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Leeds United were relegated from the Premier League last season and are now flying high in the Championship.

An instant return to the top flight could be on the cards, however, their initial relegation back to the second tier could have been avoided.

During his time at the club, director of football Victor Orta made some gut-wrenching decisions and the most costly of those saw him sack Marcelo Bielsa and replace him with Jesse Marsch.

The American didn't endear himself in a positive light to the Elland Road faithful and his downfall in West Yorkshire began with a questionable recruitment strategy.

Whilst failing to replace Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha stole the headlines, it was a decision to sell an academy graduate that went under the radar as Leif Davis was sold to Ipswich Town for £1m in July 2022.

Leif Davis Leeds statistics

Leeds captured the promising full-back from League Two side Morecambe in 2018 and was instantly thrown into Carlos Corberan's under-23 side.

The Yorkshire club, who had just finished 13th in the Championship, had already snapped up Sam Dalby (Leyton Orient), Ryan Edmondson (York City) and Jordan Stevens (Forest Green) from lower league clubs.

After making an instant impression in the Whites' underage groups as an explosive left-back, he was promoted to the first-team setup by the newly appointed Bielsa and debuted in the dramatic 3-2 victory over Aston Villa in December 2018.

Despite making his major breakthrough, an injury towards the end of that campaign restricted him to mere late cameos against Derby County, Rotherham United and Swansea City.

Leeds, after finishing third, lost to Frank Lampard's Derby County in the Play-Off semi-finals.

Whilst they would secure promotion to the Premier League during a season which was curtailed by Covid-19 in the following, Davis would only feature across two starts and three substitute appearances.

The youngster realised that his best chance of playing regularly was elsewhere, moving to Championship side Bournemouth on loan in the 2021/22 campaign, where he made 15 appearances before sealing a permanent switch to the Tractor Boys in 2022.

Leif Davis' record at Ipswich Town

Once described by Bielsa as "a great player, full of future, resources and skills", Davis certainly inflicted those talents onto an Ipswich side vying for promotion out of League One.

An incredible source of quality down the left flank, the Englishman amassed a whopping 14 assists – the most of any player in the division – as his side were promoted back to the second tier.

In Kieran McKenna's swashbuckling system, the flying full-back utilizes his explosive pace, effortless ball-carrying and devastating ammunition down the left wing.

Ipswich have taken to the Championship like a duck to water, sitting level on points with Leicester City in the automatic promotion places while Davis has made a huge contribution to their fast start, accumulating seven assists in his opening 15 matches.

The "animal", as dubbed by former manager Scott Parker, has produced a staggering 24 assists from left back in 54 appearances for the East Anglian side and his extraordinary output places him as the arguably most creative player in the division.

By contrast, Leeds' current starting full-backs, Archie Gray and Sam Byram, have only managed one assist between them in 30 matches, with Leeds ruing the decision to sell such a quality asset on the cheap.

Glasgow Rangers return to domestic action this weekend as they look to continue their bright form under Philippe Clement.

Following six wins and a draw in seven matches, the Ibrox side appears to be rejuvenated, and the onus is now to continue their upwards trajectory.

They could even secure a trophy before Christmas, as they face Hearts in the League Cup final next month, while progress in the Europa League is certainly attainable and things are looking good for the Light Blues.

Despite having to work with a squad he inherited from Michael Beale, Clement has managed to get a tune from some of the summer signings who initially struggled under the former QPR boss.

Cyriel Dessers has scored three times under the former Club Brugge boss, while Danilo has emerged as one of the finest attacking options at the club.

The Brazilian has also thrived under the 49-year-old, netting three times while grabbing four assists, and he has been given the freedom and confidence to play his own game, which appears to be paying dividends.

Another key aspect about Clement which has further endeared him to the Ibrox faithful is the fact he isn’t scared in placing his trust in young players.

Due to several injures, talented winger Ross McCausland was given a start against Livingston just prior to the international break, and he certainly took his chance by winning a penalty in the first half while looking lively throughout.

This will give him a massive confidence boost heading into the future and the good news for Clement is there are plenty of other young talents emerging from the academy.

Here are three players who look set to burst through under the Belgian to follow in McCausland's footsteps…

1 Zak Lovelace

In a way, Lovelace has already begun to make his mark in the senior side, as he was given his first start for the Gers in a tie against St Mirren last month, yet this was under interim manager Steven Davis.

