Heading into the transfer window, Manchester United made clear that supporters shouldn't expect many fireworks. Loan moves were said to be a possibility, with footbball director John Murtough telling a fans' forum that there could be additions "around the edges of the squad", most likely in the form of players "who are not playing as much football as they would like".

Part of the reason United have played down the chances of major permanent incomings is that they're constrained by Financial Fair Play rules as they work to ensure compliance. However, they have opened up some breathing room by offloading Jadon Sancho to Borussia Dortmund on loan, with the Bundesliga club covering some of his wages.

Erik ten Hag ideally wanted to add another forward, with £72m summer signing Rasmus Hojlund only able to find the net twice in the Premier League so far, and United may now have the capacity to do so.

One player who's thought to be open to the idea of moving to Old Trafford is Bayern Munich's Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting. Fabrizio Romano recently told GiveMeSport that the Cameroonian would be a "candidate" if the Red Devils "decide to attack the situation strongly", and it seems they have now taken action.

Man Utd open Choupo-Moting talks

According to French football journalist Seb Ecrivain, Man Utd are now "in contact" with Bayern over Choupo-Moting. The club are "considering" a six-month loan deal that would be seen to "provide a solution to Ten Hag".

Significantly, it's thought that the deal would cost "a minimal amount", though it's not clear whether that refers to the loan fee, the salary contributions or both. Ecrivain adds "to be continued" at the end of his tweet, so we can expect more developments shortly.

Choupo-Moting can help transform Hojlund

Choupo-Moting may fit Murtough's aforementioned criteria as a player sure to be frustrated by a lack of game time. While he's appeared in all but one Bundesliga game for Bayern so far, he's only started three, condemned by the historic form of summer signing Harry Kane. Kane has scored more goals (22) than anybody else in Europe's big five leagues so far this season, and also equalled Robert Lewandowski's record for the most in the first half of a Bundesliga season.

United have seen flashes of promise from Hojlund in recent games with a match-winning effort against Aston Villa to open his Premier League account and then a goal and an assist in the 2-2 draw against Spurs last time out. There may be a temptation, then, to stick with the Dane as the starting number nine, and entrust Choupo-Moting to be a prolific bench presence.

Since he joined Bayern in 2020, he's scored seven goals as a substitute, and this could solve a clear issue for Ten Hag. As the table below shows, United had the most impactful bench in the league last season, but this year, they're down in lower mid-table for the same metrics.

This season

League rank

Last season

League rank

Subs made

85

8th

149

7th

Goals from subs

3

=12th

12

1st

Goal involvements from subs

4

14th

15

2nd

You might question why Choupo-Moting would accept playing second fiddle to Hojlund, but he'd certainly have a much bigger chance of dislodging him than he would Kane given the vast gulf in the output of those two players this season. This, then, may be a deal that makes sense for all parties.

توصلت رابطة الأندية لاتفاق مع ممثلي أندية الدوري المصري، بشأن عدد الأندية الهابطة في الموسم الجديد وموسم 2025 – 2026.

وانتهى الاجتماع بين اتحاد الكرة ورابطة الأندية مع ممثلي أندية الدوري لمناقشة شكل الدوري في الموسم الجديد.

طالع..”بطولات” يكشف نظام الدوري المصري في الموسم الجديد

وقررت الرابطة، منح شركة ألمانية عقد تنظيم بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز، وذلك بداية من الموسم الجديد.

وتشتهر هذه الشركة بتنظيمها للعديد من الدوريات العالمية الكبرى، مثل “يويفا” والدوري الألماني والدوري الإماراتي والدوري التركي.

وبحسب مراسل بطولات في اجتماع الكرة، فإنه تم الاتفاق على هبوط فريقين في الموسم المقبل 2024 – 2025 وصعوط 3 فرق من دوري المحترفين ليصبح عدد الفرق 19 فريقًا في الدوري موسم 2025- 2026 .

وفي موسم 2025- 2026 هبوط 4 فرق وصعود 3 من دوري المحترفين، ليعود الدوري بداية من موسم 2026-2027 مرة أخرى إلى 18 فريقًا.

Tottenham have reportedly made a "superior financial offer" as they attempt to sign a "unique" player on deadline day.

