أعلن نادي ريال مدريد منذ لحظات، عن تعرض لاعبه للإصابة، وذلك قبل عدة ساعات من قمة الجولة الرابعة من مرحلة الدوري في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا أمام ليفربول يوم غدًا الثلاثاء.
ليفربول سوف يستضيف نظيره ريال مدريد يوم غدًا الثلاثاء على ملعب أنفيلد، حيث يسعى الريدز إلى تحقيق الانتصار على الفريق الملكي واستغلال عامل الأرض والجمهور.
وفي الجهة الأخرى يسعى ريال مدريد إلى الانتصار على ليفربول واستغلال الحالة الرائعة التي يمر بها الفريق الملكي خلال الفترة الأخيرة.
اقرأ أيضًا .. محمد صلاح على موعد مع التاريخ قبل مباراة ليفربول وريال مدريد
وأكد ريال مدريد في بيان رسمي، أن جناح الفريق الشاب ، فرانكو ماستانتونو، قد تعرض للإصابة خلال تدريبات الفريق خلال الأيام الماضية.
وأشار ريال مدريد في البيان، أن ماستانتونو يعاني من آلام في العانة، بالتالي من المتوقع أن يغيب عن الملاعب لعدة أسابيع دون الكشف عن مدة الغياب.
وفي سياق متصل، ذكرت الموثوقة آرانشا رودريجيز، أن ماستانتونو مصاب في الفخد ولا تزال مدة غيابه غير معروفة.
وبذلك، انضم ماستانتونو إلى قائمة المصابين في ريال مدريد والتي تضم كلًا من أنطونيو روديجير، بجانب ديفيد ألابا وداني كارفاخال.
Glasgow Rangers manager Russell Martin finally has the chance to meet some of his players in the flesh for the first time after they returned for pre-season testing on Monday.
The Light Blues head coach will have a lot of difficult decisions to make over the playing squad at Ibrox in order to end the summer transfer window with a squad that is capable of competing for the Scottish Premiership title.
Martin will be working with sporting director Kevin Thelwell, who is now in his first window at Ibrox as well, to secure new signings to bolster the team.
In fact, Thelwell is reportedly pursuing a deal for a new player who would leave the Scottish manager with a big decision to make on two of his current options in the same position.
Rangers set to bid for Premier League defender
According to DAVEOCKOP, Rangers are interested in a deal to sign left-back Owen Beck from Premier League champions Liverpool this summer.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The report claims that the Light Blues are planning to submit a bid to sign the Wales international, as Thelwell aims to add another full-back option to Martin’s squad.
It adds that Liverpool have held talks with Beck over a potential new contract and that the plan has been to send him out on loan for the 2025/26 campaign.
Liverpool defender Owen Beck.
However, Rangers are now looking to disrupt those plans by swooping in with an offer to sign the left-footed star on a permanent deal this summer, although it remains to be seen how likely a move is at this moment in time.
Why Rangers should sign Owen Beck
The Light Blues should push to convince the Reds to part ways with the 22-year-old full-back because his performances on loan at Dundee in the Premiership in the 2023/24 season suggest that he has the potential to be an upgrade on Jefte.
Beck spent this season on loan at Blackburn in the second tier of English football and started 21 of his 24 appearances in the division, averaging 3.4 tackles and interceptions per game at left-back.
Owen Beck in a press conference on international duty.
The Welsh star, who was once hailed as a “spectacular” player by talent scout Jacek Kulig, really caught the eye whilst playing in Scotland with Dundee, though.
Jefte started 30 of his 33 appearances in the top-flight during his debut campaign in Glasgow in the 2024/25 campaign, but the arrival of Beck on a permanent deal could put an end to his role as a regular starter.
Appearances
25
33
Big chances created
6
4
Assists
4
4
Key passes per game
2.3
1.0
Tackles + interceptions per game
3.9
3.3
Ground duel success rate
57%
53%
Dribble success rate
60%
46%
As you can see in the table above, Beck’s performances for Dundee suggest that the potential is there for him to offer more to the team as a creator and as an out-and-out defender.
