All posts by h716a5.icu

Rangers ended their 2021/22 campaign on a high as the Glasgow giants won the Scottish Cup with a 2-0 win at Hampden.

Gio van Bronckhorst’s men were left disappointed in both the Premiership and the Europa League as they finished runners-up in both competitions and were able to head into the summer with a trophy by lifting the SFA Cup.

It was a tense match against Hearts as incoming Gers centre-back John Souttar kept the Light Blues at bay throughout regular time.

The game then went to extra time and burst into life as Ryan Jack scored a sensational goal from the edge of the box, before Scott Wright made it 2-0.

Jack, who turns 31 next season, was restricted to nine games in the Premiership as he struggled with injuries throughout the campaign and Rangers may start to think about life after the Scotland international.

Dream Jack heir

Van Bronckhorst can find the dream heir to the 30-year-old in a deal to sign Aberdeen central midfielder Lewis Ferguson this summer.

Former Gers striker Kenny Miller recently claimed that the gem is someone the club should be looking to sign. He said: “In terms of players Rangers could go for in Scotland after (John) Souttar – (Ellis) Simms and (Lewis) Ferguson would potentially be the two for me because they’re at a really good age.”

The Dons man, who was dubbed a “real leader” by former Premiership player Mark Wilson, was valued at £10m by his manager Jim Goodwin earlier this year, whilst calling him a “big influence”, and his statistics in the top-flight make it easy to see why. 

These impressive stats in the Premiership illustrate the quality he would be able to bring to Rangers if they sign him this summer.

The Gers signed Jack from Aberdeen in 2017 and they can now secure his heir in a deal to sign another central midfielder from the Dons.

In the 2020/21 campaign, the Light Blues gem averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.14 as he won 56% of his duels in the division. This shows that both players are capable of delivering consistently impressive displays in the middle of the park and can hold their own in physical contests.

However, Ferguson can replace Jack and add something different to the position – a goalscoring threat. His 11 strikes in the top-flight dwarf the Rangers man’s goal tally in the last five league seasons combined.

This means that he can be an upgrade on the Scotland international and be the long-term replacement for him, with plenty of years left for the Aberdeen man to give at the age of 22.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Weston: Rangers can form deadly future duo in deal for highly-rated teen…

Liverpool have been heavily linked with Calvin Ramsay ahead of the summer transfer window, and now a new update has emerged that may encourage the club to step up their pursuit.

What’s the latest?

According to Scottish news outlet The Scotsman, Serie A club Bologna are set to reignite their interest in Ramsay following a £4.8m bid falling through in January.

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As per the report, the publication understands that the Italian club are set to return to negotiations for a second time this summer to secure Ramsay’s signature over Liverpool and Leeds United who are both named as potential suitors for the defender.

Andy Robertson 2.0

Andy Robertson was a major coup for Jurgen Klopp back when he signed him from newly relegated Hull City back in 2017 for £10m, and since then, he has gone on to be a Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Premier League title winner over the last five seasons and Ramsay could be the second coming of the full-back.

Labelled an “unbelievable” player by sports journalist Ryan Taylor, the 18-year-old recently won the SPFL Young Player of the Year award after an impressive season for Aberdeen which has obviously caught the attention of the powers at Anfield.

The £6m ace who was tipped for a “massive future” by Brian Rice, has scored one goal and contributed three assists, creating three big chances, making 1.8 key passes and 1.3 clearances on average per game, whilst winning the majority of his duels (51%) combined in 24 league appearances this season, proving he is showing huge potential.

In total this term, he has racked up a supremely impressive nine assists so it’s easy to see why Klopp wants to add the full-back to his options.

There are many comparisons capable of being drawn between Robertson and Ramsey, with the Liverpool left-back winning the same SPFL Young Player of the Year award back in 2014 when he was at Dundee United and have both been discovered as upcoming talents during their time playing Scottish football.

In terms of similarities on the pitch, despite playing on opposite sides of the backline the pair offer similarities in their ability to not only offer consistent defensive performances but also pose a deadly attacking threat that can cause all sorts of problems for their opponents.

The youngster has even claimed that he looks up to the Liverpool star in an interview back in April (via The Scotsman):

“Andy Robertson at Liverpool and Tierney at Arsenal, they’ve all been brilliant and they’re players I look up to, especially as they are full-backs like me.”

