88% of his attempted passes in 272 games before the end of his career.
In Casado, United could find a young midfielder with similar qualities to Carrick. However, at the age of 21, he is still very raw and needs time to develop and hit his stride at senior level.
Barcelona's Marc Casado against Benfica.
He made 23 appearances for Barcelona in their LaLiga title-winning season last term, leading talent scout Jacek Kulig to hail his “incredible” form, and showcased the kind of qualities that you would associate with the former United midfielder.
24/25 LaLiga
Marc Casado per 90
Percentile rank vs CMs
Passes attempted
76.37
Top 5%
Pass accuracy
89%
Top 10%
Progressive passes
5.98
Top 18%
Assists
0.17
Top 22%
Passes into the final third
7.71
Top 6%
Passes offside
0.00
Top 4%
Stats via FBref
As you can see in the table above, he ranked highly among his positional peers in a host of possession-based metrics, with both his pass accuracy and progressive passing statistics pointing to his efficiency and effectiveness with the ball at his feet.
These statistics suggest that Casado could be moulded into a Carrick-esque figure for Amorim, as a deep-lying midfielder who can move the ball around and dictate games, whilst being progressive in doing so.
However, Casado only won 53% of his duels, including 28% of his aerial battles, and he may need to improve the physical side of his game to truly thrive in England.
This is why he may not be the finished article right away for Manchester United in the Premier League, but he does have the attributes to potentially develop into Amorim’s own Carrick in the future, or straight away if he can hit the ground running.
Amorim's own Haaland: Man Utd make "world-class" £60m CF their top target
Manchester United appear to be making moves for a new forward in the transfer market.
Sri Lanka’s interim coach also says people need to give Asalanka some time as captain before judging him
Shashank Kishore01-Aug-2024Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka’s interim coach, wants his team to channel the criticism they have received after the T20I series loss to India to turn things around during the 50-overs leg of the tour.”I tell them that I have been at this place too during my 20 years as a player,” Jayasuriya said ahead of the first ODI in Colombo. “A lot of you have just started. You have to be able to accept this criticism, and then be able to come out and play well. If you play well the fans will love you. What they say to you is because of the hurt they are feeling, and that’s temporary.Jayasuriya said the Sri Lankan team was putting in “huge efforts” at training, and the batting collapses they suffered in all three T20Is was simply a case of things not clicking. Two nights ago, they lost 7 for 27 as India took the third T20I into the Super Over despite the hosts cruising towards their 138-run target at one stage. In the first T20I, they lost 9 for 30 after setting themselves up for victory at 140 for 1 in 14 overs while chasing 214.Jayasuriya said it wasn’t a lack of skill or commitment that led to the meltdowns. He felt his players’ “cricket awareness” needed sharpening. “We have created a system where top-order batters could bat for two or three hours during training,” he said. “Kamindu Mendis batted for more than 600 balls during our training. Kusal Perera batted for over 700 balls and that’s quite a number of overs.Related
Calm, chilled and selfless: captain Asalanka steps into Sri Lanka cricket's melee
Will it be another mismatch as Sri Lanka and India switch to ODIs?
