Glasgow Rangers target Cyriel Dessers is keen on making the move to Ibrox this summer, according to reliable reporter Scott Burns.
What’s the latest Rangers transfer news involving Dessers?
Michael Beale has made a quick start to the club’s summer transfer plans by bringing in four players already. The Gers have signed goalkeeper Jack Butland, full-back Dujon Sterling and attacking midfielder Kieran Dowell on free transfers. The club have also spent some money by bringing in forward Sam Lammers from Italian side Atalanta for €3.5m.
Despite already bolstering the attacking ranks, Beale and Rangers seemingly want to strengthen their option in the final third even further, with Dessers a real target.
A bid was submitted for the Cremonese forward earlier this month, although a report recently stated that the player has said no to a move to Scotland and favours remaining in Italy.
However, that doesn’t appear to be the case in a fresh transfer twist shared by Burns. Writing for The Daily Record, the reporter said:
“Dessers remains keen on a move to Ibrox and is waiting for Rangers to make another offer.
“Reports in Italy claimed the Nigerian international had turned down a switch to Ibrox. Sources close to all sides of the deal are adamant that is not the case. Dessers is very much keen on a move to Scotland and for the chance to play in the Champions League.
“Rangers have already made multiple bids for the striker but have still to reach an agreement with Cremonese. The Ibrox side are expected to go back in for the 28-year-old but won’t be rushed into a deal.”
Cremonese striker Cyriel Dessers.
Who is Cyriel Dessers?
Dessers, hailed as "phenomenal" by members of the media, is 28 years of age and is an out-and-out centre-forward. The Nigeria international previously plied his trade in Belgium and the Netherlands before moving to Italy with Cremonese last summer.
In total, Dessers has made 280 club appearances throughout his career, scoring 111 goals and registering 40 assists. As per FBref, the striker ranks in the 92nd percentile for touches in the penalty area and 93rd for goals per shot on target, showing how he can be a real danger in the box.
He certainly knows where the back of the net is and has been described as someone who is “awkward to play against” because of his physical strength by journalist Josh Bunting, so he could prove to be a smart signing, joining Lammers in the process.
A round-up of the Group C matches of the Vijay Hazare trophy held on February 26, 2017
ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-2017At Chepauk, Andhra captain Hanuma Vihari struck an unbeaten 58 to take his team to a tense two-wicket win in a chase of 128 against Madhya Pradesh. Four of Andhra’s top-five batsmen, Vihari excepted, were dismissed for single-digit scores. Vihari then steadied them from 26 for 4 with a 38-run stand with Dasari Chaitanya (19). Duvavarapu Siva Kumar and Dasari Swaroop Kumar made identical contributions of 16 each to take Andhra closer to the target, but it was Vihari who stayed till the end, having ground it out for 112 balls. Ishwar Pandey led the wicket charts for MP with 3 for 31.Siva Kumar and Swaroop Kumar also came good with the ball after Andhra opted to put MP in. Siva Kumar took 3 for 17 in nine overs, while Swaroop Kumar took 2 for 27 in five overs. Bandaru Ayyappa and Bhargav Bhatt took the other five wickets between them as MP were bowled out for 127. Saransh Jain top-scored for MP with 56.Rujul Bhatt’s maiden List A five-wicket haul helped Gujarat bowl out Goa for 199 and defeat them by 78 runs. Bhatt broke an important partnership of 119 for the fourth wicket between Amogh Desai (61) and Snehal Kauthankar (64) in Goa’s chase of 278. Kauthankar was sent back next over, and from there, Goa never recovered. Gujarat’s new-ball pair of Ishwar Chaudhary (3-34) and Jasprit Bumrah(2-34) took the other five wickets.Gujarat’s total of 277 for 9 was set up by their openers Parthiv Patel and Priyank Panchal. Patel top-scored with 89, while Panchal’s golden domestic season translated into yet another half-century. The duo put on 118 before Panchal was caught behind off legspinner Ganeshraj Narvekar for 57. Manprit Juneja struck 39 at No. 4, even as a procession of wickets reduced Gujarat from 154 for 1 to 182 for 6. Bumrah then scored an unbeaten 42 off 24 balls with the help of four fours and three sixes to lead a late revival.Mumbai showed their all-round dominance over Rajasthan with a five-wicket win. After opting to put the opposition in, Mumbai restricted Rajasthan to 181 for 9 in a match reduced to 38 overs per side. Mahipal Lomor top-scored for Rajasthan with 49 and Salman Khan made 37, but the rest either did not get off to starts or failed to convert them. Mumbai’s bowlers shared the wickets around, but Shardul Thakur topped the wickets column with 3 for 47 in eight overs, while his new-ball partner Shivam Malhotra also shone with 2 for 19 in eight overs.Mumbai’s top and middle order came good in the chase. Akhil Herwadkar scored 50 and shared a second-wicket stand of 67 with Shreyas Iyer (41 off 32), before Aditya Tare, the captain and wicketkeeper, struck an unbeaten 36 to close out he game at the start of the 30th over. Offspinner Tajinder Singh took three wickets for Rajasthan, but was expensive, leaking 45 runs.
