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Glasgow Rangers have agreed a deal to sell a prominent Ibrox player during the summer transfer window, according to a new transfer Gers update from Sky Sports.

Martin's ruthless transfer approach at Rangers

Russell Martin has taken on a huge job at Ibrox, with the Englishman tasked with not only closing the gap on Celtic, but becoming Scottish Premiership champions again.

The 39-year-old is certainly speaking well in his early weeks and months in charge at Rangers, providing a ruthless outlook when it comes to the type of players he wants to sign this summer, and outlining what will put him off bringing in some individuals.

“People need to be desperate to play for this club and not just be an option. When we have spoken to people and they say, ‘Well, I need to hear my options,’ we are onto the next one. People need to be desperate. Spoke to Joe [Rothwell] and there was no other choice on his mind, and he had a lot of options.

“Same with Manny [Emmanuel Fernandez], spoke to my old manager at Peterborough, Darren, and he spoke so highly of him, and he has the potential to be anything he wants to be, I really believe that. Max [Aarons], loads of options in Europe but wanted to be here. Hopefully, because of the strength of the relationship with myself and Gilly [Matt Gill], but also because he wants to come and win and be part of something.”

There are likely to be plenty of ins and outs at Rangers before the transfer window reaches its conclusion, and it looks as though one current player’s time at Ibrox is now coming to an end.

Rangers agree deal to sell £9,000-a-week defender

According to a fresh update from Sky Sports, Rangers have now “agreed a deal” to sell centre-back Robin Propper back to former club FC Twente this summer.

“Rangers have agreed a deal for defender Robin Propper to return to Dutch club FC Twente. He moved to Ibrox last summer and will now be allowed to return to the Eredivisie if he can agree personal terms. Rangers will also allow the likes of Leon King, Ben Davies, Clinton Nsiala and Jose Cifuentes to depart this summer.”

This feels like the right decision by Rangers, despite Martin recently confirming the agreement in place and admitting that he has been “really impressed” with Propper since coming in as manager.

Appearances

25

Starts

21

Minutes played

1851

Clearances per game

4.0

Aerial duel wins per game

3.2

Tackles per game

1.6

Interceptions per game

0.9

Goals

2

Assists

0

The 31-year-old has struggled to wholly convince on a consistent basis since arriving from Twente in the summer of 2024, making only 21 starts in the Scottish Premiership last season.

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The £9,000-a-week defender also isn’t getting any younger, meaning the Rangers can cash in on him now and use the funds to look to bring in a younger centre-back option – one who could be a regular starter for Martin.

Nine new faces have already entered the Birmingham City camp this summer, with that number surely set to increase before September’s looming deadline.

It has gone somewhat quiet on the Blues transfer front after signings galore joined the building at breakneck speed, but another striker must surely be on Chris Davies’ shopping list now that Alfie May has officially sealed a move away to Huddersfield Town.

May would go on to fire home a devastating 17 goals for the Blues across 57 appearances, but the leap up to the Championship was presumably judged to be too much for the 32-year-old to adjust to.

Instead, Birmingham have managed to recuperate £1.2m by selling him on, with that money set to be put to good use in chasing after an immediate replacement.

The blow of May moving on has also been softened by Kyogo Furuhashi’s £10m arrival on the scene, which will also undoubtedly improve Birmingham’s firepower heading into the Championship.

Why Kyogo should be a big success at Birmingham

When looking at Kyogo’s well-travelled career to date, he has more hits on his resume than notable blunders.

In Japan, for both Vissel Kobe and FC Gifu – before embarking on a transformative Celtic move – Kyogo would show early signs of his blistering edge in front of goal, with a promising 66 strikes tallied up from 182 clashes.

That sturdy number would be amazingly eclipsed in Glasgow when leading the line for Celtic, with a whopping 85 strikes coming his way from 165 total contests.

He did then fall victim to a zero-goal stint at Rennes, but he will hope he can write that short stay off in France as a fluke on his otherwise sparkling CV.

More strikers entering the Blues camp will hopefully take the pressure off Kyogo’s shoulders to be Birmingham’s sole leading man, with these fresh arrivals to Davies’ side also potentially getting even more out of the Japanese gem.

One potential new purchase, in particular, has shown he is content with being an assist king, as much as he enjoys chipping in with a strike or two of his own.

