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An update has emerged regarding Rangers’ efforts to add a new signing to their ranks at Ibrox during the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Gers are in advanced discussions over a deal for New York City midfielder James Sands.

The report claims that Rangers are poised to land the 21-year-old on loan until the end of the current campaign, before then re-signing him on another season-long loan.

Masterstroke

Giovanni van Bronckhorst could land a masterstroke by securing this deal to sign Sands on an initial 18-month loan. Financially, it appears to be a fantastic deal for Rangers, as they are able to enjoy his talents for a season-and-a-half before deciding whether or not he is a good fit in the long run.

This means that they will not be out of pocket significantly if Sands is unable to make an impact in Glasgow. If it doesn’t work out, the club can send him back to New York and cut short his loan, instead of potentially losing out on a transfer fee and struggling to find a buyer to take him off their hands. This is why the deal could be a masterstroke from a financial point of view.

In terms of what happens on the pitch, his performances in the MLS are extremely promising. His former coach Patrick Vieira previously hailed him after he handed the youngster a first-team debut at the age of 16, saying: “We wanted to give him an experience because he’s been doing really well in the academy.

“We wanted to see him to see how he would cope with the intensity and the level of tactical, mental and physical demand. I’ve been really impressed with him – he’s really calm, composed and good on the ball. He’s really smart as a footballer.

“I think we have a special talent in our football club.”

The 21-year-old averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.91 in MLS last year, having averaged a score of 7.01 in 2020 and 6.88 the year before. This shows that he has been consistently delivering good performances across three campaigns despite his young age, suggesting that he has the potential to come in at Rangers and become a solid performer for the Light Blues if he is able to adapt to Scottish football.

Sands is also hugely versatile and could help plug the gap left by the departure of Nathan Patterson to Everton today. He is capable of playing at right-back, centre-back, defensive midfield and central midfield, which could make him a valuable asset for Van Bronckhorst to use in a variety of ways on the pitch.

Along with the financial aspect of the deal, this is why a loan move for the 21-year-old could be a masterstroke from the Rangers coach. It is now down to him and Ross Wilson to ensure that they can get it over the line so that the American can come in and start playing straight after the winter break.

AND in other news, Rangers can brutally axe £5.6k-p/w dud if Van Bronckhorst signs beast who’s a “nightmare to mark”…

Daryl Dike could be a key player for West Bromwich Albion next season and he could save Steve Bruce from having to spend millions on a new striker.

He has only made two appearances since joining the Baggies from American side Orlando City in January and is currently out with a hamstring injury. As reported by Birmingham Live, Bruce wants Dike to be left out of the USA’s international squad this summer and focus on his recovery ahead of pre-season.

The 21-year old has appeared eight times for the Stars and Stripes, scoring three goals, and they have four fixtures this summer just a couple of weeks before West Brom are due to begin their pre-season campaign.

When he eventually returns from injury he will be like a new signing for Bruce and can play a key part in the club’s push for promotion next season.

He’s highly rated and has been described as a “monster” by journalist Jason Davis. He is no stranger to playing Championship football having spent the second half of last season on loan at Barnsley.

During his time with the Yorkshire club he scored nine goals in 19 appearances helping them reach the play-offs, before returning stateside to help Orlando do the same in the MLS.

This form caught the eye of West Brom who signed him for £7.7m, and if he can replicate it next season then they will have a great player on their hands.

He is currently rated at £9m, and when you compare the form he showed at Barnsley to West Brom strikers Karlan Grant and Andy Carroll this season, he comes out on top.

Dike has a higher number of goals per 90 minutes at 0.63 compared to 0.42 and 0.28 for Grant and Carroll. He also has the highest shots on target percentage at 43%.

It’s unlikely that he would come in to replace Grant given how good he’s been, but they could form a great partnership and their goals will be key if the Baggies want to make to return to the Premier League.

Making Dike a key part of his plans will free up room and money for Bruce to improve other areas of his squad so surely it’s a no brainer.

