England opener Tammy Beaumont has jumped three places and made a return to the top 10 of the ICC Women’s ODI rankings for batters, following her 107-ball 119 in the third ODI against South Africa. She is now in eighth place, ahead of Chamari Athapaththu, Smriti Mandhana and Ellyse Perry.Having been “gutted” at being dropped from England’s T20I squad for the Commonwealth Games, Beaumont scored 178 runs at an average of 59.33 in the three ODIs against South Africa.England batter Emma Lamb also rose considerably – jumping 35 spots to 66th place – in the rankings, after making scores of 102, 67 and 65 to finish as the leading run-getter in the series.Related
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Nat Sciver, who sat out of the final ODI with England already having won the series, lost one spot on the table. She moved to third place behind Beth Mooney, while Alyssa Healy continues to lead the ODI rankings.South Africa lost the series 3-0 to England, but Marizanne Kapp rose six places to 18th in the rankings, after scoring half-centuries in the second and third ODIs. Chloe Tryon also had a good series with the bat and rose two spots to 20th position.Kapp also jumped to third place in the allrounder rankings, but her bowling colleagues did not fare well. Fast bowler Shabnim Ismail, who took just two wickets in the ODI series, lost her second spot to Australia’s Jess Jonassen and moved down to third place in the rankings for bowlers. Ayabonga Khaka dropped one place to sixth, while Kapp herself lost three places to move to 10th position on the list.
Sunrisers never recover after leaking 81 runs in wicketless powerplay
ECB Reporters Network05-Jun-2022
Bryony Smith crashes one through the covers•Getty Images for Surrey CCC
Bryony Smith struck a belligerent half-century as defending champions South East Stars headed into Charlotte Edwards Cup Finals Day on Saturday with a comfortable 56-run win over Sunrisers at Guildford.Smith pummelled exactly 50 from just 30 balls, sharing an opening stand of 87 with Aylish Cranstone as the hosts rattled up 183 for 9, their best score in the competition and just short of the overall record of 186 set by Thunder last season.The Stars’ skipper then returned 2 for 17 while Kalea Moore took 2 for 16 as Sunrisers were bowled out for 127 in reply despite 31 from Amara Carr for the visitors.Victory means Stars top the group ahead of Central Sparks who they will meet in the playoff game to start final’s day at Wantage Road.Smith chose to bat on winning the toss and the allrounder and the tournament’s leading run-scorer Cranstone gorged on some loose powerplay bowling from Sunrisers.Related
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Smith swept viciously and played the pull shot to great effect to clear the ropes four times, while Cranstone hit four fours off the second over bowled by Naomi Dattani.The hosts reached 81 without loss in the powerplay and Smith raced to 50 before spooning a catch to Scarlett Hughes off the bowling of Kelly Castle.It was the beginning of a frugal spell from Castle of 2 for 14, during which she also caught and bowled Kira Chathli and Sunrisers’ skipper was sharp in the field too, running out Alice Capsey for nought with a direct hit from mid-off.Cranstone perished when she mishit an attempted scoop off Dattani to wicketkeeper Carr, but Emma Jones hit one six clean out the ground in a whirlwind 33 from 17, as, despite a late flurry of wickets, Stars posted a huge total.Sunrisers made the worst possible start when Hughes hit the first ball of their reply from Moore to Cranstone at cover and the spinner struck again in her next over, trapping Grace Scrivens lbw.The in-form Dattani also didn’t detain for long, skying a ball from Alexa Stonehouse to Capsey, leaving the visitors 23 for 3.Carr cleared the ropes to top score, but neither her enterprise or Mady Villiers’ cameo of 22 were enough to redress the balance and when Mia Rogers holed out in the deep off Phoebe Franklin the game was up for Sunrisers.
Brazil icon Ronaldo has revealed that the Brazil national team's interest in Carlo Ancelotti was "not a fantasy" after the Italian turned them down.
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Ronaldo shed light on Brazil's interest in AncelottiRevealed that Madrid would have let him go in 2024Ancelotti signed new deal that will run until June 2026Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Brazil legend and former striker Ronaldo provided the details regarding the Selecao's failed attempts to appoint Carlo Ancelotti as the national team's new head coach, adding that Real Madrid were ready to part ways with the legendary Italian in 2024.
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At the end of the 2022-23 season, rumours of Brazil's interest in Ancelotti began circulating in the media. At the time, the former Milan manager was into the final year of his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu. However, Real Madrid secured his future with a new two-year contract in December 2023, keeping him at the helm until June 2026 and putting an end to all the speculation.
