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Tottenham Hotspur are already set to feel the effects of their exciting new start under Thomas Frank, with Spanish giants Real Madrid setting their sights on another of the manager’s key players alongside their well documented interest in Cristian Romero.

Simons fit for Tottenham debut vs West Ham

The international break is over and so could be the wait for Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani to make their Spurs debuts. With a London derby against West Ham United set to take place tonight, both are in contention to take Frank’s frontline to a whole new level.

Simons is one that will particularly excite Spurs fans and rightly so. The Dutchman looked almost certain to head to Chelsea before the Lilywhites hijacked their rivals’ move to welcome an incredibly impressive talent. With 11 goals and eight assists in all competitions for RB Leipzig last season, fans in North London can expect quite the impact from their new star.

Whilst there was plenty of good news to enjoy during the summer transfer window, there are still some concerns on the horizon. Romero’s future is one of them. The Argentine is still attracting interest from Real Madrid despite recently signing a new contract and could yet be joined by another one of Frank’s key men in the near future.

Real Madrid now targeting Micky Van de Ven

According to Football Insider, Real Madrid are now targeting Micky van de Ven in what could be a major blow for Tottenham. The centre-back, who has returned to full fitness this season, has got off to an impressive start under Frank and has attracted interest from one of Europe’s biggest clubs as a result.

Tottenham ready to double star's wages as Chelsea eye surprise move for him

Their London rivals are apparently keen.

ByEmilio Galantini Sep 12, 2025

Reports have indicated that a move is unlikely at this stage, but Van de Ven is on Madrid’s list. The Spanish club have seemingly commenced their search for central defenders with the contracts of Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba set to expire next summer. As such, names such as Ibrahima Konate have emerged as top options as well as Romero and now reportedly Van de Ven.

Alas, the quick Dutchman is not someone that Spurs will be keen to lose anytime soon. Former manager Harry Redknapp was one of many to hand Van de Ven plenty of praise last season, telling reporters: “He looks a great signing. What amazed me is during the Euros this year, he couldn’t get into the Dutch team.”

Celtic are now in talks to sign a versatile defender who has been compared to Hoops star Alistair Johnston.

Celtic on course to sign Balikwisha

It could be a busy last week of the transfer window for those at Parkhead, with Hoops supporters voicing their frustrations at the lack of signings in the club’s 0-0 Champions League qualifier against Kairat Almaty.

Boost for Rodgers: The new signing Celtic want to make alongside Balikwisha

This is music to the ears of Hoops supporters.

ByHenry Jackson Aug 22, 2025

So far this summer, Celtic have spent just under £4m on seven new players, whereas they received an initial £16.5m by selling Nicolas Kuhn to Como. Brendan Rodgers admitted after the draw in midweek that Celtic “need” more signings before the September 1 deadline.

“We need to improve the squad. There was clarity around that for a long time. So we see that. I think supporters see that. We certainly do in football. We need to improve. This is a performance club. This is a club that has to perform. And that starts on the field. You do that with getting the very best players you possibly can to allow you to perform.”

The Hoops have been heavily linked with Royal Antwerp forward Michel-Ange Balikwisha and now look set to sign the Belgian. Taking to X on Saturday, Sacha Tavolieri said:

It isn’t just Balikwisha who the Hoops are after, though, with defensive additions also on the agenda.

Celtic also in talks to sign full-back Marcelo Saracchi

According to journalist Cesar Luis Merlo, Celtic are interested in signing Boca Juniors full-back Marcelo Saracchi. It is claimed that the Hoops have “opened negotiations” for Saracchi, with a potential loan-to-buy option on the cards.

The 27-year-old is primarily a left-back but can also play as a right-back or left midfielder when required so would offer plenty of versatility to Rodgers’s squad.

A Uruguay international, Saracchi has previous experience in Europe, playing in the Champions League for RB Leipzig. He has also turned out for Turkish side Galatasaray and Spanish outfit Levante before moving to Boca Juniors in 2023.

Since then, Saracchi has made more than 50 appearances for his current employers, scoring four goals and registering five assists.

