Chelsea chiefs have reportedly been in contact over signing a £65m player ahead of Manchester City this summer, as Enzo Maresca looks to get one over on his old boss.
Chelsea convinced Maresca is right man to replace Pochettino
The Blues will have Maresca in the Stamford Bridge dugout next season, with the Italian set to replace Mauricio Pochettino on a five-year deal and begin plotting how to topple former employers Man City.
The 44-year-old has stood out among a number of candidates picked out by the Chelsea board, with Fabrizio Romano stating that the club are “convinced he can be the man for present and future”.
“Never had any doubts despite some reports suggesting that maybe he wants to stay at Leicester. Although he loves and respects Leicester, it’s been very clear ever since Chelsea entered this story that Maresca wants to be the next Chelsea manager.
"Maresca believes in the Chelsea project around young players with a big future, he thinks it is a really exciting project. Meanwhile, Chelsea are convinced he’s a super talented coach and that’s why he’s a name appreciated by both directors and owners, all convinced he can be the man for present and future.
“Maresca’s obsession with ball possession, quality football, dominating the game, his knowledge of elite football despite being a young manager – all of this made the difference for Chelsea to pick him."
Maresca may well be backed in the transfer market by Todd Boehly and co ahead of his first season as a Premier League manager, with the club thought to be in talks to win the race to sign Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer. The cash may also be splashed once again by Boehly, with reports claiming Chelsea are in contact with a star who is protected by a £65m release clause.
Chelsea make Diogo Costa approach
According to journalist Rudy Galetti on X, Chelsea have made contact with FC Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa over a possible transfer. Porto are open to selling Costa if they receive a satisfactory offer even below release fee, with rivals Manchester City also showing an interest.
Costa has been with Porto for the entirety of his career so far after progressing through their academy and has seen is Transfermarkt valuation rocket to a career-high €45m.
The 24-year-old has made 154 appearances for Porto over the years, keeping 64 clean sheets and winning eight major honours for the club. He’s also been called “magnificent” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig following a fine display against Bayer Leverkusen back in 2022.
FC Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
It looks as if Chelsea view the shot-stopper as a potential first choice ‘keeper ahead of Robert Sanchez and Djordje Petrovic, making this a deal to watch.
With Everton looking to stay within their financial means this summer, the Toffees have reportedly set their sights on a former Premier League full-back who is now a free agent.
Everton transfer news
Whilst John Textor could yet rescue the club following the collapse of 777 Partners' takeover, Everton look set to avoid an FFP risk this summer by spending wisely rather than excessively. Of course, if that takeover doesn't come, then those at Goodison Park could be left in a dire position and the futures of Jarrad Branthwaite and Amadou Onana, among others, may come into serious doubt.
Everton eye £20m Calvert-Lewin upgrade who does "things Lukaku can do"
The club will look to improve their forward line this summer.
ByEthan Lamb Jun 5, 2024
The aforementioned duo have particularly attracted interest, with Real Madrid even mentioned when it comes to Branthwaite. The young defender was a standout under Sean Dyche last season, more than earning the reported interest in his signature, and could now have a vital decision to make in the coming months. But whilst concerns continue to mount regarding potential departures, the Toffees have commenced planning for fresh faces this summer.
Reports have already linked those at Goodison with the likes of Bobby Decordova-Reid in a free deal upon the expiry of his Fulham contract, whilst a similar deal has hit the headlines more recently.
According to Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider, Everton are eyeing a deal to sign Max Lowe, who is set to leave Sheffield United as a free agent at the end of the month. Part of the same agency as Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Lowe has reportedly attracted the interest of one other unnamed Premier League club, as he takes an important step to remain in the top flight this summer.
The left-back certainly represents the type of deal that the Toffees could be looking for in the summer window, but it remains to be seen whether Lowe will set his own sights on Merseyside.
"Great" Lowe could replace Young
At 38 years old, it's very much possible that Ashley Young is heading into his final season as a player, meaning that Everton could be wise to land Lowe in an attempt to replace the veteran in the coming months. With Vitaliy Mykolenko also competing for a place, Dyche would suddenly have healthy competition down his left-hand side between two players who could both make a case to start.
