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Read’s coaching staff will include fellow Trent Bridge stalwart Luke Fletcher as his assistant

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Nov-2025

Trent Rockets women have appointed Chris Read as their new head coach.The former Nottinghamshire wicketkeeper and captain has been promoted from his assistant role held under previous incumbent Jon Lewis, who left the Women’s Hundred side at the end of the 2025 campaign after three years in charge.Read is a cult hero at Trent Bridge, having made over 700 appearances in all formats for Nottinghamshire across 19 years, serving as club captain for 10 seasons. He earned 15 Test caps for England, alongside 36 ODI appearances.Rockets will enter the 2026 season under new management following the acquisition of a 49% stake by Cain International – whose co-founders Todd Boehly and Jonathan Goldstein are part of the consortium that owns Chelsea FC – and private equity firm Ares Management. They will run the organisation, with Nottinghamshire retaining a 51% stake.Read’s move into coaching has recently included success as with Lancashire Women, marshalling them to two trophies this year. Last week, he signed a two-year deal to remain as their head coach through to the end of 2027.Read’s coaching staff at Rockets will include another former Nottinghamshire team-mate, Luke Fletcher, as assistant coach.”It’s a deeply proud moment to take on a head coaching role based at the ground that I have a huge number of unbelievably special memories at,” said Read in a statement. “I’ve really enjoyed developing my coaching skillset with the Rockets over the last three summers, and the opportunity to continue that journey is really exciting.”I felt the impact of a sold-out Trent Bridge crowd first-hand over many years, and I know how much their support can change the course of games.”With all the fresh energy and investment into the Hundred, I’m really looking forward to starting the preparation for 2026 and beyond as we bid to deliver success.”Rockets general manager Mick Newell, who coached Read at Nottinghamshire, added: “It’s a real full-circle moment for Chris to return to Trent Bridge to lead Trent Rockets, and we’re delighted to welcome him back.”Having established himself as a true club legend here with years of outstanding service as a player, he has now shown himself to be blossoming into an excellent coach and leader too.”His fantastic start to a coaching career at Lancashire, and his experience from previous years with the Rockets, will stand him in great stead, and we can’t wait to see him in his new role.”Despite boasting a strong group, which includes current England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, Rockets have yet to reach the final of the Women’s Hundred. Their best finish came in 2022, losing the Eliminator to Southern Brave.

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has been dealt another injury worry ahead of his side’s looming North London derby clash with Arsenal this weekend.

Spurs travel to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday to face their table-topping rivals in what promises to be a pivotal encounter, but Frank faces a mounting injury crisis that threatens to derail his side’s chances.

While it is still early doors, The Lilywhites appear to be pushing for a top-four place, and are currently sitting fifth with five wins, three draws, and three losses from 11 Premier League matches. Their form has been inconsistent, especially in a creative sense, with two wins, two draws, and two losses in their last six fixtures, with Frank still yet to get the best out of his squad on a consistent enough basis.

The injury situation ahead of the derby is particularly concerning. Frank confirmed that Cristian Romero should be available after being substituted late on against Man United due to fatigue, with the Dane stating he was “just done physically” after recently returning from injury.

Even more positively, Frank expressed real belief that Mohammed Kudus will be available, saying he is “very confident” despite missing recent matches against FC Copenhagen and Man United with a minor knock. Kudus even elected to stay in London and not represent Ghana in friendlies against Japan and South Korea to focus on his recovery.

However, they still face significant absences elsewhere.

James Maddison’s ACL injury may rule him out until summer 2026, while Dejan Kulusevski and Yves Bissouma continue rehabilitation from knee and ankle problems respectively. Radu Dragusin took part in a behind-closed-doors friendly over the international break as he continues his recovery from an ACL injury, so it’s very unlikely he’ll be fit enough to take part, and there are numerous other concerns.

Injury-plagued striker Dominic Solanke is also ‘unlikely’ to feature this weekend, according to reports, as he carries on battling an ankle problem after minor surgery.

