All posts by n8rngtd.top

Rangers could still sell two Ibrox stars that new manager Russell Martin wants to build his team around, according to a new update.

Rangers officially seal Lyall Cameron deal

It promises to be a busy few months in the transfer window under new owners the 49ers Enterprises, who will also have their eyes on bolstering Leeds United’s squad ahead of their Premier League return as well as looking to return the Gers to Scottish Premiership glory.

In Glasgow, though, Rangers officially unveiled Lyall Cameron as their first addition of the summer on Tuesday, with the midfielder signing a pre-contract agreement back in February.

Talking in his first interview as a Gers player, Cameron said: “It is amazing to walk in the door today, it is a privilege really. I have been looking forward to it for a long time.

“It was a no brainer as soon as Rangers came in, I was desperate to be here. It is obviously a massive club and the history and everything about it is just amazing. Being from Scotland, I know what the club stands for, so I just wanted to jump at the chance.

“It is a new project, they are looking to build, improve and win leagues again and I really wanted to be a part of it. I want to come here, make an impression, do as well as possible and get this club back to where it belongs.”

More players are set to follow Cameron through the Ibrox door, and there have been strong links to Bournemouth full-back Max Aarons and Peterborough United’s Kwame Poku.

Rangers close in on signing "great athlete" who could be Ryan Kent 2.0

Rangers have had many excellent loan players throughout the years, Ryan Kent springs to mind, and they’ve reached an agreement to bring in another.

By
Ben Gray

Jun 18, 2025

However, with multiple additions on the cards, there may also be some Rangers stars heading for the exit door, and a worrying new update

Rangers could sell £50m stars Igamane and Raskin

According to a transfer update from Football Insider, Martin wants to build his Rangers side around stars Hamza Igamane and Nicolas Raskin. However, despite this, the 49ers could still cash in on the pair this summer.

It is claimed that ‘sources say Rangers are still susceptible to big offers for the duo despite their recent US-backed takeover but do not need to sell for below-market prices’.

Both Igamane and Raskin have been valued at £25m each recently, with the likes of Everton and West Ham keen on the former, whereas numerous clubs in Europe have their eye on Raskin.

Should clubs come in with £25m for the duo, it would smash the current record Ibrox departure which stands at just under £20m.

It would give Rangers and the 49ers plenty more cash to play with, however, Martin may not be happy if the pair are sold given he wants to keep them in Glasgow.

Arsenal are reportedly working to recruit some high-profile targets behind-the-scenes, and a significant update has now dropped on one of them, courtesy of a Sky Sports reporter this morning.

Arsenal identify new winger and striker as priority targets

Two items at the very top of sporting director Andrea Berta’s to-do list over the coming months are signing a new winger and striker.

Arsenal confirm "very popular" 22-year-old has now joined another club

He’s officially left north London.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 11, 2025

Injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus during the second half of 2024/2025 left Mikel Arteta desperately short of options up front, whilst adding further weight to the opinions of many critics that the addition of a prolific centre-forward is long overdue.

Mikel Merino did pretty well to cover the aforementioned duo as an emergency striker, but Berta and the recruitment team are eager to ensure that Arteta won’t be left in a similarly precarious position next season, when they’ll be looking to mount a far more successful Premier League title challenge.

Arsenal’s need for more goals is evident by their numbers from last term, with Arteta’s side scoring just 69 in total across their top flight campaign, a far cry beneath the 91 and 88 they’d managed in the two seasons prior.

Berta has laid the groundwork over deals for both Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, according to the BBC and reporter Sami Mokbel, but it appears the latter centre-forward is taking priority right now.

Arsenal are believed to be advancing in talks for Sesko, with Leipzig demanding around £70 million for their star striker as the Gunners look to find middle ground in negotiations.

Arteta and co also want to add further quality out-wide.

Leandro Trossard is about to enter the final year of his contract, while Bukayo Saka’s three-month injury lay-off midway through last season highlighted the need for Berta to bring in an alternative to the England international.

Leroy Sane pulls U-turn over joining Arsenal after Galatasaray agreement

One of their widely reported top targets is out-of-contract Bayern Munich star Leroy Sane.

