Category Uncategorized

Middlesex skipper, who spent five years with Derbyshire, produced a stoic four-and-a-half hour effort

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay09-Sep-2025

Leus du Plooy played a steadfast innings•Ray Lawrence

Leus Du Plooy haunted his former county Derbyshire as his second hundred of the season led Middlesex to a slender first-innings lead on day two at Lord’s.The Middlesex skipper, who spent five years with Derbyshire prior to joining the Seaxes produced a stoic four-and-a-half hour effort with only eight boundaries as the hosts reached 298 all out.Josh De Caires (46) and Joe Cracknell (43) provided the main support, the latter sharing a stand of 80 for the sixth wicket with Du Plooy.Ben Aitchison bowled beautifully for his 3 for 35, while Zak Chappell also claimed three victims, before openers Luis Reece and Caleb Jewell saw Derbyshire through to stumps at 17 without loss – a lead of two heading into day three.Aitchison’s probing opening burst provided a stern examination of the Middlesex openers and it was a test Sam Robson did not survive, this season’s beneficiary trapped lbw by one which beat the outside edge.De Caires and Luke Hollman somehow negotiated the rest of the seamer’s stump-to-stump spell, but in his endeavours to increase the tempo against some looser offerings from first change Chappell, the latter wafted lazily at a wide one to be caught at slip.De Caires picked up where he’d left off in his 175 against Durham for the second XI at Hartlepool last week, driving sweetly through mid-on and cracking a wide one from Chappell to the fence at point. However, four short of 50 and with lunch beckoning he was adjudged to have tickled one through to wicketkeeper Brooke Guest. His disappointment, whether at himself or the decision was palpable.It was left to Du Plooy to provide the innings of substance required. The South African-born left-hander got underway with a tickle for four to fine leg, but this was a studious rather than flamboyant knock, a later square drive another of the six fours in his first 50 reached in 80 balls.His second 50 was even more phlegmatic, nudges into the gaps marking his progress with only one further boundary until he reached the 90s. There was as scare on 91 as the 30-year-old crumpled to the floor after inside-edging a ball from Aitchison, the problem seemingly with his knee.He was able to continue after treatment, albeit hobbling, and a square drive and a punch through midwicket took him to a deserved hundred.Others batted around the skipper, Ryan Higgins threatening a big score before a flash at a wide one from Chappell cut his effort short on 31 and Ben Geddes didn’t stay long before becoming the seamer’s third victim, lbw to a ball which looked to be swinging past leg stump.Cracknell was the man to help in the one partnership of note, the wicketkeeper/batter riding his luck early on before unfurling some trademark aggressive shots, the pick a pull off Haydon which sailed into the Mound Stand. Haydon’s revenge was swift however, a ball stopping a little in the pitch before climbing to take the edge of the bat and flying to backward point.Du Plooy, now struggling physically, fell lbw to Luis Reece soon after the first innings lead was secured, after which the tail crumbled leaving the hosts two runs short of what could have been a precious second batting point.

Glasgow Rangers are still yet to officially confirm their next head coach ahead of their clash with Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday at Ibrox.

The Light Blues parted company with Russell Martin prior to the start of the international break, after a 1-1 draw with Falkirk, and Steven Smith will be in charge as an interim this weekend.

Martin left after five wins in 17 matches in charge in all competitions, as shown in the graphic above, and Rangers are closing in on a head coach with a far superior record.

The latest on Kevin Muscat to Rangers

According to RangersReview, Kevin Muscat is set to ‘finalise’ a deal to become the next Rangers manager in a move that could be confirmed over the weekend.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

Meanwhile, the Daily Record reports that the Light Blues board are willing to allow him to see out the remainder of the Chinese Super League season before he makes the switch to Ibrox.

SH Port have three matches left to go in their season, as they sit top of the table, and their last game is on the 22nd November, which means that it could be over a month before Muscat takes the reins in Glasgow to finally replace Martin.

Once the Australian head coach is in charge at Ibrox, one thing that he will be tasked with is getting the best out of central midfielder Mohamed Diomande, who flopped under the previous head coach.

Why Kevin Muscat needs to revive Mohamed Diomande for Rangers

Muscat needs to revive the Ivorian star because he allowed his form to dip way too low under Martin, after an impressive 2024/25 campaign with the Scottish giants.