Excluding their Carabao Cup win at the Emirates in 2018, Tottenham have won away to Arsenal just twice since the Premier League’s inception, with their last one in the top flight coming 14 years ago.

Tottenham’s torrid record against Arsenal on enemy turf makes for pretty grim reading as a Spurs supporter, so Frank will be hoping to have as many key players fit for the derby as possible.

Tottenham dealt another injury worry as Pape Sarr picks up 'knock'

On international duty, midfielder Pape Sarr dealt Frank another worry after he was taken off in Senegal’s 2-0 defeat to Brazil at the Emirates.

Initially, Senegal boss Pape Thiaw predicted that it wasn’t a ‘big deal’, but he’s since provided another update.

Thiaw has confirmed that Sarr did not travel with the squad to Turkey for their friendly against Kenya, instead remaining in the English capital. The manager explains that Sarr has in fact picked up a ‘knock’, which prompted them to leave him in London to undergo treatment at N17.

The midfielder’s potential absence this weekend would represent another significant blow for Frank, who already faces being without numerous key players for the derby. Sarr has already played 16 matches for Tottenham this season, bagging two goals and two assists in the top flight whilst establishing himself as a regular in Frank’s setup.

The timing of the injury is far from ideal for Spurs, and it remains unclear whether the 23-year-old will be fit in time for their clash against the Gunners.

Tottenham’s medical team will now assess the extent of the knock, with Frank hoping for positive news as he prepares his depleted squad for one of the season’s most important fixtures.

Defending champions now have a keen interest in Tuesday’s match between Superchargers and Originals

ECB Media25-Aug-2025With progress to the next stage in play at a sun-kissed Kia Oval and The Hundred Eliminator next Saturday looming on the horizon, London Spirit completed a brilliant derby demolition by eight wickets.Spirit needed to win this, their final game, and hope Manchester Originals lose to Northern Superchargers tomorrow to avoid progress coming down to net run-rate. But having romped home with so much to spare, their qualification now looks almost assured.Put in to bat, Invincibles started steadily if not spectacularly, Meg Lanning and Paige Scholfield ambling to 23 off the Powerplay before a brace of boundaries by Lanning (19 from 20) from Sarah Glenn and a huge six from Scholfield off Issy Wong got the home side moving.Charlie Dean then made the breakthough, having Lanning caught and bowled while conceding just three from her first ten. Scholfield (22 from 21) followed soon after as Spirit took all the pace off the ball. At halfway Invincibles were an underwhelming 56 for 2.After one straight six, Alice Capsey (11 from 9) holed out, and Spirit spinners kept a lid on things, Marizanne Kapp (32 from 25) the only batter to break the shackles before her innings was ended by a stunning one-handed catch from Dean, who then bowled the last five to finish with an exceptional 2 for 12 from her 20 balls, the same figures as Eva Gray, as Invincibles ended on 108 for 8.With a run rate-boosting win in mind, Kira Chathli and Georgia Redmayne came out hard, Chathli in particular taking the attack to her former team with the Powerplay bringing a season-high 47 without loss, her own contribution being 35 off 16.The two continued past Spirit’s highest opening partnership of the season – and ended up with the team’s highest for any wicket – Chathli going to a 26-ball half century with a majestic straight six. An eight-wicket win came soon after, with 38 balls left unused. Redmayne departed with just three needed, having made an excellent 42 off 30, and Chathli followed one run later for 53 off 29, but it was much too little, much too late for Invincibles.Talking about her wonder catch, Meerkat Match Hero Charlie Dean said: “I should have been on the ring! But I managed to time my jump and hung on.”That was an impressive victory. We went out wanting to bounce back and to win by a margin like that… we did not discuss too much about NRR but the way we went about that, it was fantastic. Kira has been brilliant. At the top of the order, trying to punch first”We have a rest day and hope for the best. We have done everything to put ourselves in the best position to qualify so it’s fingers crossed.”

