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Glasgow Rangers had a number of big decisions to make at the end of the 2021/22 campaign as a host of key players were out of contract.

Ross Wilson opted to hand new deals to the likes of Jon McLaughlin, Allan McGregor, Scott Arfield, and Steven Davis to keep them around Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad for 2022/23.

Meanwhile, the Light Blues sporting director allowed Leon Balogun, Jack Simpson, Andy Firth, and Jake Hastie to leave upon the expiry of their respective contracts.

The decision to bin Balogun ahead of this season was a big clanger by Wilson as the Nigeria international could have played a key role in the team.

Back in May, it was reported that the central defender was interested in remaining at the club and that the two parties were in talks over a potential extension.

However, Rangers then confirmed that he was being released and former Light Blues coach Michael Beale reacted to the news by Tweeting: “Leon Balogun was outstanding for @RangersFC – both on the pitch but also around the changing room. He is a “personality” leader who gives his team mates so much positivity and guidance on a daily basis. Take a bow.”

Steven Gerrard’s ex-assistant then seized on the opportunity to snap him up on a free transfer for Queens Park Rangers in the English Championship and he has made a strong start to life at Loftus Road – keeping two clean sheets in his first two league starts.

Filip Helander has been out of action since April due to injury and that left Connor Goldson and John Souttar, who signed a pre-contract agreement back in January, as the only senior centre-back options heading into the season.

Wilson reacted to this by snapping up Ben Davies from Liverpool but his, and Souttar’s, start to life in Glasgow in 2022/23 has been worrying. The Englishman has only played three times in all competitions and the Scot has only played once – on the opening day of the campaign – and has been injured for the last 13 matches.

Rangers have conceded 13 goals in their last five games in all competitions and having a centre-back with Balogun’s experience and quality available could have prevented some of those concessions.

The Nigerian enforcer, who was reportedly on £14k-per-week at Ibrox, played 40 matches in the Premiership in his two years at the club and helped the Light Blues to keep 14 clean sheets in that time.

In the 2020/21 title-winning campaign, he averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.14 in 19 appearances – a score only Connor Goldson (7.17) can better among the current crop of centre-backs.

Last season, Balogun averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.96 across ten Europa League appearances – the seventh-best outfield score in the squad – as he made 3.5 tackles and interceptions for the team on their way to the final of the competition.

These statistics show that he was a solid, reliable, performer for Rangers at the heart of the defence, domestically and in Europe, and that is why allowing him to leave was a big clanger by Wilson.

The Gers are now struggling at the back and their new signings in that position are yet to prove their worth, which suggests that keeping Balogun around – as they did with McGregor, Arfield and Davis – for another year whilst fresh arrivals settled into life in Ibrox would have been a shrewd move.

Tottenham Hotspur have made a major move behind the scenes this week…

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic, Spurs have appointed Leonardo Gabbanini as their new chief scout after the 42-year-old left his dual role with Championship side Watford and Serie A outfit Udinese back in May.

It’s another huge decision from sporting director Fabio Paratici, who has already taken steps in his restructuring of the club’s staff by landing Andy Scoulding from Scottish giants Rangers.

Gabbanini is set for an “important role” in helping and developing the scouting network under the guidance of performance director Gretar Steinsson.

Paratici masterclass

After sealing as many as eight new signings this summer and being tasked with changing things behind the scenes, this will be yet another masterclass from the Italian supremo.

Gabbanini’s role at the Hornets increased in 2019 following the departure of Andy Scott and it’s clear that his influence is already being felt as Spurs are set to sign young left wing-back Destiny Udogie from Udinese.

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It remains to be seen if he had any part in the deal specifically but few will know the Italy U21 international better.

But what makes this appointment so good, aside from the fact that the north Londoners did not have someone active in the role already, is the man stepping into the shoes.

“Before moving from the field to the desk, he had already shown undoubted talent scout skills,” claimed Maikol Di Stefano, who worked alongside Gabbanini when he managed Italian lower league team Civitanovese. “The truth is that, in recent years, precisely to improve his scout qualities on the field, he has travelled extensively in Europe, looking for new talents.”

It will also lower the burden on Paratici to ‘do everything’ at Hotspur Way as he is now putting a solid scouting network in place that can identify talent in advance, rather than it being solely down to the former Juventus chief to do so.

