Encaminhado com o Vasco, Ramón Díaz chegou a acertar com o Botafogo em 2020, mas sequer estreou pelo clube. O argentino foi afastado por conta de um problema de saúde.
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Foi contrato em novembro de 2020 com a função de tirar o time da zona de rebaixamento na época. Embora tenha sido apresentado e tenha dado entrevista, não ficou nem um mês na equipe carioca. Isso porque enfrentou um problema de saúde, onde precisou passar por uma cirurgia para a retirada de um tumor benigno na tireoide.
Ramón Díaz tinha assumido o Botafogo depois da demissão de Bruno Lazaroni, que ficou somente 27 dias no cargo. Neste meio tempo, antes de Ramón ser contratado, o preparador de goleiro Flavio Tenius treinou a equipe até a chegada do argentino.
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Nessa passagem, seu filho e auxiliar técnico Emiliano Díaz chegou a treinar e conduzir o Botafogo por três jogos. Nestas três partidas, sofreu três derrotas. A expectativa era que Ramón Díaz retornasse um mês depois, mas o Botafogo não quis esperar por conta da eminência do rebaixamento.
Quando Emiliano deixou o cargo, enquanto seu pai se recuperava de cirurgia, o Botafogo somava somente 20 pontos na tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro. Na época, Eduardo Barroca foi anunciado, mas não impediu o rebaixamento da equipe naquele ano.
Após a recusa de Gustavo Alfaro, o Vasco encaminhou a contratação do técnico Ramón Díaz, de 63 anos, segundo informação do jornalista César Luis Merlo e confirmada pelo Lance!. Há grande expectativa pela chegada do argentino no Brasil nas próximas horas para assinar contrato e começar a trabalhar com o elenco.
Hobart Hurricanes overcame the late withdrawal of captain Nathan Ellis to hand Sydney Sixers their first BBL loss of the season.Ellis pulled out from Wednesday afternoon’s game at Ninja Stadium with illness, but his bowling team-mates stood up against the table-topping Sixers.Hurricanes posted 161 for 6 and bowled out Sydney for 111 in 19.3 overs to jump to fourth on the ladder with a third win in a row. Chris Jordan picked up 3 for 22, including the big wickets of James Vince early and noted finisher Jordan Silk in the middle overs. He was assisted by fellow import Waqar Salamkheil, who took 2 for 22 with his left-arm wristspin and bowled Kurtis Patterson with one that turned the other way.Allrounder Nikhil Chaudhary was impressive, top-scoring with 42 from 31 deliveries and picking up 1 for 15 with the ball.Sixers, who stay in first place on the ladder, had won four from four prior to the match, while Hurricanes are on the rise after being flogged by Melbourne Renegades in their opening game.Earlier, evergreen Sixers quick Jackson Bird took career-best T20 figures of 4 for 16 on familiar turf in Hobart after his side won the toss and elected to bowl.Jackson Bird returned 4 for 16 but there wasn’t a lot of heroics from the other Sixers bowlers•Getty Images
Bird, the 38-year-old who played for Tasmania for more than a decade, removed big-hitters Matthew Wade, Shai Hope, Ben McDermott and Tim David.Opener Mitchell Owen got Hurricanes off to a brisk start with 33 from 17 balls but couldn’t go on.Returning from a calf injury, Wade was scratchy in a 16-ball 15 and became Bird’s first victim off a nifty caught and bowled. Bird then had West Indian Hope caught behind two balls later as Hurricanes lost three wickets within ten runs.McDermott (34 from 25) came to life in the power surge, hitting 20 off one Hayden Kerr over, but he was undone by Bird, who also returned late to get rid of David via a top edge.Sixers’ chase had a bright spark early when English opener Vince launched a Billy Stanlake delivery over the hill. But they wobbled to 28 for 3 inside the first five overs and couldn’t stem the flow of wickets.Hurricanes spinner Peter Hatzoglou, who replaced Ellis and played his first game of the season, finished with 1 for 15.
The New York Red Bulls confirm 16-year-old Colombian prospect Eder Smic Valencia has died in a car accident just days before a trial with the club.