Last season’s finalists Sydney Sixers secured their sixth win on the trot – second in two days – to extend their lead at the top of the Women’s Big Bash League table to four points. This after they lost three of their first four games.Perth Scorchers, their closest challengers, were the losers this time, although they had dominated the first three-quarters of the match, with Lauren Smith taking 4 for 23 with her offspin, and Alyssa Healy and Ellyse Perry sharing 67 for the first wicket. A Sixers’ stumble took the match to a tense final over when Sarah Aley cracked back-to-back boundaries to seal a four-wicket win.Powerplayed Sixers allowed only 19 runs in the first six overs of the match. Ellyse Perry began with a maiden, then Aley’s first ball had Suzie Bates caught at mid-off. Marizanne Kapp came on for a third over, and bowled Elyse Villani. Just like that the Scorchers’ two best batsmen were dismissed and they finished the Powerplay at 19 for 2.Golden Graham leads lesser lights That Scorchers were able to set 130 after such a poor start – and the failure of their fancied top three – was down to superb innings of 37 from both Heather Graham, their 20-year old star, and Lauren Ebsary, their 33-year old veteran.Graham was brave and intelligent, using the V both in front and behind her for runs. She was confident with the sweep – conventional and reverse – and her straight drives were equally clean.At the halfway stage of the innings, as Nicole Bolton became the first of Lauren Smith’s four wickets, Graham was joined by Ebsary, who batted through to the final over, when she was bowled by Smith.When Graham fell to Perry, caught well in the deep by Ashleigh Gardner, Ebsary sent the next two balls for four, through point and cow corner, and kicked on even as wickets fell around her.Slow start provides perfect platform Defending 129, Bates opted to start with her two English quicks Anya Shrubsole and Katherine Brunt and it initially worked a treat. With both bowlers cannily varying their pace and finding movement through the air, Perry and Alyssa Healy, the Sixers openers, could barely lay bat on ball, managing just 10 runs in the first four overs.Sensing the struggle, Bates gave both bowlers a third over, and it backfired. Shrubsole was unlucky in the fifth, with two slogs falling just short of fielders, and Healy inside-edging past the stumps for four. But with 10 taken from the over, the shackles had been broken.Healy struck Brunt for consecutive fours in her third over before laying into Emma King’s offspin, with 16 coming from the ninth over, including a stunning six down the ground and a reverse-swept four and Sixers were halfway to their target with 11 overs left.Always time for a wobble Somehow, though, Sixers could not run away with the game. Bates had Healy caught in the deep in the 10th over, then a brilliant direct hit from cover by Ebsary accounted for Gardner. Perry had steadily accumulated but just as she began to accelerate, with a beautiful six over midwicket, Sara McGlashan was stumped skipping down to left-arm seamer Katie-Jane Hartshorn.Brunt, returning to complete her allocation in the 19th over, struck twice in two balls as Kapp and Angela Reakes inside-edged onto their stumps to leave Sixers at 124 for 6 and needing six off the last six balls. Was it time to Panic? Not Aley. She flicked two from each of her first two balls, from Brunt. Then, after Dane van Niekerk had handed her the strike in the final over, she swept Bates for a pair of fours to seal the win.
