Glasgow Rangers ended their 2022/23 campaign with a 3-0 win over St Mirren last weekend in the Scottish Premiership and the focus must now turn to the upcoming summer transfer window.

Michael Beale ended his first season in charge of the Light Blues without a trophy to show for his efforts and should be aiming to improve his squad in the coming weeks to ensure that his side is competing for major honours next term.

According to Monday's edition of The Scottish Daily Mail [via Ibrox News], one player the club are interested in snapping up is Cremonese attacker Cyriel Dessers.

Who is Cyriel Dessers?

He is a 28-year-old Nigerian striker who has been playing his football in the top-flight of Italian football this season and could come in as a big upgrade on current Gers ace Antonio Colak.

The Croatian centre-forward, who has been touted with a possible exit from Ibrox this summer, scored three goals and assisted one in 11 Premiership appearances after Beale arrived during the break for the 2022 World Cup. He also managed one strike in four cup appearances in 2023.

These statistics show that the ex-PAOK man has struggled under the English boss as the dynamo has rarely found the back of the net and offered little in the way of creativity for his teammates.

Whereas, Dessers has the potential to come in and offer far more than the 29-year-old in the final third based on his form over the last two seasons.

Back in April, journalist Josh Bunting hailed the ace as an "excellent" signing for Cremonese and described him as being "awkward" for defenders to play against due to his strength, as the marksman plundered six goals and two assists in 19 starts in the Serie A.

This comes after the finisher enjoyed an exceptional campaign on loan at Feyenoord in the Netherlands. He racked up 19 goals and three assists in 16 starts across the Eredivisie and Europa Conference League combined, which shows that the Nigerian international has the quality to be a prolific scorer for his side, in comparison to Colak's struggles at the top end of the pitch this year.

The £19k-per-week star has proven himself in a major European league, in Italy, and on the continental stage, for Feyenoord, and this indicates that the gem would be able to handle the switch to Ibrox, given that the talent has already adapted to multiple competitions and countries.

Therefore, Dessers could come in as a big upgrade on Colak by offering far more quality in front of goal on a regular basis, which could, in turn, improve Beale's squad next term.

أصدر نادي إشبيلية بيانًا رسميًا عبر موقعه الإلكتروني، بشأن انتقادات ريال مدريد لطاقم مباراة الفريقين مساء غد الأحد، ضمن الجولة 26 من الدوري الإسباني.

ريال مدريد يستضيف إشبيلية على ملعب سانتياجو بيرنابيو، غدًا الأحد، ضمن الجولة 26، في مباراة أثارت الجدل قبل أن تنطلق بين الفريقين.

طالع أيضًا | سكاي: غموض حول استمرار ديفيز مع بايرن ميونخ.. وريال مدريد يترقب

ريال مدريد انتقد الحكم دياز دي ميرا وجونزاليس فويتيرس حكم الفار، قبل مواجهة الغد، من خلال قناته التلفزيونية الرسمية.

نادي إشبيلية أصدر بيانًا رسميًا قال من خلاله: “نرغب في الإبلاغ رسميًا عن هذه الأحداث إلى الاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم، لمعرفة ما إذا كان يمكن اعتبار هذه الإجراءات بمثابة انتهاك لقواعد المنافسة أو أي لوائح أخرى”.

وأضاف النادي الإسباني: “يود نادينا أيضًا أن يكرر إدانته القوية لهذه الحملات المنظمة التي تهدف إلى تقويض صورة هيئة التحكيم، والتسبب في ضرر جسيم لكرة القدم الإسبانية والتشكيك في نزاهة المنافسة”.

