Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale has wasted little time in attempting to improve his playing squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Kieran Dowell, Jack Butland, and Dujon Sterling are all poised to officially complete their moves to Ibrox at the start of next month, joining on free transfers from Norwich, Crystal Palace, and Chelsea respectively.

The English head coach is looking to bolster his side and one player he needs to replace in the coming weeks, or months, is attacker Ryan Kent.

His contract with the Scottish giants expired at the end of last month and the exciting winger has put pen to paper on a deal to join Turkish giants Fenerbahce.

Who could replace Ryan Kent at Rangers?

Beale could find the dream replacement for the English forward by securing a deal to sign reported target Kwadwo Opoku, who is available for a fee as high as €4.8m (£4.1m).

The 21-year-old dynamo is a wide player who has the potential to be a goalscorer and creator in the final third, in the same way that Kent was for the majority of his time in Scotland.

During his five-year stint with Rangers, the Englishman scored 33 goals and assisted 56 in 218 appearances for the club. He proved himself capable of making a big impact at the top end of the pitch and excelled in the Scottish Premiership.

The former Liverpool prodigy averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.03 in the top-flight in 22/23 and contributed with three goal and eight assists.

Kent showcased his inventive skills with nine 'big chances' created in total and 2.2 key passes per game, which shows that the talented ace regularly opened up the opposition with his passing and crossing.

Opoku's form in the MLS in 2022 suggests that the Ghanaian youngster has the potential to develop into a dream replacement for the 26-year-old.

The 5 foot 7 wizard plundered eight goals and three assists in 20 starts in the league for Los Angeles FC, which indicates that the young whiz can offer a big goal threat from the flanks.

He also created 11 'big chances' for his fellow attackers and this shows that the exciting magician is able to provide a significant creative threat from out wide in the same way that Kent did in the Premiership in the season just gone.

Opoku, whose "flair" was hailed as a strength of his by talent scout Jacek Kulig, produced consistent quality in the MLS and journalist Owuraku Ampofo described his efforts as "magnificent".

He could now carry that form over to the Premiership and take on the pressure of being in the team to score and create chances week-in-week-out for Rangers as their Kent replacement next season.

Tasmania were in trouble at 5 for 107 at stumps on day two in Hobart, in reply to the New South Wales total of 5 for 495 declared

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2016
ScorecardPeter Nevill was unbeaten on 179 when New South Wales declared (file photo)•Getty ImagesAs Australia moved towards victory without him in Adelaide, Peter Nevill reminded the national selectors of his batting prowess by striking an unbeaten 179 against Tasmania on the second day in Hobart. Nevill was the top scorer in a New South Wales total of 5 for 495 declared, and another former Test player – seamer Trent Copeland – then destroyed the Tasmania top order.At stumps, the Tigers were wobbling at 5 for 107, with Beau Webster on 30 and Jake Doran on 17, and a massive task remained for Tasmania to make the Blues bat again. Young fast bowler Harry Conway removed Jordan Silk for 22 but the rest of the wickets all fell to Copeland, who finished the day with 4 for 29 from 16 overs.The morning had started with New South Wales on 3 for 288, with Moises Henriques on 94 and Nevill on 73. Henriques moved to his fifth first-class hundred before he was bowled by Cameron Stevenson for 115, but Nevill had plenty of batting left in him.He scored his seventh first-class century and occupied the crease for 331 deliveries for his unbeaten 179, which was the second-highest score of his career – his best, an unbeaten 235, also came against Tasmania in Hobart two summers ago. He had support from Ryan Gibson, who in his second first-class appearance finished unbeaten on 65.

Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag has held discussions with Chelsea ace Mason Mount over the role he would play in his side at Old Trafford, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Mason Mount?

According to Football Insider, Mount has agreed personal terms with Manchester United ahead of a proposed move from Old Trafford; however, the Red Devils and Chelsea are yet to agree a fee for his prospective transfer.

The report adds that Champions League football is said to be a big motivation behind Mount being keen on a move to Manchester United. At the same time, he will be set to net £200,000 per week at the club, a significant upgrade on his current £80,000 per week wages at Stamford Bridge.

