Tottenham Hotspur are now determined to win the race for a “fantastic” Premier League forward, and they are willing to fork out £43m to get a deal over the line, according to a report.

Spurs return to winning ways against Saints

Tottenham’s four-game winless run in the Premier League came to an end yesterday afternoon, securing a 3-1 victory against Southampton at home, which meant the visitors’ relegation was confirmed at the earliest stage in history.

It was a game Spurs were expected to win, despite their poor form, and they got the job done in relatively comfortable fashion, with Brennan Johnson bagging a brace and Mathys Tel picking up his first Premier League goal.

Ange Postecoglou is likely to be happy with the performances of his forwards, but there are signs the Australian could look to bolster his attacking options in the summer, should he manage to retain his job.

Tottenham may green light move for "Levy character" to replace Postecoglou

Ange Postecoglou’s time in north London could be coming to an end…

ByDominic Lund Apr 6, 2025

Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin is the most recent striker to be linked with a move to north London, while the Lilywhites are also keen to strengthen in wide areas, and Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze is among the potential targets.

Eze is not the only Premier League winger they have their eye on, however, with a report from Spain revealing Tottenham are now determined to win the race for AFC Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo.

Manchester United are also interested in the Bournemouth winger, with the two clubs set to battle it out for his services this summer, and they are willing to shell out €50m (£43m) to get a deal over the line.

The Cherries aren’t completely against cashing-in on the Ghanaian, should they receive a suitable offer, despite his importance to Andoni Iraola’s side.

Tottenham Hotspur’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

Wolverhampton Wanderers (a)

April 13th

Nottingham Forest (h)

April 21st

Liverpool (a)

April 27th

West Ham United (a)

May 3rd

Crystal Palace (h)

May 10th

"Fantastic" Semenyo impressing for the Cherries

It would be fair to say Bournemouth have surpassed expectations this season, given that they still have an outside chance of qualifying for Europe, and the 25-year-old has been one of their key players.

The London-born winger almost always plays the full 90 minutes, and he has regularly provided goals and assists in the Premier League, with 12 goal contributions to his name in 30 appearances.

Journalist Thomas Hammond has also been left impressed by the Ghana international this season, lauding him as “fantastic” after an impressive performance against Newcastle United back in January.

That said, Semenyo hasn’t been in the best form in recent weeks, having now gone six games without a goal or assist in the Premier League, so Tottenham should continue to monitor his performances between now and the end of the season.

How Knight Riders trumped Kings XI by being unpredictable, and, really, what was all the hand-waving from Dinesh Karthik all about?

