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Glasgow Rangers are now just eight wins away from securing their first Premiership title since the 2020/21 campaign.

Philippe Clement has overseen a remarkable turnaround from a club who were on the verge of a major crisis, to one that has a realistic chance at winning a domestic treble.

The Belgian has made the Light Blues a better team to watch, made them harder to beat and, more importantly, has inspired confidence among the players that they can overhaul Celtic in the title race.

Another positive aspect of his reign so far has been his impact in the transfer window. Previously, the Gers had struggled to obtain the correct sort of players in the January transfer window. Think back to the likes of Aaron Ramsey or Jack Simpson, players who struggled to make an impact during their spell at the club.

Three new arrivals joined the club, and the trio are all aged 22 or under, which suggests Clement could be going in a totally new direction with regard to future transfer business.

The Gers have trailed Celtic in this regard over the previous few years, as they tend to maximise their player trading model by buying low before selling high, giving them a greater financial reward.

Rangers, on the other hand, have failed to really utilise this model since returning to the Premiership in 2016. Alongside Nathan Patterson, Calvin Bassey is perhaps the only player to have been sold for a fee which the club should be expecting from developing young talents.

How much Calvin Bassey cost Rangers

The summer of 2020 saw Steven Gerrard bolster his squad ahead of another tilt at winning the league title.

Ianis Hagi joined on a permanent deal, while Kemar Roofe and Cedric Itten were signed in order to give the club something extra going forward.

Bassey, a talented left-back who was playing for Leicester City, was another new arrival, costing significantly less than the other three.

Player

Club joined from

Ianis Hagi

Genk

Cedric Itten

FC St. Gallen

Kemar Roofe

Anderlecht

Jon McLaughlin

Sunderland

Calvin Bassey

Leicester City

Jermain Defoe

Bournemouth

Leon Balogun

Wigan Athletic

Bongani Zungu

Amiens SC

Indeed, the Gers only had to pay a compensation fee of around £230k due to cross-border rules, and it was a signing which Gerrard was hoping could play a big part at the club in the coming years.

It didn’t take him long to settle in at the Glasgow side.

Calvin Bassey’s statistics at Rangers

Borna Barisic was firmly established as the number-one choice at left-back when Bassey arrived, but the youngster was expected to provide support and cover whenever necessary.

The defender ended up featuring on 15 occasions throughout his debut season, contributing with one goal, and the future looked bright for Bassey.

The following season began with disappointment as the Gers failed to qualify for the Champions League, yet Bassey failed to see any action during the two matches.

It wasn’t until a defensive injury crisis, ruling out Leon Balogun and Filip Helander, that Bassey firmly established himself in the starting XI.

Over the course of the whole season, the Nigerian international ended up making 50 appearances in all competitions, grabbing six assists, while emerging as one of Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s finest players.

He played in all but one of their Europa League clashes as the Ibrox side reached a historic final against Eintracht Frankfurt, suffering defeat on penalties.

His stock had risen considerably throughout the season, showcasing his defensive abilities alongside Connor Goldson, and it was clear there would be potential suitors for his signature in the summer of 2022.

How much Rangers sold Calvin Bassey for

Despite coming so close to European success, Rangers only won the Scottish Cup during the 2021/22 campaign, meaning Van Bronckhorst had to recruit well in the transfer window.

He made several signings, yet the majority of these were funded by the sale of Bassey, who ended up moving to Ajax following his stunning season on a personal note.

The Dutch giants ended up splashing out a transfer fee just under £23m to bring the defender to Amsterdam, with the sale proving to be the club’s record departure.

It appears to have been a stroke of genius by the club, as Bassey’s market value has decreased significantly since moving abroad to join Ajax.

Calvin Bassey’s current market value

On the surface, it was clear that Ajax overpaid to sign the defender two years ago, as his value at the time was a paltry €1.1m (£1m), certainly proving the notion that the Gers struck gold on the player.

According to Football Transfers, Bassey is valued at €14.4m (£12.3m) at the time of writing, which is £10.7m less than the £23m fee which took him to the Netherlands in 2022.