Spurs enjoy productive January transfer window

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou has been backed with a couple of key additions this window, with both defender Radu Dragusin and forward Timo Werner making the move to north London in early January.

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The north Londoners have last-gasp transfer plans.

ByEmilio Galantini Feb 1, 2024

Dragusin provides Postecoglou with a much-needed centre-back alternative to the likes of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, while Werner's attacking versatility has yielded two assists in two Premier League games already.

Timo Werner

Arrival

Radu Dragusin

Arrival

Djed Spence

Departure

Eric Dier

Departure

Ashley Phillips

Departure

Japhet Tanganga

Departure

Sergio Reguilon

Departure

Ivan Perisic

Departure

Tottenham are also said to be eyeing another midfielder, but whether they can get one in before deadline strikes at 11pm remains to be seen. One of the heavily-linked targets is Chelsea star Conor Gallagher, but they'll have to make a move sharply, as Telegraph reporter Luke Edwards explained on The BBC Daily Transfer Gossip daily earlier this week.

"Tottenham have had a long standing interest, Tottenham sold Harry Kane for pure profit and they have got the room to do stuff this month that other clubs haven’t," said Edwards on Gallagher potentially joining Spurs.

“I think that would be one of the most shocking, the most talked about, the most headline grabbing transfers. It’s been rumoured all month.

“If Tottenham are going to make their move they will have to do it in the next 48 hours but that’s definitely one of the more controversial transfers that could happen.”

The Lilywhites are maintaining their policy of bringing in rising stars in the meantime, having held talks to sign likes of Antonio Nusa and Swedish sensation Lucas Bergvall already this month.

In Bergvall's case, Tottenham are widely rumoured to have made an audacious late hijack attempt to sign the midfielder under Barcelona's nose.

Tottenham make "superior financial offer" for Bergvall

The teenager is considered one of Sweden's most exciting prospects, and according to news aggregator The Barca Times, via their head of sport Shay Lugassi, Tottenham have made a superior financial offer to sign Bergvall over Xavi's side.

They've allegedly also promised him first-team football in an attempt to win the race for his signature, which is quite the statement of intent by Spurs.

Bergvall's promise as a player is best highlighted by journalist Antonio Mango, who called him "unique" with "excellent football intelligence".

The hairline fracture the India opener suffered on his left thumb while batting against Australia hasn’t healed as well as expected

Nagraj Gollapudi19-Jun-2019Shikhar Dhawan’s World Cup has come to end midway through India’s campaign. The opening batsman suffered a hairline fracture to his left thumb during his century against Australia on June 9 and hasn’t recovered well enough to play the tournament.Rishabh Pant, who was rushed in as a cover by the BCCI on June 11, two days after Dhawan suffered the blow, and trained with the Indian squad in Manchester ahead of the Pakistan match, has been approved by the ICC as Dhawan’s replacement following a formal request by the BCCI.Dhawan was present in Southampton today during the Indian training session, with his left hand wrapped in bandage. According to the BCCI, Dhawan’s hand is expected to be in cast beyond the World Cup, which ends on July 14.Speaking at a media briefing, India team manager Sunil Subramaniam read from a note: “Shikhar has a fracture at the base of his first metacarpal on his left hand [thumb]. Following several specialist opinions, he will remain in a cast until July, mid-July, which rules him out of the ICC World Cup 2019.””I feel emotional to announce that I will no longer be a part of #CWC19. Unfortunately, the thumb won’t recover on time. But the show must go on,” Dhawan tweeted a while after the announcement.It was an unfortunate blow for Dhawan, and the team, considering it was only their second group match after winning the opening fixture against South Africa. The injury took place while Dhawan was hit in his gloves by a short Pat Cummins delivery. Dhawan carried on batting and scored a century, which earned him the Man of the Match award as India won by 36 runs. However, he did not field during the Australia innings.He travelled to Leeds to meet a surgeon after that, where the fracture was diagnosed. The Indian selectors opted to take time on the matter and not name a replacement immediately following a positive appraisal from the team’s medical staff led by physio Patrick Farhart.Another significant factor behind the reluctance of the selectors and the team management to name a replacement in a hurry was Dhawan’s record at various global tournaments. Dhawan was the highest scorer in each of the last five multi-team (five-plus teams) ODI tournaments for India: Champions Trophy 2013, Asia Cup 2014, World Cup 2015, Champions Trophy 2017 and Asia Cup 2018.Against Australia, where he batted deep into the innings, the left-handed Dhawan had blunted the Australian slow bowlers, including legspinner Adam Zampa. After the washout against New Zealand in Nottingham in the third match, Indian captain Virat Kohli underlined Dhawan’s importance to the team. “We want to hold him back, keep him here, because he wants to play. I think that kind of mindset will help in healing the injury as well as he really wants to play,” Kohli had told the host broadcaster on June 14 while discussing the team’s plans vis-à-vis Dhawan.Pant’s inclusion, meanwhile, didn’t come as a surprise. A debate had erupted when Pant did not figure in the original 15-man World Cup squad. Eminent cricketing minds like Ricky Ponting, Pant’s coach at Delhi Capitals in the IPL, felt the Indian selectors might have missed out on an X-factor player by ignoring the 21-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman. Instead, Vijay Shankar and Dinesh Karthik had been picked ahead of Pant and Ambati Rayudu, who was part of the squad in the last series India had played before the World Cup.Pant, who has only played five ODIs (93 runs in four innings, at an average of 23.25 and strike rate of 130.08), was, however, named as one of the five stand-by players by the selectors. Being a left-hander, a very explosive one at that, the selectors felt Pant was a good replacement for Dhawan and could be fitted into the middle-order with KL Rahul now being pushed up as Rohit Sharma’s opening partner.