Alex Telles

Botafogo

Alistair Johnston

Celtic

Valentin Barco

Strasbourg

Renan Lodi

Al-Hilal

Ridvan Yilmaz

Besiktas

As can be seen, Saracchi has also been compared to Johnston among other impressive full-backs, so he could be the competition Rodgers is after for the Canadian and Kieran Tierney, possibly filling in for the right-back who will be out for three months with a hamstring injury.

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da pinup bet： Weverton mais uma vez foi alvo da torcida do Palmeiras em um clássico na temporada. Os torcedores do Verdão não perdoaram o goleiro pelo gol sofrido no empate com o São Paulo, pela penúltima rodada da fase de grupos do Paulistão. O goleiro recebeu críticas pela reposição de bola no lance que gerou o gol de Alisson, no primeiro tempo.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasSão PauloCom arbitragem polêmica, São Paulo e Palmeiras empatam no MorumbisSão Paulo03/03/2024PalmeirasPalmeiras volta ao Morumbis buscando quarta vitória por lá nos últimos dois anosPalmeiras03/03/2024

da imperador bet： ➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

EU SINCERAMENTE NÃO AGUENTO MAIS O WEVERTON

— BIBI ⓟ (@bibisep) March 3, 2024

Weverton já havia falhado em lance capital contra o Corinthians, que culminou com o empate no Dérbi. Assim, o goleiro vem sendo bastante criticado neste início de temporada.

Eu nunca vou cansar de repetir: depois do Derby o Weverton NUNCA MAIS deveria vestir a camisa do Palmeiras.

Ridículo, horroroso, limitadíssimo.

— Profe. (@thierry_varela) March 3, 2024

➡️ Veja os grupos e datas dos confrontos no Paulistão

O Palmeiras, já classificado para o mata-mata do Paulistão, faz seu último jogo na fase de grupos do estadual no domingo (10), contra o Botafogo-SP. A equipe de Abel Ferreira briga com o Santos pela melhor campanha geral do campeonato.

continua após a publicidade

A PORRA DO WEVERTON NÃO SE ESTICOU DE NOVO

Ele não tem a MÍNIMA condição de ser jogador do Palmeiras

— Corneta 1914 (@corneta_1914_) March 3, 2024

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Mark Boucher’s remarkable feat of 500 Test catches is testimony to his longevity and fitness over the last 14 years

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan09-Nov-2011Mark Boucher, who has featured in the most Tests as a wicketkeeper, has reached the unprecedented landmark of 500 catches in Test cricket. This outstanding feat is not only a tribute to his consistency, but also to the exceptional quality of his team’s fast bowlers and the bowler-friendly conditions in South Africa. Among South Africa players, only Jacques Kallis has played more Tests (145) than Boucher. Since his debut in 1997, Boucher has been a regular in the South Africa Test squad missing only ten Tests in between.Boucher, a quality batsman in his own right, is second behind Adam Gilchrist on the list of wicketkeepers with the most runs in Tests, but is by far the leader when it comes to wicket-keeping dismissals. He has a total of 522 dismissals from 140 Tests (139 for South Africa and one for ICC World XI) including 500 catches and 22 stumpings. His dismissals-per-innings figure of 1.962 is only marginally lower than that of Gilchrist, who is on top with a corresponding number of 2.178. The huge difference between the number of catches and stumpings for Boucher is indicative of the nature of the attack that South Africa have possessed for much of his career. Except for the odd spinner, the attack has predominantly revolved around pace. In sharp contrast, both Healy and Gilchrist have a higher percentage of stumpings because of the presence of top-quality spinners like Shane Warne and Stuart Macgill in their sides. Jeff Dujon, by virtue of being a part of the pace-heavy West Indies team, has the lowest percentage of stumpings among top wicketkeepers.**

Fielding stats for top wicketkeepers

PlayerMatchesInningsCatchesStumpingsTotal dismissalsDismissals/inningsMark Boucher139266500225221.962Adam Gilchrist96191379374162.178Ian Healy119224366293951.763Rodney Marsh96182343123551.950Jeff Dujon7915026552701.800Alan Knott95174250192691.545Most great wicketkeepers have forged successful partnerships with fast bowlers during the course of their career and Boucher is no exception. He has taken 84 catches off the bowling off Makhaya Ntini and 79 off Shaun Pollock. However, the dismissals-per-match figure was much lower in the case of Pollock. Only the Dennis Lillee-Rodney Marsh combination (95 dismissals in 69 Tests) and the Glenn McGrath-Gilchrist combination (90 dismissals in 71 Tests) are ahead of the Boucher-Ntini pairing. Although Boucher played only 35 Tests with Allan Donald, he took 53 catches off Donald’s bowling at a rate of 1.51 dismissals per match, which is well above the corresponding number for Lillee-Marsh and McGrath-Gilchrist.Ricky Ponting, part of Australia’s team in the two-match series, has been dismissed caught by Boucher nine times in Tests. Other batsmen who have been dismissed nine times are Andrew Flintoff, Chris Gayle and Michael Vaughan.

