Liverpool prioritising "incredible" £233k-p/w Alexander-Arnold replacement

With Trent Alexander-Arnold’s current contract still set to expire in the summer, one potential replacement has now reportedly crept up Liverpool’s list of priorities in 2025.

Liverpool transfer news

On the pitch, things can’t get much better for Liverpool, who have lost just one game under Arne Slot in all competitions. Even when rotated, the Dutchman’s side managed to get the job done against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup thanks to Cody Gakpo’s impressive brace and Luis Diaz’s effort from the bench in Sussex.

Away from the action, however, things aren’t going so smoothly. As things stand, Liverpool are set to bid farewell to Mohamed Salah, Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk on free deals at the end of the season in what would be the ultimate disaster for those at Anfield.

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Left with no choice but to at least sound out replacements whilst those contract situations remain unsolved, the likes of Arda Guler have been linked to replace Salah and now one other European star has been placed among the names to potentially replace Alexander-Arnold.

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool are now prioritising a move to sign Achraf Hakimi to replace Alexander-Arnold, but face competition from Real Madrid and Manchester City in pursuit of the Paris Saint-Germain defender’s signature.

Man City target Achraf Hakimi PSG

Having featured for Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid and now PSG throughout his career, adding Liverpool to an impressive CV would be rather fitting for a player of Hakimi’s stature. Earning a reported £233,000-a-week, however, it remains to be seen whether the Reds would pay such a price, given that only Salah currently earns more than that at Anfield.

The Morroco international is, nonetheless, the type of player who could replace Alexander-Arnold which makes 2025 all the more interesting.

"Incredible" Hakimi one of few who could replace Alexander-Arnold

Although a different type of attacking full-back – perhaps more the traditional kind than one who will step into midfield like Alexander-Arnold – Hakimi should be among the top candidates to replace the Liverpool star should he decide to depart Anfield in the summer. The former Borussia Dortmund ace, whose speed was once dubbed “incredible” by Marco Reus, would be adding one more string to his bow by completing a move to the Premier League.

League stats 24/25 (via FBref)

Achraf Hakimi

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Goals

1

0

Assists

3

1

Ball Recoveries

42

36

Key Passes

23

17

Even though it may seem like Hakimi has been at the top of European football forever, he is still just 25 years old and a player with plenty more to offer. If the Reds can find a way past his hefty salary then the right-back should arguably be the leading candidate to replace Alexander-Arnold at Anfield.

Of course, however, the Liverpool academy graduate would put pen to paper on a new deal in the most ideal world. Whether that proves to the reality in Merseyside, rather than the dream, remains to be seen.

Club planning to make 300x what they paid as Newcastle eye "monster" talent

Newcastle United are believed to be lining up a move for a defensive colossus who is seen as one of Europe’s biggest talents currently, according to an exciting new transfer claim.

Newcastle transfer news

Plenty of Magpies transfer rumours are doing the rounds currently, with a move for Paris Saint-Germain and France striker Randal Kolo Muani mooted. The Ligue 1 giants appear to be happy to let him leave, not least manager Luis Enrique, and the Premier League side are reportedly one of the clubs he has been offered to.

Oscar Gloukh is a player who could have a massive future in the game, having already become an important player for RB Salzburg, scoring five goals in as many starts in the Austrian Bundesliga this season. The 20-year-old may even be available for as little as £29m in the January transfer window, and Newcastle are seen as contenders to snap him up.

Bayern Munich and Germany star Leroy Sane has also been linked with an eye-catching switch to St James’ Park, although they are far from the only Premier League side in the mix to snap him up. At 28, Paul Mitchell would also have to weigh up whether he was a reliable long-term option, especially as he would likely demand big wages.

Newcastle are still said to be pursuing a move for Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo, too, with advanced talks even being mentioned. The 24-year-old has become one of his side’s most influential players, assisting against Eddie Howe’s men earlier in the campaign.

Newcastle eyeing move for defensive "monster"

According to Jeunes Footeux [via Sport Witness], Newcastle are eyeing a move for highly-rated Lens centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov. Fellow Premier League side Everton are also mentioned as possible suitors for the 20-year-old, with his current club demanding up to €30m for his services, a huge markup from the €100k they paid for him in 2023.

The report adds that he is “described as a monster” by his teammates and is “one of the greatest talents in the European football this season”. If Lens get their asking price, they would be selling him for 300 times what they signed him for – a stunning 30,000% profit.