While new additions will no doubt be on the agenda for Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou this summer, the 57-year-old will also likely be concerned with shifting the 'deadwood' in his squad, with there undoubtedly a handful of first-team assets in need of a fresh start elsewhere.
One man who has endured a dismal time of it at Parkhead in recent seasons is boyhood fan, James McCarthy, with the experienced midfielder having been restricted to just 27 appearances since the start of the 2021/22 campaign, with only five of those coming this term.
Although the Republic of Ireland has been hampered by injury of late, even prior to that the 32-year-old had looked like something of a spare part, with reports leading up to the January transfer window having suggested that the Old Firm outfit were open to letting the Glasgow-born dud move on.
Having been signed on a free transfer back in the summer of 2021, the Hoops may now be regretting the "strange" decision to hand the ex-Everton and Crystal Palace man a four-year deal – in the words of pundit Alan Hutton – with the club now forced to pay the player's £14k-per-week salary despite seeing little return on that investment.
The hope will be that the peripheral figure can find a new home ahead of next season, although McCarthy is not the only forgotten man who Postecoglou should be keen to sell, with goalkeeper, Vasilis Barkas, also seemingly having no future at Celtic Park.
Will Barkas leave Celtic this summer?
While the recruitment during Postecoglou's tenure has arguably been "exceptional" – as per ex-Bhoys skipper Scott Brown – the Scottish champions didn't always carry out astute business prior to the Greek-Aussie's arrival, with Barkas, in particular, having been a clear example of those shortcomings.
The Greece international was snapped up for a rather hefty fee of around £4.5m back in the summer of 2020 during Neil Lennon's tenure, having previously established himself as the first-choice option at AEK Athens.
As pundit Tam McManus previously stated, the underwhelming stopper has since proven a "waste of money" as far as those at Paradise are concerned, having made just 15 Scottish Premiership outings during his debut season before being replaced by backup option, Scott Bain.
Vasilis Barkas for Celtic
The 6 foot 5 dud – who was branded "awful" at the time by pundit Frank McAvennie – was handed another chance to impress at the start of last amid Postecoglou's arrival, although notably dropped a clanger in the Champions League qualifying encounter against FC Midtjylland.
The subsequent signing of Joe Hart ended any hopes of Barkas establishing himself as the first-choice pick, with the 13-cap asset going on to make just two appearances in total throughout the entire 2021/22 season.
Having spent the current campaign on loan at Eredivisie side FC Utrecht – where he has conceded 45 goals in 28 league games – the error-strewn 'keeper is now believed to be at the centre of something of a 'transfer battle', as per the Glasgow Times, with there a potential for Celtic to spark a bidding war once the market re-opens.
On the evidence of that interest, it looks as if the Old Firm side will be able to ditch the one-time Atromitos man sooner rather than later…
Manchester United's season of peaks and troughs reached a new low on Thursday evening, with the Red Devils crashing out of the Europa League following a dismal, 3-0 defeat at the hands of La Liga strugglers Sevilla.
Having already edged past Barcelona and Real Betis in the previous two knockout rounds, United's meeting with the Andalusian outfit proved a step too far, as they merely capitulated against a side who sit a lowly 13th in the Spanish top-flight.
That grim performance – amid a season that has been littered with shambolic showings away to the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Brentford – has only served to further showcase that Erik ten Hag has a way to go before truly turning the club into a competitive outfit once again, both in Europe and in the Premier League.
That shock defeat to the six-time winners of the competition has also raised "long-term questions" surrounding a handful of the players who started in Seville, according to journalist Laurie Whitwell, with the attacking duo of Jadon Sancho and Anthony Martial among those facing an uncertain future at Old Trafford heading into the summer window.
