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Leeds United are thought to be eyeing a £4m forward who is currently away with his national side at Euro 2024, according to a new report.

Red Bull buy minority stake in Leeds

The Whites and Daniel Farke are preparing for another season in the Championship after the playoff final heartbreak against Southampton at Wembley last month.

Since then, the main talking point at Elland Road has been on Leeds’ new partnership with Red Bull. The soft drink company has bought a minority stake in the club, with chairman Paraag Marathe saying:

“I am thrilled that Red Bull is joining us to build a bright future for Leeds United and shares our deep respect for this truly special club,” the chairman. As chairman, our consortium of investment partners will be invaluable to me as we approach this important moment for the club, now and into the future. Red Bull’s addition is a historic milestone that will further empower the club to reach its full competitive potential.”

Meanwhile, Red Bull’s chief executive of corporate projects and investments, Oliver Mintzlaff, said on the investment: “We are delighted to be an important element and partner of Leeds United. A club that is certainly one of the biggest in England and has a rich and successful history. The ambition to bring Leeds United back to the Premier League and establish themselves in the best football league in the world fits very well with Red Bull. We look forward to the partnership and are optimistic and energized about the future.”

Great news for Gray: Leeds eyeing up "unbelievable" first signing

The Whites reportedly have the talented young defender on their list of targets.

ByDan Emery Jun 16, 2024

Red Bull, who are involved with RB Leipzig, RB Salzburg, New York Red Bulls, RB Bragantino and RB Brazil, will become Leeds’ front of shirt sponsor for the 2024/25 campaign, and by the looks of things, the Whites and the 49ers Enterprises are eyeing up one player from one of the aforementioned clubs.

Leeds eyeing Petar Ratkov move

According to GiveMeSport, one player at Euro 2024 who is on the radar at Leeds is Serbia’s Petar Ratkov. The forward signed for RB Salzburg in a £4m transfer just last year, with GMS saying that Leeds’ interest was there even before Red Bull's investment.

“Ratkov is contracted until 2028 and Salzburg's sister club RB Leipzig are watching his progress closely. A move within the group is more likely in the coming years than this summer.

“Rangers still hold an interest in Ratkov after missing out on him 12 months ago. Leeds are also tracking his progress, something that pre-dates Red Bull's strategic investment in the club.”

Ratkov is just 20 years of age but has already made more than 100 senior appearances at club level, the majority of which came with former side FX TSC in Serbia.

An out-and-out centre-forward, Ratkov has already played in the Champions League, so could be viewed as a potential long-term option when it comes to replacing Patrick Bamford, who missed the end of last season through injury.

Leeds’ new partnership with Red Bull could help in any potential transfer due to their links with Salzburg, so it could be one to keep an eye on over the coming months.

A few weeks ago, it looked as though Glasgow Rangers were going to remain in the vicious cycle which had seen three managers depart before December over the previous three years.

Philippe Clement was teetering on the edge after a dismal start to the season. Premiership defeats to Celtic, Aberdeen and Kilmarnock ensured the Gers’ title challenge was over before it really began.

Wins over Nice and Killie recently have slightly eased the pressure, but the next seven days will likely define the season. The Light Blues face Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League, before a League Cup final clash against Celtic three days later.

If Clement can somehow win both of these, he may just remain in the Ibrox hot seat beyond 2024, which seemed unthinkable a few weeks ago.

Michael Beale and Giovanni Van Bronckhorst weren’t so lucky, with the Dutchman perhaps sacked slightly too hasty.

Giovanni Van Bronckhorst’s record at Rangers

The former Feyenoord manager arrived in November 2021 following Steven Gerrard’s departure to Aston Villa.

Having spent three years at Ibrox as a player, the Dutchman knew all about the club, which was looked on as a major advantage.

Domestically, the Gers struggled in the title race, eventually blowing a lead to let Celtic sneak through and win the Premiership. They did win the Scottish Cup, but it was scant consolation.

