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West Ham United have now turned their attention towards signing Bayer Leverkusen's Odilon Kossounou, as a potential alternative option to one of their major summer targets, according to a new report.

Who are West Ham signing this summer?

David Moyes is looking to strengthen the spine of his team this summer, following Declan Rice's departure, and Udinese midfielder Lazar Samardzic could follow Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse through the door in central midfield.

The Hammers could hijack Inter Milan's move for the maestro by offering a "more advantageous package", while Scott McTominay may also become an option, should Lucas Paqueta seal a move to Premier League champions Manchester City.

In terms of new attacking options, Montpellier's Elye Wahi is now emerging as a major target, with the Irons now "concretely positioned" to make a move, and Moyes is also still keen on strengthening his backline.

Read The Latest West Ham Transfer News HERE

According to a report from The Sun, West Ham's move for Harry Maguire is now stalling over personal terms, despite having a £30m bid accepted by Manchester United, and they are now running the rule over potential alternative options.

One such player is Kossounou, with the Hammers now lining up a £30m swoop for the Bayer Leverkusen defender, who sporting director Tim Steidten knows well from his time working for the Bundesliga club.

Leverkusen may also be open to a loan move, if a guaranteed buy option was included in the deal, with the 22-year-old emerging as a viable alternative to Maguire, who is considering whether to fight for his place at Old Trafford.

As it stands, Moyes' side are yet to make a bid for the Ivory Coast international, but that could change if the deal for the Man United defender falls through.

Is Harry Maguire joining West Ham?

The Telegraph have now reported the Irons are confident of wrapping up a deal for the England international, with Erik ten Hag signalling he is happy for his former skipper to leave, if he does not have the confidence to fight for his place.

As such, a move for Kossounou may not be necessary, but there are plenty of indications he could be a solid signing if Moyes decides he wants to bring in more than one centre-back this summer.

Lauded as having a "crazy amount of talent" by football scout Jacek Kulig, the Leverkusen defender is very comfortably driving the ball forward, ranking in the 93rd percentile for progressive carries, and the 84th percentile for successful take-ons per 90 in the past year.

There is still some work to do defensively, with the Ivorian being outperformed by Maguire on a number of key metrics, including aerials won, clearances and blocks per 90, but at the 22-years-old he is still very young, with plenty of room to develop further.

That said, although he has been routinely criticised by fans and the media alike, Maguire is probably the safer option, as he already has plenty of Premier League experience, and Moyes will be hoping to get the deal over the line at some point this week.

Mahedi Hasan and Rashid Khan returned combined figures of 4 for 34 in eight overs as Comilla defended 153 and rose to second on the table