The 22-year-old star put up more impressive creative numbers than Jefte did whilst playing in an inferior team, with respect to the Premiership, which suggests that he could thrive even more at the top end of the pitch as part of a ball-dominant Rangers team led by Martin.
Jefte
Couple that with his superb defensive numbers, which suggest that he does not shirk his responsibilities going back the other way, and it appears as though Beck would come in with a real chance of being an upgrade on Jefte.
As a proven Premiership performer, the Liverpool dynamo would also have the potential to hit the ground running without having to get used to the physical demands of the style of football in Scotland.
A Colak repeat: Club now pushing to sign Rangers star in the next 48 hours
Rangers could repeat their Antonio Colak masterstroke by selling this star this summer.
ByDan Emery Jun 23, 2025
Therefore, this is a signing that would make a lot of sense for the Light Blues, but it would also leave Martin with some big decisions to make on Jefte and Ridvan Yilmaz.
The reigning champions will have a chance to defend their title on Sunday, facing either Spain or Germany in the final in Basel
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Home
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Inspired by retro sportswear and Lioness kits of the past
Features classic English colours in a modern and energetic execution
Available in S, M, L, XL and 2XL
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Celebrates the squad's impact on future generations of female athletes
Features bursts of bright colours accenting a fearless black
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For large parts on Tuesday, it looked like England's luck had finally ran out. Just five days after somehow completing a great escape against Sweden in the quarter-finals, the Lionesses were again on the brink of crashing out of Euro 2025, with just two minutes of added time standing between them and a 1-0 defeat to surprise package Italy. Yet, once more, they came back from it, completing arguably an even more miraculous turnaround as Michelle Agyemang's last-gasp equaliser and Chloe Kelly's winner from the spot – in the penultimate minute of extra time, no less – made England 2-1 victors and sent them into Sunday's European Championship final.
For the most part, it was a frustrating and disappointing watch for fans of the Lionesses, with few chances created either side of a thumping finish from Barbara Bonansea which broke the deadlock in Italy's favour just past the half hour mark. The Azzurre were good for their lead, too, in a performance that suggested much greater experience in this sort of high pressure moment. Were it not for a superb double save from Hannah Hampton in the dying moments of the 90, Italy's place in the final would've been cemented, too.
But England piled the pressure on, battling through adversity and plugging away without some sort of magical spark coming from somewhere, anywhere, hoping that Italy would buckle, that the ball would bounce favourably, that a chance would come and they would take it. It took almost all of the allotted time, but Agyemang was once again ready for her big moment when it arrived, rifling an effort beyond Laura Giuliani to keep the Lionesses alive – just as she had with her equaliser against Sweden.
There was still plenty for England to do, though. Sarina Wiegman had thrown the kitchen sink at Italy with her substitutions and now her strange assortment of players had to adapt, arrange themselves into something of an organised XI and try and find a breakthrough. It looked like it would have to be penalties again, as it was against Sweden, but instead it was just penalty – thanks to Emma Severini's daft challenge on Beth Mead. There was time for one more twist, as Kelly's effort from the spot was saved by Giuliani, but it was the winger, England's hero in extra time back at Euro 2022, who latched onto the rebound, to put her name in lights yet again and send the Lionesses into a third successive major tournament final.
GOAL rates England's players from Stade de Geneve…
Getty Images
Goalkeeper & Defence
Hannah Hampton (7/10):
Made a big double save at the death to keep England's hopes alive, which proved particularly huge after Agyemang's equaliser. It was even more impressive given the little she'd had to do until that point.
Lucy Bronze (4/10):
Lapse in concentration proved extremely costly and allowed Bonansea to creep in and break the deadlock. Quite the contrast to her quarter-final heroics.
Leah Williamson (5/10):
Best of a bad bunch in defence, though that was a low bar to clear.
Esme Morgan (4/10):
Too easily exposed in the build-up to Italy's opener, dragged all over the place by Cantore's movement. A difficult night, with the Azzurre always getting in down England's left.
Alex Greenwood (4/10):
Out of position again, Italy made sure to target her side and did so successfully. Quality of her set pieces was inconsistent.
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Midfield
Keira Walsh (6/10):
A more front-footed approach than usual led to her being one of the players who really tried to spark England into life, with some good runs, incisive passes and a few efforts at goal.
