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It is an excellent time to be an Arsenal fan at the moment.

Mikel Arteta’s side still have a long way to go, but after another practically perfect weekend, they remain atop the Premier League table, now six points clear of Manchester City and seven clear of Liverpool.

Moreover, while the North Londoners could still improve in some areas, such as scoring from open play, they currently look the best they have been in a very long time.

As if that isn’t enough, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to deny that more than a handful of Arteta’s players now rank among the very best in the league, including one who is becoming even more influential than Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice.

Arteta's Arsenal leaders

During the final years of Arsène Wenger’s reign, and even under Unai Emery and early in Arteta’s time at the club, it wasn’t uncommon to hear fans and pundits alike lambast Arsenal for a lack of leaders in the team.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, over the last few years, such accusations have become far less prevalent, so much so, in fact, that to say such a thing today would be considered by many to be patently incorrect.

Arteta has helped turn the Gunners from a soft side that opposition teams loved playing against into a monstrous side that few, if any, teams look forward to playing.

From front to back, there are now leaders and mentality monsters all over.

For example, while he had a poor season last year, Martin Odegaard has been the club captain since the summer of 2022 and has been Norway’s captain for even longer.

Often alongside him, Declan Rice was the captain of West Ham United before his move, has now captained England on occasion and is often seen as the most vocal and ‘old-school’ leader in the squad.

Even Saka, who is still just 24 years old, has become a real leader in recent years, wearing the armband in Odegaard’s absence and keeping the side’s attack competitive when his fellow forwards have underwhelmed.

With all that said, there is another star of this Arsenal team who is not just becoming one of the most influential players at the Emirates, but within the entire league.

Arsenal's most influential player

When it comes to other leaders in this Arsenal team, it is becoming increasingly difficult to overlook the utterly superb Gabriel Magalhaes.

The Brazilian international first joined the team in the summer of 2020 for a fee of around £27m, and for the first couple of years, was seen as something of a liability at times.

However, over the last few years, the former LOSC Lille gem has managed to rid his game of the silly mistakes that were holding him back and transformed into one of the very best centre-backs in the Premier League, if not the world.

That might sound somewhat hyperbolic, but the facts suggest otherwise: since the 23/24 season, the Gunners have had the best defence in the Premier League, and over those campaigns, the 27-year-old has made 36, 28, and nine appearances, respectively.

Moreover, as things stand, the North Londoners have conceded just three goals across all competitions this year, one of which was Dominik Szoboszlai’s outrageous free-kick at Anfield.

So, there is a very real chance that the Sao Paulo-born titan could play a crucial role in breaking Chelsea’s record of conceding just 15 goals in a Premier League season this year.

Finally, while the 6 foot 3 wall’s most important job is keeping other teams from scoring, he has also become a serious threat in the opposition’s box over the years, and has been a massive reason why the Gunners are now the best set-piece team in the world.

For example, since moving to the Emirates, the towering “colossus,” as dubbed by Arsenal writer Adam Keys, has scored 22 goals and provided seven assists in 223 games, and as things stand, is now the 100th top scorer in the club’s history.

Ultimately, when you take into account his incredible defending, outrageous goalscoring threat and sensational leadership qualities, it’s impossible to disagree with Jamie Carragher’s claim that he’s “the most influential player in the Premier League right now.”

Forget Eze: Arsenal's 8/10 star is becoming Arteta's most important player

Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the Premier League with a win over Crystal Palace on Sunday.

By
Ethan Lamb

Oct 27, 2025

Liverpool scouts have just been spotted keeping an eye on a defensive star in the Champions League, according to recent reports, as they set their sights on a transfer battle against Arsenal.

The Reds’ defensive frailties were on show once again against Manchester City at the Etihad, and they’re fortunate that it’s Virgil van Dijk’s disallowed goal which has stolen the headlines. For the umpteenth time this season, the champions came undone all too easily as Pep Guardiola eased to a 3-0 victory in his 1000th game as a manager.

Arne Slot, whilst reflecting on the defeat, took the time to have his say on Van Dijk’s disallowed header – telling reporters that he believes Andy Robertson was not interfering with Gianluigi Donnarumma’s view.

