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Glasgow Rangers have been backed to make a move to sign a new free agent, with a BBC pundit believing he’d be the perfect fit for the Scottish Premiership.

What new players have Rangers signed?

Over the summer, Michael Beale entered the market to secure nine fresh faces, with Danilo, Sam Lammers, Cyriel Dessers and Jose Cifuentes being purchased, whilst the likes of Jack Butland and Dujon Sterling joined for free.

In terms of outgoings, Glen Kamara, Fashion Sakala and Antonio Colak were the three permanent sales to take place, whilst Ryan Kent and Filip Helander led the departures of squad members that had reached the end of their contracts, as per Transfermarkt.

The Light Blues might already be assessing their options ahead of the January window opening, and one star that they could target is Stefan Johansen, who most recently played his football for Queens Park Rangers in the English Championship.

The Norway international, who is naturally a central midfielder, decided to mutually terminate his contract at the end of last season meaning that he is now a free agent on the market and waiting to be snapped up, and the 32-year-old has been mooted to move to Ibrox.

Are Rangers signing Stefan Johansen?

Speaking to Football League World, BBC pundit Carlton Palmer named Rangers as a potential destination for Johansen, who he believes would easily slot into their style of football, especially having previously been coached by Beale during his time at Loftus Road. He said:

"Stefan Johansen is a very, very good footballer. I think maybe Glasgow Rangers might have a little look at him on a free. He is an experienced midfielder that can play really, really well, and play at a high level. Maybe someone like Glasgow Rangers may look at him on a free. He’s available, has experience, and has worked with the previous manager."

What could Stefan Johansen bring to Rangers?

Being 32, Rangers will know that Johansen isn’t getting any younger, but with age comes experience and he’s had plenty of that having been dubbed the “ultimate professional” by journalist Josh Bunting, so he could prove to be a fantastic short-term addition for Beale.

The TP Sport Management client is naturally stronger in the offensive aspect of his game having clocked up 19 contributions (13 assists and six goals) in 88 appearances during his time at QPR, whilst whipping 73 crosses into the opposition’s box last season, which was the fourth-highest total throughout his squad, via FBRef.

The Hoops’ former left-footed ace is also a versatile operator having been deployed in six different positions over the pitch since the start of his career, including everywhere across the midfield and even at centre-forward, so he would be a wonderful option for the boss to have in the building should any unexpected injuries occur in other roles where cover is needed.

Finally, Johansen was the captain of Gareth Ainsworth's side which means he will possess extremely strong leadership qualities, so for all the atrributes that he would add to the boss' ranks, alongside the fact he's available for free, this is a no-brainer of a deal to complete.

Liverpool are considering a late swoop for West Ham United’s Jarrod Bowen, but only should one outcome occur before September 1st, according to reports.

Where is Jarrod Bowen from?

Bowen was originally born in Leominster, Herefordshire, but completed his big move to the Premier League and indeed the London Stadium from Hull City back in 2020 where he’s since gone on to become an integral member and regular feature of David Moyes’ first team, clocking up 161 appearances to date.

The England international still has another two years remaining on his contract, but having emerged as the Irons’ joint-top goalscorer last season alongside Said Benrahma, he’s caught the eye of FSG and Jurgen Klopp, but not for the first time.

Last summer, TalkSPORT reporter Alex Crook revealed that the Reds boss is an “admirer” of the right-winger, whilst transfer insider Dean Jones confirmed that the Merseyside outfit were “keeping an eye” on the 26-year-old’s situation, and despite a deal having failed to come to fruition at the time, they are now considering taking a second bite of the cherry.

Are Liverpool signing Jarrod Bowen?

According to Football Transfers, Liverpool have "listed" Bowen as a potential transfer target should Mohamed Salah leave before Friday's deadline.

Klopp reportedly views the attacker as an "ideal replacement" for his veteran, who is being targeted by Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad, and it's stated that they are prepared to table a €150m (£128m) package to prise him away.

Anfield chiefs are "adamant" that they don't want to sell their prized asset and have made their stance clear, but it doesn't sound like that's going to stop his potential suitor from trying their luck.