The greatest success came in Europe. Having secured qualification from the group stages in the Europa League, Van Bronckhorst led the Light Blues to wins over Borussia Dortmund, Red Star Belgrade, Braga and RB Leipzig before succumbing to Eintracht Frankfurt in the final.

The next step was Champions League qualification, and the club got it after an aggregate win over PSV Eindhoven. They ended up finishing bottom of the group with zero wins from six games, however, and soon after, Van Bronckhorst was sacked.

He didn’t enjoy much success in the transfer market, but one of his signings has since gone on to make the breakthrough at Manchester United – Amad Diallo.

Amad Diallo’s Rangers statistics

In January 2022, the Gers made three loan signings which the manager hoped would give his side a boost during the second half of the season.

James Sands failed to make an impact, so did Aaron Ramsey, who missed a penalty in the Europa League final shootout. The final signing was that of Diallo, who arrived from Man United.

He was looked upon as a wildcard option given his tender age and lack of experience in the game. Indeed, prior to this loan spell, the former Atalanta gem had played just nine times for the Old Trafford side and a temporary move would help him secure more game time.

The youngster took just two minutes to make his mark, scoring on his debut against Ross County, and it looked like the club had a wonderful gem ready to spark their title challenge into life.

Unfortunately, this was about as good as it got for the Ivorian, as he scored just twice more for the club. Diallo did win the Scottish Cup, but failed to make it off the bench in the Europa League final.

Since then, however, the winger has gone on to make his mark at United.

Amad Diallo now looks like a £100m player

Another loan spell during 2022/23 at Sunderland saw Diallo showcase his true talents, scoring 14 goals and grabbing four assists as the Black Cats just missed out on securing a place in the Premier League.

Injury issues hampered his 2023/24 campaign, but the 22-year-old did net the winner against Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-final and this was the catalyst for the player to finally star for United this term.

Diallo has featured in 20 games for the Red Devils this term, registering eight goal contributions in all competitions, and he could go from strength to strength under Ruben Amorim, that’s for sure.

Dubbed a “superstar” earlier this year by journalist Liam Canning, Diallo looks like he is on the right path towards greatness.

Metric

Premier League

Europa League

Goals

1

2

Assists

5

0

Big chances created

5

1

Key passes per 90

1.6

1.2

Successful dribbles per 90

1.3

0.8

Not only that, but he is similar in style to one of the finest wingers on the continent in Bukayo Saka.

The Arsenal star has registered 126 goal contributions – 65 goals and 61 assists – during his time with the Gunners, proving to be one of the most consistent attacking talents in the Premier League.

This is the level that Diallo will be looking to reach, and he certainly isn’t far from it, especially after a positive start to the season. According to FBref, Saka is the seventh-most comparable player to Diallo in Europe’s top five leagues, which proves that the duo are alike in many ways.

Furthermore, the pair have registered similar statistics across a variety of metrics domestically this season with regard to assists (five vs ten), shot on target percentage (31.3% vs 37.5%), shot-creating actions per 90 (4.84 vs 6.76), goal creating actions per 90 (1.02 vs 1.77) and successful take-on percentage (46.9% vs 41.4%) which suggests these two wingers enjoy plenty of success in the final third.

Saka is in a league of his own right now, and he is currently valued at €140m (£116m) according to Transfermarkt, and this value will continue to rise as long as the winger is delivering for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta on a consistent basis.

Diallo could become a player who is valued at over £100m, as it looks like he could emerge as a key player under Amorim’s leadership.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

While he may not have enjoyed the most productive of spells at Ibrox, Diallo did manage to secure a Scottish Cup winners medal while gaining experience in a league that thrives on how physical it is.

This may well have made the winger stronger, being able to cope with a lot more on the field, which appears to be evident in his performances for United this campaign.

Sold for £500k: Rangers may regret losing star who's now outperforming Hagi

Rangers sold a player in the summer who is shining for his new club

ByRoss Kilvington Dec 7, 2024

Wolverhampton Wanderers endured a poor finish to their 2023/24 season, losing five of their final six Premier League matches.