PGMOL chief refereeing officer Howard Webb has since issued a response to Liverpool’s complaints, saying that it was “not unreasonable” to rule Van Dijk’s effort out on Sunday afternoon.

Alas, as the argument continues, Liverpool remain in a difficult position and as low as eighth in the Premier League. No one saw it coming from a side who comfortably strode towards the title last season, but Slot must now find a permanent solution.

Not Wirtz or Isak: Liverpool's "nervous wreck" at risk of becoming Nunez 2.0

Liverpool have fallen by the wayside under Arne Slot’s leadership this season.

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 12, 2025

Whether that means returning to the transfer market is the big question, especially in search of defensive reinforcements.

Liverpool and Arsenal scouts watching Wilfried Singo

As reported by Turkish outlet Sabah, Liverpool scouts were spotted watching Singo in Galatasaray’s dominant 3-0 win against Ajax in the Champions League last week.

The Gunners also had officials present to check on the right-back’s progress as they seek support for Jurrien Timber, with Ben White’s injury issues making him an unreliable deputy for the Dutchman.

And the Ivorian played his part as his side kept a clean sheet and made it three wins from four Champions League games, in a run of form that includes a win against Liverpool.

The Reds felt Singo’s quality in full as he kept Cody Gakpo quiet down their left-hand side and Galatasaray held on to secure a famous 1-0 victory at the end of September.

Singo enjoyed an excellent game against the Reds, losing possession just once, making four recoveries and winning over half of his aerial duels. Gakpo, meanwhile, was limited to just three touches in the Galatasaray box and made just one pass into the final third.

The 24-year-old has been on the rise for a few years now and interest from both Arsenal and Liverpool should come as little surprise. Described as “intelligent” by former AS Monaco teammate Thilo Kehrer, Singo could be destined for the Premier League in 2026 in what would be the biggest move of his career so far.

Liverpool's "generational" Doku regen is destined to take the #11 from Salah

MatériaMais Notícias

O Raposa irá reencontrar o Corinthians nesta quarta-feira (10), às 21h30 (de Brasília), pela primeira partida da semifinal da Copa do Brasil. O jogo marcará também outro duelo entre o Cruzeiro e Dorival Júnior, embate que já aconteceu 25 vezes.

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Em mais de 20 de anos de encontros, os jogos entre as duas partes tem muito equilíbrio, mas o técnico leva ligeira vantagem. Até o momento, ele venceu nove duelos, os mineiros venceram sete e em nove oportunidades os jogos ficaram empatados.

➡️Tudo sobre o Cabuloso agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Cruzeiro

Entretanto, em seu trabalho no Corinthians, o Cruzeiro ainda não foi batido por Dorival Júnior. Os clubes se enfrentaram duas vezes, com um empate em 0 a 0 na Neo Química Arena, e um atropelo que resultou no placar de 3 a 0 para a Raposa no Mineirão.

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Um dado curioso sobre o duelo é que, apesar da vantagem de vitórias do treinador do Corinthians, o saldo de gols é zero. Nos 25 confrontos, o Cabuloso marcou 33 gols e sofreu o mesmo número. Esta será também a primeira vez que o técnico enfrenta o clube mineiro pela Copa do Brasil.

Estatísticas do Cruzeiro contra Dorival Júnior7 vitórias do Cruzeiro9 vitórias dos times de Dorival Júnior9 empates33 gols marcados pelo Cruzeiro33 gols sofridos pelo CruzeirCruzeiro x Corinthians

Cruzeiro e Corinthians irão se enfrentar nesta quarta-feira (10), às 21h30 (de Brasília), no Mineirão, pela partida de ida da semifinal da Copa do Brasil.

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No fim de semana, a Raposa conseguiu confirmar uma posição importante no Campeonato Brasileiro ao voltar a ficar entre os três primeiros colocados. Antes disso, a melhor colocação celeste havia sido no título brasileiro de 2014.

Além disso, o retrospecto é positivo para o Cruzeiro. Nos últimos cinco jogos contra o Timão, o Cabuloso perdeu apenas um, por 2 a 1, no segundo turno do Brasileirão de 2024. Antes, havia vencido por 3 a 0 em casa e empatado em 1 a 1 em 2023. Nesta temporada, empatou em 0 a 0 na Neo Química Arena e passeou no Mineirão com um 3 a 0.

