Thomas Tuchel was told that being England's top boss was not fancied by several Premier League managers as it is "massively challenging".

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• Tuchel's appointment has divided opinion
• Dyche revealed he doesn't want the role
• Cooper wants English coaches to prove their mettle

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Tuchel, former Bayern Munich and Chelsea manager was officially announced as the man to lead the Three Lions into the 2026 World Cup, replacing Gareth Southgate, who stepped down after the 2024 European Championship. However, his appointment has sparked varied reactions from various fans and pundits as many wanted an English-born to be at the helm at St. George's Park.

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  It has been reported that Newcastle United’s Eddie Howe, another English manager linked with the job, was not approached by the FA due to the significant transfer fee his current club would have demanded. Meanwhile, other candidates, including former Brighton and Chelsea manager Graham Potter, were considered by the FA but were ultimately discarded in favour of Tuchel’s appointment.

• WHAT SEAN DYCHE SAID

  However, according to Everton manager Sean Dyche, the position of the England manager is not as coveted as it once was. He revealed that several of his colleagues, including himself, were not enthusiastic about taking over from Southgate, emphasizing how challenging the role has become over time.

  In an interaction with the media, Dyche noted: "I know most people would have liked an English coach to come in but Tuchel clearly has a record that says he can do it. Gareth did a fantastic job but there have also been plenty of other very good managers since we won the World Cup in 1966. t’s not disheartening for English coaches like me — and I certainly wasn’t one of the candidates.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Leicester City’s Steve Cooper, who led England’s U-17 squad to World Cup victory in 2017, urged British managers to demonstrate their ability to compete on the world stage before criticizing decisions made by the FA and went on to insist that British coaches must seize every opportunity to succeed in international football if they hope to secure more prestigious appointments.

  "Hopefully, over the course of time, British coaching will continue to improve and we’ll be right up there with the world’s best," he said.

  “In the meantime, any opportunity we’re given, we have to take it and do a good job. Until we do that on a regular basis maybe we shouldn’t say so much. I really believe in British culture, I believe in the coaching education pathway as well. The ones I’ve been involved with have been the FA and FA of Wales, and they have been brilliant courses which have evolved over time. They develop coaches and educate coaches in the right way. But there’s no doubt the FA have appointed a top coach — and assistant with Anthony Barry — and hopefully they can carry on the progress of the last few years.”

A £25 million player, who Mikel Arteta personally wants at Arsenal, is ready to give his green-light to join the north Londoners alongside Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori.

Riccardo Calafiori agrees personal terms to join Arsenal

The 22-year-old is firmly in Edu's sights as their first outfield signing of the summer, with Fabrizio Romano confirming this week that Arsenal have now opened talks with Bologna over a deal for Calafiori.

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Romano says both clubs are negotiating the fee right now, and these discussions are set to continue over the next few days as Bologna demand around £42 million to sell their star defender.

Calafiori has already agreed personal terms with Arsenal on a five-year contract, though, which is an undoubted boost for Edu as he seeks to provide Arteta with a highly-rated new centre-back who can alternate with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.

The Italian, who helped guide Bologna to a place in next season's Champions League, also enjoyed an impressive campaign with his country at Euro 2024. World Cup winner Gianluca Zambrotta praised Calafiori for some "extraordinary" showings at the tournament, and he was a sore miss through suspension in the Last 16 against Switzerland.

The Swiss put Luciano Spalletti's side to the sword, easing to a 2-0 victory in Berlin, and Calafiori's absence was widely agreed to have played a significant role in their defeat.

How Calafiori & Gabriel compare in 2023/24

Statistics

Calafiori

Gabriel

Games

29

34

Goals & assists

7

4

Progressive carries

28

13

Pass accuracy

90%

89%

Tackles won

37

28

Interceptions

56

31

Aerials won

71%

55%

Stats via FBref

The former FC Basel starlet, who can also play left-back if needed, would come to the Emirates with bags of potential and allow Arteta to cover multiple positions.

Patrick Dorgu ready to join Arsenal alongside Calafiori

As Calafiori green-lights a move to Hale End, in a transfer twist, he may be joined be another Serie A defender in Patrick Dorgu.

According to Pianeta Lecce, Dorgu is ready to say yes to joining Arsenal this summer, and so are his club Lecce. Arteta personally considers the left-back one of his first choices to reinforce that side, and the Gunners will apparently move to open talks with Dorgu's entourage through intermediaries soon.