IN other news: 100% duels won: WBA’s “invaluable” gem with 5 tackles was Bruce’s shining light v NFFC…

Rangana Herath, who hit a career best 80 not out in Sri Lanka’s first-innings score of 520-8 declared, was confident of proving effective on a fourth day pitch

Sa'adi Thawfeeq in Galle20-Jul-2010Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath, who hit a career-best 80 not out in Sri Lanka’s first-innings score of 520-8 declared, was confident of proving effective on a fourth day pitch and said Virender Sehwag’s wicket was the key for the hosts to consolidate their strong position. The Sri Lankan bowlers had nipped out three Indian wickets, including Sachin Tendulkar, before stumps on the third day. “We are on top now and if we can get two or three early wickets and bowl them out for under 300 we are in the game. That’s our target,” Herath said.”There is turn and bounce on the pitch and I am confident I can do something on it. Sehwag is the danger man and we need to get him out early.”Sehwag raced to 85 off 98 balls and looked, by far, the most comfortable among the Indian batsmen. In his previous Test appearance in Galle, in 2008, he struck a match-winning double-century to help India level the series.Muttiah Muralitharan, who is playing his final Test, needs seven more wickets to reach 800. Herath, however, said the most important objective for the team was to win the Test. “I am trying my best to get wickets to help my team win the Test,” he said. “I am fortunate that in my career I had the honour of bowling in tandem with Murali. It is easy to bowl with him at the other end. It will be difficult to fill the void left by Murali but Ajantha Mendis, Suraj Randiv and I are trying our best to win matches for our team and country,” he said.Herath said he had been working on his batting with his coaches and the experience he gained playing county cricket for Hampshire had also helped him make his highest first-class and Test score.

Brendan Nash, the West Indies vice-captain, said taking early wickets was the key to West Indies’ push for a win against Sri Lanka

Sa'adi Thawfeeq in Galle16-Nov-2010Brendan Nash, the West Indies vice-captain, said taking early wickets was the key to West Indies’ push for a win against Sri Lanka in the first Test at Galle. Nash scored 64 and shared a record fourth-wicket partnership of 167 with triple-century maker Chris Gayle to strengthen West Indies’ position.”We are on top at the moment, 500-plus ahead,” Nash said. “Sri Lanka is used to scoring big runs so we have to be tight. We have a young bowling attack, experience-wise. On this sort of wicket with the batsmen to come, we have to be really on our game and stick to our game plan. Early wickets are the key and the spinners are going to play a big part as their spinners did. There’s not much in it for the seam bowlers.”Nash said that it was a privilege batting with Gayle who went on to make a career-best 333. Gayle became the highest scoring West Indian batsman in the subcontinent and the fourth batsman in history to make two triple-hundreds. “Chris really summed it up quite well. He knew when to attack and when to pull back a little bit,” Nash said. “That was maybe (because of) the way the wicket played, and they bowled very well in patches.”We didn’t have target in mind but I tried to keep him going. The conditions for him were changing. He’s been out there from ball one and I tried to just keep him mentally going and physically tried to hold him up.” Nash said the few targets West Indies had set for themselves they had met but expressed disappointment the way the last five wickets were lost.Spinner Ajantha Mendis captured five wickets for 13 runs off 46 balls to trigger a West Indies collapse. He ended with six wickets for 169. “Mendis bowled very well. We sort of have to look at him and work out a bit of a game plan against him when the wickets breaking up a little bit and a bit drier.”Probably the runs we would have liked a little more but Sri Lanka slowed the game down very well. Tactically they played very well. The amount of overs we batted were right because we wanted to keep the game moving forward and didn’t want it to peter out to be a draw. That’s why we set ourselves how many overs we wanted to bat and we wanted a few more runs admittedly but it was good in a way we batted to all our targets.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Max Kilman has been ruled out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to the Express and Star, who reported that the centre-back’s season is expected to be cut short after he suffered an ankle injury in training ahead of their clash against Brighton at Molineux this afternoon.

The 24-year-old had missed the trip to Burnley last weekend but it has now been confirmed that the injury will keep him out for Wolves’ five remaining Premier League matches of the current campaign.

