Pole position: Rangers leading race to sign teenage “huge talent” on loan

Glasgow Rangers are at the head of the pack in the race to bring a promising new teenager to the Scottish Premiership, according to a fresh report that has emerged.

Rangers' season so far

Philippe Clement’s side have made an overall impressive start to the new campaign having won nine and lost just three of their opening 12 games, meaning that they currently find themselves second in the league table during the international break.

However, the Light Blues are eight points behind Old Firm rivals Celtic as it stands, but with a game in hand over them, there’s still a chance that they could catch up and go on to achieve something at the end of the season in their first term under the new manager.

The Ibrox outfit has a strong squad as it is, but with the next transfer window fast approaching, there’s nothing stopping the board from assessing their options in the market – and it appears that they have set their sights on Bayer Leverkusen’s defensive midfielder Noah Mbamba, who joined from Club Brugge in January.

The Belgium youth international has made just four senior appearances during that period, which shows how much he’s struggling for game time (Transfermarkt – Mbamba statistics), though if the following update is to be believed, the 18-year-old may have been handed an ideal lifeline to increase his minutes.

Rangers leading race for Noah Mbamba

According to TEAMtalk, Rangers are in pole position for Mbamba, but it's worth noting that the club could still find it difficult to get a deal over the line in January.

"Rangers are currently ahead of Manchester City in the race for Noah Mbamba as the Citizens are unlikely to go after him in January, when the Gers could strike.

"One player on the radar of the Scottish club according to TEAMtalk sources is 18-year-old talent Noah Mbamba, who is currently playing in the Bundesliga for Bayer Leverkusen.

"The rising talent is wanted by a host of top clubs, but German sources state a loan is likely in the winter window. However, any deal would be difficult to pull off as sources say there is now a race on for the teenage talent."

Mbamba is a "huge talent" for the future

Glasgow Rangers managerPhilippe Clement.

Whilst Bayer Leverkusen haven’t given Mbamba a chance to prove what he’s capable of this season, he’s still managed to record a 94.4% pass success rate (WhoScored – Mbamba statistics), indicating a calmness and composure on the ball, with this being higher than any player has managed in Clement's side (WhoScored – Rangers statistics).

Standing at 6 foot 1, Mbamba also helped to secure four trophies during his time at Club Brugge, so he will have already had a taste of success, therefore perhaps possessing the winning mentality required in order to succeed in Scotland.

Mbamba, who has the versatility to operate in four positions across the midfield and even as a centre-back, has been described as a “huge talent” by football scout Jacek Kulig, so it would be a real coup to have him in the building for the remainder of the season should he put pen to paper at Rangers.

Adil Rashid's one-year Yorkshire deal typifies cricket's age of uncertainty

Adil Rashid is staying at Yorkshire for the time being, but with The Hundred about to make its entrance into English cricket, no county is confident what the future holds

