He is also sure of making a comeback in India’s white-ball side

Sidharth Monga27-Aug-2020

Ajinkya Rahane believes he should have been the No. 4 India were looking for at the 2019 ODI World Cup, a vacancy they failed to fill after trying various players. Rahane last played ODI cricket on the tour of South Africa in 2017-18 when his captain Virat Kohli called him a “strong candidate” for the No. 4 slot in the World Cup in England. Until then Rahane was seen as someone who did well at No. 3 but struggled if he had to start his innings against an older ball and a well-spread field.Kohli’s lifeline to Rahane – handed out under the impression that middle overs in England would feature more pace bowling than they do in Asia – lasted only one series, in which Rahane scored 140 runs in five innings.”I was actually thinking I will be there in the World Cup batting at No. 4, but it is gone now,” Rahane said at a virtual press conference. “You cannot think too much about it. My goal, my aim, is to come back into the ODI team, do well in white-ball cricket which I am really confident about. I don’t think too much about it [the World Cup], [but] yes, especially when I was playing county cricket when World Cup was happening…as a player everyone wants to be a part of the World Cup team, especially when you know you have worked really hard, your record in the past was really good.”But I always think of things I can control as an individual and how can I give my best and learn and get better as a cricketer. Right now my only aim is to do well for Delhi Capitals. And I am sure about my ODI comeback, and I do believe in myself. Not thinking too much about it, but yes at that time I felt that I should be there at No. 4.”Rahane maintained his record in ODI cricket was good when he was dropped. “If you see my record before getting dropped in ODIs, it was good actually,” he said when asked where he saw his white-ball career going. “People obviously talk about strike rates, people talk about averages; in the two years before getting dropped, my record was really good in 50-overs cricket.”I am really positive, I believe in myself, and it is all about that. Having that faith in myself rather than what people are saying. Just keep working hard, which I am doing in my career. I have the ability, I have the belief in myself, and I am sure I will be back in white-ball cricket.”In the two years before being left out of the India team, starting with the ODI series in Australia, Rahane batted 25 times and averaged 42 with a strike rate a trickle under 80. However, 17 of those innings came at the top of the order. So most of his ODI cricket in those two years came when one of the first-choice openers was missing. He could argue, though, that once identified as a potential No. 4 he didn’t get a long enough run.Rahane starts his new IPL season with a similar dilemma for his team management. He is best utilised as an opening batsman, but the side is filled with explosive openers: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Jason Roy. They even have Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant with first dibs at Nos 3 and 4. Asked if he was asked to take up a finisher’s role, Rahane said he would be game to try it.”We are still in quarantine. We are still stuck in our rooms as of now,” Rahane said when asked if he knew what role he would be playing for Delhi Capitals. “What role I am going to play I don’t know. We will have to wait and watch. When we start our practice session, then only we will have that communication.”You know my character. I am always open to whatever the team asks me to do. I always give my best for that particular role. Having said that I always opened throughout my career. I always enjoy opening the batting. It is completely up to the team management what role they want me to play. I will 100% accept that. If they want me to bat 5 or 6, I will definitely accept it. It will be an opportunity for me as a cricketer to explore something new about my game.”However, the switch is not easy. As many a team has found out, starting an innings in the middle overs is the toughest job in T20 cricket. As Rahane himself said, you have neither the time nor the cushion of field restrictions at the start of the innings. “When opening, you know there are just two fielders outside the ring,” he said. “So you have the freedom to express yourself. Whereas in the middle order – 4, 5, 6 – you have to grind. You know the field is spread. The boundary options are fewer. In 50-overs cricket, still there are only four fielders outside till 40 overs.”The uncertainty around Covid-19 means the team management has not had the luxury of letting a player know his role well in advance so he can start training for it, but Rahane said five to six intense sessions should be enough for someone to adapt to a new role. Capitals hope they will start training on August 29; their quarantine ends on the 28th with one final Covid-19 test due on that date.

Aston Villa are interested in signing an "incredible" attacking player in the summer transfer window, with a bid of around £30m set to be enough to snap him up.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans are hoping for a memorable end to the season in the Premier League, as they battle Tottenham for a fourth-place finish and Champions League qualification. The importance of getting into Europe's leading club competition cannot be stressed enough, in terms of bringing in top-quality signings and enjoying improved finances, so the next few weeks feel huge.