With that being said, Liverpool should do everything they can to get the signing over the line as the player can not only learn a lot from the influence of Robertson but can also be a great back up for Trent Alexander-Arnold in the future when the side are competing for multiple trophies.

AND in other news: “Very soon”: Fabrizio Romano drops exciting Liverpool update, supporters will love it

Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst has been dealt a big blow as early SFA Cup injury news has emerged on the Glasgow giants’ opponents…

What’s the talk?

Robbie Neilson has revealed that soon-to-be Gers defender John Souttar and Craig Halkett will both be available for selection on Saturday.

Van Bronckhorst’s men come up against Hearts in the final of the Scottish Cup this weekend and both players are poised to be involved.

When asked if they will be in contention to play, he told STV: “Yeah, 100 per cent. We’ve got a bounce game here on Tuesday.

“They’ll get some game time in that and then we’ll make a decision after that.”

Supporters will be frustrated

The Ibrox faithful will be frustrated by this news as Halkett and Souttar being fit comes as a blow to van Bronckhorst’s side, as both of them being out would have increased the Gers’ chances of winning the trophy.

Rangers know all about Souttar as he is a player who has agreed to move to the club at the end of the campaign on a free transfer. Ironically, his last match for Hearts will be against the team he is moving to, which will make for an interesting subplot on the day if he turns in a less-than-impressive display.

The Scotland international seems unlikely to do that, though, as he has been in terrific form throughout the season for the Jambos. In the Premiership, he has averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.30 across 27 appearances, winning a whopping 71% of his duels.

Halkett is also a defender who will be familiar to Gers supporters as he came up through the youth ranks at Ibrox. He has made a name for himself at Hearts and performed well alongside Souttar – averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.14 across 28 matches in the division.

These statistics prove that both players have been in fine form for the club in the league this season. They have both consistently put in quality displays at the back and have proven that they are able to compete at the top end of the table in the Scottish top-flight, with Souttar doing enough to earn a switch to the Glasgow giants, and that is why their involvement is a big blow for the Gers.

Rangers supporters will be frustrated that both of them appear set to play in the game and will be hoping that the players with connections to the club do not end up costing them a trophy on Saturday.

AND in other news, Wilson plotting Rangers bid for “top notch” 16 G/A “master”, GVB needs him badly…

Liverpool midfielder Fabinho is expected to win his battle to be fit for the Champions League final, The Daily Mirror’s David Maddock reports. 

The lowdown

Fabinho was forced off half an hour into Liverpool’s 2-1 Premier League victory over Aston Villa on Tuesday night with an apparent hamstring injury.

It’s since been confirmed that the 28-year-old will miss Saturday’s FA Cup final against Chelsea, as well as the Reds’ remaining league games against Southampton and Wolves.

That means that the no. 3 faces a race to be fit for the meeting with Real Madrid in Paris at the end of the month.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-32/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The latest

Maddock, northern football correspondent for the paper, shared the ‘big news’ on Fabinho on Thursday evening.

The Brazilian ‘should be fit for the Champions League final’, he wrote, news which has now been confirmed by Jurgen Klopp himself.

The verdict

This would be a significant boost for Klopp and Liverpool. Fabinho is typically one of the first names on the team-sheet, starting 26 of the 30 Premier League games for which he’s been available.

What’s more, Klopp has previously hailed him as ‘the best’ defensive midfielder on the planet.

And with Fabinho on the pitch, Liverpool are outscoring the opposition by an average of 1.7 goals per 90 minutes.

Injury played a part last time Liverpool faced Real Madrid in the UCL showpiece, with top goalscorer Mohamed Salah forced off in the first half, and they won’t want it to be a factor this time around.

In other news, there’s been a ‘major development’ in the Aurelien Tchouameni race. 