He made his debut for Millwall aged just 15 and his limitless potential led Giovanni van Bronckhorst to snap him last summer from the London side.

It didn’t take long for the Dutchman to give him a senior bow in Glasgow, as the young forward came off the bench against Queen of the South in August 2022, and he even made his Old Firm debut towards the end of the season.

The 17-year-old scored 18 goals and grabbed ten assists for the B team last season and, despite being restricted to just six minutes under Beale, Davis unleashed him from the start against the Buddies.

He looked bright before suffering an injury, and he hasn’t been seen since. Clement will be keeping his eye on his recovery, however, as there is no doubt he could play a key role in the side once he is fit.

2 Bailey Rice

The former Motherwell player became Rangers’ youngest-ever league debutant in February this year as he emerged from the bench against Livingston aged just 16 years, four months and 14 days.

Lauded as a “prospect” by journalist Mark Hendry in January last year when the Gers and Manchester City were sniffing about him, it's clear he has everything required to make the grade at the club in the coming years.

The 17-year-old has made another two domestic appearances for the Ibrox side this season, yet none have come under Clement.

The club are stacked in the central midfield area, but as time goes on, he could well get another chance in the senior squad.

The Belgian will be keeping a keen eye on his development for the B team, especially with the quality he has shown so far, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Rice make another appearance or two in the coming months, especially if the fixtures pile up.

McCausland’s recent rise over the previous few months will give him confidence that in time, he could be starting games for the Gers and this is what he should be targeting.

3 Alex Lowry

The Scot is perhaps the most highly-rated talent among the youth sides at Ibrox, especially with the way he broke through and shone upon his debut for the club back in January 2022.

He replaced Ianis Hagi in a Scottish Cup tie against Stirling Albion, and it didn’t take him long to make an impact, scoring a few moments later.

Another six appearances followed throughout the remainder of that campaign, and he even made the bench for the Europa League final in May 2022, but the Gers lost on penalties, and he didn’t make it onto the pitch.

A knee injury restricted his impact to just seven senior matches last term and this set his development back slightly and Beale sent him on a season-long loan to Hearts for the current season.

The 20-year-old has already made 15 appearances for the Jambos, and he has impressed in spells in the capital.

Not only has the attacking midfielder registered seven goal contributions, but he currently ranks third in the squad for shots on target per game (0.6), fourth for big chances created (one) and first for successful dribbles per game (1.4), demonstrating his ability in a club who are challenging for the European spots and this experience at the highest level will stand him in good stead.

Clement is clearly determined to secure success at Rangers and early indications suggest he will leave no stone unturned in the process.

While he aims to bolster his senior squad in the transfer market, there are players closer to home who could give him some different options going forward, while bolstering the home-based quota for European ties.

The three players mentioned all have the opportunity during Clement’s spell in charge to make inroads into the first team and showcase their abilities on a regular basis.

McCausland has proven that the chances are there for talented youngsters if they are good enough and Lovelace, Rice and Lowry have all demonstrated how good they can be with their fleeting appearances in the Ibrox first team.

The impressive young allrounder took six wickets but Worcestershire’s batsmen struggled in turn

David Hopps at New Road04-Sep-20181:56

Burns piles on the runs after England snub

ScorecardIt’s September, the pitches are seaming and Worcestershire are bottom again, in obvious danger of relegation. Not much changes, you might assume. Except it does because this time nobody in county cricket is blithely assuming that it is Worcestershire plus one other for the drop. This time, a talented young side suggests it is as well-equipped as anybody to survive.But Worcestershire’s defeat against Lancashire at Southport last week felt like an opportunity wasted, as well as Dane Vilas and Josh Bohannon must have played to turn the game in Lancashire’s favour. It left Worcestershire and Hampshire in the bottom two, and encouraged the feeling that this is crunch time. With Hampshire dismissed for 191 and Worcestershire subsiding to 68 for 4 in return, both sides suffered some first-day bleeding.A first appearance at T20 Finals Day in the Vitality Blast is also looming and for Worcestershire if the glass half-empty interpretation is that it could be a diversion from the task ahead, the half-full conclusion sees it as a statement of the development of a young side which Kevin Sharp, as head coach, has inherited so calmly since the removal of Steve Rhodes in unfortunate circumstances last winter.Talking T20

