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An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their attempts to bolster the playing squad before the end of the summer transfer window.

What's the latest Rangers transfer news?

Gers boss Michael Beale has been backed by the board over the last few months as he has made nine new signings; including Abdallah Sima, Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers, Danilo, Kieran Dowell, Dujon Sterling, Jose Cifuentes, Leon Balogun, and Jack Butland.

According to the Daily Mail, the Light Blues are one of several sides eyeing up Peterborough United central defender Ronnie Edwards as the English head coach looks to improve the depth of his side.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

The report claims that Premier League trio West Ham United, AFC Bournemouth, and Crystal Palace have also been keeping tabs on the 20-year-old centre-back.

Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony is also quoted as saying that "three" Premier League teams will bid for him before the deadline, whilst Rangers appear to be eyeing their own swoop for his services.

How good is Ronnie Edwards?

The superb 5 ft 11 brute is an excellent young defender who has caught the eye with his performances in League One over the last 12 months or so.

Edwards' displays in the third tier of English football last season suggest that he has the potential to be an upgrade on current Rangers prospect Leon King in that position at the heart of the defence.

The Posh enforcer only turned 20 in March of this year but was able to start 40 league matches for his club during the 2022/23 campaign, which shows how much faith his manager had in him.

Edwards averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.04 across those 40 games as he delivered consistently impressive displays at the back. Meanwhile, King averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.89 over 15 outings in the Scottish Premiership for the Light Blues.

In fact, Connor Goldson (7.29) was the only Rangers centre-back who averaged a higher rating than 6.96 for the club last term, which illustrates how well the Peterborough star performed – albeit at League One level.

The Gers target made 3.4 tackles and interceptions combined per league match for his side – more than any of Beale's players managed – and won an outstanding 73% of his ground duels throughout the campaign.

King, on the other hand, made 1.6 tackles and interceptions per game and won 67% of his battles on the deck for the Scottish giants.

These statistics suggest that Edwards has the potential to make more defensive interventions than the Scottish battler whilst being more efficient in doing so, which speaks to his physical strengthdespitef his age.

The Peterborough warrior, who was dubbed a "Rolls-Royce" by his club's director of football Barry Fry, has showcased his ability to dominate opposition attackers whilst also winning possession back for his team regularly.

His performances for the English side suggest that the potential is there for him to be a big upgrade on King for Rangers if he can translate his form over to Scottish football, which is why this could be a shrewd signing for Beale this summer.

Raphael Varane has revealed how he earned Cristiano Ronaldo’s respect, with the Frenchman saying there is “no need to be shy” around the Portuguese.

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French defender moved to Spain in 2011Would not be intimidated by anybodyLanded major silverware alongside CR7WHAT HAPPENED?

World Cup winner Varane completed a dream transfer to Real Madrid in the summer of 2011. Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo had already been at Santiago Bernabeu for a couple of years by that point and was very much the brightest light in Madrid’s galaxy of stars.

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Varane could have been forgiven for feeling a little overawed in such illustrious company, but the classy centre-half merely made a point of making Ronaldo aware of who he was and that he would not be intimated by anybody.

WHAT VARANE SAID ABOUT RONALDO

Quizzed by on whether one of his first interactions with Ronaldo saw him respond with “I’m Rapha” after being referred to as “’Varane” by CR7, the current Manchester United star said: “Yes it’s true, I think that on the field there is no need to be shy. I am someone who is quite reserved outside but on the field you have to make your own place and be respected.”

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That is a mindset that Ronaldo can get behind, as someone who has spent his entire career pursuing perfection. Varane shares a similar desire to win, but added on how even the very best in the business need to learn how to turn energy levels on and off. He added: “That's the challenge for great teams, to succeed in winning while exerting less energy on the pitch. You can't put your full energy into everything when there are games every three days. You can't run a marathon every day. I had periods where we played Clasico, Champions League, Clasico – in a week you feel like you've lived an entire life!”

Former Real Madrid midfielder Julio Baptista believes his old side will return to winning ways against their city rivals Atletico this weekend.