Georgia Stanway (4/10):
Battled well, winning plenty of her duels, but was wasteful in possession.
Ella Toone (4/10):
Had good spells where she looked likely to make something happened, albeit not for sustained periods.
Getty Images
Attack
Lauren James (4/10):
Looked a little leggy and flat here, with it no surprise to see her go off with a knock at half time. Had one of England's best chances of the first 45 minutes, but opted to place the shot and it was well read by Giuliani.
Alessia Russo (4/10):
Had one decent chance in the first half but couldn't quite wrap her foot around the ball to direct the shot on target. Otherwise, lacked service – again.
Lauren Hemp (5/10):
Ebbed and flowed throughout the game, starting and finishing well. Teasing cross led to the all-important equaliser.
Getty Images Sport
Subs & Manager
Beth Mead (7/10):
Did well to stay onside with her run towards Hemp's cross, which discombobulated Giuliani and led to Agyemang's equaliser. Showed great experience to settle centrally in a mishmash of an XI in extra time, too.
Chloe Kelly (6/10):
Honoured her defensive duties well and was good on the ball, though her final product was inconsistent. Poor penalty, but great reactions.
Michelle Agyemang (8/10):
Came to England's rescue yet again with a remarkable composed finish at the death. Was so close to winning it in extra time, too, but for the woodwork.
Aggie Beever-Jones (6/10):
Worked hard and gave Italy something else to think about as England went to two up top.
Grace Clinton (N/A):
Brought necessary energy to midfield in extra time.
Jess Carter (N/A):
On at the death to seal the win.
Sarina Wiegman (4/10):
Didn't learn her lesson from the near-miss against Sweden, where hesitancy with subs almost cost her team. The wait to react almost proved decisive again here, but her subs did come through and deliver in the end. Would be naive to believe she can be that passive in Sunday's final.
Former Australia allrounder explains what the visitors need to do, to not only survive but also thrive in India
Alex Malcolm05-Feb-20232:11
India’s unparalleled home dominance
Australia’s batters are trying to cram for the India exam during a nearly week-long training camp in Bengaluru. The test of R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel on a spinning surface likely awaits them in Nagpur.It’s an exam former Australia allrounder Shane Watson has faced before. One he freely admits he was challenged by. He went on four Test tours of India and scored a hundred in Mohali. That was in 2010 facing Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha as an opener at the peak of his powers.Ashwin and Jadeja in 2013, batting in the middle order on some rank turners, was an entirely different proposition. If Watson had his time again, he would think differently and play differently.Related
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India vs Australia: one classic after the other
“One thing I didn’t really do [in India] was just accept what I had at that moment in time, instead of trying to be someone else,” Watson told ESPNcricinfo. “I was thinking, ‘Should I use my feet this time to get out and cover the ball from spinning or should I sit deep in the crease’, instead of going, ‘Well this is what I’ve got right now, and this is the best way for me to try and have success.'”For me, it was going away from using cross-bat shots off the back foot in particular, which is one of my strengths outside of turning conditions.”Using a straight bat to be able to hit off the back foot through the off side or the leg side. I wish I had got that through my head and then developed that instinct earlier because it’s much lower risk. All the good players, especially from India, very rarely do they use cross-bat shots, especially for a pull shot. They’ll hit it with a straight bat to be able to hit it through the leg side.”Ravindra Jadeja has just returned from a long injury lay-off with a seven-wicket haul in the Ranji Trophy•PTI Jadeja looms large over Australia’s right-handers Watson fell to Jadeja’s left-arm spin in Delhi during the 2013 series, when Jadeja snared seven wickets in the match, and has played with him at Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. Watson believes Jadeja’s pace and unrelenting accuracy make him a huge threat to both edges in turning conditions.”Facing him when the ball is turning compared to when the ball is not turning is just chalk and cheese,” Watson said. “It’s like you’re facing a different bowler when the ball is turning because he’s flatter, he’s faster, he’s accurate all the time. He’s always at the stumps.”One will turn or one will skid through. He’s very hard to be able to work through as a right-hander, to find a method that’s going to not just survive but also score runs.Obviously Australia has got some really good players of spin in there with Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne. They’ve got a number of lefties as well which will negate Jadeja a bit more with the ball just turning in. If I had my time again, I would definitely play with a straighter bat to