Starts
28
4
Interceptions Per 90
1.31
0.89
Progressive Carries Per 90
0.51
0.89
Tackles Won Per 90
1.39
1.79
Ball Recoveries Per 90
5.18
1.25
Whilst Lowe's campaign was disrupted by injury last time out, he earned the praise of former Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom when fully fit during the summer of 2022. Heckingbottom said via The Star, ironically speaking on exit rumours regarding Lowe at the time: "Lowey has been great. I have had conversations with him.
“It [transfer speculation] can get messy but the only player who generally suffers is the player. Football is simple. If you are playing well enough, someone will come and pay money for you. Someone can't tell you that you are the best player in the world and then offer peanuts for you, it doesn't add up."
Alas, two years later, no transfer fee is set to be involved to potentially hand Everton a bargain deal this summer.
Glasgow Rangers head into their Old Firm clash on Saturday knowing that anything but a win is likely to end their hopes of winning the Scottish Premiership title.
A draw or loss to their rivals away from Ibrox would see them need to win their last two league matches whilst needing Celtic to drop points in both of their games.
Philippe Clement has already secured one trophy in charge of the Scottish giants so far – the League Cup – but still has the chance to seal the domestic treble, by beating the Hoops to the top-flight trophy and then coming out on top against them in the SFA Cup final at the end of this month.
This means that there is the possibility of this turning out to be a special season for the Light Blues, if they can enjoy a successful next few weeks on the pitch.
However, irrespective of what happens on the field between now and the end of May, head of recruitment Nils Koppen and his team will be hard at work to identify targets to bolster the playing squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
A striker could be on the agenda for the Belgian chief and he should push ahead with a move for Lawrence Shankland, who is reportedly a player of interest to the club.
Rangers' interest in Lawrence Shankland
In February, after the close of the January transfer window, Football Insider reported that the Light Blues are plotting a double swoop for loanee Abdallah Sima and the Hearts star this summer.
The outlet stated that their hopes of landing the two forwards would increase significantly if they can qualify for the Champions League, although that will now need to be through the play-off rounds later this year even if they win the title.
It was also revealed that the Jam Tarts have offered him two 'record-breaking' deals to extend his contract with the club, but the striker has yet to commit his future to Tynecastle.
Lawrence Shankland
In March, former Celtic and Scotland striker Frank McAvennie told Football Insider that his "sources" revealed that Shankland will make the move to Rangers this summer if given the option to.
The retired attacker stated that the Scotland international is a Gers "supporter" and will link up with Clement's side if the right offer comes in that Hearts decide to accept.
It remains to be seen how much the Premiership side are set to demand for him this summer but they were reportedly looking for a fee within the region of £3m in January.
Koppen must now splash the cash to land Shankland for Clement in the coming months as the fantastic striker would come in as a big upgrade on current Light Blues number nine Cyriel Dessers.
Cyriel Dessers' mixed success for Rangers
Michael Beale swooped to sign the Nigeria international from Cremonese for a reported fee of £5.4m last summer, after his side were relegated from the Serie A, and the striker has had mixed success at Ibrox this term.
His return of 20 goals and eight assists in 50 games in all competitions so far looks good on paper for the experienced marksman, as does a tally of 14 goals in 24 Scottish Premiership starts.
However, those statistics do not paint the full picture for the 29-year-old forward, as his wastefulness in front of goal has cost him many more goals.
Appearances
32
Goals
14
Big chances missed
24
Conversion rate
15%
Pass accuracy
70%
Duel success rate
31%
As you can see in the table above, Dessers has spurned a staggering 24 'big chances' in the Premiership, to go along with just 14 goals, in 32 appearances.
No other Rangers player has missed more than nine 'big chances' in the division, which illustrates just how wasteful the former Serie A striker has been.
Cyriel Dessers
He has underperformed his Expected Goals (xG) tally by 4.7, with 14 goals from 18.75 xG, and none of his teammates have underperformed their expected return by more than 2.81.
These statistics show that the striker, despite hitting 20 goals for the campaign in all competitions, has let the team down at times with his poor finishing, which is why the club should now push to sign Shankland.
Why Lawrence Shankland is a big upgrade on Cyriel Dessers
He was named the Premiership Player of the Year ahead of Rangers' Jack Butland and James Tavernier on Sunday, which speaks to the quality he has displayed on the pitch this term.
