Folarin Balogun scored his third goal of the season for Monaco as the U.S. men's national team star made his mark in a 5-3 win over Nantes on Wednesday. The goal continues Balogun's strong run of form for the striker, which was headlined by two goals in his last two starts for Mauricio Pochettino and the USMNT.

• AFP
  

  A wild Monaco win

  Balogun's goal was one of eight scored in Wednesday's Ligue 1 clash, including one of three scored in the first half. With the game tied 1-1 heading into halftime, the American, who had missed a chance earlier, broke in all alone and slid a shot under the arm of goalkeeper Anthony Lopes, who was unable to stop the ball with his slide.

  Nantes scored just before halftime, though, to ensure the two sides went into the half level. From there, Monaco scored twice, with via goals from Maghnes Akliouche and Alekander Golovin, only for Nantes to pull one back in the 80th minute. Golovin then put the game to bed in stoppage time, sealing the three points and the 5-3 win.

  In addition to the goal, Balogun also hit the post once in his 73 minutes on the field.

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  The man in form

  With the goal, Balogun has thre goals in his last six games for club and country, in addition to a September goal against Japan with the USMNT. During the October international window, Balogun scored in the USMNT's 1-1 draw with Ecuador, finishing off a Malik Tillman assist.

  He then came off the bench to score the equalizer against Angers in his first game after the international break. His other Ligue 1 goal came back in August, when he netted in a 3-2 win over Strasbourg in Monaco's second match of the season.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Pursuing greatness

  Now two and a half years into his USMNT career, Balogun continues to provide evidence as to why he could be the starter at the World Cup. After dealing with injury issues for the first half of 2025, Balogun returned to the U.S. this fall as he pushes towards the big moment next summer.

  "If I keep doing my thing, I'll be fine," Balogun told GOAL during October camp. "The most important thing is getting to the World Cup the right way. It's not even necessarily about the World Cup, it's about entering the tournament with the right state of mind. You need to have confidence in your output over the months building up to the World Cup throughout your season. Because of that, I'm more focused on what I can do in the present. I control what I can control going into the World Cup. That's what will make me better.

  "When you score, you'll get another chance. I'm at a stage and in an industry where I know what I need to do and keep doing. If I play this season and score 30 goals, no surprise, good things will follow."

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  What comes next?

  Monaco have three more matches left before Balogun, theoretically, joins the USMNT for friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay in November. Up first is a Ligue 1 match against Paris FC on Saturday before a Champions League trip to face Bodo/Glimt.

  Monaco will then host Lens in their final match before the international break.

تقدم فريق الزمالك بالهدف الأول أمام منافسه طلائع الجيش، في المباراة التي تجمع بينهما الآن ضمن منافسات الدوري المصري.

ويلتقي الزمالك أمام طلائع الجيش على أرضية استاد القاهرة، في إطار لقاءات الجولة الـ13 من الدوري المصري.

ويدخل الزمالك المباراة وهو يحتل المركز الرابع في جدول ترتيب الدوري برصيد 19 نقطة من 11 مباراة، بعدما حقق الفوز في خمس مواجهات وتعادل في أربع وخسر مرتين.

ويبحث الزمالك عن استعادة نغمة الانتصارات بعد 3 تعادلات وخسارة في آخر 4 مباريات بمسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

طالع | أحمد عبد الرؤوف يعلن تشكيل الزمالك أمام طلائع الجيش.. الجزيري يقود الهجوم

وأحرز ناصر ماهر هدف الزمالك الأول بالدقيقة 7 بعد تلقيه تمريرة دونجا السحرية، لينفرد بحارس طلائع الجيش ويصوبها في المرمى مباشرة. هدف الزمالك الأول أمام طلائع الجيش في الدوري 

The India vs India A tour game in Beckenham will be played away from prying eyes over the next four days

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jun-20253:42

Morkel: Nitish Kumar Reddy is someone who can ‘bowl that magical ball’

