أعلن نادي البنك الأهلي، التعاقد مع لاعب جديد لتدعيم صفوف الفريق استعدادا للمشاركة في الموسم الجديد.
ويستعد البنك الأهلي لخوض منافسات الدوري المصري خلال الموسم المقبل، بعدما حل في المركز الخامس بجدول ترتيب المسابقة.
كما وصل البنك الأهلي إلى المباراة النهائية أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا في بطولة كأس الرابطة والتي خسرها بنتيجة 2-0.
ونشرت صفحة البنك الأهلي عبر “فيس بوك”: “أعلنت لجنة الكرة بنادي البنك الأهلى برئاسة اللواء أشرف نصار عن التعاقد مع أحمد أمين قفة مهاجم نادي إنبي السابق لمدة 3 مواسم وذلك استعدادا لخوض منافسات الموسم الجديد”.
ويأتي تدعيم البنك الأهلي بضم مهاجم جديد وسط أنباء بوجود عروض قوية لـ أسامة فيصل لاعب الفريق من أندية القمة الأهلي والزمالك وبيراميدز.
طالع | ليس الزمالك.. البنك الأهلي يكشف لـ”بطولات” الوجهة الأقرب لـ أسامة فيصل
وكان أسامة فيصل قد قدم أداءً متميزًا مع البنك الأهلي خلال الموسم الماضي، بعدما سجل 12 هدفًا محتلاً المركز الثاني في ترتيب هدافي الدوري المصري خلف إمام عاشور لاعب الأهلي.
ومن المتوقع أن ينطلق الموسم الجديد من الدوري المصري، يوم 8 أغسطس المقبل، طبقاً لتقارير الواردة من مسؤولي رابطة الأندية.
The Daniel Levy era at Tottenham Hotspur has been a total rollercoaster, one that’s not just been encapsulated by years of mediocrity on the pitch, but their dealings off the pitch too.
While their recruitment is getting better, notably preparing for the future by bringing the likes of Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and highly-rated defender Luka Vuskovic to the club, they have still wasted several hundreds of millions on players who simply haven’t cut it.
Tottenham midfielder Lucas Bergvall
In recent years we’re talking about the likes of £60m Richarlison, £25m Yves Bissouma, £25m Emerson Royal and £55m Giovani Lo Celso.
One of the worst, however, was the ill-fated Tanguy Ndombele move.
Why Ndombele's Spurs move was such a disaster
The year was 2019 and the month was July. It was the summer window and Levy knew he needed to spend to take Spurs to the next level.
Spend he did, splashing out a club-record fee at the time of £55m on Ndombele. The Frenchman arrived from Lyon with some suggesting he was the dream replacement for the much-loved Mousa Dembele.
Tanguy Ndombele
You could see why such a comparison was being made. Ndombele was a powerful carrier, his technical ability was first-class and he could affect games in both boxes.
He moved from Ligue 1 having scored three goals and supplied eight assists in the 2018/19 campaign. The Frenchman – capped seven times – never replicated those numbers in the white of Spurs, however.
In fact, across 91 outings for the club, he only amassed nine assists and netted ten goals. He wasn’t explicitly signed for his ability to contribute in the final third but for the price tag and the hype, you’d expect better.
So, why did it not work out? Well, not only did he suffer from injuries, missing several games through a groin problem, but he didn’t particularly work hard enough. That was the view of many people, chiefly Jose Mourinho.
“We had to start with him as a No 10,” the former Spurs boss explained. “He didn’t have the discipline, the strength or the stamina to be a midfield player.”
2019/20
29
2
4
2020/21
46
6
4
2021/22
16
2
1
One training ground source encapsulated it perfectly. Speaking to the Athletic, they said at the time: “Tanguy is the maverick of the team, he can do stuff that nobody else can do. Incredibly talented, incredible ability, just sometimes you just want to be like, ‘Tanguy you’re so good, just do the basics’.”
Well, after never really making the grade in north London, he finally left England behind in June 2024 when his contract was cancelled.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Spurs haven’t exactly done great things in the market since then, and that’s typified by Timo Werner’s move.
