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Leeds United are expected to lose one of their star men after once again falling victim to the play-offs, meaning that Daniel Farke's side will remain in the Championship next season.

Leeds 0-1 Southampton

Having never been promoted via the playoffs in their history, Leeds looked well placed to end that curse after thrashing Norwich 4-0 in the semi-final, with the Elland Road outfit having comfortably been one of the best three teams in the Championship throughout the season.

But their inability to win at Wembley struck again as they turned in a poor performance against Southampton, which ultimately allowed a first-half Adam Armstrong strike to prove the difference between the two sides and take the Saints back up to the Premier League at the first time of asking, leaving Leeds to lick their wounds in the Championship next season.

Leeds must now axe £12m star after 3/10 play-off display

This Leeds United dud could find his minutes cut ahead of the next Championship season.

By
Kelan Sarson

May 27, 2024

"When you come so close after 90 points and a great play-off semi-final, it hurts a lot", Farke told the media after the game.

"It's more important to take it as extra motivation. The supporters deserve a day to celebrate and we feel that pain today. We're disappointed we could not send our fans back with something to cheer about and we're not in the promised land. It'll be difficult to come back stronger because we had 90 points this season."

The chance to come back stronger will be even more difficult as Leeds' grim financial picture is realised, with failure to secure promotion leaving them likely to need to raise cash fast this summer with a worrying financial picture emerging at Elland Road and £73.5m still owed for player transfers before anything can be spent this summer.

Now, news that Leeds fans will be fearing has broken.

Crysencio Summerville expected to leave Leeds

That news concerns the future of star man and Championship player of the season Crysencio Summerville, who had an unusually quiet game at Wembley and was substituted with his side chasing a goal.

Nonetheless, the Dutchman has been in sparkling form all season in England's second tier, with 19 goals and 9 assists in 43 Championship games, and his form has caught the eye of Premier League sides including Liverpool.

He has drawn plenty of praise from Farke too, with the German hailing his hard-work in training and his creative ability.

"Crysencio is a baller. When you see a guy touching the ball like he does it’s heart-warming. We want him to improve his effectiveness. Need goals and assists and end products. The next step in his career. Delivers like this, he is on a good path”, the Leeds boss explained.

“His reaction, not just in possession, because he’s an outstanding creative player, we know this, but also how hard he worked for the team. This is exactly what we need and many compliments to him.”

Now, his departure seems certain, and The Athletic's Phil Hay has confirmed as much.

"Sales of certain players will be necessary this summer," he explained in reference to potential financial issues, before adding that "Summerville is among those expected to exit" on a permanent transfer before the new season starts.

With two years left on his current deal, Leeds are in a strong position when it comes to a deal, which could well see them take in just shy of a record fee when he does eventually leave Elland Road. But with another season in England's second tier confirmed, it could be only the first in a long line of difficult departures this summer for Leeds.

A tough 2023/24 season came to a positive close for Manchester United last Saturday after they were crowned FA Cup winners. They beat Manchester City 2-1 in the final, with academy graduates Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo being the goalscorers. Despite a late Jeremy Doku goal, United managed to hold firm and secure the three points.

Although the season ended with a fantastic victory over their Mancunian rivals, it has not guaranteed Erik ten Hag’s job ahead of next season. The Dutchman is currently the subject of an end-of-season review by the United board, and could well be removed from his post if they are not satisfied with their findings.

Ten Hag’s eighth-place finish in the Premier League is far from ideal. With that being said, he does have some defence for the team’s below-par season. His side have suffered over 60 cases of injury and illness this season, leaving them without key players for extended periods.

Lisandro Martinez has missed a total of 36 games in 2023/24, which is more this season than in the rest of his career combined. Luke Shaw has also missed 34 games, with his injuries being cause for concern for United, especially given Tyrell Malacia has missed the entire campaign with a knee injury.

With that in mind, United have been linked with a new left-back ahead of next term.

Man Utd looking to sign Premier League defender

The player in question here is Bournemouth and Hungary left-back Milos Kerkez. The 20-year-old has had an impressive time of things with the Cherries this season, resulting in several links away from the club as the summer window approaches.