Jadeja.”Axar Patel has taken 39 wickets in six home Tests•BCCIAxar is a known unknown to Australia Axar has terrorised visiting Test teams in India with his variety of left-arm spin since bursting onto the scene against England in 2021. No Australian has faced him in Test cricket yet. Watson faced Axar in the IPL and found him a different proposition to Jadeja, yet equally uncomfortable.”Axar’s angle is what makes him really hard to line up,” Watson said. “I didn’t face him in Test cricket but I always found him really difficult to play even in T20 cricket because of his release point. He’s not low round arm, but he’s round arm and he bowls from quite wide on the crease, and with the angle that the ball comes in I was never able to really line it up. And then if the ball is turning it just seems like the ball is turning a lot more because of the angle.”It’s different to Jadeja because Jadeja is normally a bit closer to the stumps and he doesn’t create as much angle with the ball coming into the right-hander from his release point.”Axar is at the stumps all the time. It’s going to be pretty challenging. He’s a fair bit taller and his release point is still pretty high. But you don’t feel like his bounce is a threat as much because he does get balls to skid through.”The guys playing are going to have to get used to that angle and find a way to be able to line that up. Once the guys line it up they’ll be okay, but it can take a bit of time to work that out.”Ashwin’s amazing skill an ever-present challenge Australia will have at least four left-handers in the top seven. They could possibly play five if Cameron Green isn’t passed fit and Matt Renshaw retains his place at No.6 after returning to Test cricket in Australia’s previous match against South Africa in SydneyIn Watson’s experience, Ashwin’s skill level and control makes him dangerous against Australia’s right-handers as well, especially if there is bounce and sharp turn.R Ashwin has 50 wickets in eight Tests against Australia in India•AFP via Getty Images”It’s a bit easier as a right-hander but when the ball is turning and sort of jumping out of either the rough or the fresh part of the wicket, he’s relentless,” Watson said. “He hardly gives you a free ball to be able to score off.”He’s incredibly skilled. It’s not just getting the ball spinning with the occasional one that’s not going to turn. He’s got a lot of variations through his flight and pace that he still can land exactly where he wants. So even as a right-hander, when the ball’s not turning that much it’s a much easier challenge. I just batted on off stump and hit straight to the leg side knowing that unless one really explodes and I get caught at bat-pad, I’m not really exposed to that.”Whereas when the ball is turning, coming back into my stumps, it’s much more challenging to be able to try and cover that ball coming in when there’s plenty of guys around the bat.”Proactivity is the key Watson admits he didn’t need to be that proactive during his Mohali century because of the quality of the surface.”It was a really nice wicket,” Watson said. “The ball didn’t really turn much. I was facing a lot of Harbhajan Singh in that innings and I was able to be really patient. It was quite a slow hundred. At that moment in time, I wasn’t being proactive against spin, I was just waiting for a loose ball.”It makes it easier when it’s a truer wicket. Whereas the other times I’ve been in India, even in the first session there’s been times where the ball has spun out of the fresh part of the wicket, which makes more opportunities for the bowler to get you out. But it’s also harder to just try and be patient and wait for a loose ball because you’re really just a sitting duck waiting for them to get you out.”While Watson is an advocate for Australia’s batters to find their own method and stick to it, he believes the blueprint is there from the way some of his team-mates played on past tours to India.”The guys who have done it the best are the ones who are either really quick on their feet and get down and cover the spin, and or they’re really good at just getting back and allowing the ball to spin and then playing the ball,” Watson said.”I think of Damien Martyn who did incredibly well in that 2004 series, especially in Chennai where he played back and allowed the ball to spin. I think about Matt Hayden’s transformation as a player of spin where he’d either sweep or as soon as the ball was slightly flighted he would use his feet and hit dead straight. Michael Clarke was a great player of spin. His ability to be able to use his feet to get out when the ball was slightly flighted, then when it wasn’t to get back deep in his crease to let the ball spin, those are the guys who had the most success when the ball was turning quite extreme.”They’ve got a good method but they are proactive to be able to get off strike, get down the other end, but also put pressure on the bowler.”But being proactive all the time, every ball in Test matches, it takes a lot out of you physically but especially mentally because you’ve got to be really sharp all the time.”