The Supreme Court of India has directed the BCCI not to distribute funds to its state associations until they comply with the Lodha Committee’s recommendations

Nagraj Gollapudi21-Oct-20165:23

Kalra: Supreme Court giving BCCI as much breathing space as it can

The Supreme Court of India has passed an order that limits the BCCI’s financial freedom and power until the board and its state associations comply with the Lodha Committee’s recommendations.In a 25-page order issued on Friday, the court directed the BCCI not to distribute funds to its state associations until they submit affidavits stating compliance with the recommendations to the court and the Lodha Committee in two weeks. The order was passed by a three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India TS Thakur and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud.The court also asked BCCI president Anurag Thakur and secretary Ajay Shirke to meet the Lodha Committee before November 3. They were required to submit an “affidavit of compliance” in the court by December 3, elaborating on the recommendations already implemented by the BCCI and what it had done to persuade the state associations to adopt the recommendations. The court scheduled the next hearing for December 5.BCCI’s financial wings clipped

The Supreme Court has asked the Lodha Committee to oversee financial transactions undertaken by the board by putting in place the following measures:
♢ Appoint an independent auditor to check the income received and expenditure incurred by the BCCI
♢ Fix a threshold value for BCCI contracts which would be overseen by the auditor from the tender stage
♢ Approve or disapprove BCCI contracts above the threshold value and obtain the advice of the auditors on the fairness of the tendering process
♢ Formulate the terms of engagement and reference for the auditors. The BCCI shall bear the costs, charges and expenses of the auditors

In another significant decision, the court asked the Lodha Committee to appoint an independent auditor to verify the BCCI’s accounts. The Lodha Committee was also asked to set a “threshold value” for various contracts the BCCI enters into, and all contracts in excess of that amount would need the committee’s approval. The next major contract for the board is the IPL broadcast deal, set to be finalised on October 25.”I’ve always maintained that we have the highest respect for judiciary. We have welcomed the Lodha Committee recommendations, we more than welcome them because we have nothing to hide,” Thakur told after the order came out. “I’m very optimistic in my approach and I am sure some of the issues that we have requested for a re-look will be addressed. We are not fighting against anyone. All I have been saying is that there is confusion regarding certain recommendations. I am sure a dialogue can be had in the interest of the game.”Friday’s order is the second one issued this week by the court, after an interim order on October 17 in response to the Lodha Committee’s status report, which had recommended that the BCCI office bearers be “superseded” and a panel of administrators be appointed because the board was impeding the implementation of the court-approved recommendations.In its order the court noted that there was “substance in the status report”. It also said the BCCI was in “breach” of the July 18 court order that had approved the majority of recommendations in the Lodha Committee’s report and asked the board and states to implement them in four to six months. “Implementation of the final judgment of this Court dated 18 July 2016 has prima facie been impeded by the intransigence of BCCI and its office bearers,” the court order said.The court said that “at this stage” it was refraining from approving the Lodha Committee’s suggestion to supersede the BCCI office bearers because the board had said in a submission to the court that “it would make every genuine effort to persuade the state associations” to comply with the recommendations.The BCCI’s position had been that it could not implement the Lodha Committee’s recommendations without a majority of its state associations agreeing to do so. The key recommendations the board said the states were reluctant to accept were the one-state-one-vote policy, the age cap of 70 for administrators, and the limit of three, three-year terms with cooling-off periods in between for office bearers.The court order put the states under pressure to comply by cutting off their funding. “The BCCI shall forthwith cease and desist from making any disbursement of funds for any purpose whatsoever to any state association until and unless the state association concerned adopts a resolution undertaking to implement the recommendations of the Committee as accepted by this Court in its judgment dated 18 July,” the court order said. A state was to receive funds from the BCCI only after the resolution, signed by its president, was submitted to the committee and the court.The court said it had taken cognisance of the argument raised by the board’s legal counsel Kapil Sibal, who had said the BCCI would “demonstrate” to the Lodha Committee how it had already fulfilled some of the recommendations. The court asked the committee to verify whether there had been “full compliance”.

Arsenal have made contact to enquire about a summer deal to sign Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount, according to reports.

Is Mason Mount leaving Chelsea?

The Stamford Bridge academy graduate has made 20 Premier League starts this season but has missed the last six top-flight outings with a pelvis injury, and during his spell on the sidelines, his future off the field has become extremely uncertain over the past couple of weeks.

The England international’s contract is set to expire at the end of next season, meaning that the upcoming window is likely to be the Blues' final big opportunity to cash in, should he not want to extend his stay further, a scenario which is likely considering that he’s already rejected multiple new offers to commit to his future in SW6.