As such, this will have a positive knock-on effect for manager Antonio Conte as he’ll be getting top-quality players that can have an impact in his squad now, as well as in the long-term future as seen by signing players like Udogie, Pape Matar Sarr and Bryan Gil, so this will certainly be a great decision from Paratici.

AND in other news, Spurs “interested” in £34m-rated “big talent”, he’s a true heir to £100k-p/w “legend”…

Ex-BBC pundit Noel Whelan has urged West Ham United to sanction big money spending after hearing David Moyes’ latest transfer comments.

The Lowdown: Moyes’ comments

On the opening weekend of the new Premier League season, the Hammers lined up against last year’s champions Manchester City at the London Stadium.

Proving too much for the Irons’ defence, new Citizens arrival Erling Haaland scored twice as City somewhat coasted to a 2-0 victory.

After a poor all-round performance, for which the West Ham XI averaged a meagre 6.49 SofaScore rating, manager Moyes took to his post-match interview, where he claimed: “We need to freshen up a little bit, we’re a bit stale.”

The Latest: Whelan’s claim

Despite having made five signings this summer, Whelan, who worked for BBC Radio Leeds before taking on a role at Elland Road, reacted after hearing the comments from Moyes.

Speaking with Football Insider, he said:

“They’re looking for the next progression.

“To achieve that, they will have to spend money, unfortunately. The board have got to allow that to happen.

“If they want to close the gap to those Champions League spots, which they’ve come so close to doing – they need to keep adding to the squad and spending money.

“That’s what David Moyes wants, and that’s what will take them to the next level. It may also be the thing that keeps big players at the club.

“They want to see that progression and know that they will be challenging at the right end of the table.

“They’ve got to be ambitious and challenge Man United, Arsenal, and Spurs – but to do that, you’ve got to spend that extra money.”

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The Verdict: More outgoings than incomings

In spite of the new arrivals at Rush Green, the east London club have also seen the same number of players leave the club this summer.

Whilst the quality of their replacements may have improved, this still means West Ham are short of depth in the squad.

According to Hammers news page West Ham Social, the Irons are now down to just 17 fit first-team players.

As demonstrated last season, Moyes’ squad seriously suffered with fatigue, with the side faltering towards the end of the Premier League season.

Therefore, if GSB do not put their hand in their pocket and bring in multiple new additions before September’s deadline, this could be a missed opportunity for the club to progress.

Aston Villa ‘have had constructive talks’ with midfielder Douglas Luiz over the possibility of signing a new contract, The Telegraph’s John Percy reports.

The lowdown

Of the six Villa players whose contracts are due to expire in 12 months’ time, Luiz is regarded as the most valuable by Transfermarkt (£34.2million).

As it stands, he will be able to sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign suitor come 1 January.

Villa have signed a new defensive midfielder this summer in the form of Boubacar Kamara, but clearly they’re still intent on tying Luiz down, three years after his move from Manchester City.

The latest

Percy took to Twitter on Friday to afternoon to reveal that Villa have been in positive discussions with the Brazilian over an extension.

He’s attracting ‘interest from clubs across Europe, including in the Champions League’.

Perhaps that’s created an additional sense of urgency for Aston Villa, who are ‘hopeful he will stay’.

The verdict

As per Spotrac, Luiz sits around the middle of Villa’s earning list at present. There are 11 players who take home more than his roughly £33,00 per week.

He may not be pushing the very highest bracket with a new deal – Danny Ings leads the way on £120,000, while Tyrone Mings and Bertrand Traore fetch around £80,000 – but he’ll be expecting a considerable uplift.

That’s because he’ll understand his value to the team, having started 31 of their 38 Premier League matches last season.

Ex-Villan Gabriel Agbonlahor said in March that Gerrard had ‘transformed’ Luiz and unlocked some ‘outstanding’ performances and so losing him now would definitely be a blow.

Alfonso Leocadio has dropped an update on reported Leeds United transfer target Charles De Ketelaere.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the transfer insider revealed that, following a number of reports linking Victor Orta with a move for the Club Brugge forward in recent weeks, the Spaniard is now set to launch a formal offer for the 21-year-old in the coming days.