The Report by Mohammad Isam18-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRaton Gomes/BCBComilla Victorians’ spin duo of Mahedi Hasan and Rashid Khan returned combined figures of 4 for 34 in eight overs to fire their team to a fourth successive win in the 2017-18 BPL and rise to second spot on the table. In a match whose value shot up simply by the presence of the number of marquee names, Comilla defended a total of 153 for 6 to beat Rangpur Riders by 14 runs in font of a packed Shere Bangla National Stadium.Rangpur were severely bolstered by the arrivals of Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum. But their explosive power at the top could not come to their aid in a chase of 154. Rashid, the 19-year old legspinner, struck with his second ball, trapping Gayle lbw and opening the gates, as Rangpur never quite recovered.Comilla’s innings was built around Imrul Kayes’ 32-ball 47 at the top, followed by a more sedate 41 off 34 balls from Marlon Samuels. Mashrafe Mortaza led his attack brilliantly, snaring 2 for 22 in four overs, while Thisara Perera’s 2 for 26 saw him become the Sri Lankan, after Lasith Malinga, to take 200 wickets in T20 cricket.Mashrafe calls the early shotsComilla boast a top four that can pack quite a punch, but for all their hitting prowess, Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das and Jos Buttler combined for a total of 33 runs and fell well inside the first half of their innings. Rubel Hossain struck first when he got rid of Tamim Iqbal after getting spanked for a brace of fours earlier in the over. Mashrafe then struck twice in three balls. First, Liton Das desperately charged down and swung clumsily to lose his middle stump. Then, with the second ball of his next over, Mashrafe had Buttler trapped in front of middle and off after the batsman looked to play across the line. Comilla were reduced to 55 for 3 in the ninth over.Kayes keeps Comilla tickingFrom 55 for 3, Kayes and Samuels steered them to 100, adding 45 runs for the fourth wicket. Kayes’ knock wasn’t the most convincing one, but it served its purpose and set Comilla up nicely for the slog overs. He went on to become Thisara Perera’s 200th scalp, when somelate reverse swing took out his leg stump.Samuels continued to find the boundary at timely intervals, before he too fell to Perera, reaching out to a wide yorker and nicking off to the keeper. Samuels struck four fours and a six in his knock. Mohammad Saifuddin launched the final over of the innings with a six and a four against Rubel as Comilla pinched 14 runs off it and crossed the 150 mark.Gayle and McCullum’s rocky startPerhaps the biggest talking point heading into this game was Gayle and McCullum joining forces at the top of the order for Rangpur. While the duo would make for a potent partnership on most days, Comilla chose to counter them by opening the bowling with the off-spin of Mahedi. The young offspinner pinged Gayle’s pad with the first ball he bowled to the left-hander. Though it looked dead plumb to the naked eye, umpire Ranmore Martinsez refused to budge despite Comilla desperately pleading with him. Replays later showed that the ball was heading towards Gayle’s legstump.Mahedi’s first over had cost just 1, but Brendon McCullum reversed the pressure on Comilla by crunching a six and a four in the next over, off Al-Amin Hossain. Mahedi was then denied a wicket for a second time when McCullum got down to sweep him and the ball just about shaved his legstump. Two deliveries after that, Hasan Ali had Gayle dropped off his bowling when Liton Das failed to latch on to a catch after running back. With Gayle punishing Hasan for three fours in the over, it seemed as though Comilla would be left to pay a heavy price for the lapses.Rashid, Mahedi rip through RangpurRashid Khan’s introduction immediately added a sense of eagerness to the game. The potential of a contest between two of the heaviest hitters and the opposition’s most wily bowler was exciting. Two balls were all it took for Rashid to come out on top of that one as he got one to skid into Gayle’s pads. Gayle, however, wasn’t second-time lucky as the umpire gave him out despite the ball having pitched outside leg. Two balls later, he had Kusal Perera sweeping at a googly and top-edge to backward square leg.Mahedi followed it up with a double-strike of his own in the next over. McCullum charged down to a length ball and got nowhere to the pitch of the delivery to be stumped. Shahriar Nafees had his off-stump flattened with one that gripped and turned, and Rangpur had lost four wickets in eight balls.Laboured consolidationRavi Bopara survived on 1 when Kayes couldn’t hold on to a spectacular effort at first slip. Thereafter, he and Mohammad Mithun got down to rebuilding Rangpur’s innings, although Comilla’s bowlers greatly slowed things down. By the time the partnership was broken, when Mithun drove Al-Amin Hossain straight to Tamim at extra cover, they had added 67. But in the face of a mounting required rate, the partnership did not have its desired impact, as Rangpur were left requiring 55 runs off the remaining 28 balls.

Fulham aren’t resting on their laurels this summer as they look to take that next step up the Premier League table. They may miss out on target though, a highly regarded Premier League youngster, and here is why, as per Dharmesh Sheth when he spoke to GIVEMESPORT.

So, what's going on at Fulham?

Fulham went above and beyond expectations last season as they came tenth in the Premier League table. The man at the helm was Marco Silva who has recently been linked with a move away from the English capital.

Silva was the subject of interest from Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli at a ridiculous price of £35 million across two years, as per The Guardian.

