Glasgow Rangers head coach Russell Martin was hit with a potential blow on Tuesday night when Cyriel Dessers had to go off with an injury.

The Nigeria international was forced off the pitch in the second leg of the Champions League qualifying clash with Viktoria Plzen after twisting his knee in an awkward way on the turf.

After the game, the manager told BBC Sport: “He’s in a brace now. We have to wait and see over the next number of days.”

The former Southampton tactician has since revealed that the forward will not be available this weekend and is still touch-and-go for the first leg against Club Brugge on Tuesday.

This means that the Scottish Premiership giants will have to be wary of the possibility that Dessers may not be available for the game against the Belgian side.

The injury blow to the striker may have opened the club’s eyes to what the situation is in the number nine position when the experienced ace is unavailable.

Why Rangers may need to sign another striker

The Gers are in an interesting position with their centre-forward options at this moment in time. Hamza Igamane has been linked with an exit, with Everton said to be keen, and can play on the left, but Danilo has not done enough to suggest he is the man to lead the line.

This means that Rangers may need to dip back into the market to sign another number nine option, especially if they have serious ambitions about winning trophies this season, to ensure that they have enough quality when the Nigeria international is not fit.

Irrespective of what you think of Dessers as a finisher or his all-round game as a centre-forward, the former Serie A striker scores goals, and scores goals at a fairly impressive rate.

The 30-year-old marksman has been at Ibrox for just over two years, since his move from Cremonese, and has scored 34 goals in the Premiership for the Light Blues to date, per Sofascore, which is far from a horrendous return for a striker.

Appearances

35

35

Goals

16

18

Big chances missed

27

20

Assists

4

2

Ground duel success rate

29%

34%

Aerial duel success rate

40%

31%

As you can see in the table above, his finishing has been far from perfect, with 47 ‘big chances’ missed in that time, but the Gers will miss the goals that he has the ability to provide if the forward is ever out for longer periods.

This is why Martin should want to bring in another number nine to replace Dessers, and the club do reportedly have a star on their radar at the moment.

Rangers have striker on their shortlist

According to the Daily Record, Maccabi Tel Aviv centre-forward Dor Turgeman remains a player who is on Rangers’ shortlist of transfer targets this summer.

The report claims that the Israel international is a target for the Premiership title-contenders, but that there has not been any concrete movement on a move for the striker in recent weeks.

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

It adds that New England Revolution have had an offer of £2.6m turned down by Maccabi Tel Aviv, with talks ongoing between the two sides, and that Rangers may have to move quickly to beat them to his services before the end of the window.

Earlier this summer, it was revealed that Turgeman’s club value him at a fee of around £5m, and it remains to be seen whether or not the Gers are prepared to pay that price.

It will be interesting to see if this injury scare for Dessers causes Rangers to accelerate their interest in the 21-year-old centre-forward in the coming days.

Why Rangers should sign Dor Turgeman

The Light Blues should consider making a move to sign the Maccabi Tel Aviv marksman as a dream short or long-term replacement for the Nigerian striker.

This is because he is an incredibly promising young striker who has the potential to make a big impact immediately at Ibrox, whilst also having the age profile to be an excellent signing for the future.

This means that it would not just be a panic-buy signing in reaction to the Dessers injury, because he is also a 21-year-old striker with the potential to be the first-choice striker for Rangers for many more years to come.

The £5m-rated star, who was described as “lethal” in the penalty area by writer and analyst Kai Watson, enjoyed a fairly promising season with Maccabi Tel Aviv in the 2024/25 campaign, which suggests that he could make an instant impact in Scotland.

Appearances

31

Starts

22

Goals

15

Big chances created

4

Minutes per goal

132

Big chances created

10

Assists

3

As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old talent only started 22 of his 31 appearances, yet was still able to notch 15 goals and three assists in that time.

Turgeman’s return of 15 goals and only four ‘big chances’ missed shows that he has the quality to be an effective and efficient finisher in front of goal, and the same cannot be said of Dessers when looking at his statistics earlier.