Spurs' worst signing since Ndombele
While the likes of Richarlison, Lo Celso and Bissouma – all signing since Ndombele – haven’t exactly set the world alight, they have at least made positive contributions.
Richarlison injured for Tottenham
The Brazilian scored 12 goals in all competitions last term, while Lo Celso had some memorable moments, netting against Manchester City in 2023/24 and playing an important role in the team through the middle stages of Ange Postecoglou’s debut year at the helm.
However, for Werner, he hasn’t had many memorable moments at all. While Ndombele is certainly the worst of the bunch, the German has flopped in a similar way.
Of course, being a loan move, there hasn’t been a whole wad of cash wasted here but if anything has been wasted, it’s time and effort to get a deal over the line.
The former Chelsea attacker initially signed in January of 2024 on loan and did make an impact in the back end of that season, scoring twice and supplying three assists in 13 outings.
As a consequence, his loan move in England was extended over the summer, keeping him at the club until the end of the current campaign. Sadly, it just hasn’t been worthwhile.
The £165k-per-week earner has only scored once all campaign – a goal in the Carabao Cup – and has three assists in the Premier League.
The nadir of his time at the club was definitely against Tamworth in the FA Cup back in January. Spurs nearly lost the game and Werner notably underperformed with podcaster and content creator Will Reyner suggesting “he looks comfortably the worst player on the pitch against a non-league side.” Damning words indeed.
He’s not just frustrated supporters but he’s also annoyed Postecoglou who notably laid into the Germany international back in December after a performance against Rangers, suggesting his performance was “not acceptable”. Tell us how you really feel, Ange.
Also described as a “weird” signing by ESPN pundit Don Hutchinson, is it really a surprise that Spurs are set to pass on their option to buy the 29-year-old at the end of his loan this summer?
It was reported that Levy could exercise a £8.5m buy option but it’s suggested that he will head back to RB Leipzig in the summer.
That is certainly the right decision for a player who has flopped just as hard as Ndombele did in Spurs colours.
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The talented forward could replicate the Spurs icon.
Dono da SAF do Botafogo, John Textor agitou as redes sociais na noite desta segunda-feira. Horas depois da janela de transferências fechar, o norte-americano apareceu para defender os movimentos do Alvinegro, que contratou dez jogadores, no período.
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Um torcedor do Alvinegro veio ao Twitter e reclamou com Textor, que supostamente havia prometido “altos investimentos” para a janela. O Botafogo, ao contrário da primeira janela, gastou menos – apesar do alto número de reforços -, pouco mais de R$ 10 milhões no total.
– Então, se achamos jogadores qualificados, em transferência gratuita ou empréstimo, que possuem salários altos mas não têm a necessidade de uma taxa de transferência a serem pagas para outros clubes, te faria melhor se eu simplesmente enviasse dinheiro para outros clubes? Acorde e envie uma nota de agradecimento ao Mazzuco (diretor de futebol) – escreveu John Textor, pelo Twitter.
Fernando Marçal, Adryelson, Carlos Eduardo e Lucas Perri chegaram de graça ao clube, enquanto Junior Santos, Luís Henrique, Gabriel Pires e Jacob Montes estão emprestados pelos respectivos clubes. Tiquinho Soares foi um dos que teve a necessidade de um investimento de taxa de transferência.
As Arsenal go in search of attacking reinforcements, Arsenal Invincible Philippe Senderos has revealed the trait that Matheus Cunha has that Gunners boss Mikel Arteta loves.
Senderos reveals why Arteta would love Cunha signing
Although the name Alexander Isak has been threatening to steal the headlines in recent months, Arsenal could yet turn towards the cheaper Matheus Cunha. When signing a new contract at Wolverhampton Wanderers instead of completing a move to North London in January, the Brazilian made sure that a release clause worth £63m was included – allowing the Gunners to potentially swoop in.
Compared to Isak’s reported £120m price tag, Cunha could quickly turn into a bargain deal if he completes a move to The Emirates before solving Arteta’s biggest problem.
