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The first impression is always vital when a new player arrives at a club, especially for a side like Manchester United.

When anyone joins the Red Devils, whether it be a player or a manager, the expectation is to bring success and perform almost instantly.

In recent years, only a handful of signings have consistently performed at Old Trafford, with the likes of Antony and Jadon Sancho being examples of individuals who have been unable to star in the Premier League thus far.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at another player who once promised to be a world-beater but instead failed to live up to their apparent potential.

Meet the star who was meant to be the next Cristiano Ronaldo

In 2011, a promising Belgian talent named Adnan Januzaj joined Man United from Anderlecht as a 16-year-old, where he instantly impressed.

On October 5th, 2013, the number 44 was announced in the starting lineup for the first time under David Moyes as Man United faced Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

The then-18-year-old was absolutely electric, netting a brace that handed the Red Devils a 2-1 win, which was certainly the perfect way to introduce yourself to the footballing world.

After the game, Januzaj received plenty of praise and encouragement, with Moyes comparing his quality to Wayne Rooney and United youth coach Eric Harrison stating: “Januzaj is outstanding and I think he is similar to Cristiano Ronaldo".

However, the following season saw the arrival of Louis van Gaal, which the winger later claimed to be the reason why he never lived up to his potential at United, despite being an "unbelievable" talent, as per football creator Liam Canning.

Roy Keane's “biggest disappointment" has now become "superb" for Man Utd

The United star has had a remarkable turnaround after a difficult start.

ByTom Lever Mar 14, 2024 Adnan Januzaj’s career since his debut

During the Dutch manager’s first campaign at the club, Januzaj’s minutes and opportunities took a huge hit, starting just seven times in the 2014/15 Premier League.

A year later, the Belgium international only made just two league starts across the campaign, which was due to two separate injuries and a short loan spell at Borussia Dortmund.

With the left-footed ace failing to progress much further, in 2016, he joined Sunderland on a season-long loan in an attempt to revive his career, but over 25 matches, he failed to score a single goal.

In 2017, Januzaj eventually left Old Trafford after a troubled few seasons, joining Real Sociedad in a deal worth £9.8m, a club he would go on to score 23 goals in 168 appearances for.

Five years later, the former Red Devil moved to another La Liga side, this time joining Sevilla on a free transfer, which is where he plays his football today.

Man United

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Borussia Dortmund

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Sunderland

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Real Sociedad

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44

Istanbul Basaksehir

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Sevilla

17

1

Despite being at the club for two seasons, Januzaj has only made 17 appearances, with a failed loan spell at Istanbul Basaksehir in between, where he scored three times in 17 games.

Fast-forward to this season, and the former wonderkid has featured just eight times, even though he has not suffered from any injuries. Januzaj has averaged just 24 minutes per game, and he truly cannot get a game, starting zero times.

At just 29 years of age, the number 25’s career has become completely stagnant, and there have been no signs of him turning it around, especially not at Sevilla.

In truth, it is extremely sad and disappointing to see how Januzaj’s career has unfolded, especially considering just how fantastic he was in his first season under Moyes, after being compared to the legendary Ronaldo in his early days at Old Trafford.

Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly opened talks with Manchester United over a transfer for Jadon Sancho.

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PSG want Sancho from Man UtdClub look to replace MbappePersonal terms not expected to be a problemWHAT HAPPENED?

Per Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth, the Ligue 1 champions have reportedly initiated talks with the Red Devils over the possible transfer of Sancho this summer. Sheth further claimed that the two clubs have discussed the possible structure of the potential deal, with Sancho said to be open to the move.

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The 24-year-old had a public fallout with manager Erik ten Hag last season which resulted in him getting banished from the first-team squad before United sent him out on a short-term loan deal to Borussia Dortmund. Sancho, though, is now back in the United setup and it seems like he has reconciled with the Dutch manager.

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Ten Hag has given Sancho regular game time during pre-season and recently hinted that he is considering deploying the English winger in a new position, at least in the first few matches of the upcoming 2024-25 campaign.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR JADON SANCHO?

With Kylian Mbappe joining Real Madrid on a free transfer this summer, Luis Enrique is in search of a quality winger who could take the former captain's place in his lineup and Sancho fits the bill. The Red Devils have also enquired about PSG midfielder Manuel Ugarte and the two teams now have an open line of communication with regard Sancho.

