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Former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson believes that Chelsea should launch a sensational transfer swoop for Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane. The Englishman's current deal at Allianz Arena includes a £57 million ($76m) release clause, which is reportedly set to come into effect at the end of the 2025-26 season. While the ex-Tottenham star is “extremely happy” in Munich, he has not ruled out returning to the Premier League at some stage.

Contract complexities at Bayern

Kane’s contract at Bayern runs until 2027, but his release clause could drop to £57m next summer. For it to be activated, Kane must inform Bayern of his intention to leave before January, with speculation about a potential return to England now raging.

AdvertisementIMAGO / HMB-MediaJohnson: Chelsea is the perfect fit

Johnson has insisted that Chelsea should go all out for Kane if he decides to head back to his homeland. In an interview with the former Chelsea and England defender said: "I think if Harry Kane is ready to come back to the Premier League, it’s Chelsea who should make the move for him.

"They’re obviously crying out for that kind of player, the way they play. They’re a bit more focused on a central striker, and Arsenal would probably play too much tiki-taka to be the right club for him. Liverpool have Alexander Isak and Manchester City have [Erling] Haaland, so Chelsea makes the most sense if he leaves Bayern Munich."

Tottenham’s first-option clause

It’s worth noting that Spurs retain a first-option agreement on Kane as part of the 2023 transfer deal with Bayern. However, this only comes into play if Bayern agree to sell the striker and Kane himself wants a return to north London. Johnson has warned the striker off a potential reunion and instead advised him to join a club where he could win more regular silverware. 

"I don’t think Harry Kane would want to go back to Tottenham. I think that story is finished for him and the club," he said.

"He left for a reason, to go and win trophies. He won’t really be able to do that at Spurs if he returns, so why would he go back now? I think for Kane, it doesn’t make sense, it would be like going back to a lit firework. It could blow up in his face. The situation is what it is, and he should keep moving forward in his career now."

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Kane focused on Bayern for now

Kane’s focus is firmly on Bayern for now, but hasn't closed the door entirely on a return to his homeland. He told reporters while away on international duty with England: “In terms of the Premier League, I don’t know. If you had asked me when I first left to go to Bayern, I would have said for sure I would come back. Now I have been there a couple of years I would say probably say that has gone down a little bit, not so much, but I wouldn’t say I would never go back. What I have learnt in my career is that different opportunities and different timings happen and things fall in place. Going back to my first point, with Bayern right now, I am fully all in with Bayern.”

Rasmus Hojlund produced a statement performance for Napoli in the Champions League, scoring twice against Sporting CP and celebrating by pointing to the competition’s badge. The on-loan Manchester United striker seemed to send a message to his parent club, who are enduring a season without European football under Ruben Amorim, which has not been going down well in Manchester.

• Hojlund sends message to Man Utd with Napoli brace

  Napoli secured a crucial 2-1 victory over Sporting CP at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, with Hojlund playing a starring role. The Danish forward opened the scoring after being teed up by Kevin De Bruyne before adding a second header late on. His celebration — pointing to the Champions League emblem — was seen as a pointed reminder to Manchester United.

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• Striker speaks out after bagging brace

  Hojlund spoke about his celebration after the game. He told UEFA: "I celebrated touching the Napoli badge because I’m happy to play here and the Champions League badge because I love to score in Europe. It was the night you dream of, playing in the Champions League. I don’t like to talk about my performance, but about the team. Playing with an exceptional talent like Kevin De Bruyne is special. I just need to get into space and he’ll get me the ball."

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  Hojlund back in form under Antonio Conte

  Hojlund’s brace marked his most decisive outing since joining Napoli on loan in the summer. The 21-year-old had managed just one goal prior to this game but now appears to be finding his feet under Antonio Conte. His growing connection with former Manchester City star De Bruyne has also caught attention, particularly given United’s attacking struggles this season.

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• Napoli have obligation to buy Hojlund next summer

  The loan agreement between United and Napoli includes a £5 million fee and a reported £38 million obligation to buy if the Italian side qualify for next season’s Champions League. Hojlund’s resurgence comes at a time when United are languishing in the lower half of the Premier League table and struggling to score consistently.

