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Athapaththu, one of Sydney Thunder’s star performers at the ongoing WBBL, will link up with her new team in late December

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Nov-2023

Chamari Athapaththu has been one of the most prolific run-scorers in the women’s game in 2023•Getty Images

Chamari Athapaththu, who has been in the middle of a sensational run of form, has been signed up by Northern Brave for the 2023-24 women’s Super Smash competition, with the team calling it “a huge coup”.Sri Lanka stalwart Athapaththu is playing in the WBBL for Sydney Thunder, and is currently the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament across teams with a tally of 451 runs from 12 innings at an average of 45.10 and strike rate of 134.62, behind only Perth Scorchers’ Beth Mooney, who has 535 runs from 12 innings.In a statement released by Northern Districts, she said she was “super excited” at the opportunity. Athapaththu will join the Northern Brave camp in late December.Related

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“We’re excited to get Chamari around the group,” Eimear Richardson, the Ireland international who is also captain of Northern Brave, said in the statement. “She’s been in great form the last few months and is showing her class in the WBBL currently, so we’re excited to add her firepower to our lineup.”Chamari’s all-round abilities will be a great addition to the Super Smash and is sure to excite the crowds with both bat and ball in hand. It will be great to have a player of her abilities on the park with us.”Athapaththu, the ninth-highest run-getter in women’s T20Is with 2651 runs from 120 innings, has had a sensational 2023. In ODIs, there were the two centuries – 108 not out and 140 not out – against New Zealand at home in Galle in June, which gave Sri Lanka a famous 2-1 series win, while she has hit three half-centuries in 16 T20I innings this year too. Overall, she has 3255 ODI runs at an average of 34.26 with eight centuries, and 2651 T20I runs at a strike rate of 106.20 with one century.A more than handy offspinner, Athapaththu also has 68 wickets in international cricket.Easily the most popular Sri Lankan woman cricketer, Athapaththu has played in the Women’s CPL, for Guyana Amazon Warriors, as well as in the FairBreak Invitational T20 tournament and in the Women’s T20 Challenge At the WBBL, Thunder is her third team, after she turned out for Melbourne Renegades and Scorchers in previous seasons.”We cannot wait to have a world-class player in Chamari join the Northern Brave for this season’s Super Smash competition,” Ian Sandbrook, general manager of performance and talent at Northern Districts, said. “There’s no doubt that her exciting skill set, and destructive x-factor will be a huge addition to our team but just as importantly, to the competition as a whole.”We also know that Chamari will be a great role model and leader within our environment, and imparting these behaviours on our talented young squad is another important step in making the Northern Brave the best performance environment in the country.”Northern Brave’s Super Smash campaign kicks off on December 22 as part of a double-header with the men’s Brave team, who will take on Central Districts’ Hinds (women) and Stags (men) at Seddon Park. Athapaththu is expected to be available for selection for the game against Wellington Blaze on January 2.

يستعد نادي باريس سان جيرمان الفرنسي، لحسم ملف مستقبل حارس مرمى الفريق، جيانلويجي دوناروما، حيث ينتهي عقده الحالي في يونيو 2026.

وزادت التكهنات حول احتمال عودة دوناروما إلى الدوري الإيطالي أو انتقاله إلى أحد أندية الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، في ظل اهتمام من عدة أندية بالتعاقد معه.

وبحسب ما ورد، باريس سان جيرمان يستعد لعقد جولة جديدة من المفاوضات مع وكيل حارسه الإيطالي جيانلويجي دوناروما، في محاولة لحسم ملف تجديد عقده قبل الدخول في المرحلة الحرجة من عقده الحالي، الذي ينتهي في يونيو 2026.

وتؤكد التقارير أن الحارس الدولي دوناروما، لا يزال يعطي الأولوية للاستمرار داخل صفوف باريس سان جيرمان.