In January 2024, the Italian himself confessed that he was in talks with then-CBF (Brazil football federation) president Ednaldo Rodrigues: "The reality is what everyone knows. I had contact with the [now former] president of the Brazilian federation, Ednaldo Rodrigues. I want to thank him for his affection and interest, it made me very proud, but what's clear to everyone is it depends on my situation at Real Madrid. I'm grateful for the interest but in the end, it turned out how I wanted: staying here."
Eventually, Brazil acquired Dorival Junior and Ancelotti led Real Madrid to a league and Champions League double in 2024. However, Ronaldo stated that Los Blancos would have sacked Ancelotti for the second time had he failed to win any major silverware.
WHAT RONALDO SAID
Speaking on the (h/t MARCA), Ronaldo explained Brazil's pursuit of Ancelotti: “It was not a fantasy because I helped in the process by talking to Carlo, but he was not released. Real Madrid did not release him. After negotiating everything got stuck because he didn’t have Real Madrid’s release. If he hadn’t won anything, Real Madrid would have fired him and Ancelotti would have come, but he won the Champions League and stayed for another year.”
(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CARLO ANCELOTTI?
Speculation has been rife with reports linking Real Madrid with Bayer Leverkusen boss and ex-player Xabi Alonso. Ancelotti, however, has admitted that he will stay at the Bernabeu as long as Real Madrid want him to. Indeed, earlier this year Ancelotti gave an assertive statement in regards to his future in Spain: "I want to be very clear: I will never decide the date of my departure from this club in my life. I know perfectly well that it will come one day, but I will not decide that day.
"It could be tomorrow or in one or five years. I have the advantage that Florentino [Perez] will be here for four more years and I have the objective of achieving them with him. We can say goodbye together."
Madrid are currently tied on points with Barcelona at the top of the Liga table, having played one game more than their rivals. They will take on Leganes on Saturday, March 29, followed by a match against Valencia on April 5 — both at home — before visiting Arsenal in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals on April 8.
Following a shock defeat against Blackburn Rovers, reports are now emerging that one Leeds United star who struggled against the Lancashire club could be heading for an Elland Road exit.
Leeds transfer news
The Whites have experienced the Championship at its best in the last week – though they wouldn’t have exactly enjoyed the swing in momentum. Going from sitting top of the league to third after defeat against Blackburn, Leeds simply couldn’t find a way past the playoff contenders, who held onto their 22nd minute lead which came courtesy of Todd Cantwell from the spot.
In pursuit of promotion, the January transfer window will certainly be an interesting one to watch at Elland Road. Daniel Farke’s side has been impacted by injuries throughout the current campaign and although they’ve coped well enough to compete at the very top of England’s second tier, reinforcements such as young starlet Lennon Miller could help secure promotion to the Premier League.
If the Yorkshire club fail to achieve promotion for a second time, however, then they could face yet more departures following a number of exits last summer. According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Junior Firpo is now expected to leave Leeds if they fail to earn promotion to the Premier League this season.
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The left-back is on course to become a free agent at the end of the campaign, with a new contract perhaps dependent on promotion. Meanwhile, if the ÂŁ60,000-a-week defender does want to stay put, then he didn’t do a good job of convincing Leeds chiefs that they should renew his contract against Blackburn, with BBC Sport’s Adam Pope admitting that Firpo “struggled on his return”.
When the January transfer window arrives, Firpo will be able to begin negotiations over a pre-contract agreement with other clubs outside of England, as he potentially plots a summer exit away from Leeds.
Leeds cannot afford to fail twice in the Championship
Just ask Leeds players of the past and they’ll tell you that getting out of the Championship is one of the most difficult tasks that English football has to offer. Farke’s side already experienced the ups and downs of such a competitive division last season, suffering playoff heartbreak against Southampton, and will be desperate to avoid the dramatics of Wembley this time around.
Failure saw the likes of Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville, Glen Kamara and Georginio Rutter all depart last summer as those at Elland Road were left with no choice but to rebuild in key areas. Failure a second time may even result in even harsher consequences, however, which would likely include Firpo’s exit as a free agent.
Mbaye, who just turned age 16, will immediately join the youth setup of the Rossoneri
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AC Milan sign USYNT defender Mbaye16-year-old joins ranks of rising American stars in ItalyTeen is highly-rated defenderFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
AC Milan have reportedly signed U.S. youth international Astin Mbaye from the New York Red Bulls academy.