There was little resistance from West Indies in the first T20I after Tazmin Brits led South Africa to 183 for 6

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jun-2025Tazmin Brits slammed a career-best 98 not out, off just 63 balls, to lead South Africa to a 50-run win in the opening T20I against West Indies in Cave Hill on Friday. There was little resistance from West Indies with either the ball or the bat, though two individual efforts stood out: Jahzara Claxton’s three top-order wickets and Jannillea Glasgow’s 53 not out from 44 balls in the second half of the chase, but it was far too little.Asked to bat, South Africa lost captain Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp to Claxton inside five overs, and finished the powerplay on 44 for 2, but Brits and Nadine de Klerk were already starting to go fast. The two brought up a 71-run stand for the third wicket in just over six overs, Brits very much the aggressor, scoring 42 of the runs in that partnership.De Klerk fell in the 11th over for 21, Claxton again the bowler with the wicket, and though there was no major contribution from the rest of the batters bar Chloe Tryon’s 16 in nine balls before she was run out, Brits batted through the innings, hitting nine fours and four sixes.Faced with a target of 184, West Indies started quickly, but lost wickets quickly too. They got 47 in the powerplay, more than South Africa had, but they lost an additional wicket, including the big one of captain Hayley Matthews. And by the end of the eighth over, they were five down and gasping.The fight came from Chinelle Henry and Glasgow in their 81-run stand for the sixth wicket, but West Indies had fallen too far behind for the partnership to have an effect on the outcome. In any case, Henry and Glasgow couldn’t quite get going, even though they batted together for 11-and-a-half overs. Henry’s 26 took 32 balls, and Glasgow went at a rate of 120.45, remaining unbeaten at the close, having hit five fours in her innings.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s mother, Dolores Aveiro, took to social media to congratulate her grandson on receiving his first call-up to the Portugal Under-16 national team. Portugal faced Turkey on Thursday in their opening game of the Federations Cup, and Ronaldo Jr came off the bench to make his debut for the Selecao U-16 side.

• Ronaldo Jr gets big call up to Portugal youth team

  Ronaldo Jr, affectionately known as Cristianinho in Portugal, was called up to the U16s squad for the first time ahead of the Federations Cup, which started in Turkey on Thursday and runs until November 4. Ronaldo Jr, aiming to follow in his father’s footsteps having already been part of the youth setups at Juventus, Manchester United and Al-Nassr, came off the bench in the dying stages of the tournament opener as Portugal ran out 2-0 winners.

  “He’s very competitive, like me when I was young, and he doesn’t like to lose,” Cristiano Ronaldo Sr said about his son.

  However, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has also been careful not to place too much pressure on his eldest child, stressing the importance of letting him grow and learn on his own. “I don’t make big pressure; I make a little. He already has pressure being the son of Cristiano. Let him make his own mistakes, but I hope that in the future he can become a professional player.”

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• Good wishes from grandma

  Ahead of the game, Aveiro posted a photo of her grandson Ronaldo Jr with the caption: “Go PORTUGAL under-16s”.

• AFP
  

  Junior looking to follow in iconic father's footsteps

  Ronaldo made his debut for Portugal’s Under-15 team in 2001 at just 15 years old. After progressing through the youth ranks, his rapid rise at United in the Premier League earned him a senior call-up from then Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. Ronaldo impressed in the European Championship qualifiers and friendlies, eventually earning a place in Portugal’s Euro 2004 squad, where the team reached the final before suffering a 1-0 defeat to Greece.

  Ronaldo has gone on to become Portugal’s all-time top scorer, netting 143 goals in 225 appearances. His crowning moment came in 2016 when he captained Portugal to their first major international trophy, winning Euro 2016 after defeating France 1-0 in the final. He later added another title in 2019, leading Portugal to victory in the inaugural UEFA Nations League, where he also finished as the tournament’s top scorer. Despite Portugal’s exit in Euro 2020, Ronaldo again demonstrated his consistency by winning the tournament’s Golden Boot.

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• AFP
  

  What comes next?