Pathirana and Madushanka out of ODIs against India
The emotional rollercoaster that is Sri Lanka cricket
Sri Lanka's latest collapse a chef's kiss on their incompetence
“I don’t see a lack of commitment, but they have got to tackle pressure better. Their cricket awareness also needs sharpening. We are taking the responsibility; you can’t go away from that. As long as they realise that, and make sure that, we’ll have to keep giving them the confidence and support.”Jayasuriya elaborated on the “cricket awareness” aspect by citing how it was acceptable to not be a six-hitting team.”When you talk about power hitting, I don’t think you need that much,” Jayasuriya said. “If you hit enough fours and enough twos, you get the total that you need. The [Sri Lankan] grounds are a little bigger. There’s no reason why you can’t hit boundaries, or twos, or threes. If you can do that, you can get by without hitting so many sixes.”Jayasuriya also backed new captain Charith Asalanka to come good, while underlining the importance of giving him time to settle into the new role before being judged. Since his debut in 2021, Asalanka has risen to become one of Sri Lanka’s more consistent ODI batters, averaging 43.59 with a strike rate of almost 90 across 52 innings.”Charith Asalanka is one of our best players in this format, and we need to remember that,” Jayasuriya said. “But when you get the captaincy, there is some pressure. I’ve been there too. You have got to give them a little time in that position.”There are ten more players in the side, and 16 in the squad. We all have to get together and give him the confidence too. At any moment, the captain could click. Charith Asalanka is someone who works really hard. He’s very professional and communicates well.”The Sri Lanka players have been hit by injuries and illnesses in the lead-up to the ODI series. The list is rather long – Binura Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka, Dushmantha Chameera, Matheesha Pathirana and Nuwan Thushara are all unavailable.”We have brought Pramod Madushan into our squad,” Jayasuriya said. “There’s also a viral flu in the team and we need to account for that. Maheesh Theekshana was sick and he recovered enough to play. Wanindu Hasaranga also had it. There were several who caught it and in the end, we even had to admit Binura Fernando to the hospital.”The absence of key players, though, is not something Jayasuriya wants to use as an excuse. He insists there’s plenty to play for and has spoken to players individually about placing an emphasis on being “mentally in the right place”.”I’m interim coach and I’ve only got these two series, but that’s not how I think,” he said. “When I was playing, and even now, I hate to lose. The players who are around now know that too. When I talk to them, I tell them that fans in this country love the game, and a lot of us, including me, have brought cricket into this country to a certain place.”I’ve spoken about that a lot individually with players and as a team. In terms of facilities and practice, I’ve tried to do as much as I can. What I want is to create a good environment so they can be mentally in the right place and can play with confidence.”
It is set to be a busy summer transfer window at Aston Villa, especially throughout the month of June.
The Claret and Blue Army’s 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford against Manchester United on the final day of the season condemned them to sixth place, missing out on Champions League qualification, thereby having to settle for a spot in the Europa League.
This, as outlined by Steve Sutcliffe of BBC Sport, only increases the financial pressure on Aston Villa, who may be forced to sell key assets before 30 June to avoid breaching Profitability and Sustainability Rules.
So, with at least one first-team figure seemingly heading out the exit door, Unai Emery should be pushing hard to sign a “magical” replacement.
The latest on Leon Bailey's future
According to a report by The Telegraph, Leon Bailey is being ‘targeted’ by a number of Saudi Pro League clubs who are hoping to tempt him to move this month.
Aston Villa's Leon Bailey in action with Juventus'AndreaCambiaso
Rahman Osman of the Sun adds that newly-promoted Neom SC, who have former-Premier League players Saïd Benrahma, Ahmed Hegazi and Mbaye Diagne on their books, have already ‘held initial discussions’ with Bailey, and a £25m move is expected to be finalised this week.
Bailey was not included in Jamaica’s squad for last week’s Unity Cup in West London after, as outlined by Elias Burke of the Athletic, a public falling out with the JFF last year, thereby highly unlikely to feature in the Reggae Boyz’s World Cup qualifiers this week, nor the CONCACAF Gold Cup later this month either.
The winger joined the Villans from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported £25m four years ago, but his role in the team has diminished as the table below outlines.
Bailey season-by-season Villa career
Statistics
21/22
22/23
23/24
24/25
Appearances
18
36
52
38
Starts
7
27
35
25
Minutes
755
2,124
3,197
2,072
Times an unused sub
2
Zero
1
7
Goals
1
5
14
2
Assists
2
4
14
4
All stats from Transfermarkt
As the table highlights, Bailey endured a massive drop-off in form, importance and output from last season to this campaign, underlining the fact now is the right time for Aston Villa to sell, so should they target a replacement who will be rather familiar to supporters?
Aston Villa's dream Bailey replacement
Marco Asensio arrived at Aston Villa on loan from Paris Saint-Germain in January and was certainly a roaring success, scoring eight goals in 21 appearances, bagging braces against Club Brugge, Chelsea and Cardiff during victories at Villa Park.
