Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman issued a worrying update on Frenkie de Jong's fitness who is yet to fully recover from his ankle injury.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
De Jong returned to action earlier in October
Did not make the Netherlands squad
Koeman provided update on the midfielder's fitness
Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱
WHAT HAPPENED?
The Dutch midfielder has been out of action since April due to ankle ligament damage, forcing him to miss the European Championship in the summer and then the start of the 2024-25 campaign. He finally returned to action earlier this month and appeared as a substitute in Barcelona's Champions League and La Liga fixtures against Young Boys and Alaves, respectively.
Advertisement
Getty Images Sport
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Despite staging a comeback for his club, De Jong was overlooked by Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman for the national team for their ongoing Nations League clashes. The Dutch coach recently explained his decision to ignore the Blaugrana star as he claimed that the player is far from recovering from his knock.
WHAT RONALD KOEMAN SAID
Speaking to Sport, the 61-year-old said, "I spoke on the phone last week and, with all due respect, he is still too far away [from being fit enough]. He played a little and just that was scary for him. It was difficult for him. Frenkie needs to find his rhythm and be in 100% shape and I think he still has some time to go for that."
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty Images
WHAT NEXT FOR NETHERLANDS?
After a 1-1 draw against Hungary on Friday, Koeman's side will be back in action on Monday as they take on Germany in an exciting Nations League fixture.
Rangers have agreed a deal for another summer signing and are even hoping to make a second addition this week, according to reports.
Rangers active on transfer front
Rangers endured a mixed 2023/24 campaign on the whole. Philippe Clement's side won the Scottish League Cup earlier this year but the remainder of their season was somewhat disappointing. The Gers missed out on the Scottish Premiership title to Celtic once again, lost the Scottish FA Cup final and were knocked out of the Europa League in the last 16.
Rangers eyeing "remarkable" 31-goal star who'd be lethal with Cantwell
The Light Blues are reportedly looking at the marksman as a possible option for this summer’s window.
ByDan Emery Jun 16, 2024
In turn, Rangers are expected to be busy on the transfer front this summer as they look to put an end to Celtic's reign of dominance in the Premiership. Jefte and Oscar Cortes have already joined the Scottish powerhouse, with the latter once again coming in on loan from Lens, while Clinton Nsiala will officially move to the club on 1st July, sealing a permanent switch from AC Milan.
Rangers do not look set to stop there, however. Hammarby youngster Nathaniel Adjei is reportedly wanted by the Gers, with a £5m move to Ibrox potentially on the cards. Elsewhere, the Gers appear to be leading the race to sign 20-year-old forward Yusuf Kabadayi from Bayern Munich in a deal that could be worth between £1m-1.5m.
Rangers are already on the verge of another signing
Now, a fresh Rangers transfer update has been provided with yet another player seemingly on his way to Ibrox. The player in question is FAR Rabat and Morocco U23 international, Hamza Igamane. The 21-year-old scored seven goals and provided six assists for his current side across the 2023/24 campaign, with his excellent form putting him in contention to be named in the Moroccan squad for this summer’s Olympics.
Before the Olympics gets underway, though, Igamane could be on his way to Scotland, with The Daily Record reporting that the Gers have agreed to sign the striker in a deal worth £1.7m and even expect to announce his move in the coming days.
As well as Igamane, the Scottish outfit are also hoping to complete a deal for Aberdeen midfielder Connor Barron. The 21-year-old has recently returned from a holiday and is expected to make a decision on his future soon. Barron is out of contract at the end of this month and The Daily Record state that Rangers hope to confirm his signing this week.
Rangers have made a "strong offer" for Barron but are set to face competition for his signature with the likes of Plymouth, Swansea City, Stoke City, Hellas Verona and Cardiff City named as interested parties. Should the player indeed agree to choose Rangers as his next club, compensation will need to be agreed with Aberdeen.
Ousmane Dembele stands accused of lacking “respect” at PSG, with Luis Enrique explaining his decision to drop the winger for a trip to Arsenal.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Forward has been in fine form of late
Coach has taken issue with his behaviour
World Cup winner out of trip to London
Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱
Getty
WHAT HAPPENED?