Dustin Silgardo03-May-2019They say that if you can really up the ante in the last few overs of the first innings of a T20 match, it can really deflate the opposition, and stick the momentum firmly on your side.Sam Curran’s 24-ball 55 not out, including 22 runs in the last over, bowled by Harry Gurney, certainly made Kings XI the happier side at the break, and Knight Riders needed a start frenetic enough to snatch that momentum back, and away. Enter Chris Lynn, and in 22 Powerplay deliveries, he had put the pressure right back on Kings XI.He started quietly enough, but then got stuck into young Arshdeep Singh, taking three fours in the fourth over of the chase, and then hit R Ashwin for a four and a six in the fifth, and Andrew Tye for a six and four in the sixth before falling off the last ball of the Powerplay.The 46 he scored was also his best Powerplay performance this season – comfortably topping the 38 he had scored in 26 balls against Chennai Super Kings in Kolkata – both in terms of runs scored and strike rate.Gill at ‘home’ at the top of the inningsWe go back to Andre Russell saying the other day, that Knight Riders “have a good team”, but were “making bad decisions”. That’s when the team was in the middle of a win-drought. A change in the script, winning a match they had to win to stay in the running for a playoff spot does make it seem like some good decisions were taken, and we think one of them was in not being predictable.ESPNcricinfo Ltd Sticking with Sandeep Warrier instead of Prasidh Krishna, who had done well in patches but had been really expensive in his last few games Shubman Gill opening the innings on a ground he is very familiar with turned out to be a masterstroke. Not that Gill hadn’t opened before in IPL 2019 – he had thrice before, and now has three fifties in four innings at the top – but the temptation must have been to go with Sunil Narine after Kings XI put up 183 for 6. Knight Riders went with Gill, and were rewarded with a 49-ball unbeaten 65, the 19-year-old batting through the innings to take the team home. Russell was again given a lot of balls to face, having been sent in at No. 4 midway through the 11th over. It showed intent on the part of Knight Riders, an example of the team learning from its earlier mistakes, and the 24 he struck in 14 balls went some distance in helping them win with two overs to spare and boost their net run rate.Curran picks his targets, and spotsCurran’s 55 not out off 24 balls was his first really significant innings in the IPL, and his performance suggested that he had learnt from his previous six outings with the bat.He had been out twice to the variations of legspinner Sandeep Lamichanne, in Kings XI’s two games against Delhi Capitals, so he wisely played Knight Riders’ leggie, Piyush Chawla, cautiously. He had also struggled against Royal Challengers Bangalore offspinner Moeen Ali, trying to hit the ball square of the pitch before missing a reverse sweep and being trapped lbw.ESPNcricinfo LtdAgainst Knight Riders’ Sunil Narine, Curran looked to hit straight, getting both his boundaries in the long-on region. He went straight against the seamers too but mixed it up with some shots to fine leg.His reading of the slower balls was impressive. Against Mumbai Indians, he had fallen to a Jasprit Bumrah slower ball, but here, he anticipated a short slower one from Russell, walked across his stumps and slapped the ball to fine leg, and then, in the final over, waited on a Harry Gurney slower one and hit it down the ground for six.Pooran – a better No. 4 than Miller?David Miller is not the best batsman against spin. He doesn’t get out to spinners too often, but since 2017, his strike rate against spinners – in all T20s – has been 116.83. Nicholas Pooran, in contrast, has scored at 139.33 against spinners in the same period. The sample size in Pooran’s case is smaller than Miller’s though.As a result, Pooran, especially against a team like Kolkata Knight Riders, was Kings XI’s choice for No. 4 ahead of Miller, as he showed with a 27-ball 48 before toe-ending Nitish Rana to the midwicket fence. Miller was left on the bench for the game.ESPNcricinfo LtdBefore this game, in his IPL 2019 appearances, Pooran had batted at No. 4 only once, in the last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, and had scored a 10-ball 21. This time, he was even better. He hit Piyush Chawla for a six and a four in the eighth over, and another six in the tenth over, but was quiet against Sunil Narine – remember that maiden Super Over Narine bowled to Pooran in the 2014 Caribbean Premier League?Miller has had an underwhelming tournament, with 213 runs in 10 outings, with an average of 26.62 and strike rate of 129.87. Pooran might have done enough in his latest innings to keep that No. 4 spot for himself in whatever matches Kings XI Punjab have left in the tournament.Dinesh Karthik and Andre Russell have a chat•BCCIWhen you’re not happy and you know it, wave your hand
It was interesting to see Dinesh Karthik looking a lot more animated than he usually is soon after the Powerplay. A meltdown, we called it on our ball-by-ball coverage, and it certainly looked like it, Karthik waving his gloved hands about and – from the looks of it – letting it rip. He even gave his team an animated talk during the strategic time out.What it was about, we didn’t know at the time. Was it about the murmurings of discontent in the ranks that we have been talking about?Karthik answered it after the game, saying, “I wasn’t too happy with the way the fielders and bowlers were doing, the body language. The kind of things I didn’t expect from them. So I thought I’d let the boys know what I felt about it.”

Wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan, fast bowler Hasan Mahmud and left-arm spinner Hasan Murad were left out

Mohammad Isam18-Mar-2024Bangladesh have called up pace sensation Nahid Rana for the first Test against Sri Lanka in Sylhet. Rana is among three changes in the squad that also includes uncapped fast bowler Musfik Hasan and Litton Das, who returns to the Test squad after skipping the previous series against New Zealand.The 21-year old Rana has only been around for three seasons in domestic cricket, but already he has taken 63 wickets at 21.92 bowling average in first-class cricket. It includes three five-wicket hauls.The selectors have also included Musfik, who earned a call-up against Afghanistan last year. Musfik has 55 first-class wickets at 21.16. It will also be a chance for Litton to get back in the runs after having a horrid time in the white-ball formats against Sri Lanka recently.Related

• Hasaranga suspended from playing Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh Tests

• Shanto lauds 'important' Rishad: 'A player like him makes life easier for a captain'

Wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan, fast bowler Hasan Mahmud and left-arm spinner Hasan Murad were left out from the squad that played against New Zealand in November.The first Test starts in Sylhet on March 22.Bangladesh squad for first Test against Sri Lanka: Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Zakir Hasan, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shadman Islam, Litton Kumer Das, Mominul Haque Showrab, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shahadat Hossain Dipu, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Taijul Islam, Shoriful Islam, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Mushfik Hasan, Nahid Rana

So you know his average and that he was dismissed for a duck in his last innings, but do you know what his favourite subject was in school?

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Aug-2017

Scorchers’ late season slump continued against Heat with a ragged bowling and fielding effort proving costly

Tristan Lavalette29-Nov-2023
Grace Harris smashed a half-century to deflate Perth Scorchers before offspinner Georgia Voll claimed four wickets as Brisbane Heat stormed into the WBBL final after a commanding performance at the WACA.Having flown cross-country before playing on consecutive days, an indefatigable Heat relished a fast surface to post the highest score in a WBBL final. They then bowled and fielded with discipline in a superb defence to stun a crowd of 2226 fans.Heat will play Adelaide Strikers in Saturday’s final at Adelaide Oval. They’ve had to do it the long way after a convincing 44-run victory over Sydney Thunder in the elimination final at the WACA just a day earlier.”It’s always a great match-up when we play them. It’s going to be a great final,” Voll said with Heat and Strikers having split their two games this season. “It’s going to be an awesome atmosphere and hopefully we can knock them over one more time.”It was a disappointing end for Scorchers, who sat on top of the ladder before losing their last three matches of the regular season. Their slump continued against Heat with a ragged bowling and fielding effort proving costly.”Definitely a tough one, pretty stunned for words. But the dust will settle and we can celebrate what’s been a really great season,” Scorchers legspinner Alana King said.Harris vindicated captain Jess Jonassen’s decision to bat first in sunny conditions with a whirlwind in the powerplay. She had emerged from a form slump with 45 off 22 balls against Thunder and continued the momentum with a second ball boundary after charging offspinner Amy Edgar.Harris was equally destructive against pace and thumped quick Chloe Ainsworth through the covers in the next over.Harris scored 33 of Heat’s 41 runs in the first four overs with struggling opener Georgia Redmayne intent on turning over the strike. The end of the powerplay did little to curb Harris, who continued her aerial assault including a six over long-on that thundered into the mammoth sightscreen under the ground’s famous light towers.She fittingly reached her half-century with a boundary off seamer Piepa Cleary, who in frustration bowled a bouncer that flew way over Harris for a no ball.Scorchers resorted to allrounder Nat Sciver-Brunt, who was playing her last game of the season regardless of the result. She stood up with the key wicket of Harris by trapping her lbw in a decision that was upheld after an umpire’s call on review.Georgia Voll grabbed 4 for 19•Getty ImagesWithout Harris, Heat were pinned down in the middle overs with Sciver-Brunt bowling an accurate full length, while King was a constant wicket-taking threat.Heat were in danger of again falling away in the latter overs much like against Thunder, but Laura Harris stepped up with consecutive sixes off seamer Sophie Devine in the 17th over.Charli Knott, on her 21st birthday, then took over with 32 off 14 balls as Heat had one foot in the final.Devine did not take up her favoured position at the top alongside Beth Mooney. Instead, Lauren Winfield-Hill held onto her opener’s role and smashed 15 runs quickly before falling to quick Nicola Hancock.It wasn’t long before Devine came to the crease at No.4 alongside Mooney as the pair briefly provided a flicker of hope for Scorchers. But they fell in quick succession with the burden on Sciver-Brunt, who attempted a rally against the odds.But when she fell lbw to Jonassen on 36, it was only a matter of time before Heat wrapped up a memorable trip to Perth as they kept alive their bid for a third WBBL title.