As per Sky Sports via TEAMtalk, Mount refused to rule out a move to Manchester United in the off-season when asked about his future at the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix last week, stating when quizzed: “Haha. I’m just here to enjoy this race today. Amazing day. Can’t wait to watch it.”

BBC Sport understand that Mount's 'ability to operate in advanced positions' has made him an attractive proposition for Manchester United alongside their desire to bring in a new forward.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones says that Manchester United and Chelsea are still apart in the process of agreeing on an acceptable fee for Mount to move to Old Trafford.

Jones said: "Ultimately, Mason Mount wants to be playing football and wants to know his part at the club. He wants to be at a club heading somewhere good, and Manchester United is a place where that can happen.

"He has been told about Ten Hag's vision and seen how far they've come over the course of the year. He believes that he is going to be an important part of that side if they can agree on a transfer.

"Obviously, at the moment, they are a little way apart in terms of what the two clubs value him at, so there's still a little way to go."

Would Mason Mount be a good signing for Manchester United?

Mount is a versatile presence that offers a lot of attributes to work with for any elite-level manager and would be a handy addition to a talented Manchester United outfit.

In 2022/23, the 24-year-old featured 35 times in all competitions for Chelsea in total and registered three goals and six assists, as per Transfermarkt.

FBRef note that Mount was able to be a regular provider of opportunities for his Blues' teammates despite the club enduring an inconsistent campaign on the field, as he successfully carried out 83 shot-creating actions.

As per WhoScored, the England international also completed around 1.4 key passes per game in the Premier League, demonstrating his ingenuity in the final third.

Manchester United could do with some extra flair heading into next season and Mount could certainly bring some fresh ideas to the table if the Red Devils can bring him to Old Trafford.

Manchester United hold a growing confidence behind the scenes that Chelsea's Mason Mount will agree to terms on a potential move to Old Trafford.

How old is Mason Mount?

The Red Devils have the opportunity to cap off what could be a mightily impressive first season at the helm for Erik ten Hag with a huge FA Cup final on the weekend.

Having finished third in the Premier League – securing Champions League football – and already getting his hands on his first piece of silverware at United, the Dutchman could make it two trophies in one season.

However, their city rivals will put up a stern challenge as they look to add another crown to their collection as they aim for the treble.

But United's encouraging 2022/23 campaign is seemingly not going to be settled on this summer with the Red Devils already looking to acquire the services of Mount.

The 24-year-old's time at Stamford Bridge could be coming to a close with his contract now having just one further year remaining.

Mount was spotted walking around the Stamford Bridge pitch following their final game of the weekend against Newcastle United as some speculate this was the England international getting a last look at the stadium.

And as United have been linked with interest, Fabrizio Romano has said on his YouTube channel that there is optimism at Old Trafford that he could become a Red Devil:

(2:00) "Behind the scenes, there is a feeling that the agreement between Mason Mount and Manchester United over personal terms would not be a problem."

"They feel that the player is keen to join Manchester United and to join Erik ten Hag's project. So Manchester United are really optimistic on the agreement with the player."

"Chelsea are still asking for at least €80m (£68m) for Mason Mount, while the intention of Manchester United, for example, at the moment is to spend something close to £45m-£50m because the player is out of contract next summer."

How much is Mason Mount worth?

The England international is a product of the Chelsea youth system, so potentially seeing him leave this summer will certainly pain the Londoners.

However, he only has one year remaining on his current deal at Stamford Bridge which does leave them vulnerable to possibly losing him on a free in the near future.

With this in mind, it is believed the Blues would be open to selling the 24-year-old if they were able to bring in a figure in the region of £68m.

Whether that is a figure which United would be willing to spend on the midfielder is another question as Romano suggests that they are currently only looking to offer around £45m-£50m.

As his current deal is set to expire next summer, Mount is currently earning in the region of £80k-per-week which would likely increase dramatically when his future is resolved.

Although United are showing a keen interest in the midfielder, it is still believed that Mauricio Pochettino is wanting to convince the England international to continue his career at Stamford Bridge.

