Sunderland launch contact to sign record-breaking teen scouted by Man City

Sunderland have now reportedly made contact in the race to sign a teenage sensation, who is on course to leave his current club as a free agent next summer.

Le Bris praises "demanding" Premier League ahead of Liverpool clash

Sunderland just do not know when they’re beaten in the Premier League. They are writing a blueprint that every newly-promoted side must follow to secure survival and their comeback victory against Bournemouth followed that plan to perfection.

The Black Cats came from two goals behind to secure a dramatic victory and keep hold of their place in the top six after 13 games. With Liverpool at Anfield up next, things don’t get any easier, but Sunderland have relished the challenge of upsetting the odds so far this season.

Regis Le Bris was full of praise for both his side and the Premier League itself following Sunderland’s victory over Bournemouth, telling reporters: “This league is really demanding. You make two mistakes and are punished.

“With the ball, we are good, so just keep pushing. We are able to hit their defence, and it was important to be clinical in the box. I think here we have a great energy in the stands. If we give a lot on the pitch, then they will react. We deserved to win in the end.

“It’s important to play game after game. We went to Fulham last week and we lost. We were dominated. We go again. It’s positive to start this week with three points. It’s an exciting league with tough challenges but we want those challenges.”

Survival, which almost looks guaranteed already, would be a major achievement on the pitch, but it would also make an impact away from the action. The Black Cats are already thinking about the future on that front, targeting Rangers teenager Bailey Rice.

Sunderland make contact to sign Bailey Rice

According to the Daily Mail’s Simon Jones, Sunderland have now made checks on Rice, who is on course to leave Rangers as a free agent next summer after rejecting the Gers’ contract offers.

The 19-year-old became the club’s youngest post-war player to make a Scottish Premiership appearance in 2023, but now looks destined to leave Ibrox with Sunderland, Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion and Cardiff City all queueing for his signature.

Manchester City were also tracking the young midfielder when he decided to leave Kilmarnock, only for Rangers to jump in and secure his arrival.

Better than Xhaka: Sunderland flop is one of "the best" in the PL after leaving

Sunderland once had a star who is now more exciting than Granit Xhaka and one of the best players in the Premier League.

ByDan Emery Dec 2, 2025

For Sunderland, it would therefore be a major coup to land a player of Rice’s potential. Man City’s initial interest highlights how highly he’s rated in England and praise from Rio Ferdinand echoed that earlier this year.

The Manchester United legend said on commentary when Rangers squared off against Manchester United last year: “I tell you what, I’m liking Rice by the way, he’s come on and looked composed, the kid’s got something about him, he’s got a lovely left foot on him.”

Sunderland star who Speakman was "excited" to sign is the new Jermain Lens

'Ready to keep pushing on' – Mason Mount determined to build momentum at Man Utd and put 'difficult times' behind him after scoring against Wolves

Mason Mount has vowed to build on his positive run of form with Manchester United after a stop-start career at Old Trafford. The midfielder volleyed home a Bruno Fernandes cross to score his second goal in three matches and his third of the season as the Red Devils hammered Wolves 4-1 away from home on Monday to move into sixth in the Premier League table.

Mount enjoying best season at Man Utd

Mount has now scored as many goals this season as in his two previous campaigns with United – which were both overshadowed by serious injury problems. The midfielder was limited to five league starts in his first season since signing for United from Chelsea for £60m in 2023 while he only made eight starts in his second campaign. He has missed a combined 52 matches in his three seasons but he looks to be on the path back to full fitness after playing in 12 of United's 15 league games this season.

AdvertisementAFPMount: I've had setbacks

"Anytime I play I obviously want to play to the best of my ability and perform," Mount told after the win over Wolves. "I've had setbacks. I've had difficult times, I feel now I'm ready to keep pushing on and building on these performances. Getting in the goals, that's the most important thing as a forward player and just keep going and working hard. That's exactly what I'm focusing on now."