Tottenham Hotspur and chairman Daniel Levy are believed to be changing their minds about selling a star player this summer, with La Liga giants Real Madrid also holding internal talks over a potential deal for him.

Tottenham stars attracting interest ahead of this summer

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou, if he is indeed still in the job by next season, will likely have to contend with elite clubs attempting to poach his key squad members this summer.

52-year-old holds talks with Levy to join Tottenham as "rich offer" readied

The Lilywhites chairman personally met with him yesterday.

ByEmilio Galantini Mar 28, 2025

The Lilywhites, according to TEAMtalk, are mindful of AC Milan and Atlético Madrid’s serious interest in midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur as one example. Both European heavyweights are apparently considering a swoop for the Uruguay international this summer, and Spurs are set to open formal new contract talks with Bentancur as they look to stave them off.

Chelsea (away)

April 3rd

Southampton (home)

April 6th

Wolves (away)

April 13th

Nottingham Forest (home)

April 21st

Liverpool (away)

April 27th

The £75,000-per-week ace’s contract expires in 2026, meaning time is running out for Tottenham to tie him down with fresh terms, and if they can’t, then a sale this summer could be a real possibility.

Meanwhile, there have even been suggestions that Bayern Munich are weighing up a surprise move for Son Heung-min this summer. Tottenham recently triggered the one-year extension clause in his contract, meaning he won’t be leaving until next year, but Bayern could apparently try and tempt Levy into an early transfer.

A lot of speculation has also surrounded star centre-back Cristian Romero and his long-term future at N17, with Atlético also said to be expressing an interest in the Argentine World Cup-winner alongside Bentancur.

Romero is apparently prepared to leave Tottenham this summer as well, following the club’s dismal 2024/2025, but Atlético are not the player’s only temptation.

Tottenham stance on selling Cristian Romero as Real Madrid eye move

According to GiveMeSport, Diego Simeone’s arch rivals Real are also eyeing up a move for the South American. The Galacticos are widely rumoured to be on the hunt for a big-name central defender this summer, and Romero is on their list of star-studded targets.

The outlet reports that Tottenham are now tempted to sell Romero, following a significant U-turn behind-the-scenes, and Real have held internal talks over a swoop for the 26-year-old.

While the club have relaxed their stance over an exit deal for him, Spurs have most recently demanded £60 million to let go of Romero, and Atlético in particular are set to fall short as things stand.

Simeone’s side want to open talks over a transfer worth £33 million, but this is set to fall short of Levy’s demands. While Real haven’t yet made contact with Tottenham or Romero’s camp, there is a distinct possibility they could do, if they decide he is indeed the right man to bolster their backline.

