John Davison, the former Canada captain and Australian state cricketer, has been named Italy’s T20I coach as they push for a place at the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.Italy will take part in the European Regional Finals of the T20 World Cup qualifying pathway in the Netherlands from late June, which will provide two sides for the main tournament in early 2026. They will feature alongside Netherlands, Scotland, Guernsey and Jersey.”I am excited and honoured to be appointed head coach of the Italian T20 men’s program,” Davison said. “I didn’t take much convincing once I heard about the players and people involved.”I have experienced the thrill of qualifying for World Cups as a player for Canada, and I look forward to repeating that thrill with a diverse and dedicated group of players and staff representing Italy.”Davison’s World Cup playing career was highlighted by his 111 off 76 balls against West Indies at Centurion in 2003.Since retiring, he has been a spin-bowling coach and consultant, including with Australia, and he has worked extensively with the likes of Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Swepson and Matt Kuhnemann.Davison will work alongside Italy’s new captain, the former Queensland and Australia opener Joe Burns who started playing for them in May last year having qualified through his mother’s heritage.Alongside Burns, Ben and Harry Manenti have also represented Italy. It’s understood that Tasmania pair Jake Doran and Tim Ward are in contention for the qualifiers through their Italian heritage, although they are still awaiting approval to play. Matthew Fotia, a former Victoria quick, and Jason Ralston, who featured for Australia Under-19s, are also in the mix.”I am honoured to take on this role and represent Italy on the international stage,” Burns said when named captain. “For me, it is a return to my family’s roots. Italian cricket has enormous potential and I am excited to contribute to its growth. Together with my team-mates, we are working to achieve ambitious goals and make our fans proud.”
Champions Trophy match in Lahore on February 26 had been under threat after calls for boycott
ESPNcricinfo staff06-Feb-2025The ECB board has confirmed that England’s men will fulfil their fixture against Afghanistan at the Champions Trophy this month, despite describing the “appalling oppression” of women in the country as “gender apartheid”.Richard Thompson, the ECB’s chairman, said in a statement following a board meeting on Thursday that a “coordinated international response” would achieve more than unilateral action. The board has come under political pressure to boycott the fixture, with more than 160 British politicians calling for England to pull out of the match in Lahore on February 26.”What is happening in Afghanistan is nothing short of gender apartheid,” Thompson said. “At a cricketing level, when women’s and girls’ cricket is growing rapidly around the world it is heartbreaking that those growing up in Afghanistan are denied this opportunity, but the appalling oppression of women and girls by the Taliban goes so much further.”The Board recognises there are different views and opinions on the issue of boycotting the match and has listened carefully. We have been in close contact with the Government, the International Cricket Council (ICC), our England Men’s players and other stakeholders to discuss this matter, as well as considering how best the ECB can support those women cricketers who have fled Afghanistan.Related
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“Following this, we remain of the view that a coordinated international response by the cricketing community is the appropriate way forward, and will achieve more than any unilateral action by the ECB in boycotting this match, while we have also heard that for many ordinary Afghans, watching their cricket team is one of the few remaining sources of enjoyment. As such, we can confirm that we will play this fixture.”Thompson said that the ECB will press the ICC for further action, including ring-fencing funding to support female players from Afghanistan, and considering recognising an Afghanistan women’s refugee team. Last week, the board donated £100,000 to the MCC’s Global Refugee Cricket Fund.An Afghanistan women’s XI played an invitational T20 against a Cricket Without Borders XI in Melbourne last month, mounting pressure on the ICC to support their players.Afghanistan remain full ICC members – with full funding – despite no longer being able to fulfil the requirement to field a women’s team under its Taliban government. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo last month, two exiled players, Firooza Amiri and Benafsha Hashimi, called on Afghanistan’s men to be “the voice of the girls”, despite acknowledging that speaking out against the regime could come with its own risks.”The cricketing community cannot tackle all of Afghanistan’s problems,” Thompson added. “But we urge our international partners to stand together and demonstrate through our actions that we support the women and girls of Afghanistan, including those cricketers now in exile who just want to play and should be allowed to play the sport they love.”