However, it remains to be seen how his performances will translate over to the Premiership, as he has yet to prove himself outside of his home country.

At the age of 21, though, Turgeman would arrive as a very young centre-forward at Ibrox, which means that Martin could work with the youngster to develop him into a top player for the team over the years to come.

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This is why the £5m-rated star could be a dream replacement for Dessers as a striker with the potential to provide quality as a scorer and a creator of goals, whilst also being young enough to compete with the Nigeria international and learn from him when he is back from his injury.

It has been a busy summer for Nottingham Forest so far, although not in the way they, nor their fans, might have expected. Earlier in the window, they lost one of their key attackers, Anthony Elanga. The Swedish star made the move up north to Newcastle for a fee of £55m.

They also came close to losing star midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White. He was subject to a bid from Tottenham Hotspur, in what was reportedly a £60m deal. He was scheduled to have a medical in North London, but the deal fell through and the England international has since signed a contract extension.

It seems as though the East Midlands side might now look to recruit someone this summer, and have been strongly linked with a former Premier League star.

Forest’s latest target

It has certainly been a hectic few weeks for those at the City Ground, losing one and almost two key attackers. However, it does seem like they are working on signing depth out wide, if recent reports are to be believed.

Transfer Focus

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

According to a recent briefing from David Ornstein, Forest are firmly in the race for Ipswich Town and England under-21 international Omari Hutchinson. The Athletic journalist reported on Wednesday that talks are ‘ongoing’ between the two clubs.

Indeed, Forest actually placed a bid for the winger, but their £35m offer was not deemed enough for the Tractor Boys, who rejected the bid.

Ornstein says it would need a ‘higher fee’ for Ipswich to sell one of their key players. Forest are not alone in this race, with Brentford also interested in a deal.

Why Hutchinson would be a good signing

At just 21 years of age, Hutchinson has shown great promise for the Tractor Boys in the Championship and the Premier League. He initially spent time on loan at the club before moving permanently last summer from Chelsea. He is a graduate of their academy, having also represented Arsenal as a youth player.

The versatile attacker has made 82 appearances for the first team at Portman Road, scoring 14 times and grabbing eight assists. His stats from Sofascore in the Championship and Premier League show just how well he has performed.

For example, Hutchinson averaged 1.6 key passes in the second tier and 1.1 in the top flight for Ipswich per 90 minutes.

Hutchinson key stats for Ipswich
Stat (per 90)	23/24 Championship	24/25 Premier League
Key passes	1.6	1.1
Big chances created	0.3	0.2
Dribbles completed	2.1	1.8
Passes completed	24	23.1
Tackles and interceptions	2.8	1.5
Expected goal involvements	0.43xGI	0.18xGI
Stats from Sofascore

Over the summer, the former Chelsea and Arsenal academy star was part of England’s successful under-21 European Championship-winning side.

Hutchinson played in all six of the Three Lions’ matches, assisting once and scoring this well-taken effort in the final against Germany.

When looking at this deal, it may remind Forest fans of a past signing, that of Callum Hudson-Odoi. The pair share a fairly similar career path, with the Forest winger, who has recently swapped to wear the number seven, also coming through the Chelsea academy.

Like Hutchinson, he is a graduate of the esteemed Cobham academy, and also went on loan before securing a permanent move away.

Fans at the City Ground will remember his contributions last season fondly. The 24-year-old, who was born in London, bagged five goals and assisted eight in the Premier League, including a memorable winner in a 1-0 victory over Liverpool.

It is not only the early career paths of each player which is so similar, and suggest Hutchinson could become the second coming of Hudson-Odoi. Their versatility also stands out and is a real feature of their respective games.

The Ipswich star can operate on either flank or as a number 10, which he has done 32 times for the Tractor Boys. As for his potential new teammate, Hudson-Odoi can also play on either wing and has been known to play behind the striker, too, which he did at times last season.

How Forest fans would love for Hutchinson to become the new version of Hudson-Odoi. Both versatile attackers and Cobham graduates, they offer tactical flexibility to Nuno Espirito Santo and quality on the ball.