Diomande’s discipline was a notable cause for concern. He was given three yellow cards and one red card in his last four appearances for the club, and Tam McManus went as far as to call his performance “embarrassing” against Hibernian because of how many fouls he was committing.

The left-footed star was sent off against Genk in the Europa League, a game that the Gers lost, and he was booked against Hibernian, Celtic, and Falkirk, with the Light Blues winning just one of those matches. Embarrassing was a strong word from McManus, but the midfielder did let himself down with too many challenges that caught the referee’s attention.

Appearances

36

6

Sofascore rating

7.19

6.37

Goals

4

0

Assists

7

0

Dribbled past per game

0.5x

0.5x

Ground duel success rate

57%

46%

Aerial duel success rate

48%

17%

As you can see in the table above, his form in his six matches for the former Rangers head coach this season in the league was nowhere near as good as what he produced under Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson last term.

These statistics show that Diomande is capable of much better than he has shown in the 2025/26 campaign, which provides hope that Muscat can come in and get him back to his best in the middle of the park.

At his best, the 23-year-old whiz, who is valued at £7m by Transfermarkt, is a central midfielder who can provide a combative presence whilst also contributing with goals and assists for Rangers, as evidenced by his form from last season.

However, he has not been anywhere near his best this term, with no goals and one assist in 12 matches, per Sofascore, and that is why one of Muscat’s first jobs should be trying to revive the Ivorian ace.

52 y/o who worked with Postecoglou now set to join Kevin Muscat at Rangers

The Gers have almost solved their manager problem.

ByTom Cunningham Oct 17, 2025

If the incoming Rangers head coach can unlock the left-footed star’s top level, Muscat will have a terrific player on his hands in the middle of the park.

While Sunderland stole many of the plaudits in the summer for their outrageous transfer activity, with £100m+ splashed out on new recruits, Leeds United were arguably a tad more methodical in their approach when winning themselves some gems from all around Europe.

Daniel Farke and Co. are already thanking their lucky stars that they gambled on acquiring both Anton Stach and Noah Okafor from Hoffenheim and AC Milan, respectively, with a combined four goal contributions already picked up by the promising midfield duo in Premier League action.

In defence, Gabriel Gudmundsson also already looks like a steal in the left-back spot, having only cost £10m to snap up from Lille, while Lucas Perri was agonisingly close to his first clean sheet in his new location up against West Ham United last time out.

But, away from all these names mentioned, Sean Longstaff rightly sticks out as the best bit of business Leeds signed off on over a bumper summer, with the Premier League-experienced 27-year-old very much allowing the Whites to tick so far this season from the middle of the park.

Why Longstaff is one of Leeds' best signings

Already, the £12m summer purchase feels as if he has been in and around Elland Road for some time.

Longstaff has played a part in all nine of Leeds’ league matches so far this season on their return to the daunting top-flight, and while there have been some nerves on display as they navigate the choppy waters of the top division, the Newcastle-born midfielder has cut a cool and composed figure throughout.

Having seen his career at his boyhood Magpies fizzle out, Longstaff clearly knew – from the get-go at his new employers – that he needed to prove himself, and he has certainly done that when looking at the table above.

Already, the brand-new number eight has chipped in with one goal and two assists from a central position on the pitch, but he has offered up far more than just a goal threat, with an average of five duels won per contest enabling Farke’s men to see out some tight contests.

Accumulating five big chances being created, too, has even led to some bold shouts that Longstaff is Leeds’ second coming of Pablo Hernandez, as Farke now potentially attempts to recreate the magic of this shrewd deal in January by landing another classy top-flight veteran when the transfer window swings back open.

Leeds considering another Longstaff-style signing

It has been some turnaround for Longstaff since ditching the home comforts of Tyneside, with zero goals or assists falling into his lap during his final campaign at Eddie Howe’s Toon.

Ross Barkley will hope he can similarly breathe life back into his waning playing days at Elland Road if rumours are to be believed, with a report from The Leeds Press revealing that the West Yorkshire outfit is considering a move for the reserve Aston Villa presence, who even once had a short-term loan stint at Leeds way back in 2013.

Now, he could be returning, again on loan, but this time as a far more experienced option, as Leeds reportedly weigh up a move for an attacking midfielder in the window, and while he has struggled to break into Emery’s first team picture as of late, he is certainly a classy operator on his day.

