Sunderland are working hard to make further additions to their squad before the summer transfer window officially slams shut at 7 pm on Monday.

Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie claims that the Black Cats are ‘hopeful’ of agreeing a deal to bring Bologna central defender Jhon Lucumi to the Stadium of Light before the deadline.

The reporter reveals that the club placed a £24m bid in for the Colombia international earlier this week, and they are now looking to press ahead with a move to snap him up.

Lucumi played 32 times in the Serie A and seven times in the Champions League for Bologna last season, so he could arrive as an experienced option for Regis Le Bris to call upon in his backline.

Sunderland eyeing late deal for EFL star

The Black Cats may not be done strengthening their defence even if they are able to land a deal for the Colombian titan, though, as they are also looking at a new goalkeeper.

Transfer Focus

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

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According to EFL Analysis, Sunderland are interested in a deal to sign Stoke City goalkeeper Viktor Johansson before Monday’s transfer deadline.

The report claims that Le Bris wants to bring in another goalkeeper to compete with Anthony Patterson and Robin Roefs in the Premier League this season, and has identified the Sweden international as a target.

It states that Potters boss Mark Robins has told the club not to sell Johansson before the end of the window, but it remains to be seen whether or not he will get his wish as Sunderland plot a last-gasp move for the colossus.

If the Black Cats can convince Stoke to part ways with their number one, Le Bris could have an even better signing than Lucumi on his hands.

Why Johansson would be a better signing than Lucumi for Sunderland

Lucumi won 60% of his duels in 32 appearances in the Serie A last season, per Sofascore, and could be a dominant defensive force for the club, but he is also prone to errors.

The 27-year-old centre-back made four errors that led to shots, three errors that led to goals, conceded one penalty, and was sent off once. No Sunderland player made as many errors as all of those combined in the 2024/25 Championship, per Sofascore.

That is a bit of a concern because it suggests that Sunderland will be signing a player who could cost them a lot of points through individual errors if those mistakes come at key moments in games.

Johansson, however, is a defensive presence, albeit in a very different position, who would not be as much of a potential liability for Sunderland if they decided to make him their number one.

Viktor Johansson (Championship)

23/24

25/26

Appearances

46

3

Save percentage

71%

78%

Clean sheets

14

1

Goals prevented

+10.94

+0.77

Error led to goal

1

0

Penalties committed

0

0

Red cards

0

0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Swedish star very rarely makes any significant errors and is an unbelievable shot-stopper, preventing nearly 12 more goals than xG expected him to since the start of last season.

For context, Roefs prevented 5.20 goals in the Eredivisie last season and is on -0.05 in his first two Premier League matches, which suggests that Johansson may come in as an upgrade on him as a shot-stopper.

The Stoke star, who has been hailed as “outstanding” by Robins, is an incredibly reliable goalkeeper who can pull off the extraordinary to bail his team out time and time again, as shown by his amazing statistics.

This is why he could be an even better signing than Lucumi, who may be prone to errors and significant mistakes, for Sunderland if they can get a last-gasp deal over the line before the deadline.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Aug 27, 2025

There are many experienced players in the India team that New Zealand men’s side will be wary of in the Champions Trophy final. But one of their most inexperienced players will also loom large on the minds of New Zealand’s batters.Varun Chakravarthy has played all of three ODIs, but in that stretch, he has got eight wickets, and averages 18.12. By far his best haul came against New Zealand, in these teams’ final group match, when on a big-turning track, he claimed 5 for 42, with several New Zealand batters unable to pick him.In fact it’s not only New Zealand’s own batters. On Friday evening, two days out from the final, Chakravarthy was even seen bamboozling no less a player than Virat Kohli in the nets at the ICC Academy. Chakravarthy had followed up his five-for against New Zealand with another solid outing against Australia, on a track less given to spin, in the semi-final. He took 2 for 49 from 10 overs.Related

• India and New Zealand, the most dominant forces in ICC events

• Ind vs NZ: A spin cycle for Champions Trophy glory

• Tactics board: How key will Kohli vs Santner be? Is batting first the best option in Dubai?