This would appear to back up the recent claims of RTL journalist Alexandre Braeckman, who also suggested in an interview with MOT Leeds News that the Whites are set to table an offer worth up to €30m (£25.8m) for the Belgium international in the very near future.

In his tweet, Leocadio said: “CDK bid is expected in the next few days. Leeds confident they could sign him, despite interest from AC [Milan] and Leicester [City].”

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering just how exciting a prospect De Ketelaere undoubtedly is, Leocadio’s latest update on Leeds’ pursuit of the Brugge sensation is sure to have left the Elland Road faithful buzzing.

Indeed, the £27m-rated talent was in remarkable form for Alfred Schreuder’s side last season, scoring 18 goals and registering 10 assists over 49 appearances in the Jupiler Pro League, the Champions League, the Beker van Belgie and the Belgium Supercup.

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While the 21-year-old’s returns of 14 goals and eight assists over 496 minutes in the Champions League which most caught the eye in 2021/22.

Indeed, based on metrics taken from his FBRef data ranked the £17k-per-week attacker in the top 3% of forwards in Europe’s big five leagues and European competitions for xA per 90, and also the top 4% for progressive passes, top 5% for pressures, top 9% for tackles, top 16% for passes attempted and top 19% for shot-creating actions over the last 365 days.

Furthermore, De Ketelaere’s exceptional positional versatility would also appear to make him an incredibly impressive addition to Jesse Marsch’s attacking arsenal next season. The player who Braeckman tipped to become the next Kevin De Bruyne featured in no fewer than seven different positions last term – with 30 appearances at centre-forward, five as a second-striker, four as an attacking midfielder, three at left and central midfield and two on the right and left wings.

As such, it is clear to see just how exciting a talent the Brugge starlet is, leading us to believe that Orta simply must do everything in his power to land the eight-cap Belgium international ahead of the likes of AC Milan and Leicester City this summer.

AND in other news: Victor Orta can form “unbelievable” duo as Leeds now plot bid for “unreal” £9m talent

Liverpool are wasting no time in getting their transfer business started after the summer window opened on Friday, as they are on the cusp of signing Darwin Nunez, and a new update has now emerged on another potential transfer target in the pipeline.

What’s the latest?

According to Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), Anfield could be an option for Marco Asensio if he were to leave Real Madrid this summer.

As per the report, Jurgen Klopp has been interested in the player for a long time, and the German would surely attempt to sign the 26-year-old if he is made available.

Asensio has reportedly been offered a new contract to extend his stay at Los Blancos, but has refused to accept a deal as of yet, and the La Liga giants will make the player available on the market this summer if he continues to reject offers from the club.

Imagine him and Nunez

Liverpool could be onto an absolute winner if they can not only secure a deal for Nunez this summer but also sign a strike partner in Asensio to replace Sadio Mane, who is expected to leave the Premier League this summer.

This season for Real Madrid, the €40m (£34m)-valued Spanish talent scored 10 goals, created one big chance, made one key pass and took 2.1 shots per league game, whilst successfully completing the majority of his dribbles (68%) in his 31 La Liga appearances.

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His manager Carlo Ancelotti reserved special praise for the player after he scored a hat-trick against Real Mallorca this season, saying of the 26-year-old: “Asensio was able to move between the lines and with the finishing ability that he has, he is a danger for our rivals. When he moves inside, he has the ball on his left foot and he is very dangerous.”

It has been reported that Liverpool’s arch-rivals Manchester United are also interested in signing the Spaniard, but surely if the Merseysiders are interested in making Asensio an offer, he would prefer a move to a club who will be playing Champions League football next season, so Klopp’s Reds could have a significant advantage.

For the right price, FSG could secure a great piece of business by signing the Real Madrid star this summer, as he could definitely offer Klopp another attacking option (potentially alongside Nunez) ahead of next season.

AND in other news: “LFC want…”: Fabrizio Romano drops huge transfer update, supporters will be buzzing

Wolves have been boosted in their efforts to sign Sporting Lisbon midfielder Joao Palhinha this summer, with a fresh report claiming that they are favourites to land him.

The Lowdown: Constant Palhinha transfer links

In recent weeks and months, the Old Gold have been continually linked with a move for the 26-year-old, who appears to be a primary transfer target.