David Hopps24-Sep-2018Adil Rashid has signed a new deal at Yorkshire – but it is only for one year while club and player see how his career develops and while uncertainty reigns over the envisaged new format, The Hundred, which is due to make its entrance in 2020.The somewhat guarded agreement reflects not just lingering qualms between player and club, but also the fact that the introduction of a new eight-team format into England’s summer has thrown the county game into an age of uncertainty.There are too many unanswered questions about the future structure of the county game for any club to plan with certainty and Yorkshire, aware that their financial position remains precarious, are as wary as anybody.Rashid’s new contract – which can fairly be viewed a a provisional solution which states good intentions on both sides – means Rashid will again make himself available for all forms of the game, in line with the ECB’s new stipulation that in future any white-ball only deal would have excluded Rashid from selection for Test cricket.Rashid, who has been at Yorkshire for 12 years, renegotiated his club contract at the start of the year so that he was only involved in one-day formats and it remains to be seen whether his commitment to red-ball cricket extends much beyond his natural pride about breaking into England’s Test side.Despite that he was selected for England’s recent summer Test series against India, playing all five Tests in a 4-1 victory. He has been selected for the pre-Christmas tour to Sri Lanka and he will hope good form for Yorkshire can strengthen his claim for next summer’s home Ashes.”There’s been a lot of talk and speculation but Adil is a very valuable cricketer for us,” said Director of Cricket Martyn Moxon.”Now he’s in the Test team, how much he’ll be available for us next season is unclear. But when he is available we’d be delighted to have him and for him to be part of what would hopefully be a successful summer.”For now, it will just be for a year because it’s still not clear what career path he’s going to take. He’s back in the Test team and continues to do well, so we’ll see where that takes us. Obviously going into 2020 and with the new competition, players are waiting to see how that will affect contracts.”I think for now it’s good to have the one year and see how the winter goes for Adil. We’ll probably have another look at it after the World Cup and see where he is, particularly with England and how much he’s involved with them. In the short-term it’s good to know when he’s available he’ll be playing for us.”Rashid, who took six wickets on his Championship debut for Yorkshire as a teenager in 2006, has taken 500 First-Class wickets at an average of 34.98. All of his 10 hundreds have come for the White Rose. In all T20 cricket, at international and domestic level, he has taken 178 wickets and scored 677 runs. In the one-day arena, he has returned 255 wickets and 1,584 runs.Rashid, who took 10 wickets for 50 runs in seven Championship matches in 2017, was recently told by national selector Ed Smith that he must be available across the board from the start of next summer to be considered for Test cricket.Moxon continued: “It was a big surprise that he wanted to play white ball only and asked us for a white-ball only contract. That changed very quickly and unexpectedly so that created a bit of confusion and instability for a little while.”But I think we’ve been clear from the outset that we wanted to keep Adil at the club. When it became known he had to have a red-ball contract, we were more than happy to put that in place.”Speaking to Adil he’s keen to stay here and has been here all his life. He’s in no mood to change that. We’re really pleased to keep him. We all know he’s a matchwinner for us. Leg-spin bowlers, wrist-spin bowlers are vital part of the game and that’s what we want from Adil, that potential to be a matchwinner for us in all formats.”Nevertheless, complications remain. Rashid and Andrew Gale, Yorkshire’s head coach, have had a tense relationship and it remains to be seen whether clear-the-air talks will lead to a stronger bond in 2019.Yorkshire have also signed Josh Poysden, another legspinner, from Warwickshire, in the belief at the time that Rashid would not be playing Championship cricket. That is now very much dependent upon how successfully his England career develops.

Everton: Dyche must replace Young with star who won 100% duels vs Liverpool

Everton were handed a 2-0 defeat by Liverpool in the Merseyside derby on Saturday lunchtime as the Toffees were ultimately punished for Ashley Young's sending-off.

The 38-year-old defender was dismissed in the first half following two bookable offences, the second of which saw him receive a yellow card for clattering Luis Diaz, just minutes after making a goal-saving block.

Following his dismissal, the Reds struggled to break the visitors down, but ultimately broke the deadlock in the 75th minute as Mohamed Salah calmly converted his penalty before sealing the three points in the 97th minute.

Prior to Young's reckless sending-off, Sean Dyche's side did look dangerous on the counter-attack, however, his sending-off quickly changed the complexion of the contest, forcing Everton to sit back and soak up a lot of pressure.

A lot of that pressure, as expected, came down the Toffee's right side but Nathan Patterson, who came off the bench at half-time to deal with that, put in a strong audition to make that right back spot his own.

How did Nathan Patterson perform against Liverpool?

Everton defender Nathan Patterson.

Patterson had the unenviable task of dealing with the lightning-quick Diaz and could have let the Anfield cauldron swallow him up, but the 22-year-old gem dealt with the threat of the Colombian admirably.

After watching the senior Young get beat for pace and dive into challenges recklessly, Patterson stood his ground and made himself difficult to beat, perhaps showcasing the reasons why Dyche was wrong to leave him out from the get-go.