Despite a decent campaign overall, Gary O’Neil will be hoping to sign a few high quality players this summer to take his team to the next level.

Wolves transfer news

According to Record – via Sport Witness – Wolves are reportedly fighting it out with Atletico Madrid over Rodrigo Gomes, having seemingly lodged a bid worth in the region of €15m (£13m) for the promising winger.

The report suggests that the Portuguese gem – who spent the 2023/24 season on loan at Estoril from SC Braga – was also a target for the Old Gold in January, with the Premier League outfit having tracked his progress throughout the campaign.

Madrid may well be the favourites to secure his signature during the transfer window, but perhaps O’Neil could entice the youngster with the chance to play in one of the biggest leagues in Europe, with the report indicating that there may be something of a 'tug of war' between the rival suitors.

Should he make the move to Molineux, comparisons will be made between him and Pedro Neto. Might the 20-year-old be another version of the current Wolves gem?

Rodrigo Gomes could be Pedro Neto 2.0

The previous two seasons have seen Neto endure a host of injury issues, missing a total of 46 games since the summer of 2022.

Last season saw the 23-year-old return to form when he was fit, making 24 appearances, scoring three goals while grabbing 11 assists, showcasing his attacking abilities.

Metric

Neto

Gomes

Goals

2

7

Assists

9

7

Key passes per game

1.7

1.2

Big chances created

7

7

Successful dribbles per game

1.9

0.9

It was no coincidence that their form suffered during the final few weeks of the season as Neto was injured.

As per data analyst Ben Mattinson, Gomes had been "on fire" during the 2023/24 campaign, with the "versatile" talent earmarking himself as a player to "watch out for".

Indeed, across 36 matches in all competitions, Gomes scored nine goals while registering eight assists, showing similarities to Neto as the duo both have a keen eye for goal while creating plenty of chances for their teammates.

Among his teammates, the Braga starlet ranked first for goals and assists (14) in the top flight, along with ranking first for shots per game (1.7), second for big chances created (seven) and third for key passes per game (1.2), evidence that he offers more than just a danger in front of goal.

These statistics also indicate that the youngster could be ready to make an impression in the Premier League. Neto had played just eight senior matches prior to making the switch to the Old Gold in 2019, and it has worked out fairly well for him.

Gomes has a contract at Braga until June 2026, which means O’Neil must be prepared to splash the cash in order to lure him to the Midlands.

He may have to sell a few players this summer in order to fund a move, however, but there is no doubt signing Gomes would be worth every penny.

The youngster will only continue to improve over the next few years and his development could be best served by joining Wolves and playing against some of the best defenders in the world.

Wolves right in the race for "outrageous" £24m Neto replacement

The Old Gold could secure a shrewd signing by landing this talented winger.

ByAngus Sinclair May 24, 2024

Mark Goldbridge has been left fuming at what Fabrizio Romano has reported out of Manchester United, describing the club's latest behaviour on their manager hunt as "embarrassing".

Man Utd manager latest

Erik ten Hag's future as Red Devils manager is still up in the air, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe having a huge decision to make in the coming weeks. The FA Cup final win over Manchester City last month has arguably made the situation trickier, making it harder for United to part company with the 54-year-old.

The Dutchman has been at Old Trafford for two seasons, during which time he has won two trophies but also flattered to deceive in the Premier League, suffering some humbling defeats along the way, not least a 7-0 loss at Liverpool in 2022/23 and a recent 4-0 thrashing away to Crystal Palace.

While Ten Hag is still in charge for the time being, constant reports have linked with others managers with the job, with England boss Gareth Southgate seen as a potential option. Ratcliffe is believed to be an admirer of his, and he also has a strong relationship with likely incoming director of football Dan Ashworth.

Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi is another candidate, with the Italian departing the Amex at the end of the 2023/24 season, and Thomas Tuchel's name has been thrown into the mix, too.

Romano has recently reported that United have "made contact with the agents of other managers" in recent days, suggesting that the search is still ongoing to find a replacement.