The 19-year-old, who'll cost around £25 million according to Pianeta, made 32 Serie A appearances for Lecce last season, scoring two goals, and can play further up field as a left winger.

"You can just say that with some players it can go incredibly fast," said Denmark Under-21s coach Steffen Højer to bold.dk.

"He has already had a lot of playing minutes in Serie A with Lecce, and he has done really, really well. What is special about him is that he is a quiet and calm guy, but things are just incredibly natural for him on a football pitch.

"When he is put on a field, and it doesn't matter which team, he just fits in, and he just makes incredibly many good choices for such a young player He has clear qualities, and then there is a lot of work that needs to be done in relation to both being part of the U21s, but also eventually making the national team."

أكد مصدر مسؤول بـ الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، عن عقد جلسة بين حسام حسن المدير الفني لـ منتخب مصر، وهاني أبو ريد رئيس الاتحاد، في مقر الجبلاية، وذلك من أجل الاتفاق على بعض الأمور.

يذكر أن اتحاد الكرة كان قد أصدر عدة قرارات الأربعاء الماضي يعد أبرز ما جاء بها تشكيل لجنة فنية بها عدد من رموز وأساطير الكرة المصرية.

وقال المصدر في تصريحات لـ”بطولات: “هناك جلسة مرتقبة بين هاني أبو ريدة وحسام حسن، ستكون خلال الأيام القليلة المقبلة”.

طالع أيضاً.. الاتحاد السكندري: لاعب الزمالك من “ريحة” الجيل الذهبي.. والحكم أنهى المباراة بقرار الطرد

وأتم: “سفر هاني أبو ريدة خارج البلاد بعد انتخابه هو ما تسبب في عدم عقد جلسة بين الثنائي، ولكن حسام حسن يرحب بعقد جلسة مع أبو ريدة لتنسيق الأمور خلال الفترة المقبلة”.

ويستعد منتخب مصر لمواجهة سيراليون وإثيوبيا خلال شهر مارس المقبل، ضمن منافسات تصفيات كأس العالم 2026.

ويتصدر منتخب مصر ترتيب المجموعة الأولى من تصفيات كأس العالم، برصيد 10 نقاط، من 4 مباريات، انتصر في 3 مباريات وتعادل في لقاء.

The left-arm quick last appeared in 2014 although would only be available for a handful of matches this season

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Nov-2020Mitchell Starc is set to appear in the BBL for the first time in six years after signing with defending champions the Sydney Sixers while England wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow has joined the Melbourne Stars.Starc, who has 142 T20 wickets at 17.78, was part of the Sixers side that won the inaugural BBL title in 2011-12, but his most recent appearance came back in 2014 and he has only played 10 times in the competition due to international commitments.This season there is a small window after the Test series against India where Starc could be available for a handful of group matches and the finals if the Sixers make it that far. The series finishes on January 19 with the Sixers playing local rivals the Thunder on January 22.ALSO READ: BBL to begin in Tasmania and Canberra hubs, talks continue over Perth matchesStarc recently said he had spent about 30 hours at home since August as he went from the England tour bubble to the Sheffield Shield hub via quarantine in Adelaide and some time with wife Alyssa Healy in Brisbane during the New Zealand series.It had been thought he would likely take the opportunity for a break, but having opted out of the IPL – and with hope that restrictions around the BBL may have loosened by January – he was keen to take part. The Sixers will hope he can have the same sort of impact as Steven Smith and Josh Hazlewood did when they returned last season.”I started at the Sixers at BBL01 and it’s nice to continue that journey at a club I’ve still been around with my wife Alyssa involved with the Sixers,” Starc said. “I was watching Steve and Josh get back involved last year, and still being around and involved with the club I saw a little bit of an opportunity to jump back in.Mitchell Starc last appeared in the BBL in 2014 and Jonny Bairstow will bring more power to the Stars’ top order•Getty Images”I’m just really looking forward to being back with some of my really close mates that play for NSW and the Sixers. There’s some great people at the Sixers behind the scenes too.”Greg Shipperd, the Sixers head coach, said: “He is a maximum impact player who is a world class T20 fast bowler as well as being in the upper echelons across the other formats.”Meanwhile, Bairstow has become the latest England player to join the tournament and is set to be available from after Christmas following the tour of South Africa and the quarantine most overseas players will need to undertake. He has been part of David Warner’s Sunrisers Hyderabad side at the IPL although was dropped towards the end of the tournament.The Stars said they expect him to be available for the remainder of the BBL. England are in talks about a brief T20I tour to Pakistan in mid-January, but if that goes ahead it is expected to be with a shadow team.”I’m glad that Jonny has decided to make his BBL debut with us at the Melbourne Stars,” Stars coach David Hussey said. “He’s been playing at the top level with England for almost a decade now and brings a real competitive fire to matches”His experience and versatility will be a valuable addition to our batting line-up, and we’ve got several ‘keeping options in the squad as well.”The BBL will begin on December 10 with matches initially played in Hobart and Canberra before heading to Queensland and Adelaide later in the month. Venues for games in January are yet to be confirmed with the hope that border restrictions will ease further.