The latest round of action across Europe's elite leagues saw Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Porto maintain their winning starts to the 2025-26 season. However, while everyone expects Bayern to run away with the Bundesliga, Barca are hot on the heels of Madrid in La Liga, while Porto are presently processing the news that the most famous manager in the club's history has just taken charge of their hated rivals Benfica.

Over in Italy, Juventus dropped their first points of the season at Verona but Massimiliano Allegri's resurgent AC Milan made it three wins on the bounce by beating Udinese, with Christian Pulisic the star of the show at the Bluenergy Stadium.

In France, Le Classique between Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain was pushed back until Monday due to the weather and that allowed Monaco to draw level with PSG thanks in no small part to a former Barcelona star…

Below, GOAL runs through all the big winners and losers from Europe's top leagues…

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  WINNER: Lorenzo Pellegrini

  Gianluca Mancini played his 15th Rome derby on Sunday but admitted afterwards that he still gets "butterflies" before every game.

  "Those on the outside cannot understand what the derby means," the Roma defender told . Lorenzo Pellegrini is no outsider, of course. The Italy international was born and raised in the Eternal City. The derby has always been everything to him.

  However, Pellegrini was even more emotional than usual after netting the winner against Lazio as he expected to be sold during the summer before picking up a hamstring injury that ended any hope Roma had of finding a buyer for a midfielder that has often been criticised by the club's fans.

  "It's true that I was very moved after scoring the goal," Pellegrini, who is out of contract next summer, told . "Life is unpredictable: you don’t know what could happen next. To win the derby, that is for my people and my family. You are all my family and helped me during this difficult time."

  A group of supporters had also unfurled a banner before the game that read "Welcome back, captain!", so even though Bryan Cristante was actually wearing the armband, it was a gesture that was very much appreciated by Pellegrini.

  "I know there are those who love me in the stands, and I never doubted it. I love them too," the 29-year-old said. "I also believe this team has so much more to give, as so many great men with character who care about Roma are here now.

  "I feel proud to be one of the many captains, those responsible for passing on the passion for Roma to those who have just arrived and haven’t realised where they are. That includes Mancini, who is my brother from another mother.

  "Aside from all the reasoning and words, though, there is one constant, which is that I love Roma. As long as I wear this jersey, there won’t be a moment when I will hold back."

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• AFP
  

  WINNER: Ansu Fati

  Monaco endured a miserable start to their Champions League campaign, losing 4-1 away to Club Brugge last Thursday. However, there was one positive: Ansu Fati coming off the bench to net his first goal for the club, which put a smile on the face of neutrals all across the world.

  Remarkably, even better was to come at the Stade Louis II on Sunday, with the on-loan Barcelona attacker bagging a brace on his Ligue 1 debut as Monaco beat Metz 5-2 to move level on points with PSG at the top of the table.

  "I feel very good and capable of helping the team," Fati told the club's official website. "I’m happy to be playing football again. You have to live in the moment and take it one day at a time. No one knows what the future holds but, whatever happens, I’m very happy tonight."

  Obviously, Fati is right: there's no point in looking too far ahead. It's very early days and it would be unwise to take anything for granted when it comes to such an injury-ravaged player, making giddy talk of Fati being 'back' feel incredibly premature. 

  In fairness, though, it's hard not to be excited by the prospect of the former prodigy getting a once-promising career back on track after so many setbacks in recent seasons. As Barcelona sporting director Deco pointed out during the summer, Fati is still only 22, while there are few better clubs than Monaco when it comes to getting the best out of young talent.

  Nobody wanted Fati after his dismal loan spell at Brighton in 2023-24 – least of all Barca boss Hansi Flick – but Monaco might just have pulled off a masterstroke by securing an €11 million (£9.5m/$13m) option to buy the former Spain international at the end of his loan spell in the principality.  

• Getty Images Sport
  

  LOSER: Harry Kane's critics

  claimed over the weekend that Barcelona are eyeing up Harry Kane as a possible replacement for Robert Lewandowski – which, on the face of it, appears pretty nonsensical. Why would Barca even consider replacing a 37-year-old forward with a player that turns 33 next summer?

  On the other hand, Kane is showing zero signs of slowing down and is actually enjoying one of the more productive periods of his career.

  After netting twice in Bayern Munich's Champions League opener against Chelsea on Wednesday, the England international went one better at the weekend, hitting a hat-trick in a 4-1 rout of Hoffenheim at the PreZero Arena.