How did Chad Ochocinco, J.J. Watt and Pat McAfee perform at TST? GOAL takes a look.

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McAfee surprises with his performanceOchocinco's pre-tournament hype fades fastWatt is the pure joy TST needed in 2024The Soccer TournamentPat McAfee | Concafa SC

The ESPN media personality was a genuine surprise to fans attending The Soccer Tournament in Cary, N.C. – and news dropped that the former Indianapolis Colt punter's background in the sport may be why.

McAfee revealed that when he was younger, he competed in ODP Soccer (Olympic Development Program) with teammate Mike Grella.

The duo combined on what is widely considered as the best goal across the group stage, with McAfee notching an outrageous assist.

Concafa SC is on to the knockout rounds, and McAfee played a role in getting them over the line.

AdvertisementThe Soccer TournamentChad Ochocinco | Nati SC

The ex-Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver hyped up his preparations for the tournament for months, but upon arrival he failed to make an impact for his club.

Still, the 46-year-old former NFL wide receiver did play an integral part during the Group Stage. He featured in all three matches, despite seeing his side crash out in the Group Stage.

Nati SC went 1-2 through their three matches, and ended their third and final match with a 5-1 loss to Reggae Rovers.

JJ Watt | Burnley FC

The 6-5 former defensive lineman and three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year lined up for the Clarets at the striker position, featuring in all three matches – all of which were losses.

Watt and his squad leave TST with their heads held high, though, as the NFL legend drew an enormous crowd, was a fan favorite and came up with one of the highlights of the tournament.

In his debut match, the 35-year-old accidentally crashed into the opposition goalkeeper, mimicking an NFL-style tackle.

Despite a poor showing on the pitch, Watt proved a lot of doubters wrong, taking the pitch and showing that a player of his size could land an impact in the squad.

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The Soccer TournamentWhat next for Watt, Ochocinco & McAfee?

Ochocinco and Nati SC suffered elimination alongside Watt and Burnley FC, but the latter still has a reason to stick around. His wife – Kealia Watt – is set to make her TST debut on Friday morning, playing for the Clarets women's team.

McAfee, meanwhile, will take the pitch in a knockout match Friday night.

Kylian Mbappe will not earn less money at Real Madrid than at Paris Saint-Germain, despite reports that he was set to take a pay cut.