Goldbridge fumes at Man Utd manager update

Writing on X on Tuesday, Goldbridge fumed at Manchester United speaking to the agents of other bosses, calling it "disrespectful" to Ten Hag:

"Really sickening how the club is being run. Embarrassing, unprofessional, indecisive, disrespectful and not representative of the vast majority of the fans how they're dealing with this. Shame."

In fairness to Goldbridge, these updates aren't a great look for United, at a time when Ten Hag has just led his side to FA Cup glory, not to mention seeing off arguably the world's best club side in City. If Ratcliffe believes that he isn't the man for the job, he should simply make the decision to part ways with him as soon as possible, rather than seemingly stalling over a decision and speaking to other managers.

In terms of whether Ten Hag is the right man for the United job or not, opinion appears to be split among the fanbase, with some seeing him as the right man and others feeling he won't ever be at the level required to take the Red Devils back to the very top of the English game.

Manchester United

114

1.92

Ajax

215

2.34

FC Utrecht

111

1.74

Bayern Munich II

72

2.14

Go Ahead Eagles

39

1.72

Had United lost the final to City, there is every chance that Ten Hag would have been sacked after the game, and there is a strong argument to say that one result, admittedly an excellent one, shouldn't change Ratcliffe's stance. He is a ruthless billionaire businessman, so it is a surprise to see him not showing that same intent with the managerial situation.

There were a few interesting names on the teammates when Glasgow Rangers announced their U19 side to take on St Mirren on Monday night, as several first-team players were involved.

Dujon Sterling made his long-awaited return from an Achilles injury to start at centre-back alongside fellow first-team defender Clinton Nsiala, although the young Gers then found themselves 3-0 down at half-time, and went on to lose 4-2.

Along with those two central defenders, attacking midfielder Kieran Dowell played his first match since August, having been out through injury, after Russell Martin opted to keep hold of him in the summer.

Why Rangers should have sold Kieran Dowell

Since moving to Ibrox from Norwich on a free transfer in 2023, the English playmaker has failed to prove his worth to the Scottish giants on the pitch, which is why he should have been moved on before this season.

In almost two-and-a-half years at Rangers, Dowell has produced more goals and assists out on loan (ten for Birmingham) than he has for the Gers (five), per Transfermarkt.

The left-footed dud has scored two goals and provided three assists in 38 games for the club, including no goals and one assist in six matches under Martin this season.

His contract is due to expire at the end of the season, per Transfermarkt, and it remains to be seen if he is a part of Danny Rohl’s plans, with the likes of Djeidi Gassama, Mikey Moore, Oliver Antman, Nedim Bajrami, Findlay Curtis, and Thelo Aasgaard ahead of him in the pecking order.

Should his deal expire next year without him working his way back into the team to make a big impact at Ibrox, Dowell may well be looked back on as a pointless signing due to his lack of contributions on the pitch.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Meanwhile, one of Kevin Thelwell’s summer recruits currently looks like he is on course to be the biggest waste of time for the Light Blues since Dowell, Joe Rothwell.

Why Joe Rothwell has been a poor signing for Rangers

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, of course, because the idea of the signing of Rothwell on paper seemed solid. A technically sound central midfielder who could control the game in midfield, with experience in the Premier League and the Championship.

However, the midfield technician, signed on a permanent deal from Bournemouth, has not been able to deliver quality performances for the Light Blues on a consistent basis, as he has seemingly struggled with the intensity and speed of the football in Scotland.

It is always difficult to predict how a player will adapt to the intensity of the league, which is why so many players, like Dowell, flop after good spells elsewhere, and Rothwell has followed in Dowell’s footsteps as another player who has fallen short of the physical requirements.

Successful dribbles

4

Bottom 42%

Touches in the opposition’s box

4

Bottom 26%

Tackles

7

Bottom 26%

Duels won

16

Bottom 25%

Duel success rate

47.1%

Bottom 39%

Ball recoveries

22

Bottom 36%

Possession won in the final third

1

Bottom 19%

As you can see in the table above, the English central midfielder ranks poorly among his positional peers in a host of metrics based around physicality and mobility.