Man City once valued the 70-cap Germany international at around £137 million during his time at Eastlands, but he’s now set to leave Bavaria for zero transfer cost.

According to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Arsenal held talks with Sane as far back as April, and more recent reports from this week, via CaughtOffside, claim that the 29-year-old has spoken to Arteta about a move to the Emirates Stadium.

Sane apparently had an offer to join Arsenal on the table, and was thought to be very keen to work with Arteta again and join the Gunners (CaughtOffside).

A contract extension at Bayern was still on the cards as well, until very recently, with the ex-Premier League star informing Vincent Kompany’s side that he won’t be signing a new deal after all.

Now set to leave on a free, while Sane was believed to favour a move to Arsenal, he’s now apparently pulled a U-turn.

Instead, Turkish Süper Lig champions Galatasaray are closing in on a deal for Sane, according to Sky Germany’s Plettenberg in a “breaking” update this morning.

Sane’s top-level experience and proven record of goals and assists from the last few seasons arguably make him one of the bargains of the summer, but he’s still very pricey in terms of salary.

Reports suggest that the former Schalke sensation is demanding a big “mega-money” contract, with Galatasaray seemingly set to pay him big-money.

Sane is close to the twilight phase of his career at nearly 30, and they have other high-profile wide targets to turn to as alternatives – ones which could prove better value for salary in the long run.

Chelsea are looking to build on the momentum they gathered at the back end of the 2024/25 campaign.

They won five of their final six Premier League games, qualifying for the Champions League in the process, and, of course, won the UEFA Conference League final against Real Betis, to end the season on a high note.

Now, with the new look FIFA Club World Cup right around the corner, Chelsea could do something really special at the end of the campaign under Enzo Maresca. Their first game of the competition is on the 16th of June, against LAFC.

The transfer window is open for ten days, and the Blues are actively looking to do transfer deals in multiple positions.

Here is a look at what their dream lineup could look like if some of those transfer rumours come to fruition.

1

GK – Mike Maignan

Starting off this dream Chelsea lineup is a new signing, AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan. The Frenchman has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge by Fabrizio Romano, who says the Blues are ‘aware of the situation’ regarding his contract, which is currently up in the air.

At 29 years of age, he is very much in his prime, and despite a tough campaign in 2024/25 for the Rossoneri, Maignan played well. In 37 Serie A games, he conceded just 41 goals and kept 13 clean sheets.

Chelsea have pounced on this market opportunity early, and the Frenchman could be a perfect upgrade on Robert Sanchez. The former Brighton and Hove Albion goalkeeper struggled last term, and Gary Neville said the club “are going to have to look at it”, implying they need a new shotstopper; perhaps Maignan is that guy.

2

RB – Reece James

Club captain Reece James will, if fit, start every game for Chelsea. He only managed 19 appearances in the Premier League last campaign, but Maresca was careful to manage his minutes and ensure they got the best out of their captain.

A prime example of just how important James is to this Chelsea side came in their 1-0 Premier League win over Manchester United at the end of the season. The piece of skill he used to beat Alejandro Garnacho, before crossing for Marc Cucurella, was exceptional. A healthy James is pivotal for the Blues.

3

CB – Jarrad Branthwaite

The second new addition in this hypothetical Chelsea side would see Jarrad Branthwaite move to Stamford Bridge. He has been linked with a move to the club by TEAMtalk this week, who say they are ‘seriously considering a move’ for the England international.

The 22-year-old Everton defender was a really important member of the Toffees side, as they once again avoided relegation and finished mid-table. After suffering an injury which kept him out at the start of the campaign, he featured in 30 Premier League games.

The Everton centre-back played 90 minutes in 27 of the 30 games he featured in, contributing to nine clean sheets in that time. The £75m price tag suggested in the report is expensive, but could be an excellent investment for Chelsea to strengthen at the back.

4

CB – Levi Colwill

Pairing Branthwaite at the heart of the Chelsea defence would be another England international centre-back, Levi Colwill. He was a staple of the team under Maresca last season, playing a huge role in their Champions League qualification.

