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Los Angeles FC star Son Heung-min says he "can't wait" to return to Tottenham so he can bid a proper goodbye to supporters. The South Korean forward wants to step back into the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and thank the supporters who shaped his Premier League legacy. His time in north London ended in the summer as LAFC sealed a £20 million ($27m) deal to lure him to California.

Son promises emotional return to north London

From his arrival in 2015 after spells at Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen, to his final act as captain lifting the Europa League trophy in 2025, Son embodied passion and dedication. He played 445 games and scored 173 goals, becoming not just a fan favourite but a symbol of loyalty in an era when few players stay long enough to become club icons. However, his final game in Tottenham colours came thousands of miles away during a pre-season friendly against Newcastle United in Seoul. The lack of a proper farewell never sat right with Son. Now, as he plans a return to north London, fans are preparing for what could be one of the most emotional days in the club’s recent history.

In an interview with , Son spoke with his trademark humility as he described his longing to reunite with the Spurs faithful. 

"I definitely think this is the right time to say, because at the time the transfer was going on and the last game was in Korea, obviously I will go back to London to see all the Spurs fans," he said. "I think I deserve to say goodbye in front of all of them, and also, they deserve to see me in a physical sense to say goodbye. It’s going to be a very emotional day as well, but I think I definitely can’t wait to go back to London and see all the Spurs fans."

AdvertisementAFPShining in LA: A new chapter of stardom for Son

Since making the transatlantic switch, Son has adapted to life in Los Angeles with ease. The Korean forward has been electric for LAFC, scoring nine goals and assisting three more in just 10 league games. His influence extends far beyond the field as LAFC’s social media engagement has exploded by an astonishing 594 per cent, generating a mind-blowing 34 billion views worldwide since his arrival. Merchandise sales have soared, too, as Son’s LAFC jersey is now outselling those of global icons, including Inter Miami's Lionel Messi.

European shores are still an option for Son

While Son appears fully committed to LAFC, European football may not be done with him yet. According to , the forward could be offered a short-term loan spell back in Europe during the MLS off-season due to the alleged presence of a 'in his contract, following the same path blazed by ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid star David Beckham during his LA Galaxy days. The former England skipper famously joined AC Milan twice while in MLS, and reports suggest that the Italian giants are already interested in repeating history with Son. However, Milan are not alone. There’s growing speculation that Tottenham could explore a stunning reunion, giving Son the chance to wear the white shirt once more, even if only for a few months. Elsewhere, Bayern Munich, home to his old strike partner Harry Kane, have been linked with a possible move, while Barcelona are said to be monitoring the situation closely, according to Son’s long-term plans are already intertwined with one major goal, which is the 2026 World Cup. By staying fit and competitive, he’ll be perfectly placed to lead South Korea into another global campaign. However, to maintain his sharpness, a European return before that tournament could be immensely beneficial. 

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Getty Images SportSon's long-term future secured at LAFC

Son’s deal with LAFC runs until 2027, with options that could keep him in Los Angeles through the 2029 MLS season. For now, he remains focused on helping LAFC reclaim the MLS Cup, a title they last won in 2022, when another Spurs icon, Gareth Bale, sealed victory. Son is set to get back in action on October 29, against Austin in game one of the first round of the playoffs.

England Test captain Ben Stokes believes comments he made about Jacob Bethell ahead of the Zimbabwe Test were willfully taken out of context to suit an agenda against Ollie Pope. Speaking after England had completed a comprehensive innings-and-45-run win over Zimbabwe on day three at Trent Bridge, Stokes used his post-match engagements to defend his vice-captain, who struck an imperious 171 on day one, his eighth Test hundred.Stokes took issue with the way his own quotes were presented after being asked on Wednesday if Bethell, who batted at No.3 in the previous series in New Zealand but was missing this week on IPL duty with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, would come straight back in for next month’s series against India.Pope had been Stokes’ No.3 since he assumed the captaincy in 2022, but dropped down the order to keep wicket after Jordan Cox, Jamie Smith’s paternity leave cover replacement behind the stumps, broke a finger in the lead-up to the first Test.Bethell finished with 260 runs at 52.00 across six innings, notching three half-centuries, with the senior management clearly enamored with the 21-year-old’s skill and poise. Though his absence meant no decision had to be made just yet, Stokes was asked whether Bethell was still considered to be the “incumbent No.3” during a captaincy media briefing on the Wednesday before the Test.Related

• Rob Key: Woakes 'not in England's plans at all' after Ashes omission

• Duckett had 'goosebumps' watching Pope celebrate crucial ton

• Ollie Pope's century buys him the summer at No. 3

• If India aren't in the WTC final, does the match even exist?