The Portuguese manager isn’t the only man with the chance to move to the Middle East as star striker Alexsandr Mitrovic was also garnering similar attentions. His future is up in the air still whilst Raul Jimenez was brought in from Wolverhampton Wanderers to add further depth in that position.

Premier League youngster Callum Hudson-Odoi is another name who has been linked with the Fulham switch, a deal which would of course see him have to travel very little distance over from Chelsea.

The Evening Standard reported on the chances of Hudson-Odoi arriving at Craven Cottage ahead of the new season, but Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth paints a less rosy picture.

What has Dharmesh Sheth got to say on the transfer front?

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth told GIVEMESPORT exactly what the difference is between Chelsea and Fulham when it comes to the valuation of Callum Hudson-Odoi.

"One player we talked about before, Fred, but another player that they're edging closer to signing is Hudson-Odoi as well, from Chelsea. Talks are continuing.

"Still a gap in valuation on the fee, but a lot of that deal, I'm told, has been agreed in principle. Personal terms not expected to be a problem. It's just that all important fee now.

"He's entered the final year of his contract, hence why Fulham probably want to pay a little bit less. I think there's a willingness from all parties to get the deal done, it's just whether they can close that gap on the fee."

What other business are Fulham pursuing?

Willian has been at the heart of a lot of reporting regarding whether he will return to Fulham or not. A new deal was recently announced but it could all go sour if The Guardian’s report is to be believed. The former Chelsea and Arsenal man has “agreed personal terms with Saudi club Al-Shabab and has already communicated to Fulham and the manager, Marco Silva, his intention to leave and begin a new chapter in his career.”

Another name, also a winger, that has been regularly spoken about in the same breath as the Cottagers is Demarai Gray. The Everton man has been angling for a move away from Goodison Park for a while now and he is chosen destination is West London.

Fabrizio Romano confirmed that the Jamaican international had agreed terms with Fulham as Silva’s side look to build on a very impressive 2022/23 campaign.

Queensland captain Usman Khawaja, unbeaten on 99, led the charge in the day-night encounter against Victoria at the Gabba

Daniel Brettig27-Oct-2017Usman Khawaja swept his way to an unbeaten 99•Chris Hyde/Getty ImagesUsman Khawaja and Brendan Doggett led a powerful Queensland counter-attack against Victoria on day two of the Sheffield Shield match at the Gabba, as Glenn Maxwell failed to press for retention of his No. 6 Test batting spot ahead of the Ashes.It was Doggett, on first-class debut, who found a way through Maxwell amid Victoria’s slide to 148 all out and a first-innings deficit to Queensland that had seemed unlikely when the hosts were rounded up for 166 on the opening day/night of the pink-ball fixture. Only Aaron Finch was able to prosper for any protracted period, and Queensland found themselves batting again early on the second day with the early season pitch beginning to show signs of settling down.Matt Renshaw and Joe Burns, Test openers present and past, were importantly able to take the shine off the new ball, even if neither batsman was able to go on to a substantial score. Instead, they allowed Khawaja to enter the fray in the 22nd over of the innings, from which point he played with the sort of certainty the national selectors are eager to see against England.Useful support came from Marnus Labuschagne and Sam Truloff, but it was Khawaja who led the way, catapulting the Queensland to a lead of 272 with two days remaining, and the captain only a run shy of the first century of the Shield competition.

Yorkshire have seven wickets remaining to make a further 119 at Headingley – and Middlesex’s victory has added to the pressure

