Lionel Messi has seen a quality more associated with Cristiano Ronaldo highlighted amid Inter Miami’s unbeaten start to the 2024 MLS campaign.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Glasgow Rangers have been dealt a blow after learning that one of their key first-team players is set for a spell on the sidelines in the Scottish Premiership.
At Ibrox, Michael Beale has Todd Cantwell, Nicolas Raskin, Tom Lawrence, Rabbi Matondo and Danilo all out on the sidelines and none of them are expected to return until after the international break in October, though there is some more positive news on Kieran Dowell.
The Teddy Bears midfielder is back out on the grass having started participating in some very light training once again which will be music to the ears of the boss and no doubt supporters too, though they won’t be as pleased to hear about the setback to another senior star.
During Wednesday’s 4-0 Viaplay Cup victory over Livingston, Kemar Roofe was forced off the pitch after just 46 minutes, and the striker’s situation appears to have taken a turn for the worst following a fresh update on the 30-year-old’s fitness from the manager.
Speaking during his pre-match press conference on Friday prior to the game vs Aberdeen, Beale confirmed that Roofe has travelled for a scan to assess the extent of the damage sustained in midweek.
As quoted by Rangers’ official account on X, he said: “Roofe is away for a scan, so no news on that one for now. It is disappointing for Kemar as [he] has been doing so well so we hope [it] is not too serious. It is a busy schedule, we knew we would have to use the squad. Both teams [are] coming into this game with the same packed schedule and recovery times.”
Since putting pen to paper at Rangers back in 2020, Roofe has posted 44 direct goal involvements (37 goals and seven assists) in 86 appearances which shows how prolific he can be in the final third, so the fact that he’s likely facing an extended period out will be a blow to Beale.
Alongside his eye for the hitting the back of the net, the £26k-per-week earner is a versatile operator having been deployed in five various positions since first bursting onto the scene, including everywhere across the frontline and even in attacking midfield, though this is another attribute that the coach could have to cope without.
The Jamaica international has even helped the outfit north of the border to secure two trophies during his time at the club in the form of the Scottish Premiership and the Scottish Cup, and missing his experience and winning mentality around the team will be a real shame.
As described by journalist Dean Jones, Roofe is a “great talent” and there’s no doubt that him being unavailable for selection will be difficult to accept, but everybody associated with the Light Blues will be hoping that he is able to stage his comeback as soon as possible.
Having made a mockery of questions over his £42 million ($53m) price tag, the attacker has the ability to star for the Three Lions this summer
Eyebrows hit the ceiling when Chelsea capped another transfer window of extravagant spending by splurging £42 million ($53m) on Manchester City academy product Cole Palmer in the summer – a player with only a handful of senior starts to his name at the time. Fast-forward six months and that price tag looks more like a bargain with each passing day, with Palmer proving to be one of – if not the – signings of the season.
The attacker has emerged as Chelsea's most important player aged just 21. He boasts 24 goal contributions – added to the two he already had for City before his exit – and is leading the way in pretty much every attacking metric for his new club.
It is little surprise, then, that he has taken strides forward in his international career, too. There was an element of luck to his initial call-up to Gareth Southgate's senior England squad in November amid a raft of injuries, but Palmer's form means he is now well and truly in the frame with Euro 2024 on the horizon. Indeed, he should be starting for the Three Lions in Germany.
Rangers don’t appear to have a shortage of managerial options, and another coach has seemingly expressed his interest over taking the Ibrox vacancy, according to one report.