While being down to ten-men limited the Scottish international from demonstrating his abundance of attacking attributes, he did put in an outstanding defensive display.

At times, Patterson had to deal with a two vs one situation with Kostas Tsimikas flying up the left flank and Diaz cutting inside, however, the youngster was like an immovable object, as the defensive demon made one tackle and won 100% of his aerial and ground duels, as per Sofascore.

By contrast, Young only won one of his four ground duels, lost possession a whopping nine times, and misplaced all of his five attempted long balls in his 37 minutes on the pitch, as per Sofascore.

The veteran endured a horror show at Anfield and his performances prior to this fixture are a telling sign that age is catching up to the former Manchester United player.

How has Ashley Young performed this season?

Everton defender Ashley Young.

Although he made the goal-saving tackle that denied Diaz from breaking the deadlock, his all-round performance this term has flattered to deceive, struggling to compete against his positional peers in the Premier League.

Operating in a side that faces a constant wave of attacks from their opponents, an Everton full-back would be expected to make lots of challenges, last-ditch blocks and crucial interceptions.

Young, meanwhile, has fallen drastically short in that department, ranking in the bottom 28% for interceptions (0.73), bottom 35% for tackles (1.83), and bottom 38% for blocks (0.97) per 90, as per FBref.

On the other hand, the £28k-per-week Scotsman performed exceptionally in a defensive capacity prior to his lengthy spell on the sidelines last season, ranking in the top 14% for clearances, top 9% for interceptions, and top 4% for tackles against his positional peers in the Premier League.

While Dyche is forced into replacing Young from the starting XI, it could be a blessing in disguise as it provides Patterson with the opportunity to return to the form that saw his manager label him as "tremendous" last term.

Liverpool player ratings vs Sparta Prague: Mohamed Salah is relentless! Egyptian hero gets a goal and three assists as Reds completely destroy Sparta Prague in cruel Europa League clash

The Reds completely rolled over their opponents to go through with a 11-2 aggregate win

Liverpool ran riot against Sparta Prague as Jurgen Klopp's side strolled to a 6-1 win against the Czech side in the second leg of their Europa League last-16 tie on Thursday. Despite holding a 5-1 lead from the first leg and with an FA Cup clash against Manchester United coming up, Jurgen Klopp opted to use his heavy artillery, starting Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Dominik Szoboszlai as the Reds pulverised their already down-and-out opponents.

The floodgates opened after just seven minutes when Szoboszlai found Nunez in plenty of space in the Sparta Prague box for the Uruguayan to smash into the net. Rather than learn a lesson from such lax defending, it got worse for Sparta as, just seconds later, some sloppy play gave away another goal as Bobby Clark was there to roll it into the net.

It was 3-0 inside just 10 minutes, with even more dodgy passing at the back once again presenting Salah with the golden chance to make club history and the Egyptian sensation did not pass it up, netting his 20th goal of the season. Sparta's self-destruction continued as Cody Gakpo made it 4-0 after just 14 minutes, getting onto the end of a pass from Salah to add more misery for the visitors and turning all neutral spectators into a real life Simpsons meme.

Amazingly, Sparta managed to pull a goal back near the end of the first-half as Veljko Birmancevic outmuscled Wataru Endo and rolled it beyond Caoimhin Kelleher. The goal and half-time break hardly disrupted Liverpool's momentum, as Szoboszlai got a goal of his own early in the second half before Gakpo flicked into the net to deprive substitute Harvey Elliott of a goal, making it 6-1 after 55 minutes. That's how it finished, with the Reds romping their way to the last eight.

GOAL rates Liverpool's players from Anfield…

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    Goalkeeper & Defence

    Caoimhin Kelleher (6/10):

    A quiet night for the goalkeeper who only had one save to make.

    Conor Bradley (7/10):

    Drifted forward and into midfield when Liverpool were in possession and offered a decent amount of protection out of it.

    Joe Gomez (6/10):

    Barely troubled as Sparta crumbled under the pressure and failed to threaten more than once.