India’s Test selectors are likely to keep a close eye on these five promising batters and one tireless quick

Shashank Kishore23-Jun-2023With India set to begin their new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle with the two-Test tour of the West Indies in July, here’s a look at six players who could come into the mix over the next two years.Sarfaraz Khan
Sarfaraz has had to fight with perceptions that he isn’t “cricket fit”, but when you churn out the kind of runs he has, season after season for three years now, there can’t be much weightage to that argument. As things stand, his first-class average is second only to Don Bradman, among batters who’ve played at least 50 innings; he averages 79.65, with 13 hundreds and nine half-centuries.For all his proficiency, however, Sarfaraz hasn’t had the best of numbers for India A. There are also some technical flaws that coaches have been working on – especially his game against the short ball. Where he scores points, though, is in his consistency, and his ability to dig in and put a price on his wicket even if he has to look ugly. At 25, he still has plenty of time to take the next step up.Related

Abhimanyu Easwaran: 'Very few people are this close to being picked for India. That gives me confidence'

Jaiswal a far cry from Dravid and Pujara, but can make No. 3 his own

Yashasvi Jaiswal: 'I just want to go out and express myself'

How Mukesh Kumar went from small-town Bihar to Delhi Capitals

Easwaran: 'I think: if I get picked for India, can I make a difference?'

Yashasvi Jaiswal
How can you ignore someone with a first-class average of 80.21 across 26 innings? Jaiswal has taken the domestic circuit by storm for his ability to attack bowlers while also having a solid technique. It isn’t quite Bazball but Jaiswal in full flow has the ability to dominate bowling attacks, glimpses of which he has shown in the IPL, in the company of Jos Buttler at the top of the order for Rajasthan Royals.Jaiswal’s most recent first-class knocks came in the Irani Cup, where he made 213 and 144 for Rest of India against Madhya Pradesh. That aggregate of 357 in the match was the most for any batter in an Irani game. Jaiswal has the ability to not just open but also bat at No. 3 if required.Abhimanyu Easwaran averages 47.85 after 150 innings in first-class cricket•Bangladesh Cricket BoardRuturaj Gaikwad
Much of his recent success has been in white-ball cricket, but Gaikwad’s solidity, and his penchant to play late have led many to compare his talent with that of a young Rohit Sharma when he broke through in 2005-06. Gaikwad’s red-ball numbers aren’t hugely impressive just yet, as an average of 42.19 after 28 first-class games would suggest, but they are improving; 2022-23 was the first time he averaged above 50 in a Ranji Trophy season. Since 2021, meanwhile, he has shown in the IPL that he can mix it against top-quality attacks.Stephen Fleming, his coach at Chennai Super Kings, was drawn in by how quickly Gaikwad picked length, his understanding of his limitations, and his ability to not let that affect his thought process.Tilak Varma
“Typical Hyderabadi flair.” That was Rohit Sharma describing one of many knocks Varma played during the IPL for Mumbai Indians. He missed the 2022-23 Ranji season due to injury, but his temperament and technique have come in for plaudits from several experts, including Sachin Tendulkar.He doesn’t have a lot of experience in first-class cricket yet, but there have been flashes of brilliance, like for India A against New Zealand A at home last year where he brought up his only first-class hundred so far. At his best, Varma can make batting look easy. There will be sterner tests, but the signs are promising.Abhimanyu Easwaran
Perhaps the oldest in this current batting group at 28, Easwaran has been a proven performer for India A for a while now. He has based his game around a sound technique that has brought him success in challenging conditions. Having made his first-class debut in December 2013, he has risen to be among India’s next-in-line as far as red-ball openers go over the last three years. Easwaran’s overall first-class numbers are formidable: 6556 runs in 150 innings at an average of 47.85, with a best of 233.And like Jaiswal, he can also tailor his game to bat at No. 3, a role he has played on an off for India A. Unlike the others in this list, Easwaran doesn’t have an IPL contract, but he has been cutting his teeth on tough surfaces in the Dhaka Premier League, Bangladesh’s primary List-A competition, for the past four years, apart from stints in club cricket in England when not playing domestic cricket.Mukesh Kumar is a key component of the pace attack that helped Bengal reach the Ranji Trophy finals in 2019-20 and 2022-23•PTI Mukesh Kumar
Having modelled himself on Josh Hazlewood, Bengal’s Mukesh Kumar has gained a reputation for being a tireless workhorse whose robotic consistency and minute deviations off the pitch have troubled the best of batters in domestic cricket. Having been an India A regular for two seasons now, elevation to the Test squad only seems natural.Mukesh’s body of work in first-class cricket is stellar. He has 149 wickets in 39 games at an average of 21.55, and has been part of a three-pronged pace attack, alongside Ishan Porel and Akash Deep, that has hauled Bengal to two Ranji Trophy finals, in 2019-20 and 2022-23. His India A record is just as impressive, with his 18 wickets coming at 17.50 and including five-fors against New Zealand A and Bangladesh A.