دوناروما، الذي انضم إلى باريس في صيف 2021 قادمًا من ميلان في صفقة انتقال حر، دخل موسمه الرابع مع الفريق، مما يعني أنه سيصبح حرًا في التفاوض مع أي نادٍ آخر خلال ستة أشهر إذا لم يُبرم عقدًا جديدًا.

اقرأ أيضًا | لاعب باريس سان جيرمان: أنا أفضل من لامين يامال

وبحسب موقع “كالتشيو ميركاتو” الإيطالي، فإن دوناروما وممثليه قد نقلوا مطالبهم لإدارة باريس سان جيرمان قبل نهاية الموسم الماضي، والمحادثات لا تزال قائمة دون أي تواصل رسمي مع أندية أخرى حتى الآن.

ورغم الهدوء على مستوى التحركات الرسمية، إلا أن هناك عددًا من الأندية التي تراقب الموقف عن كثب، وفي إيطاليا، تبدو فرص انتقاله ضئيلة حاليًا في ظل استقرار مراكز حراسة المرمى داخل الأندية الكبرى، بما في ذلك إنتر ميلان، الذي لا يُتوقع أن يتحرك نحو دوناروما طالما يحتفظ بخدمات الثنائي يان سومر وجوزيب مارتينيز.

وفي ظل هذه المعطيات، سيكون الأسبوعان المقبلان حاسمين في تحديد مستقبل الحارس الإيطالي، ما بين تمديد عقده مع باريس سان جيرمان أو فتح الباب أمام عروض جديدة قد تُعيده إلى الدوري الإيطالي أو تنقله إلى الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

MatériaMais Notícias

Os jogadores do São Paulo que não foram relacionados para a derrota por 1 a 0 para o Flamengo, na quarta-feira (14), no Maracanã, resultado que eliminou o clube na semifinal da Copa do Brasil, se reapresentaram na manhã desta quinta-feira (15) para a realização de atividades no CT da Barra Funda.

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GALERIA
+ Confira as notas dadas aos jogadores do São Paulo na atuação na derrota no Maracanã pela semifinal da Copa do Brasil

O treino começou com ativações físicas no gramado. Na sequência, foram feitos trabalhos de trocas de passes, enfrentamentos de ataque contra defesa e finalizações.

Antes do encerramento, os jogadores foram divididos em dois times para trabalho técnico em campo reduzido.

Participaram do treinos como Bustos, Ferraresi e Felipe Alves, não inscritos no principal mata-mata nacional, além de Arboleda, Luan e André Anderson, que se recuperam de contusão.

Os jogadores que participaram da partida no Maracanã ganharam folga do técnico Rogério Ceni e só voltam aos trabalhos na sexta-feira (16).

– Eu pretendo dar 24 horas de descanso para eles. Depois de amanhã, preparar o jogo para o Ceará. Os que jogaram hoje fazem um treinamento mais leve na sexta. Aí no sábado a gente define o time para o jogo com o Ceará. Hoje nós viemos com todos os atletas que tínhamos a disposição, 20 jogadores de linha. Tem mais três que ficaram fora pela inscrição. Teremos que fazer um time muito competitivo. Lá é difícil de jogar e agora a gente enfrenta times que descansam a semana inteira. Isso traz uma diferença nessa parte. A opção do final de semana de ter jogado com um time novo foi para igualar, ao menos, a parte física – disse Ceni.

– Precisamos aproveitar o máximo que temos, a parte física, técnica, enquanto o Del Valle tem um jogo só agora dia 17, se não me engano, nós temos dois jogos ainda vindo puxado do dia de hoje, mas não podemos largar. Chegou um ponto que não podemos deixar de lado o Brasileiro. Vamos tentar jogar com a maior força possível, tanto contra o Ceará quanto contra o Avaí. Vamos tentar adiantar esse jogo, ter um espaçamento maior da final, que se pressupõe que pode ter prorrogação. São Paulo é o time que mais jogou no Brasil esse ano – completou Ceni.