These statistics show that Rothwell, who has no goals and two assists in 19 appearances for Rangers, does not have the speed or mobility to consistently compete against other midfielders in the Scottish Premiership.

The 30-year-old dud, whom Heart & Hand content creator David Edgar described as “rotten”, has been an unused substitute in all three of the league matches that he has been available for during Rohl’s tenure.

This suggests that the German head coach has not been too impressed by the English dud, which means that his future could be thrown into doubt in January should his game time not improve.

Thelwell signing is a bigger waste of time than Chermiti & Miovski at Rangers

This Glasgow Rangers flop is a bigger waste of time this season than both Bojan Miovski and Youssef Chermiti.

ByDan Emery Nov 24, 2025

Therefore, this Thelwell signing looks like the biggest waste of time at Rangers since Dowell because he is an experienced player who has not made an immediate impact on the pitch, and now looks to be surplus to requirements already.

Leeds United fans will be fearing the worst regarding their lowly team when you glance at the slog of Premier League fixtures coming the Whites’ way across the rest of November and December.

Indeed, November ends with two tough contests versus Aston Villa and Manchester City, with Daniel Farke’s men needing to make home advantage count against the Villans, before travelling to the Etihad to take on the Erling Haaland-led Citizens.

December then throws up clashes with Chelsea and Liverpool, with Farke’s precarious position in the Elland Road dug-out no doubt on even shakier foundations if the losses continue, and Leeds slip into the bottom three in the league.

The pain of poor results across these winter months can always be somewhat remedied by the January transfer window opening, as Leeds attempt to turn around their fortunes with a big signing or two…

Where Leeds can bolster their forward line in January

Based on current rumours coming out of West Yorkshire, it’s clear that a new striker addition is a priority.

In recent days, Leeds have been tipped to make some statement moves, with an audacious swoop for Ivan Toney alleged. Moreover, FC Midtjylland centre-forward Franculino has been on their radar as Farke attempts to move away from solely relying on Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha.

On top of talk of Toney and Franculino, Leeds are also chasing after the services of AZ Alkmaar goal machine Troy Parrott, who is very much in the limelight now for his Republic of Ireland heroics.

A report from Dutch outlet Voetbal Neuws, which has been relayed by Sport Witness, states that Leeds have entered discussions to sign the clinical 23-year-old, after being interested in the Dublin-born striker’s signature since the summer.

Now, with a hat-trick under his belt for his nation against Hungary, the ex-Tottenham Hotspur wonderkid is a hot commodity once more, with a bid in the region of £26m expected to be enough to prize him away from the clutches of his Eredivisie employers.

How Parrott can be Leeds' next Rutter

Splashing out such a big amount on an attacker could see Leeds pick up their next iteration of Georginio Rutter, with Rutter eventually going down as a fan’s favourite at Elland Road, after departing Hoffenheim for some lavish bucks.

After a wobbly start mid-way through the 2022/23 season, arriving in a whopping £35.5m deal, Rutter would find his feet under Farke during the following season.

In total, the attacker scored eight goals and tallied up a bumper 18 assists for the Whites, before leaving the building for a Premier League opportunity at Brighton and Hove Albion for £40m. Despite only being around for 66 matches, the skilful Frenchman is still very much fondly remembered, with pundit Jeff Stelling labelling him as a “class act” to watch in West Yorkshire.

Much like Rutter made everything look effortless and smooth donning Leeds white, Parrott has made goalscoring look like clockwork lining up for AZ Alkmaar.

He has netted a ludicrous 13 goals this season in all competitions from only 14 outings, meaning the Irishman is very much living up to his billing of being a “natural goalscorer”, which was handed to him by one of his former coaches in Darragh O’Riley, way back in 2019.