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Baptista picks former club to snag 2-1 winAtleti have won two of last three Madrid derbiesReal looking to hold off Girona in title raceWHAT HAPPENED?

Real Madrid and Atletico will meet in El Derbi for the fourth time this season on Sunday, in what could be a crucial match in the scope of La Liga season. But it could be a dangerous one for Carlo Ancelotti's side, who have lost two of three to Diego Simeone's men. Atletico inflicted Real's only league defeat of the campaign back in September and followed it up by knocking Jude Bellingham and Co out of the Copa del Rey last month. Los Blancos did, however, win their Spanish Super Cup semi-final against Atleti before beating bitter rivals Barcelona to lift the trophy.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT JULIO BAPTISTA SAID

In an interview with GOAL ahead of La Liga's ElPartidazo watch party in Chicago, Baptista weighed in on the atmosphere around the crucial fixture: "In this case, I think that Real Madrid has a slight advantage, because they've managed to have a little bit more rest… I think that before the Copa del Rey match, Real Madrid were a little more tired than usual. So in my opinion, I think that Real Madrid has a slight advantage for Sunday. But we all know that Atletico has got a great team, a great coach, and they're a very strong team."

Asked what he expects the score to be this weekend, the former Brazil star predicted a 2-1 victory for Ancelotti's league leaders.

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Baptista is set to host one of La Liga's fan-focused watch parties on Sunday. The US-based branch of Spain's top flight has previously held events in Miami, Los Angeles and New York, where a handful of former La Liga greats have appeared.

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Los Blancos will face their city rivals on Sunday as they look to maintain – or even extend – their lead at the top of the table. After that, Ancelotti's men host second-placed Girona, who take on Real Sociedad this weekend, at the Santiago Bernabeu in what is likely to be a pivotal game in the race for the title.

Ash Herron, the wife of Nottingham Forest and USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner, has revealed which player broke her nose during a warmup.

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Turner moves to Premier LeagueWife, Ash, breaks nose in warm upShe reveals which player did itGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Herron has revealed she suffered a broken nose during one of the pre-game warmups while watching her husband in action. Ash is one of many wives set to feature in the new Amazon Prime Video documentary called 'Married to the Game' which will showcase the lives of significant others who are with Premier League footballers.

AdvertisementNottingham Forest TwitterWHAT HERRON SAID

“I’ve got a broken nose right now because I went to a game and got hit in the nose,” Ash Turner told talkSPORT. “It happened during the warm up. It was [Gonzalo] Montiel. I don’t think it’s glitz and glamour.”

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Turner and his family made the switch from the MLS to the Premier League back in 2022, when he sealed a move to join North London giants Arsenal.

Speaking on the difference between the MLS and the Premier League, Turner's wife added: “I don’t think I was necessarily prepared for the intensity of the Premier League. We came from MLS and obviously that’s not as high profile. This league is just developed in people’s blood and it’s a beautiful thing. The pressure for the players and their families is something I don’t think you can prepare for. You have to just go through the journey and experience it and that’s where you really learn the ins and outs of everything."

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Turner and his Forest teammates are looking to get back to winning ways this weekend after suffering a disappointing 3-2 loss to Newcastle United last weekend. Nuno Espirito Santo's men will host West Ham United in their next clash at the City Ground on Saturday.

Karim Benzema is set for crunch talks with Al-Ittihad to clear the air over his future after January links with Manchester United and Chelsea.

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Benzema to remain at Al-IttihadStriker wants clarity on his futureHas been linked with Chelsea and Man UtdWHAT HAPPENED?

The French striker is staying put at Al-Ittihad, at least until the summer. However, with Benzema still feeling unsettled in the Middle East he wants to get clarity about his future before the next transfer window.

According to , the former Real Madrid striker is already engaged in discussions with Al-Ittihad this week, focusing on clarifying their plans ahead of the upcoming summer window.

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Jacobs added that there was neither a formal request nor an approval for Benzema to leave the club in January. Both Al-Ittihad and key figures in the Saudi dealmakers have expressed a desire for Benzema to extend his stay for another season.