Since their takeover in 2008, Manchester City have spent millions of pounds to reach the highest point in European football. Their investment has been rewarded in success, capped off by winning their first treble last season.

Whilst their dream of a double treble this term was ended thanks to defeat in the Champions League quarter-final on penalties against Real Madrid, they are still at the top of the Premier League table and have an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea on Saturday afternoon.

Along the road to their success, many players have come and gone from the Etihad. Some have had success with the club, and some haven’t. Under Pep Guardiola alone, they have purchased 52 players, some who have become integral, others who left without making an appearance for the club.

However, there is one player in particular whom City fans and neutrals alike might be confused about as to how it did not quite work out at the Etihad. With the player seemingly set to leave in the summer, the end to his time at the club may be one of the more frustrating in the last decade or so for City.

Joao Cancelo's transfer value at Barcelona

The man in question here is Portugal international Joao Cancelo. The left-back, who was generally superb during his time at the club, left Manchester City due to a rumoured argument with his manager Guardiola.

Cancelo left the Etihad on loan in the January transfer window in 2023, to join Bayern Munich, before returning to City at the end of the season. Last summer, Cancelo joined Barcelona on a season-long loan for 2023/24.

Since joining Barcelona on loan, Cancelo’s transfer value has plummeted. City bought the Portugal international in 2019 for £60m, which also included a swap deal for Brazilian defender Danilo.

However, 29-year-old Cancelo has since seen his value drop by a great distance. According to Football Transfers, the Barcelona defender is now worth less than half of what City paid for him, £28m to be exact. That certainly might frustrate City, who would now have to take the hit and lose money should they wish to move Cancelo on next summer.

Joao Cancelo’s season in numbers

It has been a frustrating season for Barcelona as a whole. They are eight points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid and seem unlikely to catch their rivals and trump them to the league title. They also got eliminated from the Champions League on Tuesday, after PSG overturned a first-leg deficit to beat Barca in their own backyard.

On a personal note for Cancelo, he has had a strong season. So far, the 29-year-old has contributed from both left-back and right-back, playing 35 games, scoring four goals and registering four assists along the way.

Whilst he is outscoring City’s full-backs, it is hard to see how Cancelo fits in again at City should he return next season. Despite the Portugal international’s ability to invert into midfield, Guardiola tends to prefer his full-backs to sit alongside Rodri in midfield and give licence to the more creative players in attack.

When John Stones is fit, Guardiola tends to ask both full-backs to tuck in and make a back three, with Stones acting as a libero and stepping up into midfield. Neither role suits Cancelo’s game, who is a more attacking defender and enjoys getting into the final third, as his goal output from this season shows.

With that and his rumoured argument with Guardiola in mind, it may well be the case that City decide to cut their losses and sell Cancelo, meaning the Portuguese is unlikely to play for the club again. Dispute the fact that he is valued at half the price they bought him for, they will be able to recoup at least some of that fee and reinvest it into the squad elsewhere.

Should the 29-year-old leave there were rumours a few months ago that City are interested in swapping him for Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde. Only time will tell if City decide to move Cancelo on and replace him with the exciting young talent that is Balde.

Manchester United have just unveiled their refurbished Old Trafford tunnel ahead of the new Premier League season.

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Man Utd began tunnel refurb earlier this summerRenovated area ready for start of seasonStark contrast with before and after photosWHAT HAPPENED?

United posted an interior view of the Old Trafford players' tunnel from September 2023 earlier this year, and it was clear that work needed to be done to update the place. Now, the Red Devils are showing off what some renovation work can do in just a matter of weeks.

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The clip shows the modernised tunnel, which encompasses LED lights on the ceiling, a Red Devil silhouette on one wall, with UNITED on the other – among other additions.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

This is part of United's efforts to return to their former glory, mainly by winning trophies, but also looking the part. New minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is a big part of this modernisation effort, which also includes potential plans to either renovate Old Trafford or build a new stadium in its place.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Before the players get to walk out from this tunnel and onto the Old Trafford pitch for the first time this season, United take on rivals Manchester City in the Community Shield on Saturday. Then, next Friday, they host Fulham in the league.