In what is the last leg of India’s preparations for their five-Test series against England, beginning at Headingley on June 20, they go up against the touring India A side in a four-dayer in Beckenham.The match – in some form – will be played from Friday to Monday, but it will be behind closed doors, so to say, in a throwback to the way the Indians trained at Perth’s WACA ground ahead of the 2024-25 Test series. On that occasion, the “black veil of secrecy” covered the training nets at WACA, not unlike the way India trained on their previous visit to Perth during the 2022 T20 World Cup.Talking about the training sessions so far, bowling coach Morne Morkel told bcci.tv, “Two days [of] practice so far, conditions suited the fast bowlers. Early on in the tour is very exciting, you know, it gets their [the players’] confidence going. It was testing for the batters, which also in a way helps them to prepare for what’s to come.Related

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Reddy or Thakur? Both have work to do ahead of first Test

“I don’t think the wickets [are] going to be as spicy as the ones we experience here [in the Tests]. There’s been a lot of good banter between bat and ball. But I think that’s only because the wickets are a little bit spicy. As soon as the wickets go flat, the bowlers tend to back off. So I am going to tell them not to only talk when the wickets are nipping around, but when it’s flat, that’s when we are going to need the character.”As such, the senior India team hasn’t played a warm-up tour game since landing in England, even though some of the players in the squad, like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Abhimanyu Easwaran, KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shardul Thakur, did turn out for India A in one or both of their four-day games against England Lions.Of them, Nair (259 runs including an innings of 204), Jurel (227 runs including three half-centuries), Rahul (167 runs including a century and a half-century in his only appearance) and Abhimanyu (167 runs including two half-centuries) showed decent form with the bat, while Reddy and Jaiswal also had at least one good outing. Reddy and Thakur were the only bowlers who are also part of the senior squad in those games, but were largely unimpressive. Reddy picked up two wickets across 26.5 overs and Thakur two wickets across 43 overs in the two first-class games.”Now it is slowly building towards that first Test match. For me, the main thing – I think it’s crucial in England – is consistency. There is consistency when we practice. It’s consistency off the field, you know, finding your process, what’s going to work for you as an individual.”We’ve got a great variety in our attack of guys with different skill sets. So, you know, can they do that and still execute the basics very well.”All in all, very happy with the start so far. I was a little bit nervous in terms of the lack of red-ball [cricket] we’ve played, but seeing how the guys are moving around and training the last three days, it’s a pleasing sight. There’s some quality energy in this group and, you know, that’s what you need. You need to go into a Test series confident, you need to have that team spirit in the group and I think so far they have done a great job.”

MatériaMais Notícias

A torcida do Flamengo prometeu uma festa histórica para a final da Copa do Brasil, e assim o fez. Em celebração de tirar o fôlego, com fogos de artifício, fumaça rubro-negra e o “caos visual” nas arquibancadas estiveram presentes na derrota contra o São Paulo.

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+ Veja tabela da Copa do Brasil-2023 clicando aqui

Faixas verticais, bandeirolas, bandeirões, balões vermelhos, amarelos e brancos “poluíram” a arquibancada de um jeito particularmente impressionante. Um enorme mosaico, com o escrito “Tua Glória é Lutar”, e representado por grandes ídolos da história do Flamengo, compôs o visual e deixou a festa ainda mais bonita.

Apesar de uma atmosfera inicial de tirar o fôlego e de apoio incondicional, não foi esse o clima que definiu completamente o primeiro jogo da final da Copa do Brasil. Com a bola rolando, os rubro-negros deram bastante suporte. Mas, ao final do primeiro tempo, vieram as vaias.

O Flamengo fez um início de jogo terrível, e a pífia atuação rendeu vaias e protestos. Na saída para o intervalo, gritos de “não é mole, não. Pra jogar no Mengo tem que ter disposição”, foram entoados.

Na volta do time a campo, mais protestos, com vaias. Durante a partida, os rubro-negros voltaram a acreditar em sua força de empurrar o time, e pediram pela virada! “Vamos virar, Mengo”, cantava a Nação.

