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Glasgow Rangers have been backed to make a move to sign a new free agent, with a BBC pundit believing he’d be the perfect fit for the Scottish Premiership.

What new players have Rangers signed?

Over the summer, Michael Beale entered the market to secure nine fresh faces, with Danilo, Sam Lammers, Cyriel Dessers and Jose Cifuentes being purchased, whilst the likes of Jack Butland and Dujon Sterling joined for free.

In terms of outgoings, Glen Kamara, Fashion Sakala and Antonio Colak were the three permanent sales to take place, whilst Ryan Kent and Filip Helander led the departures of squad members that had reached the end of their contracts, as per Transfermarkt.

The Light Blues might already be assessing their options ahead of the January window opening, and one star that they could target is Stefan Johansen, who most recently played his football for Queens Park Rangers in the English Championship.

The Norway international, who is naturally a central midfielder, decided to mutually terminate his contract at the end of last season meaning that he is now a free agent on the market and waiting to be snapped up, and the 32-year-old has been mooted to move to Ibrox.

Are Rangers signing Stefan Johansen?

Speaking to Football League World, BBC pundit Carlton Palmer named Rangers as a potential destination for Johansen, who he believes would easily slot into their style of football, especially having previously been coached by Beale during his time at Loftus Road. He said:

"Stefan Johansen is a very, very good footballer. I think maybe Glasgow Rangers might have a little look at him on a free. He is an experienced midfielder that can play really, really well, and play at a high level. Maybe someone like Glasgow Rangers may look at him on a free. He’s available, has experience, and has worked with the previous manager."

What could Stefan Johansen bring to Rangers?

Being 32, Rangers will know that Johansen isn’t getting any younger, but with age comes experience and he’s had plenty of that having been dubbed the “ultimate professional” by journalist Josh Bunting, so he could prove to be a fantastic short-term addition for Beale.

The TP Sport Management client is naturally stronger in the offensive aspect of his game having clocked up 19 contributions (13 assists and six goals) in 88 appearances during his time at QPR, whilst whipping 73 crosses into the opposition’s box last season, which was the fourth-highest total throughout his squad, via FBRef.

The Hoops’ former left-footed ace is also a versatile operator having been deployed in six different positions over the pitch since the start of his career, including everywhere across the midfield and even at centre-forward, so he would be a wonderful option for the boss to have in the building should any unexpected injuries occur in other roles where cover is needed.

Finally, Johansen was the captain of Gareth Ainsworth's side which means he will possess extremely strong leadership qualities, so for all the atrributes that he would add to the boss' ranks, alongside the fact he's available for free, this is a no-brainer of a deal to complete.

Manchester City, barring one slip-up against Wolverhampton Wanderers, have got off to an ideal start in the Premier League, sitting top, one point clear of Tottenham Hotspur in second. Pep Guardiola's side are only just getting going in all likelihood, too, especially with Kevin de Bruyne on his way back from injury, in what will only frustrate the rest of England's top flight.

The Citizens aren't perfect, however. Wolves proved that much when they overcame the treble winners 2-1 at Molinuex last time out. And that would have angered Guardiola, who will want his side to be as close to perfection as humanly possible, which could lead to future arrivals, including that of one particular Bundesliga star.

Man City transfer news…

Sticking to their trend, Man City once again spent big in the summer transfer window, splashing out a reported €241m (£208m) to welcome the likes of Matheus Nunes, Jeremy Doku, and Josko Gvardiol. Those moves have since paid dividends, too, particularly with the arrivals of Doku and Gvardiol. The former has got off to a blistering start in a City shirt, scoring two goals, and assisting one in six games in all competitions.

The question as to just how you can even improve this City side, who won the treble last season, now comes to the fore. And that's where Alphonso Davies comes in. According to 90min, the Manchester club are eyeing a move for the Bayern Munich left-back, whose contract at the Allianz Arena comes to an end in 2025. If they do pursue the Canada international's signature, they may have to fight off competition from both Chelsea and Real Madrid, however.