ECB Reporters Network21-Sep-20171:33

County Championship round-up: Finn eases Middlesex fears

Yorkshire 296 (Lyth 62, Bresnan 47, Rankin 3-48) and 56 for 3 require a further 119 runs to beat Warwickshire 219 (Patel 100, Fisher 5-54 ) and 251 (Trott 59, Patterson 4-46)Yorkshire just about held their nerve to come through another hard fought day against Warwickshire and make inroads into a target of 175 on day three at Headingley, although the loss of three wickets ensured an uncomfortable conclusion.The White Rose still have work to do, but they are just about on course to secure a potentially relegation saving Specsavers County Championship victory having closed on 56 for three, needing 119 more.The pitch is no minefield for the batsmen, although has offered assistance for seam and spin bowlers throughout the match added to swing.Steve Patterson, who took four wickets for Yorkshire, said: “We’ve got to come back and play well tomorrow. Patel is a quality bowler and has been for a number of years for them. It’s going to be tough against him because it’s spinning. But we’ve got good players to combat him.”In the context of the season, it’s huge tomorrow. We’ve all noticed that Middlesex have won, which gives them breathing space from Somerset and us at this moment. If we get on the right end of it, we’re in a healthy position going into that last game. If we don’t win, we’ll be up against it. It’s in our own hands, and that’s all you can ask for.”Should the hosts complete a 21-point win, it would be the ideal riposte to relegation rivals Middlesex’s three-day success against Lancashire at Lord’s.Yorkshire’s captain Gary Ballance reached the close unbeaten•Getty ImagesSomerset would then need to turn their game around against Surrey at the Oval to avoid going into next week’s final round as the favourites for the drop.They host Middlesex at Taunton, while Yorkshire travel to Chelmsford to face newly crowned champions Essex.Patterson was Yorkshire’s standout bowler with a season’s best haul of 4 for 46 from 26 overs, including the wickets of Ian Bell and top-scorer Jonathan Trott for 59.Having endured a largely frustrating season through selection and loss of form, the 33-year-old was at his miserly best as the hosts prised out nine Warwickshire wickets.He claimed all four of his wickets today, while Tim Bresnan finished with three.Warwickshire started day three on 49 for one, trailing by 28, and they advanced largely through captain Trott and Tim Ambrose’s 49.Their innings took a similar path to Yorkshire’s first innings in that a number of players got starts without converting. Opener Liam Banks hit 29, Matt Lamb added 25 and Alex Thomson 20.Patterson struggled in last week’s high-scoring draw against Surrey at the Oval and had only taken 14 wickets in seven matches prior to this fixture.But this year’s Headingley beneficiary struck once in the morning and twice in an afternoon session which was interrupted by 20 minutes through rain, meaning the loss of one over from the allotted 96. He added his fourth after tea.Jack Brooks made the initial breakthrough to get Banks caught behind before Patterson also had Bell caught by Andrew Hodd for 14, although via inside edge, as the score slipped 109 for three in the 36th over of the innings.Trott reached 50 off 72 balls just before lunch.Trott was then the first of four afternoon wickets to fall when trapped lbw by Patterson, who got Lamb the same way shortly afterwards as the score fell to 161 for five after 58 overs, a lead of 84.Bresnan then struck three times in four overs either side of tea to really break the back of Warwickshire’s resistance.He bowled all-rounder Thomson and had Ambrose caught low down at first slip by Alex Lees before the break.When he had Chris Wright caught at mid-off following a miscue after tea, the Bears were 230 for eight in the 78th over, a lead of 153.Patterson’s fourth came with the new ball when uprooted Jeetan Patel’s middle stump before Ben Coad had Ryan Sidebottom caught at second slip to wrap up the innings with his 50th first-class wicket of the season.Yorkshire’s pursuit of their target was not without incident in the final 22 overs of the day as the visitors continued to fight hard.Adam Lyth was trapped lbw by Sidebottom and Lees edged behind off Patel as the score slipped to 25 for two.Ballance pulled Patel for six over mid-wicket before Kraigg Brathwaite was caught at short-leg off Patel in the day’s final over.

Manchester City are now ready to make a move for Brighton & Hove Albion winger Kaoru Mitoma as a replacement for Riyad Mahrez, according to a recent report from The Sun.

Who are Manchester City signing this summer?

