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Leeds United have been linked with a late move to sign a new defender this summer as they look to bolster their ranks this summer.

Farke wants four new faces

With just 11 days until the transfer window slams shut, there is still plenty for Daniel Farke and co to do at Elland Road. Yet to win a game this season despite a sparkling pre-season, they sit 16th in the Championship and have already been knocked out of the EFL Cup at the first hurdle.

They are also losing Georginio Rutter to Brighton after the Seagulls triggered his £40m release clause, with the Frenchman becoming the third high-profile exit from the Yorkshire side this summer following the departures of Archie Gray and Crysencio Summerville to Tottenham and West Ham United respectively.

Leeds United permanent departures summer 2024

Player

Club joined

Archie Gray

Tottenham

Crysencio Summerville

West Ham United

Glen Kamara

Rennes

Charlie Cresswell

Toulouse

Jamie Shackleton

Sheffield United

Cody Drameh

Hull City

Robin Koch

Eintracht Frankfurt

Ian Poveda

Sunderland

Luke Ayling

Middlesbrough

Marc Roca

Real Betis

Diego Llorente

Real Betis

Georginio Rutter

Brighton (TBC)

It means that there is something of a sour mood around Elland Road even early in the season, and Farke has already outlined the amount of work his side still have to do in the transfer window.

"We would need cover at full-back, in midfield and two offensive positions. Cannot guarantee we will get all of these, but four is roughly what I would like to see," he explained after his side struggled to a goalless draw with West Brom at The Hawthorns on Saturday.

The club have been linked with both Jack Clarke and Jonathan Rowe this summer, and it remains unclear whether either the Sunderland or Norwich stars will end up at Elland Road to fill one of those attacking positions targeted.

Now, reports suggest that Leeds have identified a potential new addition to solve another one of those issues.

Leeds United express interest in free-agent

That comes with The Daily Mail, relayed by MOT Leeds News, reporting that Leeds and the 49ers Enterprises are eyeing up a move for veteran defender Michael Lang and have expressed their interest.

The Swiss fullback has appeared 31 times for his national side and has racked up over 200 appearances for Basel across two separate spells. Now a free agent, the 33-year-old could be an option to provide cover at right back to Jayden Bogle, who joined the Elland Road outfit this summer.

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Given he would cost nothing in terms of a transfer fee, Lang could well be a savvy option to add more depth to the squad, with Bogle currently one of two recognised right-backs among Farke's ranks following the departure of Connor Roberts and Gray this summer.

Having failed to make an appearance for Basel in the last 12 months of his contract though, there will be serious reservations over his ability should he arrive, with the veteran arguably well past his peak, though having scored a Champions League winner against Manchester United back in 2017 might lend him some credit with the Leeds supporters.

Nottingham Forest have been tipped to table a massive bid to land a new forward ahead of the upcoming Premier League season.

Forest enjoying South American success

Since their promotion to the Premier League in 2022, Nuno Espírito Santo's side have had plenty of success by raiding the south American market. Their headline success has been centre-back Murillo, who arrived at the City Ground from Corinthians 12 months ago in a £10m move.

He promptly cemented himself as one of the best defenders outside the top six and drew admiring glances from across Europe on his way to helping Forest avoid relegation on the final day of last season.

Quizzed on his future, the Brazilian defender admitted he may look to leave Forest in the future to play Champions League football, but committed himself to the Garibaldi for at least another season.

“I need regular game-time and really feel that with Forest I’m in the best place for my career,” he said. “Staying here for another season will enable me to mature as a player and eventually become better prepared if the chance ever comes to play at another level one day."

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The City Ground side are set to be busy in the coming weeks.

ByBen Browning Jul 30, 2024

But the 22-year-old is not the only player plucked from Brazil, with young midfielder Danilo also having been signed from Palmeiras, while Forest have already explored this avenue this summer by bringing Carlos Miguel to the City Ground from Corinthians in a move worth £3.3m. Now, they could be set to return to Corinthians to snap up a highly rated talent for their frontline.

Nottingham Forest readying move for teenager

That comes with Forest ready to table a £20m+ bid for forward Wesley Gassova, who has also been on the radar of West Ham United.

The forward, who doesn't turn 20 until March next year, is much more experienced than Murillo was when Forest signed him, having made 79 appearances for Corinthians. Largely deployed on the left of attack, he can also play in central areas.

Wesley's career to date

Appearances

79

Starts

43

Goals

7

Assists

6

However, he is another player whose career seems primed to take off when he moves to Europe. Football Analyst Ben Mattinson dubbed him a "dribbling monster" who "is going to break ankles all around Europe" when he eventually moves across the Atlantic.