The former Brighton and Hove Albion defender played 35 times in the Premier League last term, as well as making three appearances in the Conference League when called upon.

Transfer Focus

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

Having two defenders with the availability and quality of Branthwaite and Colwill would be a strong foundation for the Blues to build on.

5

LB – Marc Cucurella

Rounding out the defence is Spain international Cucurella. Since winning Euro 2024 last summer, the 26-year-old has improved leaps and bounds, to the point where he is a key man for Maresca. Last season, Cucurella played 48 games in all competitions.

Another ex-Brighton defender, the left-back has some impressive stats via FBref after his efforts in 2024/25. Some of the standout numbers include 3.64 final third passes and 87.7% pass accuracy per game, for which he ranks in the top 6% of full-backs in Europe for the latter.

6

CM – Enzo Fernandez

The first half of the midfield pivot is a player whom Maresca leaned upon last season, his namesake Enzo Fernandez. The Chelsea manager said at one stage last season that his number 8 has “taken a step forward” in his game.

Well, he was certainly important to his manager. The 2022 World Cup winner played 36 Premier League games, scoring six goals and seven assists from midfield. He also got on the score sheet in the Conference League final.

7

CM – Moises Caicedo

To absolutely no one’s surprise, Moises Caicedo is the second midfielder in this dream Chelsea side. Described as “the outstanding player” by Neville last season, he played all 38 games in the Premier League and was sensational in midfield.

Well, that is what the stats suggest, anyway. The Ecuador international ranked highly amongst his Premier League peers for several key metrics via FBRef, including ball recoveries, where he made 229, more than any other player by 16.

8

RW – Noni Madueke

It was an interesting campaign for Noni Madueke in the 2024/25 season. He was, at one stage of the season, criticised openly by Maresca for his performances in training and was even dropped from the squad. The Chelsea boss confirmed it was because he didn’t “like the way he trained”.

However, the former PSV Eindhoven star was able to put that behind him and worked his way back into the manager’s favour. He made 41 appearances across all competitions, ending with 11 goals and five assists to his name.

9

AM – Cole Palmer

Another guarantee in this dream Chelsea side was always going to be Cole Palmer. The Blues talisman was once again sensational in 2024/25, despite suffering from a dip in form. He still ended the season with 15 goals and 12 assists in 46 games.

Two of those assists came in the Conference League final. After setting up Fernandez with a magical cross, he did the same again for Nicolas Jackson, showing off some sensational footwork before delivering a perfect ball in to help steer Chelsea ahead. Exactly what Palmer can offer, he is a crucial player for this Blues side.

10

LW – Morgan Rogers

The next new signing in this Chelsea dream lineup comes on the left wing, and it is “unstoppable” Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers. It was Jamie Carragher who described him like that, and it is easy to see why.

The former Middlesbrough attacker has taken the Premier League by storm, and last season was no different. He contributed to 19 top-flight goals in 2024/25, featuring 37 times for the Villans.

Reports suggest that the West London side are “prepared to bid for him” and could offer Jackson or Joao Felix to Villa in return, to sweeten the deal. Either way, there is no doubt he would add goals and creativity to an already exciting attack. It’s just a pity he may cost around £100m.

After lots of speculation hinted at the possibility, Ryan Mason is now officially the brand-new West Bromwich Albion manager ahead of the 2025/26 campaign kicking off in the Championship.

It’s a bold next step for Mason, considering he has only ever taken the reins at Spurs on an interim basis, but his work behind the scenes has been praised in North London, meaning he could be the breath of fresh air needed at the Hawthorns to kickstart a promotion push.

The 33-year-old could well rely on these Spurs connections when looking to make some impactful summer signings, with one or two young faces at the Premier League titans already being linked to make the switch to reunite with Mason.

Mason could use Spurs connections

The Baggies had frequently utilised the loan market when the likes of Carlos Corberan and Tony Mowbray stood in the dug-out.