  Ronaldo Sr will hope that Ronaldo Jr can handle the pressure and expectations as he prepares to build on his debut for the national youth team. The match could mark an important step towards fulfilling both his and his father’s shared dream of seeing Ronaldo Jr become a professional footballer.

The BCB has kept the door open for Shakib Al Hasan’s return to the Bangladesh team, according to board director Iftekhar Rahman.Iftekhar was asked about Shakib’s return to national colours mainly in the wake of Bangladesh’s current downturn in form. They recently lost 2-1 to UAE in the T20I series in Sharjah, before heading to Pakistan to play another three-match T20I series.”Shakib will always be in the consideration of the selectors and the team management,” Iftekhar said on Monday. “He is an asset for any team. He is a world-class cricketer. He has just returned after correcting his bowling action so our team management will keep track of him. It is definitely not [the end of our association with Shakib]. He has only played a few matches after his suspension. Let him play a few more matches, I think then we can answer the question [of his return].”Shakib, 38, returned to competitive cricket after nearly six months when he turned out for Lahore Qalandars for three games in PSL 2025 last week. Two months before that, Shakib had been cleared to bowl in top-level cricket after the ECB cleared his action, having reported him in December last year after he had appeared for Surrey.Related

• 'I am officially not retired from all formats' – Shakib reverses Test and T20I retirement

• Shakib cleared to bowl in County Championship and the Hundred by ECB

• Litton and Shakib left out of Bangladesh's Champions Trophy squad

• Shakib says he's done with T20Is, and will play his final Test next month

The BCB has also kept its distance from Shakib since October last year. That’s when Shakib had last played for Bangladesh, the second Test against India in Kanpur. Shakib had announced before that match that he wanted to finish his Test career at home, against South Africa in October, and that he was also done with T20Is.Political unrest in Bangladesh, however, stopped Shakib from making that final appearance since he was a member of parliament for the Awami League, the political party that was ousted from power on August 5, after their rule of 15 years. Shakib has not returned to Bangladesh since then and the BCB continued to ignore him in the subsequent series, also leaving him out of the Champions Trophy squad. By then, the ECB had found Shakib’s bowling action questionable.Nearly two months after his bowling action was cleared, Shakib played turned out in three matches for Qalandars in their victorious campaign, although he bagged two ducks in as many innings and picked just one wicket.There are growing concerns around Bangladesh’s returns, especially as experienced players like Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah have retired from all formats, while Mushfiqur Rahim is only available for Tests. Shakib’s situation is in limbo, as he has technically still not retired from ODIs, a format in which Bangladesh recently slipped to No. 10 in the ICC team rankings.”It is a relatively new team without the four senior players [Shakib, Tamim, Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah],” Iftekhar said. “There’s a void in the team. I think we have the talent among the current crop of players but they lack application. I have said it before, but the more they play, the better they will get. I think the position that we are in right now, the only way to go is up.”

Arsenal’s summer transfer window once again blended big-money investment with their long-standing faith in youth.

After finishing second in the Premier League last season, and reaching the Champions League semi-finals, the club doubled down on its squad rebuild.

Major arrivals included Martin Zubimendi, Viktor Gyökeres, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze, Cristhian Mosquera, Christian Nørgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Departures such as Jakub Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Reiss Nelson cleared space in the squad, while Arsenal also leaned heavily on their Hale End academy graduates.

Ethan Nwaneri, now 18, continues to develop after becoming the Premier League’s youngest-ever debutant in 2022.

Myles Lewis-Skelly enjoyed a breakout season, and Max Dowman, still only 15, made his senior bow against Leeds.

That commitment to the academy has become a central pillar of Arsenal’s squad-building philosophy under Mikel Arteta.

Yet while several young prospects have been integrated, others have slipped away.

The balance between spending heavily and nurturing talent is once again at the heart of Arsenal’s defensive planning.

Who is Piero Hincapié, and Why Did Arsenal Sign Him?

When Arsenal announced the arrival of Piero Hincapié from Bayer Leverkusen on loan with a £45m option to buy, it was framed as a major upgrade on the left side of their defence.