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Mais de 67 mil rubro-negros estiveram presentes no Maracanã, e a renda ultrapassou os R$ 26 milhões. No entanto, o futebol entregue foi uma vergonha. E após o anúncio do público e renda, a torcida do Flamengo entoou xingamentos ao presidente Rodolfo Landim e ao vice-presidente de futebol, Marcos Braz.

Com exceção da fenomenal festa do começo da partida, o jogo se dividiu entre apoio, vaias e protestos. Ao final, a torcida entoou o famoso: “vergonha, vergonha, time sem vergonha”. No Maracanã, com todo o suporte e celebração, não deu. O Flamengo perdeu por 1 a 0 após uma partida lastimável. Ficou tudo pro Morumbi. A ver o que a decisão nos aguarda.

Jack White takes 4 for 33 on T20 debut as Joe Clarke’s half-century goes in vain

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay11-Jun-2025Dawid Malan hit his third consecutive Vitality Blast half-century as Yorkshire, having lost their first three North Group matches, defeated Notts Outlaws by nine runs at Trent Bridge, seamer Jack White taking 4 for 33 on his T20 debut.With Adam Lyth making 29 from 21 and Matt Revis 27 not out from 22, Malan’s 58 from 29 balls helped Yorkshire post 175 for 8.After Malan and Lyth had put on 83 in 45 balls for the first wicket they may have hoped for a few more with left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White (2 for 24 from four) and pace duo Dillon Pennington (2 for 29) and Daniel Sams (2 for 31) limiting the damage thereafter.Yet the target still proved beyond the Outlaws in the face of a tidy performance across the board by Yorkshire’s bowlers, led by 33-year-old former Northamptonshire man White, home skipper Joe Clarke making 50 and Freddie McCann 31 but no other batter passed 20.After winning the toss and opting to bat, Yorkshire had been 75 without loss in the opening powerplay, Lyth lofting Matt Montgomery and Sams for leg-side sixes before Malan did likewise to Pennington and Conor McKerr, the latter conceding 22 runs in his first over.Pennington broke the partnership on 83 in the eighth when Lyth, reaching, was caught at cover, Malan departing in the next when he hammered a third six over backward square off McKerr but was caught and bowled off a leading edge next ball.Three wickets in eight balls then tilted the balance towards Outlaws as James Wharton swiped Calvin Harrison straight to deep midwicket and Liam Patterson-White snaffled two in the same over – Harry Duke caught behind and Will Luxton on the midwicket boundary.From 121 for 5, Revis and Will Sutherland added 35 but Sams collected a steepling return catch to remove his fellow Australian and had Jafar Chohan taken at extra cover, conceding just 11 in his last two overs. In between, Dom Bess – reprieved when given out caught behind off a pad – was caught at midwicket.After losing Lyndon James (bowled) and Jack Haynes (caught cover) from consecutive Jack White deliveries in the opening over of their reply, Outlaws recovered to 67 for 2 from six. Clarke and McCann added 63 in 32 balls before the latter top-edged to cover for 31 off 18 trying to reverse-hit leg-spinner Chohan.On track at 91 for 3 from 10, Outlaws suffered a major blow when Clarke, having just completed his fifty with a fifth four to go with two sixes off White and a third off Lyth, holed out to long-off off Bess, with Tom Moores (19 off 22) caught at long-on off White in the next over. Matt Montgomery perished in similar fashion off Will O’Rourke in a tight over that left the home side, six down, needing 55 from the last 30 balls.Back-to-back sixes by Sams off Bess briefly raised home hopes but he fell when he drove the next ball straight back to the bowler, Chohan immediately snaring his second as Patterson-White picked out long-off.After the last over arrived with Notts still needing 17, White made McKerr his fourth victim, conceding only seven more runs.