  Consequently, Kane has a frankly ridiculous eight goals in just four Bundesliga matches so far this season and 13 in seven in all competitions, which is why some German journalists are now publicly apologising for previously arguing that Bayern had overpaid for the forward – and why the reports emanating out of Spain don't actually feel that far-fetched! 

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  WINNER: Jose Mourinho

  Things have worked out pretty well for Jose Mourinho. Just over three weeks after Bruno Lage’s Benfica effectively cost the Portuguese his job at Fenerbahce, 'The Special One' returned to Lisbon 25 years after starting his illustrious coaching career with The Eagles.

  Although it's never been a good idea to try to predict what Mourinho might do – or say – next, it seems likely that his second spell in Lisbon will definitely last longer than his first (nine games) because he believes that Benfica – unlike Fenerbahce – are on his "level".

  "I came to coach a big club, I came to coach a giant," he said after leading the two-time European Cup winners to a 3-0 win over AVS on Saturday night. "I've been with giants, Real Madrid, Inter, Manchester, Roma – not a giant in terms of winning titles, but a giant from a social point of view.

  “So, I've been at big clubs and now I had the opportunity to come and coach a giant, and that's what brought me here.”

  Deep down, maybe even Mourinho knows that he’s lucky to have landed such a top job after flopping at Fenerbahce but it’s kind of irrelevant now.

  All that matters is that he’s back at one of Europe’s prestigious clubs – and back in the Champions League, too. Truth be told, we’re already counting down the days until his upcoming return to Stamford Bridge. The pre-match press conference alone should be gold!

Two big Italian clubs are worried that Liverpool are “really serious” about a highly-rated player they both want to sign this summer.

Van Dijk demands more after Community Shield defeat

The Reds lost to Crystal Palace in the Community Shield on Sunday afternoon, losing on penalties after a 2-2 draw, never quite getting going after a promising start. Captain Virgil van Dijk conceded a penalty and wasn’t at his imperious best, and speaking after the game, he demanded more from Liverpool with the new Premier League season approaching.

“We all have plenty of experience, winning and losing. What kind of impact it should have is that we realise we need a couple of things that we have to improve as a team if we want to retain the title, which obviously will be a very big job in itself.

“We have a recovery day tomorrow and then we fully focus on Bournemouth, which will be a very tough game. But I’m really looking forward to the start of the Premier League. Friday at home with our fans, we know it’s going to be emotional obviously with everything that is going on and happened. But I’m really looking forward to it.”

Liverpool supporters will be hoping to see more transfer business completed at both ends of the pitch this month, and now a new update has emerged regarding their pursuit of a new centre-back.

Liverpool "really serious" about signing "complete" ace

According to Tuttosport [via Sport Witness], Liverpool are “really serious” about £34.6m-rated Parma centre-back Giovanni Leoni, amid plenty of interest in him this summer.

Both Inter Milan and AC Milan are also keen on signing the 18-year-old, with the report stating that the Serie A giants need to “watch out” for the Reds hijacking a move for him. Meanwhile, Parma Live claim that the Merseysiders are “in pole position” to get their man.

A new centre-back is imperative for Liverpool before the transfer window closes, with rumoured target Marc Guehi impressing for Palace against them on Sunday.

Leoni could be a cheaper option than the Eagles captain, however, as well as being seven years younger, with scout Jacek Kulig among those who admire him, describing him as a “complete” player.

At just 18, Leoni is already an established player at a high level, starting 14 matches in Serie A for Parma last season, as well as averaging 3.6 clearances per game.

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Unlike Guehi, the Italian is also more likely to be content with a squad role at Liverpool to begin with, given his age, and he could prove to be an ideal understudy to Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.

Southampton have now opened talks to sign an “unbelievable” winger, who could be brought in as a replacement for Tyler Dibling, according to a report.

Saints looking to sign replacement for Dibling amid Everton links

Following the Saints’ relegation from the Premier League, Dibling has been expected to leave the club, and Everton have emerged as one of the most interested parties, with David Moyes’ side having multiple approaches knocked back.

It has been widely reported the 19-year-old is training away from the rest of the squad, amid interest from the Toffees, and reporter Sami Mokbel has recently suggested the youngster could be heading for the exit door this summer.