Ten teams will be competing for four spots in the World Cup proper

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jul-2025Nepal is set to host the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Qualifier, which will be held from January 12 to February 2 next year. The matches will be held at the Lower Mulpani Cricket Stadium and the Upper Mulpani Cricket Stadium in Mulpani, Kathmandu. The full schedule for the tournament will be announced later.Ten teams will be competing in the tournament for four places in the World Cup proper, which will be held in England and Wales in June-July. Only five teams have been confirmed as participants for the Qualifier so far.While Bangladesh and Ireland have already confirmed their places in the Qualifier, having participated in the 2024 T20 World Cup, Thailand and hosts Nepal have made it through the Asia qualifiers, and USA from the Americas one.The remaining five teams will be confirmed through the other regional qualifiers, with two teams each from Africa and Europe, and one from the East Asia-Pacific regions filling the slots.The T20 World Cup Qualifier will see the ten teams divided into two groups of five each. The best six teams then make it to the Super Six stage, before the final.The T20 World Cup in 2026 will have 12 teams participating for the first time in the history of the tournament, up from ten teams who had played in it in 2024. New Zealand are the defending champions, having beaten South Africa in the final last year.

The need for results over the coming weeks has been heightened. Arne Slot made a telling comment on his hopes of Liverpool progressing deep into the Carabao Cup when fielding a much-rotated team with a bench full of youngsters (average age of 19) against Crystal Palace on Wednesday evening.

The Eagles won 3-0, their third win over the Reds this term, and that’s now six losses from seven matches in all competitions for Slot’s side, who are very much in crisis mode.

The Dutch boss had turned his attention toward the daunting run of upcoming fixtures before the opening whistle screeched in midweek, and now there is not an emphasis but an expectation that wins will be struck to stop the rot and turn back toward the compelling title defence that was anticipated after a summer of record-breaking spending.

01/11/25

Premier League

Aston Villa (H)

04/11/25

Champions League

Real Madrid (H)

09/11/25

Premier League

Man City (A)

22/11/25

Premier League

Nott’m Forest (H)

26/11/25

Champions League

PSV (H)

If we can take a sliver of optimism from this abject run of form, it’s that, having played an overload of matches away from home, four of the next five take place down Anfield Road, having lost on home soil to Palace on Wednesday too.

There simply has to be a swift upswing. Looking at it from a wider lens, though, it may well be that some Redmen have entered the final phase of their careers on Merseyside.

The Liverpool players Hughes needs to sell

Sporting director Richard Hughes was lauded after his emphatic summer transfer window, overseeing a staggering rebuild at Liverpool after Slot defied expectations to win the Premier League in his first year at the helm.

But the summer upheaval has sent it all in a bit of a spin. Still. Though we must reserve judgement on under-firing newbies such as Milos Kerkez and Florian Wirtz, there are certain veterans at the club who aren’t pulling their weight.

Take, for example, Joe Gomez, who is Liverpool’s longest-serving player but now shows the rust of a man who has been afforded few chances to impress in recent years, with injuries and superiorities elsewhere in defence keeping him on the fringe.

Against Palace, the England international struggled to impress, lacking any semblance of command in a backline that was without the calming presence of Virgil van Dijk.

Minutes played

90′

Goals conceded

3

Errors made

1

Touches

92

Accurate passes

69/76 (91%)

Possession lost

9x

Recoveries

5

Tackles

1/1

Interceptions

3

Clearances

8

Ground duels

1/3

Aerial duels

3/4

Wataru Endo has been something of a stalwart since arriving at the club for a smart fee in 2023, but the 32-year-old’s role has diminished as his time in England has dragged on.

Stodgy athleticism and limitations on the ball have kept the Japan captain from being anything more than a tackle-first substitute under Slot’s wing, and now it appears he is approaching the end of an illustrious couple of years in Liverpool, unable to offer a viable solution at number six.

Liverpool should have better options in the middle of the park, in any case, but that doesn’t appear to be so as the 2025/26 campaign rolls into its fourth month.