Having seen him once already could make it easier for the batters to handle him, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said on the eve of the final.”I think guys will be better for the run against Varun. He’s obviously a world-class bowler we’ve seen it here and in the IPL. He’s got that little bit of mystery. But it was the first time some of the guys have been facing him. I think they’ll learn from the other day.”Santner got a particularly vicious delivery from Chakravarthy in the group match, one that was flat and fast, and yet took substantial turn to take out his off stump.Varun Chakravarthy picked up five wickets against New Zealand•ICC via Getty Images

“If the pitch plays a similar way, it’s going to be a challenge along with all three of their other spinners. I think the boys will be ready for tomorrow having looked at a little bit more footage. We know what his threats are now. That 115kph arm ball, that got me – that was a bit of a threat.”While Chakravarthy is India’s top spin-bowling wicket-taker in the tournament, their other three spinners have also prospered on a turning Dubai track. Axar Patel has five wickets for the tournament, and Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja have four each. They had been effective through the middle in that previous game against New Zealand.”I think the way Axar and Jadeja denied us for a long time, it might be something similar again on a slow wicket, where it’s as if you can kind of just rotate and hit the odd bad ball away, you can get yourself up to a decent score,” Santner said.”We’ve got some good players of spin and it’s about them trying to just play their games and whether it’s to get your broom out and sweep, or it’s to use your feet, I guess we kind of give our players the freedom to play their own way.”New Zealand have their own quartet of spinners, in Santner himself, Michael Bracewell, Glenn Phillips, and Rachin Ravindra.”On the flipside, it’s the same with us. For us it’s about trying to build pressure for a long period of time to produce a false shot.”

A “fantastic” Premier League player has now reportedly opened the door to a potential move to Celtic before the end of the summer transfer window.

Rodgers left agitated over Celtic's business

The Hoops may have won 4-1 at home to Falkirk in the Scottish League Cup second round on Friday evening, but Brendan Rodgers didn’t appear to be in the mood to celebrate.

The Celtic manager produced a spiky response in his press conference when asked about potential summer signings in the next few weeks, suggesting that he isn’t entirely happy about the situation.

“I don’t know, I have just come out of the game here. We will wait to see, we have named the squad before the game. if not that is the squad that we are going with.

“Ok, let me repeat what I have just said. I have just finished the game. During the 90 odd minutes of the game, I don’t know anything, I don’t know anything. There might be, but there may not be, but we have the team that we have.”

Celtic need more signings this month, in order to give a better account of themselves in the Champions League in 2025/26, and they may be buoyed by a new transfer update that has emerged.

"Fantastic" ace hands Celtic transfer boost

According to Football Insider, West Ham midfielder and rumoured Celtic target Andy Irving has “opened the door to a move away” from the London Stadium this summer. Rangers are also in the mix to snap him up.

The 25-year-old wants to “play more regular minutes and is expected to jump at the opportunity to play European football this season”, potentially playing into the hands of the Hoops, who have already seen a £2.5m bid rejected for him.

Reporter Pete O’Rourke said: “There’s a top player in there who wants to be playing regularly at this stage of his career. The chance to move to Celtic or Rangers would be very enticing for him, two big clubs with European football on offer as well. For West Ham, if they were to get a decent offer for Irving they wouldn’t stand in his way.”

Irving could be just what Rodgers is after, in terms of strengthening his options in the middle of the park, with Irving a potentially shrewd signing.

Granted, it hasn’t worked out hugely for the Scot at West Ham, with a lack of minutes coming his way, but he has been lauded by Robbie Horn in the past, not least because of the “fantastic attitude” he has.

“Andy was a really nice lad with a fantastic attitude. He had clearly been brought up by a good family. I could never speak highly enough of him as a person. Even after he left, he would be sending me messages about how our games had gone and the other boys had got on. He showed that interest even after he left, so there were no airs and graces about him.”

"Direct" star wants Celtic move with deal there to be done after talks

The Bhoys could yet get their man…

By
Tom Cunningham

Aug 16, 2025

Irving will want to give himself the best chance as possible of making Scotland’s 2026 World Cup squad next summer, assuming they qualify for the tournament, and he would surely benefit more by being a key man at Celtic, playing in the Champions League and enjoying more regular playing time.

Chelsea are currently undergoing a hectic last 13 days of the summer transfer window, as BlueCo attempt to agree a host of incomings and outgoings.

The west Londoners have balanced out their near-£280 million spend on new signings over the last few months with a major influx of cash.

Chelsea’s triumph at the Club World Cup yielded prize money of around £87.5 million, adding to their estimated £80m revenue from qualifying for the Champions League and £220 million raised through player sales.

Cash isn’t the issue when it comes to adding more new signings to Enzo Maresca’s squad before the deadline on September 1, but their pact with UEFA is.

