Rutschman was stunned after being rung up in the bottom of the ninth inning of the Baltimore Orioles' 1–0 loss to the Kansas City Royals in Game 1 of their wild-card series.
The All-Star catcher was facing Royals closer Lucas Erceg with Baltimore trailing 1–0. He forced a 2-2 count with no outs and Ryan O'Hearn on first. Erceg fired a 93-mph changeup that sunk below the zone, and home plate umpire Ryan Additon called strike three. Rutschman was displeased.
He had a right to be upset, as the Gamecast on MLB.com indicated the pitch was low as well.
MLB
While the pitch wasn't egregiously far out of the zone, it was a ball. In that situation, the umpire has to be better. Instead of a 3-2 count with no outs, the Orioles were down to their final two outs.
Colton Cowser was up next and flew out to center, then pinch hitter Heston Kjerstad struck out swinging to end the game.
The Royals now lead the series 1-0. It may have been different if the umpire had gotten the call correct.
اتخذ مسؤولو نادي الزمالك قرارًا هامًا بشان أحمد سيد زيزو لاعب الفريق السابق ولا النادي الأهلي حاليا، بعد التصرف الذي بدر من الأخير خلال مباراة قطبي الكرة المصرية في نهائي كأس السوبر المصري.
وأرسل نادي الزمالك شكوى رسمية للجنة الانضباط بالاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، ضد “زيزو” وذلك بسبب التصرف الذي صدر من اللاعب أثناء مراسم التتويج عقب نهائي كأس السوبر المحلي، وعدم مصافحته لهشام نصر نائب رئيس نادي الزمالك ورئيس بعثة الفريق الأبيض في السوبر.
وكان الأهلي توج بلقب كأس السوبر المصري للمرة الـ 16 في تاريخه، بالفوز على الزمالك بنتيجة 2-0، في المباراة النهائية التي أقيمت أمس الأحد، في الإمارات.
طالع| كاف يٌحدد موعد أول مباراتين لـ الزمالك في مجموعات كأس الكونفدرالية
واستند نادي الزمالك في شكواه إلى لائحة لجنة الانضباط التي تؤكد على اللاعبين أهمية الاحترام والالتزام بالمعايير الموضوعة والروح الرياضية.
وتنص المادة 6/6 من لائحة الانضباط والأخلاق الصادرة من لجنة الانضباط بالاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، على فرض عقوبات على من يتعرض بالإساءة إلى الاتحاد أو المجلس أو اللجنة أو الجهة المنظمة أو المسوؤلين أو عناصر اللعبة.
وطالب الزمالك في شكواه بتوقيع العقوبات اللازمة على اللاعب طبقًا للائحة.
One of the most esteemed academies in world football is Manchester United’s Carrington.
You can go back as far in footballing history as you’d like; United have always produced some top academy graduates.
In recent years, there have been a couple of stars really flying the flag for the Red Devils academy. The main name that springs to mind is Marcus Rashford, who is now plying his trade at Barcelona, where he is flying.
For his boyhood club, the Wythenshawe-born sensation racked up 426 appearances, scoring 138 goals and assisting 79.
Man Unites starMarcusRashford
Kobbie Mainoo is a more recent example. He was brought through by Erik ten Hag, although the Dutchman was quite ruthless when it came to giving academy stars a chance.
The best academy prospects let go under Ten Hag's management
It is naturally quite hard to break into the first team of a club the size of United. There were a few players, like Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, who Ten Hag gave a platform to. Yet, others didn’t make the cut and were sold by the former United boss, only to thrive at other clubs.
Someone who certainly fits that bill is Alvaro Carreras. The 22-year-old completed a move to Real Madrid this summer after shining at Benfica. He never actually played a first-team game at Old Trafford, with Ten Hag opting against giving him a debut.
He moved to Portugal permanently last summer after a loan spell in 2023/24, before joining Los Blancos in 2025. He’s started every La Liga game under Xabi Alonso, operating at left-back and even as a centre-back.