As The Guardian's Jamie Jackson also revealed following that continental collapse, the £600k-per-week pairing are "under threat" with regard to their position at the club, with the respected journalist stating in his attached piece that the two men could be part of a mass squad exodus ahead of next season.
Man United boss Erik ten Hag
While clearly not the only figures to potentially be facing the axe, the possible exits of Sancho and Martial could represent the ruthlessness that has so often been lacking in recent years at the Theatre of Dreams, with the club routinely hanging on to players for far too long – Phil Jones being a case in point.
If Ten Hag is to lead the Carabao Cup winners to bigger heights next season, then the misfiring forwards should seemingly be among the first to be forced to walk the plank…
Will Martial be sold this summer?
In the case of Martial, the polarising Frenchman appears to have outstayed his welcome in Manchester, with it approaching almost eight years since the former Monaco man was snapped up on an initial £36m deal by Louis van Gaal back in 2015.
It had, of course, been a terrific start for the then-youngster in English football as he bagged 18 goals in all competitions in his debut campaign, memorably making his mark on debut with a fantastic solo goal against bitter rivals, Liverpool.
The commentary of Sky Sports' Martin Tyler during that goal will live long in the memory of United supporters, although significant time has passed since that stunning entrance at Old Trafford, with it difficult to say whether the striker's time at the club has ever got any better than that goalscoring bow.
Although the 30-cap enigma did enjoy a standout 2019/20 campaign in which he bagged 23 goals across all fronts, that has been something of an anomaly rather than the norm, with the £250k-per-week man having notably netted just nine Premier League goals since the start of the 2020/21 season.
For a club of United's stature to still be reliant on such an inconsistent goalscoring presence as their leading number nine is rather bizarre, with it easy to see why Ten Hag is said to be open to selling the fleet-footed dud this summer.
Man United's Anthony Martial
While the Dutchman has conceded that his side play their "best football" with Martial leading the line, the injury-prone asset has simply been unable to get on the pitch often enough, having made just 20 appearances across all fronts this term amid a stop-start campaign.
Albeit unfortunate, the sight of the marksman limping off yet again in Seville would have had the away supporters tearing their hair out, with the 5 foot 11 hotshot having only recently made his return from a lengthy injury layoff.
As club legend Paul Scholes noted, it would appear that Martial "doesn't quite have the heart for it" when the "going gets tough", with it time for Ten Hag to do what other managers could not and show the long-serving dud the door.
Will Sancho be at Man United next season?
As for fellow forward, Sancho, the Englishman made an even earlier departure from the pitch in midweek, with the 23-year-old having been hooked at half-time in place of the returning Marcus Rashford.
That unceremonious withdrawal marked what was yet another lifeless performance from the Borussia Dortmund man in the red jersey, with the £73m man having looked 'nowhere near sharp enough', according to the Independent's Jamie Braidwood.
In truth, such an anonymous performance has been what United have come to expect from the £350k-per-week man during his time at the club to date, having now scored just ten goals and provided only five assists in 69 games across all fronts.
That grim record comes despite Sancho having blossomed during his prior stint in Germany after providing 114 goal involvements in just 137 games for the Bundesliga side, having been hailed by former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the time of his capture as an asset who "will form an integral part of my squad for years to come".
By the start of next season, neither Solskjaer nor Sancho could be at the club as the Norwegian's predication has well and truly not panned out, with recent reports suggesting that Ten Hag is now growing 'increasingly impatient' with the winger's lack of impact.
Man United's Jadon Sancho
Despite having been afforded time away from the first team earlier this season in order to get himself physically and mentally ready for the second half of the campaign, the 23-cap dud has hardly pulled up any trees since his return, having totalled just five goals and two assists so far this season.
While unlike Martial the London-born trickster has not had as long to prove his worth in a United shirt, it is hard to see where he fits in the long-term plan, with Ten Hag said to favour Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho on the left flank, while £86m arrival, Antony, looks set to be the first-choice pick on the opposite wing.