The “explosive” brute – as so dubbed by Steve Beaglehole, his U23 coach at Leicester – did not enjoy the greatest of spells abroad, it's fair to say.

He started just 20 league matches for the Eredivisie side before joining Fulham last summer in a deal worth £18.2m, meaning Ajax recouped nearly their original outlay.

So far this term, the left-back has played 21 Premier League matches, even scoring once, during a wonderful 2-1 win against Manchester United in February.

It looks as though the English top flight suits him more, and it proves his spell at Ajax was just a blip, as the 24-year-old is a wonderful defender, as demonstrated during his two seasons at Rangers.

Clement will be hoping that he can attract young talent similar in stature to Bassey with the intent of selling them on for a major profit further down the line.

Indeed, Mohamed Diomande, a £4.3m capture during the January transfer window, certainly fits the bill with regard to a player trading model.

The 22-year-old has already demonstrated his abilities in Scotland during his short spell so far, and if he continues to improve at a rapid rate, there will be plenty of suitors showing interest.

Rangers struck gold on £9.9m gem who'd be worth more than Silva in 2024

Rangers hit the jackpot on a player Alex McLeish sold in 2002…

ByRoss Kilvington Mar 31, 2024

While the club won't want to move on every player who shows promise, the key is to maximise potential profit, which, in turn, will allow the manager the chance to purchase more players.

Selling Bassey enabled Rangers to splurge on a few players, indicating that they hit the jackpot by moving him on for such a big fee.

As Everton look to complete their fight for survival on the pitch, reports indicate that the summer transfer window is all about finding bargain buys in an attempt to comply with the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules.

Everton transfer news

Everton have already flown too close to the sun more than once in the last year or so, resulting in a points deduction on two occasions. Without losing what eventually turned out to be eight points, the Toffees would be sat comfortably in mid-table with safety all but secure. Thanks to consequences for actions away from Goodison Park, however, Sean Dyche's side are now just two points adrift of the relegation zone with the drop still a very real prospect.

Everton must bin £112k-p/w star who's now worth less than Tarkowski

He’s struggled massively with injuries during his time at Goodison Park.

ByEthan Lamb Apr 18, 2024

It's a consequence that Everton won't want to feel again any time soon and the summer transfer window should help towards that. Reports have already emerged linking the likes of Amadou Onana and Jarrad Branthwaite with big-money departures in two moves that would help balance the books at Goodison Park.

It's then about spending wisely, which the Toffees may well do, having been linked with pending free agents such as Ben Johnson at West Ham United and now Leicester City's Wilfred Ndidi.

According to TuttoJuve, Everton are eyeing a move to sign Ndidi alongside Juventus, West Ham, Crystal Palace, Sevilla, Getafe and Fenerbahce. Once considered a top Premier League midfielder, Ndidi dropped down to the Championship with Leicester and is now on course to leave as a free agent when his contract expires at the end of the season.

It must be said that signing the Nigerian could be a wise piece of business from Everton, who would likely be replacing Onana if he decides to leave this summer. Selling one star in a big-money deal before welcoming another in a free deal and only paying his reported £75k per-week salary may well be the perfect start when it comes to making up for previous transfer mistakes.

"Incredible" Ndidi can replace Onana

Whilst it's difficult to replace the potential that Onana has, swapping that potential for the experience of Ndidi wouldn't exactly be a bad move. Still just 27 years old too, the midfielder appears to have plenty left in the tank to take Everton into mid-table and away from safety next season. After all, it's worth noting that this is a player who has featured in a side battling for Europe and in the Champions League before.

Progressive Carries

36

19

Progressive Passes

89

101

Tackles Won

25

33

Interceptions

25

15

Clearances

25

25

Ndidi earned plenty of praise during his time in the Premier League, including from former Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers, who previously said: "He is an incredible player. The offensive players get the credit but he does the dirty work. He has this brain for the game, where he can smell danger and always finds himself there. The timing of his challenge is very good and he's up there with the top players at winning the ball back."

Rennes have submitted a bid to sign Barcelona's 20-year-old centre-back Mikayil Faye.