Ali Tweedale of Opta’s the Analyst believes the Spanish international added a ‘sprinkling of stardust’ to Villa’s attack, noting that Emery, who he believes to be a ‘huge fan of his compatriot’, would surely be eager to sign him permanently.
Well, with Spanish publication Sport claiming that he is valued at €15m (£13m) by the newly-crowned champions of Europe, he could head back to Villa with Birmingham Live’s John Townley revealing that Asensio is said to be ‘open to returning to Villa permanently’.
Described as “magical” and a “truly impressive talent” by Juan Pericas, who was his youth team coach at Mallorca, he’d certainly be an expert replacement for the departing Bailey.
Asensio vs Bailey 2024/25 Aston Villa comparison
Statistics
Asensio
Bailey
Appearances
21
38
Minutes
1,119
2,072
Goals
8
2
Assists
1
4
Big chances missed
6
3
Big chances created
2
7
Shots
43
20
Shooting accuracy %
66.45%
44.51%
Passing accuracy %
86.35%
77.04%
Take-on success %
60.31%
46.01%
Touches per 90
44
45
Average Sofascore Rating
7.02
6.77
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt, SofaScore and Squawka
As the table outlines, albeit from an admittedly small sample size, Asensio largely outperformed Bailey in claret and blue this season.
The Spaniard scored six more goals, despite playing around 900 fewer minutes, while registering a higher percentage of his shots on target, completed passes and successful take-ons. In short, he’s just a far more dangerous player.
Leon Bailey celebrates with Marco Asensio for Aston Villa.
Thus, if Villa are able to sell the Jamaican winger for £25m and sign Asensio for around half that, this would appear to be excellent business.
Aston Villa: NSWE make approach to sign £13m Serie A "no-nonsense CB"
The Villans have now asked for information about a defender, who is attracting widespread interest from the Premier League.
Leeds United are looking to sign a “fantastic” defender as a replacement for Junior Firpo this summer, with the left-back potentially leaving the Whites, according to a report.
Firpo's time at Elland Road may be coming to an end
Firpo played an important role in Leeds’ promotion from the Championship last season, with the Dominician Republic international picking up four goals and ten assists in 32 league appearances.
However, it now looks as though the left-back’s time at Elland Road could be coming to an end, with the 28-year-old’s contract set to expire this summer, and he has been attracting interest from the likes of Lazio and soon-to-be Premier League rivals Everton.
Last week, there were reports that Daniel Farke’s side have submitted a contract offer to extend the defender’s stay in Yorkshire, but a more recent update indicates that Firpo is set to depart, with the Whites now identifying a Premier League defender as a potential replacement.
Leeds considering swoop for "incredible" striker who'd be their new Wood
Leeds are reportedly considering a move for a star who could be Daniel Farke’s own Chris Wood.
ByDan Emery May 21, 2025
According to a report from Football Insider, Leeds are now looking to sign Liverpool defender Kostas Tsimikas, who would go straight into Farke’s starting XI, with the Reds likely to accept a bid of around £12m – £15m for the left-back in the summer.
With Arne Slot’s side making moves to sign AFC Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez, they won’t stand in Tsimikas’ way if a suitable offer is received, potentially opening the door for a move to Elland Road.
Liverpool's KostasTsimikascelebrates after winning the Premier League
Transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke also offered a further update on Firpo’s future, saying: “Leeds are going to be in the market for a new left-back in this summer’s window with Junior Firpo likely to leave… [Tsimikas] could come straight into that team and improve them.”
Tsimikas could be "fantastic" Firpo replacement
The Greek defender didn’t exactly play a major role in Liverpool’s Premier League title triumph, making 18 appearances throughout the campaign, but he has impressed for the Reds in the past, having once been dubbed “fantastic” by journalist Ian Doyle.
With Leeds looking to avoid relegation from the top flight next season, it could be important to bring in players with top-level experience, and the 29-year-old fits the bill, receiving the Man of the Match award against RB Leipzig in the Champions League last October.
The Liverpool ace is also strong at winning back possession, ranking in the 95th percentile for interceptions per 90, and the 79th percentile for tackles, when compared to other full-backs over the past year.