The 16-year-old has an EU passport, allowing him to leave at that age for the Italian. Several other teams in Europe were chasing his signature, while RBNY was in talks over a pro contract, but the have secured his services. Current U.S. internationals Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah both play for the Italian club.
Fabrizio Romano first reported the deal, while confirmed it with additional details.
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The RBNY academy has excelled in recent years, highlighted by the development of USMNT captain and Bournemouth star Tyler Adams, along with U.S. fullback John Tolkin, who plays for Bundesliga side Holstein Kiel.
The Eastern Conference MLS side also boast one of the most talented teenagers in all of MLS in Julian Hall, who is attracting interest from some of Europe's top teams at age 16.
Mbaye, meanwhile, has been a mainstay with the U15 youth national team, representing his nation six times at the U15 level, including at the December 2023 UEFA Developmental Tournament, where he bagged a goal against Scotland. He recently earned his first call-up to the U16 national team.
DID YOU KNOW?
The last American defender to play for the senior team of AC Milan was Oguchi Onyewu, who played for the from 2009-2011.
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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR MILAN?
The senior team returns to the pitch on Saturday in Serie A action to take on Lecce. Sergio Conceicao's men sit ninth in the league standings.
The upcoming summer could be full of major departures from the AC Milan roster, with their Champions League qualification in jeopardy.
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Hernandez, Maignan, Leao could depart in the summer
Milan facing financial uncertainty
Club could sell stars to offset missing out on Champions League spot
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WHAT HAPPENED?
A major squad overhaul could be on the horizon for AC Milan, as the club considers parting ways with three of its biggest stars – Mike Maignan, Theo Hernandez, and Rafael Leao. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Calciomercato), the Rossoneri are weighing their options amid contract uncertainties and financial considerations.
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Milan face contract uncertainties with key players Maignan and Hernandez, whose deals expire in June 2026. While a draft agreement could extend Maignan’s contract until 2029 with a salary increase to €5 million – a 56.25% increase – it doesn’t ensure his stay.
Meanwhile, negotiations for Hernandez's renewal have stalled, making a summer exit likely.
Leao, under contract until 2028 with a €175 million release clause, remains the subject of speculation, as few clubs can meet his buyout fee. Doubts persist about his future, even within his camp, adding to Milan’s concerns over retaining their top talents.
DID YOU KNOW?
According to Corriere della Sera, Maignan remains highly professional in training but appears less settled. Frequent injuries – keeping him out for over 50 games in three-and-a-half seasons – along with coaching changes have fueled uncertainty. With his 30th birthday approaching in July, Milan believe the coming summer would be the right time to sell the France international. Extending his contract until 2028 could help secure a better transfer fee, as his market value has dropped dramatically.
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WHAT NEXT?
The club is now more open to offers for Maignan, Hernandez, and Leao. While Theo’s exit seems inevitable, Maignan and Leao’s futures depend on Milan’s season outcome. Failure to qualify for the Champions League – worth €60 million – could force a squad overhaul, increasing the likelihood of major departures in the summer.
Tottenham Hotspur insiders are refusing to rule out the sale of an “important” star in Ange Postecoglou’s squad – and there is little doubt his departure would be seen as pretty disappointing by supporters.
Players who could be sold or let go by Tottenham in 2025
As they near the ends of their contracts at Spurs, a quartet of bit-part or surplus players in Sergio Reguilon, Ben Davies, Fraser Forster and Alfie Whiteman appear set to leave N17 next summer.
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Reguilon, who spent last season on loan spells at Manchester United and Brentford, is currently training with the senior team, but is yet to make a single appearance in all competitions and has taken just one spot in a matchday squad.
The former Real Madrid starlet is now attracting interest from La Liga as a result, with Getafe interested in snapping up Reguilon on a free transfer next summer. Meanwhile, Davies appears set to bring the curtain down on his 10-year stay at Tottenham, and it is currently unclear what the future holds for him.
Ben Davies’ all-time stats for Tottenham
Total
Appearances
335
Goals
9
Assists
23
Bookings
43
Red cards
0
Minutes played
25,802
Elsewhere, Tottenham are leaning towards letting Timo Werner leave when his loan deal expires rather than trigger his ÂŁ8.5 million option-to-buy clause, while reports also claim Archie Gray could be loaned out by Spurs in the January window.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich are believed to be keeping tabs on Cristian Romero, as the Argentinian is yet to pen a new contract, with Real Madrid and Serie A champions Inter also watching closely.