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'Race open' to sign FayeRennes launch $11M offerYoungster has a Senegal capWHAT HAPPENED?

A number of clubs are interested in signing Faye from Barcelona, but Ligue 1 outfit Rennes have tried to steal a march by submitting €10m (£8.6m/$11m) bid for the centre-back. That's according to , who says the French club have also included a sell-on clause of around 20/25% in their offer.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Barcelona have also requested a buy-back clause in the deal as they are keen to retain control of Faye's future. Clearly the La Liga side believe the Senegal international, who played for Barcelona B last season, might still have a future at the Camp Nou.

DID YOU KNOW?

Faye scored on his Senegal debut earlier this year in a friendly against Gabon. However, he has yet to play for the club at senior level.

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imago imagesWHAT NEXT FOR FAYE?

The young defender appears to be leaving Barcelona soon, with Romano claiming multiple clubs are interested in him. Should he excel elsewhere, there's every chance the Blaugrana will activate the release clause to bring him back.

A vintage Kamran Akmal century made light work of a modest target of 149 set by Quetta Gladiators.

The Report by Peter Della Penna22-Feb-2020
A vintage Kamran Akmal century made light work of a modest target set by Quetta Gladiators, chasing down 149 with nine balls to spare. Jason Roy paced the Gladiators’ innings with a 40-ball half-century, but struggled to get into third gear in the waning overs in the face of some excellent death bowling led by Wahab Riaz.Roy’s half-century looked pedestrian by the time Kamran got going in the Zalmi Powerplay. Whereas Roy finally reached his fifty in the 15th over with a two off Darren Sammy, Kamran needed just 20 balls, reaching the milestone two deliveries into the fifth over of the Powerplay when he drove Mohammad Hasnain through mid-on for his eighth four. That matched the number of dot balls he had faced while he’d also driven two sixes over wide long-off and swept another over square leg.By the end of the Powerplay, the required rate was already under a run a ball. Kamran adjusted in kind, waltzing his way to three figures off a subsequent 34 deliveries as he brought up the landmark top-edging a sweep to deep fine leg. He fell next ball middling another sweep to Roy at deep midwicket in the 17th over to gift Fawad Ahmed his second wicket in the space of three balls, but by that stage the target was down to single digits. The scorecard might show that Zalmi only reached the target halfway through the 19th over, but that flattered Gladiators’ limp effort in the field in what was a very one-sided contest.Kamran Akmal whacked 13 fours and four sixes during his 55-ball 101•Pakistan Super LeagueTurning pointJonty Rhodes remarked on TV commentary that Tom Banton played the best shot of the opening over of the chase, taking a single first ball to get off strike so that Kamran could run wild on Mohammad Nawaz. Kamran charged the left-arm spinner immediately to clear him over mid-off for six, then followed with a sweep over the man at deep square leg. After a dot, he drove him again over mid-off for a one-bounce four before ending the first over pulling a half-tracker over midwicket. Gladiators were left shellshocked and never recovered.Star of the dayIt was Kamran’s day virtually from the moment he walked out. He slowed down after crossing fifty mainly because he could afford to. His confidence and aggression sucked the life out of the Gladiators, who were always going to struggle to defend when taking into consideration that a target of 203 on the same ground a day earlier went down to the penultimate ball. He ended with 13 fours and four sixes, having done the bulk of the dirty work in the first six overs.The big missNawaz had a chance to exact revenge on Kamran after being victimised in that 21-run first over. After Kamran had pulled Sohail Khan over square leg midway through the second over for another four, the batsman punched Sohail to extra cover off his next ball, where Nawaz made a brilliant diving stop as Kamran took off impetuously for a single. Banton stayed at the non-striker’s end with Kamran stuck halfway down the pitch on 24.But Nawaz rushed a throw from his knees rather than take an extra moment to gather himself. The throw to the striker’s end bounced over the stumps with Kamran six yards short. Nawaz also had another chance to make amends in the 14th when Kamran cut Sohail to him at backward point on 94, but he spilled a knee-height chance.Where the teams standGladiators stay on two points after having won their opener while Zalmi bounced back after being on the wrong end of their first match of the season. Both teams are behind Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings on net run rate despite equal points.