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• Mbappe has joined Real Madrid
• Reports suggest he has taken pay cut
• Not actually the case

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mbappe was announced as a Real Madrid player earlier this week and, despite rumours suggesting that he had taken a pay cut to seal his dream move, it appears that is not quite the case. The World Cup winner, per Mundo Deportivo, was earning €72 million (£61m/$78m) gross at PSG, and will earn €26m (£22m/$28m) at Madrid, with €15m (£13m/$16m) of that being his net earnings. But that is not the full story.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mundo have crunched the numbers and assuming that Real paid Mbappe a €125m (£106m/$135m) signing-on bonus – sources claim the number is between €100m (£85m/$108m) and €150m (£127m/$163m) – he would earn €25m (£21m/$27m) from the bonus per season alone. Add that to his €15m net salary and he receives €40m (£34m/£43m) per season, a similar figure to his net earnings at PSG.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Real have also made a sacrifice in terms of image rights. When they sign a player, the star's contract usually dictates that they will keep 50 percent of earnings from image rights and Real will keep the other half. That is not the case with Mbappe, as he will continue to earn between 70 and 80 percent from every contract he signs as a Real player.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Mbappe is preparing for Euro 2024, as France go in search of continental glory. They will play Austria, the Netherlands, and Poland in the group stages.

Wolverhampton Wanderers face a busy final few days of the January transfer window as Gary O’Neil looks to bring in at least one new signing.

The Old Gold secured passage into the fifth round of the FA Cup over the weekend with a victory over rivals West Bromwich Albion, but they have yet to make a new signing this month.

This could all change over the coming days, however, as they are showing interest in a talented midfielder shining in the Championship…

Wolves search for new signings

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Molineux side are keen on Jordan James, who is currently playing for Birmingham City in the second tier.

The youngster is showing vast promise and a £3m bid by Italian side Atalanta was deemed unsatisfactory as they currently value the 19-year-old at £10m amid the recent interest.

The Blues have endured a dismal few months, but James has been one of their only shining lights and his performances have clearly impressed O’Neil.

Jude Bellingham was the last young talent to make quite an impression in the Birmingham first team, and he has emerged as arguably one of the finest midfielders on the planet.

James has shown significant potential over the previous 12 months. While lauding him as Bellingham 2.0 may be a tad hyperbolic, he could certainly forge a wonderful career in the Premier League should he move to Molineux this month.

How Jordan James compares to Jude Bellingham

The current Real Madrid starlet only made 44 senior appearances for Birmingham, yet his impact was immeasurable.

He joined Borussia Dortmund ahead of the 2020/21 campaign and developed into a true world-class talent in Germany, leading to the move to Spain.

18 goals in just 26 matches this season is a stunning return and Bellingham has come a long way since his days in the Championship.

James has already double the number of appearances for the Blues as Bellingham since making his debut in the 2021/22 season and his meteoric rise has been exceptional.

This season has seen the young midfielder enjoy his most productive spell in front of goal, netting six times in 26 Championship matches, and this has him ranked third across the squad in the second tier.

Both James and Bellingham excel at finishing and defensive contributions according to WhoScored, suggesting that they offer wonderful qualities at both ends of the pitch and this is something which could give O’Neil a big boost in the heart of his midfield.

Latest Wolves transfer news: £60m Neto claim, exciting replacement eyed

What’s going on at Wolves now the window is finished? Catch the latest news and rumours here…

ByBrogan Clasper Feb 11, 2024

Only seven goals have been scored by midfielders this season in the Wolves squad, and it is clearly an area which could do with some more attacking qualities added to it ahead of a crucial few months.

James might not be the finished article, yet a move to the Premier League could allow him to blossom against the elite similar to Bellingham when he moved to the Bundesliga in 2020.

Despite a slight stumble during the festive period, Arsenal have once again found themselves in the midst of a title fight in the Premier League this year, only this time, they have two opponents to contend with: Manchester City and Liverpool.

Mikel Arteta's side aren't quite as free-flowing and intense in attack as they were last campaign, but with the addition of Declan Rice and some tactical tweaks here and there, they look significantly more assured in midfield and defence, something borne out by the fact that they hold the second-best defensive record in the division.

However, for as good as the north Londoners have looked in defence and midfield, they're only really one injury away from a minor crisis, as behind Rice, Arteta can only call on an ageing Jorginho and an injury-prone Thomas Partey, who simply cannot be relied upon to remain fit anymore, with the Ghanaian missing a massive 66 games and counting for club and country since making the move to N5 three years ago.