As pundit Jamie Carragher brutally noted following the loss to Sevilla, the latter man appears to have "done more in six months than Sancho has in two years", with that a further indication of the one-time Manchester City youth product's inability to perform.
Although the once-promising talent still has plenty of years ahead of him to turn things around, the Red Devils don't appear to have the time to wait for the former Dortmund sensation to get back to his best.
As the Old Trafford outfit have learned with the case of Martial, holding out hope on a player based on what they have previously done in the game is folly.
In truth, continued faith in the Frenchman has grown to become something of a disaster, with United needing to avoid making the same mistake with the underwhelming Sancho.
Everton, on a day when a win would have propelled them up the table, instead suffered one of their worst losses of the season at home to Fulham.
Welcoming Marco Silva's struggling outfit to Goodison Park, who were without Aleksandar Mitrovic due to his suspension, it seemed like the stars might align for the Toffees to climb the Premier League with a result. After all, with the tumultuous run-in they are set to face, it marked one of their easier games on paper.
However, slow starts in each half consigned them to an embarrassing 3-1 defeat, where the visitors admittedly played them off the park.
A catalogue of errors resulted in the Cottagers first, but that seemed to spark the hosts into life, culminating in Dwight McNeil's fine equaliser. Sean Dyche's men would press on further, seeking to take advantage of their superiority, but would only go in at the break with the scores level.
Golden chances had been spurned, and it always felt like this would come back to haunt them.
demarai-gray-everton-fulham-premier-league
That was almost instantly the case, when Harry Wilson was able to power home from Willian's cutback to reinstate their lead, which they would not relinquish for a second time. Dan James added another with 20 minutes to go, and the atmosphere on Merseyside quickly turned toxic.
A fury and vitriol quickly descended upon the ground, aimed at those on the field who had caused such a mess. Whilst few covered themselves in any kind of glory, Demarai Gray was a standout passenger.
How did Demarai Gray play vs Fulham?
Returning to his preferred flank with the introduction of Neal Maupay, it was expected that the £25k-per-week wide man would play a key role in any offensive success the hosts might have enjoyed.
However, it quickly became clear that this was not to be the case.
An anonymous 90 minutes on the pitch culminated in just 40 touches, of which goalkeeper Jordan Pickford actually recorded more (45).
Such a distinct lack of involvement unsurprisingly led to dwindling influence on the game, as the 26-year-old completed zero successful crosses, recorded no key passes and even missed a big chance, via Sofascore. A torrid day at the office for the attacking asset who offered no offensive input.
Writer Peter Guy put it succinctly when summing up Gray's contribution yesterday, as he wrote on Twitter that he "never turned up".
What makes it even more frustrating is the lack of work rate from the Englishman, who would lose four of the whopping 17 duels he competed in. Dyche would likely excuse struggles up front, but this kind of work-shy behaviour cannot be allowed to stand.
Whilst most in Royal Blue let down the club yesterday, with his 6.0 rating the joint-worst of anyone on the pitch, few disappointed as heavily as the former Leicester City man.
Finance expert Kieran Maguire has stated that the Premier League changes to owner tests won’t impact a potential Manchester United takeover involving Sheikh Jassim.
What’s Maguire had to say on a new ownership update?
Jassim, alongside Sir Jim Ratcliffe, made a revised offer for the Red Devils last month and is now waiting to hear a response from the Glazers.
However, there have been some changes in the Premier League when it comes to ownership, with sides voting in favour of new rules that will see a government using a banned list to see who can own clubs. The Daily Mail highlight how there have been concerns flagged over the possibility of a Qatar-based takeover of Manchester United, but it seems as if they will be unaffected by the changes.
Maguire, who contributes to Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider regarding the changes to the Owners’ and Directors’ Test and what it could mean for Manchester United.
The finance expert said it wouldn’t impact Jassim taking control at Old Trafford, describing it as “big news for Man United fans” who want to see the Qatari-led group in charge.