Teenage starlet killed in car crash
Was due for trial with New York Red Bulls
Also part of Colombia's youth ranks
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Smic Valencia tragically died in a car crash in Colombia while on holiday, as reports. The accident occurred just days before he was due for a trial with the New York Red Bulls II. The teenager had previously played as a guest for the club's Under-16 side and had been tipped to join Colombia’s Under-17 national team for the 2026 South American Championship.
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ACADEMY CLUB ANNOUNCES TRAGIC NEWS
Smic Valencia's club Academia Alemana Popayán announced the news and paid tribute to the 16-year-old in a statement: "It is with deep sorrow that we report the passing of our player Éder Smic Valencia Ambuila (2009) in a car accident while on vacation in Guachené. We, along with his family, will honor his memory at the AAFP. He will forever be in our hearts."
NEW YORK RED BULLS ISSUE STATEMENT
The New York Red Bulls posted on X: "Our thoughts are with all of Éder’s family, friends and teammates. Rest in peace."
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FATHER PAYS TRIBUTE
Smi Valencia's father, Eder, has spoken of the family's sadness at his son's passing. He told : "He had achieved nearly 80% of his goals. He was a top scorer for every team he played for, was on the Colombian national team, and was about to travel to North America. It’s very sad that my son lost his life in a car accident at 16."
Derby County have made a seven-figure offer to sign a versatile new player for John Eustace and the Rams have received a response.
Derby’s summer signings so far as Brewster arrives
It has been a productive summer transfer window for those at Pride Park so far ahead of the new Championship campaign. Eight new signings have been made, with former Sheffield United forward Rhian Brewster the latest to arrive.
Derby summer signings
From
Fee
Patrick Agyemang
Charlotte
£5.8m
Carlton Morris
Luton
Undisclosed
Andreas Weimann
Blackburn
Free
Danny Batth
Blackburn
Free
Rhian Brewster
Sheffield Utd
Free
Richard O’Donnell
Blackpool
Free
Owen Beck
Liverpool
Loan
David Ozoh
Crystal Palace
Loan
The forward left the Blades following the expiry of his contract this summer and has chosen Derby as his next move. Talking after signing, Brewster revealed his excitement to get started.
The striker joins Patrick Agyemang, Andreas Weimann, Danny Batth, Richard O’Donnell, Carlton Morris, Owen Beck and David Ozoh ahead of Eustace’s first full season in charge, and Derby don’t look to be showing any signs of stopping.
Derby make £1m+ bid to sign Sunderland player
According to reports from The Daily Record, relayed by EFL Analysis, Derby County have made a bid worth £1.2m to sign Sunderland midfielder Nectarios Triantis.
However, Sunderland have actually turned down Derby’s offer for Triantis, who is under contract with the Black Cats until 2027.
The Australian has spent the last 18 months on loan at Scottish Premiership side Hibernian and appears to be surplus to requirements at the Stadium of Light.
Hibernian actually wanted to keep Triantis at Easter Road, with manager David Gray praising the player for his “fantastic season”.
Nectarios Triantis
“He is another one who had a fantastic season. You seen how much he improved last year, playing week-in, week out. His parent club have just got promoted to the Premier League and their are conversations going on. Clearly he was a big part of what we done last year and it is a position that we are going to need to fill.”
A versatile player capable of playing as a holding midfielder or centre-back, the 6 foot 2 Aussie is valued at a career-high €1m by Transfermarkt, and it’ll be interesting to see if Derby go back in with an improved bid.
In what would be their signing of the summer so far, Everton have reportedly launched an opening offer to welcome a midfield star ahead of Premier League rivals.
Latest on Everton's potential incomings
After already signing Thierno Barry and Mark Travers whilst also welcoming Carlos Alcaraz on a permanent deal following a successful loan spell, Everton have now reportedly turned towards fresh targets. The Friedkin Group, clearly out to make a statement in their first summer at the helm, have also reportedly set their sights on the likes of Samuel Lino from Atletico Madrid and Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey.