• Jamie Overton recalled to England Test squad for India series

“If you’re smart enough, the series that Beth had out in New Zealand, obviously he’s going to be back in the UK for that India series. So, I think you put 2 and 2 together, you probably know what’s going to happen.”Stokes was dismayed when he saw the coverage of his words, later insisting he was talking about Bethell returning to the squad rather than the XI. After England wrapped up victory with more than four sessions of this four-day Test to spare, he launched a staunch defense of Pope, all but backing him to start the India series, which begins at Headingley on June 20.”There’s always someone going to be under the spotlight,” Stokes told . “We’ve come into this game and I’ve personally felt that it was a bit of a… I don’t know… not a vendetta… but I got asked a simple question about Bethell, said put two and two together, he comes back into the squad and then all of a sudden it turns into something that suits the agenda of the time.”He’s (Pope) my vice-captain, and he’s been incredible for me at No.3 and the team. I think he’s averaging over 40 now (43.06 at No.3), so it just suited what was being said, to be honest. Very, very pleased for him that he went out there and played the way that he did, he’s an important part to this team away from his runs as well, he’s a leader within the group and I value his leadership role as vice-captain as well.”He’s a quality player. As I said, since he’s gone up to No.3, since I’ve been captain, he’s performed very, very well. Him being vice-captain, he comes up with some great ideas out in the middle, especially when I’m bowling I sort of get into a little bit of my own rhythm, take myself away from that, so it’s great having someone like Popey out there who can help me along in those moments.”Pope’s knock included a 137-run stand with opener Zak Crawley, another who might be put under pressure by Bethell’s return. He, too, registered three figures, with 126 that happened to be his first century in two years, bringing up the landmark after Ben Duckett had raised his bat for a hundred of his own.That all of the top three were able to thrive given the pressure from beyond the dressing room, guiding England to an insurmountable first-innings score of 565 for 6 declared, was the main story as far as Stokes was concerned.”I think there’s obviously always pressure on sportsmen to go and perform, whether there isn’t that external noise from the outside coming in, whether potentially their spots up for competition. Zak and Popey know every time they walk out onto the field that their job is to get runs and put in performances. And that doesn’t change day to day really.”But competition for places is a very, very healthy place to be in as an international sports team. The way that Zak, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope have played this week, I think let’s focus on that, as opposed to anything else, you know. All three of them have gone out and played incredibly well for us, set the game up exactly how we wanted to when you get put into bat. I think that’s what should be spoken about because they’re three pretty special performances.”

Harshal Patel was unavailable for this match because of an illness

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Apr-20253:30

Do Head and Abhishek need to temper their approach?

Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Shubman Gill chose to bowl on a black-soil surface in Hyderabad. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain Pat Cummins said that they were happy to bat first and that they will not veer away from their aggressive approach with the bat, despite having suffered three losses in a row.Harshal Patel was unavailable for this match because of an illness, according to Cummins. In his absence, SRH handed left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat his first match of the season.GT also made one change, giving offspin-bowling allrounder Washington Sundar a franchise debut. They shored up their spin attack at the expense of left-arm seam-bowling allrounder Arshad Khan. Rashid Khan, who will be facing his former franchise SRH for the first time in Hyderabad, and R Sai Kishore will lead their spin attack.Gujarat Titans XI: 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 B Sai Sudharsan, 3 Jos Buttler (wk), 4 Rahul Tewatia, 5 M Shahrukh Khan, 6 Rashid Khan, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 R Sai Kishore, 9 Mohammed Siraj, 10 Prasidh Krishna, 11 Ishant Sharma
Impact subs: Sherfane Rutherford, Glenn Phillips, Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror, Arshad KhanSunrisers Hyderabad XI: 1 Travis Head, 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Ishan Kishan, 4 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 Aniket Verma, 7 Kamindu Mendis, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Zeeshan Ansari, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Mohammed Shami
Impact subs: Abhinav Manohar, Sachin Baby, Simarjeet Singh, Rahul Chahar, Wiaan Mulder