Indeed, this fiercely struck effort against Leicester City earlier in the year is just one of seven goals Barkley has put away for the Villans, meaning he definitely has a similar eye for a goal to that of Longstaff.

Games played

287

Goals scored

37

Assists

34

More importantly, too, the 31-year-old has also shone before in a team that is attempting to beat the drop in Luton Town – as seen in his weighty five goals and seven assists for the then troubled Hatters – and became a beloved fan favourite, subsequently, with one of his teammates in Andros Townsend at Kenilworth Road even hailing him as “unbelievable” to play alongside.

It could well be, much like Longstaff, that Barkley comes back into his own in West Yorkshire, with the well-travelled attacking midfielder also being dubbed as “exquisite” by his former Everton manager in Roberto Martinez, for his skilful approach on the pitch.

The £60k-per-week star is somewhat fading away at Villa Park, though, with just 30 minutes of action handed to him this season.

Yet, if he relocates to Leeds this coming January, he could end up rebuilding his career before it’s too late, just as Longstaff has already done this season.

Forget Longstaff: £10m star is now Leeds' best signing since Bielsa left

This Leeds United star could now be considered the best signing the Whites have made since Marcelo Bielsa left.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 28, 2025

A disappointed Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca gave a brutal verdict after the Blues' last-gasp defeat at the hands of Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday. Alejandro Garnacho scored his maiden goal for Chelsea to give them an early lead but Sunderland bounced back, riding on Wilson Isidor's equaliser and Chemsdine Talbi's last-minute winner.

• Chelsea drop down the table

  The loss against Sunderland was their third defeat in the Premier League in their last five outings, which saw them drop to ninth position in the league table while Sunderland leapfrogged the Blues to grab second place. The newly-promoted club have made a dream start to the 2025-26 campaign as they have won five out of their first nine matches and have secured 17 points, two behind league leaders Arsenal. 

  The Blues have been inconsistent in the league this season as they have already dropped 13 points in their first nine games. In comparison, their performance in Europe has been exceptional as they registered back-to-back wins over Benfica and Ajax and have scored seven goals in the competition. 

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  'Not good enough' – Maresca shares verdict

  Maresca looked visibly frustrated at full-time after the loss at home against Sunderland. Later in the post-match press conference, the Italian coach dissected his team's performances as he said: "I think we were not good enough in general. We know that in the moment you drop a little, we dropped a little bit, you can lose points against any team in the Premier League. That is so difficult."

  When asked if he expected from his substitute players, Maresca replied: "No it’s always difficult for the ones that they go inside. At least they tried. But again, overall we were not good enough."

  On Sunderland's long throws causing problems for Blues, Maresca added: "It is always difficult to just bring seven or eight players inside the box. Almost inside the six-yard box. It is difficult to deal with that. We tried to prepare that but it can happen."

• 'We start well'

  Garnacho's fourth-minute strike was Chelsea's quickest goal in the 2025-26 campaign, but Maresca was far from impressed with the team's effort, as he said: "Yeah, absolutely. We start well with the goal but even with that the feeling was that were losing, in terms of physicality, duels, second balls, these kind of things. Against these teams, it is always dangerous. It is just that we were not good enough. When you are not good enough you can drop points against any team."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Garnacho finally finds his footing at Chelsea

  After a terrible 2024-25 campaign on the field and major fallout with manager Ruben Amorim, Garnacho was allowed to leave Manchester United in the summer as Chelsea paid £40 million ($54m) to sign him. The Argentine missed most of pre-season at Old Trafford as Amorim had put him in his 'bomb squad' alongside other outcasts, including Marcus Rashford, Antony and Jadon Sancho. Naturally, the winger took some time to get back to his best shape since completing his move to Stamford Bridge.

  Until the Sunderland clash, the 21-year-old had featured in just six matches across all competitions and had started in only two Premier League games. But on Saturday, the winger finally looked in good shape as he scored a brilliant opening goal from Pedro Neto's assist. After scoring the goal, Garnacho even pulled off a Manchester United celebration by sitting on the advertisement board with Neto. He also emulated his idol Cristiano Ronaldo's celebration of pointing towards the ground after scoring the opener. He looked comfortable with the ball throughout the 58 minutes he was on the pitch, before being replaced by Estevao Willian. 