The Liverpool midfielder who's failing Slot

We’ve been here before. Jurgen Klopp’s injury-hit Premier League champions were overwhelmed across the 2020/21 campaign, and scrambled to salvage Champions League football toward the end of the term.

But the deterioration of 2022/23 was more concerning, with the likes of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho flattering to deceive in the middle of the park. The Reds needed to rebuild, and so fashioned together the title-winning engine room of the past few years.

The standout of that rebuild has been Alexis Mac Allister, instrumental to lifting Liverpool back off the ground in 2023/24, after joining from Brighton for around £35m, and then revelling in winning the Premier League last season.

Now, he’s fallen off a proverbial cliff, with his sedentary performances in midfield not those of an elite, robust midfielder. One Liverpool content creator actually said it “looks like Fabinho’s season”, when the Brazilian slumped from his formerly imperious level as the midfield anchor, his legs gone.

Goals

0.17

0.00

Assists

0.17

0.19

Touches

64.41

63.09

Pass completion (%)

83.5

83.5

Shot-creating actions

4.16

2.84

Progressive passes

6.13

3.60

Progressive carries

1.25

2.27

Successful take-ons

0.55

0.00

Ball recoveries

5.13

4.74

Tackles & interceptions

4.05

2.65

The data does suggest that Mac Allister lacks his former vim and vigour, but given that he is only 26 years old and regarded as a “superstar” of a midfielder, as has been said by pundit Joe Cole, this is deeply worrying for those of a red persuasion.

For Fabinho, though only 29 at the time of his £40m transfer to Al-Ittihad, had played 219 high-octane, turbo-charged matches as the heartbeat of Klopp’s Liverpool team, and going from 1.25 carries per game in his first season in England to an average of only 0.51 in 2022/23 emphasises his loss of athleticism.

For a player of Mac Allister’s all-encompassing midfield quality, it’s imperative that Slot gets a tune out of him once again. If the Argentine does not click into gear this season, Liverpool will struggle to hit their stride.

There will be an expectation around Anfield that Mac Allister’s dip in form is not permanent, and that he’s back on his A-game before long.

However, this startling drop-off dredges up unwanted memories of Fabinho’s own fall from grace at Anfield, and Slot will be gravely hoping that lightning hasn’t struck twice on the Liverpool squad.

Another Chiesa: Slot's treatment of Liverpool star is a "sackable offence"

Liverpool have a shrewd solution to one of their biggest problems this season.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 30, 2025

Wicketkeeper-batter makes career-best 98 not out before Sonny Baker seals rout

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay10-Jul-2025Toby Albert was left stranded two runs shy of a maiden Men’s Vitality Blast century but his new highest score allowed Hampshire Hawks to leapfrog Glamorgan into third in the South Group.Wicket-keeper batter Albert built his innings up slowly to reach a fever-pitch 98 off 57 balls but he lost strike to Hilton Cartwright in the last over to fall short of a deserved ton.Albert and Cartwright smashed 114 to take Hampshire to a massive 208 – which Glamorgan barely troubled by getting bowled out for 113, with Sonny Baker claiming a career-best four for 20.Hawks have now won three of their last four matches to boost their chances of reaching the quarter-finals, while Glamorgan had their two game winning run ended but still have qualification in their hands.Hampshire chose to bat first on the same pitch used for the double header against Somerset on Sunday and like that defeat, had a slow start.James Vince was caught behind trying to work into the offside and Tom Prest had the top of his stumps kissed by Ned Leonard after a laboured 15 – leaving the Hawks 42 for two at the end of the powerplay.Joe Weatherley put things pointing in the right direction with Albert through hard graft to set-up a second where Albert could tee-off.Weatherley and Albert put on 48 at an easy-pace before Cartwright entered to set off some fireworks and push Hampshire towards and over 200.Albert reached his half-century in 37 balls, so far unspectacular but he turned on the afterburns with some incredible reverses for six while also using his brutal power.Albert had begun the season opening, scoring two half-centuries and keeping before Luan-dre Pretorius took both roles off him and his form dipped.At the other end, Cartwright had started with a six and barely slowed down – hitting four maximums in total in a breath-taking 20-ball 48.But he was the villain for the crowd by not taking a single with Albert on 98 – instead picking out long-on to end a 114-run stand.Albert was still the hero, he ended with comfortably his highest T20 score and had smashed 48 off the last 20 balls he faced – Hampshire hitting 81 in the last five overs.On a pitch where 170 looked par, 208 looked a tough ask to chase down.Regular wickets made sure partnerships were never formed with the Glamorgan batters as Hampshire quickly went for the kill.The familiar pairing of Chris Wood and Vince combined to catch Kiran Carlson in the third over, before Alex Horton scooped a pacy Baker ball straight to Albert with the gloves.Ben Kellaway chipped to mid off, Will Smale was bowled, Colin Ingram skied one straight down the ground and Dan Douthwaite holed out.Baker rounded things out with more speed, getting Asa Tribe and Ned Leonard upper-cutting before Imad Wasim whacked to cover as Baker returned a best four for 20.Wood ended Glamorgan’s horror showing when Mason Crane chipped to midwicket with seven balls to spare to complete a 95-run mauling.