Described as an “outstanding” player by football scout Antonio Mango, Forest fans would surely love to see Hutchinson line up alongside Hudson-Odoi in Garibaldi Red next season at the City Ground.

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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has called a Hoops transfer target “brilliant” ahead of their Champions League qualifier with Kairat Almaty.

Rodgers addresses Celtic transfers before Champions League qualifier

So far in the 2025 summer transfer window, those at Parkhead have signed seven new players and still have time for further incomings and outgoings ahead of the September 1 deadline.

It has been two weeks since their most recent arrival, 19-year-old Manchester City loan defender Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, and Rodgers is focused on getting past the Kazakh opposition with familiar players.

Celtic’s summer signings so far

From

Fee

Benjamin Nygren

FC Nordsjaelland

£2m

Shin Yamada

Kawasaki Frontale

£1.5m

Hayato Inamura

Albirex Niigata

£250,000

Kieran Tierney

Arsenal

Free

Ross Doohan

Aberdeen

Free

Callum Osmand

Fulham

Undisclosed

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey

Man City

Loan

Rodgers was asked if he would get the signings he was looking for when the board discover whether they have Champions League income.

“I’m not going to get into a situation where I look frustrated or am frustrated because that transfers on to the players that I have, and those guys have been brilliant.

“If we get somebody in, great. If not, then we’ll go with what we’ve got. We’ll do everything we can to try and ensure all the details are right for the game and see if we can take Celtic back into the Champions League again.

“I’ve had no injuries and I believe that the quality of our game and the intensity that we want to work at can hopefully be enough to see us through. But these games will always be tough games.”

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Posts 1 ByDan Emery Aug 18, 2025 Rodgers responds to Vardy joining Celtic rumours

One player who has been linked with Celtic is free agent Jamie Vardy. The forward has his heart set on a move to Celtic Park after leaving Leicester City, and Rodgers called the forward “brilliant” when quizzed on a potential move.

Rodgers also wanted to ensure uncertainty over potential outgoing transfers also does not affect players.

“I mentioned this a few weeks ago to the players, I think it’s important to just set the narrative for them because there’s so much noise, especially as it ramps up towards the end.

“I’ve been in enough changing rooms to know how stability can be lost in this moment because some players will be thinking are they staying, are they going, but in the midst of that you’ve got really important games.

“So I’ve already mentioned this to players about respecting and acknowledging that it is a difficult part of the season, however, the money will be in your bank every month and it’ll be from Celtic and whilst it is, you need to perform. And in fairness to the players, they’ve been brilliant with that. You see it in their attitude in the game, the energy in the games.”

اعترف نجم نادي ريال مدريد، أنه كان يفكر بشكل جدي خلال الفترة الماضية في اعتزال كرة القدم، وذلك بعد إصابته القوية التي تعرض لها العام الماضي.

ريال مدريد يقدم موسمًا جيدًا حتى هذه اللحظة، حيث يحتل اللوس بلانكوس صدارة الدوري الإسباني للدرجة الأولى برصيد 21 نقطة، عقب مرور 8 جولات على بداية المسابقة.

ومن بين أهم اللاعبين في تشكيل ريال مدريد خلال هذا الموسم هو إيدير ميليتاو، والذي عاد من إصابته القوية التي كان يعاني منها على مستوى الرباط الصليبي بأفضل شكل ممكن.

ميليتاو حجز مكانًا أساسيًا في تشكيلة ريال مدريد من جديد، ويشكل الدولي البرازيلي ثنائية مميزة مع دين هويسن.

ويبدو أن ميليتاو كان يفكر بالفعل في اعتزال كرة القدم، خصوصًا أنه عانى للمرة الثانية من إصابة في الرباط الصليبي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ريال مدريد يعلن تشخيص إصابة هويسن.. ومدة الغياب

وقال ميليتاو في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة موندو ديبورتيفو: “مع إصابتي الثانية في الرباط الصليبي راودتني أفكار كثيرة، فكرت في اعتزال كرة القدم لأن الأمر ليس سهلًا، ولكن بمساعدة زوجتي وابنتي وزملائي أنا هنا اليوم لألعب بشكل جيد”.