Ramsey would particularly be one to watch if he arrived at The Hill Dickinson Stadium ahead of next season, but it remains to be seen whether Everton can win the race for his signature. Despite his clear talent, the midfielder is likely to be an affordable option amid Aston Villa’s PSR problems – allowing the Toffees to come swooping in.
Minutes
1,623
1,594
Goals
1
0
Key Passes
21
13
Ball Recoveries
83
73
Going forward, Ramsey would be a particular upgrade on James Garner in the middle of David Moyes’ side. At just 24 years old too, the Aston Villa man is about to enter his prime years, making now the best time to move in for his signature.
That said, it’s not just Ramsey that the Toffees have set their sights on. Midfield seems to be the area of focus currently and names such as Tomas Soucek has also been mentioned as a result.
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He’s on the move this summer.
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Reports have even gone as far as to suggest that Everton are set to submit an imminent £12m bid to sign the West Ham United star and hand Moyes a reunion with the midfielder.
The same, meanwhile, can be said about another transfer target, with Everton now reportedly launching their opening offer for his signature.
Everton launch first Douglas Luiz offer
According to TeamTalk, Everton have launched an opening offer to sign Douglas Luiz from Juventus in a loan-to-buy deal. The Brazilian is reportedly open to a return to the Premier League just one year on from his decision to swap Aston Villa for Turin. And as Juventus look to show him the door, it’s the Toffees who are primed to take full advantage.
The midfielder would be an impressive coup, given his Premier League experience and reports that former club Aston Villa are interested in a swift reunion this summer.
Douglas Luiz in action for Juventus.
Juventus are reportedly hoping for a package worth €35m (£30m) for Luiz this summer, but it remains to be seen whether Everton’s opening offer has reached that price.
Even after struggling in Serie A though, there’s no doubt that the Brazilian would be worth splashing out on. Aston Villa sporting director, Monchi, has been one of many to share praise for Luiz in recent years – telling reporters last season: “He’s playing less than we all expected, but we’re talking about a strong player.”
Hosts finish day three 207 ahead, after Joshua Da Silva’s 82* gave visitors a 41-run first-innings lead
Valkerie Baynes20-Jul-2024
Harry Brook finished day three on 71*•Getty Images
Half-centuries to three of their top five allowed England to wrest back control of the second Test after West Indies’ spirited lower-order resistance had given the tourists a narrow first-innings lead on an enthralling third day at Trent Bridge.Twin fifties from Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope – the biggest contributors in England’s first innings – steadied the hosts after the loss of Zak Crawley just ten balls into their second innings, a 119-run partnership for the second wicket overhauling West Indies’ 41-run lead and pulling them 86 ahead.Then fifty to Harry Brook during another century stand for England – worth 108 so far with Joe Root – left West Indies frustrated. At stumps on day three, Brook was unbeaten on 71 and Root was 37 not out.Crawley, dismissed for a duck in the first innings, managed 3 in the second before his freak run-out at the non-striker’s end. Duckett drove heartily back towards the bowler Jayden Seales, who thrust out a hand on his follow through and the ball deflected off his fingers as Crawley was backing up, his bat still in the air when the stumps were broken.Duckett raised his second fifty of the match in 55 balls with a trio of sweeps off consecutive deliveries in front of square off Kevin Sinclair, top-edged through fine leg and then behind square to add to his quick-fire 71 in the first innings.Ben Duckett hit his second fifty of the match•Getty Images
