Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano said Sergio Busquets’ retirement announcement gives the Herons "extra motivation" to close the season strong and finish the Spanish midfielder’s career in the right way. Miami, who face Toronto FC on Saturday, have already clinched a playoff spot but are pushing to climb the standings.
Offspinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who has not played for Afghanistan since June because of injury, has made a return to their white-ball squads for the tour of Zimbabwe this month. Mujeeb was sidelined by a right phalanx (hand) sprain, and only returned to competitive cricket for the first time in five months at the Abu Dhabi T10 on November 21.Top-order batter Zubaid Akbari earned his maiden call-up to Afghanistan’s T20I squad for the Zimbabwe tour, while another top-order batter Darwish Rasooli also returned to the shortest format.Afghanistan will continue to miss the services of top-order batter Ibrahim Zadran, who is still recovering from the ankle surgery he had recently undergone in England.Akbari is coming off an impressive Emerging Teams Asia Cup T20 tournament where he was the fourth-highest run-getter and the second-highest for Afghanistan A with 137 runs in four matches at a strike rate of 131.73. It was under Rasooli – who has played seven T20Is – that Afghanistan A clinched their maiden Emerging Teams Asia Cup T20 in Oman earlier this year. Rasooli’s last T20I was against UAE in Sharjah in January this year.Noor Ahmad has been named only in the T20I squad and Riaz Hassan has also been left out of the ODI squad.ACB interim chief selector Ahmad Shah said: “It’s a great feeling to see our frontline spinner, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, recover from his injury and be available for selection. He is an essential member of our squad, and we hope he continues to shine brightly for Afghanistan. Additionally, Zubaid Akbari and Darwish Rasooli have been consistent performers, not only in domestic cricket but also in the recently concluded ACC Emerging Teams Cup, where Afghanistan claimed the title. We have included both players in the T20I squad and wish them the very best for the upcoming series.”The white-ball leg of the Zimbabwe tour consists of three T20Is and as many ODIs, following which the teams will play two Tests between December 26 and January 6, 2025. Afghanistan are yet to name their Test squad.Change in datesThe limited overs leg of the tour has seen a slight shift in dates and according to ACB, this is “to help the spectators attend the key games during weekends”. As per the revised schedule, the three T20Is, which were originally slotted to be played on December 9, 11 and 12, have now been pushed to December 11, 13 and 14. These adjustments have also affected the ODIs, with the first game now scheduled for December 17 and the second and third ODIs on December 19 and 21, respectively. All these matches will be played at the Harare Sports Club.
Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Bilal Sami, Naveed Zadran and Farid Ahmad Malik
Rashid Khan (capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Nabi, Darwish Rasooli, Zubaid Akbari, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Nangyal Kharoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad and Naveen Ul Haq
Tottenham Hotspur are poised to wave goodbye to a key player this summer, and it would be a blow to manager Thomas Frank as the Dane gears up for his first full campaign in charge.
Paratici holds talks with £207k-a-week star's camp about joining Tottenham
The Spurs advisor has reached out to his representatives.
2 ByEmilio Galantini Jul 31, 2025
Spurs are in the Far East right now on a pre-season tour of Asia, before returning to Europe for a clash against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.
Son Heung-min
7.00
James Maddison
6.98
Pedro Porro
6.95
Dominic Solanke
6.84
Dejan Kulusevski
6.83
via WhoScored
Frank is getting a good look at his new squad, who’ve just taken on Arsenal in the first ever north London derby played overseas, but off the field, chairman Daniel Levy and technical director Johan Lange are planning to reinforce the squad with new signings.
Specifically, Tottenham are working on an alternative to Morgan Gibbs-White after missing out on the Englishman in truly bizarre fashion.
Spurs were ready to trigger Gibbs-White’s £60m release clause and even booked a medical for the playmaker nearly three weeks ago (BBC), but Evangelos Marinakis blocked the transfer, threatened legal action and tied him down with a new £150,000-per-week deal.
A new number 10 is imperative, amid reports that Tottenham are not completely averse to selling James Maddison after a stop-start season (Ben Jacobs).
Spurs have also been linked with an ambitious move for Real Madrid star Rodrygo this week, as club legend Son Heung-min edges ever closer to ending his 10-year stay in north London.
The South Korea star has etched his name into Lilywhites folklore with 173 goals and 101 assists, not to mention a once-devastating partnership with Harry Kane, since his £22 million move from Bayer Leverkusen a decade ago.
However, with just one year remaining on his contract as a 33-year-old, his memorable spell could be drawing to a close, and Los Angeles FC are offering him a route out to the MLS.