Mokbel said: “The information varies depending on who you speak to. If you speak to people closer to Everton, they will tell you that the deal has reached an impasse and Southampton are asking for far too much.

“If you speak to those closer to the South Coast, there is a realisation there that maybe Tyler Dibling’s time is coming to an end.”

Amid the major doubts surrounding the starlet’s future at St. Mary’s, Will Still’s side have now set their sights on a replacement, and a report from Football Insider has revealed they have opened talks over a deal for West Bromwich Albion star Tom Fellows.

Fellows has been lined up as a direct replacement for Dibling, who has been the subject of a £40m offer from Everton, and a deal may be relatively inexpensive, with reports from elsewhere revealing the Baggies could look to hold out for just £10m.

Southampton "interested" in £400k+ defender who's been likened to Van Dijk

The Saints have joined the race for a “dominant” centre-back.

ByDominic Lund Jul 15, 2025 "Unbelievable" Fellows could be perfect replacement for Dibling

Losing one of their prized assets will, of course, be a bitter pill to swallow for the Saints, should Dibling complete a move elsewhere, but there are plenty of signs the West Brom winger could be the perfect replacement.

Most notably, the Solihull-born winger chalked up some very impressive attacking numbers in the 2024-25 campaign, picking up four goals and 14 assists in the Championship alone, leading to some very high praise from teammate Karlan Grant.

Grant said: “He’s an unbelievable young player. As soon as he does that step-over, I know the ball’s going to be arriving at the back stick and there’s going to be chances.

At just 22-years-old, Fellows could still have plenty of room to develop even further, but he is already a top winger at Championship level, and West Brom’s potential asking price of just £10m means the forward could be an absolute bargain.

Worcestershire reduced to 56 for 76, but Waite and van Beek rally before rain

ECB Reporters Network26-Sep-2024

Anderson Phillip picked up vital early wickets•Getty Images

Lancashire made up for lost time and maintained their Vitality County Championship Division One survival hopes after Tom Bailey and Anderson Phillip impressed with the new ball against Worcestershire at Visit Worcestershire New Road.Bailey and Phillip fully justified Lancashire skipper Keaton Jennings decision to put the home side into bat in reducing them to 22 for 5 and then 56 for 7 in seamer-friendly conditions when play got underway after lunch. The duo both picked up three wickets to give Lancashire an ideal start to a game they have to win to keep alive their chances of remaining in the top flight for another season.Lancashire began the game 15 points adrift of third from bottom Nottinghamshire but last week’s win over Somerset at Emirates Old Trafford had kept them in contention.Bailey bowled eight overs on the trot and returned excellent figures of 3 for 9 while Phillip had 3 for 44 from seven overs.Worcestershire had already guaranteed their safety during a recent run of three wins in four matches and their eighth-wicket pair of Matthew Waite and Logan van Beek led a partial recovery. They plundered 63 in seven overs but the rain which had washed out the morning’s play returned after tea.Worcestershire made two changes from the side in action against Hampshire at the Utilita Bowl with the fit again Waite and Jack Home replacing the injured Tom Taylor and spinner Amar Virdi. Lancashire kept faith with the side which had defeated Somerset.Bailey’s second delivery of the opening over accounted for Gareth Roderick who drove at a ball of full length which was swinging away and he edged to Will Williams at fourth slip.Jake Libby square cut Phillip for four but then was stuck in the crease and nicked another ball which moved away to Harry Singh at third slip. Rob Jones was undone by an excellent full length swinging delivery from Phillip and was caught behind. Kashif Ali steered Bailey to first slip and then Brett D’Oliveira pushed at the same bowler and perished at second slip.Adam Hose off drove Bailey to the ropes to move into double figures but it became 39 for 6 when Ethan Brookes played forward and was bowled with a fullish-length delivery which did just enough to nip away.Phillip came back into the attack to replace Bailey after a superb opening spell of 8-4-9-3 and he soon claimed his third scalp when Hose tried to on drive a delivery slanted towards leg stump and ended up deflecting to Jennings at second slip.Waite decided attack was the best policy and pulled and on drove Williams for sixes in his first over which cost 15 runs. Van Beek also went on the attack and he struck Balderson and Williams for further maximums.By tea the eighth wicket pair had added 63 in just seven overs but the players were unable to return for the final session after a heavy downpour.