The Ligue 1 title holders are set to face Premier League giants in Champions League competition on Tuesday. Paris Saint-Germain have made the trip to north London without World Cup winner Dembele forming part of their plans.
Advertisement
WHAT LUIS ENRIQUE SAID
He has scored four goals this season, and figured in PSG’s latest outing against Rennes, but now finds himself on the outside looking in. Luis Enrique has told reporters when asked about Dembele’s absence: “If someone doesn’t comply or respect the expectations of the team, it means they are not prepared to play. The match is very important and I want all my players to be ready, so as a consequence I have left him [Dembele] out. I want the best for my team and that is my job.
“These circumstances are difficult and you have to take difficult decisions. But I am 100% engaged with my decision, and 100% sure of the decision I have made. It doesn’t mean this is irreversible, but I took the best decision for the team and that is why I signed here, to create a team that has a strong identity and has a lot of character.
“I was also hired to win titles. I cannot guarantee that. But I can guarantee the rest, which is playing with a strong identity. The day I cannot do this I will go home. I have the support of the club’s president and the sporting director. I am here to create a team and in the future that might include Ousmane Dembele, just to be clear.”
Getty
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Luis Enrique added on reports of clashing with Dembele behind the scenes, leading to the France international being overlooked: “I am very honest and I will be honest, but I am not going to create a soap opera out of this. There are no problems between us. That is completely false. This is simply about the responsibilities of the player.”
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
WHAT NEXT?
After facing Arsenal in continental action, PSG will return to domestic duty on Sunday when taking in a trip to Nice – with it yet to be determined whether Dembele will be welcomed back into the fold for that contest.
England prepare to get white-ball summer up and running with inter-squad warm-up game
ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jul-2020
Moeen Ali bowls in England training•Getty Images
Moeen Ali has been named as Eoin Morgan’s vice-captain for England three-match ODI against Ireland.Moeen, recently named as captain of Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred, is the second most experienced ODI player in the squad having played 102 such games. He has also previously captained England U19s and, when available between England commitments, Worcestershire in T20 cricket, whom he led to the Vitality Blast title in 2018.Moeen has also been named as one of the team captain’s in Tuesday’s warm-up match. The match, a 40-overs a side game, will be live-streamed on ecb.co.uk from 11am. A second warm-up match will take place on Friday from 2pm. England Lions, meanwhile, will play Ireland on Sunday July 26 from 2pm.Due to various injury concerns and a desire to ensure a decent amount of cricket for those players expected to feature in the ODI series, some players are expected to bat more than once in the warm-up games. Tom Banton, for example, is scheduled to bat for both teams in today’s match. Members of the coaching staff, such as Paul Collingwood and James Foster, could well help out with fielding.The series and the warm-up games are being played behind closed door at the Ageas Bowl. England’s squad for the series will be confirmed early next week. The first match is on July 30
The attacking midfielder has been promised a consistent role at the Bundesliga club this season, despite exit rumors
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Reyna will stay at Dortmund after positive talks
Told by sporting director to "accept role"
Reportedly no offers on the table for an exit
Getty
WHAT HAPPENED?
After heavy speculation about his future, Gio Reyna is set to remain at Dortmund for the 2024-25 season, Sporting Director Sebastian Kehl confirmed in an interview. The two parties reportedly held talks over the summer and agreed on a role for the USMNT midfielder for the club. This follows a disappointing 2023-24 campaign in which Reyna made only a few appearances for the Bundesliga side and during his loan to Nottingham Forest in January.
Advertisement
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Despite failing to reach expectations last season, Reyna played a big role for the USMNT in Copa America. The midfielder started all three group games for the hosts, and impressed in the tournament opener against Bolivia in an ultimately unsuccessful campaign.
WHAT SEBASTIAN KEHL SAID
Kehl elaborated on Reyna's future at the club in an interview with German publication : "He has to accept his role, free himself from it. It was clear when we had the talks in the summer that Gio wanted to take on this role. That there will be enough games in which we need it. We know that he has insane abilities. He worked on himself, worked on stability, worked on radiance. This clever turning up between the lines and his goal threat – he has further developed this. So Gio can still become very important for us this season. There are no other thoughts. There is nothing on the table and I don't sense that the player wants to leave."