Villa are already being linked with plenty of players, however, and Villarreal midfielder Alex Baena has been backed to complete a move to Villa Park in the summer. The 22-year-old is a talented footballer who could be their version of Martin Odegaard, with the Norwegian becoming an outstanding player for Arsenal. In fact, Unai Emery has even asked NSWE to bring him in, having signed an extension as manager earlier this week.

Meanwhile, Baris Alper Yilmaz has also emerged as a reported target for Villa, being looked at as a replacement for current loanee Nicolo Zaniolo and impressing out wide for Galatasaray, scoring 10 goals and registering 11 assists in 103 appearances overall.

Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella has also been linked with a summer switch to Villa Park, with Emery's natural full backs ageing and injury prone.

Aston Villa want "incredible" attacking star

According to a new update from Football Insider, Aston Villa are keeping tabs on Leeds United attacker Crysencio Summerville, seeing him as a great option to bring in at the end of the season.

The Dutchman is expected to leave Elland Road if the Whites fail to secure promotion from the Championship to the Premier League in the coming weeks, with a bid of more than £30m enough to get him.

Summerville may be playing in the second tier of English football currently, but he could be a brilliant signing for Villa, not only coming in as an important squad player from the off, but also having the long-term potential to develop into a genuinely formidable attacking figure over time.

The Dutchman has been integral to Leeds' promotion push this season, scoring 19 league goals in 39 starts, while former City defender Nedum Onuoha has heaped praise on his pace and finishing at Elland Road: "You can see that Summerville making the run behind and thinking is the ball going to him? He gets dispatched, goes one v one and slams the ball into the top corner. Absolutely incredible finish."

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Summerville has shown that he can perform in the Premier League, scoring four goals in the competition to date, but Villa could sign a far more rounded player to the one that left the top flight last season, and at 22, he should only mature further moving forward.

The 2023/24 season has been a frustrating campaign for Manchester United. They currently sit in sixth in the Premier League table and are mathematically unable to qualify for the Champions League next season.

In Europe, their misery continued, with the Red Devils getting eliminated from the Champions League in record-breaking fashion. As per Opta Joe, the 15 goals they conceded on the way to bottom of the group elimination was the most goals a Premier League side has ever conceded in the group stage.

Coping with injury issues has been a struggle for Erik ten Hag's side this season, and they have had over 60 separate cases of injury and illness throughout the course of the entire campaign. With that being said, their tough season can not be solely blamed on that.

New signings such as Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana have taken time to bed into the squad, and the likes of Marcus Rashford and Casemiro have not had the easiest season of their career.

According to reports, Brazil captain Casemiro is one man who could leave Old Trafford this summer. The 32-year-old, who joined the club in August 2022 from Real Madrid for £70m, could well be set to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season, with United already thought to be eyeing up a replacement.

Man Utd looking to sign Dutch midfielder

The player in question here is Feyenoord and Netherlands international midfielder Mats Wieffer. The 24-year-old has been linked with a move away from Feyenoord this summer, with a whole host of elite European clubs rumoured to be interested.

According to reports in Spain, United are one of five sides said to be chasing Wieffer’s signature next summer, which includes Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle and Liverpool.

Indeed, this may be a deal that is easiest for Liverpool to do; their new head coach is set to be Wieffer’s current manager at Feyenoord, Arne Slot, who will take over from Jurgen Klopp at the end of the season.

The Netherlands international, who has nine caps and one goal for his country, has become a key player under Slot this season. He has made 29 Eredivisie appearances so far, scoring five times and registering three assists, as well as notching up two goal involvements in the Champions League, in six appearances.

Despite the fact that Liverpool could well be favourites to secure Wieffer’s signature, United are likely to still pursue a deal for the midfielder, who is set to cost much more than the £512k Feyenoord paid for him in the first place.

Why Wieffer would be a good signing

Should United manage to sign Wieffer, the in-demand talent might be the perfect replacement for Casemiro. Not only that, he could also be the perfect partner in midfield for Kobbie Mainoo, and the pair could form a midfield partnership for many years to come.

The former Excelsior man was described as having "shades of Declan Rice" on X by football Analyst H, before explaining the way he uses his “long legs in duels and when covering ground” is similar to the England international.