It is imperative that Postecoglou manages to retain Romero, who has formed an exceptional partnership with Micky van de Ven at the heart of Tottenham’s defence, with pundit Paul Robinson praising rumours of a potential new deal for the ex-Atalanta star.
“If you’re going to give a player a pay rise, you can’t do that without extending their contract, which is good news for Tottenham,” said Robinson to Football Insider.
“He and Micky van de Ven have been key. He brings grit and determination, and that little bit of bite they might not have otherwise. I think he’s a leader on the pitch, though not vocally. To tie him down to a longer-term contract is only good news.”
While Spurs appear very keen to keep Romero out of the clutches of Europe’s elite, they are more willing to do a deal over star right-back Pedro Porro.
Tottenham refuse to rule out selling Pedro Porro
According to GiveMeSport, Tottenham are refusing to rule out the possibility of selling the Spaniard in the event of a sizeable offer amid awareness that his market value may have significantly increased.
Joining from Sporting CP last year, Pedro Porro has since gone on to become imperative in Postecoglou’s system as an attack-minded wing-back alongside Destiny Udogie.
Both men are indispensable to the Australian, with pundit Stephen Warnock calling Porro and Udogie their “most important” stars. Tottenham have slapped an ÂŁ80 million price tag on the defender’s head as a result, per GMS, amid interest from both Man City and Real.
A report has shared what West Ham United boss Julen Lopetegui has done to leave his players “surprised” behind-closed-doors, with pressure already on the Spaniard after a lacklustre start to the season.
Julen Lopetegui "definitely" at risk of West Ham sack
While it is still very early days, chairman David Sullivan and the Hammers hierarchy won’t be pleased at how West Ham have begun 2024/2025, having spent around ÂŁ120 million on nine new signings in a statement of backing for their new head coach.
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He’s fearless and direct in the attacking areas.
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Emilio Galantini
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West Ham have won just once in the Premier League so far, and that came in late August with a 2-0 win away to struggling Crystal Palace. Since then, Lopetegui’s watched his side get put to the sword by Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool in all competitions, with Aston Villa also reigning victorious over West Ham on the league’s opening weekend.
It could’ve been worse as well, given it took a last-gasp Danny Ings strike to rescue a point away at Fulham, but West Ham did display fighting spirit to battle back from Bryan Mbeumo’s first-minute goal to salvage a draw away to Brentford on Saturday.
West Ham Results: 2024/25
Match
Date
Opponent
Competition
Result
#8
28/09/2024
Brentford (A)
Premier League
1-1 draw
#7
25/09/2024
Liverpool (A)
Carabao Cup
5-1 loss
#6
21/09/2024
Chelsea (H)
Premier League
3-0 loss
#5
14/09/2024
Fulham (A)
Premier League
1-1 draw
#4
31/08/2024
Man City (H)
Premier League
3-1 loss
#3
28/08/2024
Bournemouth (H)
Carabao Cup
1-0 win
#2
24/08/2024
Crystal Palace (A)
Premier League
2-0 win
#1
17/08/2024
Aston Villa (H)
Premier League
2-1 loss
Former West Ham recruitment chief Mick Brown, who left the club in June, told Football Insider this week that Lopetegui is “definitely” at risk of being sacked by the east Londoners if things don’t turn around quickly – especially considering the Spaniard has big shoes to fill in club hero David Moyes.
“I think there’s more pressure on him after what David Moyes managed to do,” said Brown.
“When 60,000 people are saying they don’t want this and they want a different type of football, the board have had to be careful with their decision. It’s always difficult trying to judge what the owners and directors will do. Their knowledge of the game is not great and they’ve made many mistakes in the past. They were warned to be careful what they wished for, but having made that decision [replacing Moyes with Lopetegui], they’re wary of making another mistake.
“I don’t know Lopetegui and I don’t know how he works, but if we’re looking at the results he’s had so far, which is what the game is about, he’s definitely at risk.”
There have also been murmurs of a dressing room altercation between Lopetegui and West Ham star Mohammed Kudus, but this has now been played down by sources.
West Ham players "surprised" by Lopetegui's last-minute team changes
According to GiveMeSport, what Lopetegui has done behind the scenes has baffled West Ham players too.
Indeed, it is believed the 58-year-old’s been making last-minute changes to his starting-line ups. Lopetegui’s decision to switch to a back-three against Chelsea “surprised” West Ham players in particular, with his late tactical calls taking members of the squad off guard.
It would seem as if the former Real Madrid and Spain manager is still working out the kinks of his new-look team and figuring out his best line-up, but it is no shock that players would have their heads turned by a sudden change of plans on matchday either.