The Bavarians reportedly want Davies to sign a new deal at the club, but talks were put on hold in the summer, according to his agent, Nick Huoseh, who said: "I can't talk much about [Bayern contract talks], we were talking at the beginning of the summer with the sporting director and the former general director, but everything was put on hold."

How fast is Alphonso Davies?

Since the exit of Joao Cancelo, Man City have been successful in finding solutions at left-back, but are still without a natural player for the role, truth be told. The likes of Nathan Ake, Gvardiol, and John Stones have all filled in well, in what is an inverted full-back position, but adding Davies, or someone similar, feels like the natural next step for City.

The temptation alone to welcome a player quicker than Kyle Walker after being the fastest player in last season's Champions League, may entice those at The Etihad, though Davies' ability, aside from his pace, is good enough to warrant such a move. The Canadian has earned high praise throughout his career, including from Premier League legend Ashley Cole, who told The Mirror back in 2020:

"Davies is playing in a great team that puts him in good positions. He’s so direct, he’s quick, he can go inside or outside. I played against him in the MLS and, obviously, he couldn’t combine there with players of the quality Bayern have.

"Moving to Bayern was a big step, it was a huge risk going from somewhere he was comfortable to play with top stars, but he has just improved – his timing, his understanding, when to go in behind, when to drag people out of position."

Christian Pulisic had cause for frustration after scoring his ninth goal of the season in AC Milan’s 4-2 win over Slavia Prague in the Europa League.

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• American on target at San Siro
• Rossoneri in control of the tie
• Gave Czech opponents hope

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Rossoneri are in control of their continental last-16 encounter after registering four goals on home soil. Olivier Giroud, Tijjani Reijnders and Ruben Loftus-Cheek were all on target before half-time, after seeing El Hadji Malick Diouf sent off for the visitors in the 26th minute, while Pulisic wrapped up the scoring five minutes from time.

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  WHAT PULISIC SAID

  Despite claiming a commanding first leg lead, USMNT star Pulisic told of giving 10-man Slavia hope: “At the end it felt a bit disappointing because even with 10 men they managed to score two goals and obviously that hurts – we can’t allow that to happen. Sure we have to give them credit, they were great finishes, but I think we can be a bit smarter and close the game out. We’re still winning, two goals in front, so we have the advantage, but of course there is that feeling of we could have done more.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Pulisic registered his second goal of 2024 when netting late on, and his first in the Europa League. He added on his contribution in the final third: “Of course it’s nice to get a goal, this is my job and I have to continue to put pressure on their defenders and cause problems and help us to try and score goals. I can be happy, but we would like to win with more goals.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR PULISIC & MILAN?

  Milan have a home date with Empoli to take in on Sunday, as they battle to claim second place in Serie A, before heading to the Czech Republic next Thursday for the return leg of their European showdown with Slavia.

Arsenal defender Leah Williamson has admitted her side were "not good enough" in the damaging WSL title race defeat to Chelsea on Friday night.

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• Arsenal lose to Chelsea
• Six-point gap now opened
• Williamson shares reaction

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 26-year-old England international played the full 90-minutes during the 3-1 defeat to Chelsea, as she could only watch on as Arsenal collapsed in the first half of play at Stamford Bridge.

  Lauren James opened the scoring in the 15th minute, before a quick-fire brace from Sjouke Nusken stretched the lead to 3-0 before the break. An own-goal from Catarina Macario in the 86th minute would reduce the deficit – but it was too little, too late for the Gunners.

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• WHAT WILLIAMSON SAID

  Taking to her personal Instagram account, the Arsenal defender said: "That support deserved a result! Masters of our own downfall today, not good enough! We’ll see you next week!!"