The PCB had to curtail the National Women’s Championship in Karachi on Monday after five players had a close shave following a fire incident in the team hotel.”Fortunately, no players were injured, as the PCB promptly evacuated the five players in the hotel at the time of the incident and relocated them safely to the Hanif Mohammad High-Performance Centre,” the PCB said in a statement.The PCB tried to find an alternate accommodation for the teams but because of the Ideas Defence Exhibition being held in Karachi, they could not find a hotel. The board said the decision to truncate the tournament was taken keeping in mind the health and safety of the players.”Additionally, the unavailability of alternative accommodations to meet the approximately 100 rooms of the required standards contributed to this outcome,” said the PCB statement. “To determine the tournament winner, the PCB has decided that the Invincibles and the Stars – the top-two teams after four matches each – will face off in the final. The date and venue for the final will be announced in due course.”
Wicketkeeper Polly Inglis has received a maiden call-up to New Zealand’s squad for the three-match ODI series against India starting later this week. Inglis, 28, plays for Otago Sparks in the Women’s Super Smash and earned her first New Zealand Cricket (NZC) central contract earlier this year.Batter Lauren Down has also made been included in the 15-member squad after she made her return from maternity break in July. The pair’s inclusion is the only change to the squad that helped New Zealand win their maiden Women’s T20 World Cup title.From the victorious squad, fast bowler Rosemary Mair has been rested, keeping in mind her workload management following her return from a serious back injury, while offspinner Leigh Kasperek has been left out.Related
Lauren Down back on NZC's central-contracts list
The core of the T20 World Cup-winning team, including the senior trio of Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu are part of the touring party. Devine will continue to lead them in the ODIs following her decision to step down as the T20I captain after the World Cup.Inglis’ strong performances in domestic cricket first helped her earn a contract and then a spot in the national squad. She scored 324 runs – the second-most in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield 2023-24, the 50-over competition – at an average of 54 and a strike rate close to 80, largely batting the middle order. She also scored 103 in the three-match one-day series between New Zealand A and England A that they won 2-1.”We’re really excited to introduce Polly for her first tour,” Ben Sawyer said in a NZC statement. “She put her hand up in last season’s Hallyburton Johnstone Shield one-day competition and throughout the New Zealand A series against England, so it’s a great next step for her.”Touring India is one of the great experiences in world cricket. It’s such a special place to come and I know everyone is looking forward to the challenge ahead.”The three ODIs, to be played in Ahmedabad, are part of the Women’s Championship. New Zealand are currently placed sixth on the table with a three-match series against Australia to follow. The top five teams plus hosts India qualify directly for the Women’s ODI World Cup next year.
New Zealand squad for the women’s ODIs against India
Sophie Devine (capt), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Lauren Down, Izzy Gaze (wk), Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Polly Inglis (wk), Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Amelia Kerr, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu
da 888： West Bromwich Albion supporters won’t have to wait too much longer to see who their beloved Baggies will play in the opening matches of the new Championship season.
da poker： Indeed, the always hotly anticipated fixture list will be released next week, with Ryan Mason hopeful that whatever selection of fixtures is thrust his side’s way, they can start the fresh second-tier campaign with a bang, instead of a whimper.
One figure that definitely won’t feature under Mason’s early tenure is Grady Diangana, with the Congolese forward reportedly edging ever closer to a Hawthorns departure, after failing to seal an extended contract this summer.
Diangana's current situation
Mason’s arrival on the scene might well have contributed to the former West Ham United man wanting to leave, knowing that the 33-year-old boss would want to stamp his mark onto proceedings from the get-go.
It is a sad severing of the ties, however, with Diangana once viewed as an electric menace donning Baggies blue and white in both the Premier League and in the EFL.
In total, the 27-year-old would collect an impressive combined tally of 48 goals and assists from 202 appearances in the West Midlands, with Diangana often having the Hawthorns masses in the palm of his hand when pulling off unbelievable finishes like the one above.
