Glasgow Rangers head coach Russell Martin appears to be in a difficult position with his options at striker at Ibrox heading into next week’s transfer deadline.

After the 1-1 draw with St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership last time out, the Gers manager revealed that Hamza Igamane was unable to come off the bench to help the team.

Martin said: “He wouldn’t be on the bench if he’s not fit. So he said he’d done it warming up. We turned down a bid this week, but we’ll assess his injury and I have to trust Hamza so we’ll see what happens.”

The boss went on to speak about Cyriel Dessers’ situation, saying: “I think it happens in football, but I’ll go back to Cyriel (Dessers) again. He’s worked really hard to get fit, hasn’t quite been fit, he’ll probably be fit for Wednesday.

“So whilst he’s made it really clear what his intention would be or what his desire would be, there’s been no problem, none. He trains properly, performs with the team, been great, but everyone’s different.”

It has since been revealed that Lille have had an offer accepted for Igamane, who is now due to depart for £10.4m, which may explain recent links to Bojan Miovski.

Why Rangers are interested in Bojan Miovski

It was recently reported that the Gers are interested in a deal to sign the centre-forward from Girona on a season-long loan deal to bolster their squad.

Their interest in the Macedonia international could be connected to the interest in Dessers and Igamane from elsewhere ahead of next Monday’s transfer deadline, because an exit from Ibrox for either of them would leave the squad short in the striker department.

This is why the 26-year-old star arriving at Ibrox in the coming days could make a lot of sense for Rangers, because would slot into the centre-forward position and fill any hole that could be created by a departure for Igamane or Dessers, or both.

The Girona outcast is also be an attractive target for the Scottish Premiership giants because he is a proven performer in Scotland. During his two-year stint with Aberdeen, Miovski showed that he can score goals on a regular basis in the Scottish top-flight.

xG

15.60

17.08

xG on target

18.36

17.60

Goals

16

16

Shots on target

36

44

Chances created

27

23

Assists

2

2

As you can see in the table above, the left-footed marksman scored 32 goals in two league seasons with Aberdeen, who finished behind Rangers in both of those campaigns, and overperformed his xG when you take his xG on target into account.

These statistics show that he is almost guaranteed to be a reliable goalscorer for Rangers in the Premiership, because he has been there and done it in the division in two of the last three years.

However, on the flip side of it, a season-long loan deal for Miovski would only be delaying the need to sign a permanent replacement for Igamane or Dessers.

On top of that, the striker has only scored four goals in 25 matches for Giorna since the start of last season and would need to find his confidence in front of goal again, which may be a struggle in a Rangers team that is currently in a difficult place after three draws in three league games.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Rangers are one of a number of sides interested in a deal to sign Villarreal’s £4m-rated centre-forward Karl Etta Eyong to bolster their attacking options.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

It was also reported that the Gers were in talks with Villarreal over a potential permanent deal for the forward, although there has not been any recent updates on that, and he could be an even better signing than Miovski.

Why Rangers should sign Karl Etta Eyong

Whilst Miovski has the potential, given his form for Aberdeen in the past, to be an exceptional addition to the squad in his own right, Etta Eyong could be a better signing because of his recent form and the structure of the possible transfer.

Signing the Villarreal star, who is only 21, on a long-term deal as part of a permanent transfer could be a much better move for the club than a short-term loan for Miovski, because it could sort out the team’s striker problem for multiple seasons, rather than just one.

By signing Etta Eyong, if all goes well, the Gers would not have to invest millions in another new striker next summer. Whereas, Miovski going back to Girona, or going elsewhere, at the end of his loan would mean that the Light Blues would be back at square one and needing to find another forward.

The Villarreal starlet’s performances at youth and senior level in Spain in the last 12 months or so also suggest that he could hit the ground running with confidence behind him, which may not be the case for Miovski due to his struggles in Spain.

Minutes

90

90

Shots on target

1

2

Goals

1

0

Key passes

0

2

Assists

0

1

Pass accuracy

80%

80%

Possession lost

4x

8x

As you can see in the table above, Etta Eyong has made a strong start to the current LaLiga campaign with a goal and an assist in two matches, with the assist coming against Miovski’s Girona side.

Meanwhile, the Macedonia international did not register a shot or a key pass in 45 minutes against Rayo Vallecano before being left out of the squad for the defeat to Etta Eyong’s Villarreal, per Sofascore.