It’s a gutting blow for the defender, who has been a colossus at the back for the West Midlands outfit this term, making 34 appearances across all competitions whilst contributing to ten league clean sheets.

Lage will be fuming

Wolves manager Bruno Lage has fully unleashed the centre-back this term after his predecessor Nuno Espirito Santo handed Kilman 18 league appearances last term and just a combined four in the two top-flight seasons prior to 2020/21.

The Englishman has been a major contributor to his team’s excellent defensive record, with only Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea conceding fewer league goals than their 29 in the Premier League.

To illustrate Kilman’s importance at Molineux, he ranks in the top four in Lage’s squad for minutes played, interceptions per match and aerial duels won, as per WhoScored.

Moreover, the defender’s form has seen him tipped for an England call-up, although Gareth Southgate left the 24-year-old out of his last Three Lions squad.

Kilman was missed last weekend as his side lost 1-0 to Burnley and there may be concerns going into today’s match against the Seagulls as to whether or not Willy Boly can deputise efficiently.

Securing European football is still very much a possibility for Lage’s team, who sit just three points behind seventh-placed West Ham whilst also having a game in hand.

With Liverpool winning the Carabao Cup and the Reds set to face Chelsea in the FA Cup final, with both of those teams set to finish in the top four, seventh place will be enough for a passage to the Europa Conference League.

Therefore, the loss of one of Wolves’ most trusted players will be a tremendous blow for Lage, who will surely be fuming over this stroke of bad luck.

AND in other news – Lage axes £35m “hindrance” and starts £39k-p/w “superstar”: Predicted Wolves XI to face Brighton

West Ham have asked to be kept informed about Divock Origi’s situation at Liverpool as the club plot a late bid, according to a Football Insider source.

The Lowdown: Striker struggles

Michail Antonio is the only recognised senior centre-forward at West Ham. Unsurprisingly, he is the club’s top scorer in the Premier League this season, having netted eight times.

However, due to his vast injury history and the failure to replace Sebastien Haller, fans will no doubt be desperate to see a new name arrive before Monday’s deadline.

As it stands, were the Jamaica international to suffer a serious injury or enter a significant slump in form, it may be the nail in the coffin of any hopes of securing Champions League football.

The Hammers were reportedly pursuing Benfica starlet Darwin Nunez, but this has seemingly been put to bed by Sky Sports’s Transfer Centre, who report that the Portuguese side have rejected the Irons’ bid for the player.

As a result, West Ham have been exploring alternative attacking options.

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The Latest: Irons make contact with Liverpool

According to a West Ham source at Football Insider, the Hammers have their eyes on a late bid and have asked Liverpool to keep them informed about Origi’s situation.

The outlet’s source claims David Moyes ‘is personally overseeing the club’s late search for a forward and Origi is firmly on his radar’.

Liverpool are open to a loan, loan-to-buy and permanent bids for the striker, following the arrival of Luis Diaz from Porto.

Origi has entered the final six months of his contract at Anfield, but there is a 12-month extension clause in his deal.

The Verdict: Origi a solid option

With 103 Premier League appearances under his belt, Origi could prove to be a fantastic choice for Moyes and the club. Despite his limited game-time, the Belgian striker has scored 40 goals for the Reds, many of which have come during the most important of occasions.

This includes two goals in their infamous 4-0 win over Barcelona in the 2019 Champions League semi-final, which was further topped by scoring the winning goal in the final against Spurs, leading Jurgen Klopp’s side to the club’s sixth UCL trophy.

Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders has said that ‘Divock is one of the world’s best finishers’, so it’s not hard to see why Moyes is interested in him. If the club can get this deal over the line before the deadline hits, this could prove to be a fantastic signing for the Hammers.

In other news: Jesse Lingard keen on Hammers move

Celtic B coach Tommy McIntyre has hailed the potential of young defensive midfielder Bosun Lawal. 

The lowdown: Unseen talent

The Hoops had to fend off interest from Chelsea and Norwich City in order to bring the 18-year-old to Parkhead from Premier League strugglers Watford.