Arsenal are well and truly on the charge this season.

Mikel Arteta’s side are top of the Premier League table and on Tuesday night stunned Europe by dismantling Atlético Madrid in the Champions League.

While they finally faced a shot on target in the second half, the Gunners ended up putting four goals past the Spanish giants, and even then, didn’t even look like they were at their best.

One of the standout performers on the night was undoubtedly Declan Rice, and in brilliant news, another of Arteta’s signings is starting to play a bit like the Englishman.

Declan Rice's incredible form

To the surprise of practically nobody who has watched him over the last few years, Rice has continued to perform at a world-class level for Arsenal this season.

On top of being a bruising, no-nonsense midfielder who can batter opposition players and disrupt their attacks, he’s become a sensational offensive operator in his own right.

Whether it’s crashing the box late, lashing in a shot from range or delivering absurdly perfect set-piece deliveries, the Englishman is a player opposition defenders simply cannot ignore.

His dead-ball expertise was on full display against Atléti on Tuesday night, as it was his free-kick that found the head of Gabriel Magalhães to open the scoring in the 57th minute.

Then, as if that wasn’t enough, it was his free-kick in the 70th minute that eventually led to the Gunners’ fourth and final goal.

Moreover, he’s already chalked up three assists in the Premier League this season, all three of which have come from, you guessed it, set-pieces.

With all this in mind, it’s really quite difficult to disagree with Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz’s opinion that, in the former West Ham United captain, Arsenal have “the best set piece taker in world football.”

However, he’s not just a set-piece machine, and there is now another player in Arteta’s squad who is starting to emulate some of his other best traits.

The Arsenal star playing like Rice

There were several players who really shone for Arsenal on Tuesday night, from Gabriel to Martin Zubimendi and even Gabriel Martinelli, who scored a wonderful curled effort to make it 2-0

However, one of the real stars of the show, and the man who could be described as playing a bit like Rice these days, is Viktor Gyokeres.

The summer signing finally ended his goalscoring drought with a brace against Atléti, and while neither goal was particularly impressive from an aesthetic perspective, that really doesn’t matter.

It was just important for the Swedish international to finally get his name back on the scoresheet and to get some of the pressure off his back that has been slowly building over the last few weeks.

Moreover, even without the two goals, it was, as analyst Rohan Jivan said, his “best game in an Arsenal shirt by far,” and one that saw him named Man of the Match and given a 9/10 match rating by the Sun’s Jordan Davies.

For example, he was constantly making smart runs in behind the Madrid outfit’s defence, or off to the left to stretch the pitch and free up space for his teammates.

Moreover, even when the ball wasn’t finding him, or he had a couple of poor touches, his head never dropped; instead, it seemed to make him more determined.

This never-say-die and run yourself into the ground for the team approach is one of the key traits he shares with Rice, and then, on top of that, he’s also got that bruising, physical side to him.

The Stockholm-born “steam train,” as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, might not have the silky footwork of a Hugo Ekitiké or Alexander Isak, but like the former West Ham man, he will bulldoze his way into dangerous positions.

Appearances

12

Starts

11

Minutes

925′

Goals

5

Assists

0

Goals per Match

0.41

Minutes per Goal

185′

With all that said, it is still clear that there is more to come from the former Sporting CP monster this season, even if he now has a pretty reasonable haul of five goals in 12 games this season.