Barcelona have spent more than two seasons away from Camp Nou due to a renovation project that has been beset by delays, but a phased re-opening of the iconic venue is getting closer to becoming reality. The Blaugrana await permission from the city council, with Joan Laporta claiming that everything else is now in place for the team's return.
Laporta provides fresh Camp Nou progress report
Laporta spoke with reporters in Paris ahead of Monday night's Ballon d'Or ceremony in the city, expressing hope for the various nominated Barcelona players to win as many of the accolades on offer as possible. But he also gave the latest update on the club's ongoing efforts to resume playing games at Camp Nou in the immediate future after months of setbacks.
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Delay after delay
Barcelona originally wanted to be back at Camp Nou, at reduced capacity, last season, but kept having to push the date back and back. Then, it was the Joan Gamper Trophy on August 10 that was being targeted, only for that to be played at Estadi Johan Cruyff instead. After three successive away games at the start of the new La Liga season, the Catalans have now had successive league matches at the Johan Cruyff, which can only hold 6,000 fans and is therefore a significant hit to typical matchday revenue. But Laporta insists that all the necessary work for the partial re-opening has been carried out, along with receipt of most of the required certificiates. It's only sign off on the permitted safe occupancy, far below the full 105,000 capacity, that he claims is missing.
'We've done the work'
"A lot will depend on what the City Council officials say," Laporta explained, via . "We've done the work, we have the CFO, we have the construction control certificate, we have the fire department report, we have the environmental report…La Liga and UEFA have said the pitch is ready to play; we're waiting for initial occupancy.
"We know these are processes that need to be carried out. We don't want to put more pressure than necessary, but there comes a time when we believe this is very close. We'll see what the city council officials say. We are in the final stages of our frequent visits. We are prepared for anything. All the requested corrections have been made. We hope this will happen as soon as possible."
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When can Barcelona actually play at Camp Nou?
Barcelona won't likely play at Camp Nou before the October international break. Even with council sign-off, staging Sunday's La Liga clash with Real Sociedad there at such short notice feels like too much of an ask. The Champions League meeting with Paris Saint-Germain isn't going to be at the stadium either, already confirmed for the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. Barcelona's first home game after the international break is the visit of regional rivals Girona on October 18, almost a month from now. Full completion of the building work is potentially still years away.
The Hobart Hurricanes opener produced a stunning display at the SCG
Andrew McGlashan10-Nov-2024
Lizelle Lee produced a magnificent innings•Getty Images
Lizelle Lee set a new record for the highest score in the WBBL with a monstrous 150 not out off 75 balls against Perth Scorchers at the SCG.Lee’s innings, which included a 51-ball century, contributed an astonishing 73% of Hurricanes’ total and also included a world record 12 sixes. Both Lee’s score and sixes tally eclipsed the previous marks set by Grace Harris with her 136 not out last season. Overall, it was the fifth-highest score in all women’s T20s and the highest in a Full Member nation.Coming into the match, Lee had a high score of 38 in five WBBL innings this season. “It’s one of those days, I won’t say everything came off the middle because it didn’t, but things just went my way,” she said. “Coming through a little dip like that, having the support of the group and family was incredible.”To further emphasise Lee’s dominance, a stand of 114 off 65 balls for the third wicket included just 14 off 19 balls from partner Elyse Villani. The innings was rounded out by an unbroken partnership of 73 off 39 balls alongside Heather Graham. It all came after Hurricanes had lost two wickets in consecutive deliveries against Chloe Ainsworth to leave them 16 for 2 in the third over.Lee was given a life on 63 when spilled at backward point as Ainsworth returned to the attack. The figures of the Scorchers quick, who had got through two overs before Lee hit turbo charge, stood out amid the carnage as she finished with 2 for 17.Lee opened her sixes count with back-to-back blows off Ebony Hoskin in the fourth over and broke the record by sending the same bowler for further consecutive sixes in the last. For Hoskin, who finished with 0 for 53 from four overs, it was a quick comedown after her final-over heroics against Melbourne Renegades.Hurricanes’ 203 was their second-highest total in the WBBL. Scorchers never threatened to get close after an awful start where they lost Sophie Devine first ball and also saw Chloe Piparo run out in the opening over.