This is certainly reflected in Wieffer’s stats, with the midfield machine's numbers off the ball impressive. According to Fbref, he makes 4.56 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, which places him in the top 7% of midfielders and makes 7.46 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 14%.

Standing at 6 foot 2 also means that Wieffer is good in the air, and he averages 3.05 aerial duels won per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 2% of midfielders in Europe. Not only that, the Dutchman’s average aerial duel win rate of 62.2% is among the best in Europe, ranking him in the top 9%.

Whilst he is wonderful out of possession, Wieffer is also a progressive player on the ball. He averages 7.77 progressive passes per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 7%, and 6.77 passes into the final third per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 8%.

Having a ball-winner in the centre of midfield who can then progress play forwards would certainly be a breath of fresh air for United since it is something that Casmeiro can struggle with at times. Whilst the Brazilian can be effective as a ball-winner, he averages just 6.02 progressive passes per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the bottom 24%, as per Fbref.

Another post by H over on X explains how Wieffer and Mainoo would “thrive” together in midfield. Indeed, Mainoo is certainly not best utilised as a sitting midfielder, but as someone who has a licence to get forward and impact the game in the final third, as shown by his two goals this season. Having Wieffer sitting in front of the back four, spraying passes to help kick-start United’s attack gives Mainoo that aforementioned licence to get forward.

The 19-year-old is a super ball carrier, which compliments the skillset of Wieffer excellently. In fact, Mainoo averages 2.43 attempted take-ons per 90 minutes and 1.27 successful take-ons per 90 minutes, which, as per Fbref, ranks him in the top 14% of midfielders in Europe this season.

There is little doubt that Mainoo and Wieffer would come together to make a hugely complimentary midfield pairing for United. They are both progressive players in possession, and both good ball-winners, although Wieffer’s ability to screen the defence allows Mainoo to get forward and impact the game in the final third.

Not only that, they have age on their side. Mainoo is just 19, and Wieffer is just 24. In theory, they could be lining up together in United’s midfield for the next decade, a mouth-watering prospect for United fans.

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This is a deal that certainly makes sense for the Red Devils to get over the line. Whilst Wieffer’s price is unclear at the moment, it seems a very smart investment and will massively improve their team both in possession and out of possession, whilst also bringing the best out of Mainoo.

da dobrowin： Southampton would have come away from the 2-1 win at Leeds United on the action-packed final day in the Championship full of confidence again, having lost their last three league encounters before this joyous trip to West Yorkshire.

da esoccer bet： The Saints constantly troubled a nervous Leeds side on their own turf, with Kyle Walker-Peters' awareness for Southampton's second on the day showing the desire of Russell Martin's men in spades with the right-back gambling on the ball not going out of play, to then tee up Will Smallbone to fire home.

Not everything went swimmingly, however, despite the positive final scoreline with Che Adams limping off in the second half with a worrying knock.

This would be a major blow for Martin's men if the Saints goal machine isn't fit enough for the drama of the playoffs, having come into his own in recent months up top for the promotion-chasers.

Che Adams' numbers this season

Often seen in the shadow of Adam Armstrong's immense goalscoring numbers at St. Mary's, with the experienced former Newcastle United man bagging 21 goals this season, Adams is standing out in his own right now for Martin's side.

With Armstrong drafted out to the right wing for large portions of this campaign, the Scotland international has led the line as the lone striker predominantly with his prolific edge in front of goal shining in the process.

The 27-year-old forward is only four goals behind his deadly teammate, with five of his 15 second-tier goals for the season coming in a fruitful April for the ex-Birmingham City man.

If Adams' knock is a serious one, the composed Saints number ten would leave a gaping hole in attack when such crunch matches are crying out for the 5 foot 9 striker to excel in.

Still, the absence of Adams could prepare Southampton for an uneasy summer to come with the 27-year-old out of contract and waiting to be snapped up by many a Premier League suitor.

This could give another striker in the Saints camp the impetus to make the gaping hole left by Adams their own if he isn't fit for the matches to come, with one returning attacker desperate to make an impression.

The players who could replace Adams

One bold candidate to take Adams' place could be Ross Stewart, with the former Sunderland man finally tasting more second-tier action for the South Coast club against Leeds after being in the treatment room for most of this campaign.