Allrounder hits 115 to set up win against Leicestershire, whom he represented in the Blast this year

ECB Reporters Network18-Aug-2024Lewis Goldsworthy hit a career-best 115 not out as Somerset progressed to the final of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup with a 23-run victory over holders Leicestershire Foxes at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.The hosts posted 334 for 4 after losing the toss, Goldsworthy blasting five sixes and six fours in a brilliant 86-ball innings against the team he represented on loan in this season’s Vitality Blast. James Rew contributed 71 and Andy Umeed 57.In reply, Leicestershire made 311 for 9, Peter Handscomb leading the way with 111 off 86 balls, including 13 fours and two sixes, while Ben Cox hit 49. Somerset go forward to face Glamorgan in the final at Trent Bridge on September 22.Somerset openers Umeed and George Thomas took time to assess the pace of the pitch with a solid stand of 91 in 19 overs. It ended when Thomas, on 47, departed lbw to Tom Scriven falling across his stumps, having struck seven fours.Umeed’s half-century was the tenth in his last 15 One-Day Cup innings. His 76-ball knock concluded when he tried to lift a ball from Roman Walker over mid-on and was well caught by the back-pedalling Ian Holland above his head.After 30 overs, Somerset were becalmed on 135 for 2. But Goldsworthy and Rew soon began to raise the tempo, Goldsworthy going to fifty off 52 balls and Rew quickly following off 44.The pair had taken the score to 251 in the 44th over when Rew was superbly caught by the diving Louis Kimber on the midwicket boundary off Chris Wright. By then Goldsworthy was in full flight, smashing two of his sixes in the same Holland over as Somerset plundered 119 off the last ten overs of their innings.Goldsworthy, the 23-year-old Cornishman, raised his second List A century off 79 deliveries and he went past his previous career-best score of 111 with a pulled four off Walker. Skipper Sean Dickson made a rapid 18 and Ben Green, another Leicestershire loanee this summer, cleared the ropes off Walker.Peter Handscomb’s century was not enough for Leicestershire•MI News/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesIt was Somerset’s highest-ever List A total against Leicestershire. But soon Sol Budinger and Holland were eating into it, putting on 54 in eight overs before Budinger, on 33, pulled a catch to deep square off Josh Davey.Holland and Lewis Hill then accumulated sensibly and had taken the total to 92 in the 17th over when Hill top-edged a pull off Green to be caught for 19. Holland followed in Green’s next over, bowled by a slower ball that kept low, having moved comfortably to 40.Green struck a third and vitally important blow when Ajinkya Rahane pulled a short ball straight to substitute fielder Ned Leonard at deep backward square and Leicestershire were in disarray at 106 for 4 in the 21st over.Kasey Aldridge bowled his first five overs for 11 runs to increase the pressure and at halfway in their innings the Foxes were 126 for 4, needing a further 209 at more than eight an over.While Handscomb was going strong there was hope. The experienced Aussie went to a 42-ball half-century with a six off Goldsworthy, whose second over went for 18 runs. Cox provided impressive support as the fifth-wicket partnership reached the century mark off 13.4 overs.Aldridge switched to the Marcus Trecothick Pavilion End to have Cox caught behind, having faced 55 balls. Kimber quickly followed, skying a catch off Jack Leach to long-on and Aldridge took a steepling caught and bowled to remove Liam Trevaskis.Scriven provided some belligerent blows and Handscomb went to a deserved hundred by lofting Aldridge over mid-off for four, having faced 75 balls. But when he holed out to long-on off Davey with 42 still needed, Leicestershire were a spent force.

Liverpool are “clearly ahead” of rivals Chelsea in the race to sign a “magnificent” player in the summer transfer window.

Kerkez to join Liverpool this week

The Reds have now officially signed Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in a British-record £116m move, in a piece of business that has made the rest of Europe sit up and take notice.

There is unlikely to be a bigger signing made this summer, with Wirtz considered one of the world’s top attacking players, but Liverpool are not expected to be done there, still planning on adding fresh faces to the squad.

It looks as though Milos Kerkez will be the next name through the door at Anfield in the coming days, with journalist Fabrizio Romano claiming over the weekend that a minor issue has been ironed out and that he could be unveiled as soon as Tuesday.