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty Images
WHAT NEXT FOR REYNA?
The USMNT midfielder seems set to stay in Germany for at least one more season. His current Dortmund contract expires in 2026 – at which point he will be 23.
Tottenham Hotspur snapped a four-match losing streak in the Premier League with a hard-fought, nervy victory over Burnley, who were consequently relegated on their return to the top flight.
Ange Postecoglou's side had plummeted in recent weeks, so feeble and flimsy across the board, but three points in the penultimate home fixture have consolidated Spurs' hold on a Europa League-qualifying position.
It was not a good performance, far from the fluency and ferocity of Tottenham's early-season exploits, but it will not matter to Postecoglou as he seeks a successful end to his first campaign in England.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou
As has so often been the case this term, Micky van de Ven played a blinder and salvaged the win for his side, scoring late on after cutting inside and firing a well-taken finish to send the Clarets spiralling.
Micky van de Ven's stats vs Burnley
Tottenham signed Van de Ven from German side Wolfsburg in a £43m transfer last summer and he has proved himself invaluable throughout the season, hailed for his "frightening" athletic ability by teammate James Maddison.
Throughout the campaign, he has endured periods of absence due to injury and the loss of his singular qualities has been keenly felt by his Spurs side, with five of the seven losses before the four-game skid arriving without the 23-year-old's inclusion.
Against Burnley, he might have popped up with the match-winning moment but this must not take from a stunning all-round performance that saw the Dutchman switch to left-back when Radu Dragusin entered the field of play after 75 minutes.
Writing in his post-match thoughts, football.london's Alasdair Gold lauded the 'imperious' performance and handed Van de Ven an 8/10 match rating, with his energy felt as he mopped everything up, his crispness observed through some pinpoint and controlled passing and his defensive solitity noted after he won 100% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.
He was top-notch, as has been the case so often this season, but his effort saved the dismal display of some of his attacking teammates, with Dejan Kulusevski particularly poor on an afternoon that called for a big performance from the Swede.
Dejan Kulusevski's performance vs Burnley
Kulusevski has lost his way in recent months and after starting all 19 of Tottenham's opening Premier League matches of the season, he has been benched four times and has clinched just one goal and one assist apiece since December.
Against Burnley, he needed to stand out and prove his worth as an indispensable member of the team but failed to do so, with Gold handing him a slightly generous 6/10 match rating and writing: 'Set up Johnson for an early chance and was busy around the pitch with a shot saved by Muric but his final ball was lacking and he lost the ball a couple of times in good positions.'
Dejan Kulusevski: Stats vs Burnley
Stat
#
Minutes played
75'
Goals
0
Assists
0
Touches
42
Accurate passes
11/17 (65%)
Shots taken
1
Key passes
3
Dribble attempts
0/3
Dribbled past
2x
Possession lost
20x
Duels won
4/18
Stats via Sofascore
He was dreadfully unconvincing in defensive moments and failed to progress the play with all three of his attempted dribbles, and while Kulusevski placed three key passes for his peers and had a good chance at goal, he was wasteful in possession and even lost 14 of his 18 contested duels to underline his poor effort.
Kulusevski is a talented and hard-working attacking midfielder and he proved himself a centrepiece of Postecoglou's system when it was firing on all cylinders in those fantastic first few months.
But he's fallen from form quite dramatically recently and will need to pick himself up across Spurs' final two games of the campaign, lest he lose his place after the summer.
Spurs lining up move for “world-class” £310k-p/w Kulusevski upgrade
Ange appears to be eager to bolster his team with some added firepower.
Newcastle United are eyeing the bargain signing of an “outstanding” young striker this summer, according to a fresh transfer rumour that emerged over the weekend.
Newcastle transfer news
The Magpies know the importance of having a strong summer window, following a season that has ended up being more disappointing than many expected, with Premier League results below-par and Champions League elimination at the group stage.