    Jarell Quansah (7/10):

    Another comfortable display at centre-back, putting his sound reading of the game on show.

    Andy Robertson (7/10):

    Saw plenty of the ball and was always safe and smart with his passing.

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    Midfield

    Bobby Clark (8/10):

    A really tidy performance. Was involved in the first goal and got a simple one of his own seconds later. Had a lot of fun cutting through Sparta to threaten their goal.

    Wataru Endo (5/10):

    Didn't look good for Sparta's goal and was taken off at half-time.

    Dominik Szoboszlai (8/10):

    Got things up and running with a perfectly-placed pass to Nunez and got on the scoresheet early in the second half.

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    Attack

    Mohamed Salah (9/10):

    Tore Sparta apart at times and got three assists as well as a goal.

    Darwin Nunez (7/10):

    A huge danger throughout the game with his pace, passing and positioning. Took his goal well but, as is customary from the Uruguayan, he missed a few great chances. Went off at half-time.

    Cody Gakpo (8/10):

    Joined in the fun as Sparta collapsed and got two goals. Thought he had a hat-trick but the flag was up.

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    Subs & Manager

    Kostas Tsimikas (6/10):

    One of three half-time changes and settled in well in the backline.

    James McConnell (6/10):

    A good fit for the midfield with some sound passing.

    Harvey Elliott (7/10):

    Covered a lot of ground in yet another determined display and almost got rewarded with a goal but Gakpo got the final touch.

    Virgil van Dijk (6/10):

    Surprisingly brought on for the last 25 minutes but wasn't really needed.

    Mateusz Musialowski (5/10):

    Didn't have much time to impress after replacing Clark.

    Jurgen Klopp (9/10):

    An awesome performance from his side as they dominated and were hardly troubled. Made some surprising calls to start so many stars and bring on Van Dijk despite the lead, even before kick-off. But his players will take great confidence into the FA Cup clash against Manchester United at the weekend.

Forget Armstrong: West Brom could ease Maja blow by unleashing 18y/o star

Tony Mowbray would have walked away from West Bromwich Albion’s last encounter in the Championship ultimately frustrated with the final outcome, even with a 1-1 draw falling into the bag come full-time.

West Brom had to rely on a Joe Bryan own goal to salvage a share of the points at the Den, with the Baggies’ attacking issues also getting the better of them against Blackburn Rovers the match before this trip to London, as a 2-0 loss was eventually swallowed.

Adam Armstrong has annoyingly drawn blanks across his last couple of second tier games, having bagged a goal on his West Brom debut, with the Southampton loanee looking out-of-sorts against Alex Neil’s determined hosts.

Armstrong's poor performances

Arguably, Mowbray didn’t play to his former Blackburn favourite’s strengths against Millwall, having chucked him out to the left wing to ensure another new loanee in Will Lankshear led the line.

But, Armstrong has shone in this position before down the flanks during his peak at St. Mary’s, with 12 of his sublime 34 goal contributions during the regular season in the Championship last campaign coming from either the left or right.

Regardless, away from this instinctive opener on his Hawthorns debut, Armstrong has looked somewhat quiet in his fresh surroundings, with zero successful dribbles pulled off at the Den, alongside only mustering up one on-target effort.

With Lankshear also looking timid with just eight touches of the ball amassed, Mowbray could now find himself back at the drawing board working out what could work in attack moving forward, especially with Josh Maja still in the Baggies treatment room.

Known for getting the best out of some raw starlets at the Stadium of Light – with Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg springing to mind – the 61-year-old might be prepared to give this exciting 18-year-old a chance to impress, away from the current first team monotony.

West Brom's in-house Maja replacement

The promotion hopefuls will hope their next Maja will soon come to the forefront, whether that is through giving an academy prospect a chance or the aforementioned Lankshear and Armstrong do end up firing in some big strikes to make a playoff spot more certain.