The award-winner has been in sensational form for the Jam Tarts throughout the 2023/24 campaign and could come in as a big upgrade on Dessers, if Koppen and Clement can get a deal over the line for the Scottish marksman in the upcoming summer transfer window.
First of all, Shankland has racked up a staggering 28 goals and eight assists in 44 appearances in all competitions for Hearts, which means that he has eight more direct goal contributions than Dessers in six fewer matches.
This shows that the Scottish gem, who was once hailed as "clinical" by journalist Euan Robertson, has been more productive than the Nigerian lightweight this term.
Appearances
34
32
Goals
21
14
Big chances missed
9
24
Conversion rate
17%
15%
Duel success rate
35%
31%
As you can see in the table above, Shankland has also been significantly more effective in front of goal than the Light Blues dud in the Premiership, with seven more goals and 15 fewer 'big chances' missed.
The 28-year-old star has scored 21 league goals from an xG of 16.86 – an overperformance of 4.14 – and this means that he has plundered seven more goals than Dessers despite having less xG created for him.
These statistics show that the Hearts finisher has far more quality in front of goal, as shown by their respective performance against their xG tallies, and that is why Rangers should swoop for him.
Rangers were rinsed by £1.5m signing who cost more than Morelos
The Light Blues did not hit the mark when they swooped for the English striker.
ByDan Emery May 6, 2024
Shankland could replace Dessers as the first-choice striker for Clement next season and provide a far more reliable and impressive presence in the final third.
England seamer also sees no problem playing with dad Chris as match referee
ESPNcricinfo staff24-May-20200:56
Stuart Broad enjoys first day back at Trent Bridge
Stuart Broad has described thoroughly enjoying his return to bowling for the first time in more than two months, despite pulling up weary afterwards.England seamer Broad was one of 18 bowlers to return to individual training programmes at venues around the country last Thursday and Friday amid a slight easing of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. He also said he saw no problem playing in a match where his father, Chris Broad, was referee, as might be the case this summer with limits on travel and social contact set to remain in place even if the international season goes ahead.Broad trained at Trent Bridge under the guidance of Nottinghamshire physio James Pipe and adhering to strict infection control protocols. Broad had to record his temperature before heading to the ground, where he had his own parking space and toilet and bowled with a new set of Dukes balls, which he will keep and continue to use throughout the individual training period.”I was only bowling at an empty net, and yet, when I left Trent Bridge on both Thursday and Friday there was a real ‘wow’ feeling,” Broad wrote in his column for the . “It felt really good to be back out in the middle again.”It was the first time I’d bowled properly since we returned from the tour of Sri Lanka 10 weeks ago. To be fair, although I’ve only bowled 12 overs so far, the action feels pretty solid.”ALSO READ: Prospect of Chris Broad officiating over son Stuart raises concernsBroad also described undergoing aerobic training excercises in the form of shuttle runs, known at Nottinghamshire as stag runs and borrowed from the Brisbane Broncos rugby league team in Australia.”I have done quite a bit of long distance running at a slower pace during these last couple of months but the good thing about the stag run is that it is done at about run-up pace,” Broad explained. “It incorporates turning too, which gets the body into similar scenarios that you would encounter on the field – like changing direction to chase the ball.”Although I felt great, on the second morning I woke up at half past six to discover muscles I’d forgotten existed. That’s what bowling does to you. Even bending down to touch my toes caused me to grimace a little. I could feel my sides too. I wouldn’t call it pain. I was just very aware that my body had been doing something different again.”Stuart Broad looks on in training•Getty Images
England are expected to name an international training group of up to 45 players, including red- and white-ball squads, this week in hopes of playing a condensed interntional schedule behind closed doors at venues deemed ‘bio-secure’, possibly starting with the first of three Tests against West Indies on July 8.Plans to play in bio-secure environments with players, officials and staff required to isolate before, during and after series, have also raised the prospect of Chris Broad, the only English representative on the ICC’s elite panel of seven match referees, officiating in England’s home Test series.While no one is questioning Broad Snr’s impartiality as an official, the scenario is understood to have raised some eyebrows in the Caribbean. But Broad Jnr rejected any suggestion that it could pose problems.”Sure, if he was an umpire I could understand that because he could have a subconscious influence on decisions that are made on the field,” Broad said. “No offence to him here but he sits in an office and if I, or anyone else, breaks the code of conduct he simply looks up the regulations in a handbook and determines the appropriate sanction from the relevant section.”There is no emotion in a match referee’s job. And there is likely to be no contact between us … there’s no haggling over the punishment. It’s not as if I can go into a room and barter to only pay 12 per cent of a 15 per cent match fee fine.”From experience, and I’ve played 138 Tests, you only see a match ref if you’re in trouble. Often they are sat in a different building. You only tend to meet at breakfast in the hotel or on the outfield before the start of play. From a selfish point of view, I’d love the chance to be able to have a coffee and catch-up with dad in a bio-secure environment.”