Extraordinary Blues target could be a dream for Kyogo

May will be mainly remembered for his 17-goal heroics last season, but he also provided a healthy nine assists for the attacking bodies around him.

New Blues target Marvin Ducksch should be able to come in and fill this void effectively when looking at his standout Werder Bremen numbers, with Football League World reporting that Davies and Co. are close to landing the well-rounded German as an attacker who could fire them up to the Premier League.

24/25

36

9

11

23/24

34

13

10

22/23

35

12

9

21/22

29

20

10

Whilst it’s clear from glancing at the table above that Ducksch shares Kyogo’s clinical nature with an explosive 54 strikes picked up across his last four campaigns for Bremen, he also has the added plus of being a creative machine on his side, with an impressive 40 assists next to his name.

Last season, in particular, saw the Dortmund-born attacker’s goalscoring exploits take a backseat for his unselfish nature to come to the forefront.

He produced 11 assists next to his nine goals, with his FBref numbers over the last year also seeing him come away with a noticeable 3.20 progressive passes on average per clash, enough to rank him in the top 7% of positionally similar players in Europe’s top five leagues.

Being this consistent creative spark for Bremen has even resulted in Ducksch being called up to the Germany national side, on top of the 31-year-old being hailed as “extraordinary” by teammate Mitchell Weiser for what he can provide.

All of this will be music to the ears of a poacher-like presence such as Kyogo, who has been donned as “exceptional” himself in the past for his finishing ability under pressure by ex-Hoops comrade Joe Hart.

The struggle here might well come in getting both the German and the £10m attacker in the same XI, owing to Davies’ regular 4-2-3-1 set-up, but this is a selection headache Davies won’t be dreading, as his attacking personnel is strengthened regardless.

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Birmingham City will want to replace Alfie May swiftly as this £10m star comes onto their agenda.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 22, 2025

Murphy claimed 3 for 38 after Usman Khawaja posted 57, as Victoria held on despite some late batting heroics from Michael Neser

Alex Malcolm27-Sep-2024Three wickets to Test offspinner Todd Murphy and some nerveless catching from Victoria helped them to a thrilling six-run win at the Junction Oval after a brilliant cameo from Michael Neser almost stole the game for Queensland.Murphy took 3 for 38 as Queensland collapsed from 106 for 1 in the 24th over to 205 for 9 in the 46th chasing a very gettable 241. Neser was left with No.11 Tom Straker to chase the last 36 required from 24 balls. That equation became 19 off six after three excellent overs from captain Will Sutherland, Fergus O’Neill and Peter Siddle gave up just 15 runs.Neser faced two dots from Sam Elliott in the final over before launching two massive sixes to pull the Bulls within seven runs of victory with two balls remaining. But off the penultimately delivery he holed out to Jono Merlo at deep square who took an excellent catch looking into the setting sun to finish the game. Neser finished with 49 from 41 balls.Earlier, Test opener Usman Khawaja made a fluent 72-ball 57, sharing in a 90-run stand with opening partner Ben McDermott to have the game under control. But Murphy shifted the tide with an excellent spell. He forced a mistake from McDermott to break the stand after building some pressure. Sutherland then seized the moment.Noticing the grip and turn Murphy was getting on the worn surface, having seen another Test spinner in Mitchell Swepson take 3 for 38 earlier in the day, he called on the part-time offspin of opening batter Josh Brown, who had previously bowled just three balls in his professional career. After conceding a boundary first ball, Brown snared Khawaja caught behind with some extra bounce.Siddle then squeezed through the middle overs picking up two wickets. The second was courtesy of a stunning one-handed diving catch by Marcus Harris at mid-on. When Matt Renshaw fell for 38, Murphy turned the screws picking up two more to swing the game in Victoria’s favour.”It was really good that we were able to sort of stay in it,” Murphy said after the match. “I think when the ball got a little bit older, a bit softer, it’s a bit harder to hit as well. And I think we knew, especially the way their team structured, that they were very heavy at the top. So if we could make a breakthrough, sort of at any point and get a new batter in and put some pressure on him with a soft ball and a wearing wicket it was always going to be difficult.”Victoria were able to hold on despite Neser’s late heroics. His stand-in captain Swepson was full of praise for his efforts.”Ness played an unbelievable knock on a very tricky wicket, it seemed like it got harder and harder at the end there,” Swepson said. “For him to get us into the game in that last over, incredible knock from him. Unfortunately, we just fell short.”Queensland thought they had done enough with the ball, restricting Victoria to 240 for 7 after winning the toss. Harris made a vital 63 to hold the innings together before Sutherland (31 not out) and Elliott (32) produced more late-over heroics as they did against Tasmania, sharing a 63-run stand off the final 35 balls to post a winning total.Harris was pleased to spend some time in the middle after missing out in the opening game against Tasmania. But he was more excited to talk about his one-handed catch to dismiss Hugo Burdon.”I didn’t move very well and I thought I better stick a hand out and see what happens,” Harris said. “It was luck more than anything.”The win moves Victoria to the top of the One-Day Cup table after two rounds with two wins. Queensland depart Melbourne with just two points following a wash out against Tasmania.