Big picture: Resets all-round in Barbados

The prevailing northeast trade winds are a constant in beautiful Barbados but the winds of change have swept through both the West Indies team and Australia as they begin a new World Test Championship cycle in Bridgetown.West Indies have not played Test cricket since January in Pakistan and begin the cycle under a new captain in Roston Chase after Kraigg Brathwaite stepped down. Extraordinarily, Chase has not played a Test match since March 2023, having not played in West Indies’ last 13.He leads a new-look squad which, for the opening Test, sees a debut for Brandon King and returns for John Campbell and Shai Hope – the latter as wicketkeeper – for the first time since 2022 and 2021 respectively.Related

• 'I'm going to give my all' – Hope wants to do it for West Indies in Test cricket again

• Plenty left in the tank: Khawaja eyes more Ashes glory and mentoring role for Konstas

• Pace, swing, youth and promise – Ian Bishop's rundown of WI's bowling options for Australia Tests

• 'Good enough to play that role' – Voges backs Inglis as top-four Test batter

• 'Emotions got to me' – Konstas keen to settle into Test cricket

Meanwhile, veteran Kemar Roach was left out of the squad entirely despite playing in each of West Indies’ last three series. Joshua da Silva could not earn a recall either on account of his Gabba heroics against Australia and a recent run spree in the West Indies Championship, with selectors holding firm after dropping him in Pakistan. There are only three survivors from West Indies’ previous Test: Brathwaite, Justin Greaves and Jomel Warrican.Australia’s “reset” is not quite as extreme following the disappointment of the WTC final loss to South Africa just two weeks ago, but it is significant by their standards. For the first time since December 2018, they will field an XI without either Marnus Labuschagne or Steven Smith on the team sheet.The selectors finally lost patience with Labuschagne and he has been dropped for first time in six years having been a mainstay of Australia’s top three for 53 consecutive Tests. Smith had played 51 in a row before his gruesome finger injury ruled him out of the first Test of this series. He is a chance to return for the second.It means Australia do not have a single batter in the squad remaining from the last Test Australia played in the Caribbean in 2015, when Smith made 199 and 54 not out. Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon are the only others to have played Test cricket in the Caribbean.Australia confirmed five days out that Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis will play in Barbados to change the age profile of the side. But they will still only field two players under 30.Australia rarely undertake full-scale reboots, and it is understandable they have not made sweeping changes following Lord’s given they have lost just one of their past seven Tests and did not lose a multi-Test series during the previous WTC cycle. But they cannot afford a slow start to the new cycle with an inexperienced top six and an aging attack, given they have away tours to South Africa and India in this WTC schedule as well as an Ashes series later in the year.

Form guide

West Indies: WLLWL
Australia: LWWWWShamar Joseph starred the last time the teams met in Test cricket•Getty Images

In the spotlight: Shamar Joseph and Sam Konstas

Shamar Joseph‘s star looked set to explode on the global stage after he carried West Indies to an astonishing Test victory at the Gabba last year. But with the exception of his 5 for 33 against South Africa in August, he has not quite reached the heights that were expected of him. He was named West Indies’ Test player of the year at an awards ceremony in Bridgetown on Sunday night but he has not played Test cricket since November and has hardly played at all due to injury and non-selection in West Indies’ white-ball teams. He bowled 31 overs and claimed just three wickets across two innings for West Indies A against South Africa A in early June. The arrival of Australia should give him a boost of confidence given the way he bowled to them 18 months ago.Similarly outlandish expectations have fallen on Sam Konstas‘ slender shoulders following his spectacular Test debut last Boxing Day against Jasprit Bumrah. But he has only played one Test since and his Sheffield Shield returns were lean at the back end of the summer, with his batting causing some consternation among coaches and selectors. He has not played a game of cricket at any level since March and has a first-class average of just 34.89 from 30 innings with only two centuries. Yet Australia’s selectors are convinced he is the man to walk out alongside Usman Khawaja in the hope that they can end the revolving door of openers Australia have had since David Warner retired. Konstas is expected to play all three Tests in the Caribbean no matter what, with a view to getting valuable experience ahead of the Ashes.