But, the output on Diangana’s end had begun to dry up – as seen in just four goals and three assists coming his way last season – with a reported reunion now on the cards for him to uproot to Valencia to link up with ex-Baggies boss Carlos Corberan to try and recapture his best.
Whilst Diangana looks forward to his possible moment in the sun in Spain, West Brom will no doubt be on the hunt for a replacement to bolster their options in attack.
West Brom's "fabulous" Diangana replacement
After all, the long-standing servant’s exit will be felt in terms of the personnel Mason can select from.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Jed Wallace is the only other recognisable right winger in the depleted Baggies camp currently in the wake of Diangana moving on, whilst the rookie manager has even fewer faces to call upon in the number ten spot – another position that the 27-year-old was comfortable playing in – with John Swift also heading out of the building on a free transfer.
Therefore, in hunting down an immediate fix to Diangana’s exit, West Brom will need to win themselves a versatile and flexible presence who can play all over the attacking positions.
Who could that be? Well, former Derby County captain Tom Lawrence is perhaps their man. It has been reported by TEAMtalk this week that West Brom are interested in landing the now free agent forward.
Away from his ability to be adaptable making him a worthwhile candidate to replace Diangana, the 31-year-old also boasts a vast collection of goals and assists in the Championship himself, with a mighty 50 goals and 40 assists tallied up from 264 career appearances in the second-tier.
Staggeringly, that’s 42 more goal contributions than the Valencia-linked star managed during his entire Hawthorns spell, albeit from 62 fewer clashes.
Lawrence in the Championship by position
Position played in
Games
Goals
Assists
LW
157
30
21
SS
57
9
9
CF
21
5
2
RW
16
2
7
AM
6
2
0
LM
3
2
1
Sourced by Transfermarkt
The similarities don’t just stop here either, with Lawrence also prone to scoring an audacious strike or two during his celebrated Derby stay, much like Diangana at his Baggies peak.
His expertise in this regard even saw ex-Rams boss Gary Rowett label the entertaining Welshman as “fabulous” when the pair were together at Pride Park, as West Brom now pray he can arrive on the scene this summer and roll back the years to fire Mason and Co. to promotion.
Pulling off such a feat would make the managerial newcomer an instant icon at the Hawthorns, with Lawrence also entering into the club’s hall-of-fame no doubt by securing a promotion success Diangana could never get over the line.
A Palmer repeat: West Brom's "outstanding" star wanted by PL club
West Bromwich Albion must avoid selling this outstanding star.
A Madrid journalist has now dropped a significant new update regarding Davide Ancelotti’s chances of becoming Rangers’ next manager this summer.
Rangers manager search rumbles on
A host of candidates have been mentioned as options to take charge at Ibrox at the end of the season, at which point Barry Ferguson’s spell as interim manager is expected to reach its conclusion. Steven Gerrard has long been a front-runner to come in and enjoy a second stint at Rangers, having won the Scottish Premiership title in 2020/21, but Ancelotti has also emerged as an intriguing option recently.
Davide Ancelotti
The 36-year-old is currently the assistant manager to his father Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid, going through a disappointing season at the Santiago Bernabeu, with the European giants going trophyless.
He has been hailed by the Madrid boss though, who has said of his son: “Davide is a competent, disciplined, professional and very calm assistant coach. He works alongside Francesco Mauri, who is very young too. Luis works with the goalkeepers, Pintus with his experience on the physical side of things. I have a young and very competent coaching team. We combine their enthusiasm with my experience well.”
It was thought that that the Italian is contemplating moving into management on his own, taking on a head coach role and moving away from his father, but now a significant update has dropped regarding Rangers’ pursuit of him.
Ancelotti set to join Brazil instead of Rangers
Taking to X on Friday morning, Madrid journalist Alberto Pereiro revealed Ancelotti won’t become Rangers’ new manager, instead deciding to follow his father to be his assistant with Brazil’s national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
This is an update that will stun Rangers given all signs pointed towards the Italian moving out on his own, with the Madrid assistant standing out as one of the more exciting candidates to be their next manager.
Better than Ancelotti: Rangers to step up move for "amazing" manager
As the 49ers continue their search for the next Rangers manager, they should forget about Davide Ancelotti and hire an “impressive” boss instead.