David Ornstein of The Athletic has gone one better, however, saying that a medical is now expected to be done on Monday after flying into the UK, with the deal set to be worth £40m for the Bournemouth left-back.

Liverpool leading race to sign "magnificent" ace

Now, reliable Sky Sports journalist Sacha Tavolieri [via Sport Witness] has said that Liverpool are “clearly ahead” of Chelsea and others in the battle to sign Lyon winger Malick Fofana this summer.

He states that the Reds’ head of recruitment, Barry Hunter, admires the 20-year-old and has him at the top of his list of summer targets. The Premier League champions will need to sell Federico Chiesa first, though, and Fofana could possibly cost as much as £60m.

Fofana could be a brilliant long-term signing for Liverpool, with scout Jacek Kulig describing him as a “magnificent” prospect last year.

At just 20 years of age, the young Belgian has already bagged 22 goal contributions (15 goals and seven assists) in 62 appearances for Lyon, also winning one cap for Belgium at senior level, and those numbers should only improve as he matures as a player.

Predominantly a left-sided attacking player, it seems slightly strange that Liverpool would push so hard for Fofana, though, especially as Chiesa is right-sided in general.

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Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo appear to be staying put, so it would arguably only make sense for the Reds to sign the Lyon ace if one of them moves on, or if Arne Slot sees him as a backup option to Mohamed Salah on the right. But his talent is undeniable, so the idea of him in a Liverpool shirt is exciting.

Birmingham City have “reached an agreement” with the club of a player once hailed as “world-class”, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

Attackers top of Birmingham's summer agenda

The Blues now know the full fixtures for next season, following their promotion from League One to the Championship, opening the campaign with a home clash with Ipswich Town, which will be a big early test.

Excitement is building ahead of Birmingham’s return to the second tier of English football, but Chris Davies will know that new signings are badly needed, in order for his side to compete near the top of the table, rather than at the bottom of it.

Attackers appear to be a priority currently, with former Celtic ace Kyogo Furuhashi linked with a move to St Andrew’s, having departed the Scottish Premiership giants to join Ligue 1 side Rennes back in January.

Holstein Kiel attacker Shuto Machino is also seen as a strong option for Birmingham, as they look to provide healthy competition for star striker Jay Stansfield next season. The 25-year-old scored 11 goals in 23 Bundesliga starts in 2024/25, highlighting what an exciting signing he could be.

Birmingham reach agreement with star winger

Now, according to Jacobs on X, Birmingham have “reached an agreement” with Al-Ettifaq over the signing of Demarai Gray from the Saudi Pro League club on a free transfer.

This feels like such a positive signing for Birmingham, assuming the move goes through, not least because they are Gray’s boyhood club, with the 28-year-old making 78 appearances there at the start of his senior career.

Since then, the winger has gone on to enjoy an excellent career, appearing 200 times in the Premier League and even winning the title with Leicester City in 2015/16, in what remains one of the greatest achievements in English football history.

At 28, this isn’t the Blues signing a player who is past his best either, with the Jamaica international still having lots to offer in his career, and he will surely be desperate to prove his worth at his former club.

Gray has so much natural ability out wide, with Ian Wright once even lauding him as “world-class” during his Everton days, following a memorable goal against Nottingham Forest back in 2022.

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It will be fascinating to see how he fares back in English football, following a two-year stint in Saudi Arabia, and if he hits top gear, he will be a potent weapon for Birmingham next season.

Barry Ferguson has three more matches left to manage as the interim head coach of Glasgow Rangers before he moves on from Ibrox this summer.

The former Scotland international came in to replace Philippe Clement earlier this year and has only won four of his 12 games in charge of Rangers to date, drawing his most recent clash in the Old Firm derby.

Ferguson, therefore, has not done much to suggest that the new owners, when they complete their takeover, should be looking to hand him the role on a full-time basis moving forward.

In fact, TEAMtalk recently reported that the 49ers want to appoint a fresh face with no prior connection to Rangers, which immediately rules out Ferguson, who has now played for and managed the Light Blues.

The outlet added that Steven Gerrard is also out of the running, because of that stance, and will not be returning to Ibrox for a second stint in the dugout.

Whilst the 49ers will not be pursuing a move for the out-of-contract English tactician, they should be looking for a manager who can be their own version of the Liverpool legend.