GiveMeSport reported earlier this week that Son is close to agreeing personal terms with LAFC, and now CaughtOffside have provided another update.
Son rejects "lucrative" Saudi offer as talks advance with LAFC
According to their information, Son rejected a “lucrative” offer from Saudi Arabia to leave Tottenham earlier this summer.
LAFC are also now in advanced negotiations over the “sensational” signing of Son, on both the club and player side this time, but the move won’t be completed until after their pre-season friendly against Newcastle in Seoul for commercial reasons.
Talks have apparently accelerated in the last few days whilst entering a “critical” phase, so if all goes to plan, these next few days could be Son’s last in London.
This also comes despite Frank publicly suggesting the winger could stay.
“I think first and foremost, Son’s legacy here is remarkable. He’s been a fantastic player for Tottenham, he is a fantastic player for Tottenham,” Frank said about Son in a recent press conference.
“I see a player that can play a very good role here next season. He’s come in [for pre-season], very good mindset, trained very hard, pushed the players. So I’m excited about it.”
With 10 Tests to be played in 15 weeks, India have “laid out some plans” to manage the workload of fast bowlers
Alagappan Muthu17-Sep-20241:56
Are turning pitches a good idea for India against Bangladesh?
India are coming off a break of more than a month without any cricket – “We are starting after a long time actually”, the captain Rohit Sharma said – but they are also aware of the strain that their schedule over the next few months can place on their players, particularly their fast bowlers.India begin the first of 10 Tests in 15 weeks against Bangladesh on Thursday, and they already have plans in place to protect the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, who might be needed to take on heavy workloads when they travel to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in November through to January.”We have laid out some plans on how we are going to manage these bowlers,” Rohit said. “But again, it all depends on the workload that has been carried by them in these games. So yeah, we will monitor that. I think we have done that pretty well. Even when we played against England [at home, earlier this year], we managed to get Bumrah one Test match off. We managed to give Siraj one Test match off.Related
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“So it all depends on how the body feels at that particular time, what the [strength and conditioning] is, and what the physios feel about them, when is the right time to give them a break from the game, and then take the call.”India wrap up the two-Test series against Bangladesh on October 1 and have a couple of weeks off from red-ball cricket before they face New Zealand over three games that take them into early November. Then they will leave for Australia where they will play five Tests in eight weeks.”You want your best players to play all the games, but that’s not possible because there is so much cricket that happens,” Rohit said. “It is not only Test cricket, there is T20 cricket happening [against Bangladesh and South Africa] in the middle of the Test series as well. So you [have] got to understand everything, and then see what is best for the team and then manage your bowlers around it.”There has also been an effort made to expand the fast-bowling pool, with left-armer Yash Dayal joining the team for the Bangladesh series. There are several others pushing their case to make the national team with performances in domestic cricket. Harshit Rana, Navdeep Saini, Vidwath Kaverappa, Khaleel Ahmed and Anshul Kamboj were all involved in the season-opening Duleep Trophy earlier this month, and Rohit was pleased with what he saw from those matches.”We have got a lot of bowlers who are there for us,” he said. “We saw some exciting prospects in the Duleep Trophy as well. I am not too worried about the kind of bowlers that are waiting in the wings for us.”On head coach Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma said: “We have a good understanding”•PTI
Gautam Gambhir takes charge of the Test team for the first time since being appointed the new India head coach. He and his assistant Abhishek Nayar were with the limited-overs team in Sri Lanka in August, and they have been overseeing a training camp in Chennai, leading up to the Bangladesh series.”The staff is new, but I know both Gautam Gambhir and Abhishek Nayar,” Rohit said. “I have played quite a bit of cricket against [bowling coach] Morne Morkel; we’ve played some tough cricket against each other. I’ve also played, maybe a couple of games, against [assistant coach] Ryan [ten Doeschate], but the two of us haven’t spoken as much before. From what I experienced with him in Sri Lanka, I think he has a sensible and [an] understanding personality, given the way he quickly started to understand things about the team.”As for Gambhir and Nayar, like I said, I know them well. Sri Lanka was the first series [with them in charge], and now they are going to play their second series with the team. Everyone has their own style. Rahul [Dravid] , Vikram Rathour, [and] Paras Mhambrey – they had a different way of running the team, [while] these guys will have a different style.”So it’s important for you to adjust. So far, there have been no problems or issues as a player. Like I said, if there is understanding between both [coaches and players], that’s the most important thing. And we have a good understanding.”India arrived in Chennai a full week before the start of the first Test against Bangladesh•PTI
India are not seeing their home series as preparation for the challenges they will be facing abroad.”Look, at the end of the day, you are playing for your country,” Rohit said. “So there is no dress rehearsal kind of stuff happening here. Every game that we play is important, and every game becomes important because of what is at stake. [In the] World Test Championship, still the table is quite wide open, and you want to win every game. So it doesn’t matter where we play in two months’ time. We want to win here. We want to win this Test match.”That’s why they arrived in Chennai a full week before the start of the game, to have the best preparation possible.”We assembled here on the 12th, and we’ve had a good time spending hours on the field, [and] getting everything together. So yeah, it is tough. But see, now people are so experienced, they managed themselves pretty well. And guys who have not played a lot of Test cricket, obviously went on to play the Duleep Trophy, which was good.”So in terms of preparation, [and] in terms of readiness, I feel we are quite ready for this game and what lies ahead of us. So it was a good little prep that we had before this Test match. It was important to utilise that time, and I thought we utilised this little camp that we had in Chennai pretty well.”