Signed on a three-year deal, Lawal is yet to feature in Ange Postecoglou’s first-team plans – or be seen in any senior football for that matter – but remains a highly regarded talent amongst the coaching staff.

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Having made a positive return from an injury earlier in the campaign, the Republic of Ireland youth ace is once again making an impression.

The latest: High hopes

As quoted by Football Scotland, McIntyre has claimed that Lawal has a bright future with the Glasgow giants: “I think he’s been a real find.

“He had a bad injury there and was out for a long period of time and then there were some other medical problems. He’s come back and he’s gone away with the Republic [of Ireland].

“I think he can do more, and he’ll probably say the same thing I think. But that’s up to the staff to make sure we get the best out of him. He’s still young, but I think there’s potential there.

“Like everybody else there’s potential, they’re not the finished article. But he’s one we’re hopeful of for the future.”

The verdict: Building for the future

Just as things are looking rosy once again in the senior setup, seeing the likes of Osaze Urhoghide and Dane Murray break into the first-team ranks bodes well for the next generation.

Add to that the development of potential superstars in the making such as Karamoko Dembele – assuming he signs a new deal this summer – and it appears that the Bhoys academy is in fine fettle.

Albeit the one-cap Republic of Ireland international Lawal – who was described as ‘powerful’ by Troy Deeney – is yet to earn a senior bow, under Postecoglou there is a clear pathway for talented youngsters at Lennoxtown and glowing endorsements such as this can only enhance the chances.

In other news, pundit makes Ange Postecoglou claim amidst speculation. Find out more here.

Newcastle United are reportedly now ‘interested’ in signing Yves Bissouma in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: High praise for Bissouma

Bissouma has previously been lauded as one of the best central midfield players in the Premier League, as Gary Lineker has dubbed him as ‘exceptional’, while Ray Parlour believes that he has ‘got everything’.

Aside from his manager Graham Potter, who has noted how ‘fast and strong’ he is in the middle of the park, Leicester City and FA Cup-winning boss Brendan Rodgers has also spoken highly of his qualities, while Jermaine Jenas believes that he would not look out of place at either Manchester City or Manchester United.

Nonetheless, Bissouma is clearly good enough to play for any team in the top flight, and so if he were to arrive at St. James’ Park, it would prove to be a real coup.

The Latest: Newcastle interest

As per French football journalist and commentator Fabrice Hawkins, Bissouma is the ‘subject of several offers’, with a £30m offer already being ‘rebuffed’ by the Seagulls.

However, he will not leave the Amex Stadium unless there is an ‘exceptional’ bid put on the table, and while the North East club are ‘interested’ and could match that bid financially, they face competition from both Aston Villa and Arsenal for his signature.

The Verdict: Statement signing

Following the arrivals of Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood, the Tyneside outfit have already strengthened in defence and in attack.

Midfield may then be next on the list, and signing Bissouma from a team above them in the league would be a real statement of intent.

Now at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Mali, the 25-year-old is currently ranked as the sixth-best centre midfielder in the top flight to have played at least 10 games by WhoScored, and so would certainly be an upgrade on Eddie Howe’s current options.

Nonetheless, to take him off of one of their Premier League rivals, like they did with Wood at Burnley, would put a stern message out to the rest of the division.

In other news, find out which ‘special’ £50m-rated forward is now the ‘priority’ for NUFC here!

Rangers have been dealt a big blow in Giovanni’s pursuit of another attacker signing to Ibrox during the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

Transfer insider Pete O’Rourke has claimed that Championship side Bournemouth are poised to complete a move for a Gers target ahead of Monday’s deadline.

He Tweeted: “Hearing Bournemouth have agreed a deal for Peterborough’s Siriki Dembele. A number of clubs have been chasing Dembele but Bournemouth have agreed undisclosed fee with Peterborough for the winger.”

The Light Blues have been touted with an interest in the Scottish forward this month and now look set to miss out on him.

Gutted

This news will surely leave van Bronckhorst gutted as it means that he will not be able to bring the attacker in during the current window or in the summer.