Allrounders often tend to draw from doing well in one discipline to do well in the other but there is perhaps a chance that R Ashwin’s primary skill might have held back his secondary one.”Bowling and batting are very separate sports in the same game,” Ashwin said after the second day of the Chennai Test between India and Bangladesh. “One is done consciously. The other one is done subconsciously. So, for me, to compartmentalise both has taken its own due.”He scored 113 off 133 balls that helped the hosts post 376 in the first innings. The bowlers then ran through Bangladesh, knocking them over for 149 and taking almost complete control of the proceedings.Related
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Ashwin walked in at 144 for 6 and immediately put what he has learned over a long career into practice: that with the bat in hand, he needs to be an entirely different person from the one who has gone on to become one of the greatest spinners in history.”At this stage, I am able to sequence that and split both of them and see as a cricketer. So, when I walked there [to bat] the only thing I wanted to do was to settle down my game. The mind can play tricks because I am a bowler who plays on 12, 18, 24 balls ahead when I am sequencing it. As a batter, I shouldn’t do that. I just use my experience when I get in. So, now it’s more about just focusing on the ball and hitting it as I see it.”This was Ashwin’s second successive century at his home ground, Chepauk, following on from a 106 against England in similar circumstances in 2021. He wasn’t quite able to pick which one he liked better.”I worked quite a lot on how I can maximise my shots, maximise my game”•BCCI
“Both. [The England Test] had so much riding on it. We lost the first one and came to the second. Last time when I played at Chennai, I felt like I was making sort of a comeback in more than one way. I was a little here and there. I went to Australia and came back here. That was different and I enjoyed it. I think my batting has come along a lot better since that particular game. I worked quite a lot on how I can maximise my shots, maximise my game. I worked on how I can play fast bowling and all that sort of stuff. I’m glad it’s coming out nicely.”Ashwin does this – pushing himself even at 38 with 500 wickets already in the bag – for a very simple reason.”Happiness. You want to be good. You excel. You feel happy at the end of the day. It drives me towards that. Every time I do well, it leaves me in a good, happy state of mind. That’s what you get on this journey for. You want to do well. You want to excel on the global stage. People are watching you and you feel happy about it.”There was a time, though, when Ashwin couldn’t find a way to play his cricket with this kind of freedom. “I was critical of myself earlier but not much now because I have already put so much pressure on myself. Not only did I put myself under pressure, but there was pressure from outside too. I used to find happiness in answering my critics with my performance, or in the press conference. But that’s not the case now. The most important thing for me these days is to enjoy my game, by staying in the moment, by playing my cricket with a smile on my face. Four-five years ago, I made a promise to myself, with great difficulty, that I would not respond to anyone from then on and would play for my own happiness. And I have maintained that to date.”As is often the case with his bowling, Ashwin had Jadeja as his partner for the course of a match-turning 199-run seventh-wicket stand.”You don’t plan for such things. Jaddu is one cricketer who has evolved so nicely. I always envy him. I have made that amply clear. So gifted, so talented. He has found ways to maximise his potential. Keeps it really simple. He can repeat it day in and day out. I wish I could be him but I am glad I am myself. He is an exceptionally good cricketer. I am happy for him. Likewise, in so many ways, watching him bat over the last couple of years has given me insight into how [much] better I can be. Both of us have grown together. Both of us have done some special things. We really value one another at this stage. Both of us are enjoying each other’s success more than ever before.”