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Copa do BrasilCruzeiroFutebol Nacional

Defending one-day champions South Australia claimed a nine-wicket win over Queensland, banking a bonus point in their rain-marred victory.As rain restricted the match to a maximum 25 overs each, Queensland were bowled out for 128 in 23.5 overs at Karen Rolton Oval in Adelaide. The hosts were set 120 to win under the DLS method and won with with 47 balls to spare.Related

• McAndrew's five gets defending champions South Australia up and running

• Tasmania down WA to extend silky start to One-Day Cup

SA, the holders of the Dean Jones Trophy, now have two wins from four games – the same as Queensland.Their run chase was given early impetus by Jake Fraser-McGurk, who blasted six fours in making 27 from 14 balls. Fraser-McGurk’s cameo ended when bowled by a superb off-cutter from James Bazley.But opener Mackenzie Harvey and captain Nathan McSweeney then set about the chase with the bonus point in mind.South Australia needed to win inside 20 overs and Harvey and McSweeney easily reached that goal with an unbroken 80-run partnership.Earlier, Queensland slipped to 13 for 2 inside five overs before a lengthy rain delay. On return, only veteran Jimmy Peirson managed an innings of substance, smacking three sixes and three fours in making 42 from 83 ballsThe only other Queenslanders to reach double-figures were Bazley, Hugh Weibgen and Max Bryant. The visitors failed to bat out their 25 overs as SA skipper McSweeney claimed 3 for 12 from 3.1 overs with his offspinners. McSweeney had initially brought himself on when Wes Agar couldn’t complete his second over.Liam Scott and Lloyd Pope also enjoyed multiple success and paceman Nathan McAndrew returned figures of 1 for 7 from four overs.

Notts gain vital first-innings advantage before Matthew Fisher’s second five-for keeps Surrey in touch

Vithushan Ehantharajah16-Sep-2025Nottinghamshire 231 and 219 for 8 (Patterson-White 58, Fisher 5-57) lead Surrey 173 (Burns 47, James 3-35, Tongue 3-43) by 277 runsThe 2025 Division One season has been a scrappy affair. Sparse on real, top-tier quality, in part because of a wayward schedule. Even here at the Kia Oval, the home of the defending champions, it has been far from vintage. Nevertheless, 80,484 people have come through the gates this summer. Around 41,000 of them Surrey members wanting to vibe with a historic four-peat push.On Tuesday, however, for the first time this season, those of the brown cap persuasion had to confront the idea that, maybe, this might be a County Championship title too far. Worse still, the team that may take it from them were doing it on their patch.Nottinghamshire were trailing by a point coming into this penultimate round, and then four after being rolled for 231 in their first innings. But by stumps on day two, after 17 wickets had fallen, they were very much in front. They will start Wednesday on 219 for 8, 277 ahead, meaning Surrey will need the highest score of the match to win, on a pitch playing tricks off the straight. Nottinghamshire, having had the better of the first two days, are on the cusp of inflicting Surrey’s first home defeat since June 2023, and stealing a march on their title rivals into the final round.They have Lyndon James to thank for that. The allrounder, having the best season of his career, blew the match wide open in the morning session, taking 3 for 35 and then provided 47 vital runs. He was robbed of the honour of seeing out the day by Matthew Fisher, trimming him off for a for his second five-wicket haul in the match. Fisher’s 5 for 61 on day one – his first five-for for Surrey – gave his new county control. And when they relinquished it, dismissed for 173 in their own first innings, the 27-year-old dug deeper with five more and a maiden 10-wicket haul. He wrestled the game back Surrey’s way, at one point possessing figures of 4 for 11 from 3.3 overs, with Nottinghamshire reeling on 53 for 5, just 111 in front.But back came James to the fore, initially with a 36-run stand with Kyle Verreynne before finding an effective cruising speed with Liam Patterson-White for a collective 91 for the seventh wicket. Patterson-White, having brought up his third fifty-plus score of the season in 63 deliveries, looked on course to return on day three only to fall as Dan Worrall’s third victim shortly after 6pm with the close in sight.After a sedate start to day two, the match seemed to accelerate all of a sudden, almost as if it suddenly tipped over the peak of a roller coaster, which was when Surrey were cruising on a steady ascent. From 101 for 1, nine wickets were lost for 72 in 19.4 deliveries, a collapse triggered by a nine-over spell of unrelenting class from James.The 26-year-old’s 3 for 35 at the Vauxhall End began with the removal of nightwatcher Tom Lawes – chipping to cover to end a stand of 59 with skipper Rory Burns – before using a lacquer-less, 30-something-overs-old Dukes ball in tandem with Brett Hutton to send Nottinghamshire into lunch with the home top six accounted for.A lifter that left Ben Foakes was followed by something a little fuller, shaping away. Foakes, now sitting a little more on the back foot, reached and edged through to Verreyne. That ended up being the third dismissal for just 17 in 37 deliveries, sandwiching Hutton’s vital wicket of Burns on 47, moving one into his front shin.A leading edge gave Dan Lawrence a three-ball duck, and when Ollie Pope skewed a poorly judged drive to second slip, James had his third – the fifth dismissal in 48 deliveries. Emerging after lunch on 141 for 6, the heavies were brought on – Josh Tongue and Dillon Pennington – to feast on what remained.By now, batters were casting anxious glances at the pitch, particularly the off-stump channel that, as ever, was a productive area to plough. That ramped up when Worrall got one to scuttle into Ben Slater’s off stump. And it was in this area that Fisher got to work, angling a couple off the seam to dismiss visiting captain Haseeb Hameed and Joe Clarke leg before.Left-hander Freddie McCann was done similarly from around the wicket, and when Jack Haynes inside-edged onto his stumps, Fisher had seen off one of the top order in each of his first four overs.Perhaps Nottinghamshire were guilty of being a little too passive early on. But James and Patterson-White learned, and when the latter pulled Lawes to midwicket for six on the shorter side, there was a subtle shift in mood.Maybe even a template for Surrey to follow, who themselves were a little shy with the bat. Though they finished the day with renewed enthusiasm having seen off both James and Patterson-White in the space of 3.1 overs, the target that will eventually come there way will require the very best of them. Something that has not been seen thus far.