Centre-back is clearly a key area of focus for Mitchell, with Marc Guehi a primary transfer throughout the summer transfer window, and Khusanov could still be a bargain in comparison to the Crystal Palace ace despite the huge profit Lens would make.

Granted, he isn’t quite as polished at this point in his career, but he has already made 25 appearances for Lens, starting six Ligue 1 games this season and featuring eight times, averaging 4.3 clearances and 2.3 aerial duel wins per match in the process.

Appearances

8

Starts

6

Goals

0

Assists

0

Clearances per game

4.3

Aerial duel wins per game

2.3

Interceptions per hame

2.1

Tackles per game

1.0

Khusanov has also won 16 caps for Uzbekistan, highlighting his importance already at senior international level, and the sky appears to be the limit for him.

Sherfane Rutherford makes it three wins from three for Patriots

Sherfane Rutherford’s second half-century of the CPL season guided St Kitts and Nevis Patriots to their third straight victory in a chase that had threatened to get out of hand before a late charge to the line.After an opening stand of 69 in nine overs between Devon Thomas and Evin Lewis, Patriots stalled as they lost 3 for 4 – Imran Tahir removing both openers – and when Rutherford and Dwayne Bravo struggled to score at much more than a run-a-ball the asking rate blew out above 11 an over.However, from needing 45 off 24 balls the game swung in Patriots’ favour when Rutherford was spilled on the rope by Kevin Sinclair with the ball going for six. When the 18th over went for 13 it left 19 needed off the last two with plenty of wickets in hand.The first three balls of the penultimate over threatened a twist when they brought just a single and the wicket of Bravo – taken at long-off against Naveen-ul-Haq – but a wide followed by two more sixes for Rutherford put any doubt to bed before Fabian Allen struck his first delivery for four.Guyana Amazon Warriors’ innings had been based around half-centuries from Mohammad Hafeez and Shimron Hetmyer in a 101-run stand for the second wicket. While Hetmyer scored at a good clip – his 52 taking 35 balls – Hafeez struggled to move through the gears with the pair falling in consecutive deliveries from Paul van Meekeren in the 18th over.It meant that Nicholas Pooran was only able to face nine balls in the innings and overall the last four overs brought an underwhelming 30 runs as van Meekeren, Dominic Drakes and Bravo closed out strongly.

Federico Chiesa wants January transfer after 123 minutes at Liverpool! Struggling winger asks for Serie A return amid AC Milan & Napoli interest

Federico Chiesa reportedly wants out of Liverpool after just 123 minutes of action, with the Italian winger looking for a January return to Serie A.

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  • Moved to Anfield from Juventus in 2024
  • Limited opportunities to impress
  • Wants to head home in winter window
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  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    The Euro 2020 winner bid farewell to his homeland in the summer of 2024 when completing a cut-price move to Anfield. With his contract at Juventus running down, and having suffered a number of injuries in Turin, Chiesa was allowed to head for England in a €12 million (£10m/$12m) deal.

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    The 27-year-old has continued to struggle on the fitness front, with Arne Slot yet to be convinced that he is ready to play a regular role for the Premier League leaders. Chiesa has figured in just one top-flight game for Liverpool, while his only start came in a Carabao Cup win over West Ham.

  • WHAT SLOT HAS SAID

    Three of Chiesa’s four appearances for Liverpool came in September 2024, with his last minutes seen off the bench on December 18. Slot has said of the Italy international: "If a player is out for five or six months, you cannot expect [him to be at his best straight away]. Normally in a pre-season a player gets three, four or five games, especially. And then he’s only had four or five weeks now he’s out for so long, so to get him back to his best level is not easy."

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    According to , Chiesa is now pushing for a January transfer. Any agreement there is likely to be a short-term loan, with teams in Italy reluctant to meet even half of the forward’s supposed €7.5m (£6m/$8m) annual salary.