A classy all-round display from Ellyse Perry guided Australia to a nervy four-wicket win over India in Canberra. Perry took 4 for 13 with the ball and made 49 from 47 with the bat to control an unconvincing chase and leave the tri-series tied up after three matches with Australia, England, and India locked on one win apiece.Tayla Vlaeminck took a career-best 3 for 13 as the Australian pair’s extra pace and bounce caused India to lose five wickets in 10 balls after a solid but sluggish foundation. Smriti Mandhana clubbed 35 from 23 balls but struggled get on strike as India scored less than six runs an over prior to the collapse in the 14th over.Australia’s chase was equally untidy. They slumped to 3 for 30 in the powerplay before Perry steadied the ship as panic set in around her against a disciplined unit that was led by Rajeshwari Gayakwad, who took 2 for 18 from four overs. Perry struck eight boundaries and kept the ball along the ground up until she holed out trying to find the winning runs in the 18th over. But Nicola Carey and Annabel Sutherland ensured the game never reached the 20th over.Mandhana muffled by a lack of strikeMegan Schutt is world’s no.1 T20I bowler but after copping a hammering against England on Saturday she was once again lined up by Mandhana and Shafali Verma in the opening over. Schutt was thumped three times down the ground, twice by Mandhana, as the over cost 15. Verma was clean bowled by Perry in the next over losing her shape trying to repeat the dose. Mandhana kept rolling but she got very little support from Jemimah Rodrigues or Harmanpreet Kaur. Rodrigues faced 11 consecutive deliveries and scored one run. The extra pace of Vlaeminck caused her a lot of concern before she was caught at third man. Mandhana struck three fours and two sixes in her 23-ball innings but she was actually out there for nearly 10 overs as Kaur crawled at the other end. Mandhana fell trying to clear the rope for a second time in the 10th over from Jess Jonassen and it sparked a collapse.Too quick and too goodRachael Haynes, Australia’s stand-in captain after Meg Lanning was ruled out with a back problem, turned back to her quicks in the 14th and 15th over and they took 5 wickets in 10 balls. Perry benefitted from a spate of poor shots with Kaur, Taniya Bhatia and Deepti Sharma chipping the ball in the air straight to fielders at backward point and third man. Vlaeminck’s extra pace troubled India’s batters as she reached speeds of 120kph. Veda Krishnamurthy miscued trying to loft down the ground without giving herself so much as a look at Vlaeminck’s speed before Arundhati Reddy was undone by some hostile short stuff. Carey and Beth Mooney became the first non-wicketkeeping team-mates in women’s T20 internationals to claim three catches each in an innings. India slumped to 8 for 82 but did well to survive the 20 overs as Australia dropped two catches and missed an easy stumping in the final three overs.Deja vuAustralia started the chase in a similar fashion to India’s innings. Alyssa Healy chipped a ball to cover after absorbing three dots in the first over. Ash Gardner hit the ball crisply cracking three boundaries and a six in the powerplay but Mooney, like Kaur and Rodrigues, struggled to rotate the strike, scoring just 6 off 13 balls, which include a boundary. She was stumped off a beautiful piece of bowling from Sharma who lured her out with some fabulous loop and drop. Gardner then made an error against Gayakwad playing back to a quicker ball that slid on and crashed into off stump. That left Australia 3 for 31 at the end of the powerplay.Perry the professionalPerry’s slower starts is part of the reason she bats down the order in T20I’s despite her dominance as an opener in WBBL cricket. She took her time as the pressure built but understood the required rate was under five. Haynes was not as assured, nearly running herself out trying to rotate the strike before holing out to a wild slog having faced two dots in a row off Reddy. Perry had some luck in the 12th over, beaten three times by Shikha Pandey but she did not miss any bad balls. While India were disciplined for large parts the odd short ball relieved the pressure and Perry was able to chip away at the chase without unnecessary risk. She lost Jonassen who tried to take on Gayakwad with 22 needed from 33 balls and waited until the 18th over where she got two bad balls to put away.
Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior has reportedly turned down a lucrative approach to join Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Portuguese superstar in the Middle EastRegion wants another face of the divisionSouth American staying put in Spain for nowWHAT HAPPENED?
The Brazil international has become one of the leading lights in world football, with his stock soaring on the back of La Liga and Champions League title wins. He has become a talismanic presence at Santiago Bernabeu and dons the No.7 shirt in Madrid that five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo once filled.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Portuguese icon Ronaldo is now in the Middle East, with efforts being made to see Vinicius tread a similar path. According to , a Public Investment Fund (PIF) delegation, working on behalf of the Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Sport, has sounded out Vinicius’ representatives regarding a future move.
DID YOU KNOW?
Such a switch would see the South American become the new face of the Saudi Pro League, while working on a lucrative contract. Saudi delegates are eager to put another marquee signing in place ahead of the nation hosting the World Cup finals in 2034.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT?
Vinicius is set to prove out of reach for now, as he has a contract in Madrid through to 2027 that includes a €1 billion (£856m/$1.1bn) release clause. The 24-year-old has made it clear that he has no desire to take on a new challenge any time soon, with it his intention to win the Ballon d’Or while representing his current employers.
Erik ten Hag hinted he could deploy Jadon Sancho in a new position after Manchester United were handed multiple injury blows during pre-season.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Ten Hag could deploy Sancho in a new role
Missing several attackers due to injuries
Could use Bruno in a new role as well
WHAT HAPPENED?
The Red Devils' pre-season tour to the United States is proving to be costly as the club have lost several players, like Rasmus Hojlund, Leny Yoro and Victor Lindelof, to injuries. Joshua Zirzkee, who moved to the Premier League this summer from Bologna, has recently started training with the squad and is unlikely to feature in the club's starting lineup in the initial matches of the upcoming 2024/25 campaign.
Advertisement
Getty
THE BIGGER PICTURE
With several key attackers missing at the moment, manager Ten Hag recently hinted that he could assign Jadon Sancho and new position in the starting lineup. Sancho, who had a fallout with the Dutchman last summer, has reconciled with his coach and has even travelled to the US for the pre-season tour.
WHAT ERIK TEN HAG SAID
Speaking to reporters, the 54-year-old said, "That’s what we can do [play Sancho in the middle] if we don’t have the availability of Rasmus, but of course, Joshua Zirkzee, he’s coming in, he’s started training. But you also have to consider that he’s not so long in training, so that will take time, and he has to adapt to English football and our way of playing as well.
"There is also, of course, Jadon, who can play as a striker. We know he can play in wide areas, but also as a false striker, he’s an option. Marcus has done it before [played up front] and he can do it, and it’s definitely an option. But I think he is most productive from the left, starting wide and coming inside. So when he can arrive there, he is most effective. But we have other options. We have Bruno who can play as a striker as well."
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty
WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?
United are set to return from their tour and will be next seen in action on Saturday as they take on rivals Manchester City in their first competitive game of the new season in the Community Shield.
Glasgow Rangers head coach Philippe Clement and head of recruitment Nils Koppen enjoyed a successful January transfer window as they made three additions to the first-team squad.
Mohammed Diomande, Oscar Cortes, and Fabio Silva were all brought in on initial loan deals to bolster the Belgian head coach's options across the pitch.
Diomande has already produced two goals and one assist, Cortes racked up one goal and two assists before his injury, and Silva has found the back of the net four times.
Mohammed Diomande
Clement will now be hoping that they continue to fire in goals and assists to help the Scottish giants to secure more silverware before the end of the season, which could result in them being viewed as successful signings.