Dembele could have been a fine addition to his squad at Ibrox and he will be frustrated that he now appears to be on his way to Bournemouth to work with Scott Parker at the Vitality Stadium.

In his last 66 starts for Peterborough, he has produced 16 goals and 11 assists for the English outfit. This shows that he has the quality to score and create goals in the final third, proving it in the third and second tier in England, suggesting that he could make an impact for the Gers in the Premiership.

Ryan Kent managed three goals and three assists in two Championship seasons for Barnsley and Bristol City combined prior to his move to Rangers and he has been an exceptional signing for the club.

The ex-Liverpool man provided ten goals and nine assists for Steven Gerrard in the league last term, showing the level of quality he has been able to bring to the table.

Therefore, Dembele could have had a similar impact if he came through the door at Ibrox. Instead, he looks to be on his way to Bournemouth and Rangers may have to abandon any plans to further strengthen their wide options this month and wait until the summer to bring in additional firepower.

This is why van Bronckhorst will be gutted with this news, as the 25-year-old could have been an exciting signing for him. At the age of 25, he also has the potential to improve further and the Dutch head coach will not be able to enjoy developing him on the training pitch.

AND in other news, Talks set: Rangers now eyeing key deal for “important” £16k-p/w beast, Gvb needs it…

A round-up of the first day of the first round of matches in the Super League of the Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Nov-2010L Balaji’s 12th first-class four-wicket haul helped Tamil Nadu bowl Assam out for 184 on the opening day at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Assam began cautiously after TN chose to field on a pitch that had plenty of carry, and the openers had seen off 13.3 overs, adding 24 before debutant seamer Sunil Sam made the first breakthrough. Dheeraj Jadhav, Assam’s top-scorer last season, slashed and edged to the wicketkeeper. Sridharan Sriram, the left-hand batsman who hails from TN, could not make an impact against his old team-mates, and became Balaji’s first victim when he cut to gully. Parvez Aziz played offspinner R Ashwin with confidence and had moved to 36 with six boundaries. He also fought through a stream of bouncers before offering S Badrinath a catch off Balaji’s bowling. Badrinath had to dive low and to his left at second slip to take the chance. When star import Amol Muzumdar departed for a duck, nicking Balaji behind, TN sensed an opportunity to shoot Assam out for a low score. The spinners Aushik Srinivas and R Ashwin nipped three wickets between them, while a couple of run-outs added to Assam’s woes as they stumbled to a score under 200. TN’s openers Abhinav Mukund and Srikkanth Anirudha then batted with determination to take their side to 21 without loss by the close.Wasim Jaffer purred along to his 40th first-class century, while Rohit Sharma missed his ninth by seven runs as Mumbai launched their title defence by scoring 340 for 7 on the opening day at the Bandra Kurla Complex against Saurashtra. On a day that would have left both sides reasonably satisfied, there were several important individual performances that stood out. Dropping himself to No. 3 in the absence of the injured middle-order bulwark Ajinkya Rahane, Jaffer carried on his penchant for plundering domestic hundreds, after Jayesh Odedra’s double-strike. At the other end, with the selectors’ eye on his fitness and temperament, Rohit launched himself into the Saurashtra attack with typical elegance. His 93 came off 86 balls, with 14 fours and two sixes, leading Mumbai to 252 for 2 and in sight of a towering score. Then came the third most significant performance of the day, from another India hopeful. Ravindra Jadeja has had his place in the Indian questioned by all and sundry, and he responded with an incisive spell with the game threatening to run away. He dismissed Sharma, Abhishek Nayar and Ramesh Powar, leading Saurashtra’s resurgence in the evening session and left them with an opportunity to finish Mumbai’s innings early on the second day.For more on this match, click here.Opener Arindam Das’ seventh first-class century was the highlight of the opening day at the Feroz Shah Kotla as