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Although Chelse and United were linked to Benzema, there are no concrete offers from any of the English top-flight clubs. Efforts by Lyon to bring Benzema back proved impossible due to the substantial wage cut required. Meanwhile, Ittihad continue to assert that any potential bid from other clubs, including those in the English Premier League, would have been rejected.

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Benzema has a three-year deal with Al-Ittihad until 2026. Although he has scored 12 goals in 20 games, the former French international has often come under the scanner over his performances in the recent past, which has irked the striker.

Although they are the reigning champions, they currently sit seventh in the 18-team division after losing their last three league games before the mid-season break due to the AFC Asian Cup.

The Zimbabwe captain also believes the conditions in Bulawayo will negate the threat posed by West Indies’ pace attack

Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo20-Oct-2017The Zimbabwean Test side had a torrid 2016, losing three matches by over 200 runs and a fourth by an innings. This year, they have witnessed something of a turnaround. After winning the ODI series in Sri Lanka, captain Graeme Cremer’s Zimbabwe side nearly caused an upset in the Colombo Test. Cremer believes the team that will take on West Indies in Bulawayo in the first Test from Saturday is even better than the one that pushed Sri Lanka hard.”I feel that we’ve probably got an even better team than we had in Sri Lanka,” Cremer said on the eve of the first Test. “We’ll take that confidence from Sri Lanka, but we know we can perform even better than that.”Zimbabwe have been buoyed further by the return of batsman Brendan Taylor and seamer Kyle Jarvis to international cricket, and Cremer’s confidence was echoed by his coach, Heath Streak. “They bring a lot in terms of experience, and we know what they’re capable of,” Streak said. “And we’re focusing on playing our own brand of cricket and backing ourselves, rather than looking at the reputations of the opposition. With the ability that we have in our changeroom, we genuinely can go out and win.”Though the conditions may suit Zimbabwe’s batting and spin-bowling strengths, both Streak and Cremer insisted Zimbabwe are wary of a West Indies side short on experience but having found some grit on their recent tour of England.”We respect West Indies,” Streak said. “We saw what they were capable of in England, winning that Test. Despite that, we feel we’ve got the resources and the personnel to be able to win against these guys in a Test match in Bulawayo.”West Indies have an advantage over Zimbabwe in terms of the pace of their seam attack, but Cremer pointed out that a traditionally sluggish Queens pitch may well blunt the likes of Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel. As well as that, a slightly older, wiser Zimbabwean batting unit will have a little more to offer in terms of experience than the visitors.”We feel that their seam attack is probably one of their strengths, but the Bulawayo pitch will negate that a bit,” Cremer said. “I think the pitch will be a little slow. Hopefully it will take some spin as the Test match goes on.”They’ve got some good batters too, although they’re a little inexperienced. Our team is probably a little more experienced than they are. So we just want to play good consistent cricket over the five days. In Test cricket, even one bad session can hurt you.””We also obviously know the conditions ourselves, so all those things are factored in when we’re looking at the balance of our side and how might exploit any weaknesses in the opposition,” Streak added. “At the end of the day, it comes down to how well you execute those plans on the pitch. Being able to adapt, to think quickly on your feet, to adjust and adapt our strategies will be key.”

RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, who has been linked with Manchester United and Chelsea, has a low release clause that becomes active this summer.

Sesko moved to RB Leipzig in summerHas release clause in current contractStriker of interest to Premier League clubsWHAT HAPPENED?

Sesko snubbed a move to Manchester United in the summer when he left Red Bull Salzburg to join RB Leipzig on a five-year deal. According to , his contract at RB Leipzig contains a release clause of €50 million (£42m/$54m) that can be activated in the summer.

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The news of Sesko's relatively low release clause is likely to be of interest to his admirers. United are in the midst of a disappointing season and could look to overhaul their squad in the summer, particularly as they have a striker shortage. Chelsea have also been linked with a move for Sesko as they look to boost their attacking options.

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Sesko became the youngest player to score for RB Leipzig in the Champions League when he netted against Young Boys in September at the age of 20 years and 111 days.