At 23, the Ecuadorian international already brings European pedigree, with 32 Bundesliga appearances last season, contributing two goals and two assists.

Hincapié has been on Arsenal’s radar for years, valued for his ability to operate at both left centre-back and left-back.

With Gabriel undergoing hamstring surgery at the end of last season and Riccardo Calafiori struggling with fitness, versatility is essential.

Sporting Director Andrea Berta emphasised Hincapié’s tactical flexibility, and Arteta believes he is not simply cover but a genuine competitor for a starting role. His statistical profile backs up the excitement.

Compared to positional peers, Hincapié ranked in the 96th percentile for progressive carries (1.69 per 90), underlining his comfort driving forward with the ball.

He also sat in the 86th percentile for progressive passes (4.94 per 90) and an eye-catching 94th percentile for key passes (0.54 per 90) – numbers that show how he can help Arsenal’s build-up from deep.

Defensively, he impressed in the 89th percentile for tackles won (1.29 per 90) and the 86th percentile for passes blocked (0.72 per 90).

This blend of defensive solidity and forward-thinking distribution makes him a natural fit for Arteta’s system, where centre-backs are expected to initiate attacks as much as they are to shut them down.

His arrival represents a continuation of Arsenal’s recent strategy: recruit players with multi-positional value while retaining the ability to progress possession.

Ayden Heaven could have been Hincapie 2.0

As Arsenal commit to potentially spending £45m next summer to make Hincapié’s move permanent, questions linger over whether they let a homegrown option slip through their fingers.

Ayden Heaven, once considered one of the Hale End academy’s brightest defensive prospects, departed for Manchester United in February for a fee of just £1m.

His departure came after limited opportunities at the Emirates despite being highly rated within the club. Analyst Ben Mattinson once described Heaven as “highly unique,” and he has quickly shown why.

Drafted into United’s first-team picture earlier than expected after Lisandro Martínez’s season-ending injury, the 18-year-old has already made eight appearances for the Red Devils.

He has looked composed in possession, comfortable carrying the ball out from defence, and tactically assured despite his age.

United moved quickly to secure him on a long-term deal running until 2029, amid reported interest from Barcelona, Frankfurt and Marseille.

Heaven’s profile, a left-footed defender who is confident on the ball, is precisely the type of player Arsenal are now looking to integrate through Hincapié.

The irony is hard to miss.

Where Hincapié ranks among Europe’s best for progressive actions, Heaven has showcased similar traits in his early United outings.

His poise on the ball and ability to step into midfield mirrors the qualities Arteta demands from his defenders.

For a club that has prided itself on giving opportunities to youth, losing Heaven for such a modest fee may come to be seen as a misstep.

The comparison is not to suggest Hincapié is the wrong signing – his experience and proven metrics make him a high-level addition.

But for a side that has successfully nurtured Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly, the case of Heaven highlights the fine margins of squad planning.

Arsenal could soon pay £45m for a defender to fill the very role that a Hale End graduate, now at a Premier League rival, may have slotted into seamlessly.

Sold by Wenger: Arsenal had their own Rodrygo in £312k-p/w "future legend"

The incredibly successful international would have been a superstar at Arsenal.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Sep 5, 2025

The washout means Wednesday’s match between England and Afghanistan is a knockout, with the loser certain of exiting the competition