Most successful bowler-wicketkeeper combinations in Tests

BowlerFielderSpanMatchesCatchesCatches/MatchDennis LilleeRodney Marsh1971-198469951.37Glenn McGrathAdam Gilchrist1999-200771901.26Makhaya NtiniMark Boucher1998-200996840.87Brett LeeAdam Gilchrist1999-200865811.24Shaun PollockMark Boucher1997-200888790.89Malcolm MarshallJeff Dujon1983-199168711.04Boucher, who made his debut against Pakistan in 1997, had a very high dismissal rate in his first five years. South Africa’s top pace att,ack which included Donald, Pollock and Ntini, was responsible for this high dismissal rate of 2.043 between his debut and the end of 2001. Following the retirements of Donald and Pollock, the dismissal rate went down slightly between 2002 and 2006, and then fell substantially to 1.846 in Tests between 2007 and 2011. Surprisingly the dismissal rate in home Tests has also fallen from a high of 2.28 (1997-2001) and 2.24 (2002-2006) to just 1.78 since 2007.

Different phases of Boucher’s career

PhaseMatchesInningsDismissalsDismissals/InningsDebut-200148911862.0432002-200650961911.9892007-Present42791451.835Overall1402665221.962As expected, Boucher’s dismissal rate is very high (2.29) in England, where the conditions are ideal for swing bowling. He has also tasted much success at home (287 dismissals in 136 innings) and in the West Indies (dismissal rate 1.90). Australia’s dominance of South Africa in the last decade has meant that Boucher has generally had a lower number of dismissals in Australia. In the subcontinent, Boucher’s low dismissal rate reflects the nature of the conditions, which offer very little assistance to fast bowlers. His most successful series was in England in 1998, when he picked up 26 dismissals. That performance is joint-third on the list of most dismissals in a five-Test series, behind Marsh and Jack Russell.

Boucher’s record in various host countries

CountryMatchesInningsDismissalsDismissals/InningsAustralia1020301.50England1427622.29New Zealand612181.50South Africa/Zimbabwe741422942.07West Indies1221401.90Subcontinent (including UAE)2444781.77Boucher’s figures against Australia are lower not only as a consequence of Australia’s tremendous record against South Africa, but also because Australia’s batsmen have generally been excellent players of pace bowling. However, against teams from the subcontinent, the dismissal rate is much higher. The inability of most subcontinent batsmen to adjust to the pace-friendly conditions in South Africa is a major factor behind the high dismissal rate. South African bowlers have done superbly against England both home and away over the years, and on pitches that have consistently aided swing bowling, Boucher has an excellent dismissal rate of 2.23.

Boucher’s record against each team

OppositionMatchesInningsDismissalsDismissals/InningsAustralia2038641.68Bangladesh816402.50England25471052.23India1427602.22New Zealand1427391.44Pakistan1528551.96Sri Lanka1426572.19West Indies2445771.71Zimbabwe612252.08

It’s fair to say that Manchester United’s 2023/24 campaign will not be one to remember.

It wasn’t only the results that were concerning, but it’s impossible to think of a single Premier League game where the Red Devils truly dominated.

Erik ten Hag suggests that this is almost all down to injuries, and in fairness, it’s hard to disagree considering the backline has been chopped and changed almost weekly.

Therefore, it’s no surprise to see that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to bolster the centre-back position, with one target potentially being an even better option than Jarrad Branthwaite.

Man Utd’s search for a centre back

According to Spanish outlet Marca, Man United have already made a move to sign talented defender Leny Yoro.

The Lille gem is set to be at the centre of a transfer battle between the biggest teams in the world, with Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and Liverpool all interested.