As per Brazilian reporter Bruno Andrade, Al Nassr have seen a deal worth 25m euros (£21.3m) fall through as a result of intermediaries failing to come to an agreement, but Forest are "on track to offer similar" to try and get an agreement over the line.

It is added that "the club's board of directors still hopes to sell the player in the coming days" amid Forest interest, suggesting that there is confidence a deal could be completed with the Midlands outfit.

Should a move for Wesley prove even half as successful as the deal that brought Murillo to the City Ground, Forest will grab a bargain.

Chelsea have been approached over signing a £150,000-per-week forward as his agent offers him out to clubs, and he's a player who former Blues boss Thomas Tuchel once told the Stamford Bridge hierarchy to strike a deal for.

Stewart and Winstanley targeting new forward for Chelsea

The west Londoners have been one of the Premier League's busiest sides in terms of total summer arrivals, with Chelsea potentially about to take their tally of new signings into double figures for the window.

Chelsea could now sell £200,000-a-week star they think won't suit Maresca

The Blues aren’t convinced he’s the right fit tactically.

ByEmilio Galantini Aug 1, 2024

Teenage KRC Genk goalkeeper Mike Penders is reportedly on the verge of joining Chelsea after agreeing to join Enzo Maresca's side. Reports claim a £16.8 million Chelsea deal is agreed for Penders, who will remain at Genk on loan for the rest of the season to further his development.

If Todd Boehly and co manage to officially get the 19-year-old over the line, he'll be Chelsea's tenth signing of the summer, following deals for Tosin Adarabioyo (Fulham), Omari Kellyman (Aston Villa), Renato Veiga (FC Basel), Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Leicester City), Filip Jorgensen (Villarreal), Marc Guiu (Barcelona), Estevao Willian (Palmeiras), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United) and Aaron Anselmino (Boca Juniors).

Cole Palmer

7.48

Conor Gallagher

7.13

Nicolas Jackson

7.07

Moises Caicedo

6.85

Noni Madueke

6.84

Co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, who have taken charge of the club's transfer plans over these last few months, have been very active in the market – but only a handful of the aforementioned bunch can be classed as senior upgrades.

Tosin, Jorgensen and Dewsbury-Hall look the most likely to make an immediate impact in Maresca's first team, while the rest appear to be more long-term investments on Chelsea's part, due to their age.

There is also the matter of bringing in a new wide forward or striker, which is what Chelsea are reportedly planning behind-the-scenes. The Blues have been linked with Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams recently, and attempted to strike a deal for Michael Olise, before he joined Bayern Munich.

Chelsea were even considering Raheem Sterling as a makeweight in talks for Olise, but the 22-year-old instead chose to link up with Vincent Kompany in Bavaria.

Chelsea offered Federico Chiesa by agent as they consider approach

It will be interesting to see who they opt to bring in as an alternative, with Juventus star Federico Chiesa emerging as a possibility recently.

He scored 10 goals and assisted three others for Juve last season, and according to journalist Simon Phillips, Chelsea have been offered Chiesa by his agent as they consider taking him up on the proposal.

“The agent of Federico Chiesa has approached Chelsea, SPTC sources understand," wrote Phillips. “Chelsea have not yet given a definitive answer, and have been considering it.

"But sources think it’s unlikely. His agent spoke to Chelsea though because we have had recent interest in Chiesa. Thomas Tuchel suggested him to the board when he was in charge, and the board did seriously look at signing him. It wasn’t possible or viable at that time, but Chiesa does still have some admirers at Chelsea, so let’s see if anything comes of that one."

The £150,000-per-week forward could be available for a cut-price £25 million due to his contract, which is set to expire next year. The winger also boasts over half a century of caps for Italy at international level, and helped the Azzurri clinch a Euro 2020 title at the expense of England.

Tottenham Hotspur had plenty of positives to take from last season, from the emergence of a talent like Destiny Udogie to the scintillating football Ange Postecoglou had the team playing at times.

However, as should be expected in a new manager's debut campaign, there were a few issues ranging from a collapse in form from players like James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski towards the end of the campaign, to a lack of goals throughout, as evidenced by the fact that six teams scored more than them in the league.

So, with this clearly an area of the team that needs improvement, it's unsurprising that the latest player touted for a move to N17 is a Premier League-proven goalscorer who could potentially help Kulusevski reach an entirely new level.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from GIVEMESPORT, Tottenham have maintained their interest in Brentford striker Ivan Toney this summer and are now among the frontrunners to sign him.