O próximo compromisso do Tricolor será ante o Ceará, às 16h (de Brasília) de domingo (18), fora de casa, pelo Brasileirão.

Além da Sul-Americana, prioridade absoluta do ano pelas circunstâncias, o Brasileirão é um esqueleto que nunca deixou o armário tricolor. Não é para menos. A equipe está na 13ª colocação com 31 pontos, cinco de distância para a zona de rebaixamento.

TABELA
> Confira classificação, jogos e simule resultados do Brasileirão-22
> Confira todos os jogos da Copa Sul-Americana-22
> Conheça o novo aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!

MatériaMais Notícias

O elenco do Botafogo passou por mudanças. Foram dez chegadas na janela de transferências, que se encerrou nesta segunda-feira. O técnico Luís Castro, que bateu na tecla da necessidade de reforços durante alguns jogos da temporada, recebeu nomes para o elenco.

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+Textor responde torcedor sobre contratações do Botafogo: ‘Envie uma carta de agradecimento ao Mazzuco’

Agora, contando com jogadores que podem ir e vir do time sub-23 de acordo com a necessidade, o plantel conta com 39 peças. Vale ressaltar que o número ainda pode diminuir: a janela europeia ainda está aberta – Barreto, por exemplo, tem conversas para defender o RWD Molenbeek, clube de John Textor na Bélgica.

O LANCE!mostra todas as opções que o treinador Luís Castro conta no clube de General Severiano.

Goleiros: Douglas Borges,Gatito Fernández, Igo Gabriel* e Lucas Perri;
Laterais-direito: Daniel Borges, Rafael e Renzo Saravia;
​Laterais-esquerdo: Carlinhos, DG*, Fernando Marçal e Hugo
​Zagueiros: Adryelson, Joel Carli, Kanu, Lucas Mezenga*, Philipe Sampaio e Victor Cuesta;
​Volantes: Barreto, Danilo Barbosa, Del Piage, Kayque, Luís Oyama, Patrick de Paula e Tchê Tchê;
Meias: Eduardo, Gabriel Pires, Jacob Montes, Lucas Fernandes e Lucas Piazon;
Pontas-direito: Gustavo Sauer e Vinícius Lopes;
Pontas-esquerdo: Diego Gonçalves, Jeffinho, Luís Henrique, e Victor Sá;
Atacantes: Erison, Junior Santos, Matheus Nascimento e Tiquinho Soares