The Sunrisers Hyderabad mentor says the left-armer has plenty of other variations apart from the yorker

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Nov-2020

T Natarajan is only on his first international tour, but VVS Laxman, his mentor at Sunrisers Hyderabad, sees him as a potential X-factor player during India’s T20 World Cup campaign at home in October 2021. Laxman believes Natarajan’s left-arm angle and ability to bowl at the death separates him from the rest of India’s pace options.”With the T20 World Cup scheduled next year – if you look at the Indian team, it requires someone good at the death,” Laxman told . “It is great to see the likes of Mohammed Shami and Navdeep Saini bowl with such confidence in the death. Natarajan being a left-armer will be the X-factor.”From not playing a single game for the Sunrisers in IPL 2019 to getting picked for India, Natarajan’s rise has been remarkable. Having plotted and planned with David Warner, his IPL captain, he could now be lining up against him in Australia.The reason why Natarajan has been talked about so highly is his ability to hit the blockhole. Natarajan learned to bowl the yorker while playing tennis-ball cricket in his hometown Salem, when he realised the only way to prevent the soft ball from losing pace after hitting the clay surfaces he played on was to go full. The delivery has now brought him widespread acclaim.Natarajan bowled 71 yorkers in IPL 2020, the most in the tournament as per ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data. The second bowler on that list, Kartik Tyagi, only sent down 28.Overall, Natarajan picked up 16 wickets in the IPL and finished with an economy rate of 8.02, which is impressive considering 131 of the 377 balls he bowled during the tournament came in the death (last four) overs.”He has been doing well right from the practice matches before the IPL began in the UAE,” Laxman said. “The kind of confidence level he showed right from the start was amazing.”That is the reason why we gave him the chance ahead of Khaleel Ahmed and once Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) was ruled out with an injury, he became an important cog in the attack.”While the yorker was his calling card, Laxman believes Natarajan has many other variations too. “Natarajan was always known for those yorkers – even in the TNPL (Tamil Nadu Premier League). But, I must say he’s got a lot of variations which he didn’t use in the IPL. He has a sharp bouncer, slower one, offcutter, and has the wicket-taking ability with the new ball.”Essentially, Natarajan has the mindset and the confidence of executing yorkers which we generally believe to be the toughest to deliver. And, he has done consistently and exceedingly well through the IPL, the pick of them being the dismissal of RCB’s AB de Villiers under pressure.”Natarajan’s rise is remarkable because it’s unusual for the selectors to pick an uncapped 29-year-old. The last two fast bowlers to make their international debuts for India after 29 were S Aravind in 2015 and Pankaj Singh in 2014. Prior to that, you’ll have to go back to 1994, when Bhupinder Singh Snr. made his ODI debut, and then all the way back to 1958, when Ghulam Guard played the first of his two Tests.”Natarajan is a hard-working cricketer who never missed a training session and is always wanting to work on his skills to be a much better bowler every day,” Laxman said. “He has been doing really well in the TNPL, he was part of Kings XI Punjab, he did well consistently for Tamil Nadu in Ranji Trophy.”He didn’t get too many opportunities in SRH (in 2018 and 2019) because of the likes of Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar being the frontline bowlers.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O sábado foi de vitórias das divisões de base do Flamengo no Campeonato Carioca. O Sub-17 venceu o Volta Redonda por 2 a 1, com gols de Riquelmy e Euder – veja abaixo. Já o Sub-17 goleou o mesmo adversário por 4 a 0. Os dois jogos foram na Gávea e eram válidas pela quarta rodada da Taça Guanabara.

– Muito feliz por mais uma vitória. Uma partida difícil no começo, mas voltamos no segundo tempo bem e encaixamos os gols – afirmou o atacante Guilherme Gomes, um dos artilheiros do Sub-15. Lorran (2) e Bill completaram o placar.