Chelsea must produce a positive transfer balance by the end of the window, or they won’t be able to register new signings for their Champions League squad. This is part of the settlement Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital reached after Chelsea were found guilty of breaching FFP rules last month.

Simply put, the Blues must sell before they can buy right now. Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson, Renato Veiga, Axel Disasi, Carney Chukwuemeka, Ben Chilwell, Raheem Sterling, Alfie Gilchrist and potentially Tyrique George are all up for grabs from Chelsea, either on loan or permanently.

All the aforementioned players could join Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys, Noni Madueke, Marcus Bettinelli, Mathis Amougou, Djordje Petrovic, João Félix, Ishe Samuels-Smith, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Armando Broja and Lesley Ugochukwu out the door.

Their success when it comes to trimming the squad will have a knock-on effect when it comes to Chelsea’s moves for Man United winger Alejandro Garnacho and RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons.

Chelsea have been in talks to sign both Simons and Garnacho over the last fortnight, and the attackers have already agreed personal terms on switches to Stamford Bridge.

However, as Chelsea attempt to get the likes of Jackson and Nkunku out to make space, it appears both men are in limbo right now and waiting to seal their desired moves to London.

Chelsea pledge to make official bid for Xavi Simons soon

Sky Germany have an intriguing update on this, and they reassure supporters that Chelsea’s move for Simons remains very much alive despite the delay.

The 22-year-old, who is Leipzig’s highest-ever paid player on a contract worth £192,000-per-week, has indeed already agreed personal terms to join Maresca’s side – and it is believed that Chelsea have promised to make an official offer to Simons’ club soon.

Sky give a timeframe as to when this transfer could start moving, and they estimate that the dominos will start falling into place after Leipzig’s Bundesliga opener against Bayern Munich on Friday.

The former PSG sensation is expected to play for Leipzig against Vincent Kompany’s German champions, and this could well act as a farewell game for Simons before his potentially imminent move to the Premier League.

It is set to be a very entertaining end to the summer for Chelsea, coming amid Maresca’s serious desire to sign a new centre-back as well, which he’s made public to the media in light of Levi Colwill’s ACL injury.

كشف الإعلامي أحمد شوبير حقيقة رغبة ييس توروب المدير الفني لـ الأهلي في الاستغناء عن خدمات بعض اللاعبين في الفترة المقبلة.

ويستعد الأهلي لافتتاح مشواره ببطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا بمواجهة منافسه ايجل نوار بطل بوروندي ضمن لقاءات دور الـ32 من المسابقة القارية.

وقال أحمد شوبير في تصريحات إذاعية عبر “أون سبورت اف ام”: “للمرة الألف المدرب لم يقل إنه سيستبعد فلانًا، أو سيشرك فلانًا، أو سيضم فلانًا، أو سيلعب بفلان، أو لن يلعب بفلان، أو سيرحِّل فلانًا أو سيميِّز فلانًا، أو أي شيء من هذا القبيل على الإطلاق”.

طالع | ملامح طريقته وقرار حاسم.. ماذا دار في مران الأهلي الأول تحت قيادة ييس توروب؟

وأكمل: “هذا الكلام لم يُطرح أبدًا، والمشكلة، أننا أحيانًا نردد كلامًا، لكن يجب أن نعقله، أن نفهمه بعقلانية، الناس يريدوننا أن نتبعهم ونقول إن هذا الأمر صحيح، كيف ذلك”.

وأردف: “أيها الناس الرجل أجرى أول تدريب له أمس، أول تدريب فقط، ويقال إنه قرر استبعاد هذا وإشراك ذاك، وأن هذا أفضل من ذاك، وأن هذا سيأخذ مكان ذاك، وأن هذا سيُرحَّل، وذاك سيُجدَّد له، وذاك لن يُجدَّد له، وذاك لن يُدافع عنه”.

وأتم: “قبل أن يردد الناس هذا الكلام، أرجوكم من فضلكم لو سمحتم، اعقلوا الكلام، اجعلوه منطقيًا وعاديًا، هذا الأمر لم يحدث من المدرب، لا من قريب ولا من بعيد”.

He also hailed Marco Jansen as ‘the complete package’ for South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Mar-20251:39

Do South Africa have the best attack in the tournament?