وأضاف ميليتاو في حديثه: “لقد كانا عامين صعبين مع إصابتين معقدتين للغاية، يواجه المرأ الإصابة الثانية بشكل مختلف لأنه يعرف طبيعة العمل والأمر ليس سهلًا، يجب أن يبقى المرأ قريبًا من عائلته، ومن الله”.

واختتم: ”هذا يلغي روتينه وما اعتاد عليه وهو التدريب، فجأة يجد نفسه في المنزل معتمدًا على الآخرين، الحمد لله تعافيت من الإصابتين وعدت إلى أفضل مستوياتي وهو أمر ليس سهلًا”.

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was ecstatic after the Red Devils defeated Chelsea 2-1 at Old Trafford on Saturday. It was a special night for Fernandes, as he reached two huge personal milestones. In a match marred by rain and red cards, Fernandes explained that United deserved the victory, as they "haven't been getting the points" they wanted.

United edge Chelsea after red card extravaganza

Manchester United secured their second win of the season in the Premier League at the Old Trafford on Saturday, as goals from Fernandes and Casemiro helped the hosts edge past Chelsea 2-1 after both sides lost one man each to red cards. In what was a record-breaking evening in England's top-flight, Ruben Amorim and Co. will aim to build on this victory to trigger a turnaround in fortunes.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportFernandes explains how United beat Chelsea

Speaking to reporters after the game, the United captain said: "You want to perform but at the end of the day what matters is points. We haven't been getting the points we wanted. 

"At the end of the game we were very strong in defending our box and putting them in positions of crossing. "We got the [Chelsea's] red card because our mentality was starting the game so strong. The players have to run behind whenever Ben [Benjamin Sesko] goes for the ball and that's what Bryan [Mbeumo] did. 

"It [United's red] didn't change anything. We wanted to close the middle. Without [Liam] Delap who makes the runs for the team, Joao Pedro wants to link up. We gave them the chance to go down the side and then close them with our wing-backs. Our centre-backs were very good to defend the box." 

Personal milestones? Check

Fernandes opened the scoring in the 18th minute, thus bringing up a century of goals for the Red Devils in his 200th appearances. "Obviously I'm very proud of that – two massive milestones. Not something I was aiming for. I just aimed to play the next game," the Portuguese international added.

The 31-year-old became the 19th player in United history to reach triple figures for goals. Fernandes brought up the milestone in his 296th game for the club, averaging a goal roughly every three games.

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AFPWhen do United play again?

Amorim's men are slated to play two more fixtures ahead of the international break in October. Next weekend, they travel to the Gtech Community Stadium to face Brentford, before hosting newly-promoted Sunderland on October 4.

On the flip side to his one-day omission, the pace-bowling allrounder is one of just three frontline quicks heading to Sri Lanka

Andrew McGlashan13-Jan-2025It’s been a bittersweet few days for Sean Abbott: included in the Test squad for the tour of Sri Lanka, with a baggy green perhaps closer than ever, but omitted from the group heading to the Champions Trophy.Given the Test cap is one of the missing pieces from a fine career, perhaps it’s not the worst way it could have played out. Abbott was also realistic in assessing his absence from the Champions Trophy, having been part of the victorious ODI World Cup squad in 2023, after struggling to make an impact in his last two series.Related

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Against England and Pakistan he took one wicket in five outings at an economy rate 7.36. He will be in the selectors’ thoughts should replacements be needed (captain Pat Cummins’ status is still uncertain) but Nathan Ellis has taken the spot as the fourth quick behind the big three.”I didn’t really take selection out of the selectors’ hands,” Abbott said ahead of Sydney Sixers’ trip to Adelaide for their next BBL clash. “I didn’t perform and bowl as well as I would have liked in my last five games for Australia over in the UK and back home here against Pakistan.”My goal at all times when I play is to obviously contribute and do what I need to do for the team, but on top of that, it’s [to] take the decision to drop you out of the selectors’ hands, and I haven’t done that. So that’s fair. The guys who have been picked are in form and I think we’ve got a great squad to go over and compete for the Champions Trophy.”1:52