Anthony Elanga could also come under the same category. Despite thriving under Ralf Rangnick and scoring a huge goal away to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, he only played 26 times under Ten Hag before moving to Nottingham Forest.
This summer, he switched to Newcastle United for a massive £55m fee but is yet to find the net for the Toon.
Both players could quite realistically have made it in a different era. The same could be said of United’s new Paul Scholes. At least that was how he was described at the time.
Ten Hag let go of Man Utd's 'next Scholes'
There is no doubt that, over the years, some of the academy sales made under Ten Hag have been blunders. The decision to move Carreras on, for example, must sting United fans given how well he is doing in Madrid.
When the Red Devils decided not to renew Shola Shoretire’s contract back in 2024, it brought an end to a United career that saw the Newcastle-born midfielder become the youngest player to appear for the club in a European match, aged 17 years and 23 days old.
It’s safe to say that in his younger days, the former United number 47 was incredibly highly rated.
Stephen Rutherford, the director of football at his junior club, said that he “would compare Shola to Paul Scholes,” which is high praise indeed.
Shoretire’s record for United’s academy was impressive. In the Premier League 2, he played 61 times, scoring 29 goals and assisting a further 18 goals. He operated all over the midfield and even out on the wing.
Shoretire record per season in PL2
Season
Games
Goals & assists
2020/21
21
10g & 5a
2021/22
22
7g & 8a
2022/23
9
5g & 1a
2023/24
9
7g & 4a
Stats from Transfermarkt
Unfortunately for Shoretire, he could only rack up five first-team appearances at Old Trafford. A loan spell to Bolton Wanderers saw him get first-team opportunities, but he left Old Trafford upon the expiration of his contract in 2024.
He joined Greek side PAOK on a free transfer, and now plays on loan for PEC Zwolle in the Netherlands. Those Scholes comparison feel like a long time ago now.
Under Ten Hag, the 21-year-old only featured on the bench four times. Despite his excellent form in the academy, the Dutchman never gave Shoretire more of an opportunity to showcase his skills at senior level.
This might always be one that United fans look back on and think, what could have been. Their youngest-ever European player was clearly very talented, and to be compared to Scholes is no mean feat.
Perhaps, if he’d have been given more of a platform by Ten Hag, he could have proven his worth at United.
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Snoop Dogg is reportedly set to make his first appearance at a Swansea game when a derby date with Welsh rivals Wrexham is taken in. The Red Dragons are co-owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynold and Rob Mac, who have made a habit of inviting celebrity guests to EFL fixtures down the years. Rap icon Snoop is now poised to make his bow with the Swans, having become a minority stakeholder.
Getty Images/GOALStar investors: Snoop & Modric involved with Swansea
The legendary musician bought into the Swans back in July. He then helped to front the launch of the club’s home kit for 2025-26, with his global appeal being put to good use. Snoop is not the only familiar face to figure on Swansea’s board, with Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric – who is now with AC Milan after severing ties with Real Madrid – another with financial ties to the Championship outfit.
Modric is otherwise engaged at present prolonging his playing career in Italy at 40 years of age, making trips to South Wales difficult. Snoop is, however, finding space in his schedule to take in that journey. The 53-year-old is a big sports fan and has previously been spotted at NBA matches and the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
AdvertisementDerby date: When Swansea face Wrexham in the Championship
Another change of scenery is about to be taken in, with Swans star Liam Cullen revealing that Snoop is due in Wales for the most glamorous of fixtures. There is no word on whether Reynolds and Mac will be joining him for a meeting between two geographical rivals.
Cullen told the BBC when asked about Snoop’s ties to Swansea: “I've not seen him yet. I think he's actually coming over for the Wrexham game. That's what I've heard. So I'm looking forward to seeing him."
Wrexham are due at the Swansea.com Stadium on December 19. Snoop could be on hand to deliver early Christmas presents, with Swans CEO Tom Gorringe having already talked up the commercial benefits that he brings to the club.
Cullen added on embracing famous faces: “With the new investors in Snoop Dogg and Luka Modric, it adds a few more eyes on the club, and with the investment there's a higher expectation now, which is good for us. It's a good thing to have the expectation of going and needing to do well.”