Arsenal are now preparing an opening bid for a £52m “monster” who has “given the green light” for a move to the Emirates Stadium this summer, Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg has revealed.
Gunners looking to bolster attacking options
There have been calls for Mikel Arteta to sign a striker for quite some time, with the manager being forced to use Mikel Merino in a makeshift role during the latter stages of the 2024-25 campaign, and the north Londers are now closing in on a statement signing.
Indeed, Fabrizio Romano has revealed the Gunners are making progress in their pursuit of Viktor Gyokeres, with the Sweden international eager to leave Sporting CP and various reports suggesting personal terms are agreed.
Not only was Arteta left short on options at striker last season, but the manager also didn’t have much depth out wide, with 18-year-old Ethan Nwaneri deputising for Bukayo Saka, while Raheem Sterling failed to make his mark at the Emirates Stadium.
As such, the Spaniard is also looking to bring in a new winger this summer, and Plettenberg has now taken to X to reveal that an opening offer for Chelsea’s Noni Madueke is currently “being prepared” and the Gunners have a “full agreement with Madueke until 2030”.
The Sky Sports reporter believes Madueke’s price tag will be around the €60m (£52m) mark, with the deal “on”, although it may have to wait until after the Club World Cup, with the forward fully focussed on his side’s upcoming semi-final against Fluminense.
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Having “given the green light for the move” across the capital, however, it is clear the Chelsea ace would be keen on a move to Arsenal when the tournament comes to a close.
"Monster" Madueke could be savvy signing for Arsenal
With Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka on the books, it seems unlikely the 23-year-old would be a regular starter, but the Gunners are in need of additional depth in attack if they are to compete on all fronts next season.
As such, the England international could be a savvy signing, off the back of an impressive 2024-25 campaign, during which he picked up 11 goals and five assists across all competitions.
Personal coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst also described the former PSV Eindhoven man as a “mentality monster”, indicating that he has the personality to be a success at the Emirates Stadium and help Arteta’s side compete for major honours.
That said, a price tag of £52m seems a little on the high side, given that Madueke is yet to prove himself at the very highest level, and Arsenal should attempt to negotiate a deal for a lower fee.
Glasgow Rangers head coach Russell Martin is set to bring a new style of play to Ibrox when his team takes to the field for the start of the 2025/26 campaign.
The former Scotland international plays a ball-dominant style that will see the Gers look to dominate possession and break teams down next term.
In order to build a squad that is suited to the way that the former Southampton manager wants to play, though, there will be players who have to move on in order to make way for new recruits.
One player who looks set to be on his way out of Ibrox is centre-back Robin Propper, as it was recently reported in his home country that he has agreed a deal to return to FC Twente on a three-year contract.
The Rangers Review also recently claimed that the Dutch giant is ‘expected’ to leave the club, amid interest in Leicester City central defender Conor Coady, who could come in as his replacement.
Why selling Robin Propper is a good move by Rangers
This proposed move back to FC Twente is a good move by Rangers and a good move for the defender because he did not settle in well at Ibrox on the pitch.
Propper did not do enough in his performances to show that he was ready for the physicality of the Scottish Premiership, which was a clear problem early on in his career in Glasgow.
In December 2024, the centre-back lost 100% (2/2) of his duels and was substituted at half-time against St. Johnstone, which led to him being criticised by former Gers midfielder Derek Ferguson.
The BBC Sportsound pundit said: “Propper is struggling. He’s been pretty vocal over the last couple of weeks that he’s finding it tough in our league. He’s been asked the question early on. It’s quite worrying when you see him struggling as bad as that. Look at the body language – he’s looking for a way out already.”