Dani Dyer has revealed that her son, Santi, has been singing Jarrod Bowen's chant, albeit the "PG version", at nursery.

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Bowen has an X-rated chant Dani confirms son knows of the songSanti is just threeWHAT HAPPENED?

Bowen has an X-rated chant that has been sung all over Europe by West Ham fans. The lyrics include the line: 'Bowen's on fire and he's sh*gging Dani Dyer". Now, she has revealed that her three-year old toddler is well aware of the song.

AdvertisementWHAT DYER SAID

Dani posted a picture of Santi on Instagram revealing he has been singing the song in nursery, writing: "Honestly he is so cheeky. He has been singing it in nursery. Thank god it's the PG version."

Instagram @danidyerxxTHE GOSSIP

Bowen is back playing Premier League football for West Ham after heading to Euro 2024 with England, but he did find time to relax with his family on holiday during the summer. During their time away, thec couple announced their engagement.

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

West Ham face Crystal Palace in a London derby this weekend. Santi and Dani will hope that Bowen is indeed on fire.

Having all but secured another season in the Premier League even in the face of point deductions, Everton have turned their attention towards the summer transfer window, where they could finally end their attacking problems.

Everton transfer news

Those at Goodison Park will hope to see their push for safety followed up by some positive news regarding 777 Partners' prospective takeover, which has been awaiting Premier League approval for the majority of the campaign. Then, the Toffees could begin to think about further positives in the summer transfer window.

Dyche must sell Everton's forgotten flop who earns 2x more than McNeil

He’s only managed to find the net on one occasion for the Toffees.

ByEthan Lamb May 1, 2024

For now, the headlines are still being owned by the potential departures of Amadou Onana and Jarrad Branthwaite in two big-money moves to ease Everton's financial concerns ever so slightly. The latter has enjoyed a particularly impressive campaign, attracting the interest of Tottenham Hotspur and even European giants Real Madrid as a result, though it remains to be seen if he decides to depart Everton this summer.

Those sales would at least hand Sean Dyche a summer budget of his own to spend in an attempt to solve a number of problems in his current squad, including finding a reliable goalscorer.

With that said, according to Football Transfers, Everton are eyeing a move to sign Sammie Szmodics, who has enjoyed an excellent campaign with Blackburn Rovers in the Championship and is on course to win the Golden Boot. Scoring 25 Championship goals, Szmodics has even outscored Erling Haaland in league action, albeit in a division below, with the Manchester City star netting 21 goals so far this season.

After such an impressive year, it remains to be seen just how much Blackburn will demand for their forward, in what could quickly turn into a blow for the Toffees. Once again, 777's takeover could be crucial in pursuit of such a deal.

"Incredible" Szmodics can end Calvert-Lewin frustration

Whilst injuries haven't helped, Dominic Calvert-Lewin has quickly become a point of weakness for Everton, who have been left relying on a forward struggling to find the back of the net on a consistent basis. Szmodics, however, has been handing Blackburn the exact opposite, even as they fight for Championship survival.

Goals

25

6

Assists

4

1

Expected Goals

20.9

11.3

Key Passes

48

17

What's most concerning about these numbers is Calvert-Lewin's expected goals against the number of goals that he's actually managed so far this season. The numbers indicate that the Everton forward is underperforming significantly, whereas Szmodics is overperforming. And that's the difference in quality that the Blackburn star can provide.

Former Blackburn boss Jon Dahl Tomasson knew all about that quality, previously praising Szmodics, saying (via Limerick Live): "After Christmas last season, I think he’s been really good for Rovers and after the summer holiday, he’s been extremely good. He’s also added those goals.

"We always know he can score goals but he’s not used to playing a lot of games at this level first of all, he played with Peterborough but not a lot. The way he’s scoring goals, the confidence he’s playing with and the role he takes as one of the senior players is quite incredible."