Pela quinta rodada da Taça Guanabara, o primeiro turno do Estadual, o Sub-17 e o Sub-15 do Flamengo voltam a campo no sábado, dia 11, às 11h e às 9h, respectivamente. O adversário será o Bangu nas partidas, no Estádio da Gávea.

O Flamengo está com 100% de aproveitamento nas duas categorias, somando 12 pontos após quatro rodadas e lidera as tabelas do Estadual Sub-17 e Sub-15.

RelacionadasFlamengoPedido por torcedores do Flamengo, David Luiz aprimora técnica e tem gols de falta na carreira; assista!Flamengo04/09/2021FlamengoRodrigo Caio dá mais um passo rumo ao retorno aos jogos do FlamengoFlamengo04/09/2021

Confira os gols da vitória do Mengão Sub-17. #GarotosDoNinho #VamosFlamengo

⚽⚽: Euder e Riquelmy pic.twitter.com/tHnW2Je5ie

— Flamengo (@Flamengo) September 4, 2021

Lorran abre o placar para o Sub-15 do Mengão! #GarotosDoNinho #VamosFlamengo

Flamengo 1×0 Volta Redonda pic.twitter.com/vOhgAixmvc

— Flamengo (@Flamengo) September 4, 2021

Flamengo Sub-15 ampliou com Guilherme Gomes. #VamosFlamengo #GarotosDoNinho

Flamengo 2×0 Volta Redonda pic.twitter.com/pAHzOors0g

— Flamengo (@Flamengo) September 4, 2021

O terceiro dos #GarotosDoNinho foi marcado por Bill, em bela cobrança de falta. #VamosFlamengo

Flamengo 3×0 Volta Redonda pic.twitter.com/HzU2EWZP4r

— Flamengo (@Flamengo) September 4, 2021

Marlon Samuels, the West Indies batsman who top-scored in both of their World T20 final victories, has retired from professional cricket.Johnny Grave, the Cricket West Indies chief executive, confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Samuels had told CWI of his retirement in June, having last played in December 2018.While Samuels’ career ends with underwhelming batting averages, he was always a man for the big occasion, as he proved in both of West Indies’ World T20 wins.Perhaps his finest innings came in the 2012 final in Colombo, when he saw off and then took down two of the format’s premier limited-overs bowlers at the time in Ajantha Mendis and Lasith Malinga respectively. Samuels was on 20 off 32 balls after 10 overs of West Indies’ innings, with the team score just 32 for 2, before launching a stunning assault on Malinga to finish on 78 off 56 balls. He then took 1 for 15 to seal a comfortable win.ALSO READ: The many shades of Marlon SamuelsFour years later, he became the only man to be player of the match in two ICC global finals, hitting 85 not out off 66 balls to steer West Indies to a four-wicket win against England in Kolkata.His best batting performances were not limited to the shortest format. He scored a maiden Test hundred at Eden Gardens as a 21-year-old and had a dominant period against the red ball which saw him top score in a series defeat in England in 2012, as well as making 260 – his highest Test score – in Bangladesh later that year. In ODI cricket, he still holds the record for the highest partnership for any wicket – 372 with Chris Gayle, against Zimbabwe in the 2015 World Cup.Across formats, he made 11,134 international runs including 17 centuries, and took 152 wickets with his quick offbreaks. He also represented several T20 franchises around the world later in his career, including Pune Warriors, Delhi Daredevils, Melbourne Renegades and Peshawar Zalmi.No stranger to controversy, Samuels defied a team curfew in India in 2002 and was almost sent home, and was banned for two years from 2008 by the ICC after he was found guilty of “receiving money, or benefit or other reward that could bring him or the game of cricket into disrepute”.During West Indies’ aborted 2014 tour of India, he was the only player to take a public stance against ODI captain Dwayne Bravo, and claimed he had wanted to complete the series.Samuels was never afraid to stand his ground and have his say. One defining image of his career would come at the media briefing after leading West Indies to the 2016 World T20 title against England. Samuels arrived on his own, sat sideways, pads still on, spikes on the table, and spoke his mind.Andre Russell, Samuels’ compatriot, disapproved of Samuels’ gesture. Recounting the incident during the 2016 IPL, Russell called Samuels a “different Jamaican” but summed up his former teammate appropriately: “He is a confident fellow.”