On his volley, Mount added: "As soon as I see Bruno [Fernandes] with the ball and has time and space to turn, that's my trigger to try and get in behind and try and time my run. I thought it was going to be a bit close [to offside] but the defender dropped back and bit and kept me onside. Delighted with that. And as I said before, it was about being ruthless in the second half and finishing our chances off.

"We all know the calibre of player he [Fernandes] is. When he gets on the ball he's always trying to create something. He's a joy to play with as a player that's higher up the pitch because you know he's having a look and he's going to play the ball over the top."

Mount praises response after 'frustrating' equaliser

United became the first team to concede a league goal against Wolves since October when Jean-Ricner Bellegarde equalised just before half-time. But they brushed off the disappointment of being pegged back after Fernandes' scrappy opening goal and restored their lead with a goal before Bryan Mbeumo before Mount struck and Fernandes wrapped the points up from the penalty spot.

Mount was pleased with how he and his team-mates responded to the equaliser. He added: "Obviously, first half we let them back in it before half-time and we go into the changing room frustrated and disappointed with the end to the first half. The manager had a few things to say and we come out there and it was down to us to attack with purpose and finish our chances we were creating. We're happy with the second half, parts of the first half as well. Overall, very happy with that.

"I thought some of the combinations going forward were crisp, were sharp and that's what we can do. Attacking with freedom. We know we can do that. It's about us creating as many chance as we can as forward players and trying to get on the scoresheet. I thought going forward we were solid, and as a defence it's about defending as a team and not letting them have any chances to get back into the game."

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AFPAmorim feels 'nothing' despite going sixth

United coach Ruben Amorim claimed he was not thinking about the team climbing into sixth and he stressed the importance of beating Bournemouth in the next game at Old Trafford, where United have failed to win in their last two games against Everton and West Ham. 

"Nothing," he said. "It's always the same feeling we should have more points. But that's in the past, let's focus on the future. We need to win the next one, this one is in the past. Let's go."

After Derby, Cape Town and Sharjah, what will Harmanpreet vs Australia bring us this time?

This relationship has always sent sparks flying in pivotal World Cup moments. What does Navi Mumbai have in store for us?

Sruthi Ravindranath29-Oct-2025When Harmanpreet Kaur tore Australia’s bowling apart with a sensational unbeaten 171 off 115 balls in the Derby semi-final of the 2017 World Cup, she did more than win India a match. She tore a hole in Australia’s cloak of invincibility. It remains one of the greatest innings ever played in a knockout game, and it marked the turning point of women’s cricket in India.That innings even changed Australia a little bit.”Look, I’ve forgotten a lot about the game, but you guys are pretty, pretty good at putting it on the telly at every opportunity possible, so it brings back the memory a little bit,” Alyssa Healy said before Australia’s league-stage meeting with India at this World Cup. “But we’ve spoken a lot about how it’s just drove us to rethink our standards and the way we wanted to approach our cricket. It made us rethink what we were doing and how we could do it better. And I think we’ve been really successful since that point.”It isn’t surprising, then, that whenever India and Australia have met in a global tournament since that day, one question has always hung in the air: what will Harmanpreet do this time?Harmanpreet cannot believe her luck: the heartbreaking run-out in Cape Town•ICC/Getty ImagesEight years on, that question still defines her. Between Derby and Thursday’s semi-final in Navi Mumbai, the journey of Harmanpreet and India in World Cups has been one of agonising near-misses. Whenever these have involved Australia, Harmanpreet has been front and centre.In the T20 World Cup semi-final in Cape Town, her 52 was set to become a career-defining innings, as she batted through illness and set India up for what looked like a famous chase. All until a freak run-out with her bat stuck in the pitch. At the post-match presentation, Harmanpreet wore sunglasses to hide her tears.Then came Sharjah, October 2024, where India met Australia again, this time with a semi-final berth hanging in the balance. Batting on 52 with India needing 14, Harmanpreet nudged a single off the first ball of the final over, and watched helplessly as four wickets tumbled in the next five balls. India had fallen short once more.In the years since that 171*, Harmanpreet has remained an exceptional ODI batter, averaging 38.73 and striking at 85.71 – both improvements on her career figures – while scoring five hundreds and 13 fifties in 80 innings. Yet, the conversation almost always circles back to Australia, against whom she seems to reserve her most memorable performances in ICC tournaments. She has scored more runs against them than any other opposition in both ODI and T20 World Cups, but Derby only showed how rare it is for one player to bend a result to her will. Since that match, India have won only two of their seven matches against Australia in ICC events.Sharjah, 2024. Another missed opportunity for Harmanpreet and India•ICC/Getty ImagesLeadership has added another layer to Harmanpreet’s story. Since taking over as India’s full-time white-ball captain in 2022, she has led the team through a transition from a group of bright but incomplete parts to one with more battle-hardened depth than ever, but for whom the ultimate prize has always seemed just out of reach.That prize is now two games away.This World Cup has been a patchy one for India, who stumbled to three successive losses after a bright start, all of them tight and therefore viewed from outside as avoidable and indicative of tactical and temperamental cracks. Questions arose over the team’s balance. Harmanpreet’s own form was up-and-down, intensifying the scrutiny around her decision-making. Her dismissals seemed like opportunities lost, particularly the late dab straight to short third, on 70, at a pivotal moment of India’s chase against England.But India are in the semi-finals now, and the sense of occasion feels heavier than ever. Here is another shot at breaking free of a cycle of close losses, this time in a home World Cup. For Harmanpreet, now 36, this could well be the final ODI World Cup. And perhaps the final World Cup showdown with the opposition that has defined her legacy.It’s India vs Australia, and the eternal question hangs in the air once more: what will Harmanpreet do?