Bengal posted a dominant 313 for 2 against a Delhi attack that struggled for incisiveness. Ten months after the abandonment of an ODI due to an underprepared pitch, the Kotla track was at its benign best as Das settled down for a big innings, in Shreevats Goswami’s company. The pair raised 133 in 37.2 overs, giving the hosts a taste of what was to come before Goswami fell for 68, the first of Mithun Manhas’ two wickets. Abhishek Chowdhury was more cautious, but it did not affect Bengal’s speed of scoring as Das shifted gears upwards. Manoj Tiwary who came in at Chowdhury’s exit kept the momentum going with an unbeaten 47 off 80 balls. At the other end, Das, kicked on after reaching his ton and finished the day unbeaten on 150. His knock included 19 fours, and he looked good for more when stumps were drawn.For more on this match, click here.Yuvraj Singh managed a half-century but, like the rest of his top-order mates, was guilty of throwing away a start, as Uttar Pradesh held Punjab to 279 for 6 on the opening day at the Bhamashah Stadium in Meerut. Sarul Kanwar began in aggressive fashion after Punjab chose to bat, striking eight fours in his run-a-ball 42. However, after an opening stand worth 56, Praveen Kumar removed Kanwar and Ravi Inder Singh off successive overs, exposing Punjab’s middle order. Uday Kaul rebuilt in Yuvraj’s company, the pair raising 61 for the third wicket before a mini-collapse reduced Punjab to 143 for 5. Karan Goel rose to the occasion, and along with Vishwas Bhalla, lifted his side to respectability with a 72-run alliance. Piyush Chawla prised out Bhalla, but Harmeet Singh counterattacked with four fours and a six in his 29, taking Punjab to stumps along with Goel, who was unbeaten on 56.Gujarat’s top order gave a good account of themselves without managing to dominate the Railways attack, leaving both sides on par at stumps on an attritional opening day at the Karnail Singh Stadium. Every Gujarat batsman got a start in a score of 234 for 4, but only one managed to reach fifty, while most bowlers gained respect without making enough entries in the wickets column. Jay Desai and Priyank Kirit Panchal ground out an opening stand of 58 in 28 overs before exiting on the same score. Niraj Patel and Parthiv Patel showed more urgency in a stand of 74, but both failed to kick on, as Gujarat found themselves unable to reap the rewards of solidity. That partnership, however, eased the pressure on the remaining batsmen. Bhavik Thaker, coming in at No. 5, did better than the top four, ensuring he crossed his half-century and remained unbeaten at stumps. His innings included two fours and a six off consecutive deliveries from Faiz Fazal. Debutant Pratharesh Parmar held up the other end with an undefeated 28 and the pair will want to push ahead on the second day. Parthiv praised his batsmen for their effort. “The wicket was green and two-paced,” he told the . “So, it was a challenge to play the first 30 overs and we did it.”Opening bowler Basanth Mohanty completed his sixth first-class five-wicket haul as Orissa bullied Baroda, reducing them to 99 for 9 on a curtailed day at the Barabati Stadium. After overnight rains delayed the start by half an hour, Orissa captain Shiv Sundar Das had no hesitation in bowling after winning the toss in damp, seamer-friendly conditions. Baroda’s batsmen, star players Yusuf Pathan and Ambati Rayudu included, had no answers against Basanth in an innings where only three batsmen managed to enter double-figures. Things could have been far worse for Baroda if not for Rakesh Solanki’s unbeaten 44. Debasis Mohanty, Alok Chandra Sahoo and Dhiraj Singh complemented Basanth’s efforts with a wicket apiece as Baroda derailed in shocking fashion.Himachal Pradesh’s bowlers contained Haryana on the opening day, as the visitors crawled to 204 for 4 in Dharmasala. After choosing to field, the hosts started well, with seamer Jitendra Mehta removing Nitin Saini for five, but wickets were hard to come by after that. Rahul Dewan held vigil for 40 watchful overs, his 46 pushing the score to 88, before he perished against Ashok Thakur. Manav Sharma and Hemang Badani carried on in the same vein, their partnership of 74 spanning nearly 30 overs before Manav fell four short of his half-century. Badani brought up his 37th first-class fifty, and the first for Haryana, but more importantly, ensured he was unbeaten till the end.