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Chelsea have now opened a six point gap on Arsenal in the Women's Super League following the win. Jonas Eidevall's side are in in third place on 34 points, with the Blues sitting pretty at the top of the table on 40. Manchester City split the two sides in second place on 37 points, with Arsenal's latest loss offering Gareth Taylor's side a huge boost – especially with the game in hand they possess.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

  Williamson and her Arsenal team-mates will be hoping they can bounce back in their next fixture, as they prepare to face Aston Villa away from home next Sunday (March 24). Villa are currently eighth in the table and suffered a 4-0 defeat to Arsenal in their recent meeting earlier in March.

Tottenham Hotspur once again showcased the immense progression already made under Ange Postecoglou, as they overcame great adversity on the road to record a well-earned 1-0 victory against Luton Town.

Having dominated the opening half, forging numerous chances without any reward, the game was turned completely on its head when the referee made the bold, but ultimately correct decision to hand Yves Bissouma his second yellow card.

Having been rightly booked earlier for quelling a counterattack, his second came following a slaloming run in which he weaved past three opposition players. Clearly expecting contact, the Mali midfielder threw himself to the ground on the edge of the box, turning back to the referee in expectation.

However, what came was instead his marching orders, and once again the Lilywhites were left with it all to do.

Fortunately, there is more than enough character in their squad to overcome seemingly any obstacle at the moment, and the quality shone through despite getting fortunate with a couple of huge misses from the hosts.

They rode their luck, but stars like James Maddison, Cristian Romero, Pape Matar Sarr and Micky van de Ven all stood up and retained their unbeaten start to the Premier League season.

Who played well for Spurs vs Luton?

Whilst the latter will steal the headlines for his winning goal and defensive solidity, it was an all-around effort to quell the muted threat of the Hatters whilst operating with just ten men.

However, unsurprisingly the former Leicester City maestro once again stood out, with Sofascore recognising another impressive contribution by handing him an 8.5 rating, the highest of anyone on the pitch.

A constant creative threat as always, the 26-year-old would record four key passes and created two big chances too. However, winning seven of the 11 duels he competed in also was indicative of someone who rose to the physical challenge posed, given he was fouled on four separate occasions.

Then, it must also be outlined how assured a presence their Argentinian defender offered, with his 106 touches and 90% pass accuracy marking an exemplary afternoon who continues to expel his once-reckless play style with each game.

Despite the praise rightly distributed across the side, it is also worth noting those that very nearly let them down. Obviously, Bissouma's thoughtless first half severely hampered his teammates, and yet it could be argued that Richarlison endured an even more torrid display.

The Brazilian was anonymous, profligate and an utter disappointment yet again, even seeing his time on the pitch cut short to readjust following the sending-off.

How did Richarlison play vs Luton Town?

Starting from the left wing, in a role where he had excelled the week earlier during their controversial win over Liverpool, it was expected that the 26-year-old would maintain his fine form and finally kick on after a year of struggling to establish himself in north London.

However, it arguably marked one of his weakest displays in front of goal, having missed two golden opportunities to put them in front.

The first saw Dejan Kulusevski flash a beautiful left-footed ball across the box, and admittedly Richarlison's anticipation was good. He was goal side of his full-back and looked certain to score. And yet, a complete misjudge saw him strike high and wide from close range, with the scores remaining level.

Spurs would continue to push, with Maddison creating this time, slipping the forward in behind. Although his shot had to be rushed, it marked another opportunity squandered, with his shot saved by the foot of the goalkeeper and cleared.

As if to further emphasise a tough afternoon, even their Italian shot-stopper Guglielmo Vicario would record more touches (59) than the former Everton star (41), with Postecoglou's decision to sacrifice him more than merited.

Richarlison's 6.5 rating perhaps flattered his awful showing, which very nearly proved costly had Van de Ven not bailed him out. Not only was he profligate though, but he would also achieve 0% success with his two attempted dribbles, losing five of the nine ground duels he competed in, and losing possession 12 times, via Sofascore.

After such an abysmal performance, the former Celtic boss will certainly have reservations about starting him again once the international break concludes.

How has Richarlison played this season?