Shanto’s fluctuating form with the bat influenced his decision

Mohammad Isam26-Oct-2024Najmul Hossain Shanto has expressed his wish to step down as the Bangladesh captain, according to BCB. Shanto, Bangladesh’s captain in all three formats, has informed the board that he wants the ongoing Test series at home against South Africa to be his last as the captain.ESPNcricinfo has learned that Shanto sent the message to senior board officials following the first Test against South Africa in Dhaka, which Bangladesh lost by seven wickets. The BCB is yet to discuss the matter as president Faruque Ahmed is not in the country – he is expected to arrive in Dhaka on Monday evening.If Shanto’s resignation is accepted, the BCB will have to appoint a new captain on short notice with a packed schedule ahead.Related

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The second Test against South Africa is scheduled for October 29 to November 2, and Bangladesh are then off to the UAE to play three ODIs against Afghanistan, with the first game on November 6. That series ends on November 11, and they then go to the West Indies for an all-format series – the three-day tour match prior to the series-opening first Test starts on November 15.ESPNcricinfo understands Shanto’s fluctuating form with the bat influenced his decision. He has averaged 25.76 since taking over the Test captaincy last November after being one of the team’s in-form batters at the time.He was subsequently given Bangladesh’s ODI and T20I captaincy too, as the BCB was looking for a man to lead the team through the period of transition with several of their senior cricketers either retiring from certain formats or being on the verge of doing so.Shanto, however, hasn’t done badly as a captain, leading Bangladesh to a Test win against New Zealand last year and then the Test series win against Pakistan in August this year.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have now made contact with the agent of a Champions League player who is “always dangerous”, according to a report from Sky Sports.

Wolves keen on new right-back following Semedo departure

Nelson Semedo has penned an emotional farewell to Wolves, following the former captain’s decision to leave upon the expiration of his contract this summer, saying: “You made me grow so much as a athlete and as a person.

“I always tried my best every single day to represent this club in a way it deserves and I made sure that I always left the pitch with nothing else to give.”

The Portuguese defender made 34 appearances in the Premier League last term, providing four assists, but having now made the decision to leave Molineux, Vitor Pereira will be tasked with bringing in a replacement.

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It appears as though the Old Gold may already be close to doing exactly that, having agreed a £14.8m deal to sign Sevilla’s Juanlu, however, they still need to convince the defender to make the move to the Premier League, amid rival interest from Napoli.

As such, an alternative option may be required, and Sky Sports Germany have now reported that Wolves have made contact with the agent of Borussia Dortmund’s Ryerson, who is also attracting interest from newly-promoted Sunderland.

Despite being content in the Bundesliga, the Dortmund defender dreams of a move to the Premier League, which suggests a deal could be possible, although the Old Gold are yet to enter concrete negotiations.

It is unclear what sort of fee the German side would be looking to receive, but they may be keen to make a profit on the €5m (£4m) they shelled out in 2022, given that the 27-year-old has emerged as an important player in recent times.

"Dangerous" Ryerson could be ideal Semedo heir

Semedo is capable of making a real impact on the front foot, as displayed by the fact he ranks in the 83rd percentile for successful take-ons over the past year, and there are indications the Dortmund ace could be a similar type of player.

Former Dortmund boss Edin Terzic has previously lauded the full-back for the impact he makes going forward, saying: “I took an early liking to him and his style of play. He plays with great intensity and is always dangerous when he’s on the offensive as well. That’s what sets him apart.”

The Norwegian has experience in the Champions League, making 12 appearances in the competition last season, while also finding the back of the net against Maccabi Haifa in the Conference League during his time with Union Berlin.