Indeed, that is if the report from talkSPORT, is to be believed. The Red Devils are thought to be interested in a move for the youngster, with the report explaining Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos have sounded him out as a 'potential option to provide competition and cover' for the England international Shaw.

According to an earlier report from Ben Jacobs, talking exclusively to The United Stand, United are not the only side interested in bringing Kerkez to their club. Jacobs believes that Chelsea are “also interested” in a deal to sign the Hungarian.

However, a price is yet to be established for Kerkez, either officially or a rumoured fee. His value, according to CIES Football Observatory, is £26m, representing a good price for a talented young player.

How Kerkez compares to Luke Shaw

If United manage to sign the 20-year-old left-back, they will be signing a more than competent player to compete with Shaw. In fact, Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig compared the two, explaining that he is a “similar type of player” to the England international.

In his debut Premier League campaign, the Hungarian has been a very important player under Andoni Iraola this season. He has played 28 games in the top flight this season, helping to keep seven clean sheets and registering an assist against Aston Villa.

Kerkez put in a wonderful performance for Bournemouth against United in a recent Premier League match at the Vitality Stadium. His manager, Iraola said the youngster “played a hell of a game”, and this was reflected in the post-match ratings, where 90 Min journalist Katie Catherall rated his performance an 8/10. It was a game where he won three out of four ground duels and created one chance, as per Sofaccore.

Indeed, Kerkez was highly thought of by one of his former teammates at AZ Alkmaar, Matthew Ryan. The ex-Brighton goalkeeper described Kerkez as “crazy”, and explained that he is “aggressive, powerful and has so many qualities”, with a “unique skill set”.

Indeed, he is an impressive attacking left-back, registering seven assists and chipping in with five goals in 52 games for AZ Alkmaar, wonderful numbers from defence. However, he is also a great defender, which has shone through with the Cherries this season.

As per FBref, Kerkez averages 2.74 clearances per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 26% of full-backs in Europe. He also averages 4.25 ball recoveries per 90, showing off his defensive prowess and pace which helps him when recovering loose balls. That record is not too far behind Shaw, who averages 3.21 and 5.59 for those same two metrics, respectively.

Should a move for Kerkez formulate for the Old Trafford side this summer, they would be bringing in a very good competitor/clone to Shaw. If the former Southampton man continues to struggle with injuries next season, then Kerkez could provide a more than apt replacement in United’s starting eleven.

Ratcliffe can forget Olise as Man Utd eye "incredible" £51m Palmer clone

The Man Utd target is also being chased by Manchester City.

By
Tom Lever

Jun 1, 2024

Jesse Lingard has explained why he took a long break from football, while also discussing his motivation for joining FC Seoul.

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• Lingard without a club for more than six months
• Eventually signed for FC Seoul in South Korea
• Ex-Man Utd ace opens up on family struggles

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former Manchester United player left Nottingham Forest as a free agent in June 2023, but it wasn't until February of this year that he joined K-League team Seoul. Now, the 31-year-old has lifted the lid on what he wants to achieve at the South Korean team and how he put his family first towards the end of last year.

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  WHAT JESSE LINGARD SAID

  He told The Times: "People wondered why I swapped the Premier League for the K League in South Korea, but I wanted an adventure and a new type of challenge. When I signed for FC Seoul it was for two years, not just the season, because my goal is to bring trophies to my team and leave a legacy here. I’m so hungry for that. We’ve made the play-offs and that’s not a bad first step."

  On his family struggles, he added: "For pretty much the entire season [with Forest] I suffered severe tendinitis in my knees and Achilles. Sometimes I played in pain and other times I was just too sore to play at all. The only cure was rest but, in the summer, when I was out of contract, my nan got ill. She was an amazing woman – Pamela Lingard – and she and my grandad brought me up while, for long parts of my childhood, my mum battled depression.