Palhinha has grown into a vital player for Sporting over the years and has become arguably their most important midfielder, making 27 Primeira Liga appearances in 2021/22.

A fresh update further suggests that the Portuguese gem could be plying his trade at Molineux next season.

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The Latest: Wolves favourites to sign Palhinha

According to Correio da Manha [via Sport Witness], Wolves is Palhinha’s ‘most likely destination’, giving Bruno Lage’s side an undoubted boost in this particular transfer pursuit.

However, it is also claimed that the ‘deal depends on’ whether or not they are happy to pay €30m (£25.5m) for his services, which is a possible stumbling block.

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The Verdict: Surely it happens now?

It increasingly looks as though Wolves are in pole position to get their man this summer, with Palhinha potentially being a seamless replacement for the exit-linked Ruben Neves.

A top-class player could be required to come in for the current Molineux hero and the 26-year-old Sporting midfielder is exactly that, enjoying an 84.3% pass completion rate across six Champions League appearances this season.

Losing Neves will clearly be a blow for Lage if he goes, but signing Palhinha would certainly help to make up for that loss, with the Portugal international described as a ‘special’ player by his manager Ruben Amorim.

In other news, a key update has emerged regarding one Wolves player’s future. Read more here.

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has backed the Reds to sign either Declan Rice or Kalvin Phillips during the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Midfield addition in?

The Reds are likely to look to sign a midfielder between now and the start of the season, with fresh blood required in an ageing area of the pitch.

Jordan Henderson is arguably not quite the player he was and Naby Keita is inconsistent, so a third player to accompany Fabinho and Thiago is perhaps needed.

As such, Aurelien Tchouameni has been linked with a move, but could a player closer to home come in?

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The Latest: Murphy backs Reds to sign England star

Speaking to talkSPORT [via Liverpool Echo], Murphy urged Liverpool to bring in either Rice or Phillips, both of whom have been hailed as ‘superb’ by Barcelona manager Xavi:

“I’d be going all out for (Declan) Rice or (Kalvin) Phillips. English, hungry, someone you know will be around for a long time, can come in hit the ground running, that’s where I’d be looking.”

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The Verdict: Seems unlikely

Both Rice and Phillips are undoubtedly excellent footballers who have become key individuals for England, helping them reach the final of Euro 2020 last summer.

However, it is hard to envisage either of them heading to Liverpool this summer, with the former expected to stay put at West Ham for one more season.

Meanwhile, Manchester City have been linked with a move for Phillips and the Reds could end up finding themselves out-priced by the 26-year-old’s bloated homegrown fee.

In other news, James Pearce has dropped a key Liverpool update. Read more here.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has provided a big update regarding the future of Aston Villa youngster Carney Chukwuemeka. 

The lowdown: Rising star

The 18-year-old graduated from the Bodymoor Heath academy to make the step up to senior football and has already made great strides in Steven Gerrard’s first team.

Despite his tender years, Chukwuemeka has made 13 appearances for the Villans, having scored 13 times and provided another 13 assists in 55 matches among various youth levels for the Midlands club.

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However, out of contract in 2023 (Transfermarkt), attention has already turned to where the talented England under-19 international’s future may lie…

The latest: Romano provides Chukwuemeka update

Taking to Twitter, reputable Italian journalist Romano stated that the Austria-born starlet ‘could leave’ Villa Park in the near future.

He outlined: “Carney Chukwuemeka could leave Aston Villa in the summer. His recent lack of game time has put a host of European clubs on alert – with Germany a likely destination as he enters the final year of his contract. Bundesliga clubs are already exploring this possibility.”

Villa boss Gerrard recently stated that there have been no discussions regarding a new deal for Chukwuemeka after fellow academy prospect Jacob Ramsey signed a contract until 2027.

The verdict: Worrying times

Losing the club’s most prodigious talents is never a good look and as such, the Villa Park hierarchy will no doubt be desperate for the five-cap England under-19 starlet to commit himself to the cause beyond 2023.

So far this season, Chukwuemeka – who has been a target for Liverpool in the past – has provided one assist in nine Premier League outings whilst also continuing his development in the under-23 setup.