Firdose Moonda25-Feb-2025

– Match abandoned due to rainThe much-anticipated Champions Trophy match between Australia and South Africa in Rawalpindi was washed out without even a toss, forget a ball being bowled, after persistent drizzle. The match was called off at 5.10pm local time, three hours and ten minutes after the scheduled start of play at 2pm and two hours and 22 minutes before the cut-off time for a 20-overs-a-side game, 7.32pm local time. This was due to be the teams’ first meeting at a Champions Trophy.The result means that if Australia and South Africa win their final group matches, against Afghanistan and England respectively, they will progress to the semi-finals. Wednesday’s match between Afghanistan and England is a knockout, with the loser certain of exiting the competition. The winner will have to beat their next opposition to make it through to the final four. As a result, one of the matches between Australia and Afghanistan on Friday and South Africa and England on Saturday could be a virtual quarter-final. Both Afghanistan and England have to win both their matches to qualify for the semi-finals.With no XIs named for this encounter, South Africa kept their cards close to their chest on Heinrich Klaasen’s availability. He missed their opening match against Afghanistan with an elbow injury and now has three more days to recover before the game against England on Saturday.This was due to be the first meeting between Australia and South Africa since the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final, which Australia won, and means that they continue to have the advantage over South Africa in ICC events. In nine matches, Australia have won four, South Africa three, there was a tie at the 1999 World Cup and now, their first washout.

Who’s playing

Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs UP Warriorz
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, 7.30pm IST

What to expect

A lot of things are working for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). So they would not want to dwell on the loss to Mumbai Indians, and instead get back to winning ways in their second home game of the season. The major talking point from that loss was RCB’s middle order collapsing around Ellyse Perry. Despite posting just 167, the likes of Kim Garth, Georgia Wareham and Ekta Bisht still took the defence to last over. Hence there’s no need to panic yet. With just one defeat from three matches, RCB top the points table.Unlike RCB, UP Warriorz have just got their first points in three games with a thumping win over Delhi Capitals. They would want their openers to start strong and will hope Tahlia McGrath and Grace Harris pick up pace with the bat as they head into crucial phase of the tournament. They haven’t done particularly well in the middle overs, either slowing down or losing wickets in a cluster in this phase. They had Chinelle Henry’s explosive innings down the order in the last game, and then their bowlers got the job done. They would be keen to carry this momentum forward to move up the table.

Team news and likely XIs

RCB are unlikely to tinker.RCB (likely): 1 Smriti Mandhana (capt), 2 Danni Wyatt-Hodge, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Raghvi Bist, 5 Richa Ghosh (wk), 6 Kanika Ahuja, 7 Georgia Wareham, 8 Ekta Bisht, 9 Kim Garth, 10 VJ Joshitha, 11 Renuka SinghLeft-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad was replaced by seamer Saima Thakor in Warriorz’s first match in Bengaluru. With the conditions offering assistance to pace bowlers, they might continue to have Thakor in the XI.UP Warriorz (likely): 1 Kiran Navgire, 2 Vrinda Dinesh, 3 Deepti Sharma, 4 Tahlia McGrath, 5 Shweta Sehrawat, 6 Grace Harris, 7 Uma Chetry (wk), 8 Chinelle Henry, 9 Sophie Ecclestone, 10 Saima Thakor, 11 Kranti Goud

Players to watch: Smriti Mandhana and Kranti Goud

Smriti Mandhana likes the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The last time India played three ODIs in Bengaluru, she scored two hundreds and a 90 against South Africa. When RCB played five games at this venue last year, she smashed 219 runs at a strike rate of 154.22. Her last season’s highest score of 80 also came against Warriorz here. In her previous two games, she’s got 26 off 13, and 81 off off 47. Don’t bet against more fireworks from Mandhana.Kranti Goud bowled a dream spell against Capitals on Saturday, claiming a four-wicket haul. She used the movement off the pitch to account for Capitals’ top order and Jess Jonassen. After going wicketless in the first two matches, this performance would have given the youngster a lot of confidence in her debut WPL season.

Key stats

• Warriorz have hit 17 sixes so far, the second most in this WPL
• The Warriorz pace bowlers have conceded 9.02 runs an over in three matches so far – the highest economy rate for fast bowlers of any team in this WPL.
• Mandhana has scored 245 runs in Bengaluru in the WPL, the most for a player at this venue.

Rangers’ busy transfer window activity continues.

Over the weekend, the Light Blues confirmed the signing of teenage left-back Jayden Meghoma, arriving on a season-long loan from Brentford.