  "But over the course of last summer, she became really poorly. She was in and out of hospital and though I was training hard and missed being at a club, it felt like being out of contract was God’s plan: I’m not going to give you a team right now, you need to stay home and be with your family. So that’s what I did. I spent as much time as I could with them and in November, when Nan passed away, Grandad took it really hard. He was depressed and suffering dizzy spells and was hospitalised himself. He needed looking after too, and there was the funeral to organise and a speech to give."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Lingard reportedly turned down a number of options before joining Forest – in what proved to be a disastrous move – and now he is coming to the end of his first season at Seoul. Despite a rocky start, he has scored five goals and bagged one assist in 21 matches and his side are now in the play-offs. Many questioned the former England international's move to Korea but it seems he is happy with the decision he took.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Lingard's team begin their title bid next Sunday away to Gangwon, before taking on Suwon FC, Pohang Steelers, Ulsan and Gimcheon Sangmu over the next month. He may need to be at his best to help Seoul win a trophy this season.

The Poland striker is in his best form since moving to Catalunya ahead of Wednesday's Champions League clash with his former club

Robert Lewandowski has scored 12 times during the opening 10 rounds of La Liga's new season. The last player to achieve that feat? The GOAT, Lionel Messi, in 2019-20. Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has been full of praise for Lewandowski's stunning start to the season – but he's not been surprised by it.

"This is the Robert I know," the former Bayern Munich coach said. "I never knew another." It's a fair point, of course. Lewandowski broke the Bundesliga single-season goals record during his time playing under Flick at the Allianz Arena. So, he's well used to seeing the striker scoring freely.

But while Flick has never known another Lewandowski, Barca have. Last season, in fact, time appeared to be catching up with the veteran striker. Flick's appointment as manager, though, has resulted in the return of the real Robert Lewandowski…

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  'In love'

  Barca's decision to sign Lewandowski from Bayern in July 2022 raised plenty of eyebrows. There was no questioning the man's world-class quality, but the wisdom of investing €45 million (£37.5m/$49m) in a 34-year-old striker was understandably questioned by several pundits, given the Blaugrana were almost broke.

  As then-Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann sniped, "It's the only club in the world that can buy players without having any money. It's kind of weird and crazy."

  However, Joan Laporta's lever-pulling paid off, with Lewandowski playing a pivotal role in Barca winning the Spanish title, with the centre-forward hitting 23 goals in 34 league games.

  "His signing was fantastic," former Barca coach Xavi enthused. "He makes the team play. He reads space perfectly. I'm in love!" Unfortunately, the love affair didn't last long.

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  Transfer talk

  Xavi was forced out of Barcelona at the end of last season by Laporta after initially being convinced by the club president to reverse his previous decision to resign. Flick was promptly confirmed as the Catalan's successor, but despite his employers hiring a coach with whom Lewandowski had played arguably the best football of his long and illustrious career, there was speculation that the Warsaw native might leave Barca during the summer.

  It was claimed that Jose Mourinho wanted him at Fenerbahce, as well as reports that LA Galaxy were considering reuniting Lewandowski with his old Borussia Dortmund team-mate Marco Reus.

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  Legs gone?!

  On the face of it, such speculation didn't appear to make much sense. After all, Lewandowski had just finished as Barca's top scorer for the second successive season.

  However, he'd only managed 19 league goals – a decent haul for an average striker, but worryingly poor for one of the greats of the modern game. Indeed, it was Lewandowski's lowest tally since his first season at Bayern, all the way back in 2014-15.

  The idea of Barca removing Lewandowski and his sizable salary from their wage bill wasn't just related to his decreasing strike-rate, either. In fact, it was more down to the general lethargy and ineffectiveness of his all-round game.

  He no longer looked mobile enough to lead the Barca attack. Truth be told, at times it looked as if his legs had gone. In that context, it was hardly a shock to see Laporta bring in Brazilian teenager Vitor Roque in January with a view to replacing Lewandowski sooner or later.

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  'All look better on the pitch'

  However, Roque failed miserably to make an impact at Barca and has already been sent out on loan to Real Betis for the 2024-25 campaign. Lewandowski, by complete contrast, now looks reborn, and thus more than capable of being the Blaugrana's main man for at least another couple of seasons.

  Flick's arrival has obviously helped enormously in that regard.

  "We have such a good relationship that sometimes we don’t even have to talk much to each other and I’ll still know what to do and what the coach expects from me," Lewandowski explained to reporters. "I am getting more chances and more passes. But everyone on the pitch is playing at their best level. We all look better on the pitch."

  He's got a point. One of Barca's biggest failings last season was their costly propensity for tiring in the final quarter of games. Consequently, Laporta wanted a "fitter and stronger" side, so he turned to Flick, whose treble-winning Bayern team were renowned for their work-rate and high press.