Capitals were a bowler short while defending 174 as Ishant Sharma injured his ankle and had to go off after bowling just two overs

Hemant Brar23-Mar-2024

Sam Curran top-scored for Punjab Kings with a quickfire 63•BCCI

Sam Curran and Liam Livingstone spoiled Rishabh Pant’s comeback as Punjab Kings started their IPL 2024 campaign with a four-wicket win at their new home ground in Mullanpur.After being sent in, Delhi Capitals were 137 for 7 in the 18th over when they decided to bring in Abishek Porel as the Impact Player. Porel smashed 32 off just ten balls to lift them to 174 for 9.But that also meant Capitals were going to be a bowler light during the chase. Ishant Sharma’s injury – he hurt his ankle after bowling just two overs – set them back further.Related

Pant on his comeback to cricket: 'I was pretty nervous'

Shikhar Dhawan and Jonny Bairstow started the Kings’ chase positively but both fell in the fourth over. Kuldeep Yadav then dismissed Prabhsimran Singh and Jitesh Sharma to keep Capitals in the game.But Curran and Livingstone took over after that and added 67 off 42 balls for the fifth wicket. Curran was out in the 19th over, for 63 off 47, but Livingstone stayed till the end and finished the game with a muscular six with four balls to spare.Warner, Marsh give Capitals a breezy startWith Prithvi Shaw left out, David Warner and Mitchell Marsh opened the innings for Capitals and gave them a fast start. Marsh got going by hitting two fours off the first two balls he faced, from Curran. Warner joined in by carting Arshdeep Singh for a six and a four in the next over.Marsh then hit a six each off Kagiso Rabada and Arshdeep. He fell for 20 off 12 when he drove Arshdeep to cover-point where Rahul Chahar took a sharp, overhead catch.Warner kept batting aggressively and even flick-scooped Rabada for a six as Capitals finished the powerplay on 54 for 1. In the seventh over, Shai Hope, on IPL debut, danced down the track and lofted Chahar for a straight six.It was all Capitals at that stage till Harshal Patel came to Kings’ rescue, having Warner caught behind with a slower bouncer.Pant’s first outing after the accidentWarner’s wicket brought Pant to the crease, and the Mullanpur crowd welcomed him with a standing ovation. Playing his first competitive game in 15 months, Pant looked a bit rusty. He was given a life on 4 when Harshal lost the ball in the sun at deep midwicket and ended up gifting a four.As if to rub it in, Pant then drove Harshal for his second boundary. Two balls later, though, Harshal bowled a slower bouncer; Pant failed to spot it and ended up popping it to backward point. His first outing with bat on comeback ended on 18 off 13 balls.3:06

Moody on Porel: That’s how impact subs should be used

The Porel gamble pays offHarpreet Brar and Chahar dented Capitals further. Brar had Ricky Bhui caught down the leg side, and Tristan Stubbs holed out to long-off while trying an inside-out shot against Chahar.When Axar Patel was run out coming back for a second, Capitals were reduced to 137 for 7 with 2.5 overs to go. But, coming in as the Impact Player, Porel slashed hard at a short and wide delivery from Harshal and picked up a boundary to deep third.After 19 overs, Capitals were 149 for 8. With Harshal bowling the last over, Kings would have expected to restrict Capitals under 160. But that’s when Porel decided to have a say in matters, and smashed three fours and two sixes in a 25-run final over.That lifted Capitals to 174 for 9. At the start of the 20th over, ESPNcricinfo’s Forecaster had Capitals’ chances of winning at 38.9%. Porel singlehandedly lifted that number to 56.7%.Dhawan, Bairtsow start with a flurry of foursJust like the Capitals openers, Dhawan and Bairstow also started with positive intent. In the first three overs, they hit a combined six fours and looted 34 runs. However, both fell in the fourth over. Dhawan was bowled as he charged down the ground to Ishant, and Bairstow was run-out at the non-striker’s end when a Prabhsimran drive brushed a diving Ishant’s fingers and crashed into the stumps.But, in the sixth over, Prabhsimran tucked one towards midwicket, from where Ishant charged and fielded the ball. But as he was about to throw, he twisted his right ankle and had to be carried off the field.1:47

Has Harshal become too predictable?