India and Pakistan to play on February 15 in men's T20 World Cup

India and Pakistan will play each other in the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup on February 15 in Colombo as per the tournament schedule that will be unveiled by the ICC in Mumbai on Tuesday.The marquee contest – the first time the two teams are meeting since three heated contests at the 2025 Asia Cup – will be played at the R Premadasa Stadium and is India’s third group match. ESPNcricinfo has learned India and Pakistan have been grouped along with USA, Netherlands and Namibia.India play their first group match against USA in Mumbai on February 7, the opening day of the T20 World Cup. They then take on Namibia in Delhi on February 12, followed by Pakistan, and their final group game is against the Netherlands in Ahmedabad on February 18. There will be three matches a day during the group stage of the tournament.The 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup from February 7 to March 8 is being co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, with Pakistan playing all their games in Colombo or Kandy. The format is the same as the previous tournament in 2024 in the USA and West Indies, where the 20 teams were divided into five groups of four. The top two teams from each of the four groups progress to a Super Eight phase, where they will be further divided into two groups of four each. The top two teams in each of the two Super Eights groups will qualify for the semi-finals, which will be followed by the final.Related

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If India progress from the group stage, their three Super Eight matches will be in Ahmedabad, Chennai and Kolkata. If they make the final four, their semi-final will be in Mumbai. It is understood the ICC has shortlisted Colombo or Kolkata as the other semi-final venue depending on whether Sri Lanka and Pakistan qualify. The final will be played in Ahmedabad, unless Pakistan qualify in which case it is likely to be in Colombo.Apart from hosts India and Sri Lanka, the other 18 teams participating in the T20 World Cup are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, United States of America, West Indies, New Zealand, Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, Italy, Netherlands, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Nepal, Oman and UAEIndia are the defending champions, having beaten South Africa in the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup in Barbados.