* Podem ser chamados pelo time sub-23 eventualmente

Steady century steers hosts as dropped catches cost Essex dear

Paul Edwards19-May-2023
One way of assessing whether cricket matters to a place is to consider how many businesses surrounding a county ground maintain close connections with the game. One is thinking of serious immersion here rather than namecheck association. After all, many towns with a thriving cricket club have a pub named The Cricketers, but Trent Bridge now has two inns, The William Gunn and The Larwood and Voce, whose connection is plain only to the initiated.At lunch and teatime on the second day of this match, it was more likely to be Essex supporters who were seeking balm from the electric soups sold at these hostelries. For having watched Sam Cook remove Haseeb Hameed in the fourth over of the morning, they had then seen their wicketkeeper and slips put down three chances, errors that had left Nottinghamshire pleasantly placed on 102 for 1 at the first interval.The precise cost of these errors was unclear at lunch. By tea, however, although Ben Slater had been dismissed for 57, Matthew Montgomery was still there on 73. And at close of play, it was Nottinghamshire supporters who were drinking the health of Montgomery after the 23-year-old had recorded his maiden Division One hundred and guided his side to the prosperity of 326 for 5, a lead of 28 with promise of more on Saturday. Not even the dismissal of Steven Mullaney, leg before to Doug Bracewell in the final over of the evening, could knock the head off their pint of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord.But this was Montgomery’s day and it was all too easy in the glow of his unbeaten 130 to reflect on that crucial first hour of the day when Essex’s errors had helped determine the shape of what followed. The biggest offender, in more ways than one, was Adam Rossington, who dropped Montgomery on nought and 4 off Shane Snater when he failed to cling on to diving catches to his right.The second of these drops was more noticeable – Alastair Cook might well have taken it had not the keeper intervened – but the first, when the keeper scarcely touched the ball, illustrated Rossington’s current limitations more clearly. Soon afterwards, Slater should have gone for 50, but Alastair Cook dropped the chance off Bracewell. “Regulation” some called it although it’s never quite clear in such cases what regulation is being observed or breached.Simon Harmer’s off-spin was introduced in the 24th over of the morning but rather than being asked to turn the screw, Harmer came on with Essex still looking for the screwdriver. Unusually, the best slow bowler in the English game could not help them find it. Instead, he was swept and reverse-swept by Montgomery in the morning session before being powered down the ground by Joe Clarke in the afternoon.By that point, Slater had been removed when he fenced at a ball from Sam Cook and nicked a catch to Rossington, whose acceptance of the chance was probably aided by the fact that the ball went straight to him. This, though, was the sort of day coaches appreciate, when a succession of partnerships builds a substantial lead, and whereas the opener had become a little becalmed on another windless day, Clarke approached matters more briskly, cover-driving Bracewell and easing Jamie Porter through point when barely seeming to hit the ball at all. Then, having reminded us why he might have played for England a couple of summers ago, the ex-Worcestershire batsman showed us why he never did so by attempting to hit Matt Critchley’s leg spin over wide mid-on but only skewing a skied catch to Jamie Porter at mid-off.Instead of sparking a fall of wickets in one of the cricketers’ beloved clumps, that wicket was merely the prelude to tea and, less than an hour later, the moment of Montgomery’s century when an involuntary inside-edge brought him both the jammiest of his 20 fours and the prize he most coveted after 194 balls of patient accumulation. Essex still had the new ball to call on but Tom Westley’s bowlers seemed to lack their collective edge this overcast Friday and by the time they took the wicket of Lyndon James for 28 he and Montgomery has shared their side’s third fifty-plus stand. Nottinghamshire have power to add one or two more on Saturday, when this game’s shape will become clear and the Trent Bridge Inn will be packed tight with football supporters at tea-time.Tomorrow morning, though, the pub most associated with the county’s cricket will open at eight o’clock, just as it does every day, and it won’t be long thereafter before the place is dotted with green and gold shirts, most of them sported by supporters in need of breakfast rather than the bleak, double-edged comfort of sharpeners.The pub is part of a rather unpopular chain but to my eyes it hasn’t changed that much since a group of us arrived there for the first time some decades ago offering an impressive impression of thirst-maddened cattle. The walls of the place are covered with pictures of cricketers, some of them stretching back deep into the 19th century, and there could be no better way to begin a day at the cricket than by tucking into eggs benedict and coffee – free refills – surrounded by Old Clarke, George Parr and Arthur Carr.For other supporters, Andy Warhol’s thoughts on stardom and celebrity are just about right. “Michael Holding? It’s not a name to me,” said a fellow in Notts livery this morning. Nine hours later, he was probably applauding Matthew Montgomery, a truly famous cricketer.

Sri Lankan government’s National Sports Selection Committee is set to meet on January 30 to take a final call

Madushka Balasuriya29-Jan-2023A little over four months after winning the Asia Cup, Sri Lanka are on the verge of a selection committee shake-up and its chief Pramodya Wickramasinghe is likely to be among the first names on the chopping block.Wickramasinghe has headed the selection committee since April 2021, overseeing a youth-driven overhaul of Sri Lanka’s limited overs squads. This has seen seniors such as Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal and Dimuth Karunaratne, cut from the white-ball sides. Under Wickramasinghe, Sri Lanka adopted a less reactionary approach to the selection process.In this time, with Mickey Arthur and now Chris Silverwood as head coach, the national side has seen varying degrees of success, most notably home ODI series wins against South Africa and Australia and an Asia Cup T20 triumph. But despite this, a limp showing in the T20 World Cup followed by chastening white-ball losses away to India at the start of 2023, has brought the role of the selectors under the spotlight.Related