Anil Kumble feels that the variety offered by South Africa’s pace trio of Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi makes them the most complete attack for the not-always-bowler-friendly conditions seen in the Champions Trophy 2025.On Saturday, South Africa hammered England to progress into the semi-finals. In their two group stage matches (one was rained off), South Africa bowled England out for 179 and Afghanistan for 208 – the two lowest totals in completed innings in this edition of the Champions Trophy.”I think one good thing about South Africa is that all three of their fast bowlers that played today – of course Mulder is the one who bowls the middle periods – but if you look at the three tall fast bowlers, all of them are really tall. And all of them are different,” Kumble said on ESPNcricinfo’s Match Day show.Related

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“Their angles are very different. Rabada is very classical whereas Ngidi is pretty awkward to face with his action and Marco Jansen comes at such height. So all three are very different. So that’s the nature you want in a one-day. That’s the variation.”Even on a flat track, it’s not easy for the batters to line up because all three are very different. And that’s something that South Africa can certainly feel [confident] they have this kind of a quality and also the variety going into the business end of the tournament.”1:27

Kumble heaps praise on Jansen

Kumble: Jansen the ‘complete package for South Africa’Jansen set the tone in South Africa’s win against England, dismissing their top three inside seven overs with his bounce. He also took three catches, including one off his own bowling.”I think he’s still very young, although he has played quite a lot of cricket. He has certainly matured,” Kumble said. “I’m sure these three wickets [will give him confidence], and also you can see his athleticism in the field with all those catches.”He has improved a lot with his batting as well. He has contributed with the bat on many occasions for South Africa. So in that sense he’s a complete package for South Africa at No. 7 or No. 8.”And with the ball, with the new ball he can bring the ball back in. He’s tall so it’s not easy for the batters to just get under him,” he said. “We saw that with Phil Salt, it just took off. It was quite steep, the bounce, and he couldn’t get over it. You need that variety in your bowling attack and that’s something that South Africa have in plenty.”

Barcelona have reportedly made a decision on Marcus Rashford’s future amid talk of a stand off with Manchester United over a transfer fee. The England forward has slotted seamlessly into life at the Camp Nou, scoring twice and setting up two more in his last three outings. At 27, he looks rejuvenated, with his performances turning heads in Catalonia and drawing warm praise from fans.

• Loan deal leaves Barca in control

  According to despite his strong start, Barcelona are not rushing into talks about making Rashford’s stay permanent. Reports of a standoff with Manchester United over transfer fees have been dismissed, as the current loan deal includes an agreed option to buy for £26.2m (€30m/$35m). For now, it’s about watching Rashford’s impact across the full season, both on and off the pitch, before pulling the trigger on a long-term commitment.

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• Getty/GOAL
  

  Lewandowski’s future adds extra twist

  The looming question of Robert Lewandowski’s future only complicates matters further. The Polish hitman turned 37 last month and is out of contract at the end of the season. Barcelona must decide whether to extend his deal or move in a new direction. Rashford’s versatility may be the deciding factor. His ability to play wide or lead the line as a No. 9 could tempt Barca to see him as Lewandowski’s eventual replacement. But that decision is likely to come in tandem with wider squad planning.

• Money, money – the wage conundrum

  Barcelona’s well-documented financial struggles mean Rashford’s salary is a major hurdle. The forward is currently one of the highest earners in LaLiga, with Barca covering his full wages during the loan. While the £26.2m fee looks like a bargain on paper, maintaining those wages in the long run will test the club’s books.

  Recent years have seen the Catalan giants pull every financial lever available just to register new signings. With LaLiga’s strict spending caps in play, committing to Rashford permanently would require careful planning – and potentially tough sacrifices elsewhere in the squad.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Rashford keeping focus on the pitch

  For now, Rashford isn’t letting the speculation distract him. Speaking last week, he made his intentions clear, insisting that he remains open to playing for the Catalans for "as many seasons as possible". His words match his actions. In Europe, he delivered two crucial goals against Newcastle in the Champions League, while in La Liga, he turned provider with a slick assist in the demolition of Valencia. His form is rapidly silencing doubters back in Manchester, where his future appears all but over despite still having three years left on his United contract.

Luis de la Fuente has dismissed Hansi Flick’s complaints about Spain’s handling of Lamine Yamal, saying he’s “not interested” in the Barcelona coach’s criticism. Flick was angered after the teenager was given painkillers on international duty, sparking fears of long-term damage. Now, Barca are carefully managing his recovery ahead of a key Champions League showdown.