Reforma de São Januário: Pedrinho encontra com vereadores e discute pontos da modernização do estádio do Vasco

MatériaMais Notícias

Pedrinho, presidente do Vasco, se reuniu com na Câmara dos Vereadores, nesta segunda-feira (28), ao lado do arquiteto Sérgio Dias, para esclarecer ao parlamentares dúvidas em relação ao plano da modernização de São Januário. Representantes da Prefeitura do Rio também marcaram presença.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFora de CampoNarrador prevê narração memorável em futuro título do Vasco: ‘A chance de entrar pra história é muito grande’Fora de Campo28/05/2024Fora de CampoMuralhas da Colina: Fernando Prass relembra momentos no Vasco ao lado de Carlos GermanoFora de Campo28/05/2024VascoTorcedores escolhem fornecedora de material favorita para o VascoVasco28/05/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Gigante agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Vasco

O encontro foi realizado antes da segunda audiência pública, que será na Barra da Tijuca. O bairro é o maior receptor do potencial construtivo. Vale lembrar que ainda será realizada mais uma, com data a ser marcada, em São Januário, com a participação dos moradores da Barreira do Vasco.

Nesta segunda-feira (27), os vereadores aprovaram o parecer conjunto de 17 comissões. Isso faz com que a tramitação do projeto seja reduzida em oito meses.

continua após a publicidade

– Esse projeto é importante não só para os vascaínos, mas também para os moradores da Barreira do Vasco e para toda a cidade do Rio. Conseguimos uma economia de tempo enorme com esse parecer conjunto – disse o vereador Pedro Duarte.

A audiência pública na Barra da Tijuca será às 10h desta quarta-feira, na Câmara Comunitária da Barra da Tijuca.

Tudo sobre

Futebol NacionalSão JanuárioVasco

Aroldis Chapman Loads Bases, Escapes Jam in Heart-Stopping Red Sox Win at Yankees

Pitcher Aroldis Chapman locked down the save for the Red Sox in their playoff opener Tuesday—but only after a treacherous ninth inning that had Boston fans on pins and needles.

The Red Sox summoned Chapman in the eighth inning in relief of starter Garrett Crochet, who'd flummoxed the Yankees with 11 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings to start this American League wild-card series. After inducing third baseman Jose Caballero to fly out, Chapman returned for the ninth up 3–1.

The first batter, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, singled. The second, right fielder Aaron Judge, did the same. When left fielder Cody Bellinger added a third, New York was able to load the bases.

After that, it was all Chapman. First, the eight-time All-Star fooled designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton on a nasty 92 mph splitter—one of the best pitches of the day in baseball.

Then, second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. flied to shallow right before Chapman punched out center fielder Trent Grisham on a 101 mph four-seamer to end the game.

The two teams will meet again Wednesday, with Boston hoping for a smoother landing.

حسين الشحات: الأهلي من يصنع النجوم.. وسعيد بتألق رباعي الفريق

أبدى حسين الشحات، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، سعادته بتألق زميليه أحمد سيد زيزو وأشرف بن شرقي في الفترة الأخيرة.

وقال حسين الشحات في تصريحات عبر الموقع الرسمي لـ الأهلي: “ردود أفعال الجماهير على احتفالي مع زيزو عقب مباراة الزمالك أسعدني للغاية، هذه سماتي الشخصية، وأهتم دائمًا بدعم زملائي حتى من يشارك في نفس مركزي وأدعم من يلعب في نفس مكاني بشكل أكبر وأتمنى له التوفيق، وهناك دائمًا دعاء يرد عليه بمقولة لك المثل وزيادة”.

طالع | حسين الشحات: لمست دعم جماهير الأهلي بعد القمة.. وجاهز لعودة قوية

وتابع: “أتمنى التوفيق لزملائي وسعيد بتألق زيزو وأشرف بن شرقي وتريزيجيه وحتى طاهر، عندما شارك ووضع بصمته، وهذه الأجواء ليست غريبة عن الأهلي، وزيزو إضافة كبيرة للأهلي وأتمنى له التوفيق دائمًا”.

وكشف: “البعض لديه مفاهيم غير حقيقية عن غرفة خلع الملابس.. كلنا على قلب رجل واحد.. ما فعلته الموسم الماضي مع إمام عاشور ومساعدته في الفوز بلقب هداف الدوري كان نتاج روح العائلة التي تجمعنا، وكلنا كنا نرغب في مساعدته.. وسعيد لأنني كنت صاحب الأسيست وأتمنى أن يكون التوفيق حليفًا للمجموعة كلها في الفوز بالبطولات”.