Whilst it is easy to look at signings as successes and failures over the years, you can also look at players the club wanted to sign but failed to, and wonder what could have been.
Rangers' interest in Xavi Simons
TEAMtalk reported in December 2021 that Rangers were one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to sign attacking midfielder Xavi Simons from French giants Paris Saint-Germain.
His contract with the Ligue 1 side was due to expire at the end of the season and the Light Blues were seemingly looking to snap him up on a free transfer in the summer.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst – the Gers manager at the time – was 'well aware' of the young whiz due to his connections in the Netherlands, which could have given them an edge over their rivals outside of Holland in negotiations, had it got to that stage.
PSV's Xavi Simons
However, Simons opted to move back to his home country as he signed for Dutch giants PSV on a five-year deal. However, PSG were able to negotiate a buy-back clause as part of their compensation, given that his age meant it could not be a straightforward free transfer.
The Netherlands international hit the ground running with his new club, as he plundered an outstanding 22 goals and 12 assists in 48 appearances in all competitions.
PSV lost to Rangers in the Champions League play-off tie to qualify for the group stages in August but Simons only played 45 minutes over the two legs.
The 20-year-old was on fire in the Eredivisie with a sensational return of 19 goals, eight assists, and 11 'big chances' created in 34 appearances.
Rangers must now wish that they had signed him under van Bronckhorst in 2022 as the Dutch star's value has soared, and he is currently worth more than first-team star Todd Cantwell.
Todd Cantwell's current market valuation
At the time of writing (13/03/2024), Football Transfers has the English attacking midfielder's Expected Transfer Value (xTV) at €4.2m (£3.6m), which is the exact same xTV that Simons had in May 2022 before his move to PSV.
Michael Beale swooped to sign the mercurial talent from English Championship side Norwich City on a permanent deal at the start of last year, and he has been a terrific operator in the final third for the Scottish giants.
As you can see in the table below, Cantwell has provided quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the Light Blues in his two seasons at the club so far.
Appearances
16
22
Goals
6
5
Assists
4
3
Big chances created
5
4
Key passes per game
1.3
1.6
Stats via Sofascore
The 26-year-old playmaker has directly contributed with 11 goals and seven assists in 38 Scottish Premiership matches for the Light Blues, which shows that he has the ability to be a difference-maker for the team in the final third.
At the age of 26, Cantwell also has plenty of years left ahead of him to develop and improve as a player to increase his output at the top end of the pitch even further.
Whilst, in isolation, the former Norwich star has been a successful, and impressive, signing by Rangers, some may look at Simons and wonder what could have been had van Bronckhorst snapped him up six months before the Gers signed Cantwell.
Xavi Simons' current market value
At the time of writing (13/03/2024), the Dutch international currently has an xTV of a staggering €43.1m (£36.8m), which means that his value is significantly higher than the current Light Blues attacking midfielder's (£3.6m).
His market value has soared alongside his terrific performances for PSV last season, and his outstanding displays on loan with RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga this term, having been re-signed by PSG and sent to Germany on a temporary basis last summer.
The 20-year-old dynamo has been in fantastic form for Leipzig throughout the 2023/24 campaign, and his current statistics suggest that he would be a big upgrade on Cantwell.
Appearances
24
22
Goals
6
5
Assists
8
3
Big chances created
10
4
Key passes per game
2.4
1.6
As you can see in the table above, Simons has outperformed the Rangers star in a number of key attacking statistics, whilst playing in one of Europe's major leagues, with far more key passes, big chances created, and assists, in only two more appearances.
The Leipzig loanee has also showcased his quality in the Champions League this term with a return of two goals, two assists, and three 'big chances' created in eight outings in the competition. This shows that he has the ability to compete and play at the highest level.
These statistics show why Simons' value has skyrocketed since Rangers failed to sign him under van Bronckhorst, as the talented whiz has excelled in the Netherlands and Germany over the last two seasons.
He has scored and assisted goals at an exceptional rate as an attacking midfielder and is currently worth more than any player within the Gers squad – including Cantwell – at this time.
This suggests that the Glasgow giants had a howler when they were unable to convince the talented dynamo to make the move to Ibrox back in the summer of 2022, when he left PSG, as they must now wish that they had snapped him up.