  The Blues are scheduled to take on Wolves next in a Carabao Cup encounter on Wednesday before meeting Tottenham Hotspur in a key Premier League fixture on November 1. They need to get back to winning ways if they want to continue to fight for a place among the top five teams in the league and secure a Champions League slot for next season.

It has been an excellent start to the 2025/26 season for Everton. David Moyes’ side have won their last two Premier League games after a defeat on the opening day of the season away to Leeds United. The highlight so far is surely the 2-0 win in the first competitive game at the Hill Dickinson Stadium against Brighton.

There have been some standout players so far for the Toffees. Jack Grealish has been sensational, with four assists already to his name in just two top-flight starts. He, alongside fellow new signing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, has been nigh-on unstoppable so far this term.

The two new Toffees stars have formed a really strong partnership with fellow attacker Iliman Ndiaye.

Ndiaye’s start to the season

At 25 years of age, Senegal international Ndiaye is on the cusp of entering his peak years. It certainly feels like Toffees supporters are witnessing one of their most exciting attackers in years, given his start to the season and the form he has shown for the club so far.

Last season, his first as an Everton player, the former Sheffield United star was excellent. He played 37 games across all competitions and scored 11 goals. Nine of those strikes came in the Premier League.

The 2025/26 campaign has begun in much the same fashion for the attacker. He’s played three top-flight games so far, bagging in two of them. The first strike was one of his most special, with Ndiaye scoring the first competitive goal at their new stadium on Bramley Moore Dock.

It is not just Everton fans who can see how good Ndaiye is. Pundits such as Jamie Carragher have taken note, too. The former Liverpool defender said last season that the Senegal international is “an absolute star”, summing up how Toffees supporters must feel about him, too.

With that in mind, it might be a surprise to learn that the 25-year-old is actually not among Everton’s highest earners. According to Capology, he is on just £45k per week at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

That is a figure that is far less than players in Moyes’ squad who have faced criticism for performances rather than praise. There is one person in particular who springs to mind.

The Everton man who earns far more than Ndiaye

It is certainly a surprise that Ndiaye earns so little at Everton. Factoring in his relevant importance, it is not outlandish to think he should be up there with top earners Grealish, who is on £225k per week, and Jordan Pickford, who earns £125k per week.

Instead, shockingly, he earns less than someone like Michael Keane, who has not really covered himself in glory during his time as a Toffee, at least not to the same extent as Ndiaye. The centre-back is surprisingly in the top five pay brackets at Everton.

This term, an injury to Jarrad Branthwaite has seen Keane step into the side for the first three Premier League games and play 90 minutes in each. He also played the entire game in their Carabao Cup second round win over Mansfield Town.

Yet, over the last few years, Keane has barely featured under the likes of Sean Dyche and Moyes. Since 2022/23, the most league games he has played in one campaign have been 14, which was last season.

2022/23

12

983

2023/24

9

438

2024/25

14

1046

Where Ndiaye has received lots of praise for his efforts in an Everton shirt of late, it has been the opposite for Keane. In fact, his namesake, former Manchester United captain Roy Keane, once described his defending as “really poor.”

With all that in mind, it is a surprise to learn that he earns £70k per week at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. That is £25k more than Ndiaye, who has certainly performed better over a period of time for the Toffees than Keane has.

Once Branthwaite is back in action, it will be interesting to see if Keane can keep his place in the Everton side. If not, perhaps club owners, the Freidkin Group, are better off cutting their losses soon and selling the defender, to help save room in the wage budget.

His value has risen by 3900%: Everton must rue selling a homegrown Grealish

Given Jack Grealish’s excellent start to life at Everton, the Toffees must surely regret selling their homegrown version for £400k, now worth £16m!

Sep 9, 2025

There’s been no update on the nature of du Plessis’ injury, and Axar Patel, the DC captain, is expecting an update from the team physio soon

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Apr-20252:15

Pujara: Fraser-McGurk needs to be aggressive in his first five-ten balls

Faf du Plessis, the Delhi Capitals (DC) vice-captain, hasn’t played since April 10, when he picked up an injury during the match away against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).Axar Patel, the DC captain, isn’t totally sure where du Plessis stands with his fitness – and hasn’t confirmed the nature of the injury – but is hoping he would be back for DC’s next game, away against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Saturday.”I had been told that he wouldn’t be able to play three matches – that’s the time he needs to recover – and two matches are done,” Axar said after DC’s Super Over win against Rajasthan Royals (RR). “Maybe he will play the Gujarat game. But the physio has to confirm how his rehab has been going.”Related