Ultimately, there are plenty of differences between the pair, but the way in which Gyokeres never gives up and uses his physical gifts to bulldoze opposition players is starting to make him look a bit Rice-like.

As vital as Rice: Arsenal star is becoming "one of the best on the planet"

Arsenal sealed a remarkable 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 22, 2025

Kylian Mbappe has hit back at French rapper Orelsan after being mocked in a new track over the Real Madrid star’s ownership of Caen. The French club now sit in the third tier of French football after facing relegation under Mbappe's ownership. The striker issued a fiery reply on social media, accusing the rapper of "begging" for a free stake in the club.

Mbappe fires back at French rapper Orelsan

The feud erupted hours after French rapper Orelsan dropped his new album, featuring a biting track titled “La petite voix.” In one verse, the Caen-born artist took aim at Mbappe’s record as club owner, sneering, “You’re going to sink your city like the Mbappes.” The line referenced Caen’s dramatic decline since the footballer’s family-led takeover in 2024.

Mbappe, known for rarely engaging in off-field controversies, wasted no time responding. Posting on X, he wrote: “You’re welcome to come and save the city you love so much.

“PS: The guy kept begging us to get in with 1% without paying because he doesn’t have a penny but wanted to look like the little guy from Normandy.”

The jab sparked mixed reactions. Some accused Mbappe of arrogance and deflection, while others applauded his blunt defence. The incident, however, revived scrutiny of his ill-fated venture with Caen, a club now mired in relegation, layoffs, and mounting frustration among fans who once saw him as a saviour.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMbappe’s failed Caen project

In 2024, Mbappe became one of Europe’s youngest football club owners after purchasing an 80 per cent stake in Caen through his firm, Coalition Capital, investing around €20 million. What began as a symbolic homecoming, returning to the club that once nearly signed him as a youth, quickly turned into a cautionary tale of ambition and mismanagement.

By April 2025, Caen had hit rock bottom. A crushing 0-3 defeat to Martigues mathematically confirmed their relegation from Ligue 2, sending the club into France’s third division for the first time in 41 years. Supporters stormed the pitch in protest, unfurling a banner reading: “Mbappe, SMC is not your toy.”

The fallout was immediate. Sixteen staff members were laid off in a controversial restructuring, and fan trust evaporated. Christophe Vaucelle, head of the Malherbe Normandy Kop, summed up local sentiment, saying: “The Mbappe clan bears some responsibility. They arrived, stayed invisible, and disconnected from the fans. The situation is catastrophic.”

For Mbappe, the failure cut deep. Alongside Madrid’s Champions League exit that same week, Caen’s relegation marked one of the most turbulent months of his career, both as a footballer and businessman.

AFPHow Caen collapsed under new ownership

Behind the scenes, Mbappe’s management model at Caen was built on trust and delegation. His close associate Ziad Hammoud took over as club president, while sporting operations were overseen by general manager Josselin Flamand and technical director Pascal Plancque.

Recruitment head Reda Hammache later revealed that Mbappe stayed “informed but not intrusive,” relying on regular updates rather than day-to-day control. “He’s not the type to call and demand changes,” Hammache told . “He trusts us but gives input on big decisions.”

However, reports claim the absence of a strong leadership presence at the club left a vacuum. Miscommunication, unclear sporting direction, and repeated coaching changes – from Bruno Baltazar to Michel Der Zakarian and later Maxime D’Ornano – created instability. Dressing-room tension grew, morale plummeted, and results worsened.

For many fans, the perception that Mbappe had overextended himself as he juggles between Madrid, the French national team, and a football club further cemented the narrative that Caen was a vanity project gone wrong. The financial losses from relegation and dwindling ticket sales have only deepened the crisis.

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Fame, failure, and France’s changing relationship With Mbappe

The Orelsan feud struck a cultural chord because it exposed a growing rift between Mbappe and sections of the French public. Once seen as the golden boy of football, the Madrid star now faces skepticism about his off-field ambitions. This is not the first time Mbappe has clashed with figures from France’s rap scene, his earlier feud with Booba also revolved around ego and authenticity. But this latest exchange cuts deeper, tying together fame, money and regional pride.

As Caen continue life in the National League, the club’s focus has shifted toward stability and youth development under coach D’Ornano. Meanwhile, Mbappe must navigate the fallout by balancing his image as a global superstar with the growing backlash at home.