Sky Sports have reported that Manchester United are the current frontrunners to land the 24-year-old should he leave despite a long-term interest from Liverpool, and it’s claimed that Todd Boehly has placed a £70m price tag on his star’s head, with that being the minimum fee needed to part ways ahead of the 2023/24 term.

Are Arsenal signing Mount?

According to 90min, Arsenal have also “registered their interest” in Mount by approaching his representatives to make them aware of their admiration for him. Chelsea’s anticipated new manager Mauricio Pochettino is said to be a “huge fan” of the midfielder and “wants him to be a part” of his long-term project which has created a “confidence” that he will turn down outside interest to put pen to paper on fresh terms.

The Blues are therefore “set for a meeting” with the Portsmouth-born talent “next week” to try and convince him to remain in the capital beyond the summer.

Chelsea will know that it’ll be hard to turn down a sizable bid for Mount given the financial crisis that they are in, so Arsenal should definitely capitalise on this by testing the waters to see if an agreement could be reached for him to move to the Emirates Stadium.

The Blues attacking midfielder, who’s sponsored by Nike, has clocked up 70 goal contributions (37 assists and 33 goals) in 195 senior appearances and has even been lauded a “leader” in the centre by talent scout Jacek Kulig having previously captained his side, whereas Rio Ferdinand also labelled Mount a "mad player".

The Champions League participant is also a versatile operator having played in an outstanding seven different positions since first bursting onto the scene, including four in the midfield, out wide on both flanks and even at centre-forward, so this could be an attractive attribute to Mikel Arteta and yet another reason why he would make for a fantastic signing during the upcoming window.

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has shortlisted Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim, but he is set to take his time over a new managerial appointment, according to a report from Football Insider.

What's the latest Tottenham manager news?

Tottenham are still searching for a long-term heir to Antonio Conte, and it has now been reported that Graham Potter could soon contend for the job, as he still maintains a reputation as a top coach, despite being sacked by Chelsea last season.

Brendan Rodgers is also still a candidate, with recent reports even claiming that he has been formally offered the job, although Spurs will keep their options open, with Luis Enrique also believed to be of interest.

Roberto De Zerbi, Marco Silva and Ange Postecoglou have also been linked with a move to N17, and Football Insider have now provided an update involving the latter manager.

Postecoglou, Enrique and Amorim are said to be on Levy's new three-man shortlist, with the chairman keen to take his time over the appointment, due to the importance of appointing the right man.

Amorim is considered an attractive proposition by Spurs, having impressed during his time with Sporting CP, winning the league title during the 2020-21 campaign. At 38 years of age, the Sporting boss fits the bill as a "young, up-and-coming coach", which is of key importance to the Tottenham hierarchy, according to talkSPORT's Alex Crook.

Who is Ruben Amorim?

The Lisboa-born manager has made a name for himself over in Portugal, winning a total of five trophies during spells with Braga and Sporting, most notably winning the 2020-21 Liga Portugal title, and his side have shown some promising signs this season.

Although they were unable to compete for the title, Sporting achieved a respectable fourth-place finish, while they also performed very well in Europe, knocking out Arsenal in the Europa League round of 16.

Given his age, the Portuguese tactician is not yet the finished article, and he has received some criticism at times, with journalist Zach Lowy querying some of his "bizarre" man-management decisions.

However, other members of the media have heaped praise on the former Braga boss, with journalist Jack Pitt-Brooke describing him as "the most exciting young manager in European football" just over a year ago.

Appointing Amorim could be a risk, but his success up to this point indicates he may well go on to be a top manager, and a move to Tottenham could well be one to keep an eye on.

Manchester United's interest in Napoli striker Victor Osimhen this summer is believed to have cooled, according to a fresh update.

Is Osimhen linked with United?

The 24-year-old enjoyed a memorable season for Napoli, proving to be arguably their star player en route to them winning their first Serie A title since 1990. He scored 26 goals in 32 league appearances, as well as five in as many starts in the Champions League, cementing his reputation as one of Europe's leading strikers.

Osimhen has been constantly linked with a summer move to the Premier League in recent months, with United seen as one of the front-runners, as they look to bring in an elite attacker to lead the line. They aren't alone in showing an interest, however, with Chelsea also eyeing a move for him.