Of course, it would be a shame to see Firpo leave, given the role the defender played in Leeds’ promotion last season, but there are plenty of signs that Tsimikas could be a solid replacement, and a fee of £15m wouldn’t break the bank.
Glasgow Rangers already know that they will finish the Scottish Premiership season in second place after their city rivals won the title at the end of last month.
The Light Blues held Celtic to a 1-1 draw at Ibrox on Sunday in a game that was meaningless in terms of the league table, but still meant a lot to the fans who saw their team put in a spirited display to avoid a defeat.
Rangers will want to put up more of a fight overall in the Premiership next season, though, as they bid to avoid finishing second for the fifth year in succession.
Appointing the right manager to lead the club forward is pivotal, and it does not look like Barry Ferguson will be that man, as the team are currently on a winless run of six matches under his management.
The Light Blues have been linked with external appointments to replace the Scottish boss, who is currently in interim charge after Philippe Clement was sacked earlier this year.
Gerrard lined up for Rangers return
It was recently reported by Football Insider that the English manager is the ‘favourite’ to return to Ibrox to replace Ferguson in the dugout this summer.
The outlet revealed that he is currently the leading candidate to take the job ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, as the 49ers and Kevin Thelwell look to find the club’s new head coach.
Ex-Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard.
It was claimed that Gerrard is at the top of the club’s shortlist of managerial options to come in, ahead of former RB Leipzig tactician Marco Rose.
Of course, it would be the iconic former Liverpool midfielder’s second stint at Ibrox, having left the Glasgow giants to manage Aston Villa in 2021, after he had joined the Light Blues from working in academy football at Anfield down south.
Matches
38
12
Wins
32
8
Draws
6
3
Defeats
0
1
Points
102
27
Points per game
2.68
2.25
League position
1st
1st
As you can see in the table above, Gerrard’s last 50 matches in charge of Rangers in the Premiership were nothing short of extraordinary, with just one defeat and 40 wins, including an unbeaten title-winning campaign in the 2020/21 season.
Former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard.
The Gers boss had some terrific players to work with during that period in the club’s history. One of the key players in that title success was, for example, central midfield star Glen Kamara, who provided a metronomic presence in the middle of the park.
Why Glen Kamara was important for Steven Gerrard
The impressive central midfielder, who signed for Gerrard’s side in January 2019 from Dundee, played a pivotal role in midfield in the 2020/21 campaign.
Kamara played 33 of the 38 league matches, starting 29 of those games, and provided quality in and out of possession for the English tactician in his 4-3-3 system.
The Finnish star only scored one goal in the Premiership that term, as shown in the clip above, but he contributed in other ways with his brilliant midfield performances.
Kamara utilised his physicality, mobility, and technical quality to dominate the middle of the park by winning his duels and being incredibly reliable with the ball at his feet in the Premiership.
Appearances
33
Goals
1
Assists
1
Pass accuracy
91%
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.0
Ground duel success rate
59%
Aerial duel success rate
57%
As you can see in the table above, the Finland international won the majority of his battles on the ground and in the air, whilst rarely giving the ball away with his passes.
These statistics illustrate how important Kamara was to Gerrard’s side because he could combine technical quality with physical robustness to provide balance in midfield for the Light Blues.
Former Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara.
Now, Rangers have a promising young talent on their hands who could develop into being Gerrard’s new version of Kamara, if the Gers appoint the English head coach for a second time, in the form of Bailey Rice.
Why Bailey Rice could be the new Glen Kamara
Like the Finnish ace, the 18-year-old midfielder is a player who has the potential to provide technical quality in possession with strong defensive qualities in the middle of the park.
Of course, Rice is not the finished article and should not be expected to be, at the age of 18, and is a starlet who could develop and improve under Gerrard’s management, with a view to him becoming a star further down the line.
The teenage dynamo has played 12 times for the first-team so far in his young career, and nine of those games have been in the current campaign.
In those matches, Rice has shown glimpses of the kind of quality he could consistently provide in the future if his development continues on the right track, and he is given enough opportunities by managers moving forward.