The first option could be more tantalising for Mowbray, considering the Baggies have had great success in recent years developing the likes of homegrown star Tom Fellows, as teenage sensation Eseosa Sule now waits in the wings.

Much like Maja – who has played out in France amongst lining up for a whole multitude of other outfits – Sule has had a varied upbringing in football, having previously been in the Celtic youth ranks as a Glasgow-born gem.

Now, he will hope he has found a home in West Brom where he can make waves in the senior picture, with this exciting brace against Liverpool earlier in the Premier League 2 season catching the eye.

Player

Current club

Market value

Morgan Rogers

Aston Villa

£33m

Dara O’Shea

Ipswich Town

£12m

Tim Iroegbunam

Everton

£8m

Finn Azaz

Middlesbrough

£7m

Chris Wood

Nottingham Forest

£6m

Sam Field

QPR

£2.5m

Tom Fellows

West Brom

£2.3m

Marcus Forss

Middlesbrough

£2m

Indeed, Sule is now up to five goals and two assists from 14 games this season playing in the U21 fold, taking his total overall goals haul in both the U21s and U18s to a promising 17 from 55 appearances.

With Daryl Dike also fragile coming back from a long-term injury up top, Mowbray could do far worse than to give the 18-year-old more opportunities, with one senior chance already gifted to him back in August when Carlos Corberan was still at the helm.

Sunderland's former manager Tony Mowbray.

Mowbray will hope he can work his magic on Sule, with the explosiveness of an untested youngster perhaps catching second-tier defences cold as games become even tenser for the playoff candidates.

Mowbray could already have West Brom’s next Tom Fellows in “fantastic” teen

West Bromwich Albion could already have their next Tom Fellows in the making.

ByKelan Sarson Feb 8, 2025

Everton: "Top, top" manager would "love" to coach at Goodison one day

Sean Dyche is safe in his job as Everton manager for the time being, but journalist Paul Brown has revealed which coach would "love" to take the job if the chances arises.

Will Sean Dyche be sacked as Everton manager?

The Blues have had a really disappointing opening to their Premier League season, with four defeats and one draw coming their way in their first five fixtures. Three 1-0 home losses have occurred against Fulham, Wolves and Arsenal last time around, while a 4-0 hammering away to Aston Villa was added to by a spirited 2-2 draw at Sheffield United.

There is no doubt that Dyche finds himself under a fair amount of pressure at the moment, having not yet had the desired impact since replacing Frank Lampard. Granted, he kept Everton in the Premier League, but that had to be seen as the bare minimum, and his side have failed to kick on in 2023/24 to date.

The hope is that things change for the better as soon as possible, starting with Saturday's trip to Brentford, but if that doesn't happen, the Blues could again find themselves searching for a new manager again eventually.

Will Wayne Rooney be Everton's next manager?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Brown claimed that Wayne Rooney is unlikely to come in as Everton manager in the near future, but he can definitely envisage him taking charge at Goodison Park eventually because of his personal connection with Goodison:

"It's hard to say. That looks quite a long way off, but who knows? I'm sure Rooney would love to take on a job like that at some point. He's had an interesting history with the club, veering from being the hero to villain in the eyes of many there.

"Last time, when he left, I don’t think he left under particularly happy circumstances. He's trying to make a name for himself now as a manager, and it's entirely possible one day that he might end up being at Everton. But I think we're a long way from that right now."

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As Brown alludes to, Rooney's relationship with Everton has certainly been an up-and-down one over the years, having left to join Manchester United as a player and not exactly going out on good terms last time either, but he is someone who almost feels destined to manage the club one day.

He clearly still has a strong affiliation with the Blues, having supported them as a boy, but most importantly, he has impressed in his short managerial career to date, doing well with Derby County in tough financial circumstance, and now shining with D.C. United in the MLS in America.

The 37-year-old is still a young manager learning his trade, however, so to throw him in as a possible replacement for Dyche would feel like a risk, at a time when Everton would need more of a sure-fire bet to come in and make a difference.