But it does seem as if that boat may have now sailed.

كشف هيثم عرابي الرئيس التنفيذي لنادي فيوتشر، عن عدم تلقي رد من رئيس لجنة المسابقات في الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم عامر حسين، بشأن موقف مباراة سموحة القادمة في الدوري.

فيوتشر يلتقي مع سموحة، يوم الخميس 29 فبراير، ضمن مواجهات الجولة الـ 14 من عمر بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز. 

وقال عرابي خلال تصريحات عبر برنامج “ملعب أون تايم” المذاع على قناة أون تايم سبورت: “لعبنا في جنوب إفريقيا وخضنا رحلة 17 ساعة ووصلنا اليوم وسنسافر إلى الإسكندرية غدًا لمواجهة سموحة، وبعدها نخوض مواجهة مصيرية في الكونفدرالية أمام الهلال الليبي، هل هذا جدول منطقي؟”.

وتابع: “أنا أرسلت رسالة إلى عامر حسين ولم يرد، إذ ربما الموقف مُحرج بالنسبة له لأننا سنواجه سموحة”.

طالع.. فيديو | فيوتشر يتعادل إيجابيًا مع سوبر سبورت ويقترب من التأهل لربع نهائي الكونفدرالية

وأكمل: “لدينا 4 مباريات في 10 أيام، أنا أفهم اللوائح وكل شيء، لكن نحن خضنا رحلة 17 ساعة.. ماذا أقول؟ في النهاية سنسافر غدًا ولا توجد شماعات، يوم الأحد مباراة مصيرية”.

وكان فريق فيوتشر حل ضيفاً على سوبر سبورت الجنوب إفريقي، يوم الأحد الماضي في منافسات الجولة الخامسة من دور المجموعات في بطولة الكونفدرالية وتعادل 1-1.

ومن المقرر أن يخوض مباراة مصيرية من أجل التأهل إلى دور الـ 8 في الكونفدرالية، أمام الهلال الليبي يوم الأحد القادم 3 مارس في الجولة السادسة والأخيرة من دور المجموعات، حيث التعادل يكفيه من أجل التأهل.

Burnley have taken Southampton's spot in the Premier League and they may be about to raid the Championship-bound Saints for one of their key players.

What is Che Adams' Southampton future?

According to TEAMtalk, Burnley are considering an approach for Che Adams to replace Ashley Barnes, who has made the move to Norwich City after almost a decade at Turf Moor.

Then-Southampton boss Nathan Jones strongly ruled out an exit for Adams in the January window, when Everton were said to be circling, but the Saints' relegation has changed the complexion entirely.

Adams is now into the final year of his St Mary's contract, and it is reported that a bid of £12m would be enough to land a player who is also still a target for Everton, as well as Leeds United and Nottingham Forest.

Where would Che Adams fit in at Burnley?

Vincent Kompany has transformed Burnley's playing style, but that is not to say a route-one-type striker is not still valued as the Clarets look to add a Plan B of sorts for their return to the Premier League.

With an average of 2.76 aerial challenges won per 90 minutes over the past 12 months, Adams ranks among the top 18% of his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues, as per FBref, while he is also high up the list for clearances per 90 minutes (0.99 – top 16%).

Those numbers are very similar to another British player who has been linked with a Premier League return in Roma's Tammy Abraham. The former Chelsea striker is said to be available for around £40m, which is over three times the amount Adams could be signed for.

Abraham had a hugely successful first season in Serie A, but based on last season's figures, there is not a great deal between him and Adams. Abraham edged things in terms of combined goals and assists per 90 minutes (0.45 v 0.36), but Adams came out better in other metrics.

For example, the Scotland international's successful take-ons percentage of 48.5 was higher than that of Abraham (32.4), as was the number of carries he managed per 90 minutes (18.3 v 17.3) and completed passes per 90 minutes (14.9 v 14.1).

Perhaps more tellingly, Adams also ranks slightly higher for tackles per 90 minutes (0.77 v 0.70), which may be a big factor in why Kompany supposedly wants to bring him to Turf Moor. After all, Barnes averaged a near-identical 0.75 tackles per 90 minutes last season.