24/25 Europa League
Robin Propper
Appearances
10
Clean sheets
1
Tackles + interceptions per game
1.8
Dribbled past
4x
Ground duel success rate
45%
Aerial duel success rate
44%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the 31-year-old centre-back also struggled with the physicality of European football in the Europa League, as he lost the majority of his duels on the deck and in the air.
These statistics and the criticism of his play in the Premiership illustrate exactly why the decision to allow him to move back to the Netherlands is a good one for all parties involved.
Propper may not be the only first-team player to move on from Ibrox before the Martin era officially gets underway on the pitch, though, as another dud is attracting interest from elsewhere.
Five teams eyeing deal for Rangers forward
According to the Daily Record, a number of teams are showing an interest in Rangers winger Ross McCausland during the summer transfer window.
The report claims that FC Cincinnati, Plymouth Argyle, Cardiff City, Basel, and OH Leuven are all eyeing up a potential swoop for the Northern Ireland international.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
It states that they are all keeping tabs on his situation at Ibrox heading into the summer, which shows that there is plenty of interest from clubs across the globe and in the UK.
The Daily Record adds that McCausland is keen to remain at Rangers and would like to be a part of Martin’s project, but that the Scottish head coach could be willing to listen to offers for the academy graduate.
It reveals that the former Norwich City centre-back is still assessing the squad and that no final decisions have been made either, which means that the attacker’s future is still up in the air.
However, Rangers must take advantage of the level of interest in McCauland, with five teams eyeing him up, and cash in on him this summer.
Why selling McCausland is as important as Propper
As aforementioned, it is a good call to sell Propper because he did not deliver on the pitch and the Light Blues need more strength and quality in that area of the park to be successful under Martin next season.
Since making the breakthrough as a first-team regular under Philippe Clement in 2023, McCausland has failed to prove that he is good enough to be a key player for the Scottish giants moving forward.
The 21-year-old attacker has shown some promise at times, including scoring his first goal for the club in the Europa League in the clip above, but has not delivered consistently enough in the final third.
To date, McCausland has scored three goals and provided six assists in 44 appearances in the Premiership, and racked up seven goals and seven assists in 66 games in all competitions for the first-team.
24/25 Premiership
Ross McCausland
Appearances
13
Starts
4
Goals
0
Big chances created
0
Key passes per game
0.6
Assists
1
Red cards
1
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Northern Irish dud ended the 2024/25 campaign without a single goal to show for his efforts in the league, whilst he had as many red cards as goal contributions.
McCausland was once described as an “explosive” player by talent scout Jacek Kulig, but he has failed to kick on since exploding onto the first-team scene at Ibrox. The winger has gone from an exciting young talent to just another one of the players, like Propper, who needs to be replaced.
Put simply, the Gers academy graduate does not offer enough in front of goal to be a key attacking figure for Martin moving forward, as shown by his lack of end product in the Premiership in particular, which is why it is as important to sell him as it is to sell Propper.
This could provide the new Rangers manager with a chance to replace him with another winger in the summer transfer window, with the hope that any new recruit could come in to offer more goals and assists to win vital points for the team moving forward.
The new Lundstram: Martin wants to make £18m star his first Rangers signing
As Russell Martin starts his overhaul of Rangers’ squad, could he sign a “class” midfielder in a deal reminiscent of John Lundstram’s move to Ibrox?
ByBen Gray Jun 8, 2025
It is now down to Kevin Thelwell and Martin, though, to field offers and work with the interested parties to find the best solution for all parties involved.
Tottenham Hotspur could be on the verge of losing a “world-class” player this summer, with the man in question said to have verbally agreed personal terms on a move elsewhere as he green-lights a north London exit.
On Thursday, Ange Postecoglou faces the most important match of his Lilywhites career to date.
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Spurs take on Norwegian minnows Bodo/Glimt on enemy turf for the second leg of their Europa League semi-final, with 90 minutes separating Tottenham from a first European final since their Champions League defeat to Liverpool in 2019.
If they get the job done and ease past Bodo/Glimt, taking full advantage of their 3-1 lead from the first leg, then Tottenham have a major chance to make history, and Postecoglou has a chance to fulfill his pledge of always winning silverware during his second season in charge.
|
Tottenham’s final Premier League fixtures |
Date |
|---|---|
|
Crystal Palace (home) |
May 10th |
|
Aston Villa (away) |
May 18th |
|
Brighton (home) |
May 25th |
Tottenham have endured a tepid Premier League campaign, tasting a dismal 19 top flight defeats across 24/25, but Europe gives them a golden opportunity to take something memorable away from what has been a very disappointing season.