The hope would just be that Parrott would be able to enter the English game and be a hit from the first second he entered the Elland Road turf, with Leeds’ survival chances perhaps resting on the 23-year-old’s lethal instincts getting Farke and Co out of some sticky situations.

Games played

248

Goals scored

97

Assists

26

Career hat-tricks

6

Top goalscorer awards

2x

If he can be a reliable source of goals towards the foot of the difficult division, he will easily be able to reach the same fan favourite status as Rutter before him, with a mighty 97 career goals next to his name at the time of writing.

Parrott could well hit a century of goals in West Yorkshire; therefore, with his former international manager, Stephen Kenny, also noting that the in-demand centre-forward can “elevate” himself to that next level with ease, which could stand him in good stead to become a feared Premier League marksman.

Leeds would have to put their money where their mouth is in landing Parrott, but if the tale of Rutter is anything to go by, it could be worth splashing the big bucks in January as a new fan favourite is potentially unearthed.

Leeds can forget signing Ivan Toney by unleashing 17-year-old goal machine

Leeds United can forget about pursuing a move for Ivan Toney by unleashing one of their homegrown youngsters into the first team mix.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 17, 2025

Are Newcastle United finally clicking into gear this season?

It appears that way, with Eddie Howe’s Magpies now three wins from their last three matches in all competitions, which included an excellent 2-0 EFL Cup win being picked up over Thomas Frank’s challenging Tottenham Hotspur last time out at St James’ Park.

Still, the Toon only have three wins next to their name in the Premier League from their opening nine clashes, meaning more positive results need to be picked up in the bread and butter of the top-flight soon, with away trips to West Ham United and Brentford now on their agenda.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s men will, no doubt, be fearful of Newcastle’s attack as they loiter near the bottom of the tough division, with Nick Woltemade helping himself to yet another goal against Spurs to add to his ever-increasing Magpies back catalogue.

Woltemade's unbelievable Newcastle start

Woltemade would ensure his new side would progress through to the quarter finals of the EFL Cup when he headed this effort past a hapless Antonín Kinský.

He hasn’t just reserved his goals this season for when he comes up against stand-in goalkeepers, however, with Woltemade also boasting a mightily impressive four strikes back in league action, which has even led to opposition managers such as the Brighton and Hove Albion boss Fabian Hurzeler hailing him as “special” in what he can uniquely offer the Tyneside giants.

Indeed, it isn’t just a lethal edge that the 6-foot-6 marksman can provide, whether that be when he’s racing through on goal, or being positioned intelligently to head home a cross, with Woltemade also often in the correct spaces to progress his side’s efforts going forward with a killer pass.

He was at the heart of Harvey Barnes’ goal against Benfica in the Champions League, for example, as his ingenious flick then led to the number 11 firing home, after Anthony Gordon had played it into his path.

To put it simply, acquiring the ex-Stuttgart striker for £69m – although looking rather steep at the time – has now gone down as a “first class” signing, as his manager has recently stated.

Howe and Co. could well look to this coming January in trying to win more attacking firepower in a similar vein to their new star-man, as one move is reportedly eyed up…

Newcastle's search for another striker

After all, although William Osula has looked dangerous off the bench for Newcastle in recent matches, there is a lack of depth in the striker spot at St James’ Park – with Yoane Wissa still sidelined.

This might spark the Magpies into attempting to seal Alexander Sorloth’s signature in January, as Ross Wilson plots what his first bit of business at his new club will be as the fresh sporting director.

Newcastle could do far worse than landing Sorloth if rumours are to be believed, with Spanish outlet Marca – via Sport Witness – that eyes are very firmly on the Norwegian’s exploits at Atletico Madrid between now and the transfer window swinging open, with scouts from Newcastle previously watching the 29-year-old in action back in September.

The similarities between Woltemade and the Scandinavian are immediately obvious, with Sorloth coming in at a gigantic 6-foot-4 frame himself.

On top of that, despite some wobbles this season under Diego Simeone, he has been a reliable source of goals for most of his stay in Spain to date, leading to the fiery Simeone lauding him as a “phenomenal” finisher.