Newcastle United's AlexanderIsak
The Spaniard has been desperately searching for an attacking solution all season, even turning towards defensive midfielder Mikel Merino in the face of several injuries. It’s a problem which has all but ended their title hopes, with Liverpool sitting 12 points clear at the top of the Premier League, but one they simply must fix this summer.
If it is to be Cunha those in North London turn to, then Arteta could instantly benefit if Philippe Senderos’ verdict is anything to go by. The former defender believes that the forward carries a trait the Arsenal manager loves.
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In an exclusive chat with Football FanCast, Senderos said: “I know Matheus Cunha well. He was in Switzerland when he first came to Europe and then moved to Germany. So I’ve seen his progression over the years and he’s a great player.
“You don’t really know what’s gonna happen next with Matheus Cunha, he’s gonna do dribbling, the way he uses his body, the way he gets into positions is really really interesting and this fact that he’s not predictable is very very exciting. I think that’s what you want from a striker.
“Does he fit into this current Arsenal squad? I’m sure at Arsenal there is people who are more qualified to be able make this judgement and to see if it is a target for Arsenal. What I like about him is that he can play multiple positions as well.
“He can play on the wing or up front and I think that’s also something that would suit Arsenal in this current side because Mikel likes to have players who are flexible.”
"Great" Cunha could solve Arsenal's problems
With 15 goals in all competitions for a struggling Wolves side, Cunha is only just getting started in the Premier League. A top move undoubtedly beckons for the former Atletico Madrid man who looks destined to make his return to the big stage at long last. And Arsenal should make sure it’s Arteta’s side who reap the rewards for that return.
Next to the likes of Bukayo Saka and the emerging Ethan Nwaneri, Cunha could form the deadly attack that the Gunners have lacked all season. Then, and perhaps only then, will they be in position to finally end their wait for another Premier League title.
Thomas Muller’s future remains undecided as talks with LAFC hit a standstill and MLS rules prevent other clubs from negotiating with him.
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LAFC deal not finalized
Chicago Fire previously rejected
Bayern pressing for resolution
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Muller's proposed move to MLS has reportedly stalled, with talks between the Bayern Munich veteran and Californian club LAFC still not finalised, according to . Muller intends to continue his career in the United States, but he has apparently turned down advances from Chicago Fire and another unidentified MLS club because MLS rules forbid players from jointly negotiating with multiple teams.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
The 35-year-old is contracted with Bayern Munich until July 2025 and will leave the club after the Club World Cup. The forward appeared in 30 Bundesliga games during the 2024-25 season, scoring once and assisting four times. The unique single-entity structure of MLS necessitates league approval and requires clubs to coordinate negotiations, which has contributed to the delay, though his next destination is likely to be disclosed next month.
DID YOU KNOW?
The MLS transfer rules forbid open negotiations with more than one team at a time, a condition that directly affects Muller's capacity to look into other possible destinations in the league. With talks with LAFC going on, Muller's rejection of Chicago Fire resulted from this rule.
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WHAT NEXT FOR MULLER?
Muller will now be seen in action in the Club World Cup, where he will don the Bayern Munich jersey as a player for one last time. His next destination is likely to come after that, as Bayern reportedly prefer an agreement with LAFC and are willing to assist in closing the deal. If negotiations fall short, though, other MLS teams could re-enter the contest once LAFC is formally out.