Man City are actively searching for a replacement for Mahrez at the moment, and they have recently been linked with a move for Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz, with Pep Guardiola believed to be a huge fan of the 20-year-old.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has recently given an overview of two other players on the Citizens' list of targets, saying:

"They have to replace Riyad Mahrez and I expect Man City to go for a winger in the final weeks. There are for sure two players in the list, Michael Olise is one of them and they really like him, nothing has been decided yet.

"Jeremy Doku is appreciated by City as well. Let’s see who is the third name, at the moment it is not clear."

Olise has a release clause of just £35m included in his Crystal Palace contract, but City are likely to face competition for his signature from Premier League rivals Chelsea, with Romano also naming the Blues as potential suitors.

According to a report from The Sun, Mitoma is now also emerging as a target for the Sky Blues, with Guardiola ready to raid Brighton for the Japan international, who the manager is believed to be a big fan of.

The 26-year-old has two years left on his Brighton contract, but he is yet to put pen to paper on a new five-year deal, potentially opening the door for a move to the Etihad Stadium this summer.

During Man City's pre-season tour of the Far East, the winger, who is valued at £50m, was singled out for praise by Guardiola, who said:

"Well, I would say the impact of [Kaoru] Mitoma on the Premier League has been incredible.

"And look at what Japan have done in the World Cup in a tough, tough group."

How good is Kaoru Mitoma?

Not only has the Japanese forward been hailed by Guardiola, but he has also received praise from members of the media, with Brighton podcaster Ryan Adsett lauding him as a "remarkable footballer" back in March.

The former Kawasaki Frontale man had a fantastic 2022/23 campaign with Brighton, registering ten goals and eight assists in all competitions, five more goal contributions than Olise amassed for Crystal Palace.

There are indications that the Brighton star could be an upgrade on Mahrez in some areas, having averaged more non-penalty goals, successful take-ons and progressive carries per 90 than the Algerian over the course of the past year,

The £10k-per-week ace also displays far more of a willingness to pitch in with the defensive side of the game, ranking in the 75th percentile for tackles and the 71st percentile for interceptions in the same timeframe.

£50m is a huge asking price for Mitoma, given that last year was his breakthrough season in the Premier League, but there are plenty of indications that he could be a great signing for Man City.

A back inflammation has ruled James Pattinson out of the Test series

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Aug-20170:44

Quick Facts – Bird’s impressive figures

Fast bowler Jackson Bird has replaced James Pattinson in Australia’s squad for their upcoming tour of Bangladesh. Pattinson has been ruled out of the tour with inflammation in his back.The loss of Pattinson is the second blow suffered by Australia’s pace attack in less than 24 hours, with Mitchell Starc also ruled out, having failed to recover fully from a long-term foot injury. Legspinner Mitchell Swepson replaced Starc in the squad.Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Bird are now the only three frontline pace bowlers in Australia’s squad. The Boxing Day Test against Pakistan at the MCG last December was Bird’s last Test appearance. He was part of Australia’s squad on their tour of India in February-March, but did not get to play a Test.Australia will start their tour with a two-day warm-up game in Fatullah on August 22 and 23. The first of two Tests starts in Mirpur on August 27. After months of doubt over whether it would go ahead or not, the tour got its green signal following the resolution of the contracts dispute between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association.Australia squad: Steven Smith (capt), David Warner (vice-capt), Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade (wk), Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson, Jackson Bird.

Everton's James Garner could play "a much bigger role in midfield this year" if the club sign a fullback this summer, and should he do that, he could "have a big season", claims journalist Paul Brown.

Everton News – what does the future hold for James Garner?

It was a tough first season at the Toffees for the Birkenhead-born prospect last year.

Having joined from Manchester United in September, he spent his first two Premier League games at the club sitting on the bench before making his debut in a 2-1 loss to his former side on the ninth of October.

He would go on to feature in the next five league games for the club before suffering a back injury that meant he wouldn't play a minute of the following 14 league matches until finally making his return against Tottenham Hotspur on the third of April this year.