25/26

9 (3)

2 + 0

24/25

35 (15)

20 + 2

23/24

34 (30)

28 + 6

22/23

34 (28)

12 + 3

21/22

33 (20)

4 + 0

Looking at the table above, it’s clear that Sorloth possesses the same split-second instinct Woltemade possesses when finishing off chances, with this season seeing him bag three goals, despite only averaging 40 minutes of action in La Liga per game.

In total, the 66-time Norway international now has 61 Spanish top-flight strikes next to his name, which far outweighs his German counterpart’s Bundesliga tally of 14 goals.

Away from clearly being potent, Simeone has also noted that Sorloth is “important in every moment and context of the game you can imagine”, with an eye for an assist and carving out an opening also clear, with Howe very much ready to use him as a focal point like Woltemade, knowing he’s a similar team player.

It’s unlikely that he would usurp Woltemade from the get-go, but as another second-in-command option for a potential £27m fee, it feels like a no-brainer to chase after.

Saved by Woltemade: Newcastle star is looking like 2023 Gordon under Howe

This Newcastle recruit has not hit the ground running in Eddie Howe’s team.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 30, 2025

Wolverhampton Wanderers have now made contact with Xavi as a replacement for Vitor Pereira, with the 57-year-old being dismissed after the 3-0 defeat against Fulham on Saturday.

Pereira was given plenty of time to turn things around, but the loss against the Cottagers was the final straw for Fosun, with the Old Gold now eight points adrift of safety in the Premier League, having made a very poor start to the season.

Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone was particularly critical of the performance after the match, describing it as “embarrassing.”

Wolves are still searching for their first top-flight victory, having collected just two points from their opening ten games, while they were also dumped out of the EFL Cup by Chelsea last Wednesday, with the Blues emerging as 4-3 winners at Molineux.

It is going to be a tall order for whoever replaces Pereira to dig the Wanderers out of trouble, but Fosun are now eyeing what has to be considered an ambitious move for Xavi…

Wolves make contact with Xavi to replace Pereira

That is according to a report from Spain, which states that is indeed not Gary O’Neil at the top of the wishlist. Wolves have now made contact with the former Barcelona manager, who they have identified as the main candidate to replace Pereira, given his experience of managing at an elite level.

Fosun see appointing the legendary midfielder as a golden opportunity, as they are admirers of his possession-based style of play, and believe the 45-year-old could restore confidence to the squad.

The Spaniard is the top target, but he is not the only manager on the shortlist for the Old Gold, who are working quickly to appoint a new manager, with Bologna boss Thiago Motta emerging as a potential alternative option, given the Italian side’s impressive start to the campaign.

It would no doubt be a major coup if Wolves were somehow able to tempt the former Al-Sadd manager into a move to Molineux, given that he is held in very high regard by Barca president Joan Laporta.

The Terrassa-born manager, who prefers to implement a 4-3-3 system, has won eight trophies as a coach, across spells in Qatar and La Liga, most impressively lifting the Spanish title in the 2022-23 season.

Xavi has been out of work since being dismissed by Barcelona over 18 months ago, but in truth it is difficult to picture him moving to Molineux, given the mess Wolves currently find themselves in, sitting bottom of the Premier League, having shipped 22 goals, the highest number of any side.

Wolves also targeting Brendan Rodgers as replacement for Pereira Wolves targeting Brendan Rodgers amid doubts about Vitor Pereira

The Old Gold have made a very poor start to the season.

2 ByDominic Lund Oct 29, 2025

Danny Rohl has officially arrived and, with that, Rangers have already reportedly joined the race to secure his first signing in the form of a talented midfielder.

Charlie Austin: Rangers should be "excited" by Rohl

After Russell Martin’s disastrous 123-day spell in charge, Rangers fans are understandably apprehensive when it comes to welcoming a young manager with open arms. Rohl arrives at just 36 years old and with just one permanent managerial role under his belt. According to former Premier League striker Charlie Austin, however, the Gers should be excited by his appointment.