Those in Glasgow are on the hunt for a new permanent manager after parting ways with Michael Beale on the weekend following a 3-1 Scottish Premiership to Aberdeen. Steven Davis is the man tasked with leading the side on an interim basis, starting on Thursday evening against Aris Limassol in the Europa League. After taking temporary charge, Davis said:“I feel very honoured. The call came out of the blue, I certainly wasn’t expecting it. I would just like to try and repay the trust the club have shown in putting me in this position. Obviously it’s not a position we’d like to be in, we’re disappointed with where we’re at, at this minute in time. But I’m looking forward to the challenge.“It’s been really crazy. I got the phone mail late last night to let me know Michael and his staff were leaving. We then had a chat and they wanted me to come in and lead the team, alongside Alex, Steven and Brian. “I’m delighted to get the opportunity. I’m looking forward to the challenge ahead. I believe in the group that we’ve got. Things haven’t gone the way we would have liked and we find ourselves in a situation. But I’m sure with myself and the fans pushing each other in the same direction we’ll go on and get some good results.” CEO and chairman John Bennett is leading the process for a new boss, and it looks as if there isn’t a shortage of options who are keen on the role. 90min provided a Rangers manager update in the last 48 hours, looking at a number of candidates who have been linked with the role. The report claims that AZ Alkmaar head coach Pascal Jansen is under consideration for the job and is keen to hold discussions with the club.Meanwhile, Kevin Muscat and Derek McInnes are also targets who are currently in work and it seems as if compensation fees wouldn’t be an issue. Another in-work boss is Bodo/Glimt coach Kjetil Knutsen, who has reportedly expressed an interest in the role alongside Chris Wilder and Monaco manager Philippe Clement.
Knutsen has been linked with a move to Ibrox before, with the Gers making an approach for the Norwegian almost 12 months ago before appointing Beale. The 55-year-old, labelled as an “exciting” and very attack-minded manager by journalist Josh Bunting when linked with AFC Bournemouth, has been in charge of Bodo/Glimt since 2018 and has won 144 games out of a possible 243 fixtures, winning the manager of the year award on three occasions.He also has a 100% win record when coming up against Scottish Premiership rivals Celtic, something which could catch the eye of Rangers officials if discussions are held, so Knutsen may well be another name to watch in the managerial process over the coming days or maybe weeks.
In a repeat of their deal to welcome Claudio Echeverri, Manchester City are now reportedly battling to sign another South American gem ahead of rivals Manchester United this summer.
The Citizens have their focus set on the future and have done since the January transfer window, splashing out to welcome the likes of Vitor Reis, Abdukodir Khusanov and Juma Bah to commence their defensive rebuild. With three future stars in their backline, City could look to pick up where they left off when the summer transfer window arrives.
Pep Guardiola’s side could certainly do with a rebuild too. The Spaniard has lost more games in a single season than he has ever done before, with his Manchester City side ravaged by injuries and simply overpowered week in, week out in what still takes some getting used to when watching a side managed by the Spaniard.
Against Real Madrid in midweek, the Premier League champions were simply a class or two below their opponents and as Liverpool prepare to arrive at The Etihad, Manchester City must hope to avoid a repeat of Wednesday’s defeat.
That said, whilst their suffering continues on the pitch, the Citizens are at least reportedly preparing to unveil the light at the end of the tunnel in the form of further reinforcements.
Man City set for transfer battle to sign teenage prodigy who may cost £15m
Man City are among the European clubs chasing the signature of a rising star.
By
Brett Worthington
Feb 20, 2025
According to InterLive, as relayed by Sport Witness, Manchester City are now battling to sign Franco Mastantuono ahead of rivals Manchester United this summer. The River Plate youngster reportedly has a release clause worth €40m (£33m) and has also attracted the interest of Inter Milan to create quite the race for his signature.
The influence of South American talents in the Premier League is there for all to see and does not look likely to come to an end any time soon. The next generation of Argentina’s best looks particularly like one to watch and Mastuantono – alongside Echeverri – is one of the rising stars at the forefront of that.
At just 17 years old, the attacking midfielder was described as “gifted” and dubbed “Argentina’s best talent” by analyst Ben Mattinson last month.
Although things are at their bleakest under Guardiola right now, Manchester City’s slumber may not last long. When the summer arrives and they once again have the chance to rebuild, a dominant side could be awoken and seek instant vengeance. Whether the likes of Mastuantono play a part in that remains to be seen, however.
Manchester United officials have travelled to Getafe for talks over the future of Mason Greenwood after a meeting with Deco in Barcelona.
With Eden Hazard announcing his retirement from football at the age of 32, it brings an end to the career of one of the most talented individuals to have graced European football over the 2010s.