€42m (£36m)

€70m (£60m)

€20m (£17m)

How many goals has Jarrod Bowen scored for West Ham?

Since joining the Hammers, Bowen has racked up 74 contributions (42 goals and 32 assists) in 161 appearances, form which has seen him hailed “outstanding” by journalist Josh Bunting, and whilst nobody could ever really replace Salah, Moyes’ star will be one of the closest to him.

Sponsored by Adidas, the attacker also last season recorded a total of 159 crosses and 73 shots over the course of the campaign, with both statistics being the highest throughout his squad, via FBRef, highlighting his desire to create chances and hit the back of the net.

Read The Latest Liverpool Transfer News HERE…

The Europa Conference League winner, who pockets £60k-per-week, is also a versatile operator with his ability to play in seven different positions over the grass, including everywhere across the frontline and even three roles in the midfield, which is yet another attribute that the boss will no doubt have been attracted to.

Furthermore, Bowen shares the same agent, PLG, as Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Nathaniel Phillips, so this existing connection that his representative has to the club could give chiefs a small advantage should they decide to pursue a deal in the final days of the window, and it may be one to keep an eye on.

Rakep Patel, Thomas Odoyo and Jackie Janmohammed have stepped down after the team finished winless in WCL Division Two and was demoted to Division Three

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Feb-2018

Rakep Patel plays a sweep shot during his innings of 52•ICC

Kenya’s captain Rakep Patel has resigned after the team returned home winless from the WCL Division Two tournament in Namibia. The coach Thomas Odoyo has also stepped down, and so has the board president Jackie Janmohammed.By finishing last out of the six teams that participated, Kenya were demoted to Division Three. Their performance included a 218-run defeat, to UAE, which was the tournament’s worst in terms of margin of runs.Odoyo, who was part of the Kenyan team when they played World Cup cricket, found this turn of fortunes quite tough to take. “The one week we spent in Namibia was a week of mental anguish. It was stressful and I would not wish anyone to go through what I went through,” he was quoted as saying by the . “We broke record of poor performance. For Kenya to improve we must set up a high performance centre.”Janmohammed, the first woman to head a cricket board, made her call based on the team’s dismal performance as well. “One of the consideration that I took to account was the performance of the national team and somebody had to take responsibility for it,” she told .Janmohammed said Cricket Kenya would be conducting fresh elections to replace her in a month. “Whenever there a vacancy of an elected member, there must be an election in 30 days. The office will continue until the elections are conducted.”

West Ham United "may be one step closer" to sealing a first major summer signing as they eye a move for Man United defender Harry Maguire.

Who will West Ham sign?

It's been a window of nightmares for manager David Moyes and new technical director Tim Steidten, with reports even suggesting there is a rift between the pair as both men dither over transfer targets.

West Ham, as things stand, are still the only Premier League side not to have made a single summer signing – which will come as a big worry for supporters given the new season is soon upon us.

Moyes, speaking to Sky Sports at the end of last month, admitted that "several offers" have been made by West Ham and he is hoping that those moves advance sooner rather than later.

“Because of the shortness of the summer and being in Australia. it’s meant the time has been limited, but I’m sure we’ll get down to work and do what we have to do,” Moyes told Sky.

“The club have made several offers for players, we’re out on the market, we’re quite active, and hopefully some of them will come off in the future.”

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

The east Londoners recently walked away from a deal for Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse, despite the player's willingness to join, but they have in fact agreed personal terms with Ajax star Edson Alvarez.

Former West Ham star Declan Rice completed a club-record £105 million switch to Arsenal earlier this window and striker Gianluca Scamacca will follow him out the door after just one year at the London Stadium.

It is now up to Moyes, Steidten and the Hammers hierarchy to reinvest those funds into first-team signings. Club insider Claret & Hugh, sharing news on their links to Maguire, has a promising update.

Relaying what their "insiders" have told them, C&H claims the England international "may be one step closer" to joining West Ham this summer.

Moyes is apparently "desperate" to bring Maguire to the London Stadium, with United and the Irons exchanging medical information on Maguire's fitness history.

There is apparently "growing optimism" that an agreement can be struck for the centre-back, although his valuation is deemed "problematic" at this stage.