Now, a key update regarding the Nigerian's future has emerged – one that suggests the Red Devils could be set to look at different options moving forward.

What is the current situation with Osimhen?

According to TEAMtalk, United and Chelsea's interest in Osimhen isn't as strong as has otherwise been reported, due to Napoli demanding £150m for his services:

"Manchester United and Chelsea have cooled their interest in Napoli striker Victor Osimhen after the Italian club placed a £150million price tag on his head, TEAMtalk understands.

"United and Chelsea are ready to end their interest in Osimhen due to Napoli’s inflated valuation of him. The Serie A champions have no intention of selling Osimhen as they want to keep him for next season’s title defence and Champions League campaign. This is why they have given him that huge £150m price tag, and the scare tactics seem to have worked exactly as they were intended."

While Osimhen could be an outstanding signing, considering his performances in 2022/23 and the fact that has been called "phenomenal" by Walter Mazzarri in the past, United could be wise to walk away from the deal because of the fee that is being mooted.

It is an enormous amount of money to pay for one player, especially one who has still only had one genuinely world class season in his career, and it would eat up a vast chunk of the Reds' summer transfer budget.

Should Napoli accept a lower offer, it should be all systems go for United, but if not, finding a cheaper alternative makes sense, with Harry Kane a potential option and someone who has been linked with making a switch to Old Trafford.

Glasgow Rangers will need to bolster their attacking options during the summer transfer window in order to achieve success next season.

Alfredo Morelos has left the club having failed to agree to an extension, while Kemar Roofe is perennially injured and played only six games last term, leaving Antonio Colak as their only fully fit striker at the current moment in time.

Michael Beale has admitted that improving the quality of players he has at his disposal in the final third is key, saying: "Certainly, in the final third, I think that's an area where, although we win a lot of games and score a lot of goals, we are also a team that miss a lot of chances.

"That's a key part of my thinking."

With this in mind, the Ibrox faithful will be hoping to see a couple of forwards arriving in Glasgow over the course of the summer, especially as they scored 21 fewer goals than Celtic last term, a key factor in them winning another Premiership title.

Could Rangers sign Josh Maja this summer?

The Bordeaux striker has been linked with Rangers over the previous few months, and due to the Ligue 2 side failing to achieve promotion, the Gers could now seal him on a free transfer.

Foot Mercato claimed that Maja would have signed a new deal had Bordeaux sealed a path back to the French top flight, but according to France Bleu, he is ‘expected to leave’ – and could end up being an upgrade on Fashion Sakala for Rangers.

The Zambian enjoyed something of a renaissance under Beale when he took over in November, eventually finishing the season with 20 goal contributions. However, he isn’t the most clinical, and former Rangers winger Neil McCann claimed Sakala “can sometimes lack composure” after a win against Hearts in February, whereas Maja could add a ruthlessness in front of goal that the club have been struggling with.

Across 40 games in all competitions last term, the Nigeria international scored 17 goals and grabbed six assists, while he also created more big chances (eight to seven) and netted more league goals (16 to 12) than Sakala.

There is no doubting Sakala’s enthusiasm, however, he is often deployed out wide, while Beale needs a reliable finisher ahead of an important season, and former Ibrox hitman Jermain Defoe has even lauded praise on Maja, as they both spent time at Sunderland, saying: “Josh is a quick thinker and if you’re that fast upstairs, you don’t need anything else.

“When he trained with the first team he showed such great awareness – he knew when to pass it, had a great touch – and although he’s not got electric pace, he’s two steps ahead of everyone which means he’s got an immediate advantage.

“The gift Josh has is rare and if he builds on it, the sky’s the limit.”

It’s a gamble that Beale must take, and considering he might not cost the club a penny in terms of a transfer fee, Maja may just go on to surprise a few people should he make the move to Scotland.