Smith: Konstas can bat conventionally too, he’s got ‘all the tools’

However, as one of just three specialist quicks heading to Sri Lanka for the two Tests – alongside Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland – it is possible to see an elusive debut. Abbott was officially part of the squad for the final two matches against India but Starc, Cummins and Boland were able to get through the Melbourne and Sydney games.There remains a chance Australia go with just one frontline quick in Galle and use Beau Webster’s medium pace to supplement it, but Abbott believes he has a skillset which could be valuable. George Bailey noted Abbott’s “durability” when the squad was named while he is also a good exponent of reverse swing.”It would have been nice to debut out here the other day [against India] on what was a bowler-friendly wicket,” he said with a smile. “Sri Lanka typically is more spin-friendly than anything, but I feel like conditions might suit me perhaps more than others. But, again, we’ve got such depth with our bowling at the moment.”It gets mentioned a lot, but every time Scotty comes in and bowls, no matter the conditions, he does well. And then Starcy is obviously bowling high 140s, and then reverse swing will play a role, or being able to tie up an end so the spinners can attack, whatever that looks like. Being one of only three quicks going over, I suppose I feel a little bit closer. But I certainly feel like conditions might suit the way I go about my bowling.”Sean Abbott still has a huge part to play in how Sydney Sixers’ season plays out•Getty ImagesThe trade-off from heading to Sri Lanka is that Abbott – alongside Steven Smith and Todd Murphy – will miss the BBL finals, where Sixers are assured of a spot. But there are still positions to play for with hosting rights for the Qualifier – which provides a direct path to the final – a major incentive, although it is out of Sixers’ hands with Hobart Hurricanes having a game in hand.”It’s definitely a huge advantage if you can finish in the top two and get home game advantage for sure,” Abbott said.All Sixers can do is win their remaining matches against Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Thunder. They will have Smith available for both those outings following his spectacular 121 not out from 64 balls against Perth Scorchers. Abbott, the leading wicket-taking in BBL history, also played a key role in that victory with 4 for 43 but was critical with himself for a final over that went for 20 and gave Ashton Turner an outside chance of heist.”I had six more balls there at the end to bowl and didn’t really bowl anywhere near as good as I should have,” he said. “Pretty disappointing with the way that over went and how close it ended up getting. So I’ll give myself a little bit of a rap on the knuckles for that one.”

Reports from English media have already started suggesting that Graham Potter faces an uncertain future at the London Stadium. Indeed, West Ham United have reportedly begun the process of identifying potential replacements, and one of the names on the club's radar is former boss Slaven Bilic, who managed the club between June 2015 and November 2017.

• Potter under pressure

  Crystal Palace piled on to the miseries of both West Ham and Potter on Saturday as Oliver Glasner's side won 2-1 at the London Stadium. West Ham have now lost four of their opening five Premier League games, mounting unprecedented pressure on Potter to risk being sacked should be fail to engineer an immediate turnaround of fortunes.   

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• AFP
  

  Bilic 2.0 on the cards?

  According to a report from , Potter's job at Stratford is under serious threat after racking up just six wins in 25 games since succeeding Julen Lopetegui in the second half of the 2024-25 season. The report further added that former head coach Slaven Bilic's name has been discussed internally as a possible replacement for Potter.

  Bilic was one of the most important figures of West Ham's recent history. In his debut season (2015-16), the team shattered multiple club records in the Premier League era, achieving their highest-ever points total (62) at the time, most goals scored in a single season (65), and a positive goal difference for the first time. They also recorded the fewest defeats in a season (8) and the lowest number of away losses (5).  

• West Ham not United anymore

  The mood inside and around the London Stadium has been anything but harmonious in recent weeks. On Saturday, thousands of frustrated West Ham fans gathered in large numbers outside the London Stadium in protest, demanding the exit of the current owner David O'Sullivan and his board. In August, Jarrod Bowen had to be held back by team-mates and stadium stewards to stop him from confronting a West Ham supporter after the Carabao Cup defeat to Wolves.   