Axar Patel: 'I am not following a template' as captain

Did RR choose the wrong batters for the Super Over? Bishop and Pujara think so

Kuldeep climbs to No. 2 on IPL 2025 Purple Cap table after DC vs RR

Reverse in fast forward – Starc's three overs of yorker mayhem

There was another injury concern for DC when Kuldeep Yadav landed heavily while attempting to field a ball in the deep in the 17th over of the chase. The physio checked his bowling shoulder and he went off immediately.”I have no update on Kuldeep yet,” Axar said. “If something serious had happened, then we would have known by now.”Against RCB, it was off Axar’s bowling that du Plessis put in a sprint from extra cover after an aerial hit from Rajat Patidar. He couldn’t get to the ball and, after that over – the eighth – was done, he walked off. He went out to open the innings later and scored 2 off seven balls.He missed DC’s next game, against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on April 5. At the time, Axar had just said, “Faf isn’t fit.”DC would want the experienced du Plessis back in their line-up at the earliest, even though they have continued to stack up the wins with or without him.The win over RR was their fifth in six matches, and they have found a solid replacement in Abishek Porel, who is DC’s second-highest run-scorer at this stage – behind KL Rahul – with 156 runs from six innings at a strike rate of 143.11.The concern, though, is Jake Fraser-McGurk, who has played all six matches so far, but has tallied just 55 runs at a strike rate of 105.76 with a best of 38. With Tristan Stubbs going well for DC, averaging 76.00 and scoring at 163.44, du Plessis, when he’s back, could well push Fraser-McGurk out of the team.

Nottingham Forest have now agreed a late deal to sign an “incredible” defender, with his medical currently ongoing, it has been revealed.

Tricky Trees keen on new defender after West Ham disaster

Last time out, Nuno suffered his worst home defeat since taking over as Forest manager, with West Ham United emerging as shock 3-0 winners at The City Ground, and the manager was left extremely disappointed with his side’s performance.

Nuno said: “It’s not the best day to speak. We have to address what is happening. The job now is more about the team, I’m worried about the team because it was shocking.”

The 51-year-old has made it clear he wants to deepen his squad throughout the summer transfer window, and he was left disgruntled by the fact deals have been left to the latter stages of the transfer window.

It appears as though Nuno’s wish has now been granted, with the Tricky Trees advancing in talks to sign S.C. Braga’s Roger Fernandes, while they are also closing in on a deal for RC Strasbourg’s Dilane Bakwa.

Given the manner of the defeat against West Ham, however, Nottingham Forest now want to get another defender through the door, and they have agreed a deal to sign Atletico Madrid full-back Javi Galan.

That is according to a report from The Athletic, which states Galan is currently undergoing a medical in Madrid ahead of completing a move to The City Ground, which will be for an undisclosed fee.

Nottingham Forest now agree deal to sign gem with same agent as Chris Wood

Forest are set to complete a deadline day move for a defender.

ByDominic Lund Sep 1, 2025

The left-back is set to sign a three-year contract with the Tricky Trees, which includes the option of an extra 12 months, with the £54k-a-week defender set to arrive alongside fellow full-back Nicolo Savona, who recently arrived from Juventus.

"Incredible" Galan should be solid signing for Forest

One of the main reasons Nuno has been keen to get more players through the door is because his side are set to embark on a European campaign, which will mean an increase in the number of fixtures.

The Forest boss said: “So we have ahead of us the Premier League, Europa League, Carabao Cup and FA Cup. You know how many games this means for us. This is the respect that we have to show to our squad. Help them.”

As such, it would make sense to get more players with European experience through the door, and the Atletico defender made six appearances in the Champions League last season.

Not only that, but the 30-year-old has also impressed domestically, being lauded as “incredible” by journalist Pascual Ruiz Arnal after impressing against Real Madrid in the 2024-25 campaign.

Galan’s experience means he should be a solid signing for Nottingham Forest, and it will be music to Nuno’s ears that the deal is now edging towards completion.

In a late flurry of deals, Nottingham Forest have now reportedly submitted an opening offer to sign a Bundesliga attacker for Nuno Espirito Santo.

Nottingham Forest agree Kalimuendo deal

Whilst it has been a steady summer at Forest, with their biggest deal arguably being Morgan Gibbs-White’s new contract, Nuno reiterated that there is still work that needs to be done.