The 6 foot 1 midfielder endured yet more disruption in the closing weeks of the season when he was asked to fill in as a makeshift right-back following the injuries to both Seamus Coleman and Nathan Patterson, something he did better than most would've expected of him, as he even played there during the club's crucial final day victory over Bournemouth – a win that secured safety.

Being moved around the pitch to a position that is not your own is something that might cause a player to down tools or moan to the press, but in Garner's case, he seems grateful just to be playing, as in May, he said:

"If I am chosen to play there, I will be more than happy. I feel comfortable switching positions. From defence to midfield, midfield to right-back. I feel ready and more than capable of doing it."

While he might be happy to play where he is told to, journalist Paul Brown believes that moving back into midfield in the event of a new fullback joining the club would be best for the youngster.

What did Paul Brown say about James Garner and Everton?

Brown was keen to praise Garner for his performances last season and pointed out that if the club sign any fullbacks over the summer, he could potentially have a big year in the middle of the park next season.

Speaking to Football Fancast, he said: "I actually think he did really well anyway towards the end of last season, but depending where he plays if they get the fullback positions sorted out, I think you could see James Garner playing a much bigger role in midfield this year. And it'd be nice, as injuries kind of hampered his momentum a little bit last year. It'd be nice if he got in and broke through.

"I think there's potential there for him to have a big season as well."

How good was James Garner last season?

As Brown points out, it was a season hampered by injury last year for Garner. The 14 games he missed between November and February made it hard for him to develop any sort of positive momentum through the season.

That said, when he did play, he was able to show glimpses of quality, even if he never quite reached levels higher than his teammates.

According to WhoScored, across the 16 league games he did play, he averaged a rating of 6.43, picking up one assist and maintaining a pass accuracy of 80.9%.

While those statistics aren't anything to write home about, it's essential to look at them with the added context of a highly dysfunctional Everton side and that he was playing a lot of those final games in an unfamiliar position.

His underlying numbers are, again, fairly average, but within the context of a new position, they're decent enough.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the "highly rated" 22-year-old sits in the top 22% for aerial duals won, the top 24% for clearances, the top 26% for interceptions, the top 34% for assists, and the top 37% for non-penalty expected goals, all per 90.

Ultimately, while he did a good job as a temporary fullback for the team, should Everton bring in proper reinforcements in that area, Garner should be doing everything he can to stake a claim back in the midfield, and then we might see him reach the potential he has.

Shadab Khan’s 30 not out and his unbroken 45-run stand for the seventh wicket with Javon Searles – the highest of the match – helped Knight Riders register their second win

The Report by Shashank Kishore08-Aug-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsShadab Khan finished with 1 for 16 off four overs•CPLThis game was a repeat of the tournament opener, just in terms of the result. Everything else about the contest was a hard scrap on a treacherous Port-of-Spain surface where spin dominated. Trinbago Knight Riders’ spin trio of Kharry Pierre, Shadab Khan and Sunil Narine picked 3 for 48 between them off 12 overs, restricting St Lucia Stars to 118 for 9. Shadab then had to shepherd a tense chase as Shane Shillingford ripped through the top order to leave Knight Riders tottering at 52 for 5. A 45-run stand for the seventh wicket between Shadab and Javon Searles, the highest in the match, took Knight Riders to their second win in as many matches.Spin is kingFive Powerplay overs were bowled by the spinners. That this was a sluggish surface became evident at the outset when Pierre, the left-arm spinner, got the ball to turn and stop on the batsmen in the first over. Pierre, who was guilty of firing them in two nights ago, slowed his pace down nicely and struck in the second over when he had Johnson Charles lbw.Kamran Akmal couldn’t cope either, often bordering on the thin line between being aggressive and careless, eventually falling to an ill-advised cut to an offcutter that kicked at him. Andre Fletcher and Marlon Samuels added 30 for the third wicket to lead a brief recovery, but at 75 for 3 in the 13th over, Knight Riders wrested control.Fletcher rides luckAndre Fletcher has a career strike rate of 106.66 in T20Is. Here, however, he had to bat through. Against pace, he was happy to hit through the line. Against the turning ball, he was a nervous wreck. He should’ve been out on 16, but for a huge slice of luck as the ball beat his slog sweep to hit the stumps only for the bails to briefly dislodge before slotting back into the groove.Then, he was reprieved on 24 when Javon Searles palmed a catch over the long-on boundary. In between, however, he gritted his way through. His dismissal in the 16th over, attempting to hit out against Shadab, resulted in a wobble again. Having assessed the surface well, Kevon Cooper mixed up cross-seam deliveries with cutters to walk away with three wickets.Shillingford gives Stars hopeBriefly, it looked like Brendon McCullum had already caused enough damage in a low-scoring game, as he biffed three sixes in a nine-ball 19. But that was until Shillingford entered the fray and had him caught at midwicket. Four balls later, Colin Munro was out lbw playing the switch hit. Darren Bravo was out looking to cut one that skid through and Denesh Ramdin saw one dart through between bat and pad to crash into the stumps. When Dwayne Bravo was bowled by a searing yorker from Mitchell McClenaghan, Knight Riders were in trouble at 75 for 5 in the 10th over.Shadab’s composure stands outHaving bowled four overs, Shadab was his best judge on how to approach a small chase. His confidence shone through as he made 30 not out to help convert a tricky chase into a cruise in the end. Shadab’s composure and game awareness – not one stroke was played in desperation – spoke of his maturity as he continued to enhance his reputation on the same shores where he first broke through at the international arena not too long ago.