An "excellent" Leeds United player is now believed to be on the verge of sealing a summer exit from Elland Road, with an agreement reached elsewhere.

Leeds transfer news

The Whites could have a busy summer ahead of them, with incoming signings mooted as a number of key players also potentially head out of the Elland Road exit door.

One individual who could reportedly look to move on is Illan Meslier, who has been linked with a summer switch to Marseille. A transfer to France is thought to appeal to the Leeds goalkeeper as he looks to potentially go from playing in the Championship to Ligue 1.

Diego Llorente and Georginio Rutter are two others who could move on to pastures new between now and the beginning of next season, while the same applies to star winger Crysencio Summerville, for whom the Whites are demanding around £40m this summer. Journalist Ben Jacobs has admitted an exit is possible, saying: "I’m told that if the player said he wanted to leave for a big Premier League club like Chelsea, then Leeds wouldn’t stand in his way."

In terms of new signings, Cohaib Driouech has been linked with trading Eredivisie side Excelsior for Leeds, coming in to replace Wilfried Gnonto should the Italian also depart.

"Excellent" Leeds player close to exit

According to a new update from Football Insider, Charlie Cresswell is closing in on a Leeds exit this summer, with an agreement reached with Ligue 1 side Toulouse.

A medical has already been completed for the 21-year-old, but now certain obstacles appear to be overcome, and a move is about to be confirmed for around £4m. Cresswell had previously failed to agree personal terms with the Ligue 1 outfit.

In truth, this does feel like the right time for Cresswell's Leeds adventure to reach its conclusion, considering he has struggled to ever fully be seen as a key player by Daniel Farke.

Only 14 appearances have come the centre-back's way in a Whites shirt, while last season, he was handed just one start in the Championship, appearing for just 135 minutes in the competition throughout the entirety of the 2023/24 campaign.

That being said, Gary Rowett has praised Cresswell in the past, having worked alongside each other when the Leeds man spent a spell on loan at Millwall back in 2022/23, calling him "excellent", adding:

"He’s got a knack of finding the right moment. We’ve seen that in a lot of our defenders… Cresswell is on five [goals], and that’s another lovely little knack to have."

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Cresswell has unfortunately not enjoyed a great relationship with Farke at Leeds, with the manager seemingly refusing to reinstall him to the first team as the German appeared to have concerns over his attitude.

The £7,500-a-week Cresswell will hopefully go on to have a good career, maturing with age and enjoying more regular football, but the time is right to part ways with Leeds, earning them good money in the process.

Chicago Red Stars will be called Chicago Stars going forward, changing name that has been in place for 15 years

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Chicago Red Stars to become Chicago StarsChanged badge for the second time in 10 yearsWill continue with old name for remainder of seasonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

One of NWSL's oldest franchises has announced a new look, with Chicago announcing that it will drop "Red Stars" and be known as the "Chicago Stars" going forward.

The Windy City side are also planning to modify their badge – although it will have a signature red star in the middle in homage to the old name. Their change comes five years after MLS side Chicago Fire rebanded.

Meanwhile, Washington Spirit are set to roll out a new look in the coming months.

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The new look represents a wholesale change in one of the league's oldest franchises. The Stars have been around for almost 20 years, and predated the founding of the NWSL in 2013. They have undergone change in recent times, though, and were bought by Laura Ricketts last year.

WHAT KAREN LEETZOW SAID

Club president Karen Leetzow hailed the change: "As the stewards of this club, Laura Ricketts, the ownership group and the leadership team believe it is time to evolve our identity as a symbol of this new chapter. It is our intent going forward to honor the legacy made by past players, fans and associates, while carving a new path for the club and representing Chicago more authentically on and off the pitch."

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USA TODAY SportsWHAT NEXT FOR CHICAGO?

Chicago has one more regular season game remaining and will play against KC Current on Sunday. They have locked up the sixth seed in the NWSL playoffs, and will play Gotham in the first round. The rebrand, meanwhile, will take place next year.

Glasgow Rangers have begun pre-season training this week as the 2024/25 campaign looms on the horizon.

Philippe Clement will be determined to right the wrongs of last season – losing both the Premiership and Scottish Cup to Celtic – as he looks to make his mark on the current squad.

The transfer business has been solid, if unspectacular, thus far, as five players have left while five new arrivals have joined the Light Blues.

This is hopefully just the start, as plenty of talented individuals have been linked with a move to Ibrox in recent weeks. The question is, does Clement have the funds to sign them all?