How good is Harry Maguire?

The 30-year-old came under fire for some of his performances under Erik ten Hag last campaign and made just 16 top-flight appearances.

Maguire's performances for England, though, could provide West Ham supporters with some optimism he could be a success for Moyes.

The former Hull City and Leicester star was a key player on England's run to the World Cup quarter-finals and has been a mainstay under Gareth Southgate for years.

"We're not in a world where we're cuddling. It's tough world professional football," Southgate told talkSPORT (via The Mail) when talking about Maguire's lack of game time.

"It doesn't baffle me as they have two top players in [Raphael] Varane and [Lisandro] Martinez there.

"He and John Stones has been a partnership that's been brilliant for us [England], but we've got young centre-backs coming up who are getting that experience and that will be the challenge going forward."

Scotland have called up Chris Sole and Stuart Whittingham after the ICC responded to concerns about their future eligibility to play county cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2017

Chris Sole gets congratulated after his third wicket on debut•Peter Della Penna

Scotland have called up Chris Sole and Stuart Whittingham for their Intercontinental Cup fixture against Ireland in Dubai this week, as well as two WCL Championship fixtures against Kenya in December.Both players had initially not been included after proposed changes to the ICC’s eligibility regulations led them to prioritise county careers – Whittingham is contracted to Sussex, while Sole, the son of former rugby union international David Sole, has played for Hampshire. The ICC has now agreed to put the new rules, which were revised in October, on hold after lobbying from Associate Members.At the time of the initial squad announcement, Scotland’s coach, Grant Bradburn, said: “Any distractions must not take our focus away from delivering on the field to levels like never before, which we are ready to do. Many of the players are feeling a range of emotions, which is understandable. However, times of adversity will often bring out the fighting character within. Our team will be united in wanting to use our challenging build up to create even greater resolve in playing outstanding cricket on the park in Dubai.”Sole, who has taken 13 wickets in eight ODIs, and Whittingham, who made his debut last month, will strengthen Scotland’s bowling stocks as they seek a place at next year’s qualifying tournament for the 2019 World Cup.Last week, Scotland beat Papua New Guinea 2-0 in their two-match ODI series – although neither game counted towards the WCL Championship. The top four teams will go to the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe and Scotland, in third, will seal their spot if they beat Kenya in either fixture in Dubai.

Bottle-flinging fans in Pallekele caused a 35-minute disruption, and prompted the intervention of riot police, in the closing stages of India’s six-wicket victory on Sunday. In the 44th over of India’s innings, plastic bottles began to be thrown from the two grass embankments that flank the ground – many of these projectiles made their way on to the playing area. Ground staff were seen clearing the bottles, but more continued to be flung, thereby forcing the Sri Lanka fielders to move to the centre of the field in order to avoid being hit.At one stage, there was doubt as to whether the match could even be concluded, because the bottle-throwing persisted for so long. Having spent about 20 idle minutes near the pitch – MS Dhoni even finding time for a nap – players eventually shook hands and made their way off the field. Later, however, after the embankments were cleared of spectators, match referee Andy Pycroft decided the match could continue. India required only seven further deliveries to close out the game.This is the second crowd-related incident in Sri Lanka in the space of two years. In 2015, a fight between two groups of fans had broken out in the stands at Khettarama, and had subsequently degenerated into stone-throwing. That incident had also caused a disruption of play, though on that occasion, no projectiles had been thrown towards the players.Earlier in the month, fans in Dambulla had also held up the team bus in order to voice their displeasure after the first ODI. That incident, however, had not been marked by any violence.

Taylor Swift could cause Lyon a major headache at the end of the season if they cannot turn around their horrendous Ligue 1 campaign.

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Lyon have just won once in 13 gamesRooted at the bottom of the Ligue 1 tableMay have to away from home due to SwiftWHAT HAPPENED?

Lyon are currently struggling at the bottom of the Ligue 1 table with only one win in their first 13 league matches this season. The seven-time champions have found no rhythm whatsoever and it is no surprise that they are in search of their third manager after firing Laurent Blanc in September and World Cup winner Fabio Grosso in late November. They face potential relegation this season but would get a chance to stay up if they climb at least to the 16th spot in the league table as it would take them through to the play-offs.