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To fully comprehend the current state of Sri Lankan cricketing affairs, a slightly wider outlook on the landscape is required – starting with the appointment of new sports minister Roshan Ranasinghe in May 2022 who succeeded Namal Rajapaksa, the nephew of then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Gotabaya was eventually forced to resign following wide-scale protests in the country amidst a severe economic crisis, which also set in motion Namal’s ouster from the role of sports minister.Among Ranasinghe’s first acts as sports minister was to appoint former Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga to head a 15-member National Sports Council (NSC), tasked with advising the sports minister on sports-related matters in the country.Ranatunga has long been a vocal critic of Sri Lanka Cricket’s executive committee headed by president Shammi Silva, and following the team’s subpar T20 World Cup performance, he wasted little time in calling for the selectors to be replaced.Wickramasinghe defended himself in an interview with Sri Lankan newspaper the earlier this month, asking: “We are number three in the ICC Test Championship points table. Clinched the country’s first major title in eight years, the Asia Cup, and then earned direct qualifications to the T20 World Cup in 2024. In ODIs we won a series against Australia. Aren’t these results of our efforts during the last 18 months?”It seems that the SLC is inclined to agree with Wickramasinghe, but they aren’t the ones seeking to shift out the selectors. That’s the work of the sports ministry-appointed National Sports Selection Committee (NSSC).In Sri Lanka, sports law mandates that national team selectors be appointed by the sports minister, so much so that even the squads they pick must first get sports ministry approval prior to being ratified. And in October 2022, the NSSC – a seven-member committee headed by Sri Lanka’s Chief of Defence Staff General Shavendra Silva and including former chairman of selectors Sanath Jayasuriya – was appointed with the task of giving final approval to sports selection in the country.Earlier this month, the SLC sent the NSSC a set of 10 names, including Wickramasinghe’s, from which to pick the new selection committee. However the NSSC, without rejecting them outright, expressed dissatisfaction and requested an updated list be sent. The NSSC are set to meet on Monday (January 30) to make a final decision.Political influence on cricketing matters is not unusual in Sri Lanka, with its post-1996 World Cup history punctuated by a series of interim committees, upheaval in selectors and selection, and shifts in captaincy.

يستعد منتخب الكويت، لخوض مباراة قوية وهامة أمام منافسه كوريا الجنوبية، وذلك ضمن تصفيات آسيا المؤهلة لبطولة كأس العالم 2026.

ويلتقي منتخبا الكويت وكوريا الجنوبية، على أرضية استاد سيؤول كأس العالم، في إطار مواجهات الجولة العاشرة من تصفيات كأس العالم.

ويتواجد منتخبا الكويت وكوريا الجنوبية في المجموعة الثانية من تصفيات مونديال 2026، رفقة كل من الأردن والعراق وعمان وفلسطين.

طالع أيضاً.. حسين الشحات يوجه رسالة خاصة لـ أكرم توفيق بعد رحيله عن الأهلي

ويدخل منتخب كوريا الجنوبية المباراة متصدراً ترتيب المجموعة الأولى برصيد 19 نقطة، فيما تتواجد الكويت في المركز السادس والاخير، ولديه 5 نقاط. موعد مباراة الكويت وكوريا الجنوبية في تصفيات آسيا لكأس العالم

تنطلق المباراة اليوم الثلاثاء في تمام الساعة الثانية ظُهراً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية. القنوات الناقلة لمباراة الكويت وكوريا الجنوبية في تصفيات كأس العالم