Kuldeep keeps Capitals in the gameIn the tenth over, Prabhsimran tried to go big against Kuldeep and holed out to long-on for a 17-ball 26, which included five fours. In the spinner’s next over, Jitesh attempted a reverse sweep, but not only did he miss the ball, he also lost his balance and ended up out of his crease. Pant was alert behind the stumps and broke the wickets.Kuldeep finished with figures of 2 for 21. He could have easily picked up a third, but Tristan Stubbs, running to his right from long-on, put down Curran, who was on 33 at that point.Curran, Livingstone take overKings needed 63 from the last six overs when Curran and Livingstone clubbed Marsh for 18 to calm the nerves.Capitals still had hope when 28 were required from three overs. But with Ishant off the field, Pant had no option but to bowl Marsh again. He conceded another 18 to finish with 52 from his four wicketless overs.In the 19th over, Khaleel dismissed Curran and Shashank Singh off successive deliveries but it was too late by then. Warner dropping Brar on the last ball of the Khaleel over didn’t help either.With just six required from the final over, Sumit Kumar, who was making his IPL debut, had little chance against a set Livingstone. He started with two wides, and after a dot, Livingstone launched him over deep midwicket to seal the win.

Man United boss Ruben Amorim has already shared Sporting CP starlet Geovany Quenda’s one major weakness, with Chelsea now putting pen to paper on a £42 million deal for the winger.

Chelsea reach agreement to sign Geovany Quenda for 2026

News broke early this morning that Chelsea have reached an agreement to sign Quenda from Sporting, but he is set to remain in the Primeira Liga next season before eventually making the switch to Stamford Bridge in 2026.

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Emilio Galantini

Mar 14, 2025

The Portuguese is also expected to sign a seven-year deal at Chelsea as BlueCo add yet another very promising youngster to their books (Kaveh Solhekol), and one who has even drawn comparisons with Arsenal superstar Bukayo Saka.

“Geo is so demanding with himself in the defensive moments,” said former Sporting academy coach, Fabio Roque, to Sky Sports.

Chelsea’s next five Premier League fixtures	Date
Arsenal (away)	March 16th
Tottenham (home)	April 2nd
Brentford (away)	April 5th
Ipswich Town (home)	April 12th
Fulham (away)	April 19th

“To close, to recover fast, to win the defensive duels for his teammates. It reminds me of Bukayo Saka at the beginning of his career when he played as a full-back.

“There is only one Geovany Quenda. He is different from any other player I trained. He can create a mark on football that is totally different. We are talking about, with Lamine Yamal and Estevao Willian, probably the best players in that generation born in 2007.”

This is high praise indeed for the 17-year-old, who’s been a mainstay for his side throughout 2024/2025 with an impressive 43 appearances in all competitions, despite being at such a young age.

In that time, Quenda’s racked up 10 goal contributions (two goals, eight assists), and he was given the starting nod in almost all of Sporting’s Champions League games before they were knocked out by Borussia Dortmund.

Chelsea also hijacked Man United’s expected deal for Quenda, with the Red Devils missing out on his signature to their English rivals.

What Ruben Amorim thinks about new Chelsea signing Quenda

However, he is by no means the finished product, and Amorim has already shared the one main weakness in Quenda’s game.

Speaking in an interview with O Jogo late last year, Sporting’s ex-head coach explained that the teenager really needs to work on his end product, as he has a very real tendency to shoot over the crossbar.

“I’ve already said everything I had to say about Quenda,” said Amorim. “He’s a very talented kid, very strong physically, very focused, with his feet firmly on the ground. That’s very important for a young player.

“I didn’t know he was the youngest ever to score. Congratulations. I think he has to improve a lot in his finishing. The amount of times he comes inside and shoots over the bar. He doesn’t put the ball in the goal well, that’s a detail he has to improve.

“He showed up well there. But that’s what I said at the beginning of the season. He had the opportunity and there was no chance to take him away, to have doubts, nothing. I think he’s going to be a great player, but let’s give it time.”