Former Manchester United stars Angel Gomes and Mason Greenwood were both on the scoresheet to fire Marseille back to the summit of Ligue 1 on Saturday in a 3-0 win over Brest. It was a much-needed victory for Roberto De Zerbi's side after a turbulent few weeks, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also on target for the hosts at the Stade Velodrome.

• Gomes opens the floodgates

  The breakthrough came midway through the first half when Gomes stood over a free-kick just outside the box. The 23-year-old curled a dipping effort that seemed simple enough for Brest goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki. However, the ball slipped through the keeper’s hands and trickled over the line, to hand the hosts an unlikely lead. Eight minutes later, Marseille’s dominance was rewarded again. A clumsy challenge on Pierre-Emile Højbjerg inside the area gave Greenwood the chance to double the lead from the spot. The English forward was calm and clinical as he sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to score his fifth of the campaign. By the time the clock hit 82 minutes, the result was beyond doubt. Matt O’Riley whipped in a perfect cross from the right, and Aubameyang rose to meet it with a powerful header that left Majecki rooted. 

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• De Zerbi: 'We played with joy again'

  After the final whistle, De Zerbi was visibly relieved. The Italian coach has come under intense scrutiny following a string of frustrating results, including a painful Champions League defeat to Atalanta and a disjointed draw against Angers.

  "Against Angers it was more or less the same lineup as against Brest," he said. "I had a lot of fun from the bench, we moved the ball well, played vertically, pressed high, created plenty of goal-scoring chances, and kept up the strong pressing. We also switched formations when Brest changed at halftime. That's my OM a bit. We can play really well like we did in Lisbon. You've found the right madman with me—it doesn't scare me one bit."

  Reflecting on the Angers match, he said, "We didn’t play well against Angers and Atalanta. The other matches, we played better, but we got less than we deserved. We were unlucky." 

• A welcome response to critics

  The win couldn’t have come at a better time. Marseille’s stumbles in Europe had sparked talk of a crisis in the French press, with pundits calling for accountability. Jerome Rothen, the outspoken former PSG winger, didn’t hold back earlier this week. Speaking on he blasted both De Zerbi and his players.