أعلن تشابي ألونسو، مدرب نادي ريال مدريد، عن قائمة الفريق لمواجهة نظيره يوفنتوس والتي سوف تلعب مساء اليوم الأربعاء، ضمن بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويشهد ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” مواجهة مرتقبة بين ريال مدريد ويوفنتوس في دوري أبطال أوروبا، لحساب الجولة الثالثة من مرحلة الدوري، حيث يسعى الملكي لتحقيق الانتصار.

ويعتبر ريال مدريد أجهز من يوفنتوس الذي يعيش موسم سيئ على كافة المستويات، بينما يتصدر الميرنجي ترتيب الدوري الإسباني وحقق انتصارين متتاليين في مرحلة الدوري بدوري الأبطال.

وشهدت قائمة ريال مدريد وجود كيليان مبابي على رأس الفريق الذي سوف يخوض مباراة الليلة، إلى جانب فينيسيوس جونيور.

وعاد فيرلاند ميندي لأول مرة للتواجد في قائمة ريال مدريد، بعد أشهر عديدة من الغياب والاستبعاد من الفريق الملكي بسبب الإصابة.

وعلى الجانب الآخر يغيب دافيد ألابا عن لقاء اليوم بسبب إصابته ضد خيتافي في الدوري الإسباني يوم السبت الماضي، بينما يستمر غياب ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد، ودين هويسن، وداني كارفاخال، وأنطونيو روديجير، للإصابة. قائمة ريال مدريد لمباراة يوفنتوس في دوري أبطال أوروبا

حراسة المرمى: تيبو كورتوا، أندري لونين، فران جونزاليز.

خط الدفاع: إيدير ميليتاو، راؤول أسينسيو ، فيرلاند ميندي، فران جارسيا، ألفارو كاريراس.

خط الوسط: أوريلين تشواميني، فيديريكو فالفيردي، جود بيلينجهام، أردا جولر، إدواردو كامافينجا، تياجو بيتراتش.

خط الهجوم: فينيسيوس جونيور، كيليان مبابي، رودريجو جوس، فرانكو ماستانتونو، إندريك، جونزالو جارسيا ، إبراهيم دياز.

It’s not really been the summer West Ham United fans would’ve been hoping for at the end of last season.

The club have made a few good additions to the squad, including Mads Hermansen, Kyle Walker-Peters, and El Hadji Malick Diouf, but it doesn’t feel like it.

Moreover, they’ve missed out on several targets over the last couple of months, such as Jacob Ramsey, which is always going to make morale worse.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom, as if reports are to be believed, the Irons could be closing in on someone who’d be their own version of the former Aston Villa star.

West Ham close in on their own Ramsey

Talk of West Ham being seriously interested in Ramsey started to pop up around the start of the month; some reports even went as far as claiming that the Englishman was the Hammers’ top target.

Transfer Focus

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

Unfortunately, Newcastle United stole a march on the East Londoners and secured the services of the talented midfielder for around £40m late last week.

However, things could be about to get a lot better for the Irons’ faithful, as it now looks like the club are closing in on another exciting talent who has been compared to the new Toon star.

At least that is according to a recent report from Jacob Steinberg, who has claimed that West Ham are still very interested in Mateus Fernandes.

In fact, he goes further than that, revealing that the club have now made an “improved offer” for the Southampton star.

It’s unclear how much the bid was, but according to stories from earlier this window, around £50m should be enough to get the deal done, which might be fair value for a player of his quality, especially as he’s been compared to Ramsey.

How Fernandes compares to Ramsey

In this instance, the comparison stems primarily from FBref, which looked at players in similar positions in the Premier League last season before concluding that Ramsey was the ninth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to Fernandes.

The best way to gain a better understanding of how such a conclusion was reached is by taking a look under the hood, at the underlying numbers in which the pair ranked closest.