Adams is coming off the back of a decent enough Premier League campaign, with his five goals and three assists in 28 appearances not enough to keep the Saints in the top flight.

As pointed out by Ally McCoist, a prolific striker during his playing days, Adams is a "clever player" with his movement and someone capable of finding the net regularly with the right support.

The 26-year-old may not get the Burnley supporters' pulses racing, having never hit double figures for Premier League goals, but his numbers put him on a par with players likely to be out of the Clarets' reach this summer, making him a good value for money investment.

A career-best match haul from Ashton Agar was not enough to save Western Australia from defeat at the SCG

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2016
ScorecardA career-best match haul from Ashton Agar was not enough to save Western Australia from defeat at the SCG, where New South Wales wobbled but reached their target of 96 with seven wickets down. The Blues started the morning at 0 for 3, but on a dry pitch offering plenty for the spinners, they lost enough wickets throughout the day to send some jitters through the camp before the task was completed.They did not lose their first wicket until the total had reached 36, when opener-nightwatchman William Somerville was run out for 23, but his opening partner Daniel Hughes fell to Agar for 13 just three balls later. Ed Cowan made 25 and Kurtis Patterson scored 13, but no other batsman reached double figures as Agar and his bowling colleagues gave the Warriors a sniff.However, in the end New South Wales did enough to secure their second win of the season, despite Agar’s 4 for 31. He finished with match figures of 10 for 141, the second ten-wicket haul of his first-class career, and it completed a match that was dominated by the spinners, with Somerville having taken nine for New South Wales and Steve O’Keefe eight.

Angelo Mathews, Sri Lanka’s captain, is enthused by the young talent that has bolstered Sri Lanka’s batting ahead of their tour of South Africa

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Port Elizabeth23-Dec-2016For the first time in about two years, Angelo Mathews has reason to approach a foreign tour with some degree of optimism. Mathews was not part of the side that recently won 2-0 in Zimbabwe. His most recent away series have been the 0-2 drubbings in England and New Zealand. He has not been part of a Test side that has won overseas since June 2014, when he clubbed 160 and took 4 for 44 in an innings – both career bests – at Headingley.The current squad, however, arrives with a little form behind it. Of the likely top seven, four have scored a hundred in one of their six most-recent innings. One of those – Dhananjaya de Silva – has scores of 129, 65*, 64, and 127 during that period. Kusal Mendis, meanwhile, top-scored on two incredibly tough surfaces – at Pallekele and Galle – to set up the series win against Australia. On their shoulders rest many hopes.”When Sanga, Mahela and Dilshan retired it created a vacuum in the team, but the youngsters have taken it up well,” Mathews said. “We saw in the Australia series that the youngsters like Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva were standing up. It’s great to see them coming through.”Sri Lanka’s batsmen also returned pleasing scores from their three-day practice match in Potchefstroom. Seven out of the eight specialist batsmen in the squad hit half centuries there (Mathews was the only one to miss out), and perhaps most encouragingly, openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Kaushal Silva put on an opening stand of 159 before both retired in the first innings. Both batsmen have had lean spells through the year.”In Potchefstroom the facilities were very good, so we’ve had plenty of time to get used to the conditions,” Mathews said. “The wickets were quite a bit slower than other parts of South Africa. I thought we got the maximum out of the 10 days that we got there.”South Africa have also returned triumphant from Australia, however, and are likely to present a stiffer test to the top order than they have had in the last five Tests. Sri Lanka’s recent record on faster tracks makes for worrying reading. They were out for 91 and 119 at Headingley in May, before slumping to 101 at Chester-le-Street. A 117 at Pallekele followed, though they did go on to overturn a hefty deficit and win that match.Sri Lanka may, however, take encouragement from the only Test they have won in South Africa – the 2011 Boxing Day Test. Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal and Rangana Herath were all part of that XI.”South Africa have been playing extremely good cricket against Australia,” Mathews said. “They went over to Australia and beat the Australians, which is not an easy thing to do. If we play to our potential – we’ve got the skills. We’ve done it in the past.”Like that Durban surface, the one at Port Elizabeth has a reputation for being low and slow. Days out from the match, Sri Lanka remain unsure about what the surface for the first Test holds.”No one has played any Test matches or one-dayers here from this touring party. We’ve heard so many things but, we will not think about it too much because we’re not sure what we’re going to get. We’ll look at it closer on the day before the match.”