The north Londoners will need every key man to stand up and be counted, even against a side which boasts far less in terms of quality on paper.
Postecoglou completely rotated the back four in their last game against West Ham, perhaps to give star defenders like Cristian Romero a rest ahead of their crunch encounter on Thursday.
According to recent reports, these next few games could even be the Argentine’s last in a Spurs jersey, with Atletico Madrid expressing a serious interest in signing Romero this summer.
The World Cup-winning defender, like much of the squad, was unavailable for large portions of the campaign through injury, and therefore unable to replicate the kind of heroics which saw him form a stellar partnership with Micky van de Ven last season.
Romero has since come back into the fold with van de Ven after working his way back to full fitness, but it is believed by some that the former Atalanta star is keen to embark on a new chapter next season.
Now, as per journalist Ruben Aria on his Twitch channel, a seismic development has come to light on the £165,000-per-week defender and his potential switch to Atletico.
According to Aria, Romero has verbally agreed personal terms with Atletico on a five-year contract, with the option of a sixth. As the centre-back gives his green-light, Spurs and Atletico are still yet to come to a club-to-club agreement, so there remains plenty of work to do.
However, this step comes as a “significant” bit of progress in regard to Romero and his potential La Liga switch, but there is a major gap in valuation between Tottenham and Diego Simeone’s side.
Indeed, it is believed Spurs want around £50 million to sell, while Atletico are only willing to offer around £34 million. While there have been no formal talks between both sides, that is expected to change “in the coming days”, with Postecoglou or any new manager facing the looming threat of losing a truly excellent defender on his day.
“For me Romero is world class,” said van de Ven about Romero.
“He’s a leader, he always gives 100%, on the ball and off the ball he’s a top class player and I can promise you this guy is not scared of anyone.”
In partnership with TalkSPORTBET, Football FanCast had a quick chat with former Rangers star and manager Ally McCoist to catch up on everything Rangers, from his favourite teammates to new manager candidates. Catch the full interview and transcript below.
"Ferguson and McCall were my two most underrated teammates"
Asked if any of his former Ibrox teammates went under the radar surrounded by stars like Brian Laudrup and Paul Gascoigne, McCoist heaped praise on two former Scotland midfielders: “Probably two underrated ones would be Stuart McCall and Ian Ferguson. Stuart was a brilliant midfielder, as was Ian.
“The first thing that struck you about Stuart was his energy and his willingness to run about and work hard, and I think in many ways that masked his ability in some people’s opinions, because he was a far better football player perhaps than the way he played.
“What caught your eye when he played was his work rate and his closing down, getting the ball back, but far cleverer with the ball and a better player than a lot of people imagined.
“And Ian Ferguson was the exact same. Those two guys could’ve played in any team at any level. Fergie came from St. Mirren as a younger man and Graeme (Souness) and Walter (Smith) turned him into a very mature, level-headed midfield player who was aggressive and he had one of the hardest shots out of any player I played with.
“The one thing about Fergie that helped was that he was a Rangers boy growing up so he absolutely loved every minute of putting on that blue jersey.”
"I'd have loved to have played with and managed Nicolas Raskin"
Looking at today’s Rangers squad, the legendary striker had no hesitation when asked which current Gers stars he’d have liked to have lined up alongside: “(Nicolas) Raskin, I’ve gotta say his attitude to play and his desire and the way he works. Obviously, he just got into his international side and came off the bench and played for Belgium. I just think he’s one of those boys that has a steady improvement in him.
“I think he’s actually a player I would have liked to have played and managed at the same time. (Vaclav) Cerny’s another one. I enjoy watching Cerny, that left foot of his. He can come inside, go outside. Cerny’s one I wouldn’t mind playing with as well.”
"I was the only person the new owners could talk to"
With 49ers Enterprises now closing in on a deal to take over at Ibrox, McCoist recalled his experience with a changing of the guard, as the Gers entered administration during his time in the dugout: “It’s a funny one, because you’re not really involved in it as such. The position I was in I was sitting down and getting interviewed by one or two potential buyers but that’s all you can do. You don’t have an influence on it at all. All you’re trying to do is effectively sell the football club to people.
“Nowadays it’s completely different because there’s other people to do that. The guys coming in from San Francisco will be doing their due diligence and their background work and they won’t really be asking anybody in the football management side of things.