The day’s overcast conditions grew heavier at tea with a very light rain shower sweeping through around the scheduled resumption. Pope, England’s top-scorer in the first innings with 121, brought up his fifty soon after the interval with a single off Alzarri Joseph, but immediately after the misshapen ball was replaced, the same bowler lured Pope into a drive, the outside edge sailing to Sinclair at gully.Alzarri Joseph then pinned Duckett lbw with a toe-crusher of an inswinging yorker, the batter failing to overturn a straightforward dismissal on DRS, and England went from 127 for 1 to 140 for 3.Brook and Root steadied things again, though. Brook was hit in the midriff by one that nipped back from Alzarri Joseph, but pulled the next for four through midwicket to move within one boundary of his half-century; and he got there punching the first ball of Alzarri Joseph’s next over to the boundary through wide long-off.Brook raised the century partnership with back-to-back fours through the cordon off Seales, who was clearly fuming at the end of the over. When Brook and Root strode off the field after the next over, they had every reason to look pleased.Earlier, Joshua Da Silva’s resolute half-century, and Shamar Joseph’s big-hitting cameo from No. 11 took West Indies into the lead. Da Silva remained unbeaten on 82, having added fifty runs to his overnight score, when Shamar Joseph fell on the final ball of an extended first session for 33 off 27 balls, the pair putting on 71 runs off 78 for the tenth wicket.Joshua Da Silva and Shamar Joseph added 71 off 78 balls for the tenth wicket•AFP/Getty Images
Chris Woakes found plenty of swing to lead the bowling for England with three wickets for the day, including two in as many balls, to finish with 4 for 84.West Indies would have been thrilled with an improved batting performance, led by a century for Kavem Hodge, and Alick Athanaze’s 82 on the second day, which gave them some hope of levelling the series after an innings defeat at Lord’s. But after further encouragement with Crawley’s dismissal, they may be disappointed with their failure to capitalise.England bowled just one over with the second new ball on Friday evening, but under far cloudier skies, it took just 15 deliveries on Saturday morning for Woakes to break through, Jason Holder prodding at one outside off stump and getting caught behind. Sinclair survived a run-out chance when Pope’s shy at the stumps from short cover went wide, but he was gone soon after, thanks to Brook’s lightning reflexes at gully, off Gus Atkinson.Alzarri Joseph was put down by Ben Stokes, running in from cover, on 7, off the bowling of Atkinson, but Woakes claimed two wickets in as many balls when he had Alzarri Joseph chasing a wide one outside off stump and feathering behind to Jamie Smith, and then bowled Seales for a first-ball duck.Joshua Da Silva smashed Joe Root for 4, 4, 4, 6 in one over•PA Images via Getty Images
Shamar Joseph survived the hat-trick ball to support Da Silva, who had taken it slowly through the first 90 minutes of the day but brought up his fifty in emphatic style, using Mark Wood’s pace to guide the ball over the fence at deep extra cover.Da Silva took another six off Wood over deep third to move West Indies past the 400-mark, then Shamar Joseph drew his side level with England’s first-innings 416 by thrashing Atkinson for six in front of square. He sent broken roof tiles raining on to spectators sitting in the stands below at backward square leg next, and threaded four through fine leg to take 16 off the over.Da Silva amassed 18 runs off one Joe Root over with three consecutive fours followed by a heave over long-on for six, his third maximum of the innings.Wood, who had left the field late on day two suffering cramp after a lightning fast four-over spell in the morning followed by ten more overs of hard, fast graft, snared the wicket that had eluded him when Shamar Joseph sent a leading edge high to mid-on, Atkinson snaffling the catch.