Hits out at club for slow appointment process, claiming his candidacy was being treated as a backstop
ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jun-2023
Colin Graves served as ECB chair between 2015 and 2020•Getty Images
Colin Graves has withdrawn his offer to refinance Yorkshire’s £14.9 million debt, and will not be returning to his former role of chair at the club after criticising the length of time it has taken to appoint a successor to Lord Patel, who stepped down in March.Graves’ family trust is owed approximately £15 million by Yorkshire following his bail-out in 2002, although the club has been looking at alternative sources of investment, with prospective names in the frame including Mike Ashley, the former owner of Newcastle United, and the Saudi national investment fund.Yorkshire are due to repay £500,000 to the Graves Trust in October, with the remainder of the balance due in October 2024, although Graves himself was understood to have reached an agreement with its independent trustees to extend the repayment terms by a further three years, in exchange for his return as Yorkshire chair.However, in a letter to the interim chair, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, and seen by the Telegraph, Graves has now withdrawn from that agreement in principle, with a broadside at the club for effectively using him as a backstop if they failed to secure the funding elsewhere.”After five months of constant discussions, interviews, exchange of emails, it would appear that your board only require my services as chairman as a last resort. Other excellent candidates have been rejected, in a process that has proven to be arduous and disappointing to all who participated,” he wrote.Yorkshire’s financial position remains parlous in the wake of Azeem Rafiq’s revelations about institutional racism at Headingley, and the subsequent withdrawal of a host of key sponsors at the height of the crisis. In a statement, the club responded that they were “disappointed” with Graves’ pronouncements, adding that his proposal had never been a definitive offer for formal board-level discussion.”We remain at a critical point in the future of Yorkshire County Cricket Club,” the statement read. “The board is squarely focused on securing the financial security of the club and we are continuing the positive conversations around investment from various sources.”We have been notified that Colin Graves has decided to withdraw his application for chair. We are disappointed that he has decided to do so publicly and are obliged to make it absolutely clear that at no point did Colin make a clearly defined, tangible offer that the board was able to consider formally, unlike other interested parties involved in the refinance process.”We have consistently outlined that the new chair would be appointed using a fair, thorough and robust process, which is ongoing. Colin indicated that the terms of his return as chair would require total control of the board and executive. This would run counter to that process, as well as the best practice governance requirements set out in the County Governance Code that were agreed by all counties in 2019.”Colin also makes a number of allegations about the board’s actions in regard to finances which are unfounded and indicate a distinct lack of understanding of the current position of YCCC. The short- and long-term financial wellbeing of the club remains the board’s priority, and we will not be distracted by speculation which is unhelpful to our primary objective of securing the future of Yorkshire County Cricket Club and making it a welcoming club for everyone.”
The former USMNT striker has called out the Real Betis midfielder for his inability to replicate his impressive club form for his country
Gomez questions why Cardoso can't replicate club formSays mental blocks appear to prevent Cardoso from playing for USMNTRepeated national team opportunities have yielded disappointing resultsAFPWHAT HAPPENED
Former USMNT forward Herculez Gomez recently expressed frustration over Johnny Cardoso's inconsistent performances between club and country. The American midfielder enjoyed a standout season for La Liga side Real Betis and was expected to be a key figure for the USMNT at the Gold Cup. However, he struggled against Turkey, and Gomez pointed to a possible mental block that's preventing Cardoso from replicating his club form on the international stage.
“But not like this, not like this Cris [Cristina Alexander] and not like spot on,” Gomez said on ESPN's when asked if there’s a pattern of players excelling for their clubs but underperforming for the U.S. “He’s in his own head, and you don’t have other players who are – in their own league right now – one of the best players and constantly being highlighted as one of the best. And you have a team like Atletico, who is known for their defensive posturing, and [Diego] Simeone saying, ‘That’s the guy I want, that’s the key, I want him in the center of the field.’”
He added, “For whatever reason [with the national team], he’s in his own head and he makes things so complicated. He’s a player that’s supposed to be cerebral, he’s a player that’s supposed to link from A to B but when he goes to the USMNT, there seems to be some this sense that he can’t do it, but he’s the only one that believes that. Because he keeps getting opportunities, and he keeps letting himself down."
The 23-year-old American midfielder played a key role for Real Betis, making 46 appearances across all competitions as the La Liga side finished sixth in the league and reached the final of the UEFA Europa Conference League. Gomez added that Cardoso should, theoretically, be able to translate all that skill and talent for the U.S. side and needs to start by playing simple football.