The Belgian will be hoping to replace some of those who departed at the end of last season, especially Abdallah Sima, who enjoyed a wonderful season in Scotland last year.

Abdallah Sima’s Rangers statistics

The Senegal international winger joined on a season long loan deal last summer as Michael Beale sought to improve his faltering attacking options.

The 22-year-old had failed to make a single appearance for Brighton and Hove Albion, yet it didn’t take him long to settle into life in Scotland.

Between August and January, he netted 14 goals in all competitions, becoming a key member of the first team squad.

He suffered an injury while representing Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations at the start of the year, however, which ruled him out of 14 games, disrupting the momentum that he had built up during his first six months at the Light Blues.

Despite an injury-hit final six months, it looked as though Clement was keen on signing the winger on a permanent basis ahead of next term, yet it swung on the transfer fee that the Seagulls would demand.

A few months on from this initial interest, nothing more has materialised with regard to bringing him back to the Gers, which indicates that Clement has moved on and is seeking other targets.

Metric

Premiership

Europa League

Goals

11

3

Assists

2

0

Big chances created

2

0

Key passes per game

0.8

1

Successful dribbles per game

1.2

1.8

Shots on target per game

0.9

1.3

Could he turn to the Netherlands in order to forget about the Brighton starlet? As the Light Blues appear keen on signing a winger who shone in the Dutch top flight last season…

Rangers eye up move for Moroccan winger

It is no secret that Clement is turning to previously untapped markets in order to sign players for the club.

According to Dutch presenter and reporter Mounir Boualin (via The Daily Record), the Gers are showing interest in winger Couhaib Driouech, who starred for Excelsior in the Eredivisie during 2023/24.

His contract is set to expire in 2025 and the club are open to selling him this summer for the right fee, rather than lose him for nothing when January comes around.

The Ibrox side could face some competition, as RC Lens are keen on the youngster, while Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven are said to be sniffing around the Moroccan starlet in a bid to bolster their squad.

His performances last season have certainly grabbed the attention of some big clubs. Could he be the answer for Clement to solve his issues on the left flank?

Couhaib Driouech’s statistics last season

Despite Excelsior suffering relegation from the top flight last season, the performances of Driouech came so close to preserving their status in the Eredivisie.

Across 35 matches in all competitions, the 22-year-old scored eight goals and registered eight assists, predominantly from the left wing slot, but he was also able to operate on the right flank in several games, highlighting his positional flexibility.

Among his teammates, the winger ranked first with regards to Sofascore rating (7.18) in the Eredivisie, while also ranking second for goals and assists (12), second for shots on target per game (0.8), first for big chances created (nine) and for successful dribbles per game (2.3), which indicates that the player offers much more than just a goal threat in the final third.

Not only that, but when he is compared to his positional peers in similar leagues, the Moroccan also stands out. Indeed, he currently ranks in the top 3% for progressive carries per 90 (5.77) and the top 10% for successful take-ons per 90 (2.81) over the previous 365 days in the men’s next 14 competitions.

This is further evidence of his ability to burst down the wing and take on opposition defenders with ease, something that Rangers badly need heading into the new season.

What Couhaib Driouech can offer Rangers

As mentioned, the Excelsior star offers both a wonderful attacking threat in front of goal but is also able to create a plethora of chances for his teammates due to his sublime dribbling ability and creative powers.

Clement will be looking for more players to step up and contribute goals and assists next season. Signing Driouech could be vital in this regard.

Rangers Journal founder Kai Watson praised the youngster amid the links to the Light Blues, saying: “Couhaib Driouech (good luck with that) was one of the best dribblers and most exciting wingers in the Eredivisie last season!

“Excelsior were relegated so that could mean he’s available at a cut price, one to watch.”

If the Belgian can secure a move for the wide man this summer for a cut-price fee, it should be a deal he is all over, especially with the qualities that he could offer the club going forward.

Sima’s goals will be hard to replace next season, but if Driouech comes in and hits the ground running, he could be an instant hit among the Ibrox faithful.

It is refreshing to see Clement pursue targets who have gone under the radar of later, rather than spend massive wages on players who are seeking one last big payday before retiring.

This new strategy may be a gamble, but it is one the club need to take in order to try something different, as the same approach hasn’t gotten the Gers anywhere in recent years.

The next few weeks could be interesting indeed, especially with the amount of players Rangers have been linked with.

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