Former Bears left-armer helps Hampshire establish first-innings lead with ninth five-wicket haul for the club
ECB Reporters Network24-Jun-2024
Keith Barker left Warwickshire six years ago•Getty Images
Hampshire 298 and 88 for 2 (Middleton 58, Gubbins 24*, Mousley 1-0) lead Warwickshire 254 (Bethell 69, Mousley 57, Barker 6-74) by 132 runs Keith Barker reminded Warwickshire’s fans of the skills they lost in 2018 as he bowled Hampshire into control on the second day of their Vitality County Championship match at Edgbaston.Barker’s left-arm swing earned him 14 hauls of five wickets or more as a Warwickshire player. He bagged his ninth for Hampshire with 6 for 74 to give them the upper hand in a gripping contest in the Birmingham sunshineIn reply to 298, Warwickshire were dismissed for 254 by Barker and Kyle Abbott (3 for 64) despite impressive resistance from young batters Jake Bethell and Dan Mousley.A lead of 44 is handy in conditions which have given the seamers some encouragement and Hampshire built on it in the final session to reach 88 for 2 as Fletcha Middleton struck his second half-century of the match.After Warwickshire resumed on 51 for 2, the ground echoed to perhaps the earliest ever cry of ‘get on with it’ when, at 11.01am, a long delay ensued while the ball was inspected and then changed. Barker wielded the replacement to spectacular effect with a burst of 3 for 17 in 25 balls. He trapped Danny Briggs lbw, had Sam Hain superbly caught by Ben Brown, standing up, and hit Ed Barnard’s off-stump.From 83 for 5, Mousley and Bethell applied themselves diligently. Destructive batters in the Blast (Bethell smashed 50 from 15 balls last week – this time he scored just two from his first 15), they showed they also have the technique to dig in against good bowling. They added 74 in 22 overs before Mousley was lured into driving away from his body at Barker and edged behind.Michael Burgess joined Bethell to add 64 in 21 overs before Barker returned to strike twice more. Bethell edged a big drive to first slip where James Vince accepted that catch and another two overs later when Chris Woakes edged a footwork-free waft.Craig Miles smote three quick fours but then played down the wrong line to Abbott. Mohammad Abbas finally collected a deserved wicket when Burgess chopped on.With the evening session to enlarge their lead, Hampshire began badly when Toby Albert edged Olly Hannon-Dalby’s second ball to slip, but then advanced meticulously. Middleton continued his good form from the first innings to reach a 60-ball half-century and Nick Gubbins (24 not out in over two hours) unfurled an innings of low entertainment for the spectators but high value to his team as the advantage ticked upwards.Middleton edged Mousley behind 14 balls before the close and though Hampshire are well on top, Warwickshire are very much still in the game. This intriguing match may have a fascinating second half in wait for those spectators, particularly those who are connoisseurs of threes. With a very long boundary on the Pershore Road side of the ground, this has been a veritable festival of threes – there have been 15 already.
An “unbelievable” Liverpool player is now reportedly “ready” to complete a move to a major club who have met the Reds in multiple major finals.
Players who could leave Liverpool this summer
For all the current stories linking the Premier League champions with new signings, constant speculation is also rife regarding outgoing moves in the summer transfer window.
Andy Robertson is reportedly keen on a shock move to La Liga giants Atletico Madrid, with some claiming that he is a “top target” for them. The 31-year-old wasn’t at his best last season, and Milos Kerkez is expected to join Liverpool from Bournemouth, but seeing him leave would still be a surprise.
Elsewhere, the likes of Kostas Tsimikas, Jarell Quansah, Harvey Elliott and Darwin Nunez are far from guaranteed to be at Anfield next season, with Elliott arguably hinting the most about a new challenge: “I’m coming into an age now where I’m 22, I’m gonna be 23 next season, and I don’t really want to be wasting years in my career because it’s a short career, you don’t know what’s gonna happen.
“Injuries and things could shorten it. So I think it’s a situation that, as I’ve said before, I need to reflect, I need to see if I’m content in doing what I’m doing and how can I improve as a player.”
Liverpool attacker "ready" to leave Anfield
Now, according to Gazzetta dello Sport in Italy [via Sport Witness], Liverpool striker Nunez is now “ready” to secure a move to AC Milan this summer, moving to the Reds’ 2005 and 2007 Champions League final opponents.
Milan are dreaming of snapping up a “big No.9” and the £140,000-a-week Uruguayan has emerged as a target, even though his wages could be expensive for both themselves and fellow suitors Napoli.
Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez
Nunez moving on from Liverpool this summer is the right decision for everyone concerned, with the 25-year-old ultimately not good enough over the past three years.
Arne Slot has made it clear that he doesn’t see him as a key part of his plans, simply by not picking him often, even though his assist for Elliott’s winner away to Paris Saint-Germain last season was described as “unbelievable” by Ally McCoist during commentary on the game.
Liverpool need to sign a higher calibre of striker before next season gets underway, unless Slot plans to use Florian Wirtz as a false nine, and Nunez can still generate a healthy amount of money for the Reds.
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While clearly a popular figure among the fanbase because of his personality and work ethic, the Merseysiders must be ruthless with him, and Milan could be an ideal destination.