West Bromwich Albion, despite injury concerns having the potential to derail them throughout the season, still find themselves in the thick of the playoff mix.
Overcoming Coventry City 2-1 last time out was arguably a statement win, beating a rival fighting it out for a playoff spot alongside the Baggies to consolidate fifth spot in the Championship rankings.
Alex Mowatt would stand out in the narrow victory over the Sky Blues, only misplacing two of his 69 passes at the Hawthorns as a cool presence in the middle of the park.
Yet, although Mowatt would gain the plaudits at the full-time whistle as a key performer, there might well be some regrets from a West Brom perspective that they didn't keep one former midfielder at the club who is similar to their 29-year-old standout man.
Taylor Gardner-Hickman's time at West Brom
There must have been some sadness when Taylor Gardner-Hickman departed permanently for Bristol City in January, the 22-year-old leaving his homegrown club after failing to become a star in the senior side.
Gardner-Hickman would come into the first-team fold at the Hawthorns with a lot of hype attached to his name, leaving both the U18s and U21s with 17 goal contributions from 64 appearances.
Able to play in a central midfield spot – where Mowatt continues to shine – Gardner-Hickman could also do a competent job playing at full-back and further forward down the wings.
It's in Mowatt's current spot where the 6 foot 2 figure would show signs of his quality, picking up a goal and assist from 11 appearances.
It was an underwhelming transition for the former West Brom number 29 to first-team football in truth, who would only pick up one more goal and two more assists before exiting the West Midlands initially just on loan to Bristol City.
Gardner-Hickman would however make it a permanent switch to Ashton Gate at the start of 2024, with the current Robins number 22 never looking back since to make West Brom rue their decision to offload their ex-youth product.
With West Brom's bad luck when it comes to injury niggles having the potential to trouble them again, having such a flexible figure in Gardner-Hickman at their disposal currently would have been handy.
Taylor Gardner-Hickman at Bristol City
Gardner-Hickman cuts a far more confident figure playing for his new employers over being a bit-part player for West Brom, resulting in the 22-year-old matching Mowatt's numbers in Bristol now.
The new recruit has one goal and four assists next to his name this campaign donning Bristol City red, with that solitary strike being a wonder goal cannoning in off the crossbar against Middlesbrough late last year in a pulsating 3-2 win.
Once described as being a "menacing" talent for the Baggies by BirminghamLive journalist Alex Dicken, Gardner-Hickman is finally showing off this class for Bristol with regular game-time handed to him by Liam Manning working wonders.
It would have been a crushing severing of the ties between Corberan's side and Gardner-Hickman this January – considering the 22-year-old had been in and around the West Brom ranks since 2009 – with the 6 foot 2 man's improved form since exiting making the promotion chasers even sicker about letting him go.
Still, West Brom will just hope that the likes of Mowatt can steer them to a promotion to make letting go of Gardner-Hickman easier to stomach.
O Atlético-GO eliminou o rival Goiás na disputa do Campeonato Goiano. Após vencer o jogo de ida – fora de casa – por 3 a 0, o Dragão controlou a partida de volta e o empate sem gols deu a vaga na semifinal para a equipe comandada por Jorginho.
RelacionadasSul-AmericanaHistórico! Atlético-GO derrota o Palestino pela Sul-Americana e vence pela primeira vez fora do BrasilSul-Americana29/04/2021Atlético GoianienseDanilo Gomes celebra minutos acumulados e agradece confiança de JorginhoAtlético Goianiense29/04/2021Futebol NacionalEx-Goiás, atacante comemora primeiro gol pelo Oeste BarueriFutebol Nacional27/04/2021
Os 90 minutos do jogo de volta foram movimentados com os dois times tendo boas chances de tirar o zero do placar, mas pararam em erros de finalização ou em boas intervenções dos goleiros Tadeu e Fernando Miguel.
Após a disputa das quartas de final entre os rivais, o Atlético-GO segue na disputa do Goianão e vai encarar o Grêmio Anápolis na semifinal. A decisão do finalista será em dois jogos, porém ainda não teve horários e datas divulgados pela Federação Goiana de Futebol. Em contrapartida, o Goiás concentra todos os focos para a disputa da Série B do Brasileirão.