Transfer Focus

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

Indeed, raw gems such as Will Lankshear (0 goals in 11 games) and Lewis Dobbin (0 goals in 18 games) failed to ever get going at the Hawthorns, away from the more experienced Adam Armstrong who was also a disappointing capture, having netted three times in 16 matches.

Therefore, Mason will hope – if he’s given permission to raid his ex-side for some up-and-coming starlets – that these deals go swimmingly instead and aren’t categorised as similar failures, with Spurs attacking hotshot Jamie Donley one notable name previously linked with a move to the West Midlands.

This could go down as a big success story when you consider Donley is just fresh off collecting 18 goal contributions for Leyton Orient on loan, but Mason’s dream first Baggies signing could centre on one of the 20-year-old’s teammates.

Amazingly, if all went to plan, Mason might well win himself the club’s new Tom Fellows, with West Brom’s attacking personnel undoubtedly boosted by potential activity in the market.

Mason could sign the next Fellows

Whilst West Brom would depressingly let a playoff spot slip out of their grasp last campaign, Fellows still managed to be a bright spark for his boyhood club throughout the bumpy season.

By the close of the season, the dynamic 22-year-old had four goals and 14 assists next to his name in Championship action, with one Spurs youngster in the form of Mikey Moore wanting to follow in Fellows’ footsteps if he were to don Baggies blue and white shortly.

The time does feel right for Moore to spread his wings and gain an EFL education, with the 17-year-old now off the mark in the senior side when scoring the strike above in the Europa League earlier this year.

But, away from impressing here and there under Ange Postecoglou, the teenager needs regular minutes to fully strut his stuff with an appropriate platform surely coming his way now under Mason.

Reports do suggest that Mason has Moore on his early West Brom shopping list, and whilst the 17-year-old has lined up as a centre-forward and attacking midfielder during his fledgling Spurs career to date, he could well come into the Baggies step-up and terrorise defenders down the flanks much like Fellows.

After all, 18 of his Spurs appearances and counting have come down the left channel, with West Brom needing more numbers on the left too, owing to Mikey Johnston being the only recognised figure in Mason’s camp capable of wreaking havoc on this wing.

He can even slot in down Fellows’ trusty right-hand side if needed, but based on the numbers, Moore comes into his own as a creative force – much like the assist-heavy 22-year-old – when featuring on the left.

That is perhaps his best position with James Maddison having previously described him as “fearless” and a bit like Neymar in that role.

It will be intriguing to see if the North London prodigy can acclimatise well to the instant pressures of the Championship. If he can, Mason will have pulled off a dream first buy in the Hawthorns hot-seat.

West Brom targeting "fantastic" EFL ace who could be Mason's first signing

The Baggies are set to hold talks with Ryan Mason.

By
Tom Cunningham

May 29, 2025

Sporting CP star and top Arsenal transfer target, Viktor Gyokeres, has made an intriguing admission to teammates, amid reports that the clubs are advancing in talks over his move to north London.

Portuguese media claim Arsenal have agreed fee to sign Viktor Gyokeres

Over the last seven days, reports in the Portuguese media have boldly claimed that Arsenal are making serious progress in their bid to tempt the 26-year-old back to England.

Saliba, Saka and Gabriel deals "agreed" but Arsenal risk losing £200k-p/w star

There’s been a very significant update on the futures of Mikel Arteta’s key men.

2

By
Emilio Galantini

May 21, 2025

Following his quite ridiculous haul of 53 goals across 51 appearances in all competitions this season, Gyokeres has emerged as a prime striker target for Arsenal, with sporting director Andrea Berta said to be personally pushing for him.

“Andrea Berta is pushing to sign Viktor Gyökeres for Arsenal,” said Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg a fortnight ago.

“Several talks have already taken place. Alexander Isak remains high on the Gunners’ list, as previously revealed — but he’s very expensive. Manchester United, Chelsea, and Real Madrid are all in the race. No commitments yet. Everything is still open. Bayern are currently out — too expensive. As exclusively revealed in October, Gyökeres can leave Sporting this summer for €60–70 million, due to a verbal agreement between the player and the club.”