To try and muster a rich vein of form, things do need to settle behind the scenes, and reports of player unrest certainly don’t help in that regard.
Often, a long and drawn-out international break is the best time for a big managerial decision to be made.
It remains to be seen whether or not the hierarchy at Wolverhampton Wanderers agree, as Gary O’Neil – for the time being – remains fixed to his Molineux job post, despite mounting pressures that he could face the sack very soon.
Wolves boss Gary O'Neil
If he is to remain in his job past the break, the former AFC Bournemouth manager will have to make some significant changes to his starting line-up, especially in defence.
Wolves' defensive woes this season
Taking a glance at the current Premier League table certainly makes for some grim reading if you’re a fan of the Old Gold, with Wolves only picking one meagre point from seven games to date.
Examining their predicament further, and it’s clear that an extremely porous backline is their undoing at the moment, having shipped a league worst of 21 goals.
The five worst defences in the PL (24/25)
Team
Amount of goals conceded
1. Wolves
21
= 2. Everton
15
= 2. Southampton
15
4. Ipswich Town
14
5. Brentford
13
Sourced by BBC Sport
That’s a staggering six more than both Everton and Southampton have leaked in the division across the same amount of contests, as O’Neil’s defenders continue to let their underfire manager down.
Wolves’ last dire display in the Premier League really exposed their defensive frailties, as the Old Gold fell to a 5-3 defeat on the road to Thomas Frank’s Brentford, with the visitors surrendering a worrying eight big chances in favour of the hosts.
O’Neil will need his side to be far more stoic in games to come to try and move up the league, which might result in him dropping this underperformer, who could end up costing the 41-year-old his job if he isn’t adaptable with his team selections.
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Toti Gomes' poor performances this season
Of course, with Wolves rock bottom of the pile currently, every defender will need to take some collective blame for the sorry state of the performances.
However, Toti Gomes will know his performances need to be far better going forward, if he is to keep being selected by his under-pressure boss.
Gomes’ PL numbers for Wolves this season
Stat – per 90 mins*
Gomes
Games played
5
Goals scored
0
Assists
0
Clean sheets
0
Interceptions*
0.2
Tackles*
1.4
Ball recoveries*
2.4
Clearances*
3.6
Total duels won*
4.0 (61%)
Stats by Sofascore
The Portuguese defender has really struggled in the centre-back spots this season, yet remains constantly picked by O’Neil, owing to issues involving Yerson Mosquera’s serious recent injury and the fact he has been unable to find a top partner to play alongside him, amid Max Kilman’s departure.
The best course of action could well be to drop the floundering 25-year-old, however, who has failed to be an imposing presence this season for his side, having previously stood out at the back for Wolves the past couple of Premier League campaigns, with 73 senior appearances at Molineux now under his belt.
Toti Gomes warming up for Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Football journalist Nathan Judah has even stated recently that continuing to pick the out-of-form defender will be a “recipe for disaster”, if Wolves are to sort out their faulty showings at the back.
The answer could well come in the form of boldly selecting young Wolves defender Alfie Pond over the 25-year-old, who has been making waves in the youth set-up at Molineux for some time now.
Pond has amassed 28 games in the U21 set-up and will be banging down the door for some opportunities in the senior mix soon, with O’Neil well aware that gambling with the 20-year-old could prove to be a stroke of genius and an instigator for performances to pick up, after cutting a dejected figure post the Brentford loss when talking to the media.
He might well hold back on that bold call for his side’s first game after the international break, however, as the mammoth task of toppling Manchester City awaits the low-on-confidence Old Gold.
Wolves manager Gary O'Neil
Still, big calls will need to be made to arrest Wolves’ slide on the pitch, or O’Neil could well finally find himself out of a job.
Perfect for Cunha: Wolves could hire attacking 4-3-3 O'Neil replacement
The powers that be at Wolverhampton Wanderers will have manager targets in mind.
Glasgow Rangers head coach Philippe Clement is quickly learning how difficult it is to be a success at Ibrox, with the huge expectations that come along with the job.
The Belgian boss won a trophy early on in his career with Rangers, lifting the League Cup with a win over Aberdeen, but has failed to make his mark in the Scottish Premiership.
His Gers side finished three points adrift of Celtic at the end of the 2023/24 campaign and are currently five points behind their local rivals after just five matches.
Clement is not the first manager to fall short in the Premiership as winning the division is a feat that has not been achieved since Steven Gerrard moved on from Ibrox.
Former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard.