Arsenal have prepared an offer to sign a “dominant” attacking gem who’s drawn comparisons with Brazil legend Neymar, with sporting director Andrea Berta already having a fee in mind to put forward.
Arsenal targeting two wingers and a striker this summer
Berta, who’s set to work in tandem on the club’s recruitment with manager Mikel Arteta, arrives at N5 with a glowing reputation after 12 successful years at Atlético Madrid.
Arteta has "serious" wish to sign £40m star with Arsenal contact made
The Gunners boss is “huge fan”.
1 ByEmilio Galantini Apr 16, 2025
The 53-year-old was responsible for key transfer deals at the Wanda Metropolitano, including the signings of Jan Oblak, Marcos Llorente, Rodri, Antoine Griezmann, Luis Suárez, Yannick Carrasco and noteworthy names, with supporters now hoping he can replicate his excellent pieces of business in north London.
Ipswich Town (away)
April 20th
Crystal Palace (home)
April 23rd
Bournemouth (home)
May 3rd
Liverpool (away)
May 11th
Newcastle United (home)
May 18th
Arsenal’s board are set to back Berta with a significant transfer kitty this summer, which GiveMeSport estimates could be up to £300 million on as many as seven major signings before the beginning of 2025/2026.
Three items on their agenda include the potential acquisitions of a left-winger, right-winger and striker.
Arsenal have already held talks with the representatives of Nico Williams, who’s expected to leave Athletic Bilbao this summer, while it is also believed that they’re in ongoing communication with Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman’s agents as well.
Arsenal have also been told the price for Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres, according to Fabrizio Romano, with Berta sent a “clear” message in recent days/weeks that the Sweden international will cost around £60 million.
It is pretty evident that a new attacker or two will be coming to the Emirates Stadium, and it is now believed Berta has his eyes firmly on a rising star in Brazil.
Arsenal prepare bid for Atlético Mineiro starlet Gabriel Veneno
According to journalist Lucas Tanaka, that man is teenage forward Gabriel Veneno, who is earning quite the reputation in South America.
The 15-year-old right-winger has even drawn comparisons to Neymar due to his dribbling ability, with Future Ballers on X also branding Veneno a “dominant force” in one-v-one situations and an exceptional dribbler.
Tanaka believes Arsenal already have an offer prepared for Veneno, but he cannot reveal the exact nature of his bid for now.
“Here’s some exclusive information on Gabriel Veneno. The jewel of Atletico is considered a jewel by the people who follow the youth team,” said Tanaka on YouTube.
“Remember he’s in the under-16s, he’ll be 16 in July. He was called up to the Brazilian national team under-16s last year. If I’m not mistaken he’s an attacking midfielder who likes to play on the right wing, pulling inside.
“Gabriel Veneno is being watched and approached by a big European club, Arsenal.
“Arsenal in England is keeping an eye on Gabriel Veneno. I already have the value of the possible offer that they’re thinking of sending in the middle of the year, but I can’t give you the value yet.”
It is fair to say that the season has not gone to plan for Glasgow Rangers in the Scottish Premiership, after their latest defeat to Hibernian last weekend.
The Gers are 13 points adrift of their city rivals at the top of the table, with just six matches left to play, and are set to miss out on the title for the fourth year running.
Barry Ferguson was brought in to replace Philippe Clement on an interim basis until the end of the season and has already lost two of his five Premiership matches in charge of the club to date.
The campaign is not completely over for the Light Blues, though, as they remain a contender in the Europa League, with a clash with Athletic Bilbao at Ibrox coming up on Thursday.
Ferguson has a chance to etch his name in Rangers history, as a manager rather than a player this time, by delivering success on the European stage, and he could look to draw inspiration from Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s run to the final in 2022.
The Dutchman led Rangers to the final, only to lose to Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties, and one of the key stars in that campaign was winger Ryan Kent.
Why Ryan Kent was a key player for Rangers
The English forward, who currently plays for Seattle Sounders in the MLS, was a pivotal player for van Bronckhorst and Rangers over the years, particularly in that Europa League run.
In the 2021/22 campaign, Kent started 12 of his 13 appearances in Europe and contributed with one goal, five ‘big chances’ created, and three assists from a left wing position.