The Portugal Under-21 international can play on both wings and is seen by many as the “biggest wonderkid” in his country right now (Joao Paiva), but this bad habit of blazing the ball over will need to be worked on if he is to be successful in the Premier League.

da fezbet： Glasgow Rangers will be in the market for a new head coach this summer as they prepare to bounce back from a disappointing 2024/25 campaign.

da blaze casino： Barry Ferguson is currently in interim charge but has presided over a dismal run in the Scottish Premiership and has been knocked out of the Europa League – failing to score a single goal in three of his four matches in Europe.

The Scottish boss has won three, lost two, and drawn one of his six league games at Ibrox, which does not suggest that he is the right man to lead the team forward into next season to challenge Celtic for the title.

Rangers, who needed a last-gasp stunner from Ianis Hagi to salvage a draw against Aberdeen last time out in the league, may look for an experienced coach who has a track record of winning trophies.

One man who would fit that profile is experienced Portuguese head coach Jose Mourinho, who has been linked with a move to Ibrox this summer.

The latest on Jose Mourinho to Rangers

TEAMtalk reported on Sunday that the Fenerbahce manager is a possible candidate for the job ahead of next season, as the Rangers board are looking for a big-name appointment to lead the new era in Glasgow.

The outlet claimed that the 49ers, who are said to be close to sealing a takeover of the club, want to make a strong managerial move, with Steven Gerrard and Mourinho named as two contenders for the role.

It revealed that the Fenerbahce boss would be open to completing a move to Ibrox this summer, but only if the new ownership group are willing to back him in the transfer market.

TEAMtalk claimed that the club are yet to approach Mourinho to discuss the job, though, and this suggests that they are still in the early stage of their recruitment process.

As you can see in the clip above, the 62-year-old tactician refused to rule out the possibility of managing in Scottish football in the future when asked about it back in March.

The TEAMtalk report mentioned that Mourinho would want to be backed by the owners, though, and that would include them having to possibly move on from players who would not be up to the standard that the manager wants.

Mourinho, who has won eight league titles in his career, may want to move on from Jack Butland at Ibrox, as the English goalkeeper has endured a frustrating season in Glasgow.

Why Jack Butland could be sold by Jose Mourinho

The Portuguese boss has managed some iconic goalkeepers during his career, including the likes of Petr Cech, Iker Casillas, Hugo Lloris, and Thibaut Courtois, and the former England international may not join that illustrious list.

Butland is currently sat on the bench watching on as Liam Kelly plays in his place after Ferguson decided to take him out of the team, due to his poor performances on the pitch.

The experienced shot-stopper has not performed well enough in the Premiership this season, making too many errors with the ball at his feet and with his lack of shot-stopping, and the club should look to move him on this summer.

24/25 Premiership

Jack Butland

Appearances

26

Save success rate

67%

Goals prevented

-1.45

Goals conceded from outside the box

6

Error led to shot

2

Error led to goal

2

Penalties committed

1

Stats via Sofascore & FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Butland has conceded more than the average goalkeeper would be expected to based on the xG of the shots on his goal, which shows that he has been poor from a shot-stopping perspective.

The former England international has also made a whopping five errors that have led to shots, goals, or penalties for the opposition. To put it simply, he became a liability to the team between the sticks, and it was the right call by Ferguson to remove him from the starting line-up.

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Butland, however, is not the only player who should be moved on from Ibrox if Mourinho is appointed this summer, as Ridvan Yilmaz could also be on the chopping block.

Why Ridvan Yilmaz may not have a future under Jose Mourinho

The Portuguese manager builds his teams around a defensive structure and ensures that there is a solid platform for the rest of the side to build from, with his belief that the team that makes the fewest mistakes tends to win.

Yilmaz’s performances for Rangers this season suggest that he is not the kind of defender that Mourinho would want to build his team around, because the full-back is not a solid defensive operator who can be relied upon week-in-week-out.