The Forest boss told reporters: “Dealing with doubts is the worst thing you can have in football. We have doubts, who is going to be [here], when are they [new signings] going to come? All these things create doubts.

Deal close: £15k-p/w Nottingham Forest "miracle worker" on verge of exit

The player only joined last summer…

By
Callum Kemp

Aug 15, 2025

“Not only me but in the club. What we want is game-by-game to have as many options as possible. Europe will come after, and for sure it will be better, but for now until that happens it is a major concern.

“The owner is aware, the club is aware, everyone is aware. Everybody knows the reality. This is a lost chance that we had as a group to do it.”

It seems as though Nuno is set to get an answer to his questions and the chance to ease his doubts, however. Following his strong words, Forest have reportedly agreed a deal to sign Arnaud Kalimuendo, whilst the likes of Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee also now look destined for the City Ground this month.

It’s a late-summer spending spree which may be far from done. Reports are now indicating that Forest have also submitted an opening bid to sign a Bundesliga talent.

Nottingham Forest submit Leweling offer

According to Sky Germany, Nottingham Forest submitted an opening bid to sign Jamie Leweling worth €25m (£22m) with add-ons.

VfB Stuttgart have rejected this first offer, and the German club reportedly have no intention of selling their star winger, but whether more interest from the Premier League changes that remains to be seen.

League stats 24/25	Anthony Elanga	Jamie Leweling
Minutes	2,501	1,663
Goals	6	11
Assists	2	2
Key Passes	50	25

Those at the City Ground are seemingly willing to take a chance on Leweling despite a relatively tough season last time out. Although a hamstring injury disrupted his campaign, the German would have been disappointed to end on just four goal involvements in the Bundesliga last time out.

On paper, the 24-year-old does not have the output levels to replace Anthony Elanga, who decided to swap the Midlands for Newcastle United earlier this summer.

Nonetheless, Leweling has still earned plenty of praise in Germany. Stuttgart sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth told reporters: “Jamie featured in every Bundesliga match [last season], and that statistic alone shows just how important he is to the team.

“His commitment and willingness to work for the team make him a very valuable player for us. We also think that he has plenty of potential to develop further, and that’s why we decided to tie Jamie down to VfB on a long-term deal.”

Ryan Mason has undergone a lot of pre-seasons as a player.

However, the former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder turned West Bromwich Albion boss is now close to completing his first summer in football as a rookie manager, with all the pre-season fixtures done and dusted ahead of Championship action kicking back off.

Mason will be hoping he’s the spark from the dug-out that guides the Baggies back up to the promised land of the Premier League, with West Brom deep into their fifth straight season as a second-tier outfit when matches get back underway.

The 33-year-old has been well-backed in the transfer window, with a whopping £4.7m solely splashed out on landing the clinical Aune Heggebo from Brann, as the lavish spending looks set to potentially continue in the centre-forward department.

West Brom could go back in for £4.3m star

The proof will soon be in the pudding as to whether that amount was too steep to fork out for Heggebo.

However, his numbers playing in his native Norway do not lie, with a mightily impressive 51 goals coming his way for Brann from 146 appearances. Subsequently, Mason is now spoiled for choice up top between his new, shiny 24-year-old and West Brom’s main marksman, Josh Maja.

He could have even more options to call into action if reports from Spain are to be believed, with a new update coming to light on West Brom’s previous centre-forward target, Chris Ramos.

Indeed, Diairo De Cadiz has stated that the Cadiz attacker is generating plenty of interest this summer in his services, but there is no rush to offload him just yet.

The La Liga 2 club is waiting for an offer in the £4.3m region to consider parting ways, having had a far lower £2.1m bid from the Championship side come their way in recent times.

The hope will be that the 6-foot-3 Spaniard can go on to be Mason’s very own Salomon Rondon, with the lofty striker often a physical brute when powering home goal after goal for Cadiz, much like the imposing Venezuelan was at the Hawthorns.

How Ramos can be Mason's own Rondon

Of course, when Rondon was leading the line as a formidable centre-forward, West Brom were seen as Premier League regulars, rather than second-tier promotion material.

While the now 35-year-old was never the most clinical or the most eye-catching – with a reasonable 28 strikes coming his way from 120 Baggies outings – nobody could speak ill about his commitment to the cause, as his final season at the Hawthorns saw him win a dominant 7.7 duels on average per Premier League clash.