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Sesko may well be tempted to move on if there is interest in the summer. The youngster is not a regular starter at RB Leipzig currently but has scored seven goals in all competitions for the Bundesliga side so far this season.

Newcastle United host Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday evening, but they have suffered a potentially massive injury setback ahead of the game.

Which Newcastle players are fit vs Brentford?

The Magpies have endured a stuttering start to the season, having strutted into it as likely top-four candidates after a stellar campaign last time around, in which they finished fourth in the table.

The 5-1 win at home to Aston Villa on the opening Saturday of 2023/24 suggested that Eddie Howe's side had gone up another level as a team, but since that point, things have spiralled rather alarmingly. While there was no shame in losing 1-0 away to Premier League champions Manchester City, the 2-1 loss at home to ten man Liverpool at St James' Park was worrying, before being beaten 3-1 at Brighton.

Newcastle return to action after the international break on Saturday evening, hosting a dangerous Brentford side, and the hope is that this is a game that allows them to turn their season around.

There are injury problems going into the game, with Joe Willock still out, although the likes of Sven Botman and Elliot Anderson are expected to be fit.

Will Sandro Tonali miss Newcastle-Brentford clash?

According to The Chronicle, who relayed the information from Howe's press conference, Newcastle could now be without Sandro Tonali for Saturday's visit of the Bees, acting a possible huge blow:

Howe said: "He came back from Italy duty with a strain. He’s had a scan but we will see."

Tonali is already a vital player for Newcastle, announcing himself in style with a goal in the win over Villa, and while he is still adjusting to life in the Premier League, being without him against Brentford would hinder their chances of getting a positive result at St James' Park. The Bees actually top the expected goals table so far this season, so they certainly carry plenty of threat, especially if the spine of your side is weakened.

The Italian has already been described as "magnificent" by Howe, who clearly values him greatly as a player, and the Magpies would lose so much without him in the starting lineup, whether it be his quality on the ball or work ethic off it.

With both Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton searching for their best form at the moment, Tonali's absence could be felt even more, so the hope is that he passes a fitness test and is ultimately named in the team on Saturday.

The importance of a win cannot be stressed enough, following three defeats in succession, and if Newcastle are to secure back-to-back top four finishes, these are the sort of matches where dropped points can be so costly.

Granted, Brentford are a good side in their own right, but with the battle for Champions League football set to be far more fierce this season – the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea should all be a lot stronger than they were in 2022/23 – Howe's men need to get on a good run in between these two international breaks, or risk falling away before the campaign has properly got into full swing.

Italian journalist Rudy Galetti has provided an update on the future of Jadon Sancho at Manchester United.

The Englishman has failed to hit the heights expected since his big-money switch from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2021.

What is the latest Jadon Sancho news?

Sancho could be the subject of late interest this window.

That is according to Caught Offside and Andrew Walker, who revealed that Aston Villa are one of the clubs considering a move for the England international just two years removed from his £73m move to Old Trafford. Following the long-term injury to Argentine forward Emiliano Buendia, the Villains may need to delve back into the market to replace him, and Sancho might be seen by Unai Emery as the solution. The Midlands club aren't the only side interested in the former Dortmund star, with a number of sides in the Premier League and across Europe also interested in securing his signature.

Manager Erik ten Hag is open to letting the 23-year-old depart this summer should a reasonable offer be received, however, the Dutch manager would want reassurances that the funds would be reinvested in the squad, suggesting that any interested clubs should move quickly to avoid a change of heart from the former Ajax manager.

Sancho has featured prevalently this pre-season for the Red Devils as a false 9, and could be handed an opportunity in the role in United's opening game against Wolves, with Ten Hag stating about his striking options ahead of the game "Anthony Martial is available as well. Jadon Sancho can play there as well, he did it in pre-season very well. The squad can deal with it, as I already said this. There is a strategy behind it."

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Galletti revealed that United are expecting to be busy in the coming days regarding the departure of both Sancho and Anthony Martial, with the club confident of receiving offers for the players before the window closes.