Inside the Spain vs Barcelona rift

De la Fuente brushed off Flick’s remarks after the Barcelona coach accused Spain of mismanaging Yamal’s fitness. The 18-year-old winger was called up despite carrying a injury and played through pain against Bulgaria and Turkey in the World Cup qualifiers. Flick claimed the teenager was given painkillers and played almost full matches without training in between, which left Barca frustrated over his condition.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALFlick’s fury over Yamal’s treatment

Flick’s frustration boiled over as Yamal was sidelined with a pubic injury, missing key fixtures against Valencia, Newcastle, Getafe and Oviedo.

"They gave him painkillers and he played 73 and 79 minutes. And between the matches, he didn't train," the German boss said. "That's not taking care of the players. Spain has the best players and the best national team, but they haven't taken care of the players, and that's what I can say. I'm very disappointed."

Despite the youngsters absence, Barca maintained form with four straight wins, but the long-term fitness of their young star remains a major concern for both club and country.

De la Fuente hits back at Flick

The La Roja boss responded during a tribute event in Rioja, where a mural was dedicated to him. The Spain boss avoided entering into the controversy, brushing off Flick’s accusations.

"Do you think that today, in my homeland, and enjoying this moment, I'd remember what Hansi Flick said? Well, no, I'm not interested," he said.

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AFPFlick counting on Yamal for Champions League clash against PSG

Yamal is tipped to make his comeback this weekend against Real Sociedad, though Barcelona’s medical team see the clash with Paris Saint-Germain on October 1 as the true target. With Alejandro Balde also expected to return, Flick will be hoping his young winger can stay fit to inspire the Catalan giants in Europe’s toughest tests.

MatériaMais Notícias

Fora dos relacionados contra Independiente del Valle e Cuiabá, o atacante Ángel Romero vem perdendo espaço com Vanderlei Luxemburgo e pode acabar sendo negociado pelo Corinthians na próxima janela de transferências.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansPróximos jogos do Corinthians: onde assistir ao vivo, datas, horários e calendárioCorinthians10/10/2023CorinthiansMesmo com risco de transfer ban, Corinthians quer usar as datas Fifa para agilizar contatos na busca por reforçosCorinthians12/06/2023CorinthiansO Corinthians vai sofrer transfer ban? Clube ainda tenta acordo com Boselli para evitar punição e poder contratar novos atletasCorinthians12/06/2023

+ Ruan Oliveira entra no segundo tempo e evita derrota do Corinthians contra o Cuiabá; veja notas

Após o empate com o Dourado, Alessandro Nunes, gerente de futebol do Timão, negou que o clube tenha recebido propostas pelo paraguaio, mas não cravou a permanência do atacante, que tem contrato até o final de 2024. Com Luxemburgo, o atacante disputou apenas quatro jogos e soma 43 minutos em campo.

+ Todos os jogos do Brasileirão você encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe o seu time do coração!

– Não teve nenhum contato, até perguntei a ele se alguém o procurou, já que ele não tem um agente específico que o represente, mas ao Corinthians não chegou interesse de nenhum clube. Mas não dá para descartar nenhuma possibilidade (de saída), nem para ele e nem para nenhum outro atleta. A janela vai se aproximando, natural que ocorram alguns interesses de atletas que estão jogando e outros não, os clubes se falam muito. Vamos entender o que vai acontecer – ponderou Alessandro.

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Contratado em dezembro do ano passado, Romero não deslanchou pelo Timão em 2023 e chegou a 40 jogos sem participar de gols pelo Corinthians. O último gol do atacante de 30 anos foi contra a Chapecoense, no dia 1 de agosto de 2018, quando o paraguaio marcou o gol da vitória por 1 a 0, pelas quartas de final da Copa do Brasil.

+ Timão se afasta do Z4? Veja tabela e os próximos jogos do Brasileirão

Na última convocação da seleção paraguaia, Romero foi deixado de fora pelo técnico Guillermo Barros Schelotto, que convocou Balbuena e Matías Rojas, futuro reforço corintiano.

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Tudo sobre

Ángel RomeroCorinthians

Glasgow Rangers enjoyed a busy end to the summer transfer window with the signings of Derek Cornelius on loan from Marseille and Youssef Chermiti on a permanent deal from Everton.

The Scottish Premiership giants made plenty of moves, in and out, in an attempt to build a squad that can compete with their Glasgow rivals to win trophies this season.