Spinners, Avishka Fernando, Bhanuka Rajapaksa give Sri Lanka vital Super league points

Sri Lanka spinners ripped through India’s middle order after a long rain break, taking five wickets in the space of 38 runs, to knock the wind out of India’s innings. Then, chasing 227 in 47 overs, opener Avishka Fernando compiled a mature 76 off 98 balls to put Sri Lanka on the brink of victory. There were some middle-order jitters, but the 109-run second-wicket partnership Fernando had put on with Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who hit 65 off 56, had made enough ground to eventually see the hosts clamber to their second ODI win of the year. The winning runs were hit with three wickets and 48 balls to spare, earning Sri Lanka 10 valuable ODI Super League points. They move to 11th on the table. Only the first seven teams gain automatic qualification.India, fielding as many as five debutants, and having made six changes to the side that sealed the series on Tuesday, were, for a change, the team that made the most mistakes. In addition to losing wickets in a heap, there were poor reviews, and at least three dropped catches. They had had one good partnership, between Prithvi Shaw and Sanju Samson, which was worth 74, but none of their batsmen hit a half-century in relatively good batting conditions.With what was essentially a third-string attack on show for India, the bowling lacked the menace the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal and Deepak Chahar provided earlier in the series. Although Rahul Chahar’s legspin caused problems late in his spell, precipitating the fall of four Sri Lanka wickets for 26 runs, they were always struggling to derail the chase.It wasn’t easy for hosts however. It fell to No. 7 Ramesh Mendis and No. 9 Akila Dananjaya to complete the victory. If Shikhar Dhawan had taken a tough chance off Rajapaksa on 32, or if Shaw at slip had held on to a chance off Mendis first ball, there was a chance panic could have overtaken the Sri Lanka dressing room.Earlier, India had been scorching a path to a total in the range of 300 when the rains arrived. They had been 147 for 3 after 23 overs, with Suryakumar Yadav quickly warming to his work, Manish Pandey batting alongside him. But Sri Lanka’s spinners suddenly appeared much more threatening after the 100-minute interruption. Pandey edged debutant Praveen Jayawickrama behind in the 25th over, then Hardik Pandya was given out lbw (upon review) against the same bowler, in the 29th.Praveen Jayawickrama picked up 3 for 59•AFP/Getty Images

Dananjaya then took over, finding purchase with both his offbreak and the legbreak. He had Yadav lbw for 40 off 37, then K Gowtham lbw as well, the batter missing a full toss. Later in that same over, when Rana sent an outside edge to the keeper, India had been reduced to 195 for 8. The spinners took three wickets apiece, Dananjaya giving away only 14 runs off his last five overs, after his first five had gone for 30. Chamika Karunaratne and Dushmantha Chameera then came back into the attack to bounce out the tail, and have India all out at the start of the 44th over.Sri Lanka lost Minod Bhanuka in the sixth over of the chase, but Fernando played a restrained innings, hitting only the bad balls away, and taking few of his usual risks even inside the powerplay. Rajapaksa lived more dangerously, once inside-edging Hardik Pandya past the keeper while on 20, but also produced some beautifully timed boundaries, sometimes making room or coming down the track to blast the spinners.With Rajapaksa on the attack, Fernando settled into a rhythm of taking singles and twos into the outfield, gradually advancing his score, and reaching his second half-century of the series off the 53rd ball he faced. Rajapaksa brought up his maiden ODI fifty with a reverse-swept boundary off Chahar in the 20th over. He was out not long after, caught at fine leg off Chetan Sakariya, but had made a valuable – if streaky – contribution.The only other partnership of note in the match had been between Shaw and Samson. India had set off quickly during the powerplay, and despite the loss of Dhawan, had been 66 for 1 after 10 overs. Early in the middle overs, the batting pair were intent on putting the spinners under pressure. Shaw, for example, struck three fours in four balls in Jayawickrama’s third ODI over. Their aggression also contributed to their downfall, however. Shaw was out for a run-a-ball 49 when he missed a leg-side shot against Dasun Shanaka, and Samson came down the track attempting to hit Jayawickrama inside out and was caught at cover for a run-a-ball 46.

Nathan Gilchrist snares four wickets as Yorkshire and Kent share the spoils

Youngster impresses in second game, Gary Ballance falls four shy of his century in rain-affected draw