In terms of the tactics that Rangers can expect, they can forget the slow build-up that Martin demanded his side to play. Rohl is far more about counter-pressing in what has become synonymous with German football over the years.

The young coach has worked with some fantastic attacking managers, including Barcelona’s Hansi Flick and Ralph Hasenhuttl when his Southampton side were at their very best.

He wasn’t their first choice, but Rohl may yet turn into the best choice at Rangers. Up first, he has the task of getting the Gers back to winning ways on the European stage against Brann, before travelling to face Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership.

Meanwhile, as another manager arrives, Kevin Thelwell and the 49ers have already reportedly joined the race to hand him his first Rangers signing.

Rangers battling to sign David Watson

As reported by TeamTalk, Rangers are now battling to sign David Watson to hand Rohl his first signing. The Kilmarnock midfielder is on course to leave as a free agent when his contract expires at the end of the season and has attracted interest from those at Ibrox as a result.

That said, the Gers aren’t alone in their pursuit. Joining them, shock league leaders Hearts have also set their sights on signing the young Scot at the end of the season. A league title could certainly hand them an advantage over Rangers for the first time in a long time.

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It’s no surprise that the top clubs are after Watson’s signature, either. The 20-year-old is one of the best young talents in Scotland and has been involved in four goals in eight league games so far this season.

Earning plenty of praise amid that form, Kilmarnock vice-captain Robbie Deas told reporters: “Davey’s fantastic, honestly. He’s one of the hardest workers you’ll ever meet. He’s absolutely fantastic. You see that today, and he’s putting those tackles in later on.”

Signing a young midfielder to match a young manager with lofty ambitions would be an ideal way for Rangers to commence the Rohl era. To do so, though, they’ll have to fend off plenty of interest.

Glasgow Rangers manager Russell Martin has now directly held talks over an Ibrox deal for a “fearless” forward, according to a report.

Rangers vying to sign forward to boost title push

Barry Ferguson believes the Gers will be real Scottish Premiership title contenders next season, although they may still have to make a number of additions to the squad if they are to close the gap on Celtic.

When the former manager was asked who he thinks will win the league, he said: “I have to go with Rangers. At some stage, it has got to change. Russell coming in as the new manager. Got a certain type of way that he wants to play.

“I still think he is going to add another three or four players. There is no doubt in my mind about that. I think one or two of them will certainly be the experienced ones. We keep looking back at the one he brought in, Rothwell, who I think is going to be a brilliant signing. You can tell that he is a proper football player.”

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With Vaclav Cerny not returning to Ibrox, it may be particularly important for Martin to bring in a new forward, and the manager is now directly involved in the Light Blues’ pursuit of a Premier League forward.

According to a report from The Boot Room, the Rangers boss has now personally held talks with Tottenham Hotspur over Mikey Moore, in order to convince them to let the 17-year-old move to Ibrox this summer.

Moore has attracted widespread interest from the Championship, but the Scottish Premiership is now looking like his most likely destination, with a loan move to the Gers very much on the cards.

The youngster is said to be open to a move to the 55-time Scottish champions, and Tottenham have liked what they have heard from Rangers, meaning a move is looking increasingly likely.

"Fearless" Moore could kick on at Ibrox

The £5k-a-week forward is yet to establish himself as a first-team regular at Spurs, given his age, but there are plenty of signs that he could be capable of making a real impact at Ibrox.

Tottenham’s James Maddison has singled the starlet out for high praise in the past, saying: “[He has] that young, fearless mentality and you never want to take that away from him. He’s a young kid, a brilliant lad, a lovely boy. He takes in information, and he’s got bags of ability.”

Not only that, but the young forward has been prolific at youth level, amassing 32 goal contributions in 24 games for Spurs U18s, which led to former manager Ange Postecoglou giving him a run in the first team.

As such, Moore may now be ready to be a consistent starter at Rangers, so it is exciting news they are in the driving seat for his signature.