  Significantly, Pedri is among those to have attributed Barca's impressive start to the season to the fact that they "work much harder than before". "The new fitness coaches that have come in are really good for us," the midfielder admitted. "You notice it in the games. The team doesn't dip after the 70th or 80th minute, it maintains the same fitness levels."

Wolves are set to meet with the agent of an £80,000-a-week player as they look to complete a summer transfer, according to reports.

Wolves transfer rumours

Wolves ended the 2023/24 Premier League campaign sat 14th in the division. While this is lower than their finish in the season prior, they did manage to accumulate 46 points – five more than they managed in 2022/23. That is by no means a huge improvement but it does indicate the Wanderers are moving in the right direction under Gary O'Neil.

Wolves lodge bid to sign Pedro Neto 2.0 after January interest

Wolves are keeping a close watch on a prodigious winger who shone last season

By
Ross Kilvington

Jun 8, 2024

Now, with the summer transfer window right around the corner, the Midlands outfit will need to make some smart signings if they are to climb into the top half of the Premier League table and potentially even push for European football in the forthcoming campaign.

To achieve this, it looks as though Wolves are aiming to strengthen their attack, with chairman Jeff Shi already confirming that the club "are going to sign one or two number nines this summer".

"We are going to sign one or two number nines this summer," he said. "The peak Raul was a top-three striker in the league, which is really hard to replace. We did struggle on recruitment in the past few years. Hopefully the new strikers or Hee-chan can perform well next season."

Since those comments, Wolves have been named as one of four top-flight teams set to make bids for Arsenal hitman Eddie Nketiah. They are also "concretely interested" in Paraguayan winger Ramon Sosa, who is valued at €18m (£15m) by his Argentine Primera División club, Talleres.

Wolves to meet with agent of £80k-p/w striker

Now, another no.9 has seemingly caught the eye of those in a position of power at Molneiux. The player in question is former Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi. The Belgian struggled to find his feet during his time in England, scoring 15 goals and providing four assists in 77 Premier League outings. However, he still earned high praise from ex-Blues boss Frank Lampard.

"It was interesting to see not just the player – I kind of knew the quality Michy had and it’s always good to see that up close – but also the personality," Lampard said.

"Since early season, how he’s trained, his demeanour, his positivity, and quality when he’s come on, which is obviously the most important thing, have been top class."

After several loan spells, the 30-year-old eventually left west London on a permanent basis in 2022, linking up with current side, Fenerbahce.

Now, after finding form abroad, a return to England could be on the cards for the £80,000-a-week man, with Takvim [via Sport Witness] claiming that Wolves want to sign the striker and are set to meet with Batshuayi's agent soon. The forward is out of contract at the end of June but his deal has the option of an extension, which Jose Mourinho's new side are looking to activate.

Mikel Merino is in awe of the height of his Arsenal teammates and compared them to basketball players.

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• Merino himself is 6'2"
• Feels less imposing compared to Arsenal teammates
• Kai Havertz and William Saliba stand at 6'4"

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Merino is a mammoth presence in midfield and won the most duels (326) in Europe's top-five leagues last season. He considered himself one of the tallest players at Real Sociedad but after his summer move to the Emirates for £27.4million ($35.5m), he now finds himself dwarfed by several members of Arsenal’s physically imposing squad.

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  WHAT MERINO SAID

  At a press conference, Merino humorously compared his new team-mates to a basketball lineup due to their overwhelming height.

  "It is crazy," he said. "I am in the corridors of the training ground just walking, and back at my old club I used to be one of the tallest, so everyone was smaller than me. Now, I look around and everyone is taller than me. We look like a basketball team."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Arsenal’s set-piece dominance has become a key aspect of their game, making them a fearsome opponent, especially in aerial duels and corner kicks. suggests that Arteta has even incorporated basketball principles into his training sessions, showing his players clips to help them better use their height and create space on the pitch. During their recent Premier League match against Bournemouth, nine of their eleven starters were over six feet tall, with William Saliba and Kai Havertz leading the charts at 6'4".