Following Semedo’s departure, Pereira may be keen to bring in a new right-back who is capable of posing a threat on the front foot, and Ryerson very much fits the bill.

Fast bowling consultant believes England’s options are expanding ahead of next winter’s Ashes

Matt Roller13-Oct-2024England want to arrive in Australia next winter with a “battery” of fast bowlers and James Anderson believes the list of candidates for that tour is “growing and growing”. Anderson has worked as their fast-bowling coach since he was ushered into retirement in July and said on Sunday that he is excited by the emergence of a new generation of seam bowlers.Rob Key, England’s managing director, has been vocal in his ambition to bring through a stock of quicks who bowl “85mph-plus with high skill” as they look to replace Anderson and Stuart Broad. Last year, he offered two-year contracts to four seamers – Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Matt Potts and Josh Tongue – whom he believes have the attributes to succeed at Test level.Tongue has spent the last 14 months sidelined with a pectoral injury, while Potts has only played two Tests since June 2023. But Atkinson has thrived, taking 38 wickets at 21.86 in his first seven Tests and scoring a century against Sri Lanka, while Carse impressed on debut in Multan last week with his speed, skill and stamina.Related

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“[Atkinson] seems to rise to every challenge that’s put in front of him,” Anderson said. “Brydon was outstanding… To bowl 90mph in that heat, pretty consistently, was an amazing effort. He was accurate, he bowled good short stuff when we needed him to do that, and he bowls wicket-taking balls – and that’s what we’re after, as a bowling group.”He has always been on the radar of the selectors for the away Ashes… It looks like he has all the attributes to do well there. He has got pace, bounce and he is accurate, and he has skills and he can bat. He is ticking a lot of boxes. Hopefully, he can stay fit and get a lot of confidence from how he bowled the other day.”England are missing Mark Wood in Pakistan due to his elbow injury, while they still hope that Jofra Archer might return to Test cricket next year after a three-year absence. Archer has spent most of that time sidelined with back and elbow issues but has gradually stepped up his workload over the past six months and still has ambitions to play all formats.”The list is not endless, but it feels like it is growing and growing,” Anderson said. “We’ve got the likes of Woody and Jofra [to come back in] but also Olly Stone and Josh Tongue. It feels like there’s loads of guys coming through – Josh Hull as well, who we think has got a good future.”It does feel like there are options there. It is really exciting for an England group at the minute, thinking of what we have ahead with India next summer, then Australia, and then going forward over the next three years.”Anderson’s involvement with England’s fast bowlers is officially as a consultant coach for their winter Test tours to Pakistan and New Zealand, with his longer-term future with the team unclear. He left open the possibility of extending his role further down the line, potentially including next winter’s Ashes tour.”I’m really enjoying it,” Anderson said. “We have an amazing coaching group who have been really helpful. I’ve not officially done this job before, but I feel like it’s not far off where I was for the last few years of my career: trying to be there for bowlers, help them as much as possible, come up with ideas when we’re in the field. It’s been great… so far, so good.”He also played down the significance of his late arrival for the tour, having missed England’s three training days and the first day of the first Test. Anderson was instead playing in a pro-am golf tournament at St Andrews, but said that he had only agreed to participate after running the idea past England coach Brendon McCullum.”I’m not full-time with England, I’m a consultant,” Anderson said. “I was still in contact with the bowlers and in the end, it didn’t really matter that I wasn’t here. I thought we bowled really well… The last few tours I went on, we didn’t have a bowling coach and it is good for the lads to take some responsibility.”

Harry Kane may have departed Tottenham Hotspur two years ago, but his absence is still strongly felt within the current first-team squad to this day.

Losing any key player to a European giant is always likely to cause trouble, but when that player is arguably one of the best to ever wear the club’s shirt – the task of replacing him becomes a near impossible task.

The Englishman registered 280 goals for the Lilywhites, with such a tally making him their highest-ever goalscorer, surpassing the record previously held by the late Jimmy Greaves.

He managed to find the net over 30 times in 50% of the seasons he spent as a first-team regular in North London, further highlighting how important he was to their ambition for success.

However, Thomas Frank has the opportunity this summer to potentially make a move for a star who could emulate the 32-year-old’s massive success within the final third should he make the move.

The latest on Spurs’ hunt for new attackers this summer

In recent days, Roma star Matias Soule has been touted as a potential option for Spurs, looking to inject needed depth and quality into the club’s forward line.