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  Bilic not the only name on West Ham's lips

  also mention that Nuno Espirito Santo, who was recently relieved of his duties at Nottingham Forest just months after guiding the club back to Europe, is a solid candidate to replace Potter. Meanwhile, former Bournemouth and Wolves boss Gary O'Neil has also been linked with the West Ham job.    Z

Riyan Parag has been declared fit to return to action in the seventh round of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season, which will start on January 30. Parag, 23, will lead Assam in their final league fixture against hosts Saurashtra in Rajkot.Parag’s last competitive game was the third T20I against Bangladesh in Hyderabad in October last year. After that, he was not considered for the T20I series in South Africa and the ongoing T20I series against England because of a shoulder injury for which he required surgery. He didn’t make it to India’s Champions Trophy squad either, but some game-time could help him get match fit in case India need him as cover next month.Parag has played ten white-ball internationals for India, having made his debut against Zimbabwe in a T20I in Harare in July 2024. His big hitting aside, his quickish spin added depth to India’s attack before he got injured.In the previous Ranji Trophy season, he scored 378 runs in six innings at an average of 75.60 and strike rate of 113.85. Nobody hit more sixes than Parag’s 20 last season.Parag’s comeback is a boost to an Assam side that is currently languishing at the bottom of the Elite Group D table, with zero wins, two losses and four draws in six matches. While Assam are out of contention for the knockouts, Saurashtra are still in the race to qualify for the next round.

Assam squad

Riyan Parag (capt), Denish Das (vice-capt), Mukhtar Hussain, Mrinmoy Dutta, Rahul Singh, Dipjyoti Saikia, Parvez Musaraf, Sumit Ghadigaonkar (wk), Rishav Das, Anurag Talukdar (wk), Avinav Choudhury, Sibsankar Roy, Akash Sengupta, Pradyun Saikia, Amlanjyoti Das

Darwin Nunez continues to trundle toward the exit door at Liverpool, leaving behind him a pre-season of preparation in red that has been rich with goals.

But the Uruguayan started only once in the Premier League after Boxing Day last season and scored just seven goals across 47 matches in all competitions. Given that he scored a brace against Brentford, the 25-year-old blanked 41 times under Arne Slot’s wing last year.

So then, Liverpool will need to sign a new striker, even having purchased Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt for an initial £69m fee.

Given that Luis Diaz was sold to Bayern Munich for £65.5m last month, you might think a new electric-paced left winger would be at the top of sporting director Richard Hughes’ agenda.

But Rio Ngumoha may well have changed that narrative.

Liverpool's latest prodigy

A star is born. Ngumoha cannot be denied now: this is an up-and-coming player with the potential to go right to the top.

But let’s park our excitement for a moment; Ngumoha is only 16 after all, and must be dripped into life on the professional circuit, not poured right in and exhausted before he has had the chance to develop his remarkable technical and athletic faculties.

Still, his goal-and-assist performance against Athletic Bilbao on Monday afternoon was quite the Anfield debut. Friendly though it was, the attacking midfielder played with such gusto and slickness on the ball, striding forward and unleashing a confident looping strike from outside the area to turn the limelight onto him.

Is it any wonder he has been described as a “special” talent by journalist Bence Bocsak, who said the teenager “has completed more dribbles (14) than any other #LFC player in pre-season.”

Slot will be keen to placate the mounting noise around his name, but you can’t help but think that Liverpool have spawned a custom-built Diaz replacement, one who might play quite the important role in the years to come.

Nguomha’s ball-carrying ability and capacity for goal contributions of all shapes and sizes suggest he could form a dangerous partnership with Ekitike over the coming years, but the same stands for another centre-forward Liverpool are interested in signing this summer.

Liverpool lining up another striker

No, it’s not Alexander Isak we’re on about here. The Newcastle United number nine is Liverpool’s dream target, but the Magpies are playing hardball and might not even find a fitting replacement.