“There’s no reason on earth that good at the La Liga level and can’t do it at the CONCACAF level…I don’t know if I buy this as a USMNT problem, I think this is strictly Johnny Cardoso here," Gomez explained. "He’s just got to play simple, play to his strengths, play to his attributes."
With the 2026 World Cup approaching, the USMNT desperately needs players who can perform consistently at both club and international levels. Cardoso's inability to translate his La Liga success to the national team represents a concerning pattern that affects the team's midfield stability and overall performance.
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Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?
Cardoso will need to address his mental approach to international matches if he hopes to secure a starting position for the 2026 World Cup. The 2025 Gold Cup kicks off on June 15 for the USMNT, but before that, they face Switzerland on June 10 in a friendly game.
From an injury crisis that seemingly never ends to diabolically poor domestic form, this has been a season to forget for Tottenham Hotspur fans.
However, while the present is rather grim, the future looks incredibly bright.
Ange Postecoglou’s young signings, like Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, have been brilliant, and Hotspur Way appears to be producing a host of incredible talents, like Mikey Moore, Luca Williams-Barnett, and Tyrese Hall.
Within a few years, the North Londoners could have a genuinely brilliant team filled to the brim with homegrown talents. However, it would be an even better squad had they kept hold of a former academy gem now playing in the Premier League who’s been compared to Mohamed Salah.
The Spurs talents who got away
With the aforementioned youngsters, it does feel as if Spurs are on the precipice of a brilliant generation of talents coming out of Hotspur Way. But it’s not the first, as there are a number of graduates playing for top-flight teams across Europe, with the most obvious being Harry Kane.
The England captain joined the North Londoners as a teenager and, after going out on several loan spells, truly established himself as an undroppable member of the first team in the 14/15 season, when he scored 31 goals and provided five assists in 51 appearances.
The Walthamstow-born striker would continue to star for the North Londoners until the summer of 2023 when he joined Bayern Munich for around £86m, with a final tally of 280 goals and 61 assists in 435 appearances.
Since moving to Germany, the 31-year-old has become even more effective up top, amassing a tally of 77 goals and 24 assists in 83 appearances, and looks set to win the Bundesliga this season in what will be the first major honour of his career.
An academy graduate who hasn’t had quite as stellar a career as Kane but is nonetheless playing in the Premier League is Kyle Walker-Peters.
Southampton'sKyleWalker-Petersapplauds their fans after the match
After coming up through the youth system in N17, the Edmonton-born full-back made 24 appearances for the Lilywhites, in which he scored one goal and provided five assists, but was sent out on loan to Southampton in January 2020, and signed by the Saints for around £12m that summer.
Finally, Celtic defender Cameron Carter-Vickers is also a graduate from Tottenham’s academy, and while he was never quite able to establish himself in North London, he’s thrived north of the border.
Appearances
152
Starts
149
Goals
7
Assists
2
Points per Game
2.43
League Titles
3
Scottish Cups
2
League Cups
3
In fact, should the Hoops lift the title this year – which they almost certainly will – he will have won the title every year since moving to Glasgow, which is pretty good going.
However, while Spurs aren’t going to lose any sleep over a player who’s doing well in Scotland, they may still regret losing an academy gem who’s now playing in the Premier League and has even been compared to Salah.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.
The Hotspur Way gem compared to Salah
Now, there are plenty more Hotspur Way graduates who are playing in England, from Marcus Edwards at Burnley to Oliver Skipp and Harry Winks at Leicester City.
However, when it comes down to current quality and future potential, Noni Madueke is the standout graduate in the Premier League.
The Barnet-born winger was part of the club’s youth set-up until the summer of 2018 when he joined Eredivisie side PSV Eindhoven. There, his tally of 20 goals and 14 assists was enough to secure a £30m move to Chelsea in January 2023.
However, before we get to how he’s been getting on this season, it’s worth examining this comparison to Salah and where it comes from.
It primarily stems from FBref, which looks at players in similar positions in the Premier League and then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one. In this instance, it has concluded that the Egyptian ace is the fourth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Englishman.
The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, non-penalty expected goals, shots on target, successful take-ons, crosses into the penalty area and more, all per 90.