Since then, the likes of newspaper O Jogo, sharing information in the last few days, have reported that Gyokeres is “on his way to Arsenal”, with the Gunners and Sporting shaking hands on a £59 million fee.

Last week, fellow Portuguese source A Bola made claims of an Arsenal offer to Gyokeres over personal terms worth £135,000-per-week as well, though reports closer to home have since stated that Berta is actually prepared to hand out a £10 million-per-year salary package (CaughtOffside).

£59 million would be considered one of the bargains of the summer for one of Europe’s most lethal goalscorers in his prime, so it will be intriguing to see if this does in fact come to fruition.

Viktor Gyokeres makes admission amid Arsenal agreement claims

However, according to Sporting midfielder and teammate Pedro Goncalves, the Swede is remaining coy over his future.

Confirming what the striker has told him, Goncalves states that Gyokeres said he’s ‘not a fortune-teller’ when asked if he could stay at Sporting – appearing to commit his future.

“I asked [Gyokeres], and we all asked him. He says he’s not a fortune-teller,” said Goncalves.

“We still have the Portuguese Cup against Benfica to play. I have a very good relationship with him, but I don’t talk about it with him. What I know is because of Fabrizio Romano… I’m sticking with him. I don’t know if he’s going to leave.

“I feel like he’s evolved a lot since he arrived. There are training sessions where it seems like he’s holding back.”

The Scandinavian superstar is making waves abroad, and it appears inevitable that he’s set to leave Sporting. The only question is, who can win the race for him?

Judging by recent reports, Arsenal appear to be firmly in pole position as things stand.

West Bromwich Albion have reportedly made contact with the representatives of a soon-to-be free agent ahead of a potential move to The Hawthorns.

West Brom seek new manager ahead of summer transfer window

The Baggies endured a frustrating 2024/25 campaign, which went downhill following Carlos Corberan’s departure just before Christmas. Corberan left West Brom for Valencia and in the second half of the season, the Baggies would only win seven more Championship games, falling out of the playoffs and finishing 9th.

Tony Mowbray was appointed and sacked in 2025, with the club saying in their statement: “The club would like to place on record its thanks to Tony and Mark for their efforts – but has made the decision to part company following a series of poor results. Tony and Mark will forever be welcome at The Hawthorns and their contributions to the club winning the 2007-08 Championship title will never be forgotten.”

With the Baggies looking for a new permanent boss, a number of managers have been linked with the vacant role, including Tottenham Hotspur assistant Ryan Mason and Stockport County boss Dave Challinor.

Former Bournemouth and Wolves manager Gary O’Neil has also been mentioned as a potential target, and whoever comes in will be looking to make their mark in the transfer market.

He's Corberan 2.0: West Brom could hire "one of the best young coaches"

West Bromwich Albion will hope they can unearth their next Carlos Corberan with this managerial appointment.

By
Kelan Sarson

May 13, 2025

However, despite not having a permanent boss in place for the upcoming season, West Brom chiefs are already looking at new signings and have made contact over a move to sign Tottenham Hotspur youngster Jamie Donley on loan. The Northern Ireland international isn’t the only player the Baggies want, though, following a new transfer update.

West Brom make contact to sign Gora Diouf on free transfer

According to a report from Africa Foot, West Brom have made an approach to the entourage of FC Sion defender Gora Diouf.

Out of contract at the end of June and set to leave on a free transfer, Diouf is also being eyed up by Turkish clubs Trabzonspor and Samsunspor, who have also been in contact.

The 21-year-old is primarily a centre-back but can also play as a left-back if required and has been with the Swiss side since 2022.

Interestingly, Diouf is represented by well-known agency Wasserman who look after Baggies stars Tom Fellows and Mikey Johnston, something which could help West Brom in any potential transfer.

A deal for Diouf looks like it could be one to keep an eye on over the coming weeks, and who knows, he could rival the likes of Torbjørn Heggem and Kyle Bartley, with Semi Ajayi out of contract in a matter of weeks as things stand.

Chelsea would have been expecting a tricky contest against Arne Slot’s Liverpool, but would have remained hopeful of a positive result off the back of the Reds potentially dropping the ball after being crowned Premier League champions a week ago.