Dan Norcross and Matt Roller start the build-up to the Vitality Blast Finals Day
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When Worcestershire lost their captain Joe Leach to injury in early season, they lost the heartbeat of the side, taker of 193 championship wickets in the past three seasons. It felt like a blow they could not withstand, but on the first day against Hampshire Leach could stroll around the outfield with Winnie, his Mum’s dog, with reason to hope that they can survive without him.By the time of Winnie’s perambulation, Hampshire had just been dismissed and Ed Barnard, an attacking allrounder with bat or ball, had returned the second six-for of his career, his 6 for 50 outdone only by his 6 for 37 against Somerset at Taunton earlier this season. Barnard epitomises the dash of this young Worcestershire side, relishing the fight and increasingly equipped to come out on top.He knew, nevertheless, that it had taken Worcestershire, hmself included, a session to settle to their task. “We probably had the best of the conditions and didn’t quite utilise them as we would have liked,” he said. “But we came back strongly in the second session and have managed not to lose too many wickets tonight because that was a real tough session for the batters to go out and face those 20 odd overs.”Ed Barnard celebrates a wicket•Getty Images

Hampshire were in reasonable order at lunch, at 81 for 2, Barnard having removed Joe Weatherley with one that bounced a bit, but they proceeded to lose their last eight wickets for 110 in the afternoon, grateful for Sam Northeast’s resistance before he was last out, driving at Wayne Parnell, for 48 as the last two wickets added 65, particularly tough for Worcestershire to take as they had coveted his signature so much in the winter.Barnard found movement from an attacking length, Hampshire drove ambitiously and by the end Ben Cox, the wicketkeeper, and Mitchell, at second slip, had seven catches between them and Barnard had a post-lunch spell of 5 for 21 in nine overs.Division One’s leading wicket-takers make interesting reading. Barnard now lies fourth, with 41 at 20.31, trailing the Essex offspinner Simon Harmer, who has 44 and who has sustained his Championship-winning return unlike many of his colleagues. Most eye-catchingly, the top two are Lancashire’s pair of Graham Onions and Tom Bailey.Hampshire’s afternoon collapse began with the loss of their Championship debutant, Oliver Soames, a 22-year-old student at Loughborough, who had grafted through the morning for 23, fancied letting his hair down against Barnard in the afternoon and immediately paid the price .James Vince fell in similar fashion to Barnard, a little refinement fell out of the day and perhaps, over in the cathedral, a chorister dropped a book of psalms as if to reveal God’s disappointment. Tom Alsop and Ian Holland nicked in turn and Liam Dawson, coming in at No 8, drove Barnard to cover. Five wickets in 12 overs, four to Barnard, had changed the complexion of the game.Worcestershire struggled in turn and would have been grateful when bad light cut 13.2 overs from the day – two overs too late, they might have thought, after Daryl Mitchell’s judicious 41 from 66 balls came to grief when he chipped a leading edge back to Fidel Edwards.

In the Premier League era, some of the league's greatest defenders have graced Chelsea with their monstrous performances, elegance in possession and leadership expertise.

John Terry, for example, was all of those rolled into one and he captained the Blues through their most successful period, making a whopping 717 appearances across a glittering 19-year period that saw him lift a whole host of trophies, including five Premier League titles, five FA Cups and a Champions League.

Through his unstoppable displays at Stamford Bridge, it became apparent that the key ingredient to any team is having a defensive stalwart anchoring the ship to success.

The latest generational defender to exemplify the above at Chelsea is Thiago Silva, the Brazilian who makes the art of defending look easy through his exceptional ability to read the game – with his "football brain" seemingly "above everybody", according to former boss Graham Potter.

Unfortunately, at 39 years old, the pleasure of watching him in action is coming to an end and Mauricio Pochettino must prepare for the day he eventually hangs up his boots by having a replacement lined up.

That replacement could come in the shape of Inter Milan's Alessandro Bastoni.

Chelsea's January transfer targets

According to CalcioMercatoWeb, Chelsea and Manchester City are considering a move for the highly-rated centre-back.

The report details that the 24-year-old is valued at €70m (£60m), however, Inter aren't under pressure to sell after the Italian penned a new four-year deal in the summer.

Bastoni was previously the subject of interest from Tottenham Hotspur when Antonio Conte was manager but he rejected the opportunity to link up with the fellow Italian as he didn't want to leave the Serie A giants.