By
Ben Gray
May 15, 2025
Granted, he hasn’t yet been a head coach in his career, which would make the Gers hiring him a risk, but he will have learned so much from his father and would bring a winning mentality with him, having helped both Bayern Munich and Madrid achieve so much success down the years.
Davide Ancelotti’s 12 trophy wins
Club
Year
Bundesliga
Bayern Munich
2017
German Cup
Bayern Munich
2017
German Cup
Bayern Munich
2018
Champions League
Real Madrid
2022
La Liga
Real Madrid
2022
Spanish Cup
Real Madrid
2022
Club World Cup
Real Madrid
2023
Spanish Cup
Real Madrid
2023
Spanish Super Cup
Real Madrid
2023
Champions League
Real Madrid
2024
La Liga
Real Madrid
2024
Spanish Super Cup
Real Madrid
2024
Now, the Scottish giants will have to look elsewhere at options, however, and it could be that Gerrard ends up being the man to come in, with the Liverpool legend feeling he has unfinished business at Ibrox.
da bet nacional： The wheels came off West Bromwich Albion’s 2024/25 campaign alarmingly quickly.
da poker： It all started when Carlos Corberan left the building at the end of December, leaving the Baggies with the extremely tough task of replacing the Spaniard mid-way through what they hoped would be a promotion-winning season in the Championship.
Unfortunately, Tony Mowbray came in and depressingly faltered instead, with the 61-year-old subsequently relieved of his duties as his side fell out of the playoff picture.
It can’t all be blamed on the seasoned EFL manager, however.
The likes of Adam Armstrong also struggled in a league he usually shines in, as seen in the Southampton loanee only firing home a limp three strikes from 16 games after a late January swoop.
Armstrong’s West Brom numbers
Stat
Armstrong
Games played
16
Games started
12
Goals scored
3
Assists
0
Big chances missed
4
Goal conversion %
12%
Stats by Sofascore
Therefore, this might make the Baggies think twice about going after Armstrong permanently now his loan deal has expired, with these three strikers perhaps on the West Brom shopping list instead to try and bolster their firepower.
1 Marc Guiu
Chelsea's Marc Guiu celebrates
West Brom could boldly go down the route of exploring the loan market once more with Chelsea hotshot Marc Guiu, irrespective of Armstrong’s poor stint at the Hawthorns.
After all, the Baggies have succeeded in the past when gifting an up-and-coming starlet chances away from Stamford Bridge, with Romelu Lukaku once just a wide-eyed attacker like Guiu before exploding into life in the West Midlands.
Guiu would hope to follow in the deadly Belgian’s footsteps if he is picked up by the promotion-aspiring Baggies this summer, having previously reportedly been on their radar around the time of Armstrong’s move.
The promising 19-year-old managed to bag six goals for Enzo Maresca’s men last season despite limited first-team action, meaning more game-time to come down a division could get even more out of the raw Spaniard.
2 Willem Geubbels
West Brom could be up against it in attempting to land the services of St. Gallen star Willem Geubbels, considering he is being linked with a £4.6m move to Premier League-bound Leeds United.
But, never say never over the Swiss attacker wanting more game-time by relocating to the Hawthorns instead, having been a long-term target on the Baggies’ agenda.
His goalscoring expertise in the Swiss Super League has even resulted in football talent scout Jacek Kulig heralding Geubbels as an “absolute top talent” and for many a valid reason too, considering the 23-year-old has hammered home an impressive 17 strikes this season from 41 overall clashes.
Therefore, the in-demand Frenchman could push a returning Josh Maja for a starting spot next campaign if he were to move to England, away from also allowing West Brom to immediately forget about Armstrong’s frustrating spell.
3 Ali Al-Hamadi
Ali Al-Hamadi
Lastly, away from thinking outside the box by shopping in Europe or snapping up a rising top-flight star, West Brom could go after a centre-forward talent full to the brim with EFL experience in Ali Al-Hamadi.
The Iraq international didn’t set the world alight out on loan with Stoke City this season just gone when registering only two weak goals from 15 games, but he has proven in the past for parent side Ipswich Town in the Championship that he’s a reliable option to call upon when the deadlock needs to be broken.