KL Rahul, who had aggravated an injury to his left forearm in the nets in Mohali, has been released from the India squad but is expected to be fit in time for the fourth Test against England in Mumbai on December 8

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2016

KL Rahul, who had aggravated an injury to his left forearm in the nets in Mohali, has been released from the India squad but is expected to be fit in time for the fourth Test against England in Mumbai on December 8. Allrounder Hardik Pandya has had to leave the team as well, having hurt his right shoulder while training at the PCA Stadium. The BCCI’s medical staff have advised him to “consult a specialist to decide the future course of action”. No replacements were named by the board in its media release.Rahul had picked up his problem while batting in the Visakhapatnam Test – which was his comeback from a hamstring injury picked up in September. His career has been a bit stop-start. Soon after making a century in his first Test series, in Sydney, he contracted dengue and missed a one-off match in Bangladesh. He was brought back into the XI when M Vijay was injured in Sri Lanka, but didn’t play the home Tests against South Africa. Rahul reclaimed his place and became India’s first-choice opener on the tour of the Caribbean, when he made a century and a fifty. His unavailability in Mohali led to Parthiv Patel – on a comeback of his own – opening the batting for India.Pandya was with the Test squad for the first time, his pace and one-day form impressing the selectors. He was the only uncapped player in the squad by the time he picked up the injury, with Jayant Yadav making his debut in Visakhapatnam and Karun Nair in Mohali.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp would welcome the signing of West Ham United captain Declan Rice as part of his 'mini revolution' in midfield, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.

What's the latest transfer news involving Declan Rice?

According to The Sun, Rice reportedly has his heart set on a move to Arsenal this summer as he looks set to leave West Ham United to seek a new challenge.

Manchester United and Bayern Munich are also keen on the England international, who has garnered vast interest from elite clubs in recent times.

Sky Sports claimed last month that West Ham United would be open to sanctioning a sale for the £60k-a-week ace if they can recoup a fee of around £120 million for his services.

The outlet claim that Liverpool and Chelsea are attracted towards Rice's talents, though Arsenal is his 'most likely destination' at the present moment.

In an interview with Paddy Power via The Liverpool Echo, former Reds striker Peter Crouch has urged his old club to push to sign Rice, stating: "I know he’s being linked elsewhere but I’d absolutely love to see Declan Rice come in as well. He’s a class act and I think he could go to any club and be a great signing for them. It probably won’t be Liverpool as he’s going to be very expensive, but it would be a great addition."

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Galetti thinks that Rice joining Liverpool this summer would be boss Klopp's 'forbidden dream' at Anfield.

Galetti said: “A mini revolution is expected in the Liverpool midfield after the arrival of Mac Allister from Brighton. There will certainly be other signings, Declan Rice is for sure Klopp’s forbidden dream. The West Ham player will not renew his contract expiring in June 2024, and he’s ready to leave this summer after winning the Conference League. Arsenal are leading the race for him and he’s their top target, but anything could happen.”

Would Declan Rice be a good fit for Liverpool?

Rice, who was hailed as "one of the best in the world" by Kieran Trippier, has been in excellent form for West Ham United over the last year and helped captain the Hammers to their famous Europa Conference League triumph last week against Fiorentina, as per BBC Sport.

In 2022/23, the 24-year-old made 50 appearances in all competitions for West Ham United, registering five goals and four assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Impressively, Rice was also West Ham United's most consistent performer across the season, gaining an average match rating of 7.01/10, according to WhoScored.

FBRef show that Rice has drove his current employers forward from the middle of the park, successfully pulling off 112 shot-creating actions in total.

Liverpool are desperate to inject some new energy into their midfield ahead of the new campaign and Rice would be a fantastic addition to bolster the ranks in the engine room.