  "OM's results are ridiculous, that's the reality," he said. "They're struggling and in a group of teams that are currently eliminated and look more like Europa League teams than Champions League teams . Let's call a spade a spade. When you look at De Zerbi's record, it's 10 Champions League matches and one win. That sums it up. Tactically, he doesn't have the tools, he can't find the ingredients and the skills to push OM to be better. He was outmanoeuvred by Juric, the Atalanta coach. There was a casting error."

  He further added, "Who recruited and built this team? When you see OM's resources, which are not Atalanta's resources, and you see such a difference in performance and technical execution. In yesterday's match, apart from Greenwood and Rulli, the rest is useless. The players who were there yesterday, who have special statuses and who are highlighted like [Pierre-Emile] Hojbjerg. They highlight that he is an experienced player, but he is an average player! You look at his big matches in the Champions League and you will see that he is nothing."

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  Marseille back on top in Ligue 1

  The win over Brest was Marseille’s eighth in the league this season, pushing them one point clear of Paris Saint-Germain at the summit. However, PSG can reclaim top spot with a win over Lyon on Sunday. And with an international break looming, De Zerbi will finally have time to regroup and recharge his squad. They will be back in action against Nice away from home on November 21 before hosting Newcastle four days later at home in the Champions League.  

Arsenal have a brimming pipeline of exciting young talent and could be set to add prodigious Montpellier gem Laciné Megnan-Pavé to their ranks if they can fight off competition for his services.

Fighting on all fronts, the Gunners have began to call on the strength of their squad in recent times, evidenced in the fact that Andre Harriman-Annous starred in their victory over Brighton & Hove Albion in midweek.

Clearly, there is room for developing talent to feature under Mikel Arteta should youngsters impress at underage level. With his side top of the Premier League and seeking to go deep into multiple competitions, domestic matches outwith the top-flight may be the breeding ground to blood more of their academy.

However, chances for Hale End prodigies may dry up amid positive injury updates on Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke and Kai Havertz. Strength in depth is key for the Gunners, and supporters will be delighted that the Spaniard will soon have added flexibility ahead of the festive fixture list.

Adding context, he added: “I see them work every single day, how desperate they are to be part of the team, the huge boost that is going to be for the squad to have those players available again after such a long time. I’m really happy that I think it’s going to be very soon.”

His happiness may be about to multiply, given Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta already appears to have one eye on the next youngster to enter the conveyor belt of bristiling talent at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal fighting Barcelona for Montpellier sensation Laciné Megnan-Pavé

According to Sport.fr, Arsenal are looking to sign Montpellier youngster Laciné Megnan-Pavé and sporting director Berta will look to beat the might of Barcelona to land the services of the exciting goalscorer.

At just 15 years of age, he is already captain of France’s Under-16 squad and has shown a demonstrable track record of hitting the target after notching 15 goals and 12 assists in 24 games last season.

Now under observation due to his ‘explosive’ profile, murmurs insist that Montpellier will offer him a three-year professional contract once he turns 16, albeit the notion of making your name at an elite club like Arsenal may be difficult to turn down.

Physically, he stands at 6ft 1in and is more than a match for defenders despite still having plenty of years to grow, adding another layer of intrigue as the Gunners look to secure his services.

LOS ANGELES — Sometimes, a Dodgers player will check the news and find his name in it, alongside his manager’s. Dave Roberts has told the media—and through them, the fans—that he finds something about the player’s performance unacceptable. The player is rarely surprised. 

This week, it has been star shortstop Mookie Betts: “I think he’s pressing,” was Roberts’s diagnosis after Betts went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in Game 5 of the World Series to bring his series batting average to .130. “You can see there’s a little anxiousness there.”

This is an unusual approach for a modern manager. This October, Padres skipper Mike Shildt praised right fielder Fernando Tatís’s at-bat quality all the way through his 1-for-12 National League wild-card series. Cubs manager Craig Counsell discounted the idea that Pete Crow-Armstrong was trying to do too much even as the center fielder swung at breaking balls in the dirt. Yankees skipper Aaron Boone spent much of the summer insisting that shortstop Anthony Volpe, who over a two-week stretch in August had more errors (two) than hits (one), had just been unlucky. Six days after the Blue Jays bounced the Yankees from the playoffs, Volpe underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. 