If he was left out of a match Tom Latham would step up to the lead the side
Andrew McGlashan12-Aug-2024
New Zealand will be prepared to bench Tim Southee if needed•Getty Images
Tim Southee, New Zealand’s Test captain, may be left out of some of team’s upcoming matches on the subcontinent if conditions dictate a different balance to their side.Southee will lead a 15-player squad, which includes five-spin bowling options, for the one-off Test against Afghanistan and two matches against Sri Lanka, which ESPNcricinfo understands will both be staged in Galle, but he is no certainty to feature in them all or the three Tests which follow against India.Should Southee, who only took six wickets in four home Tests last season, not be part of an XI vice-captain Tom Latham would step up to captain the side.Related
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“Test tours to the subcontinent can ask some really tough questions of pace bowlers due to the nature of the pitches and the heat and humidity,” head coach Gary Stead said.”While we’re going over with an open mind around conditions, there is an understanding that all our bowling options may be needed across the different Tests. Tim and I have discussed this, and the need during these overseas tours to balance the workloads of the pace-bowlers, including himself, to ensure the team is best served.”The squad announced on Monday does not cover the India series in October and November, but it’s likely a very similar group of players will be involved.There had been some doubt over whether Kane Williamson would play the Afghanistan Test, which will be staged in Greater Nodia, but he has been included for the first occasion the two teams will play each other in the format.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Offspin allrounder Michael Bracewell returns 18 months after last featuring for the Test side. Ajaz Patel and Mitchell Santner are also included while Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips will likely play important roles with the ball.Alongside Southee, the pace options are Matt Henry, Ben Sears and Will O’Rourke. The latter two impressed on their Test debuts last season while Henry was outstanding against Australia with 17 wickets in two matches. Kyle Jamieson was not considered as he continues his recovery from a stress fracture of the back.”It’s always great when young guys force their way into squads through performance and I know Will and Ben are really looking forward to the challenges of Test cricket in the sub-continent,” Stead said.”Michael’s had to show plenty of resilience to rehabilitate his injuries and force his way back into the Blackcaps across all three formats. His all-round skills, and ability to take the ball away from the left-hander make him a great asset, especially on what we expect will be turning wickets in India and Sri Lanka.”Saqlain Mushtaq will rejoin New Zealand as bowling coach for the three away Tests, while former England wicketkeeper James Foster returns as an assistant coach.The Afghanistan Test, which is not part of the World Test Championship, takes place between September 9-13 and the Sri Lanka matches between September 18-22 and 26-30.New Zealand play nine Tests from September to December with a home series against England starting in late November. They are currently third in the WTC as they push to reach next June’s final at Lord’s.New Zealand Test squad to face Afghanistan and Sri LankaTim Southee (capt), Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Kane Williamson, Will Young
After scouts completed their “due diligence”, Leeds United have now reportedly opened talks to sign a Champions League-level midfielder for Daniel Farke this summer.
49ers pushing on after signing Bijol
Back in the Premier League and ready to end the trend of promoted sides heading straight back down to the Championship, Leeds have already welcomed both Lukas Nmecha and Jaka Bijol this summer. The latter, costing around £19m, particularly stands out as one to watch after swapping Udinese for Elland Road in a big-money move.
After putting pen to paper, the central defender told Leeds’ official website: “This is a big day for me, for my family and I’m happy to be here. Maybe the biggest one of my career so far, but I’m ready for it.
“I work for it and that’s why I’m here, because it’s a big challenge for everyone. It’s a big challenge for me, for the club, and we’re getting ready for it together. I think the club and myself are ready for the Premier League.
“I can promise that I will give everything, that I will give everything in every training as well to be ready for the first game of the season and then just go from there.”
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Not resting on their laurels, however, the 49ers have since set their sight on further reinforcements such as Habib Diarra who would hand Farke a midfield boost. And it seems as though midfield is the ongoing focus at Elland Road with “due diligence” complete and talks now open to sign a Champions League star this summer.
Leeds open talks to sign Douglas Luiz
According to former Premier League scout Mick Brown, Leeds have now opened talks to sign Douglas Luiz from Juventus this summer as he desperately looks to make his way back to the Premier League just one year on from leaving Aston Villa.