The Rangers starlet did enough to leave TNT Sport pundit and Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand in awe against the Red Devils in the Europa League earlier this term, as the former England international hailed his “wonderful” pass and how “composed” the midfielder was, whilst admitting that he liked the look of the youngster.
Rice won 75% of his aerial duels and created one ‘big chance’ for his team in his three appearances in Europe this term, whilst he has also shown glimpses of quality in the Premiership.
Appearances
4
Starts
1
Pass accuracy
80%
Long pass accuracy
67%
Duels won per 90
5.93
Duel success rate
60%
Aerial duel success rate
70%
As you can see in the table above, the Light Blues teenager has showcased his defensive ability for the Gers by winning the majority of his physical battles, despite being just 18, and almost won six duels per 90.
Analyst John Walker claimed that one of Rice’s qualities is his “aggressive nature to break lines with forward passes”, but his 80% pass accuracy suggests that there is still work to be done to translate that to first-team level effectively.
Steven Gerrard
Therefore, the qualities are all there for the young midfielder to develop into a star who can play in a similar way to how Kamara did for Gerrard in the 2020/21 campaign, due to his ability in and out of possession.
If Gerrard is the next Rangers manager, the former England international, who played in midfield in his playing career, could work with Rice on the training pitch to turn him into his next version of Kamara at Ibrox in the years to come.
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.
And does Simon Harmer have the most wickets in a series at the lowest average?
Steven Lynch02-Dec-2025Simon Harmer took 17 wickets at less than nine apiece in the recent series in India. Has anyone taken more in a series at a lower average?</B asked Kelvin Phillips from South Africa
The South African offspinner Simon Harmer took 17 wickets at 8.94 in the recent 2-0 victory in India, figures that put him in rarefied company: only six bowlers have taken more wickets at a lower average in a series in which they played at least two Tests – and no one has done it since England’s Tony Lock took 34 wickets at just 7.47 against New Zealand at home in 1958.Lowest of all dates from South Africa’s first-ever Test series, at home in 1888-89: England’s Johnny Briggs took 21 wickets at just 4.80. Seven years later another England bowler, George Lohmann, took advantage of some more inexperienced South Africans to take 35 wickets at 5.80 in a three-match series.No one has taken more wickets at a lower average in any series in India (again playing in a minimum of two Tests): Jasprit Bumrah took ten at 9.00 apiece against Sri Lanka in 2021-22. In third place is Marco Jansen, with 12 at 10.08 in the just-finished series.Aiden Markram took nine catches in the second Test against India. Was this a record for a non-wicketkeeper?asked Tim Vallance from England
South Africa’s Aiden Markram, who was playing in his 50th Test, took nine catches in the demolition of India in Guwahati last week, all of them in the slips (although two required a dive into the gully area). It was a record for an outfielder in a Test, beating the eight of India’s Ajinkya Rahane against Sri Lanka in Galle in 2015. There are also seven cases of seven.Markram’s feat has been bettered only once in first-class cricket: in 1928, the England batter Wally Hammond caught ten in a County Championship match against Surrey at Cheltenham. It was definitely Hammond’s match: he also scored 139 and 143 in a comfortable win. In the next match at the college ground, he took 9 for 23 and 6 for 105 against Worcestershire, and scored 80 in an innings victory.There are two other instances of nine outfield catches in a first-class match: by Warwickshire’s Rikki Clarke against Lancashire in Liverpool in 2011, and Peter Handscomb for Victoria against Tasmania at St Kilda in Melbourne in March 2022.How many England openers have bagged a pair in Australia, as Zak Crawley did in Perth?asked Nick Jones from England