  Merino added: "Football now has changed and you need a strong team. Physicality is key and we need to be the most complete team possible. You need the physical aspect, the technical aspect, the tactical one, you need to be a total team to achieve big things as we want to do. It is not only about being tall and big, you need mentality. If you are tall and big but don’t go with the 100 per cent intention to win the ball, it’s just nothing. Set-pieces are a big part of the game and you can win or lose a lot because of that. We train a lot and have the physical advantage. But the main thing is the mentality and we have that."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MERINO?

  The Gunners are preparing for their upcoming Champions League fixture against Shakhtar Donetsk as they aim to return to winning ways after a shock 2-0 defeat to the Cherries at Vitality Stadium.

This summer, the aim at Manchester United is to undertake and complete a rebuild, with a focus on signing value-for-money and promising talent.

One of their main targets is Jarrad Branthwaite, and it’s been reported that the Red Devils have now agreed personal terms with the player, but Everton want £80m.

However, it’s clear that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS won’t get drawn into overpaying for individuals like United’s previous owners, which may make the club look for alternatives.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at a United target that can make INEOS forget about Branthwaite simply due to his brilliance.

Man Utd’s search for a new centre back

According to a report from transfer expert David Ornstein via The Athletic, Man Utd are keen on making Leny Yoro a Red.

It’s mentioned that they’re ‘actively pursuing’ the defender alongside rivals Liverpool, but it’s Real Madrid that are the favourites to secure his signature.

The Lille president confirmed this week that Yoro will be allowed to leave this summer, which will put clubs on high alert.

Ratcliffe is ‘pushing hard’ to sign the French ace due to the ‘rarity of such a fine talent being available.’

Why Yoro could be even better than Branthwaite

It’s fair to say that Yoro has been one of the most highly-rated talents in France for a few years now, especially after making his debut as a 16-year-old.

His involvement increased during the 2022/23 campaign, making eight Ligue 1 starts, but it was last season when he really developed into an elite prospect.

Operating as a right-sided centre-half, Yoro made 30 starts in the league, keeping 13 clean sheets, while also starring across his seven UEFA Conference League appearances.

But why exactly are Man United and plenty of European giants all chasing the centre back? And how could he prove to be even better than Branthwaite?

Well, first of all, the Lille defender is performing like a seasoned professional on a weekly basis, despite being just 18 years old.

As you can see, Yoro is the definition of a modern-day defender who excels with the ball at his feet, potentially even more so than defensively.

As displayed via his high touches, passes completed, and pass accuracy, the number 15 truly excels in possession, even more so than the England international, retaining the ball brilliantly and helping the side maintain control, which makes him a “world-class” talent, as per football scout Jacek Kulig.

Whether he’s under pressure or tasked with taking on a key role in build-up, Yoro thrives, and unlike Branthwaite, who played for a team with just 40.6% possession last season, he’s already evidenced he would slot into United’s setup.

From a defensive perspective, Yoro is somewhat similar to Raphael Varane in regards to the fact that he does everything at his own pace, rarely exposing himself and only engaging when confident that the ball can be won.

That, as well as being in a more dominant team than Everton, are the reasons why his defensive stats are inferior to Branthwaite’s, but in truth, they’re both simply excellent defenders.

Overall, surely INEOS will refuse to pay anywhere close to the 21-year-old’s extreme £80m price tag, and therefore, their attention could switch to the incredible Yoro, who could just prove to be the best option regardless.

What Man Utd's dream XI could look like after £230m spending spree

Marcus Rashford doesn’t make the best eleven.

1

By
Tom Lever

Jun 7, 2024

Real Madrid are aiming to add Rodri's experience to their midfield's youthful exuberance ahead of next season.

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• Rodri on Real Madrid's radar for 2025
• Was awarded Ballon D'Or recently
• Contract at Manchester City expires in 2027

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Real Madrid are planning to revitalise their midfield with the addition of Manchester City midfielder Rodri, according to a report from Spanish outlet AS.

  The reigning Champions League and LaLiga winners haven't hit the ground running following the retirement of Toni Kroos and believe that Rodri's addition could elevate the team to another level.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Real Madrid haven't had the best of starts to the ongoing campaign, losing 4-0 to Barcelona at home last weekend, while also falling to a shock 1-0 defeat at Lille in the Champions League.