Ramos has shown off a similar prowess in the air for Cadiz all across his ongoing stay at his hometown club, with this powerful effort above showing off the 28-year-old’s ability to head home under pressure in a similar vein to Rondon.

Staggeringly, Ramos wasn’t too far off Rondon’s duels won total either when plying his trade in La Liga during the 2023/24 campaign, as the Spanish forward averaged a mighty 7.1 successful duels per match, even as Gaizka Garitano’s side succumbed to relegation.

Ramos’ league numbers for Cadiz (23/24) + (24/25)
Stat – per 90 mins*	Ramos (23/24)	Ramos (24/25)
Games played	37	37
Games started	30	24
Goals scored	5	10
Scoring frequency	Every 525 minutes	Every 223 minutes
Big chances missed	16	15
Total duels won*	7.1	5.1
Stats by Sofascore

West Brom do need an option up top that can throw themselves about with conviction, especially with Daryl Dike now back in the treatment room, with Ramos also a reliable source of goals for Cadiz across his last two breakout seasons, as seen in his tally of 15 strikes in all competitions.

While Ramos might struggle initially to instantly break into the first-team ranks, possessing a striker with such strong physical attributes will be an effective weapon for Mason to have up his sleeve across the long EFL season to come.

If he does go on to be a success, the Cadiz number 16 could retrace Rondon’s footsteps even more by becoming a tough, no-nonsense attacker for the West Midlands outfit in the luxurious Premier League.

Perfect for Fellows: West Brom weigh up offer for PL "huge talent"

West Bromwich Albion could soon bring in this exciting talent to partner Tom Fellows.

By
Kelan Sarson

Aug 4, 2025

Despite just welcoming Mikey Moore on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, Rangers are reportedly back in the Premier League market and have opened talks to sign a talent who the 49ers know well.

Martin "thrilled" to welcome "aggressive" Moore

It’s been an impressive overhaul by Rangers this summer and Moore instantly stands out as one of their best arrivals. The exciting 17-year-old often showed glimpses of what he is capable of whenever given the opportunity at Tottenham and a loan move to Rangers should provide him with the platform to begin realising what is incredibly high potential.

Speaking for the first time since sealing his loan move, the young winger told Rangers’ official website: “I’m excited to get going. As soon as I heard Rangers were interested and wanted me to come, it was a massive opportunity for me.

“I’m excited to be here and hopefully I can show the fans and everyone what I can do. I’ve always loved Rangers as a club. My family have always loved them. I think with the new boss and the way that we play, it’s a great place to be at the minute. It was a pretty easy decision for me to come here.”

Russell Martin was also thrilled to get the deal over the line, saying: “We are thrilled to bring Mikey on loan for this season. His profile as a brave, aggressive attacking player is one that we were keen to add to the squad, and he is certainly a player who, despite his age, can make an impact on the team from day one.

More exciting than Gassama & Moore: Rangers must sign "tenacious" £5m star

Rangers must swoop for this £6m star who would be even more exciting than Djeidi Gassama and Mikey Moore.

ByDan Emery Aug 2, 2025

“He is a player with huge potential, and it is testament to his quality that he has been entrusted by Spurs in both the Premier League and UEFA Europa League with such regularity over the last 18 months.”

Those at Ibrox aren’t done there with their shopping in the Premier League, however. Reports are now claiming that they’ve opened talks to sign a young talent who the 49ers know well.

Leeds open talks to sign Joe Gelhardt

According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Rangers have now opened talks to sign Joe Gelhardt in a permanent deal from Leeds United, who are also owned by the 49ers.

The 23-year-old forward spent the second half of last season on loan at Hull City, having struggled for game time at Elland Road, and ended his spell with five goals to his name. It was a loan move which, ultimately, lacked consistency but one that seemingly showed Rangers enough to warrant a summer move.

Whilst Gelhardt struggled for starts at Leeds, Martin and Rangers could yet provide him with the platform that he has desperately needed for the last 12 months.

It’s then that he could realise his best form and prove Jamie Rednkapp right, who said when speaking about Gelhardt in 2021: “He’s like a human wrecking ball. I like him; he’s really exciting. He’s fast; he’s aggressive; he gets on the ball, he takes people on.”