In this case, these include metrics such as expected and actual non-penalty goals plus assists, live passes, shot-creating actions, blocks, carries and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.22

0.22

Non-Penalty G+As

0.19

0.22

Expected Assists

0.11

0.12

Goals per Shot

0.05

0.05

Live Passes

36.7

32.3

Shot-Creating Actions

2.41

2.83

Blocks

1.33

1.28

Carries

27.8

27.6

Successful Take-Ons

1.52

1.39

In other words, like the Englishman, the Portuguese maestro is an all-action midfielder who can impact the game in an attacking sense, while also being happy to chip in with some of the defensive work here and there.

Another trait the “outstanding” 21-year-old, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, shares with the former Villa ace is his versatility.

While he’s primarily a central midfielder, he can still play in several other positions, which in turn would give Potter far more tactical flexibility before and during matches.

Ultimately, it won’t be a cheap or easy transfer to get over the line, but Fernandes looks to be a special player, and therefore, West Ham should do what they can to bring him to the London Stadium.

Sheringham 2.0: West Ham in race to sign Premier League "proven goalscorer"

The vastly experienced goalscorer could be a brilliant signing for West Ham and Graham Potter.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 20, 2025

Sam Kerr returned with a bang for Chelsea as the Australia international made her long-awaited comeback from a serious injury. After spending 20 months stuck on the sidelines, with it proving difficult to overcome an ACL setback, the Blues superstar was back among the goals when finding the target late on in a WSL clash with Aston Villa in the West Midlands.

What happened to Kerr? When injury was sustained

It was revealed in January 2024 that Kerr had picked up an injury that would keep her out of action for a considerable period of time. Few could have predicted at that stage that she would miss so much action for club and country.

AdvertisementWatch Kerr score first goal after 20 months outLong wait finally over for Australian superstar

A long road to recovery has been taken in, with Kerr working her way through the most gruelling of rehabilitation programmes. She had been hoping to grace the field again before the 2024-25 campaign came to a close, but said season proved to be a complete write off.

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GettyWho did Kerr return against? Emotional comeback

Chelsea confirmed that Kerr was training with their first team in August, which hinted at an imminent return to competitive action being made. Said appearance finally arrived, 634 days after her last, when paying a visit to Villa Park.

أعلن الكرواتي كرونسلاف يورتشيتش المدير الفني لفريق بيراميدز قائمة اللاعبين المختارين، لمواجهة طلائع الجيش، ضمن منافسات الدوري المصري.

ويلتقي بيراميدز مع طلائع الجيش، في الجولة التاسعة من الدوري المصري الممتاز، على ملعب الدفاع الجوي في تمام الثامنة مساءً.

طالع.. موعد وحكم مباراة بيراميدز والجيش الرواندي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

ويدخل بيراميدز اللقاء بمعنويات مرتفعة بعد الفوز على الأهلي السعودي، ضمن منافسات كأس القارات “إنتركونتيننتال”.

ويفتقد بيراميدز 5 لاعبين أمام طلائع الجيش حيث يغيب أحمد سامي للإيقاف وأسامة جلال بسبب الإصابة ورمضان صبحي ووليد الكرتي ومحمود مرعي لاستمرار التأهيل. قائمة بيراميدز لمباراة طلائع الجيش

حراسة المرمى: أحمد الشناوي – محمود جاد – شريف إكرامي.

خط الدفاع: علي جبر – كريم حافظ – محمد الشيبي – محمد حمدي – طارق علاء – عبد الرحمن جودة.

خط الوسط: أحمد توفيق – محمود دونجا – مهند لاشين – عبد الرحمن مجدي – أحمد عاطف قطة – مصطفى زيكو – إيفرتون داسيلفا – محمد رضا بوبو – محمود زلاكة – بلاتي توريه – مصطفى فتحي.

خط الهجوم: دودو الجباس – يوسف أوباما – فيستون ماييلي – مروان حمدي.