The captain’s 28-ball 49 helped the side to a formidable total before the spinner picked up three wickets to restrict Ireland

The Report by Hemant Brar08-Mar-2020Asghar Afghan scored a 28-ball 49 to lift Afghanistan to 184 for 4 before Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s three-wicket haul restricted Ireland to 163 for 6 in the second T20I in Greater Noida. The 21-run victory meant Afghanistan now have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.Afghanistan had a slow start after opting to bat as their openers Hazratullah Zazai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz struggled for the timing on a sluggish pitch. The Ireland seamers also didn’t allow any room to Zazai who eventually fell to legspinner Gareth Delany for a 33-ball 28.Gurbaz used his feet against Delany to hit a couple of sixes but despite that Afghanistan were 85 for 2 after 13 overs. Asghar, who too was struggling to find the middle of the bat till then, suddenly starting connecting his hits. He struck six, four and four off successive Boyd Rankin deliveries to take the side past 100 in the 14th over.Craig Young was the next to suffer. Asghar smashed him for two fours and two sixes as the 16th over of the innings produced 25 runs. Going for another big hit, Asghar holed out to long-on and fell one short of his fifty. Najibullah Zadran and Gulbadin Naib hit two sixes each in the final over as take Afghanistan to a formidable total.After giving away 99 runs in the last seven overs, Ireland started their chase positively before Mujeeb dismissed Kevin O’Brien and Paul Stirling to reduce them to 37 for 2. Andy Balbirnie and Harry Tector kept finding the boundaries though and took Ireland to 90 for 3 after ten overs.Then, Rashid Khan was introduced to the attack. After conceding five in his first over, he dismissed Balbirnie in the next for a 35-ball 46. From the other end, Nabi too didn’t allow any easy runs. As a result, Ireland were left needing 51 from the last four overs.Tector took 12 off the first three balls of the 17th over, bowled by Mujeeb, but the bowler came back strongly. He not only bowled the next three balls dots but also got rid of Tector.Ireland needed 26 from the final over – Afghanistan too had got 26 from their 20th – but Shapoor Zadran conceded only four to seal the match and the series.

Newcastle United made it back-to-back wins in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, beating relegation-threatened Burnley 4-1 at Turf Moor.

Goals from Alexander Isak, Callum Wilson, Bruno Guimaraes and Sean Longstaff secured the win for Eddie Howe's side, keeping the Magpies' slim hopes for European football next season alive.

The Magpies have now only lost one of their last seven league outings, with Howe working wonders despite the club's ongoing injury crisis.

The win against Vincent Kompany's side has seen the Magpies move to within four points of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, with the club in a great position to claim a second successive season of European football.

One Newcastle player produced an excellent display in the victory and is deserving of a regular starting role in Howe's side for the foreseeable future.

Jacob Murphy's stats against Burnley

After switching to a 4-4-2 at Turf Moor, boss Howe decided to utilise Jacob Murphy in a more natural right-midfield role, a decision that proved to be an excellent one for the Magpies.

The winger featured for 69 minutes during the meeting but managed to provide two assists for Longstaff and Isak's strikes in the victory.

Murphy also managed to complete 21 passes at a completion rate of 75%, with six of the completed attempts registered as key passes – the most of any Newcastle player.

Minutes played

69

Passes completed

21/28 (75%)

Key passes

6

Assists

2

Tackles

2

Interceptions

1

Possession lost

16x

His impressive display also included a solid defensive performance, winning two tackles and making one interception as he doubled up with Tino Livramento down the Magpies' right-hand side.

However, his display wasn't all positive, giving possession away 16 times in 69 minutes, an average of once every four minutes, although that seemingly indicated his desire to make things happen for his side.

For his efforts, the 29-year-old received a 10/10 match rating from Chronicle Live journalist Lee Ryder, with the writer claiming Murphy was 'always a threat' throughout the encounter.

Jacob Murphy looks undroppable after Burnley display

In recent weeks, the club's current injury problems have seen Murphy be deployed in multiple different positions, including right-back, as demonstrated against Tottenham.