The £4m-rated star, who was described as a “powerful” striker by writer Kai Watson, also scored 18 goals, finishing 25% of his chances, in 29 starts in the Spanish third tier for Villarreal’s B team in the 2024/25 campaign, which shows that he can also score goals consistently when given regular game time.

Etta Eyong scored goals against Leeds and Arsenal in pre-season before starting the LaLiga campaign on fire for Villarreal, and all of these statistics suggest that he has the quality to be a quality operator up front for Rangers.

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This is why Etta Eyong would be an even better signing than Miovski for the Gers, because he is in-form and currently playing better in the same league, and would arrive on a permanent basis instead of as a loan player.

da luck： West Ham United are now in “ongoing negotiations” over a dealt to sign a new centre-back, who Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich once described as a “beast”.

West Ham keen on new defender despite impressive Forest victory

da 888casino： West Ham finally got their first win of the new season under their belts on Sunday afternoon, securing a 3-0 victory at Nottingham Forest courtesy of late goals from Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and Callum Wilson.

Graham Potter will undoubtedly be pleased the three attackers were able to get on the scoresheet, but his side also looked far more solid from a defensive point of view, picking up a first clean sheet, after conceding eight goals in the previous two Premier League games.

Max Kilman was particularly impressive, winning all four of the duels he contested, with Konstantinos Mavropanos also catching the eye in his first league outing this season, making six clearances throughout the match to keep the home side at bay.

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However, it is clear that Potter wants to add more defenders to his ranks before the 7pm deadline, with talks ongoing over a deal for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Igor Julio, alongside Toulouse centre-back Charlie Cresswell.

According to an update from Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg on X, West Ham are also in “ongoing negotiations” over a deal for S.C. Braga defender Bright Arrey-Mbi, and they are exploring a deadline day deal for the 22-year-old.

It is unclear whether the move for Arrey-Mbi will go through today, but there is clearly firm interest on the Hammers’ behalf, with talks over a deal being opened days ago.

A potential transfer fee is not discussed by Plettenberg, but Braga spending €6m (£5m) to sign the defender from Hannover 96 last summer provides a reference point.

"Beast" Arrey-Mbi could be solid long-term addition for West Ham

The Braga defender, who represents Germany U21s internationally, has been hailed by former teammate Joshua Kimmich in the past, with the Bayern Munich man saying: “Bright is already a beast. You can tell that he uses every muscle on his body. It surprised me in training that he’s not shy at all. He really goes into challenges and has a certain calmness on the ball.”

Since then, the Cameroon-born defender hasn’t exactly kicked on, but he has managed to get a lot more first-team experience under his belt over the previous two seasons, making a combined 47 league appearances across spells with Hannover 96 and Braga.

Given that Arrey-Mbi is yet to prove himself in a major European league, it would make sense to bring in Igor or Cresswell alongside the young defender, but having caught Kimmich’s eye at a young age, he could have what it takes to be a long-term success at the London Stadium.

Tottenham Hotspur suffered from a lack of creativity during Saturday’s defeat against Bournemouth on home turf, losing 1-0 after such good work in claiming six points from six to get the Thomas Frank era off to a flyer in the Premier League.

The hunt for a playmaker worth their salt has dominated much of the Lilywhites’ transfer window, with Xavi Simons signed on but only after botched efforts for Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze, who left Crystal Palace and joined Arsenal.

But the defeat against the Cherries, requiring more than an hour of action for a first shot on target, and Simons alone won’t provide the answer across the wide span of the campaign.

Mohammed Kudus has racked up a few assists already at this early point in his Tottenham career, but it’s not enough, and Daniel Levy looks ready to attack the market one last time and land a player with properties better suited to fixing this chink in the armour.

Spurs lining up D-day signing

Tottenham have what it takes to come on leaps and bounds this season, but much will depend on the coherence threaded through the first-team squad.

And without enough creative ammunition, Frank’s lofty ambitions might prove hard to hit. To put it another way, he could do with another impactful addition in the coming hours.

As per transfer insider Graeme Bailey, that man could be Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, with Tottenham having made an enquiry to ascertain the potential of a last-gasp bid for the England international.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The chances of the energetic attacking midfielder leaving are admittedly slim, but Tottenham may well pull it off if they offer a sum in the ballpark of £80m, the figure quoted as other clubs – including Liverpool – circle.