He said: "Manchester United are expecting to be busy when it comes to the exits of Martial and Sancho in the next days. In fact, in the event of a suitable offer for these two players, it will be seriously considered and evaluated. A farewell for Martial and Sancho is possible. Man Utd are confident of receiving some offers for both of them, especially in the second part of August and close to deadline day."

Should Manchester United sell Jadon Sancho?

It doesn't seem like a smart move for United to let go of Sancho now. Especially as he was one of the shining stars vs Wolves after his introduction, with him receiving one of the highest ratings in the team.

The player now seems to have found a role in the United squad in the false nine position, receiving the ball deep and creating in a midfield position. It was a timely discovery for the player, with reports stating that his manager had "ran out of patience" with the player operating in wide areas. Sancho's best performances last campaign often came when deployed more centrally, with Ten Hag stating after his performance against Leicester City, stating in the post-match interview "Today when you see he is coming on in the midfield position now, great runs, great passes, good in possession and also, especially the one that gives me a lot of joy, defensive transition."

The issue for the player would be game time. Clearly no longer favoured in the wide areas, his opportunities for playing time could be limited in the middle due to the presence of club captain Bruno Fernandes and new summer signing Rasmus Hojlund. However, he brings something to this United side that no one else offers and that could be the key that keeps him at Old Trafford this summer.

Crystal Palace's 2023/24 Premier League campaign kicks off away at Sheffield United on the opening day next weekend and speculation remains hanging over the head of one of the club's star players – Cheick Doucoure.

What's the latest Cheick Doucoure transfer news?

The Daily Mail reported last month that top-flight giants Liverpool are considering a swoop to sign the central midfielder before the end of the summer transfer window.

Jurgen Klopp is looking to bolster his midfield options and has identified the Mali international as a possible signing to replace the likes of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, who have moved to Saudi Arabia in recent weeks.

However, the report claims that the Eagles value their outstanding battler at around £70m, although it remains to be seen whether the Reds would be willing to pay that much for his services.

Journalist Dean Jones has backed the club's decision to value the 23-year-old talent at such a price. He told Football FanCast:

“Doucoure’s price tag is obviously eye-popping, especially when you consider how much Mac Allister was signed for, but I can totally understand why that value has been set and we always have to remember that the Mac Allister fee was a bit of a one-off.

"In different circumstances, he too could have been priced at £70m, there’s not really any doubt about that. Palace are in a moment when the vultures are circling for Guehi, Olise and Doucoure and they have to fight to survive.

"That’s why they are hiking up prices and Liverpool have to expect and accept that.”

This shows that co-owner Steve Parish struck gold when he signed the ace for Patrick Vieira last summer in a £21m deal from Ligue 1 side RC Lens.

How good is Cheick Doucoure?

The terrific midfield warrior enjoyed an excellent debut campaign in the Premier League and has proven himself to be one of the club's top-performing players.

Doucoure produced consistently impressive displays in the middle of the park as he averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.97 across 34 appearances, which was the third-highest score of all outfielders on the team – only behind Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise.

The Palace star caught the eye with his outstanding defensive contributions in midfield. He led the club for both tackles (2.3) and interceptions (1.6) per game in the top-flight last season, which shows that the Mali international is able to constantly break up attacks from the opposition to regain possession for his side.

His form comes off the back of an equally impressive campaign with Lens in France. Doucoure averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.07 and made 4.2 tackles and interceptions combined per match across 34 league games, which shows that his performances for the Eagles are not a flash in the pan.

At the age of 23, the talented machine, who was once lauded as "combative" and "consistent" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, also has plenty of time left to develop and improve.

This means that any buying club would be signing a player who can make an immediate impact on the pitch at the top level whilst also having room to get even better in the future with the right coaching.

Therefore, Palace are well within their right to demand such a huge fee for his services. Selling him for £70m would represent a profit of roughly 233% on the initial £21m they spent to bring him in from Lens, which would represent terrific business by Parish and Vieira.

The Eagles struck gold by signing the superb maestro as they have been able to bring in a player who has made himself one of the team's best performers whilst also now having an asset that could land the club a significant payday either this summer or in a future window.