وأضاف: “الأهلي دائمًا مكان للأسماء المميزة في كل المراكز والطبيعي أن ينضم إليه أفضل اللاعبين فالأهلي هو من يصنع النجوم.. ومهما بلغت مكانة أي لاعب.. الأهلي هو الذي يصنع البطولات ويمنح الإضافة اللازمة وكل من انضموا للفريق أصحاب خبرات، وأتمنى لهم التوفيق مع النادي ونتمكن من الفوز ببطولة الدوري وبطولة إفريقيا.. سوف نعود للمنافسة بقوة بعد فترة التوقف الطويلة ونضع كل البطولات هدفا لنا بشكل مستمر”.

واختتم: “قبل بداية الموسم كنت في المركز الثالث بين ترتيب حاملي شارة قيادة الأهلي وبعد انضمام تريزيجيه وبيكهام ومحمد شريف تراجعت للمركز السادس.. بالتأكيد شرف كبير لأي لاعب تقلد شارة قيادة نادي القرن.. وشرف عظيم لي أن أكون من بين اللاعبين الكبار داخل النادي، وأتمنى أن يكون لي نصيب في ارتدائها يوما ما.. الحمد لله حققت تاريخ كبير مع النادي، وأتمنى الفوز بالمزيد من الألقاب المحلية والقارية والفوز بأفضل لاعب داخل القارة”.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot forced to explain himself as Mohamed Salah is benched for second consecutive match in Sunderland draw

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been forced to explain some big selection calls, with Mohamed Salah named among the substitutes again for the Reds’ Premier League clash with Sunderland. The Egyptian superstar failed to make it off the bench in a welcome win over West Ham – ending a run of featuring in every match under Slot. He was involved against Sunderland, but was only introduced at half-time.

  • Salah's Liverpool records: Goals and appearances

    Salah, who has netted 250 goals for the Reds through 420 appearances, failed to inspire Liverpool as they dropped more precious points in a 1-1 draw with the Black Cats. He is unaccustomed to filling an impact role, having become a talismanic presence at Anfield.

    The 33-year-old is, however, having to make peace with rest and rotation in 2025-26, with bench duty being seen in domestic and Champions League competition. Slot has mixed things up in a bid to rediscover the kind of consistency that brought another top-flight title to Merseyside last season.

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    Why Salah was benched by Liverpool vs Sunderland

    Explaining the decision not to include Salah in his starting XI against Sunderland, Slot told : “I play the same team, it's a balance between continuity and freshness. It's obvious and clear we need the full squad tonight because a few who start aren't able to play a full 90 again. More than ever, we need more than 11 players tonight. All the players have a chance to come in, Mo is definitely one of them. It's a good thing we have players like Mo available on the bench.

    “We haven't had a long conversation. We spoke a lot after the Frankfurt game, and now not as much. He reacts like you want, a top professional. He trains really good and is positive towards his team-mates. He's an example when he plays, and now he's an example of how to act when you don't play.”

  • Transfer inevitable? Salah sees Anfield exit mooted

    While Slot has talked up Salah’s reaction to being dropped, ex-Reds midfielder Jamie Redknapp believes that a parting of ways – a matter of months after signing a lucrative contract extension through to 2027 – is becoming inevitable.

    Redknapp said: “He's a Premier League legend, a Liverpool icon and that's why I don't think this is going to end well. It will be a tricky situation now because the manager, when you've got someone who is so talented, so vital to the team, in and around the changing room and how they behave and perform in training. He's not going to want to warm the bench, he hasn't signed this contract to wind down his career. He wants to play consistently, week in, week out.

    “I'll be gobsmacked if he fulfils the last two years of his contract, or year and a half. I don't think this aids the situation one iota. Nothing in football would surprise me – whether it's in January or perhaps in the summer.