Getty/GOALSnoop warning: Urged to remain behind the scenes
Snoop’s son, Cordell C Broadus, has paid a visit to Swansea, taking in a 1-1 draw with Watford on August 23. He stopped by the dressing room to mingle with players and coaches, and his father has admitted that he is readying a “pep talk” for his trip to the United Kingdom.
While Swansea are delighted to have Snoop involved, he has been urged not to interfere with team affairs. Experienced Welsh manager Tony Pulis has told sports betting site BetVictor: “Would I be pleased if someone like that came into a football club? Yeah, as long as they didn't poke their nose in and start picking the team and picking the players and picking the tactics, it'd be no issues to me.
“I've met Luka Modric. What a wonderful, wonderful man. An absolutely fantastic player. Top, top player. And I mean a top, top player, but he's a fantastic lad as well. Having Luka around would be unbelievable. Snoop Dogg, I don't even know what he sings!”
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Swansea have enjoyed a solid yet unspectacular start to the 2025-26 campaign. They have picked up 12 points from nine games that have delivered three wins, a trio of defeats and a few draws. They remain within three points of the play-off places in a congested Championship table – with Wrexham only two points behind them.
Alan Sheehan is the coach charged with the task of generating positive results, with a permanent contract being passed his way after initially taking the reins on a caretaker basis in February. He is cutting his managerial teeth in a demanding division, with the presence of Snoop and Modric behind the scenes bringing with it added pressure. The Swans will return to action after the latest international break when taking in a trip to Southampton on October 18.
Mesmo tendo sido pivô de uma confusão no fim da partida entre Corinthians e Universitario, do Peru, na última terça-feira (18), o garoto Ryan terá a sua promoção ao elenco profissional garantida pelo técnico Vanderlei Luxemburgo. E a postura do jovem, que completou 20 anos no último sábado (15), foi fundamental para a decisão do treinador, que fazia parte do elenco sub-20 e compunha espaço entre os profissionais de forma esporádica.
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O que poderia se transformar em um grande problema se tornou a maior oportunidade da carreira do volante, que marcou o gol da vitória corintiana sobre a equipe peruana, em pleno estádio Monumental lotado, com cerca de 80 mil pessoas. Ao comemorar, a prata da casa tirou a camisa e mostrou para a torcida local. A atitude gerou revolta aos atletas e torcedores da La U. Os jogadores foram para cima do elenco corintiano, enquanto a torcida lançou objetos em direção aos profissionais da equipe alvinegra.
+ Renove o seu estoque de camisas do Timão com o cupom LANCEFUT 10% OFF
Repreendido no vestiário por Luxemburgo e também pelos atletas mais velhos, Ryan se desculpou com cada jogador individualmente e justificou a atitude com a emoção de marcar pela primeira vez no time principal, onde tem somente dois jogos disputados, totalizando 21 minutos.
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Mesmo tendo ‘puxado a orelha’ do jogador, Vanderlei Luxemburgo ficou satisfeito com a forma com que o atleta lidou com a situação, reconhecendo o erro, sabendo se desculpar e, principalmente, tendo a atitude de pedir desculpas para cada companheiro.
Luxa até consegue tirar algo benéfico do erro cometido pelo garoto em campo, já que o comandante corintiano entende a atitude como amostra de vontade. Ainda assim, o treinador considera o ato intempestivo e, por isso, passível de correção. Vanderlei entende que o cenário instalado em Lima já era pouco propício desde o início do jogo e que tudo que o Corinthians não precisava naquele momento era alguém da equipe promovendo um clima ainda mais quente.
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O duelo entre Universitario e Corinthians ganhou traços de hostilidade desde o encontro entre as equipes em São Paulo, no dia 11 de julho, pelo jogo de ida da fase de playoffs da Copa Sul-Americana. Ao fim da partida, Sebástian Avellino Vargas, preparador físico do clube peruano, fez gestos de macaco em direção à torcida corintiana. O membro da comissão técnica foi preso em flagrante na madrugada do dia 12 de julho e ficou detido até esta quinta-feira (20), quando lhe foi concedida liberdade provisória.