Yet, it’s mentioned that United have looked to beat the competition with an early offer of around £51m.

This means that Yoro could just prove to be a better deal than the Red Devils other defensive target, Branthwaite, with Everton hoping to achieve £70m this summer.

Why Yoro would be an upgrade on Branthwaite

Whether it was in Ligue 1 or Europe last season, Yoro performed like a seasoned professional with years of experience.

At just 18 years of age, the French ace is regarded as one of the biggest prospects in world football, and he became a crucial player for Lille.

Throughout the league campaign, the number 15 started 30 matches, keeping a clean sheet in 13 of those, four more than United’s clean sheet record in the Premier League.

Yoro has impressed that much that he’s even been described as a “young [William] Saliba” by football analyst Ben Mattinson in regards to his “dominance” and “always being in control.”

Touches

71.31

51.73

81.39

Passes completed

58.28

31.92

69.34

Pass accuracy

92.1%

79.8%

92.4%

Tackles

1.21

1.91

1.08

Interceptions

1.21

1.44

0.76

Ball recoveries

4.18

5.23

5.61

As you can see, Yoro is putting up statistics that are not just better than Branthwaite’s but also very similar to Saliba’s.

Firstly, the youngster is extremely technical, possessing the ability to play out from the back under pressure, as shown by his passes completed and touches.

However, what’s even more impressive is the way that he retains the ball, whether that’s by using his 6-foot-2 frame to shield the ball or by always making accurate passes.

The Lille academy graduate is also a rather solid defender who uses his athleticism to dominate, as shown by his 63% duel win rate, which is higher than Saliba’s 60% and not far off Branthwaite’s 68%.

Yet, what you’ll be able to notice is that the two French defenders boast inferior stats to the Englishman, which isn’t a reflection on their defensive capabilities.

Instead, it’s in direct correlation to their team’s possession stats, with Arsenal and Lille both having 58.4% and 57%, respectively, while Everton boast just 40.6%.

Furthermore, like Saliba, Yoro has played as a right centre-back his whole career due to being right-footed, meaning he has developed playing in that role, unlike Branthwaite, who’s preference is to play on the left.

Overall, given that Yoro could be attained for a lesser fee than Branthwaite and that he looks to be a better prospect, United must do all they can to beat the competition to his signature.

What Man Utd's dream XI could look like after £230m spending spree

Marcus Rashford doesn’t make the best eleven.

1 ByTom Lever Jun 7, 2024

Glasgow Rangers took another step towards qualifying for the league phase of the Champions League when they ran riot with a 3-0 win at Ibrox over Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday.

The Light Blues will now take a commanding lead to Czechia next Tuesday as they look to book their place in the play-off round of qualifiers for the competition.

Russell Martin will surely be delighted with the way that his team played against Viktoria Plzen, as his side looked solid and composed defensively and potent at the top end of the pitch.

The Gers boss brought Oliver Antman in for a swift debut and handed Cyriel Dessers his first start of the season, with the pair indirectly combining for the second goal.

Dessers, who also assisted the opening goal from Djeidi Gassama, expertly tucked his penalty away after the former Go Ahead Eagles winger won the spot-kick.

The Nigeria international should keep his place in the starting XI for the time being, because Danilo has failed to show that he has what it takes to be the starting number nine.

Why Danilo should not start for Rangers

Fitness issues for Dessers and Hamza Igamane provided the former Feyenoord attacker with an opportunity to start the first three games of the season for Rangers; both legs against Panathinaikos and the Scottish Premiership opener against Motherwell.

The 26-year-old forward should be in the prime years of his career and able to hit the ground running at the start of the campaign to be a reliable presence at the top end of the pitch for Martin.

Minutes

74

82

63

Shots on target

0

1

0

Passes completed

11

9

10

Key passes

2

0

1

Big chances created

0

0

0

Ground duels won

1

1

1

Aerial duels won

0

1

0

However, as you can see in the table above, that was not the case in the first three matches that Danilo started. The Brazilian lightweight offered very little to the team in and out of possession, with no goals, no assists, and just four duels won.

He was, rightly, dropped for Dessers for the clash with Viktoria Plzen and the Nigerian striker scored a goal and provided an assist, which was more than Danilo managed in the previous three games combined.