– beIN Sports HD 2

– الكأس القطرية 6 مُعلق مباراة الكويت وكوريا الجنوبية اليوم

يتولى أحمد البلوشي التعليق على المباراة عبر قناة beIN Sports HD 2.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا

India’s bowlers were also clinical in their defence of 180 against Netherlands

Karthik Krishnaswamy27-Oct-20221:12

Inside the Surya-Kohli bromance

Fifties of vastly different moods and tempos from Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav laid the platform for India to brush Netherlands aside and move to the top of the Group 2 table with a healthy net-run-rate boost. Choosing to bat first on an SCG surface that was considerably slower than the one they played their tournament-opener on at the MCG, India put on a classic display of controlled dominance over Associate opposition, posting a par-ish total and defending it ruthlessly.Chasing 180, Netherlands were never in the game, and for a while seemed in danger of being bowled out for under 100. They avoided that fate, and the No. 11 Paul van Meekeren finished the innings with 4, 4, 4 off Arshdeep Singh to narrow their margin of defeat, but it was still a resounding 56 runs.India’s five specialist bowlers shared the wickets, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep, Axar Patel and R Ashwin picking up two apiece, and Mohammed Shami one.A costly non-review
The new ball swung, and occasionally stopped on the batter too. India scored just 11 runs in the first 2.4 overs of their innings, and van Meekeren picked up a well-earned early wicket too, having an lbw shout upheld after KL Rahul missed the flick off a late inswinger. Rahul didn’t review the decision, even though his opening partner Rohit seemed to suggest to him that the ball might have been swinging down the leg side; ball-tracking eventually proved Rohit correct.Three approaches, three fifties
Rohit struggled for fluency on this sluggish surface but he kept trying to hit boundaries. He survived a dropped chance – Tim Pringle putting down a sitter at mid-on when he was on 13 – and finished his innings with a control percentage of just under 59, but his preparedness to look ugly ensured he kept the scoreboard moving in the first 12 overs of India’s innings. He made 53 off 39 balls; during his time at the crease, the two batters at the other end – Rahul and Kohli – combined to score 28 off 31.Kohli finished with a control percentage of 75. During the first 21 balls of his innings, when Rohit was at the other end, Kohli’s control percentage was 81. Unlike Rohit, he didn’t take chances early on and chose to trust in his ability to score quickly once set. He did this, and found the boundary with increased frequency in the last five overs to score 30 off his last 14 balls, having scored 32 off 30 balls before that.Suryakumar Yadav brought up his fifty off the last ball of the innings•Getty Images

Suryakumar, meanwhile, did what only he and a few others in the world can do. He shuffled this way and that, brought his wrists into play to whip and slice the ball into gaps, and found the boundary five times in his first 12 balls at the crease. He hit seven fours and a flicked six off the last ball of the innings to finish unbeaten on 51 off 25 balls, a jaw-dropping effort on a sluggish pitch but one that you might take for granted given how often he does these things.Together, these three innings worked well for India to achieve what they set out to on the day. The chances Rohit took early on came off often enough for Kohli to begin conservatively, and Suryakumar’s blazing start allowed him to keep going in that vein until the last five overs.India’s total of 179 was their lowest in T20I innings where they have lost only two wickets or fewer, and Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik didn’t even come out to bat, but India probably only aimed for par on a sluggish pitch against Associate opposition. Kohli may probably have taken more risks early on against a stronger team.Max O’Dowd was bowled by Axar Patel•AFP

Bhuvneshwar sets the tone for dominant bowling display
‘Max O’Dowd or bust’ has been a fair description of the Netherlands batting at this World Cup so far, and the early overs stayed with that theme. O’Dowd found the boundary with a pair of pleasing square drives off Arshdeep in the second over, but either side of that Bhuvneshwar went 2-2-0-1, bowling with pinpoint accuracy and dismissing Vikramjit Singh, bowled swiping across the line.With the rest of the top order struggling, O’Dowd had to manufacture boundaries and was dismissed trying to do so, exposing all his stumps to Axar and missing a sweep.The Netherlands challenge fell away after that, as Axar and Ashwin throttled them through the middle overs, before the fast bowlers returned to clean up the lower order. Arshdeep, expensive early on, came back to take two wickets in two balls, a nasty bouncer followed by an inch-perfect yorker, and he was on a hat-trick when he began the final over. By the end of that over, though, his figures had taken a bruising, and van Meekeren had given Netherlands’ fans something to cheer about.