Since arriving at the San Siro in 2019, the 6 foot 3 colossus has become one of the best left-sided defenders on the planet and it is clear if Chelsea were able to successfully strike a deal with Inter, Bastoni would become a revelation in the Premier League.

Alessandro Bastoni is the dream heir to Thiago Silva

Inter Milan's stalwart, who was dubbed by Italian journalist Marco Sconcerti as a "young [Leonardo] Bonucci", ​​is leading the next generation of Italians into battle and displays an abundance of attributes that suggest he's going to have a long and successful career at the top of world football.

Similarly to Silva, Bastoni is the complete modern defender and doesn't possess many chinks in his armoury, demonstrating his exceptional ability to drive from defence with the ball and elegantly dictating play with his passing range.

In possession, the £170k per-week monster is near faultless and this is evidenced by how he ranks against his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues for his ball retention and ball-carrying attributes.

According to FBref, Bastoni places within the top 1% for progressive passes received, top 2% for progressive carries, top 11% for progressive passes and top 1% for shot-creating actions per 90.

For those metrics alone, it isn't a shock to see many of Europe's top clubs salivating over the prospect of watching the Italian dictating possession from deep and kick-starting attacks with his wonderful passing range.

Although his defensive metrics don't rank particularly high as the Inter back line isn't put under constant pressure, Bastoni is incredibly good at reading the game, like Silva, while he's also an imposing presence, winning 65.5% of his aerial duels and placing within the top 3% for tackles won in the attacking third.

Bastoni is on the brink of becoming a world-class defender and he should be top on the list of players to replace the Brazilian stalwart.

Sunderland are one of many fallen giants attempting to climb back up to the Premier League after a six-year exile with a relegation to League One – and four years spent in England's third tier – sandwiched in between.

Now battling with the big guns at the top end of the Championship, the Black Cats have risen from beneath the rubble to mount a challenge on the automatic promotion spots.

While their chances of returning to the top flight have been bolstered by their recruitment of talented youngsters since their return to the second tier with the likes of Pierre Ekwah, Daniel Ballard, Jack Clarke and most recently, Jobe Bellingham, forming the ingredients for Tony Mowbray's promotion recipe.

Several youngsters from Sunderland's famed youth set-up have shot onto the scene and seen their value skyrocket. 16-year-old Chris Rigg is the most recent example but the 2007-born youngster, who scored in the 5-0 hammering of Southampton, isn't the only Black Cats graduate to have made the first-team jump.

Since making his breakthrough in the 2020/21 campaign, Dan Neil has made a profound impact at the Stadium of Light, cementing his spot in the heart of their midfield and playing huge role in the club's endeavors over the past few years.

How much was Dan Neil worth at the start of his career?

South Shield's born Dan Neil was captured from Hebburn Town juniors at the age of eight and having grown up as a supporter of the Black Cats, had dreams of paying for his boyhood club.

The 5 foot 10 star would soon realise those dreams after making rapid progression through the underage groups, impressing for the U18s and U23s before being handed his first team in an injury-time win over Swindon in March 2021.

While the youngster was presented with a few opportunities to impress, largely in the EFL Trophy, Neil's major breakthrough came in the 2021/22 campaign as he made 39 appearances in League One and played a huge role in Sunderland's promotion back to the second tier.

In one performance, the rising star captained his hometown side to victory over Lincoln City in the Papa John Trophy but perhaps more notably, was compared to Manchester United icon Michael Carrick by talkSPORT commentator Ian Danter.

He said: “His performance reminded me of the first time I saw Michael Carrick running a game at Molineux for Swindon on loan some years back. Very impressive indeed and a lovely goal too.”

What is Dan Neil worth now?

From putting in that Carrick-esque performance, Neil's progression from a promising homegrown prospect to an increasingly influential Championship midfielder has been the result of commitment, a relentless desire to improve and above all, exceptional coaching in an environment that encourages talent to flourish.

The 21-year-old has widely impressed since making his first-team debut and this is reflected in his expected transfer value (xTV), as per Football Transfers, rising from around £950k (€1.1m) in September 2022, on the back of their promotion-winning campaign to around £5.4m (€6.3m) in the present day.

How has Dan Neil performed this season?