Paul Edwards09-May-2021
“The problem with old coppers’ tricks, Constable Boyle, is that old coppers know ’em,” says Inspector Raymond Fowler in the 1996 British sitcom . Likewise the point about four-day cricket pitches is that they are meant to last four days. This is absolutely as it should be and it is also what the captain of England has requested. But the slightly unfortunate consequence of this otherwise laudable policy is that County Championship matches are less likely to produce a victor if a day is lost.So even before the umpires compounded Saturday’s washout by deciding that no play would be possible before lunch on the final afternoon of this contest, it was plain that its principal points of interest would be whether Gary Ballance would score the nine runs he needed for his 41st first-class century and which of these sides might claim most bonus points. And as players almost always observe when games are done, we will not know the precise value of such small advantages until July at the earliest.It was rather clearer that should Kent bowl 110 overs, the cricketers would be filling the time before fistbumps and coaches home. It would be meaningful middle practice a month into a long season. Such a relatively pointless session was avoided and you can be sure Nathan Gilchrist will recall this rather desultory Sunday in Leeds. On Friday he had taken his maiden wickets in first-class cricket; this afternoon he added two more and the 20-year-old can hardly have done any more to impress Kent’s coaches in his second first-class game. Indeed, had wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson clung on to a catch off Ben Coad in the game’s penultimate over Gilchrist would have been leaving Headingley with a five-fer.Related

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As things turned out we did not start until 2.45 and only 28.3 over were bowled before Yorkshire’s Duanne Olivier swiped Jack Leaning to Marcus O’Riordan at long on. That ended the home side’s innings on 321 and thereby settled the bonus points issue 6-5 in Kent’s favour. Since each side also takes eight points for the draw neither will be moaning after a contest that had comprised only two inningsAnd the cricket we saw did not want for incident. The first cricketer to thank for this – please do not think of doing so – was Ballance, who called Dominic Bess for a single and was run out by O’Riordan’s direct hit from backward point when four runs short of his hundred. That dismissal rather set the tone for an afternoon session in which Kent bowled 19.1 accurate overs and Yorkshire scratched about for 29 runs while losing two more wickets: Bess had his off stump knocked out by Darren Stevens when he played inside a ball that straightened up and Steve Patterson was caught behind off Gilchrist when attempting a flat-footed cut.Yorkshire’s ninth-wicket pair, Jordan Thompson and Coad, batted with far more purpose after tea and a rash of boundaries brought the 31 runs they needed for a third batting bonus point. Almost as soon as this was achieved, however, Thompson became Gilchrist’s fourth victim when he edged to Robinson and three overs later the umpires ushered the players off for a ten-minute rain break. The only thing at issue during the subsequent epilogue was whether Yorkshire could get another bonus point, and Coad’s run-a-ball 33 certainly gave them a hope of doing so. Leaning, though, put an end to such fond notions and left his old home-ground on a note of gentle triumph.

Ornstein: Wolves make offer to sign £120k-p/w ace in "difficult" transfer

Wolves are looking to add reinforcements to their ranks in the final days of the transfer window, and have tabled an offer for a Premier League ace in recent days, it has been revealed.

Wolves on a tight budget

So far, business has not been pretty at Molineux ahead of the new Premier League season, and that was reflected in a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on the opening day of the campaign for Gary O'Neil's side.

To date, the Old Gold have added three new faces and also made the loan of Tommy Doyle permanent, reaching a total outlay of £25m.

Wolves' new signings summer 2024

Player

Fee (as per Transfermarkt)

Rodrigo Gomes

€15m

Pedro Lima

€10m

Tommy Doyle

€5m

Jorgen Strand-Larsen

Loan

On the flip side, they have taken close to £100m from the sales of key duo Max Kilman and Pedro Neto to West Ham United and Chelsea respectively. And O'Neil sent a warning to those above him about just that when quizzed on potential additions in the final stages of the transfer window.

“No real update on names linked, it’s a ruthless league and we have an opportunity to be really clever and get some stuff done, the next 2 weeks is big for us…you take £100m last summer, you take £100m this summer, you can’t stand still,” he explained.

But he is set to be disappointed, with the reliable John Percy revealing that the "budget for remainder of the transfer window will be around £20m" despite their big sales, with Wolves "determined to safeguard their financial position".

As a result, the Old Gold will have to get creative with their transfer-making in the coming days, and they appear to have begun doing just that already.

Wolves discuss "difficult deal" for England international

That comes as David Ornstein reports that O'Neil's side are looking to pull off an ambitious move to sign Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale this summer.

The Arsenal no.2 seems set to leave in search of first-team football after starting just two Premier League games after the arrival of David Raya last summer, both of which Raya was ineligible for.

cody-gakpo-aaron-ramsdale-liverpool-opinion

With just two years left on his £120,000-a-week deal at the Emirates Stadium, the Gunners are keen to sell the goalkeeper this summer while his value remains high, and have reportedly placed a £30m price tag on his head.

Of course, that £30m fee is more than Wolves' reported remaining budget, but Ornstein reports that they have made an offer which consists of an "initial loan + buy option", in a move that could see the Midlands side cover the majority of his wages for the season.