With this problem impossible to ignore, the club have made no secret about their desire to sign a new, younger central midfielder who can fill in at six in case of a Rice absence, with Everton's Amadou Onana, Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi and, perhaps more than any other, Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz constantly linked with the North Londoners this month.

Arsenal's longstanding interest

The first murmurings of the Gunners' interest in Villa's Brazilian machine sprung up in the dying hours of the 2022 summer transfer window, as the club saw three offers rebuffed by the Villans before the player then signed a new five-year deal at the club a few months later.

However, that new long-term deal obviously did little to deter Edu and Co, as they maintained their interest in the former City youth product, and the links came back in full force in the January transfer window.

Unfortunately for Arsenal, though, a report from Football Insider earlier in January revealed that a move for Luiz mid-way through the season would cost any interested parties at least £100m, essentially killing any move before it had a chance to develop.

With the fee unlikely to drop much in the summer, lest Luiz kicks up an almighty fuss, it might be wiser for Arsenal to finally drop their interest and instead turn to a Hale End graduate who is currently tearing it up in the Championship.

Charlie Patino's career so far

Charlie Patino has been playing senior football for two seasons now, but he first made a name for himself with the Arsenal and England junior sides.

The midfield "maestro", as talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him at the time, made 25 appearances for the Gunners U18 side, in which he scored one goal and provided four assists, before going on to make 22 appearances for the U21 side, scoring two goals and providing one assist.

At the same time, he was rapidly progressing through the England ranks, making his debut for the U15 side in February 2018 and reaching the U21 squad just five years later.

He has won 22 junior caps and represented every age group from the U15s to the U21s, scoring three goals in the process.

With how well he was performing at the youth level, it was only a matter of time until he made his senior debut for the Gunners, and when it did come in December 2021, he made sure to leave an impression, scoring his first senior goal for the club within minutes of his entrance.

His first start would come just a month later in the FA Cup, and while the result – a loss against Nottingham Forest – was far from ideal, his talent was evident to see.

With youth football firmly behind him, he spent a fruitful albeit doomed campaign on loan with Blackpool last year before heading to Swansea City this season, where he has been fantastic.

37

3

4

0.189

How Charlie Patino compares to Douglas Luiz this season

Now, if your initial thought is that Luiz, one of the key players for a top-four chasing team in the Premier League, must be leaps and bounds ahead of a 20-year-old who has but one full season of senior football behind him, you'd probably be right – most of the time anyway.

However, Patino is, in the words of journalist Phil Smith, a "special talent", and with how well he is performing for the Swans in the Championship this season, there is a chance that he could make the step up to top-flight football next season and cement himself in the midfield of a title-chasing Arsenal side.

The Watford-born gem has made 24 appearances for the Welsh side so far, scored four goals, and provided four assists, giving him a goal involvement every three games on average, which is pretty remarkable for a youngster who primarily plays in central midfield.

In contrast, Villa's midfield monster has made 32 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring seven goals and providing six assists, giving him a goal involvement every 2.46 games.

While that is slightly more impressive on the surface, four of his goals have been penalties, making a £100m investment a little harder to justify on that front.

Finally, how do the pair's underlying numbers stack up? Well, somewhat surprisingly, it's the Arsenal man who emerges victorious in the majority of metrics relevant to a modern-day central midfielder.

For example, he produces a more impressive non-penalty expected goal and assists figure, more shot and goal-creating actions, makes more interceptions and clearances per 90, and is more adept at taking on defenders.

Stats per 90

Luiz

Patino

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.23

0.31

Non-Penalty Goals

0.10

0.25

Assists

0.15

0.33

Progressive Carries

2.11

1.33

Progressive Passes

5.88

4.83

Shots on target percentage

21.2%

27.3%

Goals per Shot on Target

0.29

1.00

Shot-Creating Actions

3.83

3.84

Goal-Creating Actions

0.29

0.33

Tackles won

1.23

0.58

Interceptions

0.74

1.08

Clearances

0.74

0.83

Successful Take-Ons

0.74

1.25

Aerial Duels Won

0.83

1.33

Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Domestic Season

In his defence, Luiz produces more progressive passes and carries per 90, but under the tutelage of Arteta and with more quality around him, there's no apparent reason why Patino couldn't eventually produce the same numbers as the Brazilian.