Zak Crawley’s run-less double in the Ashes opener in Perth was only the fourth time an England opener has bagged a pair in a Test in Australia, and the first since Mike Atherton in Melbourne in 1998, in a match England still won. The others were Dennis Amiss, courtesy of Dennis Lillee in Adelaide in 1975, and Trevor Bailey, dismissed twice by Ray Lindwall in what turned out to be his last Test, in Melbourne in 1959.Overall there have been just nine cases of an England opener bagging a pair in a Test, two of them by the unfortunate Atherton.Michael Atherton is the only England opener to have bagged a pair twice in Tests•Clive Mason/PA PhotosIndia have lost five home Tests in a row. When was the last time this happened?asked Maneck Bholl from India
Well, first of all India haven’t lost five in a row: in between the 3-0 defeat by New Zealand last season and the recent 2-0 reverse at South Africa’s hands, they overpowered West Indies in two Tests in Ahmedabad and Delhi in October. In fact India have never lost five in a row at home: their worst run is three, against New Zealand at the end of last year, England in 1976-77, Australia (two in 1969-70) and England (one in 1972-73), and West Indies in 1958-59.Away from home India lost seven consecutive Tests in England in 1967 and Australia in 1967-68. They lost six in a row in 1959, including a 5-0 defeat in England (England’s only such whitewash). Recent successes mean India have now won 185 of their 598 Tests, with 188 defeats to go with 224 draws (plus one tie).In a recent one-day international against Sri Lanka, Pakistan delivered 26 wides but still won. Was this a record?asked Fahad Ali
The match you’re talking about was the first ODI in Rawalpindi last month: despite conceding 26 in wides, Pakistan won by six runs in the end. It’s actually not a record: Australia beat New Zealand in Pune in 2003 despite donating 32 runs in wides, as did the United Arab Emirates against Papua New Guinea in Windhoek in 2023. There’s also two cases of winning despite conceding 31 wides: by India against Kenya in Bristol during the 1999 World Cup, and Pakistan against India in Mohali in 2007.There are some higher numbers in women’s ODIs: in three matches in 2001, the Netherlands conceded 56, 52 and 45 wides against Pakistan – but won all three games. At Merrion in Dublin in 2004, New Zealand gave away 43 runs in wides, but still beat Ireland; and in Dambulla in 2016, Australia defeated Sri Lanka despite conceding 41 wides.And there’s some updates to a recent question about umpires’ early decisions,from Charles Davis in Australia and Ashru Mitra in India:
There are a few refinements to the list of those who had to give a batter out from their first ball in a Test, as mentioned in this recent column. The man who gave Herbert Sutcliffe out from the first ball of England’s Test against New Zealand in Christchurch in March 1933 was Richard Torrance. His colleague was Thomas Burgess, also standing in his first Test, and from the first ball at his end Eddie Paynter was bowled.There was a curious incident in Port-of-Spain in March 1971, when the West Indian opener Roy Fredericks was dismissed by the first ball of the match, from India’s Abid Ali. The debutant umpire Stuart Ishmael gave Fredericks out lbw, but then noticed the bails had been dislodged, so he was recorded as bowled.Finally the umpire in the South Africa-India Test in Durban in November 1992 was Cyril Mitchley, not Karl Liebenberg: they were alternating on the field (partnering Steve Bucknor) in what was South Africa’s first home Test for nearly 23 years. Jimmy Cook edged Kapil Dev’s first ball of the match into the slips, where Sachin Tendulkar took a catch. It seems, from Cook’s own account, that although Mitchley was at square leg he did have to rule on whether the ball had hit the ground before it reached Tendulkar: to Cook’s horror, he decided it had not.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions
The Tasmania left hander made a case over the last 18 months that the selectors couldn’t ignore
AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-20253:09
Australia’s Ashes squad: No Konstas, Labuschagne to open?