Lots of players have been linked with moves to Newcastle in recent months, with Eddie Howe no doubt eyeing signings in various areas of the pitch, with ageing players needing to be replaced and squad depth looking to be improved.
Juventus star Federico Chiesa has been backed to join the Magpies a number of times of late, but Barcelona are also believed to be providing competition for his signature. The Italian is out of contract at Juve in 2025, so the Serie A side could look to cash in on him this summer.
Juventus forward Federico Chiesa.
Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White has been backed to join Newcastle, too, following a strong season in the Premier League, but Tottenham are rivalling them in the race to sign him, and could be able to offer him Champions League football next season.
It is also essential that Newcastle could keep hold of some of their most important players, and there is hope that Bruno Guimaraes will now stay put at St James' Park, having bought a new house for his family in Northumberland.
Newcastle eyeing bargain summer signing
According to an update from The Chronicle, Newcastle are interested in completing the bargain signing of Ricky-Jade Jones this summer, with the Peterborough United ace available for just £2m.
He is described in the report as the "best presser in League One", adding that "Financial fair play restrictions mean United could be on the hunt for bargain signings this summer, which would allow them to strengthen while spending larger amounts on key targets".
Granted, Jones might not be the big-name, big-money signing that Newcastle fans will want to bolster their attack at the end of the season, but he could still be such a shrewd signing, with Liverpool, who are renowned for their analytics-based scouting, also linked with him. The 21-year-old has scored 10 goals and registered four assists in 29 League One starts this season, and he is capable of shining mainly as a centre forward, but also out wide, especially on the left wing.
Given his age, he would also be considered a long-term target, while Peterborough manager Darren Ferguson has heaped praise on him, saying: "Ricky’s family were very excited when I met them. They are a great group and very close and Ricky is an outstanding young man.
"He deserves the professional contract. We feel he has real potential. He has a great attitude and work ethic. It is just the start, but he has a desire to work hard and that is vitally important. He has real quality, is a big lad, has unbelievable pace and is the quickest player that I have worked with."
Ricky-Jade Jones' League One stats this season
Total
Appearances
42
Starts
29
Goals
10
Assists
4
Shots per game
1.8
Dribbles per game
0.6
Key passes per game
0.4
Jones' pace certainly catches the eye, and could be a potent weapon for Newcastle, and at a time when astute business is required in order to adhere to Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, it makes perfect sense.
As they look to seal promotion back to the Championship, Derby County have been handed a fresh injury blow, with a key player not expected to return for the rest of the season.
Derby injury news
With Bolton Wanderers up next, Derby sit just one point above their upcoming opponents and in the final automatic promotion place. Putting it simply, the stakes couldn't get much higher this weekend, which makes the Rams' latest injury news all the more frustrating. Paul Warne will be hoping that his squad can do enough to at least avoid defeat and maintain control in the push for promotion.
As things stand, there are just eight games left of the League One season with everything to play for. In that run, the best-case scenario is a full squad to choose from, but Warne will be without eight players for at least some of, if not all of the run-in, as per The Derby Telegraph.
Derby's injury list
Possible return date
Max Bird
Early April
Tyrese Fornah
Doubt for Bolton
James Collins
Late March
Tyrese John-Jules
Season over
Ryan Nyambe
Season over
Conor Washington
End of the season
Jake Rooney
End of the season
Josh Vickers
Doubt for Bolton
Warne revealed the latest twist prior to his side's all-important clash this weekend when speaking to the media. He told BBC Sport that Ryan Nyambe's injury required surgery, which has ended his season.
Now in the final stretch of games, Derby will have to cope without their right-back and seek replacements elsewhere in the squad.
"Fantastic" Nyambe's injury is a frustrating blow
Signed on a free deal following his release from Wigan Athletic in September, Nyambe has quickly proved to be a bargain addition to Warne's squad at Pride Park, starting 17 games and even earning a place at the African Cup of Nations with Namibia in the process. His season is now over, however, following the need for an operation.
Before that surgery, there may have been some hope that the 26-year-old would make an injury comeback at a vital stage of the season, but Derby will ultimately never know.