Putting aside a dubious red card against, coincidentally Carrick's Middlesbrough last weekend, Sunderland's midfield metronome has risen to stardom as one of the best midfielders in the Championship this season, excelling as the driving force in Mowbray's midfield while showcasing his exceptional passing range.

In the summer, as per Football Insider, Liverpool had a strong interest in signing Neil, who they saw as someone who could fill the void left by Jordan Henderson’s departure to Saudi Arabia in the long term having previously captured the England international from the Black Cats in 2011.

On the evidence of his performances this term, it's clear to see why the Reds have closely monitored the youngster for the past 12 months, possessing the technical attributes to have an explosive impact in the final third by chalking up two goals and two assists in 11 appearances from his deep-lying midfield role.

The Black Cats academy graduate is a star that shines brightest when comparing his ball-playing abilities with his Championship positional peers, ranking in the top 1% for progressive carries, top 11% for pass completion, top 4% for successful take-ons and top 9% for non-penalty goals, as per FBref, with those domineering displays showing Danter he was right in drawing comparisons to Carrick.

The youngster's progression in the first team has been aided by the arrival of Pierre Ekwah, who acts as the destructive ball-winner in the partnership so that Neil's technical qualities are able to flourish.

The pair have formed a crucial partnership in the heart of Mowbray's midfield but since the injury to the Frenchman, Sunderland have missed the balance that the latter provides and once he returns, will have the requisite partnership that can fire them to promotion.

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim reportedly sees a “very good” goalkeeper as his leading target in that position this summer, and it’s not Emiliano Martinez.

Who will replace Andre Onana at Man Utd?

The performances of Andre Onana last season undoubtedly played a part in the Red Devils’ struggles in the Premier League, with the Cameroonian too often proving to be an unconvincing figure between the sticks.

It would be a surprise if Onana was in goal for the opening game of the 2025/26 campaign – he may even have been sold by then – and a host of names have been mentioned as succeeding him at United in the coming years.

Villa and Argentina star Martinez has arguably been talked about more than anyone for the Red Devils, with the 32-year-old a huge character who has proven himself on the biggest stage, helping his country beat France on penalties in the 2022 World Cup final.

Lille ‘keeper Lucas Chevalier has also been mentioned at times, while Everton and England ace Jordan Pickford’s name has been touted sporadically, but now another name appears to be at the top of United’s list of options.

Amorim wants Man Utd to sign "very good" goalkeeper

According to journalist Sebastiao Sousa-Pinto on X, Manchester United boss Amorim wants to sign Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa this summer.

“As I have been reporting in recent weeks, Diogo Costa remains on Man United’s list to take over the goal. Valor could be a stumbling block for the Red Devils. He has been Ruben Amorim’s favourite since January, but there are more options on the table if Onana leaves.”

The £63m-rated Costa may still only be 25, which is young for a goalkeeper, but he already feels like a hugely experienced player at both club and international level, making him a strong option for United.

He has now racked up 36 caps for Portugal, helping them win the UEFA Nations League this month and is likely to go into the 2026 World Cup as their first-choice between the sticks. He also has 197 appearances for Porto, keeping 83 clean sheets in that time.

Costa would be an upgrade on Onana, who is a talented stopper but has too many bad mistakes in him, with the former bringing more consistency to the role, having been praised by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who said of him: “I’m not here to rate their players, but he’s very good for sure. He’s consistently been at that level for a few years.”

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At 25, Costa could be the solution in goal for United for the next decade, and the fact that Amorim wants him more than anyone is reason to take a punt on him and trust the boss.

Quinton de Kock missed a stumping late on the second day of the ongoing Wanderers Test, but he had a good reason. De Kock was stung by a bee as he attempted to collect the ball and let Shaun Marsh, who was on 15 at the time, off the hook.Marsh had come down the pitch to drive a Keshav Maharaj ball that beat his outside edge and hit de Kock on the left pad. As de Kock crouched to retrieve the ball, he stopped and let it roll away, while attending to his upper left arm.De Kock was seen flicking the bee away and trying to pull out the sting while the ball trickled away for a bye. South Africa’s physiotherapist Craig Govender was soon on the field to attend to de Kock.The moment didn’t prove particularly costly to South Africa. Marsh only added one more run to his score before edging Maharaj to AB de Villiers at slip.This is not the first time bees have been a problem at the Wanderers. In February last year, a beekeeper had to be called to the ground to get rid of a swarm of bees that interrupted play in the pink ODI between South Africa and Sri Lanka.