Glasgow Rangers desperately needed a summer revamp of their first team squad, which had grown stagnant over the previous two years and Michael Beale has delivered so far.

Eight new signings have arrived, while eight players have either been released or sold, and winger Ryan Kent was one of them.

Where is Ryan Kent now?

Following five seasons at the Ibrox side, the left-winger was released upon the expiration of his contract in May and has since joined Fenerbahce in Turkey.

The Englishman – who cost £7m from Liverpool in 2019– registered 89 goal contributions during his spell at the Light Blues and was so often a key attacking threat for the club under Steven Gerrard.

The previous two seasons however saw a slight dip in his attacking contributions. After registering three goals and 19 assists during the 2021/22 campaign, helping the Gers win the Scottish Cup and reach the Europa League final, his numbers dropped significantly last season.

He scored three times and made just ten assists, and it was evident that he wasn’t quite the same attacking threat as before, with Beale clearing showing no desire to offer him an extended contract.

Who could replace Kent at Rangers?

Despite his numbers dropping, Kent was still a key player for the Ibrox side and his departure leaves a void to be filled on the left wing, should Beale play with wingers next term.

Fashion Sakala could be a solid replacement, having featured out wide on various occasions last season, and he scored 12 times while registering eight assists.

Beale could perhaps turn to a young talent in the academy instead, however, with 18-year-old Thompson Ishaka showing signs of promise.

Who is Thompson Ishaka?

The teenage sensation joined the Gers back in March following a successful trial period for the colt side during the summer of 2022, and he was even wanted by European heavyweights such as Chelsea, Manchester City and PSV Eindhoven.

He signed a two-year deal with the club, and he will be given an ideal chance to develop further in the B team, with Beale keeping an eye on him.

During a tie against Elgin City last summer during his trial period, Ishaka was incredible as he terrorised the opposition defence throughout the match.

He was seen bombing up and down the left wing, leaving defenders for dust, with Darryl McHardy – who was lining up for Elgin on the night – admitting to having even had "nightmares" about the winger following his devastating performance.

Although raw and with a lack of experience, Ishaka may not be ready for first-team football straight away, however, his growing potential suggests he may be given a chance in the near future.

He could take solace from the fact his teammate, Zak Lovelace, managed to get an opportunity under Beale at the end of last season and should he impress during the 2023/24 campaign for the B team, he may follow in his footsteps.

Beale could save millions by unearthing the 18-year-old, and he may well turn out to be the ideal heir to Kent in the process.