Arsenal plotting deadline day bid for Martinelli 2.0

The 19-year-old has more than a few shades of Martinelli about him.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 1, 2024

Ultimately, there is a risk in going with youth, but in today's FFP and PSR-aware world, there is arguably more risk in spending vast sums of money on a player a team doesn't need.

Anyway, trusting in the youth worked pretty well regarding Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.

Glasgow Rangers face their busiest January deadline day for quite some time as the clock ticks down in what is the final chance for Philippe Clement to bolster his squad ahead of a hectic few months.

Fabio Silva and Mohammed Diomande have already joined the Gers, while Oscar Cortes looks set to be the third signing made by the club and things are looking promising.

Could there perhaps be some outgoings too? As the Ibrox side may have to balance the books if they hope to spring a surprise or two before the window slams shut this evening.

Rangers deadline day activity

While most of the recent talk has been about bringing a few new players to Rangers, there have been rumours linking players with a move away from the club.

Jose Cifuentes looks set to join Brazilian outfit Cruzeiro having turned down a move to Turkey and the move makes sense after the midfielder has failed to shine in Scotland since joining last summer.

The latest exit rumour is even more surprising than that of Cifuentes leaving, as Cyriel Dessers has now been linked with a move abroad.

The striker cost £4.5m just a few months ago, but according to prominent Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, two Serie A clubs are looking to bring the player back to Italy before the window closes.

The two clubs are Hellas Verona and Torino, who are both eyeing up a swoop for the former Feyenoord frontman, and the links have certainly come out of the blue.

The 29-year-old has scored in his last three competitive matches, and it looks as though he is gaining some momentum which could finally see him shine in Glasgow following a difficult start.

Clement will surely only consider selling Dessers if two conditions are met. Firstly, he will be looking to recoup the majority, if not all, of the £4.5m the Gers shelled out on him.

Cyriel Dessers' statistics this term for Rangers

Premiership

Europa League

Goals

8

1

Assists

2

1

Big chances missed

12

0

Successful dribbles per game

0.4

0.4

Scoring frequency (minutes per goal)

154

245

Stats via Sofascore

Secondly, he will only depart if the Belgian manager has a replacement lined up, as this could leave just Silva as the only fully fit centre-forward.

Could these exit links for Dessers perhaps indicate that the Light Blues are close to securing a deal for another striker? With Lawrence Shankland high on the priority list, he could make an ideal replacement for the former Cremonese forward.

Rangers search for a new striker

Shankland has been perennially linked with a move to Glasgow since the window first opened and Clement is clearly hoping to take advantage of the fact his contract expires at the end of next season.

Hearts offered him an extension at the start of the month, yet it was reportedly rejected. However, according to Sky Sports (via the Scottish Sun), the Jambos have since offered him fresh terms in the hope that he will accept and extend his stay at Tynecastle.

If he signs, it will rule out a move to Rangers, but the longer he leaves Hearts waiting, it gives the Light Blues an ideal chance to make their approach and perhaps land him for a cheaper price than previously mentioned.

The stats that show why Lawrence Shankland would be a good signing for Rangers

It is no secret that Shankland is a supporter of Rangers and this will likely prove to be a key aspect regarding if any deal is to go through before the winter window deadline.

A move to the League Cup holders has even been endorsed by former Gers icon and captain Barry Ferguson, who said:

“Let’s start with Lawrence Shankland who catches my eye every time I see him play for Hearts.

“This guy has improved his game to such an extent over the last couple of years that I’m surprised he’s not been snapped up already but, watching him on Wednesday, I saw a ready made Rangers centre forward.”

High praise indeed, and if anyone knows about what it takes to make it at Rangers, it is Ferguson.

Since arriving back in Scotland last summer, Shankland has netted 47 goals in just 77 matches, working out at a goal every 1.75 matches, quite a stunning return and proving that he could be a solid acquisition for the Gers.

The 28-year-old has also shone among his teammates at the Gorgie outfit this term, currently ranking first for goals and assists (14) in the top flight, while also leading the way for shots on target per game (1.4) and scoring frequency (a goal every 148 minutes) and this is for a team that do not have as many creative talents as Rangers.