“As far as the changes to the Owners’ and Directors’ Test that have been agreed upon at the latest Premier League meeting, this will have zero impact in relation to a potential takeover of Man United.
“The changes don’t impact Sheikh Jassim or anyone from Saudi Arabia or other Middle Eastern states.
“Therefore, this is big news for Man United fans who are looking forward to the possibility of being owned by Sheikh Jassim. In terms of the proposals, there are going to be relatively few people who could previously buy a Premier League club that now can’t because of these changes.”
What happens now?
Offers on the table at Old Trafford are thought to be worth around £5bn, with the Glazers holding out for a figure closer to £6bn, although there is still no guarantee they will green-light a full sale.
Therefore, although these changes wouldn’t impact Jassim, he still needs the current owners to be willing to sell and strike a deal, something which is seemingly proving difficult at this moment in time.
Suitors are expecting to hear back from the Raine Group, who are dealing with a possible takeover for the Glazers, this week, with room for another round of bidding if required, so we could know more in the coming days.
Chelsea are now interested in signing Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier, according to a report from Football Insider.
The Lowdown: Chelsea eyeing goalkeeper
With goalkeeper Edouard Mendy currently ‘not looking’ to sign a contract extension at Stamford Bridge, the Blues are eyeing a new option between the sticks, recently being linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel.
On a more long-term basis, Chelsea have been looking at a number of options with proven Premier League experience, including Brighton & Hove Albion shot-stopper Robert Sanchez, who at one point was deemed to be ‘high up on the list.’
At one stage, the west London club were said to have made contact with David Raya about a move across the capital, while Everton’s Jordan Pickford was also a target, but the Englishman has recently signed a new contract.
The Latest: Meslier targeted
As per a report from Football Insider, Chelsea have now joined the race to sign Meslier in the summer transfer window, amid interest in the £30m-rated goalkeeper from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.
Graham Potter is said to have informed owner Todd Boehly that he would like a new goalkeeper in the summer, and the club believe they could sign the Leeds United star for a bargain fee if they are relegated from the Premier League.
Despite the high level of interest in the 23-year-old, the Blues are willing to outbid their rivals to secure his signature.
The Verdict: Get it done?
Lauded as ‘unbelievable’ by members of the media, the Frenchman is at the right age to be a long-term success at Stamford Bridge, and he has been one of Leeds’ most consistent performers in the Premier League so far this season.
With an average Sofascore mating of 6.89, the former Lorient man is the sixth-best performing player in the squad, most recently impressing by making a total of six saves from inside the box in his side’s vital 4-2 win away at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That said, it is unclear whether the 6 foot 4 colossus would be an upgrade on Kepa Arrizabalaga, ranking far lower than the Spaniard in terms of average save percentage per 90 over the course of the past year.
Given that Kepa has been putting in some very good performances in recent weeks, recently making five saves, including three from inside the box in the 3-1 victory at Leicester City, Chelsea should continue to monitor the performances of their current goalkeeper before deciding if a summer replacement is really necessary.
USMNT star Antonee Robinson nabbed an assist for Fulham is classy fashion Monday.
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Robinson delivers assist for Fulham
Fifth goal contribution in last four games
Is in brilliant form currently
WHAT HAPPENED?
Robinson played a lovely one-two on the left side of the pitch before finding Alex Iwobi in the box with a quick low-driven pass. The Nigeria international then smashed it into the back of the net, with Jedi nabbing his fifth goal contribution in his last four games for club and country. The USMNT defender is playing some of the best soccer of his life at the moment!
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Robinson had a slow start to the season for the Cottagers, but November has seen him flip a switch for the English side. He has two assists for Fulham in his past two matches now, and that's on top of two goals and an assist for the USMNT during the international break. If he can maintain this sort of form for his club on a regular basis, it's a big boost for the USMNT and for the Cottagers.
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WHAT NEXT FOR FULHAM
They've got a date with Liverpool on Sunday, December 3 as the Cottagers look to see off the Premier League heavyweights. As they continue their climb into the top half of the table, it appears that Robinson will play a crucial role for his squad.