Whilst he did an admirable job of filling in an unnatural position, it was clear that position didn't get the best out of the 29-year-old, with his ability to pick a pass into the final third redundant at the back.

However, the decision to switch to a four-man midfield benefitted the former Norwich City man this afternoon, with the forward allowed to create more frequent opportunities and less reliant on having to focus on the defensive side of his game.

With just three games remaining in the 2023/24 season, Murphy has another handful of opportunities to showcase his talents to Magpies boss Howe and prove he still has the ability to be a key part of his squad.

However, his performance today has certainly made him undroppable ahead of the games against Brighton, Manchester United and Brentford, with Murphy deserving of another opportunity next weekend to build on his impressive 10/10 display.

Newcastle in contact to sign Almiron upgrade who's outscoring Gordon

He’s excelled during the 2023/24 campaign…

ByEthan Lamb Apr 30, 2024

The New Zealand batsman is not convinced of the need to split teams with Super Overs in 50-over cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jun-20202:30

Jimmy Neesham: ‘Would have preferred another Super Over’

Ross Taylor does not believe there would be anything wrong in having joint winners in the one-day World Cup rather than using Super Overs to split the teams.It is almost a year since England and New Zealand could not be separated across 100 overs and the Super Over in the World Cup final at Lord’s with England taking the title on boundary countback.The ICC has since amended the playing conditions and if the situation played out again there would be additional Super Overs to decide the winner, but Taylor does not see a problem with having joint champions.”I’m still undecided in a Super Over in a one-day game, I think one-day cricket is played over such a long time that I have no problems in a tie being a tie,” he told . “In T20, to continually go on is the right way to go. A bit like football or some other games, trying to get that win in, but I don’t think the Super Over is necessarily needed in a one-day game. I think you can have a joint winner.”During the World Cup I actually went up to the umpires to say ‘good game’, I didn’t even know there was a Super Over. A tie is a tie, I suppose you could have this argument either way, but in a one-day game I think if you can go 100 overs and still have someone equal at the end I don’t think a tie is a bad thing.”Since the World Cup final, New Zealand have been involved in another three Super Overs in T20Is and lost of all of them against England and India. Overall they have won just one of eight they have been involved in.”One over across 50 overs or 20 overs is tough to swallow, but if we are in that same situation we still back ourselves,” Taylor said. “First and foremost you have to try and win the game in the allocated time. We haven’t been able to be ruthless enough there, and if we can do that and not even let it get into a Super Over then hopefully the right results comes.”Taylor, who won the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal as New Zealand’s player of the year for 2019-2020, has previously spoken of his motivation to extend his career to the 2023 one-day World Cup in India. He is New Zealand’s leading ODI run-scorer with 8574 runs at 48.44, the fifth-highest average for a batsman with over 200 innings.

New Chelsea signing Maelys Mpome says she is "living a dream" after joining the Women's Super League champions from Montpellier.

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Mpome swaps Montpellier for ChelseaDefender signs deal until 2028Says she is now "living a dream"WHAT HAPPENED?

The Blues confirmed the signing of the 21-year-old on a deal until 2028 on Thursday, with the France youth international bolstering Sonia Bompastor's options at the back. Upon her move, the former VGA Saint-Maur player says she cannot wait to get started.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT MAELYS MPOME SAID

The France Under-23 international told Chelsea's website: "I am really excited to be here. It’s just like living a dream to join such a big club. Now I just can’t wait to meet the team and start training."

Blues general manager Paul Green added: "Maelys has good experience for her age and has developed well at Montpellier in the last few years. She is a tall and athletic defender whose profile we believe will suit the WSL. We look forward to seeing her further develop and improve in the upcoming years."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Chelsea are entering a new era in their history following Emma Hayes' exit from the club earlier this year. She brought them unprecedented success and new boss Bompastor has a hard act to follow. Whether the likes of Mpome can play a big part in this next chapter remains to be seen.

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USA TODAY SportsWHAT NEXT?

Chelsea have their final pre-season friendly game on Saturday at home to Feyenoord before beginning their WSL title defence against Aston Villa on September 20 in Bompastor's first competitive game in charge.