Liam Dawson returned 50 wickets in a Vitality County Championship season for the first time after scoring an eighth fifty of the season as Hampshire closed in on victory over Worcestershire.Spinning all-rounder Dawson reached a half-century of scalps by adding Kashif Ali and Adam Hose to his tally – in doing so beating the 49 wickets he claimed last season – with no spinner in the country taking more this year.Along with his bowling exploits, no one has passed 50 more times than Dawson in Division One in 2024, as he moved to 907 runs with a 51 which set Worcestershire 394 runs to win.The visitors ended the day five wickets down, still 277 runs short of victory – but with Jake Libby still undefeated on 55.Both sides are now only playing for positions after Hampshire’s improbable title challenge ended with Surrey’s victory over Durham, and Worcestershire’s survival already secured.Having elected against enforcing the follow-on the previous evening, Hampshire’s second innings was ramshackle and lacking in fluency, but still ended up at in the vicinity of the destination they would have aimed.The inability to score runs quickly was largely due to Joe Leach’s expertise with a nipping ball, taking three for 17, with six pressure-building maidens, across his first two spells.The 33-year-old is retiring after next week’s fixture against Lancashire, but proved he was still as skilful as ever to pick up Hampshire’s top three – although none of the wickets were classic dismissals.Toby Albert fell in the second over of the morning when he was strangled down leg and was caught behind, Fletcha Middleton lasted a further four overs before he was caught and bowled while playing across one, and first innings double centurion Nick Gubbins was caught at slip after the ball had looped off the wicketkeeper’s glove.Ben Brown quickly followed when Amar Virdi straightened one to pin him, but James Vince was keeping the scoreboard progressing with an often sketchy, sometimes glorious 44.Vince dragged Virdi onto his own stumps while sweeping but after lunch Tom Prest and Dawson returned with a lucidly attacking game plan to whip up a 72-run partnership at a whisker under a run-a-ball.Dawson followed his first innings century and five-wicket haul with a 63-ball fifty but fell soon after when Logan van Beek destroyed his stumps.Things turned frenetic again as James Fuller swished behind, Prest was leg before when stuck on the crease to Virdi, Kyle Abbott was bowled on the swing and Felix Organ was run out after a strike confusion with Mo Abbas – which prevented Virdi from a second career 10-wicket haul.With an imposing, but not impossible target, Gareth Roderick failed to show the resolve of the first innings by getting bowled by Abbott in the sixth over.Kashif Ali played for turn that didn’t come from Dawson to fall lbw in the 14th over before two fine slip catches from Vince accounted for Rob Jones and Adam Hose – the latter was Dawson’s 50th wicket of the season.Jake Libby had staunchly battled to 49, but when initially trying to reach the milestone, he ran out his partner Brett D’Oliveira, before eventually getting to a 47th first-class fifty with a less risky ambled single off 106 balls.Libby remained unbeaten at close, with Ethan Brookes hanging on alongside him.

Glasgow Rangers’ transfer model over the years has been remarkably inconsistent, with players arriving from various leagues and countries to different degrees of success.

One area tends to stand out, however, and that is south of the border. Since the Light Blues secured promotion in 2016, very few players have arrived from England and shone.

Of course, there have been a few exceptions, such as Joe Aribo, Calvin Bassey and Connor Goldson, but the overwhelming majority failed to shine.

Joey Barton, Jordan Rossiter and Matt Crooks arrived in the summer of 2016, but they all struggled in Glasgow. As did Graham Dorrans and Declan John, who signed the following season.

Elsewhere, Ben Davies, Tom Lawrence and George Edmundson failed to transition well from English football, never quite living up to expectations north of the border.

While there have been a few successes, Martin must tread carefully in English waters, especially if he wishes to sign players who will improve the squad.

Emmanuel Fernandez has been signed from Peterborough, but first impressions suggest he could turn out to be like Bassey rather than another Davies.

One of the worst signings made by Rangers in recent years is Kieran Dowell. The midfielder was brought to Glasgow by Michael Beale in the summer of 2023, but he turned out to be a waste of a wage.

Kieran Dowell's dismal Rangers record

On the surface, securing Dowell’s signature on a free transfer appeared to be a decent bit of business for the club.

The midfielder made his breakthrough with Everton, playing twice in the Premier League during the 2015/16 season.

Loan spells with Nottingham Forest, Derby, Wigan and Sheffield United saw him prove his worth in the second tier and he eventually made the move to Norwich City in 2020.

He made 75 appearances for the Canaries between 2020 and 2023, which included 19 games in the top flight, before swapping East Anglia for Glasgow.

The attacking midfielder won the U20 World Cup with England in 2017, before making 16 appearances for the U21s, but a senior cap never came.