Glasgow Rangers made the decision to keep faith with head coach Philippe Clement earlier this season and it increasingly looking like a shrewd call.

Back in November 2024, Football Insider reported that pressure was mounting on the Belgian boss, due to ‘poor’ performances, but they were willing to give him time to turn things around.

The Light Blues were set to play in the final of the League Cup the following month and the board seemingly decided to give him the chance to win another piece of silverware.

As shown in the highlights above, it was a spirited performance from the Gers and they came ever-so-close to winning the trophy, just to fall short on penalties.

Since that clash at Hampden Park, Rangers have only lost two of their last 13 matches in all competitions, including one loss to Premier League side Manchester United, and this shows that Clement has managed to get the Light Blues back on track.

The Belgian tactician has been helped by the respective returns of Danilo, from injury, and Ianis Hagi, from a contract dispute, as they have both starred at the top end of the pitch.

Ianis Hagi and Danilo's fantastic form this season

Firstly, Danilo returned from a knee injury, that kept him out for 12 matches, in November and has offered an excellent option in the centre-forward position in recent months.

The former Feyenoord and Ajax marksman has only started six of his 14 appearances in the Scottish Premiership this season, but has offered plenty of quality in those starts.

He has racked up an exceptional return of five goals and three assists in those 14 matches and six starts, along with six ‘big chances’ created for his teammates. This shows that the Brazilian ace has offered a huge threat inside the box and has made himself a reliable option for Clement when fit.

Hagi, meanwhile, returned to the team in October after players and board members stepped in to get him back in the squad, after he had been left out due to a contract issue that would have seen him given a pay rise if he had played more games.

The Romania international has been a star for Rangers in the Premiership ever since his return, with the highlights above showing off his most recent goals against Ross County.

24/25 Premiership

Ianis Hagi

Appearances (starts)

15 (12)

Goals

3

Big chances created

5

Key passes per game

2.1

Assists

5

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 26-year-old playmaker has offered a big threat at the top end of the pitch from an attacking midfield position, with eight direct goal contributions in 12 starts.

These statistics show that both Hagi and Danilo have been influential figures in the final third for Clement and that they have both been crucial parts of the improved performances in recent months.

However, there is a former Rangers player who they could, now, regret cashing in on last year, as he has outscored both of those current Light Blues stars.

How much Rangers sold Sam Lammers for

In the summer of 2024, the Scottish giants decided to part ways with versatile Dutch forward Sam Lammers as FC Twente swooped in to secure his services for a reported fee of £2.5m.

The left-footed attacker was brought in from Atalanta on a permanent deal in the summer of 2023 under former Rangers head coach Michael Beale and he failed to hit the ground running at Ibrox in the first half of the 2023/24 campaign.

Lammers produced two goals and two assists in 31 appearances for the Light Blues, before he was sent out on loan to FC Utrecht for the second half of the season by Clement, who came in to replace Beale in the dugout.

23/24 Eredivisie

Sam Lammers

Appearances

18

Goals

10

Key passes per game

1.1

Big chances created

5

Assists

3

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Dutchman enjoyed an incredible time with Utrecht in the Eredivisie, with a return of 13 direct goal contributions in 18 matches.

Where Are They Now

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However, that form was not enough to convince Clement to give him another chance at Ibrox, which led to his £2.5m switch to FC Twente last summer.