This seven-minute run-out could well have been Martin assessing whether or not the Scotsman still looked rusty, with the forgotten 27-year-old going on to win 100% of his ground duels as a lively late option in West Yorkshire.

Having netted six goals in Scotland with Alloa Athletic and with Sunderland in their respective playoff structures, Stewart could thrive under the intense strain of the tense matches to follow if given a chance by Martin.

The safer play by the 38-year-old boss against West Bromwich Albion over two legs could be to reintroduce Sekou Mara into the first-team fold, with the Frenchman deemed not fit enough for a spot on the bench against Leeds but should be ready for the playoffs.

Mara has starred in flashes for his promotion-seeking side this season, with six goals managed in all competitions from 33 matches.

Yet, there must be some temptation on Martin's end to throw Stewart in at the deep end instead with one of his ex-Sunderland teammates Alex Pritchard describing the striker as "unbelievable" when securing the Black Cats promotion to the second-tier back in 2022. Could he fancy another big promotion moment on his CV?

India is due to host the event, but is currently the third-worst-hit country in the world in terms of Covid-19 cases

Daniel Brettig12-Aug-2020Sri Lanka and the UAE are among the back-up venues for the 2021 men’s T20 World Cup, should the Covid-19 pandemic make India an untenable host. The ICC confirmed last week that India will host next year’s tournament as scheduled in the original Future Tours Programme while this year’s postponed edition in Australia goes ahead in 2022.Identifying potential back-up venues is standard practice for every ICC event, but it takes on extra significance in this time because of the nature of the pandemic. India is currently the third-worst-hit country in the world in terms of cases, according to most data studies, with over 2 million cases so far and over 45,000 deaths. The current situation has forced the BCCI to relocate the IPL to the UAE, and only tentative plans are in place for the domestic season.ESPNcricinfo has contacted BCCI president Sourav Ganguly about the back-up venues but is yet to receive a response. The BCCI has remained steadfast about hosting the 2021 T20 World Cup instead of 2022 primarily because it does not want to host three big tournaments (including the 2023 IPL and the 2023 World Cup) back-to-back.Much speculation has surrounded the decision around these events, which included postponing the Women’s World Cup to 2022 as well, as well as surprise because Cricket Australia had initially been keen on hosting the event in 2021. But, ESPNcricinfo understands, a recent albeit localised outbreak of Covid-19 within Australia has played a part in CA agreeing to host it in 2022.In May, CA chairman Earl Eddings had written to the ICC asking for the event to be postponed and for Australia to be awarded hosting rights for 2021. At the time Australia was coming out of lockdown, having successfully suppressed the spread of Covid-19. The Finance & Commercial Affairs (F&CA) committee – on which Eddings sits – drew several options in case of a postponement and, according to one official, had eventually come to the conclusion before last week’s ICC board meeting that staging the postponed event in Australia next year was the option of “least risk”.To what degree those risk scenarios took into account the recent surge of cases in Victoria is not clear. Australia avoided the worst of the pandemic early but has been forced to lock down Victoria recently after an outbreak of cases, and will remain that way until at least September, with its borders shut for inter-state travel. The other states are continuing as normal at the moment and AFL and NRL seasons have been ongoing, playing mainly in Queensland and Western Australia at present with teams in hubs.Discussions during last Friday’s board meeting did get detailed enough to compare caseloads in both India and Australia, as well as look at the professional sport taking place in parts of Australia already. But subsequently, when CA agreed to India retaining the 2021 event – Eddings saying his board could not commit the support of the Australian government to host that tournament – there was, according to several officials, “considerable surprise” in the boardroom.On Saturday Nick Hockley, CA’s interim CEO, said his board had made it “very, very clear to the ICC” that the support of the Australian government had been forthcoming. “Contrary to reports that’s not right. We made it very, very clear to the ICC and we’re extremely grateful from the assurances we’ve had from government at every level about their continued support, whether the event was held in 2021 or 2022. Certainly the support we’ve received, and continue to receive, from federal government and states and territories governments all around the country has been fantastic. I don’t think there’s anything in that.”The situation in Victoria has led to a recognition, however, that the 2021 event will be more difficult because of the pandemic and that it is likely to bring less of a windfall for its host in terms of ticketing and corporate revenue. CA is also likely to have factored in that not hosting a global event next year will lead to a less complex lead-in to the 2021-22 Ashes.”We’d sold hundreds of thousands of tickets for this [2020] World Cup coming up in October and November,” Hockley said. “From a cricket sense, we’ve got incredible communities and supporters for all the competition nations.”In terms of hosting in 2022 we’re all acutely aware of the challenges at the moment with hosting, travel restrictions and the like. So in many ways 2022 gives us an even better chance of putting on the event we all originally planned for and were hoping for. We hope by 2022 that the world’s back and we’ve got some normalcy and I think it’ll be a fantastic event.”There was also believed to have been discussion about delaying the decision on venues until as late as March 2021. That scenario, though, was swiftly dismissed, given that it would have involved leaving major tournament undertakings in more or less suspended animation in both Australia and India at considerable cost, in addition to issues around biosecurity, travel exemptions and the wide variation in what might be expected for crowds and ticketing.