Kieran Dowell’s Premiership stats for Rangers

Metric

2023/24

2024/25

Goals

2

0

Assists

2

0

Big chances created

1

3

Touches per game

33.8

16.6

Key passes per game

0.7

0.7

Via Sofascore

A move to Rangers was the chance for Dowell to reinvent himself, but he didn’t get the chance. Indeed, the 27-year-old played just 16 times for the club during the 2023/24 campaign.

The first half of 2024/25 saw Dowell feature 17 times for the Ibrox side, yet only three of those came in the starting XI, and he was loaned to Birmingham City for the second half of the season.

Across his 12 Premiership matches last term, he created just three big chances, while winning less than 50% of his total duels per game and averaging 16.6 touches per match.

Dowell spent the second half of last season out on loan at Birmingham City, helping them return to the Championship.

With Martin needing to move players on this summer, the former Everton starlet must surely be offloaded in order to raise funds and free up the wage bill.

In the future, the Gers must be wary of the English market, but it looks as though they have been linked with another midfielder from down south recently…

Rangers eyeing up move for former West Brom midfielder

Both Joe Rothwell and Fernandez have secured moves to Rangers over the previous few days, as Martin seeks to bolster his first-team squad.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

He won’t be finished there, however, especially with major surgery required this summer.

Luton Town’s Norwegian midfielder Thelo Aasgaard is reportedly in talks with a move to Ibrox according to the Scotsman, while Nasser Djiga of Wolves is also another transfer target.

A new name has appeared, according to Sports Boom, with former West Bromwich Albion midfielder John Swift reportedly being eyed for a move north of the border in the coming weeks.

The Englishman – who is also attracting interest from a raft of EFL clubs – is out of contract and wouldn’t cost the club a penny should he move to Glasgow.

Given the fact Martin has already signed Rothwell, plus is looking to bring Aasgaard to Scotland, a swoop for Swift certainly appears unnecessary.

Indeed, he could turn out to be another Dowell-like signing. A player who fails to truly showcase his true class if he made the move to Rangers.

Why Rangers should avoid a move for John Swift

Swift did impress significantly at Reading, having made the move from Chelsea in 2016. Across 202 games for the club, he scored 34 goals and grabbed 37 assists in all competitions.

His form saw Leeds prepare a bid for the midfielder in 2019 and journalist Billy Meyers even said that Swift is the “perfect type of player that Bielsa should be targeting” upon the link. Former Baggies boss Tony Mowbray has also hailed him as an “amazing footballer” at his best.

While his numbers in the second tier have been decent – 15 goal contributions in 2022/23 and ten during 2023/24 – the midfielder is now 30 and isn’t exactly at his peak.

Last season, he only managed three goals and one assist for the Baggies in 36 league matches. Furthermore, he only created one big chance last term for the club, while averaging just 0.3 dribbles and one key pass per game in the second tier.

He even ranked in the lowest 30% for progressive carries (1.55) and successful take-ons (0.62) per 90 when compared to his positional peers in the Championship last term.

Additionally, Swift also ranked in the lowest 23% for assists (0.05) and in the lowest 8% for touches in the attacking penalty area (1.6) per 90 for West Brom.

Considering he spent the campaign playing as an attacking midfielder, these figures are worrying, to say the least. As such, avoiding a move for Swift, despite the fact he is available for free, is perhaps the best course of action.

Martin will be able to use that sort of wage on a player or two who are not only younger, but who could potentially make the Gers a profit in the years to come.

Swift could turn into Dowell 2.0, that’s for sure.

Related Perfect for Rothwell: Rangers in advanced talks to sign £3m "machine"

Following Joe Rothwell’s arrival at Rangers, could the Glasgow giants sign another midfielder, labelled a “machine” by a former Scotland star?

Posts ByBen Gray Jul 3, 2025

The decision not to sign Jadon Sancho on a permanent deal evoked memories of the Chelsea of old. A ruthlessness that famously saw Carlo Ancelotti given the sack after missing out on the Premier League title in his second season – just a year on from guiding the club to the double

In the case of Sancho, the Englishman had notably scored a stunner in last month’s Conference League final, albeit while ending 2024/25 with just three goals and five assists to his name in the league. Good, but not good enough.