The former Eredivisie centre-forward has not proven himself to be reliable enough with his availability, either, as he has missed 53 games through injury in two years at the club.

This is why the Scottish giants should be in the market to find an upgrade on Danilo, and there is a fresh report linking them with a striker who would be exactly that.

Rangers make striker one of their top targets

According to TEAMtalk, Maccabi Tel Aviv centre-forward Dor Turgeman has emerged as one of Rangers’ top Ibrox targets to bolster their options in the number nine position before the end of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that Martin has approved the club’s pursuit of a deal to sign the Israel international, and that the Gers remain keen on a swoop for his services.

Transfer Focus

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

However, TEAMtalk adds that the Light Blues need to cash in on a player before they are able to commit funds towards a potential deal for Turgeman, as they want to sell Dessers or Igamane in order to free up money for new signings.

The outlet also reveals that MLS outfit New England Revolution have made an offer to sign the striker from Maccabi Tel Aviv, which means that Rangers will need dominoes to fall quickly to avoid missing out on the forward.

It was reported earlier this summer that the 21-year-old dynamo has a price tag of around £5m, and it remains to be seen whether or not the American side will meet that valuation before the Gers have an opportunity to make their own move.

Why Turgeman would be a Danilo upgrade for Rangers

Given Danilo’s performances at the start of this season and his injury issues throughout his time at Ibrox, Rangers should be looking to sell the Brazilian forward to make room for the signing of Turgeman, who would be an upgrade on him.

As aforementioned, the Gers number 99 has missed 53 games through injury in the last two seasons, which means that he is not a reliable or durable player whom Martin can depend on.

Turgeman, however, has only missed five games through injury, all through one thigh issue last year, in his entire senior career to date, which suggests that he is far more likely to be available week-in-week-out for the Light Blues.

Availability is the best ability and that is why this is one of the big reasons why he would arrive as an upgrade on the former Feyenoord marksman.

The 21-year-old striker, who was described as “lethal” in the penalty area by writer and analyst Kai Watson, also has the quality to come in as a big upgrade on Danilo.

Appearances

31

Starts

22

Goals

15

Big chances missed

4

Big chances created

10

Assists

3

Ground duel success rate

42%

Aerial duel success rate

49%

As you can see in the table above, Turgeman produced an eye-catching haul of 15 goals and ten ‘big chances’ created in just 22 starts in the top-flight in Israel last season, which shows that he is a prolific forward who rarely wastes a ‘big chance’.

Danilo, meanwhile, has scored nine goals and created nine ‘big chances’ in 36 appearances in the Premiership for Rangers to date, including the clash with Motherwell last weekend.

These statistics suggest that Turgeman also has the potential to deliver more quality in front of goal as both a scorer and a creator, given that he scored six more league goals last season than the Brazilian flop managed in the last two years combined.

This is why Rangers should be looking to move on from Danilo this summer in order to facilitate a swoop for the Maccabi Tel Aviv centre-forward, who could be an excellent addition to the squad if he is able to adapt to Scottish football.

Djiga repeat: Rangers have held talks over deal to sign £3.4m star

Rangers have reportedly held talks over a deal to sign a star who would be Nasser Djiga repeat.

ByDan Emery Aug 7, 2025

نجح الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، في تسجيل الهدف الثاني في شباك سيراميكا كليوباترا، في اللقاء الجاري الآن في مسابقة الدوري المصري.

الأهلي يواجه سيراميكا كليوباترا، في إطار منافسات الجولة الأولى من بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

طالع | الأهلي يطالب اتحاد الكرة بسرعة تولي خبير أجنبي منظومة التحكيم

وأحزر وسام أبوعلي، الهدف الثاني لصالح الأهلي، في الدقيقة 48 من ركلة حرة، اصطدمت بالحائط وسكنت الشباك.

وجاء هدف التعادل عن طريق المغربي أحمد بلحاج في الدقيقة 24 من ركلة جزاء، احتسبها الحكم بعد العودة إلى تقنية الفيديو، بسبب تدخل قوي من أكرم توفيق على زلاكة.

وسجل حسين الشحات، هدف الأهلي الأول، في الدقيقة الرابعة من عمر المباراة بعد تسديدة قوية سكنت الشباك.