Will Young has been handed his Test debut against West Indies in Hamilton after BJ Watling was ruled out with a hamstring injury.Tom Blundell will take the wicketkeeping gloves and move down the order with Young partnering Tom Latham at the top.

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Young, 28, has been close to a Test debut before and was set to play against Bangladesh in 2019 before the final Test in Christchurch was cancelled following the terror attack in the city.He averages 43.76 in his first-class career with ten centuries, the most recent of which came against West Indies for New Zealand A last week”It’s an exciting opportunity for him at the top of the order and I know he’s just looking forward to getting involved after some near opportunities that didn’t eventuate,” captain Kane Williamson said. “He’s been around the environment for some time without getting his first opportunity so I think that’s also a real positive. Often you come into teams and it’s new, you are trying to get a feel for the group but he’s got that feel, he’s an experienced player, has played a lot of first-class cricket and to a very high standard and he deserves that opportunity.”He’s pretty calm and relaxed and knows that he just wants to go out and contribute as much as he can to the team so that attitude is a great thing to have.”Watling picked up the injury during his last outing in the Ford Trophy and following assessment in Hamilton it was decided there was too much risking including him for a Test.”He has seen it all before,” Williamson said. “He knows his body better than anybody. Obviously, he has got a sore hamstring at the moment, but he’s very confident that he can get back to full fitness quite soon. He himself is aware of the challenges you put your body through over a five-day period, and so it’s very difficult to go into a match at a sort of half-fitness.”He cares about the team more than anybody, so he sees it from that perspective. Through discussion with the management, they found that was the best option. He’s a leader in the group, and he showed that through the conversations we had yesterday.”A decision over the rest of the final XI is yet to be made with one of the key debates whether New Zealand go in with a frontline spin option in Mitchell Santner, who was called up in place of the injured Ajaz Patel, or opt for an all-pace attack.”It’s a little bit tricky,” Williamson said of the make-up of the likely XI. “Naturally that is always a bit of a challenge playing in New Zealand, and looking at the roles that you might believe have larger factors. It’s unique to here more than in other places in the world.”

MatériaMais Notícias

da marjack bet： Neste sábado (19), o São Paulo treinou pelo período da manhã no CT da Barra Funda, de olho no clássico contra o Santos, válido pela quinta rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Em sua última sessão de treinos antes da partida, o time acertou os últimos ajustes para o seu primeiro clássico no torneio.

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da winzada777：
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O Tricolor busca se recuperar de um início ruim no Brasileirão. Após quatro rodadas, o time somou somente dois pontos dos 12 disputados. Ainda sem vencer na competição, a equipe acumula dois empates e duas derrotas até o momento.

Contra o Santos, porém, o São Paulo conta com o bom retrospecto em clássicos na temporada. Ao todo, a equipe venceu três clássicos e empatou outros dois, estando invicta nessas partidas.

Uma das vitórias foi conquistada justamente contra o Santos, no dia 6 de março, pela terceira rodada do Campeonato Paulista. Na ocasião, o time de Hernán Crespo venceu a partida por 4 a 0, no Morumbi.

Para o clássico deste domingo (20), o São Paulo deve entrar escalado da seguinte maneira: Tiago Volpi; Diego Costa, Bruno Alves e Reinaldo; Igor Vinicius, Liziero, Gabriel Sara, Emiliano Rigoni e Welington; Luciano e Eder.