The Dutchman would make considerable alterations – seen in the likes of Jarell Quansah starting at the back ahead of Ibrahima Konate – yet the manner in which Enzo Maresca’s Blues brushed aside the Reds 3-1 was still impressive, considering that was only Liverpool’s third loss of the season to date.

Now, Chelsea are only four points off Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal in second spot, away from their pursuit of a Champions League position.

To clinch a top-five place though, Maresca will know he needs Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez performing at the same unbelievable levels they managed against Liverpool for the rest of the campaign to come.

Fernandez & Palmer's importance to Chelsea

Before exploring Fernandez’s superb day at the office further, Palmer would end up clinching the three points right at the death for Chelsea, meaning he’s now in an illustrious list of past Blues goalscorers.

It was a top-drawer showing from the former Manchester City attacker throughout, with Palmer notching up four key passes as a constantly creative menace, on top of beating Alisson from the penalty spot with an ice-cold finish.

Whilst it’s expected that Palmer will be able to bury chances considering he’s up to 15 Premier League strikes now, Fernandez’s composure was a joy to behold too during the 3-1 win, with this perfect touch and finish after just three minutes setting the tone for Chelsea to collect all three points.

Much like his electric teammate, however, the South American is a team player for the Blues cause, with four duels won, displaying the ugly side of his game, away from nearly adding to this seven assists in the league when collecting two key passes.

Both players are stalwarts under Maresca and for good reason, but there’s another standout performer who is equally as paramount to Chelsea right now, away from this spectacular duo.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

The Chelsea star who is as important as Fernandez & Palmer

The West Londoners really do seem to be entering their stride at the best possible time, considering the Blues have now won their last three Premier League clashes on the trot, even with Slot’s intimidating Liverpool in their way.

These victories are made to look even more impressive when you take into account Moises Caicedo – who usually lines up in the centre of the park – has had to be drafted into the right-back position as of late, but the £115m star’s versatile nature has just managed to shine through regardless.

The expensive 23-year-old is beginning to prove his worth as a full package, with Caicedo exiting the field of play after the 3-1 win with only two misplaced passes next to his name, leading to a 94% pass accuracy being calculated.

But, he also battled well – much like Palmer and Fernandez – when necessary, with a high seven duels won across the course of his stellar 90 minutes, away from winning the hosts that late decisive spot-kick when moved back into the midfield areas.

Handed out an 8/10 post-match rating by London Evening Standard journalist Malik Ouzia, it looks as if Maresca will continue to pick Caicedo alongside Palmer and Fernandez for the foreseeable, knowing full well this trio are ready for the potential Champions League challenge that awaits.

Before anything is set in stone, however, Chelsea will just need to keep picking up the wins, with a very tough fixture away at Newcastle United up next, one that will show off the character of Maresca’s camp.

Their own Isak: Chelsea make approach to sign "tremendous" £60m talisman

Chelsea could be about to land a star who could be their own version of Alexander Isak.

By
Ethan Lamb

May 3, 2025

Now that Rangers’ season is effectively over, planning can start for the summer.

Last time out, the Gers’ Europa League dreams were shattered, beaten 2-0 by Athletic Club Bilbao at San Mamés, thereby exiting the competition at the quarter-final stage.

Thus, the Light Blues will therefore endure a sixth trophyless season out of the last nine, 15 points adrift Celtic with five Scottish Premiership fixtures remaining, meaning they have nothing left to play for, starting with Saturday’s trip to Paisley to take on St Mirren.

Many will point to Philippe Clement’s sacking in February as the key reason why this campaign has been a spectacular failure, but poor recruitment has to be the primary factor for sure, with a few players simply not pulling their weight.

Nedim Bajrami's underwhelming Rangers record

Nedim Bajrami joined Rangers from Sassuolo on deadline day last summer for a reported fee of £3.5m, doing so with sky-high expectations.

A couple of months earlier, the Albanian international had scored the fastest-ever goal in European Championship history, giving the Red and Blacks the lead against Italy at Westfalenstadion after just 23 seconds.