Na época da acusação, que conta com registro em vídeo, o Universitario emitiu uma nota se mostrando favorável ao seu profissional, reclamando do tratamento da Justiça brasileira à situação e dizendo que também houve comportamento hostil da torcida corintiana. Essa situação fez com que os peruanos tratassem o jogo de volta pelo playoffs como guerra. Em campo, deu Timão vencendo por 3 a 1 no placar agregado – 1 a 0 no jogo de ida, em São Paulo, e 2 a 1 na volta, na cidade de Lima.
E A BOLA?
A decisão de Vanderlei Luxemburgo de promover Ryan ao elenco profissional do Corinthians não tem a ver só com postura e personalidade, mas também com desempenho em campo.
O técnico não enxerga o jogador especial, como foi com Gabriel Moscardo, que virou titular após atuar poucos minutos como profissional, mas tem muito valor considerado pelo técnico, que já coloca o jovem à frente, por exemplo, do colombiano Cantillo, que está no clube alvinegro desde 2020, e também na condição de disputa com Roni, que é prata da casa, mas está desde 2019 entre os profissionais.
Luxemburgo entende que Ryan é um bom primeiro volante, de marcação forte e boa saída para o jogo, mas que, ainda assim, precisa maturar um pouco mais, o que o treinador espera que aconteça durante o período do jovem entre os profissionais.
Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming has said that CSK haven’t been able to read the Chepauk pitch in recent years. During the IPL 2025 auction, CSK had stacked their squad with spin, but the Chepauk pitch seemed to assist the seamers more than the spinners during their second home game of the season. Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed combined figures of 7-0-41-4 to shut CSK down in their chase of 197.”Well, as we’ve been telling you for a number of years, there was no home advantage at Chepauk,” Fleming said after CSK suffered their biggest defeat against RCB at home. “We’ve won away from home a couple of times. And we haven’t been able to read… we’ve been really honest with you. We haven’t been able to read the wickets here in the last couple of years. So, it’s not new. We are trying to come to grips each day with what we get, and we don’t know.”Related
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The Chepauk pitches in IPL 2024 didn’t suit spin, which has been CSK’s traditional strength. The fast bowlers took 74 wickets while the spinners claimed only 25 at the venue last season.”It’s not the Chepauk [of old] where you can just go in and play four spinners,” Fleming said. “We’re having to work really hard to try and understand what the nature of each pitch is, and it’s quite different.”On Friday, Fleming had expected the dew to set in and aid their chase. However, it wasn’t to be and the surface got even slower in the second innings. CSK ended up losing by 50 runs.”No, we didn’t get it right,” Fleming said. “It’s so hard to read, but we thought it was going to skid on with the dew, but it actually got a bit tacky. So, it certainly made it harder here.”CSK’s batters don’t usually swing from the get-go – which can become a talking point when big chases go wrong – but that doesn’t make them a bad team, Fleming insisted.When Fleming was asked if “this [batting approach] was his way of playing cricket”, it didn’t go down too well with him. Somewhat testy reactions from the usually calm Fleming suggested that CSK might be feeling the heat.”We talk about firepower, we have firepower all the way through,” Fleming said. “I don’t understand this question. Just because we don’t swing from ball one and have a little bit of luck go away, we’ll see at the end. Just see at the end who wins it. It’s a positive brand of cricket, no doubt about it, but don’t discount us.”