His replacement, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, did enjoy some success in the dugout, though, as the Dutchman won the SFA Cup and reached the final of the Europa League, only to lose on penalties to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Things could have been so different for the former Rangers player and manager if he had landed one of his reported transfer targets during his first season in charge at Ibrox – Xavi Simons.
Rangers' reported interest in Xavi Simons
It was reported ahead of the 2022 January transfer window that van Bronckhorst wanted to bring the attacking midfielder to Glasgow to bolster his midfield.
The young gem’s contract with French giants Paris Saint-Germain was due to expire at the end of the season and Rangers were ‘leading’ the race to secure his services in January.
He was free to sign a pre-contract deal with a foreign team at the turn of the year and it was claimed that the Gers head coach wanted to build his team around the PSG youngster.
Unfortunately, Rangers were unable to strike a deal for him during the January transfer window and the midfielder ran down his contract with the Ligue 1 side before signing for PSV on a free transfer in the summer of 2022.
The Dutch giants were seemingly able to convince the youngster that they were the best place for his future, rather than Ibrox, and landed his services.
This meant that van Bronckhorst and the sporting director at the time – Ross Wilson – had to dip back into the market to find an alternative to Simons ahead of the second half of the 2021/22 campaign.
Rangers were eventually able to land another attacking midfielder before the end of the January transfer window, as they snapped up Juventus flop Aaron Ramsey on loan.
Aaron Ramsey's Rangers struggles
The Scottish giants swooped to land the Wales international on loan until the end of the 2021/22 campaign and it was reported that they splashed out a fee of ÂŁ2m to secure his services for just five months.
That was a sizeable fee to pay for a short-term loan but they were bringing in a player with over 400 appearances for Arsenal and Juventus combined.
Despite his vast experience at the top level in Europe, Ramsey endured a frustrating spell at Ibrox and only managed two goals and two assists in 13 appearances in his five months at the club.
Of the nine Europa League matches Rangers played during his time in Glasgow, the Welsh flop played 86 minutes across three outings and was an unused substitute in four games.
Ramsey did have a huge say in how the season ended for the Gers in that competition, however, as the midfielder came on with two minutes to go in the final against Frankfurt and was the only player to miss a penalty in the shoot-out, which lost the final for van Bronckhorst.
21/22 Premiership
Aaron Ramsey
Appearances
7
Goals
2
Assists
1
Big chances created
0
Tackles + interceptions per game
0.8
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the experienced dud did not provide exceptional performances in the Premiership in his limited time on the pitch, with a decent but unspectacular return of two goals in seven games.
Former Scotland forward Frank McAvennie claimed, after the Europa League final, that Ramsey was the latest “big name” that “couldn’t hack it” at one of the Glasgow clubs, which is backed up by the midfielder’s struggles during his time at Ibrox.
Meanwhile, the player van Bronckhorst wanted to sign before Ramsey arrived – Simons – has gone from strength to strength since that season.
Xavi Simons' current market value
As per Transfermarkt, the attacking midfielder’s current market value stands at around €80m (ÂŁ67m) and that is a significant jump from the €1.5m (ÂŁ1.2m) he was valued at in December 2021, around the time of the link to Rangers.
Simons produced a staggering 22 goals and 12 assists in 48 matches during his only season with PSV in the Netherlands, before PSG activated a buy-back clause as part of the compensation for losing him on a free the previous summer.
The French giants have subsequently sent him out on loan to German outfit RB Leipzig in the last two seasons, and the 21-year-old magician has thrived in the Bundesliga.
Simons, who has been capped 22 times by the Netherlands, has racked up 11 goals and 16 assists in 47 appearances in all competitions for Leipzig to date.
23/24 Bundesliga
Xavi Simons
Appearances
32
Goals
8
Big chances created
14
Assists
11
Key passes per game
2.5
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Dutch starlet provided a huge threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals for Leipzig in the Bundesliga last season.
Meanwhile, no Rangers player managed more than ten assists and no midfielder in the squad provided more than 1.7 key passes per game in the Premiership last term, which highlights how impressive Simons’ return in a major European league was in the 2023/24 campaign.
Ramsey’s huge struggles during his expensive loan spell at Ibrox and the Dutch wizard’s incredible rise, in performance and value, since Rangers wanted him suggests that Wilson may look back on that window with regret, as van Bronckhorst’s Rangers story could have ended differently had he landed his main target.
The ÂŁ300k Rangers signing who was sold for more than Bajrami is worth
The Light Blues played a blinder by developing and selling this midfield wizard.