Lee Scott of Total Football Analysis praised Bajrami’s ability to ‘play dangerous passes…dribble creatively [and] progress the ball effectively’, while Nick Miller of the Athletic noted that he has ‘gained a bit of a reputation for popping up with big goals’.

Upon his arrival at Ibrox, Director of Football Recruitment Nils Koppen stated “we feel he can be a success at the football club”, but Rangers supporters have barely seen any of that to date.

So, let’s take a look at Bajrami’s season statistics.

As the table highlights, while Bajrami’s season has been far from catastrophic, he’s been pretty underwhelming, with only one of his five goals coming since December’s League Cup Final.

Nevertheless, to be fair to him, he’s been far from Rangers’ biggest flop of the season.

Rangers' forgotten attacker

Back in January 2024, Rangers signed Colombia winger from Lens on a six-month loan, before confirming last summer that they’d extended this loan by a further year, which included ‘an obligation to buy’, believed to be worth £3.5m.

At the time, he was praised for his quality, with one source describing the 21-year-old as a ‘skilful and direct winger’, adding that he’s exactly the profile of player Rangers really needed.

However, now, Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider believes the ‘gamble’ of agreeing to an obligation to buy has not paid off, with Rangers legend Kris Boyd describing this decision as “baffling”.

So, let’s assess Cortés’ Rangers career so far in numbers.

Pretty early on in his Rangers career, Cortés both scored and assisted during a 5-0 demolition of Hearts at Ibrox, but has barely contributed since.

The 2-2 draw at Pittodrie a fortnight ago, ahead of which Barry Ferguson made nine outfield changes, was only the Colombian’s eighth start for the club, and first since December, hooked at half-time with Aberdeen 2-0 in front and the Gers down to ten-men.

Speaking on BBC Sportsound, Tom English stated that Cortés is one of many Rangers players who are simply “not good enough”, adding that it is a disaster that they’re obliged to buy someone “who’s contributed zero” for “a lot of money”.

Thus, having signed a contract until 2029, the Colombian has plenty of time to turn his Rangers career around, but has shown very little sign of doing just that so far. Perhaps, hasty exit needs to be on the cards this summer.

Worse signing than Propper: Rangers must finally axe forgotten Ibrox flop

Rangers must ensure their transfer business is solid this summer

By
Ross Kilvington

Apr 20, 2025

Fulham are now looking at signing an ex-Tottenham player, and one who could end up being a serious bargain this summer.

Fulham make transfer plans as Marco Silva chases Europe

It could be a fairytale end to the season for Marco Silva, who is attempting to seal European qualification at Craven Cottage amid a hotly-contested race.

£15m player set for summer chance to join Fulham after failed January talks

He was on the cusp of signing earlier this year.

By
Emilio Galantini

Apr 16, 2025

Fulham have endured a mixed run of form in recent weeks, beating the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham whilst also suffering damaging defeats to Bournemouth and Arsenal, but Silva’s side are still very much in with an outside shout of European football next season.

However, they simply must beat west London rivals Chelsea this weekend, in a derby that could be seen as their most crucial clash of the season to date.

A host of tough encounters await Fulham, amid reports that popular head coach Silva is emerging as a favourite for the Tottenham job, so there is everything still to play for as we enter the business end of 2024/2025.

If Silva is still at Fulham beyond this campaign, the Khan family will be eager to show him that they’re a club capable of competing at the top level, and one way of displaying their ambition is an attack on the summer transfer market.

Silva reportedly wants to strengthen Fulham’s wide options as a key aim, leading to recent links with Deportivo La Coruna sensation Yeremay Hernandez (TEAMtalk), especially as Andreas Pereira is tipped to leave for Brazil this summer.

Defensively, Fulham have been targeting Elfsborg defender Terry Yegbe, who would cost around £6 million, while a new full-back isn’t off the agenda either.

Fulham looking at signing Kyle Walker-Peters on free transfer

According to CaughtOffside, former Spurs right-back and Southampton star Kyle Walker-Peters is emerging as a Fulham target.