Team news: Hope to keep wicket, Kuhnemann misses out

The significant call made by West Indies was to make Shai Hope wicketkeeper on his return to the side which opens up a spot for another allrounder. Brandon King will make his debut at No. 4. The bowling attack is as expected.West Indies: 1 Kraigg Brathwaite, 2 John Campbell, 3 Keacy Carty, 4 Brandon King, 5 Roston Chase (capt), 6 Shai Hope (wk), 7 Justin Greaves, 8 Jomel Warrican, 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Shamar Joseph, 11 Jayden SealesAustralia opted to retain their traditional balance of three frontline quicks and a spinner supplemented by Beau Webster who can provide medium pace and offspin. Josh Inglis will cover for Smith at No. 4.Australia: 1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Sam Konstas, 3 Cameron Green, 4 Josh Inglis, 5 Travis Head, 6 Beau Webster, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh Hazlewood

Pitch and conditions: Dry grass, may turn later

Kensington Oval is an unknown for both sides in some respects given it has hosted just one Test in six years and none in the last three. In that game in 2022, Brathwaite batted for 710 minutes in a draw that arguably was a catalyst for England’s Bazball revolution. This surface looked an interesting one with a mixture of bare patches and areas of more grass, although it was dried out. In this season’s four-day Championship there were only two totals over 300 in 12 completed innings. After some rain in the build-up the forecast is promising for most of the game, with Saturday looking the mostly like to be hit by thunderstorms and showers. Chase termed it a “typical” Barbados surface and expected it to start slow before maybe gathering some pace.

Stats and trivia

• Roston Chase’s first Test as captain will be his 50th overall; Jomel Warrican will be playing his 100th first-class match
• Kraigg Brathwaite and Nathan Lyon are the only members of the two XIs that played in the last West Indies-Australia Bridgetown Test in 2012 which Australia won by three wickets.
• Australia have played 11 Tests in Bridgetown. They have won four overall including the last three.
• Despite the drought-breaking Gabba victory in 2024, West Indies have not won a home Test against Australia since the world-record fourth innings chase in 2003. They have not won a home series against Australia since 1991.

Quotes

“Coming over here with a few unknowns, that’s fine, you have to think on your feet. We feel like the three quicks are better suited for this wicket.”
“We’re looking to play with a bit more flair and bring back that Caribbean style to the game. And we’re just looking forward to making the Caribbean nation proud. I just want to ask the fans to just support the boys through and through.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras está na reta final da temporada, restando pouco mais de dez rodadas para terminar o Campeonato Brasileiro. Até o momento, porém, já é possível fazer um balanço dos números do elenco em 2023. Ou seja, quem é o artilheiro, o maior garçom, quem mais jogou, quem mais entrou… Confira abaixo, essas e outras estatísticas do Verdão neste ano.

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+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

ARTILHEIRO

Quem ocupa esse status praticamente o ano inteiro é Raphael Veiga. Apesar de viver um certo jejum neste momento, o meia tem 16 gols marcados em 2023 e deve fechar a temporada como artilheiro do elenco.

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GARÇOM

Artilheiro e também garçom, esse é Raphael Veiga, o grande nome do Palmeiras em 2023. Foram 14 passes para gol do meia até aqui. Lembrando que é ele o responsável pela maioria das cobranças de escanteio e de falta.

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PARTICPAÇÃO EM GOLS

Com os números citados acima, não fica difícil imaginar quem é o líder em participação em gols do Palmeiras na temporada. Sim, Raphael Veiga, que foi responsável direto por 30 dos 100 gols do Verdão em 2023. Ou seja, 30% dos tentos palmeirenses tiveram influência do meia.

MAIS JOGOS

O status de jogador com mais jogos em 2023 é dividido entre dois titulares de Abel Ferreira: Weverton e Gabriel Menino. Cada um tem 56 partidas na temporada. Se pensarmos que o Palmeiras tem 61 duelos no ano, eles se ausentaram pouquíssimas vezes.

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MAIS MINUTOS

É na minutagem que fica a diferença entre Menino e Weverton. Nessa o goleiro leva vantagem, com 5.040 minutos em campo durante a temporada, o que lhe dá a liderança nesse ranking. Enquanto isso, por ser substituído constantemente, o volante tem menos de 3.700 minutos.

MENOS JOGOS

Levando em conta apenas os jogadores que estão no elenco atual e excluindo aqueles que sobem da base esporadicamente, quem menos jogou foi Marcelo Lomba, com cinco partidas, que tem o “azar” de ser reserva de Weverton, quase sempre presente nos jogos.