Progressive Passes
3.29
3.86
Non-Penalty Expected Goals
0.47
0.52
Shots on Target
1.55
1.54
Crosses into the Penalty Area
0.37
0.42
Successful Take-Ons
1.68
1.79
Away from his statistical similarities to potentially the best winger in world football, the Blues talent, whom journalist Simon Phillips once dubbed “world-class,” has been enjoying a relatively successful season from a personal point of view.
For example, in just 28 appearances, totalling 1653 minutes, he’s scored eight goals and provided four assists.
That means the 23-year-old dangerman is averaging a goal involvement every 2.33 appearances, or every 137.75 minutes, a level of output that will surely increase as he develops.
Ultimately, Spurs are already a brilliant team when it comes to scoring goals and have a sensational crop of youngsters on the way through their academy. Still, we can’t help but imagine how much more dangerous they could be if Postecoglou had Madueke on his bench or in his starting lineup.
Spurs' award-winning CF was ahead of Kane, then Poch sold him for £208k
The promising forward wasn’t able to reach his potential at Spurs.
Abel Ferreira tem a famosa ‘dor de cabeça’ boa quando se trata da escalação do Palmeiras. Independente de quem entre em campo, o português sabe que tem peças importantes e fundamentais para seu esquema. Apesar de ter lugar garantido no time, Rony talvez precise se provar ainda mais após a ausência.
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Por conta de uma lesão na coxa esquerda, sofrida no empate palmeirense com o Fortaleza pelo Brasileirão, o camisa 10 esteve fora de cinco partidas da equipe. Contudo, está perto de voltar contra o Goiás, já neste final de semana.
A primeira foi a eliminação para o rival São Paulo, nos pênaltis, nas oitavas da Copa do Brasil. Apesar de sair da competição, o Verdão venceu por 2 a 1 e deu continuidade a uma ótima sequência sem derrotas.
Depois disso, duas vitórias simples. 1 a 0 contra Cuiabá e América-MG. Gabriel Veron e Gustavo Scarpa deram números aos feitos. Já diante de Internacional e Ceará, 2 a 1 no placar, com destaque para Gustavo Gómez e Menino, além de Dudu e Flaco López.
O novo reforço, inclusive, ao lado de Miguel Merentiel, teve sua estreia promovida e já iniciou o processo de busca por uma vaga concreta na linha de frente alviverde.
> Clique e confira a tabela completa e simulador do Brasileirão!
No empate em 2 a 2 com o Atlético-MG, na Libertadores, foi titular e mostrou-se bom no jogo aéreo com a bola rolando, e não somente em bolas paradas, abrindo um leque de boas opções para Abel Ferreira.
Em uma das entrevistas coletivas recentes, o comandante português afirmou que Rony tem lugar garantido na equipe. Ou seja, seu retorno é direto para a titularidade.
Podendo voltar como ponta, sua posição preferida, já que não precisa mais improvisar como o 9 tão desejado por Abel, alguém precisará ceder lugar para o camisa 10 alviverde.
Hoje, quem ocupa a faixa esquerda do campo no ataque, se revezando, são Dudu e Scarpa, dependendo da estratégia. Porém, no atual cenário da equipe, os dois não podem ser substituídos.
O camisa 14 disputou 42 jogos no ano, acumulando nove assistências, 12 grandes chances criadas, 105 passes decisivos e 104 cruzamentos corretos. Com o baixo rendimento de Veiga após lesão e contração da Covid-19, o meia é um dos principais nomes ofensivos do time.
Já o ídolo Dudu recuperou o bom desempenho técnico e vem sendo cada vez mais importante para o grupo e para a torcida, tendo provado isso ao dar uma assistência ‘achada’ para o gol de Danilo no empate com o Galo.
Apesar do time ter funcionado bem com um centroavante de origem, Flaco López terá que brigar com Rony pela vaga de titular, assim como Raphael Veiga precisará recuperar a confiança e o bom futebol para voltar a ser insubstituível, como os demais companheiros citados.