Jake Weatherald believes maturing as a player and a cricketer has helped put him on the cusp of a Test debut he feared may never come.An aggressive left-hander, Weatherald has been picked in Australia’s 15-man squad for the first Ashes Test in Perth following a stunning career revival in Tasmania.Darwin-raised, Weatherald’s first-class career started brightly in South Australia, before a form slump and mental health challenges ended in him being dropped from the Sheffield Shield team.Related
'Greyhound' Doggett in line to become Australia Test Cap No. 472
Konstas dropped, Weatherald called up for first Ashes Test
Ashes squad talking points: Kingmaker Green to dictate Australia's plans
Cummins feeling good for Gabba, but rest may be needed
But having scored 1391 runs at 53.5 from his past 15 first-class games since his move to Tasmania, the 31-year-old is a chance to open the batting for Australia this summer.”Playing for Australia’s the hardest thing to do in Australian sport,” Weatherald said in Hobart on Friday. “It was always a goal that felt maybe a little bit out of reach at times.”But at the same time, I probably got comfortable with myself to know that if I did the right things, at the right time, and I took my opportunities, then I’d be ready to go. It is a pinch-yourself moment.”As a kid in Australia, you grow up wanting to play professional sport; representing Australia in cricket is the highest honour, and something that I’ve aspired to my whole career.”If selectors decide to go with Weatherald, he will partner with Usman Khawaja at the top. Khawaja raised eyebrows last week when he firmly backed in his Queensland team-mate Matt Renshaw to earn an Australian recall.But Weatherald, who was getting coffee with mates when George Bailey rang with the good news, laughed off the comments, with Khawaja fully behind the newest member of the Australian squad. Khawaja joined in the fun with a “Who this?” reply to a clip of Weatherald’s interview with the .”He didn’t have me in four days ago,” Weatherald joked when asked about Khawaja now backing him to play. “You get the backing of someone like that who’s played so much first-class cricket, so much Test cricket.Jake Weatherald had been a stand out in domestic cricket•Getty Images
“He’s made so many hundreds for Australia and is such a respected cricketer within our community. I’d be really excited to partner up with him at some point.”Speaking to Fox Cricket on Thursday, Khawaja said: “He’s been knocking the door down. I’ve played a lot of cricket against him…he’s a terrific player. Conditions last year were pretty hard at Shield cricket, and he was a standout.”Weatherald’s hopes of getting into the XI could hinge on allrounder Cameron Green being able to bowl enough overs in the next Shield game for Western Australia. Labuschagne will almost certainly be back after finding form following his axing for the three Tests in the West Indies.Green batted at No.3 in the Caribbean, but could shuffle down to No.6 to accommodate Labuschagne, as well as Weatherald as an opener, if he is able to justify his position as a genuine allrounder.But Labuschagne opening, as he did unsuccessfully in the World Test Championship final, also remains an option for selectors.Green is the only member of Australia’s squad aged under 30, leading to ‘Dad’s Army’ jibes from the English. But Weatherald is confident he is only in contention for Australia because of how he has matured as a cricketer.”People laugh about it, talking about the old team that we have,” Weatherald said. “But the same time, I think that’s the biggest blessing is we’ve all matured as cricketers.Jake Weatherald’s career was transformed last season with over 900 Shield runs•Getty Images
“We’ve got to a point in our careers where we understand our games and how to handle the media, how to handle the pressures of playing first-class cricket. Hopefully that keeps me in good stead.”When the squad was announced, Bailey spoke about Weatherald’s positive approach with the bat, something the selectors have been looking for since David Warner’s retirement, but while Weatherald will bring his natural game to Test cricket he is also willing to adapt.”I think the way I operate is probably around that [being positive],” he said. “But at the same time, I’m not too preconceived about what I want to do. I feel adaptable. I don’t feel like a one-gear player. I feel like I can do different things.”If that means I have to lock in and bat a day and score 50 runs, that’s the best thing for the team and the conditions, that’s what I’ll do. But at the same time, if the opportunity is there, I’ll definitely take it.”Weatherald, who reflected on the 2005 Ashes as “his first fond memory of cricket”, is also confident of being able to deal with everything Ashes cricket will throw at him.”I think so, in terms of my mindset,” he said. “I think I’m pretty understanding of what I need to do to get ready as a cricketer but also how to deal with the pressure that comes out. I’ve never been a part of it. I’ve only been from the outside looking in. I’m sure the pressures and things that will come will be intense. But at the same time, I just see it as a great opportunity to be a part of it. And whatever happens, happens. It’s just going to be a cool thing to be a part of.”You know, the media, the Barmy Army, all that sort of stuff is going to be a pretty incredible experience.”