Smoke haze continues to impact the Australian capital and the air quality index reached an unhealthy level on Thursday before improving

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2020The air quality in Canberra will be monitored during the opening set of matches in the tri-series between Australia, England and India as smoke haze continues to impact the Australian capital from bushfires in the region.The series gets underway on Friday when England take on India at Manuka Oval before Australia play twice over the weekend.Australia trained in hazy conditions on Thursday after medical staff assessed the air quality. It was improved from Wednesday when smoke from a large bushfire south of the city blanketed Canberra. Earlier this season a BBL match between the Adelaide Strikers and the Sydney Thunder at Manuka Oval was abandoned when smoke drifted across the ground.At one point on Thursday the Air Quality Index (AQI) hit 167 which falls in the “unhealthy” range – 300 is when it is considered hazardous and the point at which ICC guidelines say consideration should be given to halting matches. By the evening it had dropped to a moderate level of 78.The final decision on conditions during the matches will be in the hands of the umpires and ICC match referee, although they will consult with medical staff including the Australia team doctor Philippa Inge.”There was a little bit [of smoke] around and it’s something we need to keep an eye on, but we got through all our training and our doctor is keeping an eye on what all that looks like,” Australia captain Meg Lanning said. “It’s out of our hands, really, so it’s not something we are too concerned about. If we get delayed or things like that then we’ll have to deal with it but with the fires going on there’s a lot of devastation around the country and they are the people we need to worry about and support.”An additional factor over the weekend will be very high temperatures that are expected to exceed 40 degrees although from Australia’s point of view the heat was not a concern.”Yeah, it’s going to be pretty hot over the weekend but it’s a summer sport and we expect conditions like that and we are reasonably used to it as well,” Lanning said. “We’ll leave those sorts of decisions [about the game] to the doctor and the match ref, they are the experts in that and they’ll make those decisions and we’ll go with whatever happens.”England trained indoors at Phillip Oval, south-west of the city centre, on Thursday, although it is understood that was not directly related to issues over the air quality. They have three asthmatics in their squad who have not reported any problems during the stay in Canberra.

GOAL US analyzes trending topics for Americans Abroad in this weekend’s European matches

Another week, another opportunity for Americans to make their mark abroad. With the transfer deadline just eight days away, the picture seems far clearer in Europe than it did at the start of the month. Most of the top names in the USMNT fold have either secured a move, resolved contract situations, or found larger roles on their teams.

Weston McKennie, having signed a new contract after months of speculation, can finally try to find his feet under a new manager at Juventus. Opportunities have opened up for Chris Richards at Crystal Palace and he will surely benefit from a more consistent role. And is Christian Pulisic truly a No. 10 for Milan?

That is a welcome shift for some key figures around the USMNT. There still some player and club situations that need to be resolved, though. With the first week of the European season complete, here is a look at the big names to watch, and big storylines to follow among Americans abroad this weekend.

GettyCan Josh Sargent build on his strong start?

The USMNT are strong in midfield, but have questions in other positions. One of the areas with the biggest question marks lies at striker.

Right now, reported new USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino will have to marshal a handful of intriguing, yet incomplete players. Sargent has shown, in glimpses, that he might be able to become something a bit more reliable.

He scored 16 goals last season and started this campaign with serious intent for Norwich. After being scarcely involved in his team's opener against Oxford United, Sargent was incisive when it counted last week, scoring and assisting in a 2-2 draw. This weekend presents another opportunity, as Sargent faces off against potential future USMNT teammate Auston Trusty when Norwich takes on Sheffield United.

AdvertisementGettyMcKennie stays, so now will he play?

For a long time, it looked like McKennie would depart after being linked with a move away throughout the summer. The center midfielder reportedly had offers from Fiorentina, the Bundesliga, and even MLS. With no guarantees over playing time under new Jueventus manager Thiago Motta, a move might have even been the best decision for all parties.

Not anymore, apparently. McKennie tacked an extra year onto his contract – previously due to expire in June 2025 – and is now committed to the Old Lady until June 2026. It seems a show of faith from the club and manager, who, it would follow, might let McKennie back into the fold. And he deserves it. McKennie enjoyed arguably his best season as a pro last year, providing seven assists from a central role.

With the club now backing him with a new deal, the USMNT regular now has the opportunity to build on it.

Getty ImagesIs Pulisic a No. 10?