Galle plays host to the first Test of the series which brings spin bowling to the fore again
Andrew Fidel Fernando28-Jan-20251:34
Smith on captaincy: I understand what’s needed at certain times in subcontinent
Big Picture: The Warne-Muralidaran trophy is backAustralia’s Test series in Sri Lanka often seem to have a touch of the dramatic about them. Last time Australia were in Galle, Sri Lanka saw the greatest mass protests in the country’s history, while the teams battled out a 1-1 series. In 2016, Australia had nosedived spectacularly against spin, Rangana Herath gobbling up their top order en masse.Over the years there have been series-ending fielding collisions, such as in 1999 in Kandy when Jason Gillespie broke a leg and Steve Waugh broke a nose, Shane Warne triggering one of Sri Lanka’s most painful 90s collapses to clinch victory in a game Australia were losing, and Sri Lanka producing one of their most infamously dry surfaces in Galle in 2011. Where Sri Lanka have never won a Test in Australia, these teams tend to be more evenly matched in Sri Lanka.Related
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And so it shapes up again. Australia are coming off their big Border-Gavaskar Trophy win, of course. Through their 3-1 win in that series, they also booked their World Test Championship final spot. They are missing regular captain Pat Cummins, who is on paternity leave, but have a seasoned leader in Steven Smith.Sri Lanka had had a decent Test year in 2024, until the disappointing series in South Africa to finish it off. But they will feel as if their Test team is building to something – maybe mounting a more serious campaign in the next WTC cycle, in which they appear to have a relatively easy schedule.It will likely come down to spin in Galle. This surface doesn’t appear to be the dryest one the ground has turned out, and may stay together a little longer than usual, owing to January’s cooler weather. But it is likely to take substantial turn from day three onwards. Expect plenty of sweeping and reverse-sweeping, and catchers around the bat as the match wears on.Form guideSri Lanka: LLWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first) Australia: WWWDLCaptain Steven Smith, senior spinner Nathan Lyon and selector Tony Dodemaide take a look at the pitch•Getty ImagesIn the spotlight: Nathan Lyon and Prabath JayasuriyaA track that tends to start off dry, a sea breeze that helps sap what little moisture there is in the pitch, footmarks to bowl into from as early as day two sometimes – Galle is basically spin-bowling paradise. As such, how well your lead spinner goes in a Galle Test goes a long way to deciding the outcome.It is a track Nathan Lyon will know well. Not only did he get a five-wicket haul on debut here in 2011, he also took a match-winning 9 for 121 from the first game in 2022, when Australia last visited. He has 21 wickets from seven innings at this venue, with an average of 27.61. Expect this group of Sri Lanka’s batters to attempt to attack Lyon, particularly in the first innings. Sri Lanka’s easiest path to upsetting Australia’s bowling plan is to unsettle Lyon.Prabath Jayasuriya had also made his debut in Galle, and he has dominated as few spinners ever have at this venue. He’s got 71 wickets at an average of 21.78 at this venue, and the key to much of that success has been his devastating straight ball, as well as his control. With Sri Lanka’s remaining frontline spin options lacking in experience, the hosts will look to Jayasuriya to define the back half of these Tests.Pitch and conditions: Some rain aroundThere’s a little unseasonal rain around in Galle, but rare is the Galle Test that even goes into the last couple of sessions, even if there are interruptions along the way. Dhananjaya de Silva said he expected the surface to be decent for batting to begin with. Temperatures are forecast to hover around 30 degrees celsius.Prabath Jayasuriya has an incredible record at Galle•APTeam news: Who will be SL’s opener?Australia have confirmed that Travis Head will open the innings, displacing Sam Konstas from that position. They are pondering their attack though, and could go in with as many as three spinners – Todd Murphy potentially joining Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann. They will likely have Josh Inglis and Beau Webster – who bowls spin as well as seam – in the lower middle order.Australia (possible): 1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Travis Head, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith (capt.), 5 Josh Inglis, 6 Beau Webster, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Mathew Kuhnemann, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Scott Boland/ Todd MurphySri Lanka have a decision to make around their attack as well – whether their second seamer will be Vishwa Fernando or Lahiru Kumara. They also have to replace the injured Pathum Nissanka at the top of the order. Oshada Fernando is his likeliest replacement.Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Dimuth Karunaratne, 2 Oshada Fernando, 3 Dinesh Chandimal, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Kamindu Mendis, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva (capt.), 7 Kusal Mendis (wk), 8 Prabath Jayasuriya, 9 Nishan Peiris, 10 Asitha Fernando, 11 Lahiru Kumara/Vishwa FernandoStats and trivia: Smith 10,000 watch Steve Smith is one run away from completing 10,000 in Test cricket. He’d be the fourth Australia batter to the milestone, after Alan Border, Steve Waugh, and Ricky Ponting. Prabath Jayasuriya took 12 wickets for 177 in the one Test he’d played against Australia – on debut in Galle. All up, Australia have won three of the six Tests they’ve played in Galle, losing two and drawing one.