RESERVA MAIS UTILIZADO

Pode não ser surpresa, mas o reserva mais utilizado por Abel Ferreira foi Breno Lopes, com 48 jogos na temporada. Para se ter uma ideia, das 61 partidas que o Palmeiras fez em 2023, ele saiu do banco de reservas em 40 delas.

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MAIS CARTÕES AMARELOS

A condição de mais “indisciplinado” do elenco do Palmeiras é dividida entre três personagens: Gabriel Menino, Gustavo Gómez e Gabriel Menino, cada um com 13 amarelos. Já o mais disciplinado é Fabinho, que levou apenas um cartão em 29 jogos.

Tudo sobre

Palmeiras

Both spinners had identical figures of 4-0-21-3 to restrict Dubai Capitals to 141

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jul-2025BBL champions Hobart Hurricanes started their GSL 2025 campaign with a thumping win over ILT20 winners Dubai Capitals in Providence. Their comfortable seven-wicket win was set up by the 78-run second-wicket stand between Macalister Wright (50) and the captain Ben McDermott (48). Hurricanes chased the target down with 18 balls to spare.That Hurricanes needed only 142 to win, though, was courtesy their spin bowlers Fabian Allen and Mohammad Nabi. The two finished with identical figures of 4-0-21-3.McDermott introduced Nabi inside the powerplay of the first innings, and he dismissed Capitals openers Rohan Mustafa and Sediqullah Atal in the third and fifth overs respectively. Allen then got rid of Niroshan Dickwella to leave Capitals three down in six overs.Nabi then dismissed Shakib Al Hasan, caught behind for seven, before Allen took the wicket of Kadeem Alleyne. From 82 for 5, a mini recovery ensued with Capitals captain Gulbadin Naib top-scoring with a 27-ball 31. However, they did not have enough firepower for a big finish.Bhanuka Rajapaksa started Hurricanes’ chase with a six and two fours in his first five balls to move to 15. He was out on his sixth delivery to Mustafa, but that did not stop the Hurricanes’ run scoring. McDermott was the aggressor with five fours and three sixes in his 24-ball 48 while Wright offered support with five fours of his own. Hurricanes scoring rate hovered around ten as the second-wicket partnership blossomed, and when Qais Ahmed broke the partnership, Hurricanes needed only 40 more runs in 9.4 overs.Wright brought up his half-century in 47 balls in the 16th over but could not see the game off, falling to Aryaman Varma. Jake Doran and Nikhil Choudhary finished the chase and took Hurricanes to the top of the GSL 2025 points table.

A “fantastic” title-winning manager is considered a serious option for Glasgow Rangers, after 49ers Enterprises decided to part ways with Russell Martin on Sunday.

Rangers sack Russell Martin

Martin accepted full responsibility as another dismal Rangers performance ended with a 1-1 draw at Falkirk, after which enraged fans tried to block the team bus from leaving the ground.

The Englishman had been bullish about the job he is doing at Ibrox prior to dropping more points on Sunday, but admitted the blame lies at his door after a valiant effort by his players.

Martin’s fate was sealed as the club announced in a statement on Sunday that he, Assistant Head Coach Matt Gill and First-Team Coach Mike Williamson will all leave, and a well-known figure has now been mentioned as a possible option to replace him.

"Fantastic" manager keen to replace Martin at Rangers

According to a fresh claim from TEAMtalk, Sean Dyche is “very open” to becoming Rangers’ next manager. He is described as a “serious option” for the Gers, and “ranks very highly” on their “shortlist of potential replacements” as Martin was finally put out of his misery.

Dyche, who plays a 4-4-1-1 system, could be a strong choice for Rangers after the 49ers finally took the plunge and sacked Martin, having proven himself at the top level for a long time now.

The Englishman is a title-winning manager, winning the Championship during his Burnley days, while Thomas Frank has spoken highly of him as a boss in the past.