And so the Pulisic position experiment continues. Funky, fun, groovy No. 10 Pulisic looked like a great idea in preseason. The start from Hershey, Pennsylvania tore Barcelona apart in a friendly (yes, that is still a weird sentence to write). But in his first competitive game under new manager Paulo Fonseca, things weren't quite as successful. Pulisic largely struggled through 73 minutes in Milan's season opener, before being withdrawn for his USMNT teammate Yunus Musah.

He wasn't woeful, but the impact that he had shown against the Spanish giants simply wasn't on display. It would be unfair for Fonseca to be entirely reactionary. This is, after all, just one game. But Pulisic's position will be one to watch both this weekend and in the matches to follow.

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Getty ImagesGoalkeepers, goalkeepers and more goalkeepers

Who is the USMNT's No. 1 in net? Can new manager Mauricio Pochettino survey his player pool, and say, with absolute conviction, that he has a reliable man between the sticks? Right now, it looks like an open race. Matt Turner, when fit and playing, appears to have first refusal on the role. But the goalkeeper is stuck on the bench at Nottingham Forest, and with no signs of an imminent move, might just be sitting around while those around him improve.

That opens up a chance for youngster Gaga Slonina. He enjoyed a strong start to the season last week, making six saves in a 2-1 win for Barnsley. A few more good performances and he could get his shot at the big time in the September international break.

Nottingham Forest face arguably the toughest test in club football this weekend when they take on Pep Guardiola's Manchester City side at the City Ground on Sunday afternoon.

Nuno Espírito Santo's side come into the encounter looking to return to winning ways after falling to a 2-0 defeat against fellow relegation-threatened side Everton.

The Reds have failed to win in their last three league outings and sit perilously close to the dropzone, amid very real fears of a relatively swift return to the Championship.

However, the chances of the Reds picking up three points on Sunday are extremely thin, with the Premier League champions unbeaten in 90 minutes since the start of December.

Forest claimed a crucial point against City last season after Chris Wood tapped home from close range after a sensational team move which involved every single member of the Reds side.

If Nuno's side are to claim anything from the fixture, he must recall two players to the starting lineup, with the duo deserving of a starting position after missing out against the Toffees last weekend.

Why Anthony Elanga must start against City

After picking up a minor injury a few weeks ago, winger Anthony Elanga has failed to start in any of the last two Premier League games but managed to come off the bench during the defeat at Goodison Park.

Gio Reyna replaced the Swede on the right-hand side of the attack, but failed to make a real impact before making way for the former Manchester United man after just 53 minutes.

Elanga has managed five goals and registered eight assists in the Premier League this season, with the forward thriving from regular game time after his move to the City Ground.

He should start based on his stats alone, but his "electric" pace on the counter-attack – as hailed by pundit Paul Robinson – could cause City a lot of problems, especially given Pep's tendency to start with three centre-backs, potentially allowing for huge gaps down either flank.

Forest will likely sit behind the ball for the vast majority of the encounter, looking to break where possible, but Nuno should also turn to another Reds player to combat the Citizens' potent forward line.

The man to partner Murillo against City

After returning to the starting lineup against Everton on Sunday, centre-back Moussa Niakhate struggled for much of the game trying to deal with the aerial threat of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The Senegalese defender only managed to win 50% of his duels on Sunday, whilst giving possession away ten times and committing a singular foul.

Niakhate, who is left-footed like Murillo, featured on an unnatural right-side of the centre-back partnership, struggling to make the impact he usually would have if he played in his usual role.

Nuno decided to drop Andrew Omobamidele for the crucial clash, a decision which turned out to be a costly one given the Irishman's impact alongside the Brazilian so far this campaign.

The "sensational" talent, as dubbed by writer Brendan O'Brien, has started eight games in the Premier League under Nuno and looks like the perfect partner alongside Murillo at the back, offering balance and allowing each other to feature on their natural side of the backline.

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Interceptions

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The former Norwich City man has proven to be an excellent addition for the Reds since his summer transfer, with the 21-year-old having the potential to be a long-term starter at the heart of Forest's defence.