What Rogers would bring to Spurs

Aston Villa only signed Rogers from Middlesbrough in the Championship for £15m in January 2024, and already, the 23-year-old has established himself as one of the most dangerous players in the Premier League.

After all, he notched 30 goal involvements across all competitions last term, blending his prolific touch with such power and confidence when carrying the ball forward.

Might Spurs be set to land a stunning repeat of their one-time masterclass in winning the race for Dele Alli, who also had strong interest from Liverpool before leaving MK Dons in League One and joining Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham in a £5m package, aged 18.

The rest is history. While Dele’s career has sadly swerved down a dark path, he will always be remembered fondly down N17 for his incredible and prodigious emergence, with Pochettino actually saying back in 2017: “If he is not the best young player in Europe, he’s one of the best. Look at his age and his statistics, the potential is massive.”

Rogers doesn’t quite carry the same weight, but he’s still showcased immense potential under Unai Emery’s wing at Aston Villa.

25/26 (Villa)

3

–

–

24/25 (Villa)

54

14

16

23/24 (Villa)

16

3

1

23/24 (Boro)

33

7

9

Not just a prolific midfielder, Rogers is something of “a machine” when on the ball, as has been noted by The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell. He won 4.7 duels per league match last year, as per Sofascore, and shifted from the centre to a more attacking berth with such gusto.

While he can play out on the flank, Rogers shares a further likeness with his countryman in that he is best utilised from the centre, with journalist Carl Anka actually remarking that he has a “Dele-esque” way about him in that regard.

Adding him to the ranks would strengthen Tottenham’s creative potential, to be sure, adding something that Kudus, for all his ability, doesn’t quite inject with the needed skill at this present moment. Indeed, last term, Kudus chalked up just nine goals and assists for the Hammers in all competitions, far fewer than Rogers’ haul of 30.

Kudus is a direct and dangerous winger, but he’s not the most effective of playmakers, and with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski both sidelined, adding a player of Rogers’ profile to the mix could go a long way toward weaving together the kind of tactical harmony needed for Spurs to hit their targets and exceed them.

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Finalists last year, both teams were eliminated early this time

Sreshth Shah24-May-20253:33

Should KKR change their captain next season?

Big picture: Both teams look to end with a winIt has been a while since Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), last season’s finalists, were eliminated from IPL 2025. Their mid-season woes were too much to make up for, even with KKR winning two of their last three completed games and SRH three of their last four.However, a win in their final match could give some respite – on the points table, at least – as they can finish sixth. That’s the motivation for both sides as they meet at a neutral venue, Delhi, looking to finish their campaign on a positive note.SRH have lost their last five games against KKR. But form is on their side. They dispatched Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by 42 runs, and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by six wickets, with ten balls to spare. KKR’s last completed game was 17 days ago, with their match against RCB rained out without a ball bowled, and they may need to shake off some rust as they look to extend their streak against SRH.Form guideKolkata Knight Riders: LWWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Sunrisers Hyderabad: WWLWLIn the spotlight: Eshan Malinga and KKR’s middle orderEshan Malinga was picked up for INR 1.2 crore by SRH after a bidding war with Rajasthan Royals (RR). He has stepped up late in the season with ten wickets in six games, having struck at least once in every match he has played. Considering Mohammed Shami’s high price tag of INR 10 crore, Malinga could be a tempting retention option for SRH moving into IPL 2026, with his electric fielding efforts having uplifted the team too.2:29