Having spent time in France, England, and Spain, the Belgian forward achieved levels of success that most players could only dream of. With numerous titles both domestically and continentally, as well as plenty of individual honours, it’s hard to argue against Hazard’s reputation, as gifted as he was.
In memory of such an illustrious career, Football FanCast takes a look back at just some of the greatest moments of Hazard’s decorated run in European football since his breakthrough in the late 2000s.
Since making his way into Rudi Garcia’s Lille side at the age of just 17, it was immediately clear that the French side had an exceptional talent on their hands.
After winning consecutive Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year awards in the 2008/09 and 2009/10 seasons, Hazard’s influence on the side was growing by the year.
The 2010/11 season was the year when Hazard well and truly announced himself to the football world. The Belgian was pivotal for Lille, scoring seven times and assisting a further 11 as they won their first league title since 1954.
As well as the league success, Hazard starred for Lille in the Coupe de France, scoring three times in five games as they secured the domestic double for only the second time in club history – the first time being 65 years prior.
Hazard’s brilliance that season didn’t go unnoticed, as he finally got his hands on the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award, becoming the youngest ever player to do so at just 20 years old.
In a strong debut season with Chelsea in the 2012/13 season, Hazard did enough to remove any doubts over his ability to adapt to a new league, scoring 13 times for the Blues in all competitions.
He didn’t shy away from following it up the next season by exceeding the standards he had set the season prior, as he impressively scored 14 times in 35 Premier League appearances.
Despite Chelsea going trophyless that season, Hazard’s individual performances were worthy enough to win the PFA Young Player of the Year award, beating the likes of Raheem Sterling, Luke Shaw, and Aaron Ramsey to the honour, and missing out on the PFA Player of the Year award to Liverpool’s Luis Suarez.
With Suarez leaving the Premier League for Barcelona ahead of the 2014/15 season, it allowed Hazard to take the throne as the best player in the league, and he didn’t disappoint.
Having beaten London rivals Spurs to win the League Cup that March, Hazard and Chelsea were hungry for more silverware.
The Belgian contributed to 24 goals in the league that season, as Chelsea were comfortably crowned English champions for the first time in five years.
His efforts across the campaign were justifiably rewarded when he was named the PFA Player of the Year for the first time in his Chelsea career.
If there were still any fans who doubted Hazard’s status as a Chelsea hero in the making, their minds would have certainly been shifted following his all-important equaliser against Spurs towards the end of the 2015/16 season.
The season as a whole was a huge disappointment for Hazard and the reigning champions, who finished 10th after sacking Jose Mourinho in December 2015. It was made worse for Chelsea, as Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham Hotspur side were still competing to win their first league title since 1961.
It all came down to matchday 36 of the season, where Spurs had to go to Stamford Bridge and win to keep their title hopes alive.
Dubbed the “Battle of the Bridge”, the two sides fittingly treated fans to one of the feistiest contests in the history of the league, with Spurs taking a 2-0 lead away from home. A goal from Gary Cahill pulled one back for the hosts, but with the full-time whistle approaching, it seemed as though Spurs were about to do the unthinkable and keep the title race going with a rare win at the Bridge.
That’s when Eden Hazard stepped up. With less than 10 minutes to play, the Belgian placed a sensational curling effort into the top corner of Hugo Lloris’ goal, to officially end Spurs’ title hopes and cement his Chelsea legacy for the rest of time.
With the FA Cup final marking the final game of the 2017/18 English season before the World Cup took place that summer, it was the perfect opportunity for Chelsea or Manchester United to end on a high.
With a close game predicted, it was essential for Chelsea’s star man to step up to the occasion when needed.
Hazard didn’t disappoint, and after 20 minutes, he found himself on the end of a wonderful pass from Cesc Fabregas and made his way into the area, before being brought down by Phil Jones and winning a penalty. Hazard, of course, would convert the penalty to give Chelsea the lead early on.
His goal would be enough to separate the two sides and would give Chelsea their eighth FA Cup title.
As a professional footballer, there aren’t many accomplishments more honouring than representing your nation at a World Cup, but Eden Hazard went one further than that.