وتقام بطولة الدوري المصري الموسم الحالي، بنظام جديد، حيث تلعب مباريات من دور واحد كمرحلة أولى، ثم يتم تقسيم الأندية إلى مجموعتين، بداية من المركز الأول حتى التاسع تتنافس على لقب الدوري.

بينما الأندية من المركز العاشر حتى الثامن عشر، تتنافس على البقاء والهبوط، على أن يهبط فريقان فقط بدلًا من ثلاثة إلى دوري القسم الثاني (دوري المحترفين)

 

da bet7： Arsenal are reportedly preparing a bid to sign a £51 million player targeted by Vincent Kompany's Bayern Munich, and it is believed the Gunners want to act fast to win the race.

Edu could sign new world-class striker for Arsenal this summer

da bet nacional： Mikel Arteta's side were praised for their excellent attacking form last season, despite just losing out on the Premier League title to eventual champions Man City, who won a national record fourth league crown in a row.

Related European club set for talks to sign "prolific" ace from Arsenal this week

It could be a summer of change at the Emirates Stadium.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini May 29, 2024

The north Londoners scored over 90 goals in the league alone, with the majority of their strikes coming courtesy of Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz. Their attacking contributions came from across the forward line in the absence of a world-class natural number nine, which is testament to the fluidity of Arsenal's side going forward.

However, it has been widely reported that sporting director Edu could soon put that to an end, as Arsenal are actively seeking a new striker this summer. Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah are Arteta's only senior options in that position right now, but both are facing uncertain futures at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal's top goalscorers in the league last season

Goals

Bukayo Saka

20

Leandro Trossard

17

Kai Havertz

14

Martin Odegaard

11

Gabriel Martinelli

8

A guaranteed 25-plus-goals-per-season front man has long been thought of as the missing piece of the jigsaw, with Arsenal chiefs eager to source it before the start of next season.

"Arsenal are seeking to sign a prime striker before their pre-season tour," wrote reliable journalist Miguel Delaney for The Independent recently.

"Mikel Arteta has already long started work on plans for next season, and wants to bring in three first-team level players while moving out three or four.

They did already considered purchasing a striker in January, with that long seen as the final main piece missing. A move for Ivan Toney was considered then, but Brentford’s £100m price put Arsenal off, and he has since fallen way down the list of targets.

"Arteta wants to get all business done early, so the squad is immediately ready to work on a campaign where they are aiming to hit over 90 points. The plans have already seen in the market as reminiscent of Liverpool around 2018."

A forward who Arsenal have been regularly linked with is Bologna star Joshua Zirkzee, coming after the Dutchman's excellent Serie A campaign.

Arsenal preparing bid for Joshua Zirkzee

According to Italian newspaper Tuttosport, as relayed by Spanish media, Arsenal are preparing an official bid for Zirkzee, but Bundesliga giants Bayern also have the striker on their list of potential targets and are "involved" in the race.

The Bavarians, who will now be lead by new manager Kompany (Fabrizio Romano), possess a buy-back clause regarding Zirkzee – which hands them an advantage. However, if they decide not to formalise their interest, Arsenal would be handed a fairly clear run.

Arsenal chiefs apparently want to move quickly for Zirkzee as they seek to end their long search for a natural striker of real quality. Stefano Pioli, commenting on the £51 million Zirkzee last season, claimed he is a striker who "has everything".

da betcris： Glasgow Rangers ultimately failed to end their local rivals' dominance in the Scottish Premiership as they ended the 2023/24 campaign in second place.

da doce： The Light Blues finished eight points off the top of the table and have not won the division since the 2020/21 season under former boss Steven Gerrard.

Celtic have now won each of the last three titles and Philippe Clement and Nils Koppen will know that they have work to do in the upcoming summer transfer window to piece together a squad capable of coming out on top in the division next term.

The team's current focus will, however, be on the SFA Cup final clash with the Hoops at Hampden Park on Saturday, as they bid to win a second domestic cup trophy of the campaign.

After that game, Clement and Koppen's full attention should be on the window and the players they could bring in from elsewhere to bolster the team.

They could land a major upgrade on Tom Lawrence in the middle of the park by securing a deal for one star who has been tentatively linked with a move to Ibrox.