“It was different when I was there because there was nobody. There was no board of directors, there was no chairman, no chief executive. I was effectively the only person at the club that you could talk to, so thankfully that’s not the case now and the potential buyers will be going through their due diligence and with a bit of luck it can get done and dusted in the foreseeable future.”
"Big changes are needed at Rangers"
It goes without saying that the big task on the new owners’ hands now will be to bridge the gap to Celtic, which McCoist believes starts with hiring a sporting director: “They’re going to have to do it prudently. The first thing they have to do is clearly appoint somebody that they’re going to trust with potential finances. I would rather see them take their time if I’m to be brutally honest. I’d rather see hopefully new owners come in with a business plan, because it’s not gonna be an overnight fix. There’s no chance.
“The disappointing thing for me has been the dramatic decline since they were a penalty kick away from winning the Europa League. It’s just went south very very quickly for whatever reasons. But I don’t think it’s gonna be an overnight fix.
McCoist: One change new Rangers owners must make amid £25m war-chest claim
The Rangers legend has delivered his verdict.
ByTom Cunningham Apr 11, 2025
“A little bit like they’ve done at Leeds. They’ve not come in and went crazy at Leeds – it looks as though hopefully they will get promotion back to the top flight. But they’ve (49ers) not come in and made sweeping changes.
“Although changes are needed at Rangers, and some big ones, I don’t see them making them all at once. I see them coming in, taking their time, having a business plan, appointing someone and moving the club forward gradually.
“I think that’s a far better idea than just going out and spending money willy-nilly on four or five players. I think there has to be a business plan, you’ve gotta build and take it from there – a steady improvement all of the time.”
"Sean Dyche would be an interesting one"
If a new sporting director is objective number one, then finding a new permanent manager isn’t far behind, and the former Gers boss named some eye-catching options: “Kevin Muscat, who played at Rangers, and won the league in Australia and Japan, was spoken about before Philippe Clement. I would imagine he will come back into the craze as well and get spoken about.
“I mentioned Russell Martin at Southampton, he will be desperate to get back into football and management. Also, there’s other guys. Sean Dyche would be an interesting one for me. His teams have always been very very competitive but particularly his Everton side, it’s always a struggle and a fight. I’d like to see him in a team that are expected to win every week. I think he would enjoy that as much as anything, I really do.
Everton (2023-2025)
83
1.23
Burnley (2012-2022)
425
1.34
Watford (2011-2012)
49
1.37
“So, it’s a well-sought after job and there will be no shortage of people going for it. Mourinho was obviously there recently and he is somebody who certainly a lot of Rangers fans would take to and appreciate but I just think the most important thing is they’ve gotta get it right.”
Richard Hughes was rightly lauded after overseeing a staggering summer transfer window for Premier League champions Liverpool, but any positivity has been scourged away by the dreadful form that has fractured Arne Slot’s reign.
Nine losses across 12 fixtures is bad enough, but the limp and toothless manner of many of the defeats – especially recent losses at Anfield against Nottingham Forest and PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League – underscores the severity of the crisis Slot is dealing with.
He needs to find answers, or else FSG will be forced into making a rare managerial dismissal. It’s inevitable that discussion is increasing about the security of Slot’s position.
That would be an outcome few of a Red persuasion would want, not least because of a shortage of options.
Jurgen Klopp’s name has been bandied about, but this is not realistic.
Who Liverpool could replace Slot with
Klopp draped the curtain on his Liverpool dynasty at the end of the 2023/24 campaign. He was tired. It had been a tough, gruelling, heavy metal career on Merseyside, where he had devoted nine years to restoring Anfield as a global superpower.
Klopp’s Silverware at Liverpool
Competition
Times won
Season(s)
Premier League
1x
19/20
Champions League
1x
18/19
FA Cup
1x
21/22
Carabao Cup
2x
21/22, 23/24
Club World Cup
1x
19/20
UEFA Super Cup
1x
19/20
Community Shield
1x
22/23
Data via Transfermarkt
There has been some discussion online as to whether FSG should push for a comeback, but this romanticised notion would fall flat.
Klopp is not the answer. His quasi-retirement has seen him assume the post of Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull GmbH, and it’s important to remember that the German tactician’s tactical shrewdness waned toward the end of his tenure. He was tired, after all.
But, if Slot is fired, Liverpool would need to find a replacement, and Spanish sources suggest Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is on the shortlist.
Iraola, 43, is one of the most exciting young managers in Europe, having shaped the Cherries into a front-footed and sharp attacking outfit.
Compensation pay would be required to pull him away from the Vitality Stadium, but given Iraola’s vision aligns with the club’s long-term project, he might be the one to go for.