He is the tenth new player recruited by Russell Martin, with more expected to follow, as he seeks to completely overhaul the Rangers squad he inherited.

Now though, the Gers are seeking to bolster their backline even further, targeting another exciting talent…

Rangers' search for a new left-back

Ahead of Tuesday night’s Champions League play-off first leg against Club Brugge, Rangers submitted a squad to UEFA that featured no out-and-out left-backs.

Rıdvan Yılmaz has not featured at all under Martin, with Beşiktaş attempting to re-sign him, while Jefté, who did start both legs against Viktoria Plzeň in the previous round, has now also been excluded, reportedly close to a £6m move to Palmeiras.

Thus, Max Aarons is expected to once again fill-in at left-back, as he did for both legs against Panathinaikos, and on the opening day of the Premiership campaign at Motherwell, but this is a far from ideal solution.

Thus, according to Il Messaggero, via the Daily Record, Rangers have revived their interest in signing Anass Salah-Eddine from Roma, with the Light Blues said to be ready to make contact regarding a potential move.

They add that newly-promoted La Liga outfit Elche are among the 23-year-old’s other suitors, with the Giallorossi willing to sell.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Salah-Eddine only joined Roma from FC Twente in January for a reported fee of €8.5m plus €2m in add-ons, around £9m, but the full-back is not in new manager Gian Piero Gasperini’s plans, so could he soon swap the Eternal City for Ibrox?

What Anass Salah-Eddine would bring to Rangers

Born in Amsterdam, Salah-Eddine came through Ajax’s academy, representing the Dutch giants at multiple youth levels, before making just ten appearances for their first team.

He was loaned out to FC Twente for the 2022/23 season, before making the move to Enschede permanent, featuring 53 times for them overall.

His big breakthrough came this time last year, finally establishing himself as Twente’s first-choice left-back, notably starting all eight of their Europa League league phase fixtures, doing so against such high-calibre opponents as Manchester United, Lazio and others.

As already referenced, this earned him a move to Roma in January, the Giallorossi splashing up to £9m to secure his signature, but this certainly has not gone to plan.

Salah-Eddine featured in three of the first five Serie A fixtures following his arrival, starting against Parma and Empoli, but has not been seen since, an unused substitute for the final ten league matches, while a summer change of management at the Olimpico hasn’t improved his standing either.

While he was still in the Eredivisie, Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labelled him a “technically gifted” full-back, adding that he was one of “the most talented” young Dutch talents at the time.

So, let’s assess his statistics from last season’s Europa League.

Minutes

709

6th

Assists per 90

0.25

2nd

Expected assists

2

1st

Completed passes

310

3rd

Key passes

8

4th

Shot-creating actions

23

4rd

Goal-creating actions

2

2nd

Tackles

23

2nd

Interceptions

14

1st

Ball recoveries

47

2nd

Attempted take-ons

23

2nd

Progressive carries

21

2nd

Touches

493

3rd

Average Sofascore rating

7.01

2nd

As the table outlines, when compared to his former Twente teammates in last season’s Europa League, Salah-Eddine ranks very highly for a wide variety of metrics.

The left-back was a key chance creator, as well as completing a lot of passes and accumulating a high number of touches, while also being solid defensively, ranked in the top two for tackles, interceptions, ball recoveries and more, despite having been sold by the time they faced Bodø/Glimt in the knockout stages, thereby featuring in two fewer fixtures.

So, why would he be a better signing than Meghoma?

Well, the Brentford loanee is very inexperienced, making just four appearances for the Bees, totalling 174 minutes, spending the second half of last season on loan at Preston North End, but only featuring 14 times for them, an unused substitute eight times.

Salah-Eddine, on the other hand, has vastly more experience, especially at European level, so would be better equipped to come in and make an instant impact, which is what Martin surely needs, while Meghoma is more of a developmental project.

Even worse than Jefte: Euro club set for talks with Rangers to sign £4m dud

Rangers are reportedly set to hold talks with a European club over a potential deal for one of their players.

ByDan Emery Aug 19, 2025