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Despite the offer, it is added that Wolves are aware that it is a "difficult" deal, but that talks continue as they try to find a breakthrough and potentially upgrade on Jose Sa this summer.

Whether Arsenal will face more enticing interest from clubs around England who are perhaps willing to pay a fee this summer is likely to determine the success of the move for Wolves.

Southampton agree £7m fee to sign £40k-p/w forward; personal terms close

Southampton are closing in on another new face this summer as they look to avoid relegation from the Premier League during the 2024/25 season.

Busy summer for Southampton

Russell Martin's side edged past Leeds United in the Championship playoff final to earn their place in the top flight for the upcoming campaign, but the transfer window on the south coast so far has been somewhat underwhelming.

Though they have added 10 new faces to their squad, their two major purchases (in excess of £6m) have both been to make last season's loanees permanent residents at St Mary's. Taylor Harwood-Bellis' arrival was confirmed for £20m thanks to a clause in his contract that made the deal permanent if the club achieved promotion, while they also agreed a £15m deal with West Ham United to sign Flynn Downes.

The Saints also added Yuki Sugawara in a deal worth £5.5m, as well as promising young duo Nathan Wood (22) and Ronnie Edwards (21) from Swansea and Peterborough respectively. Beyond that, they have opted to sign five free agents, headlined by former Saint Adam Lallana as they look to blend experience and youth.

Southampton's new faces summer 2024

Player

Fee

Age

Taylor Harwood-Bellis

£20m

22

Flynn Downes

£15m

25

Yuki Sugawara

£5.5m

24

Nathan Wood

£3m

22

Ronnie Edwards

£3m

21

Adam Lallana

Free

36

Charlie Taylor

Free

30

Welington

Free

24

Juan

Free

22

Rento Takaoka

Free

18

With Che Adams having left as a free agent though, there is a hole at the top of the pitch, and the Saints are now on the verge of plugging it.

Southampton agree £7m deal for forward

That comes with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano revealing that Southampton have agreed a deal to sign Ben Brereton-Diaz from Villarreal.

The Chilean striker spent the second half of the 2023/24 campaign on loan with Sheffield United, where he scored six times in 14 outings but could not prevent the Blades from being relegated.

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Returning to Villarreal, he has been deemed surplus to requirements despite still having three years left to run on his £40,000 a week deal with the Yellow Submarine.

Now, Southampton have pounced, with the south coast side agreeing a fee of around £7m to bring Diaz back to England, where he made his name. Romano adds that personal terms are "on the verge of being agreed" with the contract "set to be signed soon" and Brereton-Diaz set to travel to Southampton to complete the move.

Ben Brereton Diaz for Villarreal.

Breaking through at Blackburn Rovers, Brereton-Diaz was hailed as having an "extraordinary" workrate by former manager Tony Mowbray back in 2021.

“He’s working extraordinarily hard tracking full backs – or wing-backs as it was today. So the physical output has been amazing really", the former Ewood Park boss explained.

“I’m just delighted he’s getting the rewards for all the hard work he does, as they all do to be honest. The training sessions are less group training sessions and more individual and the team are seeing the benefit of that.”

Capable of playing on the left-flank or centrally, he will add plenty of options to Martin's attack and brings extra experience of top flight football, which could prove invaluable in their relegation battle.

Mumbai set to miss out on IPL staging due to Covid-19 spike

Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad among potential venues

Nagraj Gollapudi01-Mar-2021The rising number of Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra is likely to rule out Mumbai as an IPL venue for the first time in the tournament’s history. Originally Mumbai, which is the home base of defending champions Mumbai Indians, was meant to be the central hub in hosting the 2021 IPL, but ESPNcricinfo understands the BCCI is thinking about staging the tournament outside of Maharashtra.Although a final decision remains to be taken it is understood Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Delhi have been tentatively earmarked as possible venues. A final decision is likely to be taken by the BCCI senior management along with the IPL governing council soon. The IPL will also finalise the tournament dates, which have not been announced yet but are likely to start anywhere between April 8-12 and stretch until end of May-early June period.Related