Al-Hamadi’s league numbers for Ipswich (23/24)
Stat (* = per game)
Al Hamadi
Games played
14
Games started
1
Minutes averaged*
22
Goals scored
4
Assists
0
Scoring frequency*
72 mins
Stats by Sofascore
Staggeringly, despite only starting one league game for Kieran McKenna’s men during their promotion-winning campaign, the former AFC Wimbledon man would still fire home a blistering four strikes, leaving him with a devastatingly effective scoring frequency of every 72 minutes.
It would all just depend on whether the Tractor Boys would want to keep the dangerous 23-year-old around now they’ve slumped back down to the EFL, but if he is available again, West Brom could seriously boost their promotion efforts by landing their failed January target.
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With three matches left to play in the Premier League this season – on top of an FA Cup final in the middle of May – Manchester City still have a chance to cling onto some crumbs of pride from a sobering campaign.
Indeed, Pep Guardiola’s men are now only three points off being on the same points total as Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal in second, whilst a FA Cup final victory at Wembley versus Crystal Palace would be an impressive hat-trick of successes for the Spaniard in the esteemed competition.
Manchester City manager PepGuardiolaapplauds fans after the match
Restoring some pride now could also set City up for a Premier League title chase when the ball gets rolling for the eventual 2025/26 season, with the upcoming transfer window further giving the Citizens apt time to rebuild before going again.
Manchester City's midfield rebuild
Guardiola has already started to add new flavours to his regimented City side, seen in seven-goal hero Omar Marmoush immediately making an impression on the English game after a statement January move.
With Kevin De Bruyne exiting the building this summer, the midfield is in slight need of a revamp too, leading to City now being linked with players like Morgan Gibbs-White and now Barcelona ace Frenkie De Jong to bolster centrally.
Transfer Focus
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As per reports from Spain, the Dutchman is an in-demand figure from a whole host of Premier League outfits, with Liverpool, Man CIty and Arsenal interested in signing the 27-year-old.
It’s further stated that a £34m bid could be made by Arne Slot’s title-winning Reds to try and tempt De Jong to Anfield, but City and the Gunners are still closely monitoring the Barca star’s situation to see if they can steal his services.
Frenkie de Jong of Barcelona
If De Jong can recapture the heights of his Ajax best at the Etihad, picking up such a talent for £34m will go down as a sterling bargain, with the 27-year-old also a potential upgrade on an ageing Gundogan if everything goes swimmingly.
Why De Jong could be a Gundogan upgrade
Before delving deeper into why the Dutchman might well be an inspired pick-up, it’s only right to look back at Gundogan when he was at his unbelievable peak in England.
After all, the German veteran hasn’t just fluked his sensational tally of 62 goals and 43 assists from 351 first-team appearances, but his numbers have been on an unfortunate slide this campaign.
Only five goal contributions have come his way in the Premier League this season, with De Jong amazingly only one off his ex-Borussia Dortmund’s counterpart’s total for the campaign back in La Liga.
This is a surprise considering the Barca number 21 has had many an injury setback to endure in the Camp Nou dressing room of late, but an impressive two goals and two assists have still managed to come his way, even as a mere seven league starts have been handed to him.
De Jong vs Gundogan since 2022/23
Stat (* = per 90 mins)
De Jong
Gundogan
Games played
75
98
Games scored
6
13
Assists
6
18
Pass accuracy *
91.6%
87.3%
Progressive carries
3.37
2.20
Progressive passes
9.56
6.19
Passes into final 3rd
9.73
5.21
Tackles won
1.08
0.64
Aerials won
1.10
0.47
Stats via FBref.
However, it’s over the last few seasons where we can really see the difference between the two players. Described by former Barca boss Xavi as “one of the best midfielders in the world”, he’s notably a more progressive passer and dribbler, with that no doubt a key attribute as Guardiola aims to refresh and rebuild his midfield.
Gundogan has, of course, displayed his class in the past for his current employers, but it does feel as if he’s reaching the end of his playing days now.
Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong
Whereas, De Jong – who has amassed 42 goal contributions and counting in Spain – has plenty of room to grow and impress, especially if he’s soon supplying the likes of Marmoush and Haaland with chances galore up top.
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