His performance may have been outstandingly poor with regard to his finishing, but this is a notion that has become frustratingly commonplace nowadays for the misfiring dud who was once so lethal on Merseyside.

In the season before the £90k-per-week flop would move to north London, the £60m striker scored ten and assisted five for a woeful Toffees side that narrowly escaped the drop. It was expected that Richarlison would therefore thrive when placed beside a better calibre of player, but that has clearly not been the case.

Last campaign saw the 46-cap finisher score just once across the entire league term, having only managed to match that tally thus far this year too. Such form was always bound to draw ridicule, with pundit Jamie O'Hara telling talkSPORT after yesterday's clash: "Terrible. He was bad. We are better without him. We are actually better with 10 men. We actually played better with 10 men after he came off. He is struggling, he really is."

This is a notion supported by journalist Ade Oladipo, who branded him "useless" for his lack of contribution after last season.

To truly outline just how toothless the 5 foot 10 flop has been, in the league he is averaging 2.3 shots per game, and yet conversely averages just 0.1 goals per game. Postecoglou cannot continue with such profligacy in his attacking areas, and had he not been saved by his centre-back, those missed chances could have proved costly.

Two favourable fixtures are now on the horizon for Spurs following the international break which the Australian will have his sights set on winning, before they once again face a tough run set to threaten that faultless record thus far.

Should their Brazil international retain his spot for these fixtures, it seems that their chances of winning will certainly take a hit.

Arsenal fans couldn't hold back their amazement at Martin Odegaard's sumptuous assist for Leandro Trossard's goal against Porto on Tuesday.

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• Odegaard delivers sumptuous assist
• Arsenal draw level in tie
• Fans go crazy at midfielder's efforts

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  An insipid Arsenal were clamouring for a moment of magic and their Norwegian skipper produced the goods to bring the roof down at the Emirates in the first half. He sliced open Porto's defence with a perfectly weighted assist for Trossard, who opened himself up to find the far corner with finesse.

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• WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  Arsenal fan @_Zeets wrote on X: "Martin Odegaard, you’ve changed my life."

  While another fan, @veencomps, added: "ODEGAARD YOU SEXY SEXY MAN".

  Meanwhile, @samiichels wrote: "Those debates between Bruno Fernandes and Odegaard look pathetic now😭😭😭😭 no comparison."

  Whereas, @LickshotLippy, wrote: "Odegaard smh, disgusting baller. Too much tech."

  On the other hand, @supportsteven shared a hilarious GIF and wrote: "Those Odegaard feints 😭😭😭"

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The round of 16 matchup hung in the balance after Trossard's goal, which equalised the tie at 1-1 on aggregate. The Gunners did get more into their groove in the second half, powered by a passionate 60,000-strong crowd, but Porto's gritty defence were resolute. Notably, Odegaard also found the net but a foul on Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa by Kai Havertz during the build-up saw his strike ruled out by the referee.

Arsenal are a club with a proud history of developing and promoting their own youth talent.

Just last season, the Hale End duo of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly burst into the first team and played far more of a role than anyone was expecting.

Likewise, while he’s now injured, Max Dowman made his senior debut earlier this season and looked every bit the superstar in the making that those in the know have described him as.

However, when it comes to the Gunners’ best young talent of the last decade, it’s impossible to ignore Bukayo Saka, who, early on in Mikel Arteta’s reign, played a vital role in keeping the Spaniard in the job, alongside fellow academy star Emile Smith Rowe.

So, fans should be seriously excited about Arsenal signing two incredible prospects who could become Arteta’s new Saka and Smith Rowe.

Saka & Smith Rowe's youth records

Saka joined Arsenal at just seven years old, and while he wasn’t necessarily the most talked-about prospect, his talent was evident.

Chalkboard

The future star made his debut for the under-18s against Fulham in the 17/18 season, a campaign in which he made 22 appearances, scoring eight goals and providing four assists.