Kumble: SRH need to find an experienced spinner

KKR’s middle-order struggles have been well documented this season. KKR were meant to be among the most destructive of the ten teams this season, but ended up among the worst. Venkatesh Iyer and Ramandeep Singh have had forgettable seasons, while Andre Russell and Rinku Singh have blossomed too late. This led to KKR having the worst run rate (7.8) in overs 7-16 as well as the lowest average runs per wicket (20.8) of all teams. Sunday will be one last chance for them to show they’re still a winning combination come next season.Team news and likely XIIsRovman Powell and Moeen Ali are not available for KKR. Venkatesh could be back in place of Manish Pandey if he has recovered from his hand injury. Luvnith Sisodia, the explosive opener, could also get a debut in place of Rahmanullah Gurbaz, with one eye on IPL 2026.Kolkata Knight Riders: 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz/Luvnith Sisodia (wk), 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 4 Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 5 Venkatesh Iyer/Manish Pandey, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Ramandeep Singh, 9 Harshit Rana, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Varun Chakravarthy, 12 Vaibhav Arora.Will Zeeshan Ansari find a place in SRH’s side?•BCCIDelhi has aided spinners, so Zeeshan Ansari and Rahul Chahar are potential options in the SRH XI. Otherwise, they could continue with their winning side from the game against RCB.Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Travis Head, 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Ishan Kishan, 4 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 5 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 6 Aniket Verma, 7 Abhinav Manohar, 8 Harsh Dubey, 9 Pat Cummins (capt), 10 Harshal Patel, 11 Eshan Malinga, 12 Jaydev Unadkat.The big questionShami didn’t play IPL 2024 with an ankle injury. But he has always been great at making comebacks, and SRH were hoping for the same when they signed him for INR 10 crore at the auction. But with only six wickets in nine games, he was left on the sidelines. SRH will have to decide whether Shami, who will be 35 by the time the next IPL comes along, is part of their future plans. If he is, does he play against KKR?Pitch and conditionsThe average first-innings score at the Arun Jaitley Stadium this season has been 191, with results going 3-2 in favour of the chasing side. Scores of 200 have happened only three times in six matches, while spinners (31 wickets at 31.5, with an economy rate of 8.9) have outbowled the quicks (29 wickets at 43.9, with economy of 10.3). It should be a dry evening.Key stats Travis Head averages only 2 against Vaibhav Arora, having fallen early to him both times they have faced off. Ishan Kishan struggles against Vaibhav too, averaging 5 and striking at 77 with two dismissals in four innings. Jaydev Unadkat has traditionally kept Sunil Narine quiet: five innings, 19 runs, three dismissals, average of 6.3, and a strike rate of 86. KKR and SRH have had contrasting spin fortunes. KKR have the lowest economy rate (7.4) of all teams while SRH (10) have the highest. It has been a disappointing season, by their high standards, for Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma. Last year, Travishek averaged 49.4 as a partnership and had a strike rate of 224. This season, it’s 27.1 and 154, respectively. Abhishek (68), Heinrich Klaasen (54) and Narine (49) are three of the top six six-hitters in the IPL over the last two seasons. SRH have only a 31% win record against KKR, losing 20 of the 29 contests between the two sides.

Most speed demons have a scary aura about them, but this guy is good wholesome fun

Alagappan Muthu01-Apr-20230:26

Ponting: ‘If Wood stays fit, you will see him bowl some really fast spells’

Mark Wood doesn’t like being here.He has bowled just one ball but he is already going Looney Tunes on the pitch. Giving it a glare that is only missing the cartoon knives flying out of his eyes.It’s the landing area. It’s slippery. It’s not able to support his weight. So on comes a bit of sawdust.Related

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Bodies made of flesh and bone aren’t meant to take the kind of strain fast bowlers put them to. And yet they have been doing it for hundreds of years. Because the payoff is immortality.Fred Spofforth played his last match in the 1800s. He is still called The Demon. There was another guy back in the 1950s who played just 17 Tests. Every time people say his name, even now, they add the word ‘Typhoon’ to it.Fast bowlers, man. They bridge the possible with the impossible. They connect dreams to reality. They stir emotion, create history, and revel in infamy. They are the bad boys that your mother warned you about but you can never, ever stay away from.Except Wood refuses to further that stereotype. In fact, for the most part, he is an utter comedian. More often than not, he struggles to even stay on his feet after releasing the ball, falling splat on the ground in a way that wouldn’t look out of place in a Charlie Chaplin sketch. Last year, while under medication following surgery, he took part in a conversation where he was in equal parts adorable child, incorrigible teenager and total brat.”Is my shoulder meant to be sore?””Yeah.””That’s weird, that. I’ve had elbow surgery but my shoulder’s achin’.””Yeah, it’s from the position you were lying in.””Pff, whatever. I’ll still bowl fast.”

Here’s more of Mark Wood under anaesthetic for you

I’ll still bowl fast… pic.twitter.com/YFGiWPQN0w

— England's Barmy Army (@TheBarmyArmy) March 28, 2022