Why Rangers may regret selling Sam Lammers

The Gers may, now, regret their decision to cash in on the 26-year-old star so early in his career in Scotland, as he has caught the eye once again in the Eredivisie this term.

Lammers, who can play as an attacking midfielder, out wide, or as a striker, has been a regular starter for Twente in the Dutch top-flight so far this season, with 16 starts in 17 appearances in the league.

The former Rangers star has scored six goals in the league so far this term, which is more than Danilo (five) and Hagi (three), as aforementioned, have managed in the Premiership.

He has also scored two goals in six appearances in the Europa League for the Dutch team, which shows that he can also step up on the European stage, whilst neither Danilo nor Hagi were registered for the league phase of the competition for the Gers.

24/25 Eredivisie

Sam Lammers

Appearances

17

Goals

6

Big chances missed

3

Big chances created

4

xA

2.70

Assists

1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Lammers has also provided an impressive amount of creativity at the top end of the pitch for FC Twente in the current campaign.

His teammates have let him down with their wasteful finishing in the final third, though, as he has only registered one assist from four ‘big chances’ created and 2.70 xA.

These statistics show that Lammers is thriving in the Netherlands, again, after he caught the eye for Utrecht last term, and is outperforming two of Clement’s top performers as a goalscorer.

This is why Rangers may regret cashing in on him after only six months at Ibrox as they did not give him enough time to find this kind of form for the Light Blues, and it will now forever remain a case of ‘what if?’ for the Scottish giants.

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Posts 2 ByDan Emery Feb 4, 2025

A new transfer update claims that Newcastle United are eyeing the signing of a “really strong” player who is enjoying a fantastic season in the Premier League.

Latest Newcastle news

The Magpies continued their excellent form with a 3-1 win away to Southampton last weekend, as they bounced back from a rare off day at home to Bournemouth in their previous league outing.

Eddie Howe’s Newcastle side look primed for a top-four push this season, and also have one foot in the final of the Carabao Cup, but new signings in the January transfer window would further increase their chances of enjoying a campaign to remember forever.

Baris Alper Yilmaz has been linked with a move to St James’ Park this month, with the winger currently impressing at Galatasaray, scoring 10 goals in 18 Turkish Super Lig starts so far this season. He could help fill the void left by Miguel Almiron, who is set to complete a move to Atlanta United imminently.

Another winger, Nicolas Kuhn, is seen as another wide option for Newcastle, having caught the eye hugely in a Celtic shirt, producing so much quality from the right flank, cutting onto his left foot and wreaking havoc. Now, a defensive target has emerged for Paul Mitchell and Howe.

Newcastle eyeing "really strong" defender

According to inews journalist Mark Douglas, Newcastle are interested in signing Bournemouth centre-back Illia Zabarnyi, seeing him as a “potential long-term solution” at the heart of their defence. A summer move is mooted, rather than a January switch, with the Cherries favourite seen as “one of the players being considered by the club alongside targets in Europe”.

Zabarnyi could be a brilliant signing for Newcastle at the end of the season, having enjoyed such a great campaign for an increasingly impressive Bournemouth side. The 22-year-old has excelled alongside Dean Huijsen, leading to Joe Partington praising their partnership.

Newcastle have to look at centre-back as an important area of focus in the summer, considering Fabian Schar, Dan Burn and Jamaal Lascelles are now in their 30s, and Zabarnyi should stand out as a leading option.

At just 22, the Ukrainian already looks such a mature defender, starting all 23 of Bournemouth’s Premier League games this season, averaging five clearances per game, which is more than Schar, Burn and Sven Botman.

Illia Zabarnyi’s Premier League stats this season

Total

Appearances

23

Starts

23

Minutes played

2070

Goals

0

Assists

0

Clearances per game

5.0

Aerial duel wins per game

2.3

Tackles per game

1.6

On current form, Zabarnyi would feel like a major coup, and he could end up being Botman’s long-term partner at centre-back at Newcastle for years to come.