Thus, Caught Offside have revealed that Liverpool have entered the race for Paris Saint-Germain forward Goncalo Ramos, who has fallen out of favour in Luis Enrique’s system.

PSG would hope to recoup something in the ballpark of €65m (£56m) for the Portugal international, who, aged 24, hopes to take the next step in his career and become a focal point for his side.

Though Liverpool want to sign Isak above all others, Ramos would hardly be a poor fallback, and he’s also wanted by Aston Villa, Manchester United, Juventus and Napoli.

What Goncalo Ramos would bring to Liverpool

Ramos cut his teeth in his homeland with Benfica before signing for PSG in an €80m (£70m) deal in 2023, coming off the back of a breakout World Cup campaign in Qatar 2022.

Though the Iberian forward has only scored 33 goals across 86 matches for the French giants, assisting eight goals besides, he’s rarely featured as the star man, starting ten Ligue 1 fixtures in 2024/25. Still, he scored ten times.

And the underlying data is in his favour too. As per FBref, Ramos ranked among the top 4% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues last season for goals scored, the top 11% for assists, the top 9% for pass completion and the top 2% for touches in the attacking box per 90.

The steady rate of prolific performances across Ramos’ senior career thus far suggests that Slot could shape into one of the world’s foremost forwards, proving the perfect long-term dance partner for an up-and-coming talent like Ngumoha.

24/25 – PSG

46

19

6

23/24 – PSG

40

14

2

22/23 – Benfica

47

27

8

21/22 – Benfica

46

8

4

20/21 – Benfica

12

4

–

19/20 – Benfica

1

2

–

Hailed as an “outrageous” player by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Ramos’ wide range of offensive instruments bespeaks his suitability in Slot’s system at Liverpool. He’s fast, powerful and nimble, suggesting he could operate across a variety of roles for a coach who has displayed a preference for forwards who are willing to be fluid in their roles.

But if Ngumoha’s fast-developing potential has anything to say, it’s unlikely that Slot would be seeking to convert the right-footer into a left-sided forward, whose pace would be used to swerve inside, ready to strike on goal.

Furthermore, Ekitike has indeed already signed on and will bring to the Premier League a more refined and expansive game as a frontman. In any case, the Frenchman is a mean and still-improving goalscorer himself, thus apt to dovetail right into the Slot machine.

But Ramos would bring the icing on the cake, ensuring Liverpool have enough firepower to compete across multiple fronts this season, even if the concerted effort to sign Isak falls flat.

FBref record that both Isak and Ekitike are statistically comparable players to the PSG star, so he’s certainly got the right skill set.

And with Ngumoha already making waves within the Liverpool first team, there’s no reason why these two stars couldn’t strike up a mesmerising partnership in the years to come.

Ekitike repeat: Liverpool prepare £50m offer for "monster"; it's not Isak

Liverpool are still hoping to complete several signings before the end of the transfer window.

2 ByAngus Sinclair Aug 5, 2025

Liverpool have work to do if they are to rediscover the balance that saw them lay waste to the Premier League in Arne Slot’s first season at the Anfield helm.

Despite the many changes to the Reds first team over the past few months, it’s perhaps difficult to suggest that Liverpool have made dramatic improvements on last year’s title-winning team, with Mohamed Salah even suggesting that this is so when quizzed on FSG’s summer spending.

That’s not to say sporting director Richard Hughes has overseen a poor transfer window; far from it. It’s simply that Liverpool were coherent and instinctive last season, a fully-gelled team, but have now parted with several important first-teamers and have replaced them with up-and-coming talents.

It’s only natural that a bedding-in period would take place, with the absence of balance and defensive solidity across the first two fixtures of Liverpool’s campaign evidence of that.

But for all the upheaval, Liverpool remain attentive to the market as it draws toward the stretch, with Hughes and Slot in concert over the Reds’ need for depth across the frontline and at the rear.

The latest Liverpool transfer news

Will Liverpool pull it off? Alexander Isak’s inflammatory statement on his future made it clear he wishes to leave Newcastle United and sign for the Premier League champions this summer, but the Magpies have struggled to sign strikers this summer and are publicly stressing he’s going nowhere.