  With Kroos gone, much was expected from Los Blancos' midfield that consists of the likes of Jude Bellingham, Fede Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, and Aurelien Tchouameni. However, they have failed to stamp their authority on games as a collective unit.

  Rodri, who was crowned as the 2024 Ballon D'Or winner in Paris earlier this week, could solve a lot of problems. At 28, he is arguably the best player in the world in his position.

  His performances for Man City have seen them dominate England in recent seasons, while Spain ended their 12-year wait for a major international trophy with Rodri at the heart of the midfield at Euro 2024.

  City have been keen to tie him down long term, but Rodri is supposedly in no rush to ink a renewal due to the ongoing uncertainty over potential consequences of FFP infringements, with City facing 115 charges.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Rodri was born in Villanueva de la Canada, a municipality located around 40 kilometres away from the Santiago Bernabeu. Before joining the Cityzens, he played for Real Madrid's cross-city rivals Atletico Madrid.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR RODRI AND REAL MADRID?

  Real Madrid will be keen to bounce back from the Clasico drubbing when they visit Mestalla this week to take on 20th-placed Valencia in LaLiga.

  Rodri, meanwhile, suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during Man City's Premier League encounter against Arsenal back in September. He has been ruled out for the season and will have to support his team-mates from the sidelines.

Much has been made about how many new players Glasgow Rangers need to sign during the summer transfer window in order to challenge for the Premiership title next season.

Philippe Clement has already made a solid start, luring the likes of Jefte, Connor Barron and Oscar Cortes to the Ibrox side, but it is clear more quality is needed.

The Belgian must be ready to sell some of his most sellable assets in the next few weeks in order to raise the necessary funds to help complete his summer rebuild.

There has been some interest in James Tavernier and Connor Goldson recently, while Sam Lammers has attracted attention following his loan spell at FC Utrecht.

Tavernier's situation, in particular, is an interesting one given he is the captain, and a reported move to the riches of Saudi Arabia potentially awaits.

The next player to be linked with a move away from Rangers is centre-forward Cyriel Dessers. Could Clement cash in on a player who divided opinion during his maiden season in Scotland?

The latest on Cyriel Dessers' future at Rangers

The Nigerian striker signed for the Gers last summer, with Michael Beale splashing out €5m (£4m) up front for the player in a bid to improve his attacking department.

It was a questionable signing, not only because Dessers would be 29 midway through last season, but also because of the fact he had managed to score just six league goals the season prior, albeit they were in Serie A.

Fast-forward 12 months, and it is clear the striker hasn’t convinced the Ibrox faithful that he is the one to lead the line ahead of next season. Yes, 22 goals in all competitions is a decent record, but Dessers missed more chances than he converted, often having three or four shots on goal before he scored.

Now, according to Greek outlet Nova Sports (via the Daily Record), Dessers is closing in on a summer move to champions PAOK.

The report adds that talks are advancing between the player and club as it looks like the 29-year-old is keen on leaving Ibrox for the next stage in his career.

If Clement can recoup the majority of the fee that was spent on him in 2023, then it would represent a smart piece of business, allowing him to use these funds to sign his own targets.

Cyriel Dessers’ season in numbers

Dessers did score a decent number of goals during his first season at the club. His attitude was also excellent, chasing down every ball and giving everything to the cause whenever he was on the field.

The main criticisms lay in just how poor his finishing skills were. For example, across 35 Premiership matches last term, he missed 27 big chances, a staggering amount.

This meant his goal conversion rate was only at 16%, yet another poor stat. Just how well Rangers could have done had they been able to call on a striker who was far more clinical in the final third?

His all-round game was solid enough, creating eight big chances for his teammates while also averaging 1.4 key passes per game, but the Ibrox faithful expect their number nine to be hitting at least 30 goals a season.

Unfortunately, Dessers wasn’t that type of player, and it now looks like he will be moving on sooner rather than later.

The former Feyenoord hitman is currently earning £27k-per-week and moving on this high wage will give Clement some added flexibility in the transfer market.

He was the second most expensive arrival last summer after Danilo, while Dessers is even valued at more than double that of one of the brightest talents at the club – Todd Cantwell.