In the absence of Aiden Markram, who is currently involved in the Test series against Sri Lanka, Heinrich Klaasen will lead South Africa in their home T20I series against Pakistan.Apart from Markram, several other all-format players – such as Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada and Tristan Stubbs – will miss the Pakistan T20Is, scheduled between December 10 and 14, with the second Test against Sri Lanka concluding on December 9. These players will, however, be a part of the ODI series against Pakistan in early 2025, which will be part of their last leg of preparations for the Champions Trophy.That apart, Anrich Nortje and Tabraiz Shamsi have returned to the T20I side for the first time since the T20 World Cup in June. Allrounder George Linde has also been named in the squad, after having last played a T20I in July 2021, against Ireland. He has played 14 T20Is and had an impressive performance in this season’s CSA T20 Challenge, scoring 171 runs at a strike rate of 178.12 and claiming nine wickets at an average of 18.33.”Anrich is very much in line for the Champions Trophy,” South Africa’s white-ball head coach Rob Walter said. “He has a lot of experience so playing lots of 50-over cricket is not necessary. Before that, he will be very active in the SA20 and in this series. I am not worried about him from a playing point of view. He is not a young cricketer, he understands his game. There’s enough cricket between now and then for him to be selected.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd
He added that South Africa’s No. 7 is normally filled with a seaming allrounder but with Wiaan Mulder injured and Jansen unavailable, they “needed to look for a spinning allrounder and George was someone who filled that role.” South Africa do have two seam-bowling allrounders in Patrick Kruger and Andile Simelane, a 21-year-old, who has excellent potential for the future. “I’m very excited about Andile. He has got some wonderful attributes. The first ball he faced in international cricket he hit out of Kingsmead. He has got some power with the bat, he took some key wickets, he has a wonderful overall skill set that is still in its infancy. We want to keep giving him opportunities, keep growing his game.”Although South Africa qualified for June’s T20 World Cup final, they have not won a single bilateral series this year, largely because they have not had a first-choice squad available. Still, the microscope is on Walter, who was asked if he felt his position was in jeopardy. “I feel the most pressure from myself personally. I want the team to be better, expect the team to play better and that starts with me as the head coach. We are in the results business.”The squad will begin preparations with a two-day camp at the Centre of Excellence in Pretoria from December 6-8. On Sunday, they will head to Durban where the first match will be played, followed by back-to-back games in Centurion and Johannesburg on December 13 and 14, respectively.
South Africa T20I squad for Pakistan series
Heinrich Klaasen (capt), Ottneil Baartman, Matthew Breetzke*, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Patrick Kruger, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka*, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton*, Tabraiz Shamsi**, Andile Simelane, Rassie van der Dussen*Matthew Breetzke, Kwena Maphaka and Ryan Rickelton will join the squad following their Test commitments against Sri Lanka**Tabraiz Shamsi’s participation in the ongoing Global Super League in Guyana may affect his availability for the first T20I
Autor do segundo gol do Botafogo na vitória diante do Bahiapor 2 a 1 na Fonte Nova, Tchê Tchê concedeu depois da segunda rodada do Brasileirão. O volante entrou no decorrer do segundo tempo e foi decisivo para o triunfo.
– Uma grande vitória. A concorrência é boa. Nós não temos muita vaidade. A gente torce, independentemente de quem estiver jogando. É claro que todo mundo quer jogar, mas é isso. Quando tiver as oportunidades, é entrar dentro de campo para tentar resolver. É sempre bom marcar. A gente vem forte defensivamente e estamos apresentando uma evolução do terço final. Nós estamos evoluindo, marcando mais vezes durante as partidas – declarou Tchê Tchê ao Premiere.