The following season would see him spend far more time with the under-23s, where he made 24 appearances compared to just six for the under-18s.

The Ealing-born gem would end up scoring 14 goals and providing 11 assists across the two teams, but more crucially, he also made four appearances for the first team, one of which was a start.

The 19/20 season would see the 24-year-old make his final youth-team appearance, after which he was unquestionably part of the senior side.

Smith Rowe’s journey was a little different to his former teammates, as he made his debut for the under-18s and under-23s in the 16/17 season, ending the year with six goals and one assist in 16 games.

It was more of the same the following season, with him racking up a haul of 15 goal involvements in 27 games, which was for him to make his first team debut the following season and then be sent on loan to RB Leipzig in January.

19/20 was an odd year for the Croydon-born star, as he made more appearances for the first team and youth sides before being sent out on loan to Huddersfield Town in the Championship, where he scored two goals and provided three assists in 19 appearances.

Finally, the 20/21 season saw the midfielder make his last appearances for the junior sides before becoming a first-team regular, and by the end of his academy journey, the 25-year-old had scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists in 60 games.

With all that said, it was always clear that Saka and Smith Rowe were incredibly talented as youngsters, and it now looks like Arsenal have signed two more prospects who could be the new versions of them.

Arsenal's new Saka & Smith Rowe

Arsenal have an array of exciting young talents already coming through Hale End, but they decided to go out and get two more in Edwin and Holger Quintero.

The Ecuadorian twins agreed to join the Gunners earlier this month, and while the fans will have to wait until they’re 18 before they can see them in action, it looks like they could be superstars in the making, the new version of Saka and Smith Rowe.

Starting with the former, then, and it’s Edwin who could end up being a new version of the Gunners’ mercurial number seven, in part because his natural position is off the right.

Moreover, and in the words of respected analyst-turned-Como scout Ben Mattinson, the teenager is someone with “the ability to run games and create something out of nothing,” which is what we saw from the Hale Ender on Saturday night.

On top of that, under-23 scout Antonio Mango has described the dynamic winger as an attacker who “likes to play with short pass-and-move principles” but can still be incredibly “dangerous from distance. “

Again, that sounds a lot like the 24-year-old when you consider his often lethal curling efforts from outside the penalty area.

Okay then, what about Edwin’s brother Holger? What about him suggests he could be a Smith-Rowe-esque player for Arteta?

Well, firstly, his primary position is in the attacking midfield, and while he is not afraid of taking shots himself, he is more of a creator than his brother.

For example, Mango has described him as a player blessed with “high technical & intellect qualities” and as someone who is “effective in all thirds of the pitch.”

Furthermore, Mattinson has highlighted his “excellent weight of pass” and the fact that he’s a “decisive creator with a killer final ball” while also being someone with “with 1v1 prowess.”

Ultimately, there is a long way to go for the twins, but as things stand, it looks like Arsenal have got their hands on two of the most exciting youngsters in world football, youngsters who could become the club’s new Saka and Smith-Rowe.

Arsenal flop is fast becoming their worst signing since Mustafi

Things are not looking great for the Arsenal star this season.

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Jack Salveson Holmes

1 day ago

West Ham United and technical director Tim Steidten may "consider cashing in" on an "important player" this winter, according to reports.

West Ham contract news

The east Londoners have sealed a few crucial new contracts in the last fortnight, with the most crucial of them being fresh terms for star winger Jarrod Bowen. The England international is David Moyes' top scorer so far this season and has picked up where he left off, coming after he scored their historic Europa Conference League-winning goal at the back end of last term. Bowen signed a new contract till 2030 recently, pledging his future to West Ham.

The former Hull City star, speaking to West Ham's official website after putting pen to paper, revealed his delight over signing his new long-term deal.

“I’m so pleased to have signed a new long-term contract at West Ham,” he said.

“Everyone knows what this Club means to me, so committing my future until 2030 means so much to me and my family. I’ve loved every minute of my time here. Winning the Europa Conference League in Prague was an amazing moment, scoring the winner in the last minute will be something I’ll cherish forever.