That has been a commendable motto for the Blues over their glorious last 20 years or so, having repeatedly hired and fired, all while increasing the competition in their playing ranks with successive statement signings.

Take Nicolas Jackson, for instance, the Senegalese striker hardly disgracing himself – suspensions aside – with 24 league goals across his first two seasons at Stamford Bridge, albeit with just ten of those coming last term. Again, good, but not quite good enough.

£30m man Liam Delap looks to have swiftly usurped the former Villarreal man in the pecking order, all while being acutely aware that failure to perform himself could see yet another fresh face acquired – a certain Hugo Ekitike springs to mind.

As the old adage goes, pressure makes diamonds, with Enzo Maresca and co no doubt hoping that more exciting additions can thrive in this pressurised environment in west London…

Latest on Chelsea's search for new forwards

Sancho is gone, but in his place, young Jamie Gittens could be set to arrive, with Chelsea still working to bring the 20-year-old back to England from Borussia Dortmund, amid his prior stint in Manchester City’s youth ranks.

Despite reports that Gittens has agreed a seven-year contract with the Blues, there appears to still be club-to-club negotiations taking place regarding his reported £55m price tag.

With that deal yet to get the green light, it is still worth the west Londoners seeking alternatives, with TEAMtalk reporting that they are among the clubs to have made an enquiry over Lyon starlet, Malick Fofana.

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That contact has come amid the Ligue 1 side’s recent relegation – something they are set to appeal – with clubs lining up to potentially pounce on their ongoing financial woes and apparent need to sell.

As per the report, the likes of Everton, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have also made their move for the 20-year-old, with those suitors hoping to strike a deal for less than the Belgian’s previous £42m price tag.

Why Fofana could be Chelsea's next Eden Hazard

The signing of an exciting, young Belgian talent from Ligue 1 – ring any bells?

Of course, Chelsea famously won the race for a 21-year-old Eden Hazard back in the summer of 2012, with the then-Champions League holders plucking the winger from Lille for a reported fee of £32m.

198 goals and assists would follow in a Chelsea shirt for the now-retired wizard, although that doesn’t quite tell the full story. This was a player, at his pomp, who was a match for any opposition or opponent.

A man who could win a game on his own – take his solo stunner against Arsenal in 2017, for example – Hazard at his best was simply a sight to behold, jinking his way past defenders with consummate ease. It’s no wonder he was hailed the “best player in the Premier League” at one stage by pundit, Paul Merson.

Young Fofana has a way go to hit the levels of his sparkling compatriot, although the comparisons are – unsurprisingly – already being made, with GOAL noting that he has been described as ‘Eden Hazard-like’ by those in his homeland.

As per The Athletic’s Alex Barker, what particularly sets the 20-year-old apart, in a similar mould to Hazard, is his dribbling prowess, having been noted as “one of the best” in Ligue 1 in that regard.

Indeed, he notably ranks in the top 3% among his peers in France’s top-flight for progressive carries made per 90, as per FBref, while also ranking in the top 2% in that same metric among attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues.

Jamie Gittens – Borussia Dortmund

8

4

12

Kenan Yildiz – Juventus

7

5

12

Eliesse Ben Seghir – Monaco

6

3

9

Malick Fofana – Lyon

5

4

9

Antonio Nusa – RB Leipzig

3

4

7

Jean-Matteo Bahoya – Frankfurt

2

3

5

Jesus Rodriguez – Real Betis

2

1

3

Mamadou Diakhon – Stade Reims

2

1

3

Yan Diomande – Leganes

2

1

3

Bazoumana Toure – Hoffenheim

0

3

3

For context, Hazard ranked in the top 1% of Premier League wingers in that regard during his final season in English football (2018/19), having simply been a master ball-carrier for the Blues.

Like the 126-cap Red Devils star too, Fofana also boasts an end product to match that devastating flair, having ended 2024/25 with 11 goals and six assists to his name in all competitions, included six goals in just ten Europa League outings.

Described as a “starboy” by writer Zach Lowy, the Lyon gem looks destined to reach the top over the coming years, with Chelsea able to offer him the chance to follow in Hazard’s footsteps at Stamford Bridge.

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