As mentioned, however, Dyche does feels safe at the moment, despite the poor run of form, and it would arguably take a genuinely awful run for him to be disposed of so soon. Rooney should definitely be considered a future option in the Goodison hot seat, though, given the manner in which he has slotted seamlessly into management, with Paul Ince saying he is a "top, top" coach.

Nottingham Forest Favourites To Sign £180k-p/w "Monster"

Nottingham Forest have appeared as the frontrunners to sign Chelsea forward Callum Hudson-Odoi this summer, but they aren’t the only club interested in the Premier League.

How old is Callum Hudson-Odoi?

Hudson-Odoi is 22 years of age so should be playing football on a regular basis and entering some of the prime stages of his career, but that’s not the case because his future is extremely uncertain having been sent out on an unsuccessful loan to Bayer Leverkusen last season.

England’s former international’s contract is also set to expire in less than a year meaning that this window is Mauricio Pochettino’s ideal opportunity to cash in, something which looks likely considering he’s told chiefs that he wants to leave, whilst being yet to communicate with his manager since taking to the dugout.

The Blues’ left-winger already holds an existing connection to Steve Cooper having worked under him during his time with the Three Lions’ U17s, and The Evening Standard recently reported that the Reds had entered the running to sign him, alongside Everton and Fulham.

The Cottagers were believed to be leading the race, but with that move having since collapsed, the contest has really opened up, giving his other potential suitors a chance to swoop him, and there’s a possibility that he could be on his way to The City Ground.

Are Nottingham Forest signing Callum Hudson-Odoi?

According to TEAMtalk, Nottingham Forest are "emerging as favourites" to sign Hudson-Odoi, with Chelsea "open" to sanctioning his sale before the end of the window.

With Fulham and now also Everton's move for the attacker having "stalled", this leaves the "path clear" for Cooper to form a reunion with his ex-international starlet.

The Stamford Bridge academy product also had his brother, who is his agent, as an "interested observer" watching on from the stands at last week's match vs Sheffield United, further sparking speculation that he could be joining in the coming weeks.

Bayer Leverkusen's former loan forward Callum Hudson-Odoi.

How good is Callum Hudson-Odoi?

Nottingham Forest will know that Hudson-Odoi hasn’t been given a fair chance to prove what he’s capable of at Chelsea, but Cooper will know just how much potential he has to offer having previously been dubbed a “monster of a talent” by journalist Nizaar Kinsella, and he could the perfect manager to restart his career.

The Wandsworth-born talent has posted 89 goal contributions (48 goals and 41 assists) in 208 appearances since bursting onto the scene and could provide the boss with excellent versatility with his ability to operate everywhere across the frontline, alongside three roles in the midfield, as per Transfermarkt, making him a great option to have available should any unexpected injuries occur.

Pochettino’s £180k-per-week earner also knows what it takes to compete and be successful having helped to win five senior trophies for his boyhood club, including the likes of the Champions League, Europa League and the FIFA Club World Cup, so he could bring a much-needed winning mentality to the Midlands to achieve a place as high as possible in the table this season.

Nottingham Forest: Cooper Could Now Sign £9m Machine To Unlock Danilo

Nottingham Forest have been linked to a Serie A midfielder according to recent reports, as Steve Cooper eyes further reinforcements in the middle of the park this summer.

The Welshman and his side are underway to a convincing start, claiming their first three points of the season at the City Ground during game week two, beating Sheffield United late on in a 2-1 thriller.

Despite recruiting strongly already in the transfer market through the arrivals of Ola Aina, Matt Turner, Anthony Elanga and the permanent deal of Chris Wood, the Reds are reported to be on the prowl for a new midfielder.

Who could Nottingham Forest sign this summer?

It’s clear to see just where Cooper envisions his next signing to play, with the club linked to a host of central midfield talent in recent weeks.

Reported interest in Chelsea’s Andrey Santos, Real Betis’ Guido Rodriguez, Monaco’s Youssouf Fofana and Benfica’s Florentino Luiz has circulated, however another name has emerged this week.