Whatever happens, it’s been an unsavoury saga, but the door remains ajar, with Newcastle desperately scrambling for a new number nine.

But Liverpool need a defender too. While Giovanni Leoni was welcomed to Slot’s squad this month, the 18-year-old centre-half should be eased into the swing of things.

It is Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace who would provide the jewel for Liverpool’s defensive crown. The 25-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Merseyside, with less than a year remaining on his contract.

The outcome of that saga remains unknown, and the same goes for Isak. However, Liverpool do need such a player, and if Newcastle maintain their obstinacy over their talisman’s future, it’s crucial that there’s an alternative option.

Liverpool holding talks for Isak alternative

According to Football Insider, Real Madrid star Rodrygo remains on Liverpool’s radar as they mull over a late-window bid.

The 24-year-old is anticipated to leave the Santiago Bernabeu this month, and his representatives have jetted over to England to hold talks with Liverpool officials over a potential transfer. And the same goes for Manchester City.

Xabi Alonso has made it clear that the Brazil international is not at the fulcrum of his vision in the Spanish capital, but Real Madrid won’t cash in for a cut-price figure, having listed him at a lofty €90m (£76m).

The sale of Diaz to Bayern Munich has left Liverpool light up top, and Rodrygo would be the perfect versatile forward to complete Slot’s frontline.

Why Liverpool want Rodrygo

While there is no question that Liverpool’s priority heading into the closing stages of the summer transfer window is to get Isak garbed in red attire, Rodrygo wouldn’t be a half-bad fallback.

Rodrygo has long starred as a first-team star with Los Blancos, having left his Brazilian homeland for the peerless superpower after he turned 18.

And though the 2024/25 campaign left plenty to be desired for him, Rodrygo has been hailed by his teammate Jude Bellingham as “probably the most talented and most gifted player in the squad.”

His sharpness with both feet and his propensity for equal shares of goals and assists lend themselves to different positional roles, but Slot would typically deploy him on the attacking left flank.

However, for all its control, Slot’s system is anything but rigid. Interchangeability and tenacity are key tenets, and it’s for this reason that Dominik Szoboszlai has played such a central role in the manager’s plans. Szoboszlai, indeed, could prove the perfect partner for Rodrygo at Liverpool, playing from his industrious central role and pushing forward to combine with the South American.

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Dominik Szoboszlai

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You could say that new recruit Florian Wirtz would be a devastating and dynamic dance player for a prolific wide forward like Rodrygo, and perhaps that is so, but Szoboszlai has proven himself to be an energetic and effective midfield force for Liverpool.

The Hungarian might not be a clinical player, per se, but he’s been hailed by content creator Asim Mahmood as a “machine” with a “seriously elite mentality” since Slot dropped him from ten to more of a box-to-box deployment in the middle of the park.

Data from Sofascore shows that the 24-year-old created three key passes against Crystal Palace and two against Bournemouth in Liverpool’s Premier League opener, winning ten duels across the two fixtures and making a total of ten tackles too.

How does this relate to Rodrygo? Well, the Real Madrid man is known for his commitment and perseverance, winning 56% of his ground duels in La Liga last year (Sofascore).

Form and fluency in the Spanish capital have dwindled for his world-class talent, but he could pick himself up and then some by signing for Liverpool and emulating Szoboszlai in putting 110% effort into his performances.

The £120k-per-week Liverpool star, after all, ranks among the top 15% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for ball recoveries made per 90 and the top 5% for pass completion, via FBref, thus underscoring his crisp and energetic style of play, ensuring Liverpool purr.

Rodrygo would dovetail right into the Anfield running with Szoboszlai pulling strings behind him. His ‘poor’ 2024/25 campaign still yielded 25 goal involvements across all competitions – the same as Diaz – and he was routinely played out of position to accommodate Vinicius Junior.

His clinical touch would be strengthened in a role of greater importance at Liverpool, especially when forming partnerships with selfless, hard-working stars like Szoboszlai.

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ByJoe Nuttall Aug 21, 2025