“It’s left us all wanting that feeling again and again – we want to create more memories together, for our fantastic fans, and for this fantastic Football Club.”

Meanwhile, West Ham also tied down highly-rated young teenager Dan Rigge with a new deal too, with the likes of Vladimir Coufal, Pablo Fornals and Tomas Soucek linked with new deals recently as well.

Tomas Soucek contract update

However, as per a recent reported West Ham development, the latter player's talks over fresh terms have stalled somewhat over the last year. As a result, journalist Pete O'Rourke has wrote for Football Insider that West Ham and Steidten may "consider cashing in" on Moyes' "important player". Sharing a Soucek contract update, he's noted that the Irons will look to reignite talks and are keen to keep him, but if a solution cannot be find, they may look to offload in January.

"West Ham are keen to iron out a deal and now Jarrod Bowen has pledged his long-term future, they will look to reignite talks with Soucek," wrote O'Rourke.

"They will step up their efforts imminently as he is still an important player for David Moyes. The Irons will have a decision on Soucek’s future if no progress can be made by January. If offers for the midfielder arrive, they could consider cashing in rather than losing him for free."

Soucek's current deal expires at the end of this season, and losing him would be an arguable blow considering his resurgence lately. The Czech Republic international most recently notched a goal in West Ham's 2-2 draw against Newcastle, prompting praise from Moyes.

"I’m pleased for Tomáš as he is making a good contribution with his goals, as did Mo today who got his first one for us, which was great," said Moyes.

"We have played Tomáš a bit higher in the last couple of games to try and get him near the box. Today was tough because we couldn’t get enough crosses or balls near the edge of their box, but he made it and he got the goal."

Lionesses star Lauren James provided a no-look assist to Aggie Beever-Jones as Chelsea took the lead with a second-minute goal at West Ham.

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• Chelsea take early lead at West Ham
• Lauren James provides no-look assist
• Aggie Beever-Jones with opener in WSL

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After a through ball found its way to James in the box, without looking, the England star laid it off to team-mate Beever Jones – whose strike found the corner to make it 1-0 to the Blues at the Chigwell Construction Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Beever-Jones' goal means Emma Hayes' Chelsea are currently back on top of the Women's Super League due to a superior goal difference to second-placed Manchester City. The Blues are aiming to win a fifth straight WSL title in Hayes' last season with the club before taking up the head coach role at the United States Women's National Team this summer.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  After this match, Chelsea host Ajax in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday, with the Blues currently holding a 3-0 first-leg advantage. Four days later, they take on Arsenal in the FA Women's League Cup final.

Chelsea forward Aggie Beever-Jones is hopeful of earning her maiden international cap soon.

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• Beever-Jones reveals discussions with Wiegman
• Hopeful of making England debut soon
• Has performed consistently for Chelsea this season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 20-year-old Blues forward, who was included in England's squad for their friendly clash against Austria in February, revealed that during her time with the senior national team, she had a chat with Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman and she is hopeful of earning her maiden international cap soon.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The youngster has been a revelation for Emma Hayes' side this current season, having scored eight goals across all competitions including six in the Women's Super League. Along with Lauren James and Mayra Ramirez, Beever-Jones has formed a formidable connection up front.

• WHAT BEEVER-JONES SAID

  Speaking to , the young attacker said, "I always love coming to camp and just seeing seniors around today, it's nice to have that close connection but it's always good to be around friends and playing good football."

  When asked about her experience of being part of the senior squad in February, she added: "It's a good feeling. I've had a few good chats with Sarina which is also nice and I think it's just making that jump from one point for me it was such a good experience to be with the girls and they were so welcoming and I think it was just surreal to be sat watching England play and thinking how close I am."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

  The Lionesses will be next seen in action on April 5 as they take on Sweden in a Euro 2025 qualifying game before facing the Republic of Ireland four days later.