The Englishman, despite being part of a dismal Saints side, has enjoyed a solid campaign personally – standing out as one of their most-used and key players.

Five years after he completed a £12 million move to St Mary’s, the 28-year-old is also set to be available for free past June 30th, with his Southampton contract expiring.

This has alerted a host of clubs, including Silva’s side, with Fulham now looking at signing Walker-Peters this summer alongside West Ham, Crystal Palace, Chelsea and his ex-club Tottenham.

He could be one of the bargains of the window, but Fulham face stiff competition in pursuit of his signature.

“I wonder how important he’s become,” said ex-Southampton boss Russell Martin last season, who also called him a “beautiful footballer”.

“You look at what happened in the summer [rumoured transfer interest] and you just wonder by the end of the season how important keeping him will have been.

“He’s such an integral part of what they’re doing. It’s almost like the team is built around him to get the most out of him.”

Since joining Arsenal, Mikel Arteta has overseen plenty of changes at the club.

He’s instilled a new style of play, a level of expectation that was missing for so many years, and most crucially, he’s completely overhauled the squad.

Now, not every signing the Spaniard has made has been a success, but he’s had a pretty decent track record thus far, with the likes of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, David Raya, Gabriel Magalhães and Jurrien Timber all massively improving the team.

However, when it comes to his most underrated acquisition, it has to be Ben White, so fans should be excited about recent reports linking the club to another star whose signing could be a repeat of White’s.

Arsenal's transfer targets

It’s going to be a massive summer of business for Arsenal, and one of the areas they look most intent on improving is left-wing, with Nico Williams one of their top targets.

Transfer Focus

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

The Spaniard is said to have a release clause worth around £52m in his current contract, which could prove to be value for money considering he’s scored 17 goals and provided 25 assists in 77 appearances since the start of last season.

Another youngster the North Londoners are supposedly interested in signing this summer is Real Madrid’s Arda Güler.

The 20-year-old could be available for just £26m, and as he’s managed to rack up ten goal involvements in just 1170 minutes this season, that could be an incredible deal.

However, there is another, even younger prospect worth even more money that the Gunners are being heavily linked with: Dean Huijsen.

Yes, according to a recent report from The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Arsenal are very interested in the Bournemouth star.

In fact, Ornstein has revealed that alongside Liverpool and Chelsea, the Gunners are a leading contender for the Spaniard, while Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur have also made contact.

However, on top of beating out the competition, the North Londoners will also have to stump up a significant amount of cash to get their man, as he has a release clause worth £50m in his contract.

In all, it would be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Huijsen’s immense ability and potential, it’s one well worth fighting for, especially as he could be a White repeat.

Why signing Huijsen would be a White repeat

So, should Arsenal be able to get ahead of the chasing pack and get their hands on Huijsen this summer, what would make the deal so similar to White’s in 2021?

Well, the first and perhaps most surface-level similarity is that when the Gunners signed the Englishman, he also cost £50m and moved to the Emirates from an upwardly mobile midtable Premier League side in Brighton & Hove Albion, which is how you could describe Bournemouth.

On top of that, the Poole-born star had just made his way into the England set-up ahead of his move, and the Cherries gem won his first senior cap for La Roja last month.

However, the most significant similarity between the players is that even though the Gunners’ number four has now moved to right-back, he was initially signed as a centre-back, which is where the “extremely dominant” Spaniard, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, would play should he move to the Emirates.

With all that said, there are obviously other reasons the North Londoners should be looking to sign the defender on top of the mirroring of his potential move to White’s, such as his sensational underlying numbers.

According to FBref, he sits in the top 1% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues for interceptions, the top 2% for non-penalty expected goals plus assists, the top 4% for clearances, the top 5% for shot-creating actions, the top 8% for progressive carries and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, signing another defender might not be high on the list of priorities this summer.

However, Huijsen looks to be an incredibly special player, so Arteta and Co should do what they can to secure his services, as he could become as important a player as White in the future.

Fabregas 2.0: Real Madrid make Arsenal's £86m "monster" a priority signing

Losing the “phenomenal” talent would be devastating for Arsenal.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Apr 11, 2025