However, that should not be a Herculean task for the team having the likes of Alexandre Lacazette and Dejan Lovren in their ranks as they find themselves just five points short of Lorient, who are 16th now. But pop sensation Swift could certainly make it difficult for them.

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Swift is set to perform at two sold-out concerts scheduled at Groupama Stadium on June 2 and June 3. And the dates coincide with the second leg of the Ligue 1 relegation/promotion play-off which sees the 16th-placed team lock horns with the winner of the Ligue 2 promotion play-offs. The return leg is always played at the home of the Ligue 1 side and hence Lyon find themselves in a spot of bother.

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The decision to host concerts was aimed at boosting the club's revenue, with the club management not anticipating being in a relegation battle. But the gamble could prove costly, as relegation would mark a significant downturn for a team that reached the Champions League semi-finals just three years ago beating Manchester City on the way.

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If Lyon indeed end up finishing 16th, the club may need to find an alternative venue for their home fixture in the relegation play-off as the dates for Swift's concerts are already locked. But should they move to a new stadium it would potentially cost them their home advantage at a crucial juncture in their fight to stay in Ligue 1. Nonetheless, Lacazzette and Co will hope to revive their fortunes as quickly as possible and climb up the ladder so that they do not need to bother about the relegation battle. They travel to Marseille on Wednesday for their next Ligue 1 fixture.

Arsenal are now considering a surprise move for PSG forward Kylian Mbappe, according to a recent report from Football Transfers.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

Arsenal are still running the rule over a number of options to challenge for Bukayo Saka's spot at right-wing, with Villarreal's Samuel Chukwueze being "monitored", amid "fierce competition" for his signature from Liverpool and Newcastle United.

Another attacking option for the Gunners is Fenerbahce's Arda Guler, having recently leapfrogged Newcastle in the race for his signature, with Dean Jones claiming that Mikel Arteta has "two more" signings up his sleeve this summer.

According to a report from Football Transfers, one of the club's more outlandish targets is Mbappe, with Arsenal, and by extension sporting director Edu Gaspar, currently weighing up whether to send a package to the representatives of the PSG forward ahead of what has been labelled a sensational 2024 move.

The Frenchman's contract is due to expire at the end of next season, so this summer may be the last chance PSG have to receive a transfer fee for their prized asset, who has also been linked with a move to Real Madrid.

At this stage, it is thought the La Liga side are leading the race for the 24-year-old, and they could make an offer this summer, should his current club reduce their asking price, but at the moment they are holding firm.

Arsenal are aware they are currently second-choice to Real Madrid, and they will have to hope the Spanish club fail in their pursuit of the attacker.

How much does Kylian Mbappe earn?

The France international is currently tied down to a huge £1.2m-per-week contract at PSG, so the Gunners will be well aware they must be willing to spend big if they are to secure his signature this summer

In truth, it does not seem very likely the Gunners will be able to compete for his signature, as while they do have Champions League football on offer next season, the PSG star will probably want to move to a side with a more recent history of winning major trophies.

However, if the former AS Monaco man is attracted by the prospect of being a part of the project at the Emirates Stadium, there is every indication he could be a fantastic signing, who could help take Arsenal to the next level.

Hailed as a "generational talent" by members of the media, Mbappe has recorded a remarkable 212 goals and 98 assists in 260 appearances for PSG, proving himself as one of the world's best players.

Jonathan Tah is one name on a list of players on Tottenham Hotspur's "radar", according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The German international is one of a few options that new manager Ange Postecoglou wants to add to the heart of his defence going into the new Premier League season.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news – What's the latest on Jonathan Tah

With Clement Lenglet returning to Barcelona in the summer and the side shipping a disastrous 63 goals in the league last season, the defence is an area of the north London side that desperately needs improving for next season, something Tah could assist with.

Luckily for Spurs, German publication Sport BILD have reported that the 27-year-old could be sold for little as just €18m (£16m) due to an exit clause placed in his contract, something Daniel Levy and Co could exploit.

Another benefit of signing Tah is that he would be unlikely to command excessively high wages as the German international is only on a reported £58,000-a-week in Westphalia.