Why Iraola could be perfect for Liverpool
It was a bold move for Bournemouth to ditch Gary O’Neil after the pragmatic manager steered the club to safety after promotion to the Premier League in 2022/23. A bold move, but one carried out with diligence, for Iraola was earmarked as a progressive option.
And Bill Foley must be delighted. In 2023/24, Bournemouth recorded a record points total (56) in the Premier League, leading journalist James Horncastle to hail him as “the best coach in the Premier League” for his sharp-witted and positive approach.
Iraola likes aggressive and high-octane football. He is not as turbo-charged in his approach as Klopp, but the Spaniard would infuse Liverpool with more risk-taking and directness than Slot prefers, albeit still maintaining an emphasis on retaining possession.
This could play to the strengths of Florian Wirtz, who has had a tough time since joining Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m in the summer.
A silky and inventive attacking midfielder, the German has yet to register a goal involvement in the Premier League and has lacked the clarity and poise that was expected after the thrill of his official announcement.
There remains a world-class talent in there, and Wirtz’s woes come with the caveat that he has entered a dysfunctional tactical system.
Iraola’s focus on a 4-2-3-1 formation suggests that the 22-year-old could find a natural place at number ten. As per FBref, he does rank among the top 11% of positional peers in the English top flight this term for shot-creating actions and the top 4% for passes attempted and progressive passes per 90.
This suggests that Wirtz has the potential to be a superstar in England, and Iraola can provide the stability and fluency of tactics to help realise that.
He might not be Klopp, but Iraola has labelled his tactics as being akin to “rock and roll”. Klopp’s famous branding of his vision as being ‘heavy metal football’ suggests that Liverpool might hit the jackpot by making this switch.
No one wants to see Slot be sacked, but this pitiful form and level of performance cannot be allowed to continue, and Iraola has the acumen to revive Wirtz and bring the champions back into the ascendancy.
Better than Isak: Liverpool join race for "one of the best RWs in the world"
Arne Slot’s Liverpool tenure is crumbling before him, and FSG are considering changes.
ByAngus Sinclair Nov 28, 2025
Ian Bishop talks about the West Indies attack – which is without Roach – which will take on Australia
Andrew McGlashan24-Jun-2025Australia are clear favourites in their series against West Indies, which begins in Barbados on Wednesday, but they start with some question marks over the batting. Steven Smith is absent injured and Marnus Labuschagne has been dropped, leading to recalls for Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis. Meanwhile, Cameron Green made an uncertain return to Test cricket at No. 3 against South Africa – albeit in challenging conditions – and there are eyes on the output of Usman Khawaja.That all leaves West Indies with a window of opportunity if they can put pressure on the top order. The experienced Kemar Roach is a notable absentee from this squad as coach Daren Sammy and new captain Roston Chase look to reshape the side. However, the three frontline quicks likely to form the attack, alongside the left-arm spin of Jomel Warrican, have the credentials to be a handful for the Australians.With the help of Ian Bishop, here’s a rundown of West Indies’ bowling options.Shamar JosephTests: 8 | Wickets: 29 | Average: 26.75There needs little reminding of what Shamar Joseph did when he last faced Australia, setting the Gabba alight with his second innings 7 for 68 to secure an eight-run victory. After recovering from the toe injury he bowled through that day, life was tougher in his next series against England, but in the last three Tests – against South Africa and Bangladesh – he has claimed 12 wickets. On Sunday night, he was named West Indies’ Test Player of the Year.”He went to England [in 2024] on the back of playing a lot of white-ball cricket and his fitness and his load management wasn’t up to scratch,” Bishop told ESPNcricinfo. “So he struggled there. He came back well last year against South Africa. But he hasn’t really reached those heights of the Gabba Test match as often as I would have hoped. But now that he’s had some time, I think, to get back into red-ball cricket, I’m hoping that we will see once again the best of him.”One of the challenges for Shamar has been refining his red-ball game while also juggling his white-ball commitments, both internationally and at the franchise level. He has still played more Tests (eight) than other first-class matches (seven) and just two of the latter this year.”That is the challenge, I think, not only for Shamar but several other players. Not just West Indian players but players around the globe,” Bishop said. “The draw of the leagues, particularly for those from the less wealthy nations, the nations under the big three who can’t afford to pay their players the same remuneration as England, India and Australia can. The compromise to allow them to play league cricket for their financial security.”In the case of Shamar being in the IPL, where he hasn’t played much, finding that right balance as an