Brown told Football Insider after claiming that Juventus want to sell the Brazilian: “So Leeds may well be interested after speaking to his agent, but they have to know what they’re getting.
Douglas Luiz in action for Juventus.
“If they want somebody to get on the ball and help them progress, he can do that. If they want somebody who’s combative and willing to battle in the middle, they’ll look elsewhere. Their scouts will have done their due diligence on him, they’ll know what he can and can’t do, and then it’s up to them to make a decision.”
The former Manchester United scout Luiz as “talented” before revealing Leeds’ talks to secure his signature in the coming months. As signings go, welcoming the former Villa star back to the Premier League would be quite the statement from the 49ers and would instantly negate their need to sign another midfield reinforcement.
Newcastle United, like every other Premier League side, found out their fate with the new fixtures getting released on Wednesday morning.
The Magpies will be hoping to start the campaign strongly, looking to build momentum heading into their Champions League campaign and get themselves into the top four.
It will not be an easy start for Eddie Howe’s side. They face Aston Villa away from home, followed by a visit from champions Liverpool as their first game at St James’ Park. To end August, the North East outfit have a trip to Elland Road to face Leeds United.
Howe will need his biggest players to step up and perform at the start of the season, and they might well be adding someone to the squad this summer who can help with that.
Newcastle’s latest transfer target
It is no secret that the Magpies are looking for a new attacker this summer, due to a need to strengthen and a lack of clarity on Anthony Gordon’s future. One Liverpool insider recently revealed that the Reds are ‘in active contact’ with the winger over a move.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Names like Brighton’s Joao Pedro and Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga have both been touted but Newcastle could actually look to bring a Manchester United attacker to St James’ Park instead.
Caught Offside report that Marcus Rashford is ‘being eyed up’ by Howe’s side. The Toon side are said to be ‘names to watch in the Premier League’ as the race for Rashford’s signature goes on.
It remains unclear whether this will be a loan deal or a permanent move. Aston Villa, one of the other sides interested in Rashford, had a £40m buy option in his loan contract, so he may well be valued at the same price by United. Other interested parties included Tottenham Hotspur and European giants Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.
Why Rashford would be a good signing
After a tough first half of the 2024/25 campaign for Rashford, he really made a strong end to the season during his short stint at Villa Park. The 27-year-old reminded the world why he is such a deadly attacker.
In 17 games for the Villans, the England international scored four times and grabbed six assists. What makes that even more impressive is the fact that he played just 940 minutes, the equivalent of 10.4 full 90-minute games, leaving him with a rate of almost one goal involvement per game.
Of course, let’s not forget the sensational career Rashford has had at Old Trafford. The Wythenshawe-born superstar scored 138 goals and registered 79 assists in 426 games for his boyhood club.
Man United forwardMarcus Rashford
The winger was once described as a “big-game player” by Statman Dave. That is good news for Newcastle, who need that kind of quality with the start to the season they have. They have been on the receiving end of it too. He scored against the Magpies in the 2023 Carabao Cup final.
If the Magpies do sign Rashford, he would arguably be a perfect replacement for Gordon. The Newcastle star scored and assisted 16 goals in 42 games last season, fewer than Rashford’s 20 in 41 games for both United and Villa.
Last season, there were several standout moments for the winger, who could soon depart to Anfield, it seems. He scored in both legs of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal, but did miss the final against Liverpool, after a red card in the Premier League.
Their numbers on FBref stack up well with each other, too. For example, Rashford last season averaged 3.55 shot-creating actions per game, compared to Gordon’s 3.74. This shows that both wingers are constantly involved in chances, even if they don’t end up being the one who has the shot, which is a good trait for an attacker to have.
Goals and assists
0.57
0.41
Expected goals
0.3
0.3
Key passes
1.77
1.89
Take-ons completed
1.14
1.41
Shot-creating actions
3.55
3.74
Losing Gordon would be a huge blow for Newcastle, but if they were to sign Rashford as his replacement, he’d be the perfect alternative. The goals and assist numbers from the United star were better last season, and he would keep the same level of directness Gordon offers.