Levy will want to get a move on, however, as alongside Spurs, BILD (via Sportwitness) have reported that West Ham United hold a 'very concrete' interest in the player, and with the money they look set to receive for Declan Rice could rival Tottenham for the player's signature.

What has transfer insider Dean Jones said about Jonathan Tah to Tottenham Hotspur?

Jones highlighted a list of centre-backs that Tottenham have an interest in, but clarified that some of their pre-Postecoglou targets may not fit his attacking philosophy.

Writing for GiveMeSport, he said: "Other names on Tottenham's radar up to now are Manchester United's Harry Maguire, Inter Milan's Alessandro Bastoni, 6ft 5 Jonathan Tah of Bayer Leverkusen – who has previously been compared to Bayern Munich's Dayot Upamecano – and Max Kilman of Wolves – but not all of their targets pre-Postecoglou stand up to the new requirements needed at the heart of the defence for next season."

Would Johnathan Tah be a good signing for Tottenham Hotspur?

For the rumoured price of just £16m, Tah could prove to be an excellent signing for the Lilywhites as they look to begin a new project under their Australian manager.

The 6 foot 5 "battleship", as once described by ex-teammate Christoph Kramer, has had a strong season for Leverkusen in the Bundesliga this year, with WhoScored giving him a respectable average match rating of 6.58.

He has done even better in the Europa League, averaging a great 6.95 across his eight games in the European competition.

The deal would also make perfect sense for manager Postecoglou, as the former Celtic man is well known for his desire to play exciting, attacking football that requires his centre-backs to be strong on the ball and possess a good range of passing.

That is an area Tah excels.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the Bayer man is in the top 10% of centrebacks for his pass completion per 90, an impressive 90.2%.

Former manager Peter Bosz was so impressed by the player, he compared him to one of the most celebrated defenders still playing, Virgil Van Dijk, saying:

"I certainly see parallels between Jonathan and Virgil van Dijk."

With the price, his statistics, and the reviews from former managers, Jonathan Tah would surely thrive under the tutelage of the progressive Postecoglou at Tottenham.

A new report suggests the popularity of domestic T20 cricket in England rose sharply during 2016.The YouGov SportsIndex Report 2017 places the NatWest Blast among the top 10 sporting events in terms of public perception for the first time.The report comes as the ECB executive continue plans to launch a new T20 competition on top of the NatWest Blast in the belief that the county system will not deliver a tournament of maximum impact.The SportsIndex report analyses the performance of overall recent public awareness and sentiment of news about leading UK and international sports competitions events by interviewing 100 people each day. Respondents are asked: “Over the past two weeks, which of the following sporting events have you heard something positive/negative about?”It them measures the ‘buzz’ about each event by defining the net difference between the amount of respondents hearing positive news and those hearing negative news in the previous two weeks. Buzz may also be negative if the event has been subject to a high level of negative publicity.The report states: “Twenty20 Cricket is English cricket’s 2016 success story, with efforts to re-position and market the game as an all-round entertainment spectacle seriously paying off and contributing to its much-improved buzz score.”The 2016 Olympics was rated as the top event, with the Paralympics third and the Six Nations fourth. Wimbledon (tennis) was second with the Tour de France rated fifth. The Premier League (football) was rated sixth with the NatWest Blast in seventh position. Test cricket was ranked eighth. The NatWest Blast competition was ranked 21st in the previous year.While the NatWest Blast was branded a “mediocre” competition by ECB chairman Colin Graves on its eve in 2016, tickets sales have grown by 63 per-cent over the last four years.The Blast has been built on the principle of appointment to view – playing games at a predictable time, usually Friday evenings – across all 18 first-class counties, although has been abandoned for 2017 with the tournament taking place in a more condensed midsummer slot.The envisaged new competition moves away from the long-established professional circuit and will feature games every night of the week and be based in only eight main centres.It also comes as it emerges that the number of tickets sold for games for the 2016 competition may have reached 950,000. ECB figures exclude all sales from games which are subsequently abandoned due to bad weather and declared a figure of 815,609, down from 827,654 in 2016. There were 15 abandoned fixtures in 2016 and seven in 2015.