Meanwhile, last week, Roberts told the assembled media that the Dodgers would not win the World Series if two-way star Shohei Ohtani’s at-bats did not improve. 

PHILLIPS: Inside the Numbers of the Dodgers’ Postseason Offensive Collapse

You might expect that sort of public criticism to rankle his players. They say it does the opposite. 

“I’ve always loved it,” says third baseman Max Muncy. “When he comes out and says things in statements to the media, it’s not anything he hasn’t told the player before. So the player is never being caught off guard. And sometimes as players, you need to feel that pressure. If he’s just talking to you and he says it, that’s one thing, but if he talks to you and says it, and then you see it on MLB Network, then it’s like, ”

Roberts sees that level of candor as part of his job. 

“I think it’s important for them, for the fans and the media to know that I have certain standards and expectations, and it’s not an embarrassment [thing], it's a transparency [thing],” he says. “And I think that they know that I root for them as hard as anyone else, and so when I’m honest with the media, I think that’s why it lands. I am also the first to support them and back them when things aren’t going well, but I do feel that there’s times where I feel like I gotta be honest with what everyone’s seeing, and I just think that I’ve built enough equity with our guys that they know that I’m not just trying to embarrass them.”

Manchester United are now about to sign a South American wonderkid, according to reports, who is “on his way” to seal his move.

Man Utd have "no excuses", says Amorim

After a frustrating defeat against Everton at Old Trafford on Monday, the last thing that Man United need is a trip to face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Those are the cards they’ve been dealt, however, and Ruben Amorim’s side now have the task of getting back to winning ways at one of the toughest grounds in the Premier League.

Man Utd in contact and lead race to sign attacking talent likened to Neymar

The Red Devils have a keen eye for talent overseas and could be about to rock the South American market in their latest pursuit.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Nov 29, 2025

The Man United boss has no time for excuses this season, though – telling reporters in the build-up: “In our club it’s the same thing because last year we had to win every game all the time and we took a lot of things, a lot of criticism because we were not winning.

“So, in our club, there is no excuses. About Europe, I already talked about Europe, and I said the same thing last year when we were in Europe and I say the same thing this year, the advantage and the disadvantage of not being in Europe. So, there is no excuses. Last year or this year, we have always to win games.”

Victory could take the Red Devils to as high as fourth if other results go their way in what would be a major boost after 13 games. Defeat, meanwhile, could see them drop down to as low as 14th in familiar territory to last season.

INEOS and Amorim will know just how important Champions League qualification is on and off the pitch. Away from the action, it would allow them to attract the likes of Elliot Anderson, who now also has the interest of Manchester City.

It would also make them an attractive option for more young players, having already agreed a deal to sign South American youngster Cristian Orozco.

Cristian Orozco now "on his way" to sign for Man Utd

According to Fabrizio Romano, Orozco is now “on his way” to sign for Man United and travelling with lead scout Giuseppe Antonaccio after INEOS completed a deal worth $1m (£750,000) with Fortaleza.

Those at Old Trafford have signed the 17-year-old in the hope that he follows the same path that others have done so many times before in South America.

The Premier League is littered with several stars who launched careers in South America before reaching stardom in English football. Usually, it’s been the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion taking full advantage, but Chelsea and now Man United are beginning to take full advantage.

The Blues now have one of the best teenagers in the world in Estevao Willian and if Orozco is anywhere near as talented as the winger then United have hit the jackpot.

Man Utd eye move for £80m star who Man City would "love" to buy in January

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl certainly likes a challenge. To go from the situation at Sheffield Wednesday to taking on a team that had a disastrous spell under Russell Martin takes some guts.

The Light Blues had a dismal start to the season under their former manager, who won one match in the Scottish Premiership, but things are already starting to turn around.

Rangers won five of the 17 matches that Martin was in the dugout for before they decided to part ways with him last month after a 1-1 draw with Falkirk in the Premiership.

Rohl has provided the Gers with an instant lift in the league. He has won all three of his matches in the top-flight, most recently with a 3-0 win over Dundee before the international break.