Recent reports have suggested that Frank’s side have already made a £28m offer to sign the 22-year-old, potentially facing a battle with Aston Villa for the winger’s signature this summer.

However, he’s not the only attacker currently in their sights, leading to key work being done to complete a deal for Real Madrid star Rodrygo, according to one Spanish outlet.

They claim that the Lilywhites have already entered negotiations with the Brazilian’s representatives over a move to North London after he was told he’s free to leave the Spanish giants this window.

Their report also states that the 24-year-old could be available for a fee in the region of £86m, but Frank’s side aren’t alone in their pursuit, with fellow English sides Arsenal and Liverpool also closely monitoring the situation.

Why Spurs’ latest target would be their best attacker since Kane

After selling Kane for £82m a couple of years ago, the hierarchy turned to Dominic Solanke last summer in an attempt to fill the void left by his compatriot.

However, despite costing a club-record £65m, his first season in North London was littered with injuries, only making 25 Premier League starts and netting just nine goals.

He still has time to showcase he was worth the money spent, but the same can’t be said for Richarlison, who could be on the way out of the club this summer.

The Brazilian only managed to score four times in England’s top-flight last campaign, further highlighting the need for added quality in such an area this window.

A move for Rodrygo may prove to be a pricey one, but it’s a deal that could hand Frank the talent he craves to be a success during his first season in the role.

His stats from his most recent season at the Santiago Bernabéu highlight the threat he carries within the final third, arguably being worth every penny of what would be another new record signing.

Rodrygo, who’s been labelled “world-class” by analyst Ben Mattinson, scored 14 times across all competitions last season, having the goalscoring nouse despite his wide position – something the side have desperately lacked in 2024/25.

Games played

30

Goals & assists

11

Pass accuracy

86%

Progressive passes

5.1

Progressive carries

5.3

Successful take-ons

2.3

Key passes made

2.3

Shot-on-target accuracy

38%

Passes into final third

3.1

However, alongside his superb ability to find the back of the net, he also possesses a creative side that could allow those around him to bolster their own tallies next season.

He registered 5.1 progressive passes per 90, 3.1 of which were into the final third, subsequently able to help Solanke in his quest to raise his figures throughout 2025/26.

The Brazilian’s talent on the ball is further reflected in his tally of 2.3 successful take-ons per 90, subsequently wanting to take on his opponent at any given opportunity.

Should he transfer his skillset over to England with him, it would be a sensational piece of business by the board, further highlighting their ambitions of building on the recent Europa League success.

He would offer an all-round ability in attacking areas, similar to that of Kane, having the chance to make himself a fan favourite just like the Englishman did during his stint in North London.

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Hugo Ekitike is looking forward to playing alongside new Liverpool signing Alexander Isak, as the Frenchman claimed that he is not worried about the competition. Ekitike has made a bright start to his journey at Anfield, scoring three goals in his first four appearances. Yet the English champions went ahead and completed the blockbuster signing of Isak on deadline day.

Ekitike is not worried about Isak competitionFrenchman off to a flying start at LiverpoolIsak joined Liverpool on deadline dayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Liverpool spent nearly half a billion pounds to rebuild their squad in the summer transfer window as they shelled out big money to complete deals for stars like Florian Wirtz, Ekitike and finally Isak on deadline day from Newcastle United.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ekitike made a mark right from the word go by netting three goals in his first four matches for the Reds, including two Premier League strikes. However, his place as a No.9 could now come under threat, following Isak's arrival. The Swede has performed consistently in the Premier League for the past two seasons as the Magpies' first-choice striker and has more experience of English football than his French counterpart.

WHAT EKITIKE SAID

Ekitike, however, is not concerned about the competition, as he insisted that it was Arne Slot's responsibility to figure out the right combination. Speaking to reporters, the France international said: "When you play for the best teams, you inevitably expect to be competing with the best players. Isak is a player I used to watch, so seeing him arrive is a pleasure. It's going to be tough competition, but I'm going to work hard to be good and perform well so that it's just the coach's problem."

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR ISAK & EKITIKE?

The Liverpool duo will be in action for their respective national teams this week in World Cup qualifying. While Sweden face Kosovo on Monday, France take on Iceland a day later.