    “If the right club were to come along… a lot will be determined by this man. He's earned that privilege. And if he says: 'Look, if I'm not going to be a starter for you, I'm not one of those players who is going to linger. I will go wherever it takes.' I still believe he will want to play in Europe.

    “The first thing we're all going to say is he'll go to Saudi – he's obviously a legend in that part of the world – or he'll want to go to the US, but this for me now is a real breaking point in the relationship. He'll feel let down and, like you say, maybe even blamed for what's going on. But while the team is winning without him… I saw those stats and they're pretty good when he doesn't play. No one is indispensable, time waits for no one, and it's going to be difficult now.”

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    Liverpool fixtures: Will Salah start against Leeds?

    Liverpool are languishing eighth in the Premier League table, 11 points adrift of leaders Arsenal. They will be back in action on Saturday when heading to Leeds, with Slot admitting that he has “an idea who will start” at Elland Road but “won’t say” if Salah is in line for a recall.

Pratika Rawal: 'I have my own medal now'

She also said she believed in her replacement Shafali Verma to do “something special” in the final

Edited PTI copy07-Nov-2025India opener Pratika Rawal, who missed the semi-final and final of the World Cup due to injury, said that she believed in her replacement Shafali Verma to do “something special” in the final. Rawal, who joined India’s celebrations after winning the final against South Africa in a wheelchair, also received her medal, which had initially not been given to her because she was ruled out of the tournament.”I have my own medal now,” she was quoted as saying by PTI Videos. “One of the support staff had lent me theirs temporarily because mine hadn’t reached on time. Jay [Shah, ICC chairman] sir has sent me a medal, someone told me. I was so happy but people made a big deal of it online, it will take some time but will come to me.”Shafali partnered with Smriti Mandhana at the top of the order in the crucial semi-final against Australia as well as the final against South Africa, where she finished as Player of the Match, scoring 87 and also picking up two wickets. Rawal revealed the conversation she had with Shafali before the game.Related

Mandhana on World Cup win: 'Will take the 45 days of not sleeping every night'

A new dawn: Reflections on the Women's World Cup

Women's World Cup final equals viewership record of 2024 Men's T20 World Cup final

“Shafali doesn’t need motivation. She plays with instinct and belief,” Rawal said. “Before the final, she came up to me and said, ‘I’m really sorry you can’t play,’ and I told her it’s fine, these things happen. I had a feeling she would do something special that day.”Rawal, who had scored 308 runs in the tournament, finished fourth on the list of highest run-scorers after South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt (571), Mandhana (434) and Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner (328). She injured her ankle and knee while fielding against Bangladesh in the last league game. Being a psychology student, she said it was easy for her to process the setback.”…as someone who has studied psychology, it really helped me to understand human emotions better – including my own,” she said. “The first thing is to accept what’s happened. You can’t undo it. Once I accepted the injury, I focused only on what I could control – recovery, sleep, nutrition, and supporting the team.”There was disappointment, yes, but no breakdown. My dad was there, my coach (Shravan Kumar) kept checking on me, my mom and brother called every day. I have such a good support system. They didn’t let me spiral or feel alone,” she said.Her father took the injury harder than she did. “I don’t show emotions easily, but my dad cried a lot – I had to calm him down,” she said.On her recovery, Rawal sounded optimistic. “I’m feeling a lot better now. My X-ray is due in a few days, and I’m doing most things on my own. I’ve started light mobility work too. Once the doctors clear me, I’ll start batting again. I’m very excited to return – I miss holding the bat,” she said.”My next target is to complete rehab properly and come back for the domestic season. I don’t like rushing recovery. I’m a person who can bat all day and still not get tired – I want to get back to that zone.”Since her debut in 2024, she has scored 1110 runs in 24 ODIs with two centuries and seven fifties at an average of 50.45, numbers that underline her growing stature. But there was some criticism from the outside about her strike-rate, though India coach Amol Muzumdar had dismissed that concern during the tournament. Commenting on her batting approach, Rawal said she doesn’t believe in fixed roles.”Every match demands something different. If Smriti gets out early, I’m told to anchor and stay long,” she said. “If we need to score runs quickly, I’m asked to accelerate. For me, it’s never about personal milestones, it’s about the team’s rhythm.”