“Sean is a fantastic coach and manager. He always makes his team very difficult to play against. They are physical, intensive in pressing, they have pace on transitions, are very good on set-pieces, and they play behind you. What he brings is a fantastic foundation. I don’t think he always gets enough credit for how dynamic they are and how good they are in the offensive third.”

Rangers supporters have not been enamoured with Martin’s ball-playing style, with the players not always necessarily capable of always doing what he wants, but in Dyche, a very different style of football could be on show at Ibrox.

"To be honest" – Miovski explains why Rangers have better players than people realise

The Gers are still seeking their first away clean sheet of the season.

By
Ben Goodwin

Oct 4, 2025

He adopts a far more direct style of play, which may appeal to some more than others, but most importantly, he knows how to win games and make his teams difficult to beat, which hasn’t been the case with Martin.

After a tough spell at Barcelona, Vitor Roque has rediscovered his form at Palmeiras, and now, a return to Europe could be on the cards. The Brazilian’s agent has revealed that a €50 million Premier League offer is expected soon, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham all said to be monitoring his situation.

• From painful Barcelona exit to Palmeiras revival

  Roque joined Barcelona from Athletico Paranaense in July 2023 for around €35 million (£30m/$39m), but struggled to find his footing under Xavi. He scored just two goals in 16 appearances across all competitions before being sent on loan to Real Betis in the first half of last season. However, that move also didn’t work out as expected, with the loan being cut short midway through the campaign. Roque returned to South America earlier this year to play for Palmerias, determined to reset his career.

  Notably, before his €25m (£21m/$26m) move to the Brazilian club, Roque’s camp had also received a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal, but they turned it down in favour of a return to his home country. The decision now looks wise, as his performances at Palmeiras have reopened the door to top European football. The 20-year-old striker has scored 13 goals and provided three assists for Palmerias this season. The move has turned into a success story both for him and potentially for the Spanish giants. The Catalan club smartly kept a 20% sell-on clause, a decision that could soon pay off as several Premier League clubs are ready to bid for the Brazilian striker.

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  Roque's agent reveals Premier League offer expected soon

  In an interview with , Roque’s agent, Andre Cury, confirmed that bids are already starting to come in, but none have matched their expectations yet. 

  "We already had an offer from the Arab world of 35 million euros, which we were not interested in. We are now waiting to receive a proposal of around 50 million euros from the Premier League," he said.

  The agent also stressed that Roque is focused on helping Palmeiras win the Brazilian Serie A and the Copa Libertadores before considering his next move. 

  "The plan was to return here, regain strength and also study the market. If a good offer comes for everyone and they understand that he has to leave, he is willing to listen, but he is very happy at Palmeiras. Now the goal is to try to win the Brazilian Championship and the Copa Libertadores," Cury added.

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  Man United, Chelsea and Spurs monitoring situation

  According to , United are preparing a €50m (£44m/$57m) bid for Roque. Chelsea and Tottenham are also keeping tabs on the 20-year-old forward. If a deal at that price materialises, Barcelona would reportedly receive around €10 million from their retained sell-on percentage. For a club still battling financial issues, that figure could be another small but welcome boost.

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  What's next for Vitor Roque

  For now, Roque’s focus remains on finishing the season strong with Palmeiras. The Brazilian club currently sits atop the Serie A table with 65 points, just one ahead of Flamengo. After this, his future could take another major turn in the coming months. A Premier League move would not only give him a second chance in Europe but could also see Barcelona earn financially from a deal they thought was already closed. With United, Chelsea and Tottenham all exploring attacking options ahead of next summer, Roque’s return to form couldn’t have come at a better time.

  The young forward may feel he has something to prove with his next adventure after failing to make an impact at Barcelona despite the hype that surrounded him.

  "I feel really sorry for him," Barcelona sporting director Deco said of him recently. "With Vitor, I always think arriving in January didn’t do him any favours. He started well – scored a few goals—but then it became hard to handle the pressure that comes with playing for Barcelona.

  "If he had arrived this season, things might have gone better for him. With new fitness coaches and a fresh start, maybe he would’ve had more luck. Now he has to rebuild his confidence back at Palmeiras."