Ben Stokes is poised again to make an England return – this time in the one-day series against New Zealand – after being included in a 15-man squad “subject to any court obligations”.Stokes has spent more than four months out of England’s side since he was arrested following a dead-of-night incident outside a Bristol nightclub. He is due to appear at magistrates’ court in the city on February 13 to answer a charge of affray.

England ODI squad

Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jonathan Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

England remain hopeful that he will be clear to play the five-match ODI series which starts on February 25, but cannot make a firm decision until the outcome of Stokes’ courth appearance.England’s decision to name Stokes provisionally follows a familiar pattern dating back to the Ashes, when he was selected but ultimately deemed unavailable for both the Test and ODI series.Instead, he managed some cricket across the Tasman Sea for Canterbury and may now find himself returning to New Zealand in more fulfilling circumstances.England have made two changes to the squad that beat Australia 4-1. Nottinghamshire seamer Jake Ball, who played the final match of the series, has been omitted, as has Dawid Malan who was added as Stokes’ replacement.With Stokes’ inclusion not yet certain, Malan, who has just been appointed as Middlesex club captain, might decide not to unpack his bags just yet.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Michael Beale was backed by the board throughout the summer transfer window as he was able to snap up nine new additions for his squad.

Who did Rangers sign this summer?

The Scottish giants bolstered a number of positions across the group as they look to bounce back from their failure to secure a single trophy during the 2022/23 campaign.

Beale added to his defensive options with the signings of former England international Jack Butland, centre-back Leon Balogun, and right-back Dujon Sterling on free transfers.

The midfield was also added to with the permanent signings of Kieran Dowell and Jose Cifuentes, whilst Abdallah Sima joined on a season-long loan from Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion.

Three forwards also came through the door at Ibrox as Sam Lammers, Cyriel Dessers, and Danilo joined on permanent deals for undisclosed fees.

However, the English head coach also wanted a left-sided defender to come in but was unable to get a deal over the line and he could now unearth one in 20-year-old Gers prospect Johnly Yfeko.

Who is Johnly Yfeko?

Yfeko is a versatile 6 foot 2 defender who has the ability to play as a left-back or as a centre-back and could be the long-term heir to Ridvan Yilmaz's place in the squad.

The former Southampton and Leicester City youth product joined the Gers last season and made an instant impression on then-first-team boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who named him on the bench for three Scottish Premiership matches in November of last year.

Yfeko went on to play 14 Lowland League games for the B team throughout the 2022/23 campaign and his form for the academy led to Beale offering him a chance with the senior group during pre-season this year.

The English titan featured in four friendlies for the first team and did enough to convince the Light Blues tactician, who hailed him as "big" and a "surprise" option, that he deserved an opportunity to showcase his talent in a competitive setting.

He started at left-back and played the full 90 minutes of the 2-1 win over Greenock Morton in the Scottish League Cup last month, which was his senior debut for the club.

Beale has clearly been impressed by the talented youngster and this suggests that he has the potential to be a future star, which is why Yfeko could take over from Yilmaz, who has struggled since his move to Ibrox.

How did Ridvan Yilmaz perform last season?

The Turkey international endured an injury-riddled campaign with the Scottish giants after his permanent switch from Besiktas ahead of the 2022/23 season.

He missed a staggering 29 competitive matches through injury last term due to a hamstring strain and has already been absent for the first nine games of the current one.

Yilmaz only started eight Premiership matches but did showcase his creative ability with two assists in that time. However, he also lost a whopping 60% of his aerial battles and was too easily dominated by opposition attackers in the air, which made him a liability when it came to defending crossing and set-piece situations.

Yfeko, on the other hand, who has captained the B team this season, recently claimed that he "enjoyed" the physical nature of the side's clash with League Two outfit Stenhousemuir and wants to be an aggressive defender. That is certainly something that Yilmaz has struggled to be.

At 6 foot 2, the former Foxes prodigy would offer more of a physical presence at left-back than the 5 foot 9 Turkish full-back which could improve Rangers' defending from high balls into the box and to the back post.

This, along with the former Besiktas ace's lack of consistency in his availability, could tempt Beale to move on from the 22-year-old flop if Yfeko is able to burst through and prove himself to be first-team ready this season.