Travis Head and Temba Bavuma among batters and Pat Cummins and Matt Henry among bowlers to have moved up this week

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-2024Joe Root isn’t the No. 1 Test batter in the world anymore. The man he said was “far and away the best player in the world at the minute”, Harry Brook, has gone to the top of the pile following his 123 and 55 in the second Test in New Zealand, which came on the back of a 171 in the first Test, which had taken him to the second spot.It’s a slender lead at the top for Brook, though, just one point, with Root doing his cause no harm with a 106 in the second innings of that second Test, which England won by 323 runs to go 2-0 up in the three-Test series. Indeed, how the two of them go in the third Test, starting December 14 in Hamilton, could well determine if Brook stays No. 1 or Root takes back his crown almost immediately.Root had held the top spot since he went past Kane Williamson – currently No. 3 – in July this year. He has been the top batter in Test cricket nine times over his career.Full rankings tables

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Brook was named Player of the Match in Wellington and Root was quick to shower praise on his younger colleague. “Brooky is by far and away the best player in the world at the minute,” he had said. “He can absorb pressure, he can apply it. He can whack you over your head for six. He can scoop you over his head for six. He can smack spin. He can smack seam.”Just 25, Brook has scored 2280 runs from 38 innings across 23 Tests, and currently averages 61.62. Those numbers include eight centuries, including a mammoth 317 against Pakistan in Multan in October 2024.Travis Head and Temba Bavuma move upIt has been a busy time for Test cricket on the whole, with Australia hosting India in a five-match series – of which two have been played so far – and South Africa beating Sri Lanka 2-0 at home earlier this week.Travis Head, who hit 140 in the first innings of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Adelaide to set up Australia’s ten-wicket win, has zoomed up six spots to fifth, while Temba Bavuma’s 78 and 66 in the second Test in Gqeberha took him up three places to seventh on the table.Bavuma, in fact, was named Player of the Series for his tally of 327 runs.Marnus Labuschagne, who signalled a bit of a return to form in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide, has also moved up following his 64 in the first innings, going up three spots to get to 13th.ESPNcricinfo LtdCompetition for Jasprit BumrahJasprit Bumrah, the top-ranked Test bowler, strengthened his position with a four-wicket haul in the first innings in Adelaide, but Kagiso Rabada, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins are not too far behind.Hazlewood missed the second Test, but Cummins’ seven wickets in the Test took him up from fifth to fourth past R Ashwin, while Rabada held on to his second spot – he has 856 points to Bumrah’s 890 – after picking up three wickets in Gqeberha.Matt Henry was the other quick bowler to move up within the top ten, his four wickets in Wellington moving him up from tenth to ninth place.

Ademola Lookman has been warned he faces a tough road back into the Atalanta first-team after he was left out of the squad again on Sunday. The Nigerian has been at odds with the club after his dramatic attempts to force a move to Inter in this summer transfer window. Manager Ivan Juric called it a tense situation as he asked for more "humility" and wants his players to have a "sense of belonging."

Lookman absent again as Atalanta thrash Lecce

The attacker was again left out of the squad altogether as Atalanta claimed their first Serie A win of the season by beating Lecce 4-1 in Bergamo. The game came two days after Lookman met with club president Antonio Percassi, CEO Luca Percassi and sporting director Tony D'Amico to discuss his situation at the club following his attempts to force a summer transfer, but it remains unclear if he will be welcomed back into the team.

AdvertisementGettyJuric explains why Lookman was left out against Lecce

It had been reported that Lookman may make it to the squad for Sunday's match, but Juric refused to relent and explained his decision after the game.

"Lookman won't be called up; it's a bad, unpleasant situation," he told reporters. "We need spirit, fighting spirit, humility, hard work, and a sense of belonging. Our players need to be like this; I want a different level of humanity."

Lookman included in Champions League squad

Lookman tried to force his way out of the club as Serie A rivals Inter made an offer. After Atalanta refused, he handed in a transfer request and publicly criticised the club, accusing them of breaking a promise. Atalanta hit back with the claim that the agreement to sell him for a certain price only applied to non-Italian teams and the player remained on strike for some time. The 27-year-old has since been training alone, but has been included in the Champions League squad, suggesting he could still play a role under Juric.

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Getty Images SportAtalanta visit PSG for Champions League opener

Atalanta are set to face the reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain as they kick off their Champions League campaign on September 18. However, Juric's side are missing their starting star forward, Gianluca Scamacca, who is out with a quadriceps injury and is expected to return in late September.