Standing at 5 foot 9, the 23-year-old dud is not the tallest of defenders and that is reflected in his lack of success in the air. In 17 appearances in the Premiership this season, he has lost 100% of his aerial duels. Mourinho may not have much faith in a full-back who has not won a single aerial duel in 17 league games to defend the back post for him in matches next season.

Yilmaz, who Tam McManus claimed had an “absolute shocker” in the league back in March, has also made two errors that have led to shots for the opposition in the Premiership, which further suggests that he would not suit the Portuguese manager because of his desire to build a team that does not make many mistakes defensively.

24/25 Europa League

Ridvan Yilmaz

Appearances

7

Pass accuracy

66%

Tackles

6

Dribbled past

8x

Big chances created

0

Aerial duels won

1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Turkish full-back also struggled in the Europa League, staggeringly being dribbled past more times than he completed tackles, whilst only winning one aerial duel.

These statistics from his performances in the Premiership and the Europa League combine to suggest that he would not suit Mourinho’s footballing philosophy, which is why he should be out of the door if the manager is appointed this summer.

Related Jose Mourinho open to being Rangers manager on one key condition with 49ers

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Posts ByHenry Jackson Apr 21, 2025

Yilmaz reportedly had interest from his former club Besiktas during the January transfer window, which suggests that there could be interest in his services ahead of next season that would allow Rangers and Mourinho to cash in on him.

Manchester City could lose a young “game-changer” who has been compared to Kevin de Bruyne, with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich keen on a move.

Man City hunt top four finish as Pep prepares for FA Cup semi-final

Pep Guardiola’s side still have a lot to play for between now and the end of the season, with silverware on offer in the FA Cup and a top-four finish in the Premier League being targeted.

Later this month, the Sky Blues will take on Nottingham Forest at Wembley, looking to reach the final of the FA Cup against either Aston Villa or Crystal Palace.

Meanwhile, in the league, City have some must-win fixtures coming up if they are to finish in the top four ahead of Forest, Chelsea, Newcastle and Villa.

It promises to be an entertaining end to the campaign at the Etihad Stadium, and ahead of the summer, De Bruyne has already announced his Manchester departure.

Man City vs Crystal Palace

April 12

Everton vs Man City

April 19

Man City vs Aston Villa

April 22

Nottingham Forest vs Man City (FA Cup)

April 27

Man City vs Wolves

May 2

The attacking midfielder will leave the club after 10 years as a City player, with rumours of a potential move to Saudi Arabia or the MLS on the cards.

De Bruyne could be one of many to leave ahead of the 2025/26 season, with the futures of Ilkay Gundogan and Jack Grealish both unclear at this stage.

Now, a teenage gem at the Etihad is also attracting interest, and interestingly, he has been mooted as the next De Bruyne.

Man City gem Divine Mukasa attracting Bayern Munich interest

As per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Man City youngster Divine Mukasa is catching the eye of both Bayern Munich and Ajax.

The two European giants have been scouting the teenager, but it is added that City want to keep Mukasa in Manchester.

Recently, Mukasa has been dubbed as a talent who could be even bigger than Nico O’Reilly, a defender who has been flourishing under Guardiola in 2025.

Mukasa has been dubbed as a “game changer” by football scout Antonio Mango, whereas The Secret Scout has compared the 17-year-old to De Bruyne.

24-time league champions set to contact £230k-p/w Man City star over exit

Man City could be set to lose another player for nothing come the end of the season.

ByBrett Worthington Apr 7, 2025

Meanwhile, Man City’s official website describes Mukasa as a skilful and creative midfielder: “A player that thrives in tight spaces and well capable of scoring and assisting goals, Divine adds an extra level of creativity to every side he plays in.”

The attacking midfielder has produced a whopping 42 goal contributions in just 35 games in 2024/25 at youth level, so he could be the next to make the break into Guardiola’s first-team plans, should City keep hold of his services.