Whether this is a £40m move or a loan deal, it could be the type of signing that keeps Howe’s side as true competitors across all competitions.
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Derby County secured their Championship status in dramatic fashion and could now strike in the market to land a talented defender, according to reports.
Derby County look forward after great Championship escape
John Eustace pulled off something of a minor miracle after arriving at Pride Park, taking Derby from seven points behind at one point to eventual safety on the final day of the Championship season.
Plenty of controversy came to light when the 45-year-old swapped Blackburn Rovers for a side in a dogfight to avoid being relegated to the third-tier of English football, but it all seems to have worked out in the end.
Derby County managerJohnEustaceand Jerry Yates
There has been plenty of speculation over what may come next as Eustace bids to provide an element of stability at the Rams, and he has now taken a major step in shaping the future of his squad following the release of Derby’s retained list for 2025/26.
Jeff Hendrick, Kemar Roofe and Conor Washington are among senior members of his group who won’t be offered new deals, paving the way for potential transfer activity over the coming weeks.
Derby County’s retained list – who still has a future at Pride Park?
Players released (not offered new deals upon expiry)
Tom Barkhuizen, Sonny Bradley, Tyrese Fornah, Jeff Hendrick, Rohan Luthra, Erik Pieters, Kemar Roofe, Conor Washington.
Players out of contract with discussions ongoing over futures
Craig Forsyth, Liam Thompson.
Loanees returning to parent clubs
Harrison Armstrong, Marcus Harness, David Ozoh, Nat Phillips, Jerry Yates.
Lincoln City midfielder Ethan Erhahon has emerged as a target for Eustace amid competition from Blackburn for his signature. Make no mistake, there will be mass changes at Derby and plenty of movement is set to take place.
Speaking of which, Derby have made an offer to bring a talented star to Pride Park this summer and have now received a reply.
O'Rourke: Derby receive reply to Cody Drameh offer
Taking to social media platform X, journalist Pete O’Rourke has confirmed that Derby have been knocked back in their attempts to land Hull City full-back Cody Drameh on loan after making an initial offer for the 23-year-old.
Eustace previously worked with the former Leeds United man at Birmingham City, calling the defender “top” in 2023 and is keen to be reunited with a familiar face, though he is also being targeted by Stade de Reims and Toulouse.
Labelled “fantastic” by Rob Edwards, Drameh registered a goal and an assist in 29 appearances this campaign as Hull narrowly staved off relegation in similar fashion to Derby.
Winning 49 tackles on league duty, the London-born man is a sought-after talent that still has room for development, though it remains to be seen whether the Tigers will be willing to let him go during the off-season.
If Glasgow Rangers are to be successful next season, they must get their transfer business spot on during the summer transfer window.
While a range of coaches have tried and failed to take the Light Blues back to the summit of Scottish football, the truth is that operations in the transfer market have largely failed.
Big sums of money were spent on the likes of Sam Lammers, Danilo and Oscar Cortes. Lammers scored twice before leaving after six months, while the latter two have been hampered by a host of injury problems, limiting their impact at the club.
Rangers striker Sam Lammers.
A new manager will hopefully be appointed before the transfer window opens, giving him plenty of time to build a squad capable of ending Celtic’s domestic hegemony next season.
There are a few prized assets that the Gers could cash in on. Hamza Igamane is the most notable example, especially as clubs such as Everton and Tottenham Hotspur are taking a keen interest in the striker.
One big sale could generate enough funds for the Ibrox side to strengthen adequately ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
A couple of players have already been linked with a move to Ibrox in recent weeks…
Latest on Rangers' move for Gio Reyna
According to MLS Transfers (via the Daily Record), Borussia Dortmund starlet Gio Reyna has emerged as a surprise target for the Ibrox side this summer.