Why the 49ers should want their own Steven Gerrard

Back in the summer of 2018, Rangers, who were aiming to put Celtic’s dominant run of league titles to a stop, confirmed the appointment of Gerrard on a four-year contract.

Prior to that summer, the Hoops had won seven Scottish Premiership titles in as many seasons and the Gers needed a manager who could wrestle back control of the league.

Gerrard was a risky appointment, as he had not managed a first-team game by that point, and it was not a move that instantly worked out for the Light Blues, because the English boss needed time to develop a style and to build a squad that was ready to win the title.

Rangers finished in second place, behind Celtic, in the manager’s first two seasons at Ibrox, before they went on to win the division in the 2020/21 campaign, going unbeaten in the process.

Matches

38

12

Wins

32

8

Draws

6

3

Defeats

0

1

Points

102

27

Points per game

2.68

2.25

League position

1st (Champions)

1st

As you can see in the table above, Gerrard’s side won 32 of their 38 matches that season to clinch the Premiership crown and to stop Celtic from winning ten in a row.

The Light Blues then won eight of their first 12 matches in the following season, taking them to the top of the table, before the manager decided to pursue an opportunity with Aston Villa in the Premier League.

Unfortunately, Rangers have finished second in all four of their seasons without Gerrard at the helm, as Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Michael Beale, Philippe Clement, and Barry Ferguson have all failed to deliver a title to the Ibrox faithful.

The 49ers should, therefore, want to find their own version of the English boss because they now face the same task that the club faced in 2018: stopping Celtic’s title dominance.

Why Rangers should target Frank Lampard

Back in October 2023, when Beale was relieved of his duties, Sky Sports reported that Frank Lampard had shown an interest in the available post at Ibrox.

Almost two years later, the 49ers must target the English manager to see if he would be interested in the job this time around, should Coventry fail to earn promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs.

It seems unlikely that he would want to ditch the Sky Blues if they make their way to the top-flight in England, but Rangers must attempt to convince Lampard to make the move to Scotland if Coventry do not join Leeds United and Burnley in the top division.

The 46-year-old tactician, who typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation, joined the Sky Blues when they were 17th in the Championship and level on points with the bottom three and led them to a fifth-placed finish, to secure a place in the play-offs.

Speaking on talkSPORT recently, pundit Jermaine Jenas hailed Lampard’s ability to work through criticism and claimed that he has done a “pretty special” job at Coventry, which is hard to argue against when you look at the images above.

The former Chelsea midfielder, who played alongside Gerrard at international level for England in their playing days, has had mixed success throughout his managerial career, but is currently thriving at the CBS Arena.

24/25

Championship (Coventry)

29

1.79

5th

22/23

Premier League (Chelsea)

9

0.56

12th

22/23

Premier League (Everton)

20

0.75

19th

21/22

Premier League (Everton)

18

1.11

16th

20/21

Premier League (Chelsea)

19

1.53

9th

19/20

Premier League (Chelsea)

38

1.74

4th

18/19

Championship (Derby County)

46

1.61

6th

As you can see in the table above, Lampard enjoyed early success with sixth and fourth place finishes with Derby County and Chelsea, before being sacked by the Premier League giants and by Everton.

He then endured a dismal interim spell at Chelsea after Graham Potter’s dismissal at Stamford Bridge, earning just 0.56 points per game across nine matches, before taking the Coventry job earlier this season.

Whilst managing at the top of the Premier League may be a step too far for him at this moment in time, Lampard has finished in the play-off positions in both of his seasons in the Championship with Derby and Coventry, which shows that he can motivate and set up a team to win consistently.

Couple that with the respect that his playing career earns him, and there is a compelling argument to suggest that he could be the 49ers’ own version of Gerrard in the new era at Ibrox, as another manager on the up who has something to prove rather than someone who has been there and done it and may not have the same motivation.

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Like Gerrard, Lampard is yet to win a league title and the prospect of doing that at Ibrox could be an attractive and highly-motivating factor for him, which is why the 49ers could tempt him to leave Coventry if his side fails to win the play-offs.

The English tactician has shown promise at Championship level and has proven that he can galvanise a losing team and turn it into a winning one, which is, in essence, what Rangers are in need of.