Birmingham manager Tony Mowbray will know exactly what Derby will miss in the absence of Nyambe, having showered the right-back with praise during his Blackburn Rovers days, via the Lancashire Telegraph.
Ex-Celtic striker Frank McAvennie has warned his former club to "be aware" of a potential transfer development happening at Rangers this summer.
Rangers eyeing summer signings
The Gers may be focusing on winning the Scottish Premiership title this season, but work will also be going on behind the scenes to complete some important summer transfer business.
Abdallah Sima has been an excellent loan signing from Brighton in 2023/24 to date, even though injuries have disrupted his campaign, with ten league goals coming his way to date. The Seagulls are happy to offload him at the end of the season, and it could be that Rangers strike a permanent deal for him.
Fabio Silva
Fabio Silva finds himself in a similar position, too, admittedly not impressing as much as Sima this season, but potentially leaving Wolves for good this summer, at which point the Gers could look to retain his services albeit for a larger fee.
Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland is seen as another top option to bolster Philippe Clement's attack, possibly even standing out as a superior player to both Sima and Silva. He leads the Scottish scoring charts so far in 2023/24, finding the net 20 times in the league.
McAvennie shares Shankland warning to Celtic
Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie admitted that Shankland joining Rangers could be a great piece of business, and one that he could see happening.
"I don’t understand why the Shankland rumours are all over the place if there’s nothing in it. I think he would do well at Rangers. He hasn’t got the pace for England. Unfortunately for him, the Premier League is all about pace. But Shankland is a very intelligent player, he’s great with his feet. Has he got the pace to play in England? No.
"He’ll score goals in Scotland. I think it’ll be an interesting one if he goes to Ibrox – it’s a real step in the right direction and something Celtic will have to be aware of."
Regardless of what Rangers are planning with Sima and Silva this summer – Champions League qualification may need to achieved in order for them to afford at least one of them – Shankland should be considered a brilliant choice to come in and make Rangers' attacking even more fearsome.
Lawrence Shankland
20
James Tavernier
15
Bojan Miovski
14
Cyriel Dessers
13
Matt O'Riley
12
Theo Bair
12
Kyogo Furuhashi
10
Simon Murray
10
Abdallah Sima
10
The 28-year-old is now an experienced player who knows the Scottish Premiership inside out, and his performances this season suggest that he is a player who is coming right into his prime.
From a Celtic perspective, seeing the Gers snap up Shankland would be a big concern, at a time when Clement's men have not only narrowed the gap hugely on their rivals, but are also threatening to pip them to title glory.
Rangers must unleash "player of the season" in place of Silva
Rangers face their most important match of the season against Celtic this weekend
ByRoss Kilvington Apr 1, 2024
The Hoops should also be looking to strike a deal for the Scot, although the fact that the Hearts star is a boyhood Rangers supporter could quickly put paid to that.
James Rodriguez is being linked with a move back to Spain as Atletico Madrid have been impressed by his Copa America performances for Colombia.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
James shining for Colombia at Copa AmericaAtletico & Real Sociedad interested in himWill face Uruguay in semi-finals this weekWHAT HAPPENED?
Real Sociedad have emerged as candidates to sign the 32-year-old amid his strong performances with the national team, but reports that more interest from Spain is developing, with Atletico already acting on their long-held interest in him.
Advertisement(C)GettyImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
This is not the first time Rodriguez has been close to signing for Atletico. He admitted three years ago that he could have united with Diego Simeone before he left Real Madrid to join Everton. Atleti boss Simeone's admiration has never disappeared and they could snap him up for a low fee given his contract with Sao Paulo is now in its final 12 months.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Colombia captain and former Monaco and Real Madrid star has made five assists and scored one goal to help fire his side to the Copa America semi-finals, beating Paraguay, Costa Rica and Panama and drawing with Brazil along the way.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR JAMES?
The attacking midfielder will hope to fire his team to the Copa America final when they come up against Uruguay in the semi-finals this week. The winners will go on to meet Argentina in the tournament decider.