The American midfielder has been with Dortmund since starting his professional career, making his debut for the club during the 2019/20 season.
Barcelona'sDaniOlmoin action with Borussia Dortmund's Giovanni Reyna and Nico Schlotterbeck
Since then, he has racked up over 100 competitive appearances, scoring 19 goals and registering 18 assists.
Injuries and a lack of form have restricted his impact over the last two seasons, and the report states that while there is interest from the Bundesliga, Reyna would prefer to leave Germany in search of a new challenge.
If he did move to Rangers, the 22-year-old would follow in the footsteps of his father, Claudio, who played for the club between 1999 and 2001.
The midfielder scored against Parma in the famous 2-0 UEFA Cup victory, enjoying plenty of success in Glasgow before departing in a £4m deal to join Sunderland.
The current Dortmund player might not have fulfilled his potential in recent years, but when fit and firing, he could prove to be an excellent addition to a new-look Rangers side next season.
How much Giovanni Reyna is worth
In December 2021, after a solid start to life in the Bundesliga, Reyna was valued at an impressive €40m (£34m), and it looked as though this value would only continue to increase over time.
However, the youngster has seen this value decrease due to a loss of form and several injuries, meaning he is now worth only €10m (£8.5m) in the current market.
Should he rediscover his form, Reyna could see his valuation soar again, but if Rangers are serious about the midfielder, they must strike now, especially as he only has one year left on his current deal.
Following a wonderful few months, one current Ibrox star appears to be valued at more than double that of Reyna.
Nico Raskin could turn out to be one of the best signings the club has made in years, no doubt about that.
Nico Raskin’s transfer valuation at Rangers
Raskin’s influence had been hampered since joining in 2023 due to several coaching changes plus a few niggling injury issues.
Once he came back into the team last September, however, there has been no stopping the Belgian international. This has led to plenty of transfer interest being shown in him recently.
Last month, TEAMtalk reported that English sides Aston Villa and Leeds United were showing plenty of interest in the player due to his solid displays of late. In the last international break, he even made his full debut for Belgium as they defeated Ukraine in the Nations League playoffs.
Nicolas Raskin
The report states that the Light Blues value Raskin at around the £20m mark, which will hopefully put these respective sides off making a move for him.
This £20m price tag would certainly bolster the club’s financial situation. But is it worth it to lose arguably their best player this season and potential future captain?
Raskin was first given the armband for the 3-0 victory over Celtic at Ibrox way back in January and looked the part.
Market Movers
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While James Tavernier took back control of the captaincy ahead of the Old Firm clash last month, Raskin looked like he could be an excellent candidate for the role in the future.
Not only did he open the scoring at Parkhead, but the 24-year-old also won seven of his 12 ground duels contested, succeeded with 100% of his dribbles and made four tackles during the match.
His performance was widely hailed, including from journalist Scott Bradley, who said: “Nico Raskin has been a different animal since Barry Ferguson came in. He’s truly tapped into his potential. Big future ahead for the lad.”
In the Premiership this season, Raskin has exuded both attacking and defensive skills to great effect. Not only has he created six big chances while averaging one key pass per game, but the Belgian has also won 58% of his total duels contested and makes 2.8 tackles per game in the top flight.
Nico Raskin’s stats for Rangers this season
Metric
Premiership
Europa League
Asssits
6
1
Accurate passes per game
47
32.2
Big chances created
6
1
Tackles per game
2.8
3.7
Key passes per game
1
1
Via Sofascore
The best thing? He will only continue to get better, and next season could be massive for the youngster.
While Reyna would be a signing that could signal a statement of intent, the Gers already have a midfielder who is worth millions and could go on to bigger and brighter things in the near future.
It is inevitable that he will leave Glasgow. That much is certain. The big question for the new manager is, when exactly will that be?
He's now worth £9m: Rangers have already let their own version of Maeda go
As Rangers start to plan for the summer transfer window, they must regret letting go their own version of Daizen Maeda labelled a “big prospect”.