Turkish giants Fenerbahce were reportedly interested in signing him over the summer, suggesting that the interest could be there for Rangers to be able to recoup some money for him in a future window if they decide to cut their losses and part ways with the young defender.

This would subsequently open the door for Yfeko to come in and take his place in the squad to compete with Borna Barisic for a spot, whilst also having the versatility to be an option at centre-back, in a back four or as a wide defender on the left of a back three.

It is worth noting that replacing Yilmaz would not necessarily mean that the 20-year-old brute would come in as a regular starter in the first team as Barisic currently has the shirt and is a proven performer for the club.

How good is Borna Barasic?

Last season, the Croatia international averaged an exceptional Sofascore rating of 7.42 across 30 Scottish Premiership matches, showcasing his creative quality on a consistent basis for the Glasgow giants.

The 30-year-old maestro produced an eye-catching 2.3 key passes per game and provided his teammates with 12 'big chances' in total, which led to an impressive nine assists for the experienced campaigner, as per Sofascore.

Only James Tavenier (7.63) averaged a higher Sofascore rating than Barisic and no player managed more than nine Premiership assists within the Gers squad, which shows that he was one of Beale's outstanding performers.

This suggests that there is no immediate need for Yfeko to become the first-choice option for the English head coach in that position, which could be an ideal situation for the towering youngster.

Indeed, he could come through and replace the injured Yilmaz as the back-up to Barisic, who has already assisted two goals in three league games this term, with a view to eventually taking the position in the future if he is able to develop into a consistent performer at senior level.

Therefore, Beale could ditch the Turkey international and uncover his heir by offering more chances for Yfeko to showcase his ability for Rangers over the coming weeks and months.

Aston Villa have had a summer to remember so far, with Unai Emery and Monchi bolstering the talent on show at Villa Park through their moves in the market.

The Spanish duo smashed the club record transfer fee to welcome Moussa Diaby to the Midlands in a deal worth £51.9m, as well as reuniting Emery with former player Pau Torres and capturing Youri Tielemans on a free transfer.

Following on from the highs of the 2022/23 campaign that was transformed by the former Arsenal boss, things are looking to be on a good route for the Villans, however the club could soon suffer their first blunder since the Spaniard’s arrival.

What’s the latest on Cameron Archer’s future at Aston Villa?

It wasn’t long ago that Emery gave a refreshing update on the status of academy striker Cameron Archer’s via BirminghamLive, during the club’s pre-season tour.

The manager spoke in reference to fellow young forward Jhon Duran when providing assurance over his plans to keep the promising duo at Villa Park for the season to come.

“He’s [Duran] a player we will need because he is our second striker with Cameron Archer and we have to use both as well as we have to give them chances to help us.”

Despite the reassurance delivered by the Spaniard, renowned journalist David Ornstein revealed on Wednesday that the dynamic youngster could be for “sale”, with the club “open” to his departure with “strong interest” noted.

How good is Cameron Archer?

Lauded by U23 scout Antonio Mango as being “undoubtedly the best finisher” in England’s U21 European Championship winning squad, Villa could be making a huge mistake in sanctioning the sale of Archer.

A product of the club’s academy, the Englishman – who has been valued at €10m (£9m) by CIES Football Observatory – made the decision to endeavour on a half-season loan spell in the Championship last term, with game time not sufficient enough for his development.

In 20 appearances for Middlesbrough, the striker contributed to 17 goals on their path to the play-offs, scoring 11 times and providing six assists in what was an instant impact at Riverside.

Described as “incredibly prolific” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Emery could not only lose a homegrown talent, but a player with gargantuan potential at a time where Ollie Watkins is only getting older and a successor will one day need to be identified.

With Watkins being Villa’s primary forward at present, the room is there for Archer to develop at his boyhood club next season, under a manager that has unearthed one of the best young talents in England, with his harvesting of Bukayo Saka most notable.

It would be a significant blunder for the claret and blues to part ways with the 21-year-old, who has shown evidence of the maturity he has added to his game by playing exceptionally at senior level, to elevate his raw talent.

The Villans are also in the process of completing the sale of fellow academy starlet Aaron Ramsey, in a move that is beneficial to the player, but an example that could come back to haunt Emery.

While there are a host of targets speculated to be wanted by Villa, there comes an instance where promoting homegrown talents could be the greater route to success, rather than a way to make profit.