The Belgian was named the captain of his side from 2015 until he retired from international football in 2022, meaning he wore the armband for Roberto Martinez’s men in the 2018 tournament.
At the time, the Belgium side was filled with extraordinary talent, from Thibaut Courtois to Kevin De Bruyne, and of course, Hazard himself, with the Red Devils favoured to have a strong run in the tournament.
Captained by Hazard, Belgium went as far as the semi-finals, where they were narrowly beaten 1-0 by eventual winners France. In the third-place play-off, Belgium beat England 2-0 to secure the bronze medal, making it their highest finish at a World Cup in the nation's history.
As far as his goalscoring record went, not many wingers in Premier League history can compete with Hazard in terms of the quality of his finishes. Perhaps the one that stands above the rest was his incredible late winner against Liverpool in the League Cup in 2018.
Only a matter of minutes earlier, Hazard’s free kick resulted in Emerson equalising for the Blues with just over 10 minutes left to play. Entering the final minutes of the 90 with the scores still level, Hazard gained possession by the sidelines with almost every Liverpool player back to defend.
What happened next was a moment of magic from Hazard. The Belgian found his way dribbling through a pair of unfortunate Liverpool defenders, before firing the ball into the far corner from an almost impossible angle, winning the game for Chelsea in the most extraordinary fashion at Anfield.
One of the most impressive individual accomplishments achieved by Hazard during his time at Chelsea was undoubtedly reaching the 100 goals milestone.
He did so on his 322nd appearance for the Blues in a Premier League fixture against Watford in December 2018 to become only the 10th player in the club's history to reach the iconic number and the first winger to manage the feat.
His tally didn’t spend too long at 100, as he would score his brace to secure the three points for Chelsea on a special day for the player.
Towards the end of the 2018/19 season, talk on Hazard’s future was becoming a regular topic amongst the media, although it certainly didn’t affect him, as he recorded his highest goals-and-assists tally in his professional career, with 21 goals and 17 assists in all competitions.
In what would eventually become the final game of his Chelsea career, Hazard signed off in traditional fashion, as the Blues faced rivals Arsenal in the 2019 Europa League final.
His performance that day summed up everything that Eden Hazard was capable of, as he scored twice and assisted another as Chelsea completely dominated Arsenal, winning the game 4-1.
Hazard left as a club legend, with 110 goals and 92 assists in 352 appearances, as well as countless honours won with his team as well as on an individual level.
The following summer, Hazard would sign for Spanish giants Real Madrid in a reported £130m move including add-ons.
It’s no secret that his time in Madrid failed to live up to the expectations that had been set from his time in the Premier League, but on a personal level, signing for a club of that stature is a dream for any young player. Hazard was no different, claiming it was his “dream” to play for Madrid at some point in his career.
His four-year spell in Madrid was riddled with injury struggles, which kept him out of the side for prolonged periods on numerous occasions.
Despite the setbacks faced in Spain, Hazard still featured as Madrid were twice crowned La Liga champions and finally got his hands on the Champions League trophy in the 2021/22 season.
Manchester United star Raphael Varane has responded firmly to FIFA president Gianni Infantino's latest speech against racism in football.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner received a yellow card during Nottingham Forest's clash with Fulham on Tuesday, despite never leaving the bench.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Liverpool appear to have returned to their swashbuckling best this season, putting their underwhelming 2022/23 campaign firmly in the rearview mirror.
Jurgen Klopp’s men stumbled last term, finishing trophyless while also missing out on the Champions League for the first time since the 2016/17 season, and it looked as though the German had lost some of his magic.
The Reds underwent a major summer rebuild however, most notably across their midfield as the likes of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Naby Keita and James Milner all departed the club. This allowed Klopp to bring in a more youthful contingent, including Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister and this seems to have rejuvenated the side.
Indeed, the Merseyside outfit have lost just one game all season – a controversial 2-1 reverse against Tottenham Hotspur last month – and they currently sit fourth in the Premier League, just three points from the summit.
One of the most pleasing aspects this term is how effective Klopp’s frontline has become. Mohamed Salah has registered ten goal contributions so far – six goals and four assists – while Darwin Núñez and Luis Diaz are hitting form at precisely the right time, scoring four and three goals respectively and if they can maintain this excellent run, a trophy or two might not be out of the question.