Described as ‘outstanding’ by former Holte End favourite Paul Merson, Villa chief executive Christian Purslow must do everything in his power to keep the teenage sensation in the Midlands and stave off potential suitors this summer.

In other news, BBC man urges Aston Villa to sign ‘magical’ star. Read more here.

In August in cricket, there were some major overhauls and some surprising results

Andrew Fidel Fernando02-Sep-2019The outrage
It’s the month after the World Cup ended and, all over the world, coaches are being thrown out like mouldy, month-old takeaways. Mickey Arthur split with Pakistan, Ottis Gibson with South Africa, Steve Rhodes with Bangladesh, while Chandika Hathurusingha wishes SLC had straight up fired him, instead of putting him through an even more intense ordeal (more on that later).The biggest indignity of all, though, came out of India, where Ravi Shastri was asked to interview for his own rightful job like some kind of coaching pleb. Who the hell do they think they are? Thankfully, the committee to appoint the coach at least had the sense to make the whole process seem completely like a sham that was always going to end with Shastri remaining in the job.The ballad of Hathu
Meanwhile, in the Wild West of cricket (i.e. Sri Lanka), the sports minister and cricket board officials have publicly criticised Hathurusingha, but have been unable to untangle from him, because Hathurusingha appears to have an iron-clad contract. Where the story gets crazy is that although the board suspended Hathurusingha from working with the national team, he has insisted on remaining in Sri Lanka instead of returning to Sydney (where he lives with his family), because he doesn’t want to give the board’s lawyers any leeway to argue that he has voluntarily abandoned his post.The summary, essentially, is that many of the very same board officials who pursued and hired Hathurusingha less than two years ago are being urged by the sports minister to sack him, citing a lavish salary, but have run into trouble because of the contract they themselves had negotiated, leading to what resembles a hostage situation in some ways.Folks, bear with me here, but could it be that the SLC is inept? And call me a cynic, but is it possible a Sri Lankan politician is acting to the detriment of cricket as he pursues his own popularity? Let’s keep a close eye on this situation in order to find answers to these as-yet unanswered burning questions.You better believe that the contents of this urn are what triggered the Big Bang•Getty ImagesGet hype
Before Copernicus revolutionised astronomy in the Western world, it had been widely believed that the universe revolved around the Ashes. Although strains of that thinking may have persisted into the modern day, could it be possible that we are now getting an Ashes series that’s finally worth the hype? Jofra Archer’s rocket-fuelled arrival, England’s 67 all out followed by an epic chase and Ben Stokes’ all-time great innings have set the contest alight. Sure, it needs two more good Tests, and Archer may still require 400 further wickets in order to justify some comparisons with some of the greatest ever, but maybe the planets are coming into rare alignment for this rivalry. Or maybe Copernicus had no idea what he was talking about.Full-throated redemption
Show me a fan who says they have never made fun of Ishant Sharma, and I shall show you a liar. How we laughed at his long, fruitless spells. “Not bad luck – just bad,” we said. “Worst cricketer to play 50 Tests,” we giggled. Beyond the cricket, we ridiculed that Kermit-the-frog voice, that gangly physique, the terrible metalhead hair, the overwrought angry celebrations, and that Adam’s apple that might be better described as an Adam’s watermelon. But over the last 18 months, he is making the cricket world eat its words. He averaged 21.80 across 11 Tests in 2018, and took eight wickets – including a five-for – in his first Test outing this year. He’d go on to make a maiden Test fifty in the first innings of the next game. The only way he could rub it in further for all those years of abuse is if he were to go house by house and personally insult every fan back.The too-nice guys?
Seven weeks on from the World Cup final, not a single member of the New Zealand squad has yet expressed serious annoyance at being World Cup runners-up despite having tied the final. In fact, they have started to express gratefulness at having been part of that game. There’s a point at which this amount of sweetness become suspicious. What dark secrets are they covering up?Next month on The Briefing:- Video emerges of Kane Williamson shoving plastic straws directly into sea turtles’ throats.- Archer gets 400 wickets in two Tests. Suck it, Dale Steyn.- SLC officials discover that if they sack Hathurusingha, the entire board is contractually obliged to wear their trousers on their heads like hats for a year. “How did we let that clause in there?” one of them asks the others. “Guys, are we maybe not very good at our jobs?”