He's got the potential to become a brilliant Premier League centre-back, but he needs consistent game time in order to reach the heights all Reds fans know he's capable of, with Nuno needing to reunite the Irishman with Murillo ahead of the tricky test against City on Sunday evening.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

A large section of professional cricketers, who are not on BCB’s contracts list, bank on the DPL for their income

Mohammad Isam26-Mar-2020A large section of Bangladesh’s professional cricketers fear they will miss out on their entire income if the Dhaka Premier League doesn’t continue for the rest of the season. Around 60 players from the league, who are not on BCB’s payroll for the central contract or the first-class contract, face an uncertain future due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has stopped cricket in the country.The BCB recently announced the names of 17 cricketers in their 2020 central contract, and according to their pay system, the ones who play for Bangladesh but are outside this contract, earn a salary in the months when international matches are held. The board is also supposed to finalise a list of at least 90 first-class cricketers from the 2019-20 season, who will be paid a monthly salary between BDT 20,000 to 30,000 (US $250 to $375 approx.).Currently, around 216 players are in the 12 DPL clubs for the 2019-20 season, many of whom bank on the league for their income. In the Dhaka league structure, all the other competitions have been completed except the DPL. Each club has played only one match so far this season, so despite their agreed contracts on the open market system, they are likely to paid only one-twelfth of their total payment.Tushar Imran, Bangladesh’s leading first-class run-getter, is one of the few senior cricketers who has voiced his concern about the issue.”It is still a big ‘if’ but we are braced for the worst due to the pandemic,” Tushar told ESPNcricinfo. “If the league doesn’t take place, it puts a majority of our cricketers at risk of going without a regular income. We hope the BCB comes forward and helps many of us, who are not in the national or first-class contract. We will certainly wait till mid-April, and the league can take place afterwards too, but it is concerning for everyone.”Legspinner Jubair Hossain, who is playing for Partex Sporting Club, said that he might miss out on finding a club who were willing to pay him for the first time in three years.”I did not get teams properly in the last few years,” Jubair told the Dhaka-based . “Even if I managed to get a team, most of the time I had to play for free. This time I joined Partex and I would also get to play matches. But before anything could happen, the league got halted due to the coronavirus pandemic.”I did not even get the chance to prove myself. To top that, there is a financial drawback too. I hope the BCB makes arrangements for players who are now out of the national side. If they could include us at least in the first-class contract list.”The board announced that cricket in Bangladesh, including the DPL, will be postponed till April 14, while the government recently announced general holiday across the country till April 4.

Distinguished career in investigative journalism preceded switch to cricket writing in later years

Andrew Miller18-May-2020Stephen Fay, the distinguished journalist, author and former editor of Wisden Cricket Monthly, has died at the age of 81.In a wide-ranging career that spanned six decades, Fay carved himself a reputation as one of the country’s foremost investigative journalists, in particular through his work on the Sunday Times‘ renowned Insight team.Along the way, he wrote numerous books with a particular focus on the worlds of art and finance, among them in 1976, co-authored with Philip Knightley, and , which was written in the space of three months in the winter of 1995-96, barely a year after the rogue trader Nick Leeson had brought down one of the world’s oldest merchant banks.After rising to become deputy editor of the Independent on Sunday, and briefly its editor, a pivot to cricket journalism was perhaps not the obvious next step for Fay, but in 1994, he was given a weekly slot in the sports pages, and happened to be in the right place at the right time as Devon Malcolm cleaned up South Africa with his figures of 9 for 57 at The Oval.Thereafter Fay’s forensic attention to detail made him a fixture on the cricket beat, as he brought to the role the same rigour that had served him so well in his news-focused days. In particular, he made it his duty to attend all post-match press conferences, no matter how unremarkable the speaker might be, rightly concluding that there was insight to be gleaned from even the most banal of utterances.As his former colleague at the Independent, Stephen Brenkley, wrote in a personal tribute on the Cricket Writers’ Club website, Fay’s example set “a lesson for all young reporters: he was never afraid to pose apparently dumb questions because he was eternally curious, as all reporters in whatever category should be, and sometimes they elicited answers that otherwise might have been elusive or evaded.”In 1999, at the age of 62, Fay was invited to take up the reins as editor of (having had previous experience in the magazine world as editor of (in its original guise), as his deputy John Stern took charge of a new publication, The Wisden Cricketer, following the merger of and its long-term rival, The Cricketer.Fay’s methods were not beyond a bit of light ribbing. He was dubbed “Captain Claret” by for his enduring faith in the art of the journalist’s long lunch, but the time that he made to enjoy the pleasures of networking paid rich dividends, not least in forging enduring bonds with the likes of Mike Atherton and Derek Pringle at the start of their own careers in cricket writing.At one such gathering, Fay took perverse delight in being told by Atherton that he “knew nothing about cricket”. (“I know more about journalism than Mike does,” was his subsequent retort, “though he is learning”).”We would talk about cricket for a bit, but there were always other subjects to explore,” Atherton told Brenkley. “He was pin sharp still and forever curious. I always walked away from the restaurant with a spring in my step.”Mike Selvey, the former cricket correspondent, added his own tribute on Twitter, describing Fay as “such a kind, generous, supportive, brilliant, sage fellow. And great company.”Whether or not there had been a grain of truth in Atherton’s assertion in the early years of their association, it was self-evidently a falsehood by the time of what Fay himself may have considered his crowning achievement in cricket writing, his claiming of the CWC Book of the Year award in 2018, in conjunction with the social historian, David Kynaston, for their work: . In 2005, he had written his first cricket book, , a year in the life of the first former professional to be made president of MCC, and a study of the club’s evolution.Fay’s curiosity and open-mindedness were enduring themes of his career – for instance, his even-handed assessment of the merits of the Twenty20 Cup, on the eve of the first staging of the competition in 2003, was just one example of how unwise it would be to draw any conclusions from appearances, which in Fay’s case were unmistakably ruddy-faced and grand.A personal highlight of my own career was the week I spent sitting next to him up in the media overflow gantry at the Gabba in 2006-07, watching the first Test of that winter’s Ashes, and offering insights into how to use Cricinfo’s Statsguru filters in return for pearls of journalistic wisdom. He would be taken seriously ill shortly after that match, an ailment that would continue to afflict him, but he never let it take the edge off his love of life.”For so many of us in journalism he was mentor, confidante and wise counsel as well as terrific company,” wrote Pringle on Twitter. “I will miss our lunches together with @Athersmike. RIP Captain Claret.”