Rangers' potential interest in Georgia international

Firstly, GeorgianFooty on X cited Glasgow World as a source on Rangers being interested in a swoop to sign central midfielder Otar Kiteishvili from Sturm Graz.

The post relayed a supposed report that claimed that Scottish giants are targeting a deal to bring in the talented whiz, whose contract is due to expire this summer.

However, it then turned out that the original article from Glasgow World was a list of 37 possible midfielders who are out of contract ahead of next season that the Light Blues could look at to sign.

When that was pointed out on X, GeorgianFooty replied that they had seen links to Rangers for Kiteishvili from several local sources in Georgia, which suggests that there may be more validity to the claim than first appeared.

This means, however, that it is not a concrete transfer rumour or one that Rangers fans should expect to happen in the coming weeks or months, but it could be one to keep an eye on, particularly if the Georgia international does not sign a contract extension with Sturm Graz.

If he allows his deal to expire and becomes a free agent then the midfielder could be an attractive target for the Light Blues, as his form during the 2023/24 campaign suggests the potential is there for him to be a huge upgrade on Lawrence.

Tom Lawrence's form for Rangers this season

The Welsh whiz made 23 appearances in the Scottish Premiership this season for the Gers but failed to showcase his attacking quality on a regular basis.

Lawrence, who operated in a central or attacking midfield position, chipped in with two goals and three assists in those 23 league outings as his side finished second in the division.

That came after the former Derby County star had plundered two goals and one assist in five Premiership games in an injury-disrupted first year at Ibrox during the 2022/23 campaign.

In total, Lawrence, who could still feature in the SFA Cup final on Saturday, produced three goals and three assists in 28 games in the league and the Europa League combined.

Tom Lawrence

23/24 Premiership

23/24 Europa League

Appearances

23

5

Goals

2

1

Assists

3

0

Big chances created

4

0

Key passes per game

1.1

0.8

Dribbles completed per game

0.7

1.2

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 30-year-old maestro did not score or assist goals on a consistent basis, or create high-quality opportunities week-in-week out for the Scottish giants, domestically or in Europe.

Lawrence, who scored two goals from 2.36 xG in the Premiership, also lost 51% of his ground duels and only made 1.2 tackles and interceptions combined per match.

This shows that the experienced ace is very much an attack-minded player who does not offer much to the team out of possession when it comes to winning the ball back.

Therefore, Lawrence endured an underwhelming season overall as, despite being in the team to score and create goals, he did not provide consistent quality in the final third, which is why Rangers could now look to find an upgrade this summer.

Why Otar Kiteishvili could be an upgrade on Tom Lawrence

Kiteishvili could arrive at Ibrox as a significantly better option in the middle of the park for Clement if he can translate his performances in Austria over to Scottish football.

He won the Bundesliga Player of the Season award for his outstanding displays on the pitch during the 2023/24 campaign, which speaks to how highly the star is rated at his current club.

As shown in the clips above, the 28-year-old award-winner has a terrific strike in his locker, quick and agile feet, and has the ability to score in a variety of ways; from the edge of the box, under pressure from defenders in the area, and with his head.

The Georgia international racked up 11 goals and nine assists in 40 matches in all competitions – 20 goal contributions in total – and his form in the Bundesliga suggests that the quality is there for him to be a huge upgrade on Lawrence.

23/24 season

Otar Kiteishvili (Bundesliga)

Tom Lawrence (Premiership)

Appearances

25

23

Sofascore rating

7.31

7.06

Goals

9

2

Assists

5

3

Big chances created

5

4

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.8

1.2

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Kiteishvili could provide more to the team in and out of possession from a central or attacking midfield role.

The Bundesliga Player of the Season racked up 14 direct goal contributions, compared to Lawrence's five, in just two more appearances this term.

He also made over twice as many tackles and interceptions per game for Sturm Graz, who won the league title, than the Welshman did for Rangers, which shows that the Georgia international could also offer more from a defensive perspective.

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Therefore, Clement could land a huge upgrade on Lawrence by securing a deal to sign Kiteishvili this summer, due to the far superior quality he could provide on and off the ball in a midfield position next season.

However, it still remains to be seen whether or not the 28-year-old star is an active target for the Gers or not, or if he would be willing to make the move to Glasgow.