As reported by journalist Cesar Luis Merlo, Forest have approached to sign Bologna midfielder Nicolas Dominguez, who has a speculated price tag of €10m (£9m).

Merlo relayed that both the Reds and Galatasaray have “made offers to buy” the player, and are “bidding” to capture his signature this summer.

How good is Nicolas Dominguez?

Deployed in both central and deeper in defensive midfield, the 25-year-old has been lauded as being a presence that “loves a challenge” by South American football expert Nathan Joyes.

Such praise is supported by his monstrous average of 3.13 tackles per 90 over the past year, which has ranked him in the top 8% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues in that area, via FBref.

The Argentine won an average of 5.6 total duels per game last season in Serie A for Bologna, once more solidifying just how much of a protective cog he could be in Cooper’s engine room.

Nicolas-dominguez

One player in particular that could benefit from the Velez Sarsfield gem’s potential arrival is fellow midfielder Danilo, who has impressed greatly since arriving at the City Ground in January.

Taking to Twitter, one Forest fan commented on the Brazilian’s positioning deeper in the midfield as being a waste of his “amazing talent” in impacting a game further forward, which highlights just how much of a revelation Dominguez could be on the 22-year-old.

The Bologna machine could be the anchor in midfield, which would allow Cooper to hand Danilo a more advanced role, with the assurance that the Argentine could hold the fort in the pivot.

Averaging 6.15 progressive passes and 1.41 key passes per 90 for the Italian outfit last term via FBref, the 25-year-old could be the perfect link to unleashing Forest’s January arrival further up-field, with him having the passing ability to transition play.

Asserting himself as one of the better combative midfielders in Europe, Dominguez could be the ideal acquisition for the Tricky Trees to chase, with him being a more cost-effective and equally as impressive target to others the club are speculated to have eyed.

With Galatasaray also monitoring the Serie A sensation, Cooper must strike fast if he is to secure the impressive talent’s signature before the end of the window.

Lower order rally helps Saurashtra eke out lead

Priyank Panchal, the previous season’s highest run-getter, brought up his second successive century as defending champions Gujarat plundered Rajasthan in Surat. Gujarat opened up a 297-run advantage by ending the second day on 450 for 3. Bhargav Merai (110) and captain Parthiv Patel (119*) added 174 to help swell the total after Panchal’s dismissal for a 223-ball 152 that had 23 fours.A clash that could potentially decide the second qualifier from Group B was tantalisingly poised with Saurashtra’s lower order rallying together to eke out a seven-run lead after Kerala‘s Sijomon Joseph triggered a middle order collapse. Saurashtra, cruising comfortably on the back of Robin Uthappa’s 86, sensationally slipped from 148 for 2 to 178 for 7. A crucial 45-run stand between Jaydev Unadkat and Jay Chauhan gave them the cushion of a lead. Basil Thampi finished with three wickets while Joseph had 4 for 43.Kerala then powered to 69 for 1 at stumps, with both Rohan Prem and Jalaj Saxena getting off to starts. They were ahead by 62 with two full days remaining, with the prospect of an outright result either way well and truly alive.An intriguing battle for the first-innings lead is in store for day three in Lahli, as Jammu & Kashmir ended the day on 175 for 7, nine runs behind Haryana‘s 184. Despite losing opener Shubham Khajuria early on, J&K rebuilt through Ahmed Bandy (67) and Puneet Bisht (35) who added 45 for the third wicket.From 100 for 2, J&K lost five wickets for 75 runs, with Ajit Chahal dismissing Owais Shah in the last over of the day. Chahal, Harshal Patel and Ashish Hooda finished with two wickets each. Earlier, Haryana added 65 to their overnight score of 119 for 7, with captain Amit Mishra top-scoring with 41. Harshal and Chahal chipped in with 23 and 22 respectively. J&K seamers Ram Dayal (5 for 57) and Mohammed Mudhasir (4 for 56) were the pick of the bowlers.

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