With Philippe Clement's first summer transfer window in charge of Rangers fast approaching, the Gers are reportedly set to hold imminent talks over sealing the Belgian's first arrival of the new season.

Rangers transfer news

Whilst it may not end with the Scottish Premiership title, Clement's first seven months in charge at Ibrox should be seen as a success. The former AS Monaco boss turned things around for Rangers, who seemed down and out in the title race after Michael Beale's tenure hit an inescapable rough patch, leading to his dismissal. Now under Clement, however, the Gers sit three points adrift of Old Firm rivals Celtic to set up a dramatic end to the campaign in Scotland.

Rangers could sign "clinical" award winner to upgrade on Dessers

The Light Blues are reportedly interested in the impressive and prolific number nine.

ByDan Emery May 7, 2024

With or without the title though, change is afoot at Ibrox. As things stand, the likes of John Lundstram, Leon Balogun, Kemar Roofe and Borna Barisic among others are all set to depart as free agents upon the expiry of their current deals at the end of the season. Leaving plenty of room for reinforcements, Clement is set to make his mark.

And those reinforcements could be some familiar faces. According to French outlet Canal, Rangers are set to hold imminent talks with Lens over signing Oscar Cortes in a permanent deal this summer, and "everything indicates" the interest is serious. The winger has been on loan in Scotland this season, but saw that spell disrupted due to an untimely injury not long after he first completed a move.

Impressed nonetheless, Clement confirmed the talks to turn the move permanent, saying via Rangers News: "We are talking with Lens about what the situation is because in this situation it is a different situation from when he was fit. At the moment he was fit he was showing the right things, but it was really short term. Then it needs to be at the right price.”

Cortes and Sima deals could make Clement's summer

Clement was impressed enough with Cortes during his first six games to want a permanent arrival, and that highlights how much the Gers need to see the winger reach his best form throughout an entire campaign. The Gers were forced to settle for a far smaller sample size in the current campaign due to Cortes' injury and now they must look to hand him a second chance when back fit and firing.

If they can also secure a permanent deal to sign Abdallah Sima from Brighton & Hove Albion, then they will have two wingers who are capable of forming a deadly partnership. On paper, getting both Cortes and Sima in the same side may seem difficult, but the fact that the former can play on the left-hand side and the latter can play right across the frontline suggests that utilising both is certainly possible.

Forming such a partnership going forward would go a long way in bridging any remaining gap on Celtic and potentially see Clement win the ultimate prize in Scotland in his first full season in charge. Cortes, still just 20 years old, is certainly one to watch.