With the likes of potential new signing Cortes, Todd Cantwell and Ross McCausland providing him with plenty of chances during matches, he could maintain or even surpass his current strike rate.

The 6 foot 1 striker was praised by former Gers goal machine Kris Boyd following his late effort which won the Edinburgh derby for Hearts late last year, lauding him as “unbelievable” and there is no doubt he could be a major success at the Ibrox side.

With Abdallah Sima and Danilo out with long-term injuries, it is clear that Clement needs another centre-forward heading into the final few months of the season and Shankland would fit the bill perfectly.

The fresh links regarding Dessers and a move away throw a spanner in the works, but I doubt there is a supporter who would not swap the Nigerian for Shankland before the window closes.

It remains to be seen what will occur throughout the final day of the winter transfer window, but there could potentially be a surprise or two along the way.

With Silva, Diomande and Cortes bolstering the first-team squad, Clement is certainly prioritising young talent as opposed to signing washed-up players looking to claim one final payday by signing for the club on a short-term deal.

This strategy may prove to be a big risk, but nobody ever wins anything by playing it safe and full trust will be placed in Clement ahead of the rest of the season.

يعاني الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة من كم إصابات رهيبة سواء قبل بداية الموسم أو أثناء المباريات وهو ما قد يؤثر على بدايته المحلية الرائعة.

ويتصدر النادي الكتالوني جدول ترتيب الدوري الإسباني برصيد 18 نقطة كاملة بعد الفوز في أول 6 جولات بفارق 4 نقاط عن الغريم ريال مدريد.

ولكن المشكلة تكمن في الإصابات التي يعاني منها برشلونة مع إصابة أخيرة تعرض لها، مارك أندريه تير شتيجن، في الركبة وانتهاء موسمه.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ليفاندوفسكي: من الصعب قول أي شيء عن تير شتيجن شاهد لحظة إصابة مارك أندريه تير شتيجن مع برشلونة

في حين هناك 7 إصابات أخرى لكل من رونالد أراوخو، مارك بيرنال، أندرياس كريستنسن، جافي، فرينكي دي يونج، فيرمين لوبيز وداني أولمو.

إصابة تير شتيجن كانت قاسية خلال مباراة برشلونة وفياريال يوم أمس على ملعب “لا سيراميكا” حيث أن البديل ليس بنفس قوة الألماني مع وجود إينياكي بينيا وأندير أسترالاجا ودييجو كوشين.

وبالتالي، بدأ التفكير داخل إدارة النادي الكتالوني في كيفية التعاقد مع البديل في هذا الظرف الاستثنائي، وكشفت صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الكتالونية كيف يحق لمتصدر الدوري الإسباني ذلك باللوائح؟

ماذا تنص لائحة فيفا للتعاقد مع اللاعبين خارج فترة الانتقالات؟

تنص اللائحة بأن هناك قاعدتين استثنائيتين الأولى اللاعبين غير المسجلين في أي ناد أو إنهاء العقد من جانب واحد أو إنهاء العقد من جانب ناديه السابق”.

أو لأن اللاعب ترك بدون فريق خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الماضية سواء انتهاء بشكل طبيعي للعقد أو اتفاق متبادل.

الدوري الإسباني يتيح التعاقد في حالات الإصابة الطويلة

تنص أيضًا لوائح الدوري الإسباني أن يحق للنادي المتضرر من إصابة طويلة الأمد أن يستبدلها كما حدث قبل بداية الموسم مع رونالد أراوخو، أندرياس كريستنسن والموسم الماضي مع جافي.

ويحق للنادي المتضرر أن يقيد لاعبًا بدل المصاب في غضون 30 يومًا فقط من تاريخ الإصابة وفي حالة برشلونة وتير شتيجن قد يحق للفريق الكتالوني تسجيل حارس جديد حتى 31 ديسمبر المقبل مثل داني أولمو حتى سوق الانتقالات الشتوي في يناير.

وتمنح رابطة الدوري الإسباني الأندية القدرة على إلغاء قيد اللاعب المصاب بمجرد فتح الميركاتو الشتوي في يناير 2025 من خلال تقديم وثيقة تحترم شروط العقد.