How much Todd Cantwell cost Rangers

Despite the flak that Beale got for his dreadful ten-month stint in charge of the Light Blues, he made a few decent signings in the transfer market, none more so than Cantwell.

The former Norwich City talisman made a move north to Glasgow in January 2023 following a difficult six-month spell at the East Anglian club – failing to score in 20 matches – as he cost Beale just £1.5m.

He enjoyed a wonderful start to life in Glasgow, registering 11 goal contributions in his first six months, although last season proved to be slightly trickier.

On his day, Cantwell can be a devastating force in the final third. The key thing for Clement now is to ensure the 26-year-old performs well in every match.

Todd Cantwell’s statistics last season

Throughout 2023/24, Cantwell scored eight goals and registered seven assists, which was more than the previous season.

These numbers could have been much higher if he hadn’t missed a host of games due to a series of injury problems, plus Clement often deployed him on the right wing during the embryonic stages of his reign.

Among his teammates in the top flight last term, Cantwell ranked second for overall Sofascore rating (7.38), fourth for goals and assists (12), third for big chances created (seven) and fourth for key passes per game (1.7), which shows just how effective he was in the opposition third.

The attacking midfielder has the chance to work on these figures and make them much better next season, especially considering he is entering his peak years as a footballer.

Much will depend on whether Clement is confident of the Englishman becoming his focal point in the number ten role, as he endured a few poor performances last term.

If he hits the ground running, the £1.5m investment in signing the former Norwich gem could be seen as a wonderful bargain by the Gers.

Clement will certainly be looking to avoid the mistakes of his predecessors of spending lavish sums of money on players who don’t have much resale value.

Dessers is a perfect example. While he may be in his prime, the striker turns 30 in December, which means he is closer to the end of his career rather than the beginning. If the Belgian can receive even half of the £4m that was spent on him last year, he will be doing well.

Cantwell, on the other hand, should be staying right where he is. The former Norwich man is still key to the club's plans moving forward.

Scotland would still be at the Euros if 14-cap Rangers target started

Scotland suffered yet another case of glorious failure in a major international tournament.

By
Ross Kilvington

Jun 24, 2024

With the PSR deadline now passed and the sales of Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson confirmed, Newcastle United have reportedly turned their attention towards reinforcing Eddie Howe's squad.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies were in quite the panic for a brief moment as they looked to comply with the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules whilst avoiding the sale of their best players. In the end, their panic was over fairly quickly, however, as Anderson completed a move to Nottingham Forest and Minteh made his way to Brighton & Hove Albion to end Newcastle's fears on the June 30 deadline.

The two sales have allowed those at St James' Park to turn their attention back towards summer signing having already welcomed Lewis Hall, Lloyd Kelly, John Ruddy and Odysseas Vlachodimos in Nottingham Forest's deal to sign Anderson. Ticking boxes in both the goalkeeping department and backline, Howe could now land a midfield reinforcement.

According to Manchester World, Newcastle are again interested in signing Scott McTominay from Manchester United alongside Southampton, Everton, West Ham and Fulham, who lead the race for the midfielder's signature. McTominay was one of few standouts for Scotland at Euro 2024, as their only player to directly find the back of the net, scoring in a 1-1 draw against Switzerland.

It remains to be seen just how much Manchester United will demand for McTominay this summer, however, alongside the fact that Newcastle would likely have to shell out at least £60k-a-week to pay his reported salary.

"Great" McTominay can replace Longstaff

Whilst Sean Longstaff should be commended for the work he's done to become a consistent starter under Howe, the arrival of McTominay would instantly see his place come under threat at St James' Park. The Manchester United star has become an important player at Old Trafford, with his ability to be in the perfect place at the perfect time in front of goal an invaluable trait that Newcastle would undoubtedly benefit from.

Staying fit for the entirety of the campaign was a concern for McTominay last season, but that didn't stop Erik ten Hag from singing his praise, telling Sky Sports: "Scott, he's great. He can score many goals, he's always coming in positions to score goals. We had some problems, it was too much like a tennis match. Every game we went for goal instead of waiting for the right decisions. With McTominay, he can get in the box and could score goals."

So, as Newcastle look to stake a claim for a European place once again next season, signing McTominay may well go a long way towards their ambitions should the deal take place.