Rohl must axe Danilo & unleash Rangers starlet who has an "exciting future"

Will the start of yet another new era off the park lead to one on the pitch for Rangers?

On Monday, it was announced, somewhat out of the blue, that both chief executive Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell had been sacked, just weeks after they had been publicly backed by Andrew Cavenagh and other members of 49ers Enterprises.

Thelwell and Stewart oversaw the hiring and swift firing of Russell Martin, as well as appointing his successor Danny Röhl, with the power vacuum upstairs likely to see the German head coach have a rather large say when it comes to January recruitment.

Before the transfer window opens, Rangers have eight more matches to play, with Röhl still attempting to build a cohesive team out of the mishmash squad he has inherited, but which big-money signing should find himself on the bench against Falkirk on Sunday?

Danilo's continued poor performances

Rangers have signed plenty of players who have not lived up to their price tag in recent years, with Danilo right towards the top of that list.

Since arriving from Feyenoord in the summer of 2023 for a reported fee of £6m, the Brazilian striker has made just 67 appearances for the Light Blues due to injury problems.

However, when he is on the pitch, he is not delivering either, scoring just 15 times for the club, of which three have come this season, putting in a very underwhelming display during Thursday’s 1-1 draw with Braga, as the table below documents.

Danilo’s statistics vs Braga

Stats

Danilo

Match rank

Shots on target

1

3rd

Expected goals

0.15

6th

Successful dribbles

2

7th

Accurate passes

14

18th

Passing accuracy %

71%

17th

Touches

34

18th

Stats via SofaScore

As the table documents, Danilo made little impact on the night’s proceedings.

His major moment came just after the half hour mark, played in-behind by Mohamed Diomandé, but tamely shooting straight at Lukáš Horníček, lacking any semblance of confidence or conviction, never appearing to believe he was going to score.

In the Brazilian’s defence, he was deployed out of possession on the left-wing so, with that in mind, Röhl surely must start his forgotten special young talent when Falkirk visit Govan on Sunday instead.

Rangers' youngster with an exciting future ahead

Amazingly, 26 matches into this season across all competitions, only two Rangers players have scored four goals or more, namely Djeidi Gassama and James Tavernier.

Just below them on three goals is Findlay Curtis, despite the fact he has barely featured for three months.

The teenaged academy graduate made his senior debut against Fraserburgh in the Scottish Cup in January, but was one of the stars of Martin’s ill-fated tenure, scoring three times before 24 August.

The pick of the bunch was this rocket to secure a 2-0 victory over Panathinaikos in a Champions League qualifier back in July.

Overall, Curtis has seen 244 minutes of action this season, but just 17 minutes of this have come since the start of September, not featuring at all in 12 of Rangers’ last 15 fixtures.

He was given a nine minute cameo by Röhl during the defeat to Roma earlier this month, this the only time he has been seen under the new manager.

Despite this, Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout asserts that he has an “exciting future ahead”, while Kai Watson asserts that he “looked really bright” every time he is called upon.

Curtis’ direct dribbling and fearlessness is something Rangers severely lack, especially with Mikey Moore currently sidelined, while fellow wingers Oliver Antman and Thelo Aasgaard simply are not offering enough.

Thus, with games against Falkirk, Dundee United and then Kilmarnock up next, Röhl surely has to reintegrate Curtis, or risk him becoming the latest Rangers youngster who is forced to depart in search of first team opportunities.

Forget Djiga: Rohl must bin Rangers flop who lost the ball every 2 touches

Following Rangers’ 1-1 draw with Braga in the Europa League at Ibrox on Thursday, which flop must Danny Röhl axe who was even worse than Nasser Djiga?

ByBen Gray Nov 28, 2025

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