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At the IPL auction, held on February 18, franchises were informally told that the 2021 edition was likely to be largely based in Mumbai, along with Pune for the group phase and the play-offs in Ahmedabad.However, at a meeting last week in Ahmedabad during the third Test of the England series, top BCCI officials including board secretary Jay Shah, treasurer Arun Dhumal, IPL governing council chairman Brijesh Patel and interim board chief executive officer Hemang Amin, discussed the viability of Mumbai as a venue with concerns raised over the latest spike in coronavirus cases.As per the latest data published on the Indian government’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare website on Monday evening, Maharashtra had reported nearly half of coronavirus cases in India. Out of the nearly 169,000 cases in India, Maharashtra had 78,212. There were 4,478 new cases officially reported in the western state compared to Sunday, with 62 additional deaths.Last week’s meeting decided that the tournament could be played in multiple cities, but a final plan would only be arrived after the Election Commission of India announced the poll dates in various state including West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, which will conducted during the league phase of the IPL. West Bengal elections will be conducted across eight phases between March 27 and April 29 with the votes counted between May 2-4. The election in Tamil Nadu will be a day-long affair on April 6 with results on May 5.Even though a question mark hangs over Mumbai, the IPL has not included Mohali and Jaipur in the list of tentative venues. It could not be confirmed exactly the reasons behind the omission. The uncertainty over venues as well as the delay in announcing the tournament dates has left franchises disgruntled. Several confirmed that they are yet to receive any update formally from the IPL on either front.Some, including Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, contacted Amin asking him to shine light on the venues. Senior officials at both the Kings and the Sunrisers confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that after reading reports in Indian media at the weekend about the omission of their home bases of Mohali and Hyderabad they were curious.Satish Menon, the chief executive officer at the Kings, said the franchise wanted to know on what grounds the IPL had shortlisted the potential venues and left Mohali out. “We have written to the IPL asking them to throw light on how they have decided on these venues and why also have they decided not to hold the IPL in Punjab,” Menon said.K Shanmugham, the CEO at Hyderabad, said he also had checked with the IPL whether Hyderabad was included as a potential venue or not.

Sky Sports: £18k-p/w Rangers player in talks to leave Ibrox with Cantwell

Two Rangers players are seemingly set to depart ahead of the new Scottish Premiership season, it has emerged, with boss Philippe Clement keen to see the back of the pair.

Cantwell hands in Rangers transfer request

It has been a slow summer for the Ibrox side so far, with just three non-free transfers having been made, one of which was to turn Mohamed Diomande's temporary stay into a permanent one.

Their lack of progress was underlined as they fell to a 2-1 defeat to Birmingham City in a pre-season friendly, with Rangers booed off at the interval after an awful first half.

There is still plenty to do both in and out at Rangers, with James Tavernier still the subject of intense speculation after Clement's side turned down an offer for his services earlier in the transfer window.

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Connor Goldson was left out of the squad at St Andrew's as he looks to finalise his own move away from the club. Another man who is set for the exit is Todd Cantwell after Clement revealed that the ex-Norwich man had submitted a transfer request to leave the club.

"Todd Cantwell came to my office a while ago. We have a really good relationship and we talked a long time about that. He came a while ago to say he feels ready for another adventure, that he wants another challenge. I spoke long with him because I think Rangers is a really good club for him", Clement explained after the defeat.

"I wanted to give him time also, so that's why the last couple of weeks I didn't speak about it. But he came back with the same request. So I'm going to be focused on the next couple of weeks on guys who are with their heads with Rangers."

Now, it has emerged that Rangers are closing in on another departure.

Lammers on course to leave Rangers

That comes in the shape of striker Sam Lammers, who spent the second half of last season on loan with FC Utrecht. The Dutch striker rediscovered his scoring touch in his homeland, scoring 11 times in 20 outings for the Eredivisie side compared to just the two he managed for Clement's side in the first half of the campaign.

Sam Lammers' impressive loan spell

Appearances

20

Goals

11

Assists

3

Minutes per goal/assist

130

But they opted not to make the loan move permanent, leaving Lammers back at Ibrox with three years still left to run on his £18,000-a-week deal.

Now, one of Utrecht's rivals has stepped in, with fellow Eredivisie side FC Twente in talks over a move to sign the 27-year-old striker in a deal worth "over £2m", according to Sky Sports Journalist Anthony Joseph. Football Insider have added that Rangers will accept a £2m bid with the forward not in Clement's plans.

Rangers striker Sam Lammers.

It would represent a loss on the £3.5m Rangers shelled out for Lammers just 12 months ago, but would nonetheless free up some much-needed funds for Clement and co to improve a squad that looks lightweight just weeks away from the start of the new Scottish Premiership season.

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