administration and as an individual player is still an ongoing work in progress. I’m hoping that as Shamar now gets into the back half of his twenties that he recognises and identifies which format of the game is greater for him and his legacy. And balancing with his financial security.”Jayden SealesTests: 18 | Wickets: 75 | Average 22.26Ian Bishop on Seales: “I think he’s becoming a better bowler with the English experience”•AFP/Getty ImagesAt 23, Jayden Seales, who starred against Pakistan early in his career, is developing into the new leader of West Indies’ attack. Since returning to the side after injury in 2024 he has taken 38 wickets in his last eight outings. In Multan in January, he took advantage of a period where the ball swung to claim 3 for 27 – the only wickets to fall to pace in the match. Last year he returned the remarkable figures of 15.5-10-5-4 against Bangladesh in Jamaica. His one previous outing against Australia came at Perth in 2022 where he struck early to remove David Warner but that was his one success of the match.”Jayden has committed to playing much more red-ball cricket,” Bishop said. “Without sort of stereotyping him because he is playing a bit of white-ball cricket as well…but he goes to play his county cricket. He comes back and has the time to play a few domestic games, so I think Jayden knows more about his style of bowling. The team understands what his strength is: pitching the ball up, swinging it. Given his success in the last two seasons, I think that he is one of maybe two bowlers that you build your bowling attack around.”Where Jayden has come along nicely is that instead of always going searching for wickets, now he’s getting better at knowing when to go in attack mode and pitch the ball up when it’s swinging, and when to pull the throttle back and hold for a little while longer. It’s still a work in progress because he’s still a very young man at age 23. But I think he’s becoming a better bowler with the English experience.”Alzarri JosephTests: 37 | Wickets: 111 | Average 35.00″I still think his best is ahead of him”•Getty ImagesThe senior figure in this West Indies attack with Kemar Roach overlooked, Alzarri Joseph also played an important role in the historic Gabba victory with six wickets in the match. His overall Test numbers would suggest someone who has not quite fulfilled his potential but at 28 there is still time. Since 2022 his figures have been coming the right way with 71 wickets at 32.21 compared to 40 at 39.95 before that point. As the fastest of the West Indies quicks, he will be the one called upon for a sustained short-pitched attack if required.”One of his great challenges is that he is a multi-format player,” Bishop said. “So the transition between T20 to 50-over to Test cricket is something I still think he’s working on. I believe, and this is my honest opinion, I don’t think we’ve seen the absolute best of him yet. I think he has much more that his talent can give us in terms of when to control, when to attack. He has all the prerequisites. He can swing the ball, he can bowl upwards of 145kph and hit the deck hard. I still think his best is ahead of him.”Jomel WarricanTests: 19 | Wickets: 73 | Average 27.56Jomel Warrican picked up match figures of 9 for 70 earlier this year in Pakistan•PCBLeft-arm spinner Jomel Warrican has risen to become West Indies’ No. 1 Test spinner since returning to the side in 2024 against South Africa. He had a remarkable tour of Pakistan this year where he claimed 19 wickets in two Tests, alongside some vital lower-order runs, including 5 for 27 in the second innings of the second Test to give West Indies victory. He has now been named Roston Chase’s vice-captain.”[He] found the Pakistan pitch to be suitable and amenable for his style of bowling where he found grip,” Bishop said. “He bowled very slowly through the air compared to [Gudakesh] Motie and one or two others. Whether he can now back that up in the Caribbean in a big way. I think he will always be consistent, he’s shown that in his Test career, but whether he can have the same impact, time will tell. What you get from Warrican is a level of consistency of performance.”Anderson PhillipTests: 2 | Wickets: 3 | Average: 70.66Anderson Phillip has played just two Tests so far•Getty ImagesAnderson Phillip, who last played a Test against Australia in Adelaide on the 2022-23 tour, is another option in the squad. He has produced some steady numbers for Lancashire, and overall since the start of 2024 has 69 first-class wickets at 24.86 including a five-wicket haul recently against South Africa A. “Although I would put the two Josephs and Jayden out front, Anderson Phillip, depending on how he goes in the training sessions, could sort of nudge if his form is that good,” Bishop said.Johann LayneThe 21-year-old is uncapped at international level but he is putting together some impressive domestic numbers including 27 wickets at 15.88 in the recent four-day Championship. “Johan is tall, he’s wiry, he’s not out-and-out fast,” Bishop said. “But I do believe that if put in the right hands, he is one of two or three young seam bowlers – I wouldn’t say fast bowlers because they’re not yet, at 21 years of age, fast – [who] have potential. He’s rangy, he’s tall and he’s intelligent. So I have high hopes for his development.”