Sunday was the third time New Zealand were denied parity by India’s lower order, but Trent Boult has said that the visitors are not doing much wrong

Sidharth Monga at Eden Gardens02-Oct-2016Sunday was the third time New Zealand were denied parity by India’s lower order, which has been crucial in a low-scoring series. In the first innings in Kanpur, India’s sixth wicket added 52 and the last 41. In response New Zealand lost their last five wickets for seven runs. In Kolkata, Wriddhiman Saha led the lower-order fightback, taking India from 200 for 6 to 316. In the second innings, India have exceeded those last two comebacks by converting 106 for 6 into 227 for 8. New Zealand’s leading bowler, Trent Boult, though, feels they are not doing much wrong against the lower order.”Not necessarily,” Boult said when asked if they could have done much differently to prevent another frustrating resistance from India’s lower order. “We are trying to apply the pressure for as long as we can and not let off at all throughout the whole innings. But we know and realise they are going to put partnerships together, and we just can’t afford to get frustrated by that. It is still a challenge as a bowling unit to not drift and release that pressure, but it is something we are trying to get much better at.”Some of it could be put down to the exhaustion in the heat. “I have to put these down as some of the tougher conditions I’ve ever played in in my career,” Boult said. “I’m not too sure what it looks like on TV, but it is pretty taxing. Obviously the dryness in the wicket and in the air is pretty tough. The last session is probably the easiest session in terms of heat. [But] You are just sapped by the time that comes around.”The guys did extremely well to put the balls in the areas we did and apply that pressure. It was spoken in the huddle that we weren’t just going to let them drift away with the game with a figure in mind. We wanted to put pressure on them and make them earn every run. I think we did very well.”Thanks to Jeetan Patel and BJ Watling’s batting at the start of the day and the six early wickets, New Zealand fought their way back, but perhaps it was that deficit that meant India weren’t under the pressure New Zealand would have wanted to put them under. It was mostly on day two that they let the game slip with India’s lower-order runs and their own collapses with rain and bad light around.”It’s very disappointing but that is done now and we can’t do anything about it,” Boult said of the second day. “They had some good conditions there last night to put us under pretty big pressure with the ball. Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who took five wickets] bowled very well, and that has played a big part in the game. But we are not just going to roll over, we’ve fought very nicely to get ourselves back in the position we are in now.”Boult said New Zealand would need every bit of skill with the bat to fight back again in this Test. “We have the guys with the ability to bat long periods of time,” Boult said. “In terms of the wicket there is a little bit of variation in bounce and that is obviously going to be in the back of a few of our minds. We have to take it small steps at a time. If we can tick off our goals of trying to bat for half a session, then a session and just keep them out there and try to build like that. Anything that is set is definitely achievable.”They could learn from Jeetan Patel’s innings in the morning, Boult said. “He did very well. It’s his first in a wee while and to come back and play an innings like that was good to watch. The rest of us can take a leaf out of his book and try to apply yourself like he did because they were valuable runs.”

ScorecardSouth Africa’s captain Faf du Plessis warmed up for the Test series with a century against a South Australia XI in Glenelg on Thursday in his side’s final hit-out ahead of next week’s first Test against Australia in Perth. Like his captain, Dean Elgar also retired soon after reaching triple-figures, while Quinton de Kock narrowly missed the chance for his second ton on tour, falling for 99. JP Duminy, however, has been ruled out of the remainder of the match due to a chest infection.With South Australia playing a Sheffield Shield game at the WACA at the same time, South Africa’s opposition was effectively a state second XI, but that didn’t stop the top order having a couple of early wobbles. Fast bowler David Grant, yet to make his first-class debut, had Stephen Cook caught behind in the second over for a duck, and Hashim Amla caught behind for 9.Amla had retired on 51 in South Africa’s first tour match of this trip, against a Cricket Australia XI, but Cook’s form might be a slight concern for the South Africans. He made 5 and 12 against the CA XI and will be hoping the South African bowlers skittle the South Australia side on the second day of this two-day fixture to give him another opportunity at the crease.Rilee Rossouw fell for 22 to Cameron Valente before du Plessis and Elgar combined for a 179-run partnership that ended only when du Plessis reached his hundred and promptly retired on 102. Elgar also enjoyed his time in the middle, moving on to 117 before he retired to give the rest of the batting order an opportunity.Temba Bavuma scored 43, Vernon Philander retired on 41, and for the second time on the tour de Kock appeared to find batting easy, flying to 99 from 94 deliveries before he was caught at mid-on off the offspin of Michael Cormack.The South Africans piled on 489 before they were dismissed in the 90th over of the day.