There were high-profile exits, as Cyriel Dessers, Jefte, and Hamza Igamane moved away from Ibrox, whilst there were some exciting signings brought in to improve the squad, including Bojan Miovski, Djeidi Gassama, and Thelo Aasgaard.

So far, though, the Ibrox giants have not seen any rewards for their work over the summer, as Russell Martin has yet to oversee a victory in the Premiership and his side were knocked out of the Champions League.

The Light Blues head into the first international break of the season off the back of a 0-0 draw with Celtic in the Premiership, their fourth draw in as many games in the division.

It is fair to say that Martin’s start to life at Ibrox has not gone smoothly and that a section of the fanbase is already unhappy with the direction of travel under him.

Why Rangers should part ways with Russell Martin

After the 6-0 loss to Club Brugge, Martin claimed that he was “embarrassed,” and supporters seemingly felt the same way, as a banner left at Ibrox read, “Get him out now before the seats are empty.”

This suggests that some fans feel that the crowd numbers at Ibrox will diminish if the former Scotland international remains in post with the style of play and the nature of the results so far.

This is not to say that Martin cannot turn things around and ultimately become a success at Ibrox, because there has been a big turnover in the squad, and Chermiti and Cornelius have yet to play for the manager.

However, it is seemingly going to take a lot to get the fans back onside and there has not been much to take away from the competitive matches played so far that suggest that things are on the way up.

Celtic

5.7

1.2

8

Hearts

6.4

4.1

7

Hibernian

5.7

1.9

7

Rangers

4.5

3.7

6

Motherwell

5.9

5.5

6

As you can see in the table above, the slow start to the season for Rangers in the Premiership has not been because of unfortunate results, as they have not been particularly impressive with their general performances.

They have the lowest xG tally in the top five in the division after four games, which will not come as a surprise to anyone who has watched the team play, as they have lacked creativity and effective build-up play.

Miovski did not have a single ‘big chance’ created for him in the draw with Celtic, per Sofascore, and Rangers could get him firing by sacking Martin to bring a former manager back to Ibrox.

Before they appointed the ex-Southampton boss, Rangers had reportedly made contact with Steven Gerrard over a possible return to the club.

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Given the woeful start to the campaign, reigniting that interest to bring him back to Glasgow could be a shrewd move and one that could get the best out of their new striker.

Why Gerrard would be perfect for Miovski

Above all else, the former England international is a proven Premiership manager who knows how to earn success in Scotland, having won the 2020/21 league title with Rangers.

Gerrard, whose reputation was described as “amazing” by former England defender Glen Johnson, has won a title in his career as a manager and some supporters, who have already celebrated success with him in charge at Ibrox, may find it easier to back and get behind his style and way of playing.

The way the English head coach got the best out of Alfredo Morelos during his time in Glasgow shows that he has a system, typically a 4-3-3 shape, and a way of playing that can help a striker to thrive.

Appearances

158

111

Goals

83

41

Games per goal

1.90

2.70

Assists

36

21

Games per assist

4.38

5.28

As you can see in the table above, the Colombian marksman was far better off with Gerrard in charge at Rangers, scoring and assisting goals with greater regularity.

These statistics, and the fact that he won a league title with Morelos, show that the currently unattached manager’s style of play helps a striker to succeed and provides them with plenty of chances to score.

This is why bringing Gerrard back to the club could get Miovski firing and scoring enough goals to put Rangers in contention for trophies this season, given his record at Premiership level shown in the graphic above.

The Macedonia international has proven that he can score goals in the Scottish top-flight, as evidenced by his 32-goal haul for Aberdeen, but it is now down to Rangers to get the best out of them.

Albeit it was against Celtic, the lack of service to the left-footed forward was a concern on his debut, and one of the reasons why appointing Gerrard again could be a masterstroke by the Gers.

Bringing in a proven manager who knows how to win the Premiership and how to get the best out of a centre-forward in Scotland could be exactly what Rangers need to turn their season around and take advantage of some unsettlement at Celtic, after they had to move to the free agent market to sign Kelechi Iheanacho after failing to land a striker on deadline day.

49ers block move for Rangers star Martin said is "annoyed and disappointed"

Martin seems to have changed his plans for the player.

ByCallum Kemp Sep 2, 2025

Whilst there is nothing concrete to suggest that Rangers are going to sack Martin any time soon, replacing him with Gerrard is a move that could unite supporters and get the best out of the summer transfer business that was done by Kevin Thelwell.