+Neymar na mira de clube da Premier League, Bruno Guimarães interessa a gigante europeu… O Dia do Mercado!
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O volante vinha sendo muito utilizado por Luís Castro nos últimos meses, mas acabou sendo reserva nos últimos dois jogos por conta da boa fase de Danilo Barbosa. O Glorioso está invicto há dez jogos e entra em campo novamente na próxima quinta-feira, diante Ypiranga, às 19h30, no Nilton Santos, pelo jogo de volta da terceira fase da Copa do Brasil.
The transfer window is really heating up at Rangers.
On Wednesday, the Light Blues signed not one but two new players, with Joe Rothwell and Emmanuel Fernandez both arriving, the latter for a reported fee of £3.5m.
So, with the start of Champions League qualifying now less than three weeks away, Russell Martin’s mass overhaul of the squad he has inherited continues, with more new signings seemingly set to follow soon.
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Transfer Focus
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Leon Balogun has departed, joining Aris Limassol on a free transfer, while Robin Pröpper appears set to return to FC Twente too.
Meanwhile, Max Aarons has arrived on loan from Bournemouth, with Fernandez now signing too, but Martin is certainly still seeking to improve his defensive options.
Southampton manager Russell Martin.
Well, as reported by Anthony Joseph of Sky Sports News, Rangers are “in talks” with Wolverhampton Wanderers as they aim to sign Nasser Djiga on a season-long loan.
This would be a straight loan, with no option or obligation to buy, for the Burkina Faso international, who only joined Wolves from Crvena zvezda for a reported fee of £10m as recently as February.
The 22 year old made just six appearances in old gold following his arrival, his sole Premier League start coming at Crystal Palace in May, when Vítor Pereira made wholesale changes, with David Irvine of the Glasgow Times noting that Wolves are keen on this loan move to Ibrox so that he can ‘gain experience’ of British football.
Thus, could Djiga be a transformational addition for Rangers?
How Nasser Djiga will improve Rangers
The young defender is certainly highly-rated, described by Serbian Football Scout as a “duel monster” who reads the game well, but is also capable of a “last-ditch tackle” when required.
Nasser DjigaNasser Djiga
Meantime, writer Kai Watson believes he is the “ideal” centre-back for Martin’s possession-oriented style, labelling him a “strong passer” who possesses a “good understanding” of defensive play.
Before moving to Wolves, he caught the eye representing Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League, helping them dump out Bodø/Glimt in the play-off round, before also enjoying league phase victories over Stuttgart and Young Boys, so let’s take a look at his statistics.
Minutes
720
1st
Completed passes
322
1st
Progressive passes
33
4th
Pass completion %
89.4%
3rd
Tackles
10
5th
% of dribblers tackled
100%
1st
Interceptions
4
5th
Blocks
7
4th
Clearances
27
2nd
Ball recoveries
28
4th
Touches
433
3rd
As the table outlines, Djiga ranks very highly in the Champions League for all statistics included, when compared to his former teammates, doing so at a very high level, considering Crvena zvezda came up against Barcelona, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Benfica, PSV, Monaco and others during the league phase.
The centre-back’s defensive metrics are universally impressive but, more notably, so are his in-possession statistics, which will make him the perfect fit for a Martin team.
So, why will he be a more impactful signing than Aarons?
Well, in short, it’s due to what Rangers really need.
Aarons has presumably joined Rangers to play regularly, having seen just 338 minutes of action last season at Bournemouth and then Valencia, which raises serious question marks over current right-back and captain James Tavernier’s future.
Meantime, the Light Blues are desperate for central defensive reinforcements, with John Souttar and new arrival Fernandez currently the only options available to face Panathinaikos in a pivotal Champions League qualifier in just 19 days’ time.
So, while Djiga is clearly a high-potential player, he is also one that Rangers desperately require, making him a welcome and much-needed addition for Martin.
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