This shows that the former Liverpool winger provided an excellent creative threat for Rangers in the Europa League, which is what he did throughout his Gers career in all competitions.
Kent typically played down the left wing and had the ability to either go down the outside on his weaker left foot or to chop inside to make things happen on his strong foot, causing constant problems for opposition full-backs.
Ryan Kent’s Rangers career
Season
Appearances
Goals
Assists
22/23
44
3
10
21/22
46
3
19
20/21
52
13
14
19/20
33
8
4
18/19
43
6
9
Stats via Transfermarkt
As you can see in the table above, Kent was an incredibly creative player in his final three seasons at Ibrox, whilst his goalscoring output decreased, with 43 assists in those three campaigns combined.
This shows that Rangers could rely upon the English attacker to create openings for his teammates on a consistent basis at the top end of the pitch, which played a key role in their run to the Europa League final run under van Bronckhorst.
Former Rangers winger Ryan Kent.
The Light Blues lost 2-0 to Hibernian last time out and creating chances from the attacking midfield positions was an issue for Ferguson’s side.
Why Rangers need to change their starting line-up
Vaclav Cerny, Mohamed Diomande, and Hamza Igamane lined up in the three attacking midfield roles behind Cyriel Dessers in the loss to Hibs, with Cerny on the right, Diomande in the middle, and Igamane on the left.
Vaclav Cerny
Unfortunately, though, they only created three chances and one ‘big chance’ between them, along with zero shots on target, and that is why Ferguson must consider making changes to his XI ahead of the clash with Athletic Bilbao on Thursday.
Igamane started on the left but the change that the manager should make is to move him centrally and to drop Cyriel Dessers from the team, opening up that position on the flank.
24/25 Europa League
Cyriel Dessers
Hamza Igamane
Appearances (starts)
10 (7)
8 (4)
xG
5.41
1.16
Goals
3
4
Big chances missed
9
0
Conversion rate
17%
31%
Assists
2
1
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Morocco international has significantly outperformed the Nigerian forward in the Europa League this season and appears to be the best option to start in the centre-forward role, due to his clinical finishing ability.
Dropping Dessers to play Igamane through the middle would then provide Ferguson with the chance to unearth his own version of Ryan Kent by playing Nedim Bajrami on the left flank against Athletic Bilbao.
Why Nedim Bajrami could be the new Ryan Kent
The Albania international, who made the move to Ibrox on a permanent deal from Sassuolo last summer, has only played 31 minutes across the last two Premiership matches, but he has the potential to be Kent 2.0 if given an opportunity to start.
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Bajrami has played 33 times for Rangers in the Europa League and the Premiership combined for the Light Blues this term and has only racked up three goals and one assist in that time.
Bajrami
You would not immediately compare him to Kent based on those statistics, as he has only delivered one assist in 33 games, but his underlying statistics suggest that he has been incredibly unfortunate this season.
The 26-year-old playmaker has created ten ‘big chances’ in those matches and has only been rewarded with one assist, which shows that his teammates have let him down with their wasteful finishing rather than it being a case of him lacking creativity in his play.
Bajrami, whose footwork was described as “magnificent” by Willie Miller, was compared to Kent by Kris Boyd earlier this season, as the ex-Gers forward wrote that they offer similar qualities on the left flank, creating space for others by cutting in from the left flank.
24/25 Europa League
Nedim Bajrami
Appearances (starts)
9 (8)
Goals
1
Key passes
14
Big chances created
6
Pass accuracy
82%
Dribbles completed per game
1.9
Dribble success rate
65%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Albanian whiz has been incredibly creative in the Europa League, but has not been rewarded with assists because of poor quality finishing from others.
In fact, Bajrami has created more ‘big chances’ for the team than Kent did in four more appearances during van Bronckhorst’s Europa League run, which illustrates how impressive his creativity has been.
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Therefore, Ferguson can find his own version of the English forward by unleashing the ex-Serie A playmaker on the left flank, whilst moving Igamane into the middle, because of his creative quality, cutting in on his right foot from the left.