A bola rola a partir das 18h15, na Vila Belmiro. Jogando fora de casa contra um rival, o Tricolor espera conquistar sua primeira vitória no Campeonato Brasileiro e, assim, iniciar sua recuperação no torneio.

Glasgow Rangers will be aiming to build on their Hampden heroics during their Scottish Cup semi-final win over Hearts on Sunday as they chase down what would be a stunning treble success.

Philippe Clement has already won one trophy during his relatively short time in Glasgow thus far – the League Cup last December – and will be desperate to cap off a fine debut season in style.

It will be an exciting final few weeks of the campaign as both Rangers and Celtic battle it out for domestic glory.

The Old Firm rivals could also be fighting each other in the summer transfer window over one particular signing too…

Rangers transfer news

The player in question is Aberdeen midfielder Connor Barron, who has been linked with a potential move to both Rangers and Celtic in the previous 12 months.

His contract expires at the end of the season, and it looks as though he is not going to sign an extension, while interest also has emerged from Serie A, with both Sassuolo and Cagliari weighing up whether to swoop for the Scotsman in the coming weeks.

After his Scottish Cup semi-final display against Celtic, former Ibrox midfielder Andy Halliday has suggested that either of the Old Firm should be doing all they can to bring the player to Glasgow.

"Personally I thought Connor Barron was the best player on the pitch on Saturday, to be honest," Halliday said. "And he's out of contract in the summer.

"I'm not trying to prise him away from Aberdeen but I always feel they are the no-brainers that Celtic and Rangers should be looking for, especially when they're trying to get homegrown talent for their European squads. I thought he was excellent.”

Considering Rangers wouldn’t have to pay a fee, plus the fact he won't expect bumper wages indicate this is a move that Clement should be all over, especially as it can boost the club’s homegrown contingent ahead of European competition next season.

It wouldn’t be the first time the Light Blues have signed a player from Aberdeen and the Gers could repeat their Ryan Jack masterclass from 2017 by signing Barron.

Connor Barron could be Ryan Jack 2.0 for Rangers

Jack is also out of contract at the end of the season as it looks increasingly likely that he will depart Glasgow after seven seasons playing for the club.

In that time, he has made 210 appearances for the Light Blues, winning all three domestic trophies on offer to him along with helping the side reach the 2022 Europa League final.

Injury issues have stalled his progression over the previous few years as Jack has missed 126 games through a variety of different setbacks since the summer of 2017.

Even this season, the Scot has started just 12 matches in all competitions. Heading into the new season, Clement will want players in his squad whom he can trust to be available for nearly every match, which means Jack will be shown the exit door at the end of the season.

Barron is practically a like-for-like replacement for the 32-year-old. It is now up to Clement to work his magic in the coming weeks.

Connor Barron’s statistics for Aberdeen this season

The 21-year-old typically operates as a defensive midfielder yet has still scored once while chipping in with two assists in all competitions this season for the Dons.

His growing maturity was evident as the youngster featured in all six of Aberdeen’s Europa Conference League group stage matches, ranking fifth among his teammates for accurate passes per game (18.8) while also ranking fourth for big chances created (one), second for key passes per game (1.2) and third for tackles per game (2.2), demonstrating his skills across a range of metrics on the highest stage.

Hailed as “brilliant” and “brave” by his former manager at Aberdeen, Jim Goodwin, for his displays last season, it appears as though the Scottish starlet is taking things to a whole new level throughout the current campaign.

Still only 21, there is no doubt Barron will be an excellent signing for the future, but judging by his performances in a struggling Aberdeen side this term, he is more than ready to take over the void which will be left by Jack’s imminent departure.

Accurate passes per game

25.3

Big chances created

3

Total duels won per game

3.4

Tackles per game

1.7

Possession lost per game

12.5

With age on his side plus the fact he will cost peanuts, it is a move Clement simply cannot pass up, especially as the 5 foot 9 titan could form a stunning midfield duo with Mohamed Diomande.

How Connor Barron could fit in at Rangers

Barron has shown glimpses of his influential defensive abilities this season, ranking in the top 18% for tackles won per 90 along with ranking in the top 17% for interceptions per 90, showing that he is able to protect the backline during matches while winning the ball back and starting attacks from deep.