Despite a fairly low-key start to his Anfield career, Cody Gakpo has also begun the current campaign in solid form.
Once again, Liverpool pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes by announcing they had signed Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven back in January, despite the forward being linked with a host of clubs.
Following an impressive World Cup where he scored three times for the Netherlands plus a solid start to the season for PSV, Gakpo was looked upon as another smart piece of business by Klopp.
Across 26 matches during the second half of last season, he scored seven goals and grabbed three assists, and has since started the current campaign with the ambition of surpassing these figures before Christmas.
The towering asset has scored three times in eight games for the club so far, yet he fails to rank within the top three across the squad for performance metrics which include key passes per game, big chances created or successful dribbles per game and this could become a concern for Klopp.
With the other wingers and forwards stepping up, this has perhaps been overlooked while the German could still have utilised the services of Roberto Firmino, who left Liverpool before the 2023/24 campaign.
Following a rather woeful 2014/15 season, Brendan Rodgers entered the summer transfer window trying to build a squad that could return to challenging for the league title as they had done a season prior.
|
Roberto Firmino at Liverpool |
Games |
Goals |
|---|---|---|
|
2022/23 |
35 |
13 |
|
2021/22 |
35 |
11 |
|
2020/21 |
48 |
9 |
|
2019/20 |
52 |
12 |
|
2018/19 |
48 |
16 |
|
2017/18 |
54 |
27 |
|
2016/17 |
41 |
12 |
|
2015/16 |
49 |
11 |
|
Stats via Transfermarkt |
||
Firmino was earmarked as a player who could take them to the next level, and he joined the Anfield side for a fee of around £29m, becoming the second-highest transfer in their history.
He had netted 49 goals across 153 appearances for Bundesliga side Hoffenheim and this record clearly impressed Rodgers who was desperate for some much-needed firepower.
11 goals in his first season signified decent progress, but he would truly come to life under Klopp, especially once Salah and Sadio Mane were added to the squad.
The great triumvirate was formed and with Mane on the left, Salah on the right and Firmino through the middle, Liverpool reached heights they hadn’t touched since the 1980s.
Klopp led them to Champions League and Premier League glory in successive seasons, while a plethora of other honours were claimed, but like all good things, it had to come to an end sometime.
Mane left in the summer of 2022, joining Bayern Munich and this left a gaping hole in Klopp’s attack, which perhaps led to their poor campaign last year.
Following eight productive seasons in Liverpool, the Brazilian decided to leave the club following the expiration of his contract this summer and chase a new challenge.
He was even hailed as a “stalwart” by former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, and it clearly shows how much he had impressed during his time in England.
The 32-year-old ended his career on Merseyside having registered 190 goal contributions – 111 goals and 79 assists – and ended up joining Saudi side Al-Ahli on a free transfer.
He doesn’t seem to be slowing down however, and is even outperforming Gakpo this season, showing how much he is enjoying life in the Middle East.
Firmino made an immediate impact at his new club, scoring a hattrick on his debut, and he has even grabbed a couple of assists for good measure.
He currently ranks second across the squad for shots on target per game in the Saudi Professional League (one), while also ranking fourth for key passes per game (1.3) and for successful dribbles per game (1.4) and it showcases that he still has the attributes which allow him to shine at the highest level.
His five goal contributions this season is more than the three that Gakpo has registered, suggesting that Firmino may still have had plenty to offer Liverpool this season, even in a slightly different role.
There is no doubt that the Dutchman will eventually showcase the form which he displayed every week in the Eredivisie over the course of the next few months and this will give Klopp’s side a boost.
Firmino, while on the wrong side of 30, is still performing fairly well in a different environment and Klopp may be slightly regretting not trying to tie him down to another year on his previous contract.
If the Anfield side continues this impressive start to the season heading into the festive period, then not many supporters will bat an eyelid with regard to Firmino outperforming Gakpo this term.
It is still early doors, yet the Brazilian could have bolstered the squad depth as the club are looking to challenge on all fronts throughout the remainder of the campaign.