The former Sheffield Wednesday boss has, though, lost both of his Europa League games in charge, to Brann and Roma, which is a reminder that there is plenty of work that needs to be done.

Too many of the summer signings made by Martin and Kevin Thelwell have either flopped or have been too inconsistent, and there may be some decisions to make in January.

The summer signings who should be let go by Rangers in January

The new owners provided Thelwell with the backing to build a squad with the intention of competing for trophies in the 2025/26 campaign, but it did not go to plan under the previous coaching staff.

As you can see in the graphic above, the likes of Youssef Chermiti, Bojan Miovski, Joe Rothwell, and Mikey Moore came through the door to bolster the club’s options across the pitch.

Rothwell is one player whose future may be in doubt heading into January. At the age of 30, he was surely brought in to make an instant impact, but the central midfielder has only featured in two of Rohl’s six games and failed to make the matchday squad in the last two, per Sofascore.

Emmanuel Fernandez is another summer signing who may be on the move in January, as the young centre-back has only made three appearances in all competitions. A loan move away from Ibrox to play regular game time could be the best decision for his short-term future, if he is not going to get increased game time at Ibrox.

The former Peterborough man may not be the only centre-back who departs Glasgow when the January transfer window opens, though, as the manager should also send Nasser Djiga back to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Dundee

8

Roma

90

Celtic

102

Hibernian

90

Kilmarnock

0

Brann

76

Dundee United

0

Falkirk

90

Sturm Graz

0

Livingston

0

As you can see in the table above, the Burkina Faso international has been in and out of the team in recent months, under Martin, Stevie Smith, and Rohl, without being able to nail down a place in the starting XI.

Wolves presumably sent Djiga to Ibrox to play regular football and develop as a player, but he has not done enough with his chances on the pitch to prove that the manager should make him a first-choice option.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The Premier League loanee has failed to convince with his performances for the Light Blues, and Rohl could end his Ibrox career by unleashing James Tavernier in a rarely-seen role on a regular basis.

Why Rangers should part ways with Nasser Djiga in January

The Light Blues should look to cancel Djiga’s loan deal in the January transfer window because he has not been a reliable performer for the Scottish giants so far this season.

Heart & Hand podcast creator David Edgar described him as “rotten” and Four Lads Had A Dream claimed that he “genuinely looks lost” during the loss to Celtic in the semi-final of the League Cup earlier this month.

Back in August, Rangers icon Ally McCoist said that Djiga broke “every rule as a centre-back in the planet” when he failed to usher the ball back to Jack Butland against Club Brugge in a Champions League qualifier, which turned out to be a costly mistake.

This shows that fan media and pundits alike have been left unconvinced by his showings at centre-back on the pitch, whilst his lack of consistent game time suggests that his multiple managers have also been unconvinced.

Whilst the January transfer window could be utilised to sign a new centre-back to replace Djiga, Rohl could end the defender’s Ibrox career by playing Tavernier as a centre-back.

With Max Aarons at the club on loan from Bournemouth, Rangers have another right-back option who can fill in and allow the captain to play as a right-sided centre-back, which would negate any need for Djiga to continue his loan beyond January.

Right-back

502

132 + 139

Right midfield

10

2 + 3

Centre-back

7

0 + 2

Defensive midfield

3

0 + 1

As you can see in the table above, Tavernier has rarely played at centre-back for the Gers, with just seven appearances, but he does have some experience in that role.

The English full-back played as a right-sided centre-back in the 3-1 win over Kilmarnock and the 2-0 defeat to Roma, although both of those outings were as part of a back four.

It would be interesting to see how he fares as a right-sided centre-back in a back four for Rangers under Rohl, as he has won 52% of his aerial duels in the Premiership this season, per Sofascore, which suggests that he could hold his own in aerial battles in the heart of the defence.

Unleashing the captain in that new role in a back four, with John Souttar and Derek Cornelius also available for selection, would allow the manager to ruthlessly ditch Djiga and end his underwhelming loan in January.

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ByTom Cunningham Nov 12, 2025

Now, though, it is down to the German head coach to decide whether or not to experiment with this tactical change in order to end Djiga’s time with the Gers.