Diomande is a more forward-thinking midfielder. Alongside Barron, the Ivorian would have a greater licence to bomb forward often, assisting the forwards with the many attacks Rangers conduct during games.

Indeed, since arriving at Ibrox, Diomande has scored twice in the top flight, created a big chance, averaged 1.4 key passes per game and succeeded with 50% of his dribbles, showcasing a desire to join the front four when Rangers have the ball in the final third.

This duo could be the future of the Rangers' midfield for years to come. Barron is able to screen the defence while moving the ball on accurately as Diomande bursts forward into the opposition danger zone in order to add an extra body during the attacking phase.

Having someone like Barron alongside him could give the 22-year-old more confidence to leave his position, knowing the young Scot would be there to sweep up anything in his absence.

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The move is a no-brainer for the Gers, especially considering Clement is trying to establish a player-trading model at the club, which could see someone like Barron eventually sold for millions of pounds worth of profit.

The next few weeks could be very interesting indeed.

Arsenal and Manchester United have both joined the race for an exciting French young talent, it has been reported, as both sides look to the future.

Gunners looking to the future

Arsenal are enjoying a fantastic season and currently sit atop the Premier League table as they look to go one better than last season's second-place finish.

Even more impressively, Mikel Arteta and co. have built their side largely on young talent, ensuring that their presence at the top of English football is only set to continue for years to come.

The likes of Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli are all likely to have their best years still ahead of them should they manage to avoid serious injuries, while Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira are among those who could still make the step up.

It is not just their first team that is making waves though, and the Gunners have begun to place an increased importance on their academy talents, both in recruiting from other sides and developing their own prospects.

Charlie Patino, Mika Biereth and Brooke Norton-Cuffy are all enjoying loan spells away from the club to varying degrees of success. Meanwhile, the Gunners have made tying down young talent their priority, and announced a professional contract for Ethan Nwaneri on Thursday after making him the youngest-ever Premier League player last season.

In securing his signature, they fought off competition from Chelsea and Manchester City, and their focus on youth is only set to continue into the summer.

Arsenal and Manchester United chase youngster

With that in mind, it comes as no surprise to hear that Arsenal are one of several clubs chasing talented youngster Joachim Kayi Sanda.

Sanda currently captains the France U18 side and was part of the U17 side that lost the World Cup final on penalties to Germany last December.

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His performances have attracted the attention of several massive clubs, with Manchester United, Newcastle, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain all alongside Arsenal in showing interest in the talented teen, according to transfer journalist Graeme Bailey.

Sanda was among four players at French side Valenciennes dubbed a "fantastic talent" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and is expected to have a big future ahead of him.

However, those European giants may all be foiled by Championship outfit Southampton, whose owners also own Valenciennes. There is hope from the Saints that the promise of regular first-team football could see the youngster opt for the south coast outfit over big-name sides, though the latest report claims that 'their hopes could rest on whether promotion back to the Premier League can be achieved.'

Under contract with his current side until 2026, Sanda is expected to leave this summer nonetheless, with the club's youngest-ever player looking to take the next step in his career.

A prominent Barcelona player has reportedly terminated his contract with Hansi Flick's side ahead of moving to Al-Nassr.

• Defender stars for Barcelona
• Barca ace terminates contract
• Set for shock Al-Nassr transfer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After journalist Matteo Moretto reported that Inigo Martinez is close to leaving Barcelona and that Al-Nassr were in talks to sign him, Fabrizio Romano states that the Saudi Pro League team have agreed to sign the centre-back. He adds that the 34-year-old will terminate his Blaugrana contract with immediate effect and join as a free agent.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The former Spain international has been an important player for Barcelona since signing from Athletic Bilbao in 2023. He has played 71 times for the club, 46 of which came last season as the veteran was a regular in Flick's team. But now, he is off to link up with Portugal icon Cristiano Ronaldo in a lucrative move.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Romano adds that Martinez will sign a deal until the summer of 2026, and there is an option to extend a further 12 months. Reports suggest that he will join for nearly €8 million and will say goodbye to his Barcelona team-mates this week.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The former Real Sociedad star, who helped Barcelona win a La Liga and Copa del Rey double last season, could make his Al-Nassr debut in their Saudi Super Cup semi-final against Al-Ittihad on August 19.