A dúvida fica entre os dois, ao que tudo indica, já que o Rústico tem cadeira cativa – por méritos – na equipe de Abel.
Rangers are back in action on Saturday evening, seeking to continue the momentum established prior to the international break.
First, Barry Ferguson’s side ousted Fenerbahçe from the Europa League, prevailing on penalties at Ibrox, thereby setting up a quarter-final clash with Athletic Club Bilbao.
Then, three days later, the Gers were 3-2 winners in the Old Firm derby, with Ferguson becoming the first Rangers manager since Walter Smith in 1991 to win their very first Glasgow derby at Parkhead.
While it’s too late to reignite the Premiership title race, the Light Blues will be seeking another victory at Dundee on Saturday evening, although this is unlikely to be straightforward, considering they’ve drawn their last two visits to Dens Park, held to a 1-1 stalemate there in January.
If Ferguson is to land all three points in the City of Discovery, he should unleash his superstar striker.
Cyriel Dessers' recent Rangers form
As noted by Scott Bradley of Breaking the Lines, Dessers’ performances for Rangers have been largely ‘inconsistent’ and ‘frustrating’, adding that he ‘divides opinion’.
The Nigerian striker arrived from Cremonese for a reported fee of £5.5m in July 2023, scoring 44 goals in 99 appearances for the club to date, averaging a goal every 138 minutes, which certainly isn’t bad.
Following Rangers’ 3-1 win at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium last month, Fenerbahçe manager José Mourinho said that “today, Dessers looked like the best player in the world”, with John Walker adding that this was Dessers’ ‘best match for Rangers’.
However, he is often criticised for not being clinical enough, a perception supported by the fact that, since the start of last season, he has missed a humongous 46 Opta-defined big chances across the Premiership and Europa League.
So, after Dessers got the nod at Parkhead, we’re advocating for Ferguson to start his other centre-forward at Dens.
Rangers' starting striker vs Dundee
Hamza Igamane’s last-gasp winner in the Glasgow derby a fortnight ago will forever cement his name into Rangers folklore but, even before that, his performances had been catching the eye.
During the international break, the 22-year-old made his senior debut for Morocco, coming off the bench for the final eight minutes as the Atlas Lions beat Niger 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier in Oujda.
Head Coach Walid Regragui, who guided the North African nation to the most recent World Cup semi-finals, praised Igamane’s “mindset”, also adding he “has a bright future ahead of him”.
At club level, Igamane has scored 14 goals since joining Rangers last summer, four of which have come in the Europa League, described as “unpredictable” and “outrageous” by scout Ben Mattinson, thereby attracting Premier League interest.
So, let’s analyse how Rangers’ two centre-forward options compare.
Cyriel Dessers vs Hamza Igamane 2024/25 comparison
Statistics
Dessers
Igamane
Appearances
45
37
Goals
22
14
Minutes-per-goal
120
152
Goals – xG
-2.3
+2.8
Shots on target %
47.8%
41.9%
Shot-creating actions per 90
2.78
3.52
Goal-creating actions per 90
0.88
0.94
Big chances missed
19
5
Average Sofascore rating
6.84
7.15
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt, FBerf.com and SofaScore
As the table outlines, while Dessers’ pure goals and minutes-per-goal statistics are superior, Igamane comes out on top for pretty much every other underlying metric.
In this season’s Europa League for example, the Moroccan ranks second for goals – xG, behind only Malick Fofana of Olympique Lyonnais, while the Nigerian sits joint-fourth bottom for the same metric, out of the 702 players who’ve attempted at least one shot in the competition, above only Ulrik Saltnes, Kevin Rodríguez and compatriot Victor Osimhen.
This emphasises that Igamane is a significantly more clinical centre-forward and, at 22 years old, has a significantly higher ceiling than 30-year-old Dessers.
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Thus, in Premiership matches that don’t matter a great deal, Ferguson should prioritise giving Igamane minutes, starting on Saturday, giving him the opportunity to stake a claim, with the first leg against Athletic Club coming up soon.
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