Alongside the Lilywhites, the report claims that West Ham United are also near the front of the queue for the Englishman's signature, but it is Spurs who have the edge, as the Hammers are currently looking for alternative options.

The story has also revealed that due to the striker's contract expiring next summer and the lack of interest in him from other clubs, the North Londoners are preparing to make a 'lowball offer' to the Bees, which could be below their new £50m valuation, per the Sun.

If Daniel Levy and Co can get their hands on Toney for £50m or less this summer, they should, as his goalscoring record would surely see the club ascend the table, and he could even help Kulusevski become unplayable.

How Toney could help improve Kulusevski

There may well be several reasons why Toney would be a great teammate for Kulusevski, from the personal to the professional, but when it comes to what he can do on the pitch, it boils down to just one: his output.

Now, last season was certainly disappointing for the Englishman in this regard, but considering he was banned from all footballing activities until the new year due to his betting-related ban, it would be entirely unfair to use this as a stick to beat him with, especially as the two campaigns prior were incredibly impressive.

For example, in his first season following promotion with the West Londoners, he scored 14 goals and provided six assists in 37 games.

Appearances

37

35

17

Goals

14

21

4

Assists

6

5

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.54

0.74

0.35

The following year, the Northampton-born "monster", as dubbed by manager Thomas Frank, did even better, scoring 21 goals and providing five assists in 35 appearances, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 1.34 games.

It's this ability to put the ball into the back of the net and chip in with the odd assist here and there that would help Spurs' Swedish wideman to become so much more effective next season, as under Postecoglou last year, only Son Heung-min and Richarlison produced over 16 goal involvements.

Moreover, according to Understat, the former Juventus star's tally of three league assists in 23/24 was a massive underperformance from his expected assists figure of 8.62, and while he undoubtedly had a small part to play in that, the failure of his teammates to put away his chances was a more significant reason for the disappointing discrepancy between expectation and reality.

Ultimately, based on how well Toney performed in his first two full seasons of top-flight football, there is no doubt that were he the one getting on the end of Kulusevski's chances, the Swede would have an awful lot more assists to his name, and Spurs could be gearing up for a return to Champions League football in 2024/25.

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Therefore, even if Levy and Co can't negotiate his fee to below £50m, they should do what they can to ensure the Brentford poacher makes his way to N17 this summer.

The underwhelming Europa League draw with Fenerbahce became the latest in a long list of poor performances as the Dutchman muddles on

It feels as though Manchester United are never too far from disappointment at present, and they took their latest backwards step by throwing away a lead to draw with Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce on Thursday night in the Europa League. The Red Devils' nasty habit of throwing away leads in Europe reared its head again, as Christian Eriksen's opener was almost inevitably cancelled out.

A third-straight draw leaves Erik ten Hag's side – among the favourites to lift the trophy – way down the standings in the new-look competition and facing the very real prospect of humiliation if they don't buck up their ideas, and that may well require a change of manager.

This was another performance that was symptomatic of their long-standing problems under Ten Hag, and even though United avoided defeat there is a sense that the beleaguered Dutchman is clinging on by his fingertips as INEOS delay the inevitable. This is not a side that looks capable of lifting the Europa League trophy come May.

• AFP
  

  'We showed we are hard to beat'

  Ten Hag has a habit of being misinterpreted, with his English not always perfect, but his message after the draw in Istanbul was pretty clear: this was an acceptable result in difficult circumstances.

  There is undoubtedly some truth to that as United toiled to a point against the backdrop of the cacophonous and hostile atmosphere of the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, but after draws with Twente and Porto, fans were surely expecting more from one of the favourites to win the competition against a side who sit fourth in the Turkish league, eight points off top spot.

  "I think when you take the two points, Porto and Fenerbahce away, it showed we are a team who's hard to beat, and we showed it again today," Ten Hag told after the match. "So we can take confidence again from this game and take this on into the league."

  Pressed on whether this kind of result is acceptable, he admitted: "We have to win. We created the chances but we have to be killing more. We let the opponent get away with a point." He later added: "Now we have two games at Old Trafford [in the Europa League]. We have to win if we want to progress in Europe."

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• AFP
  

  Bizarre experiment

  Even before kick-off, the Dutchman had sparked more bemusement when the line-ups were released. Amid a raft of injuries, he had opted to field nominal right-back Noussair Mazaraoui in the No.10 role despite still having Amad Diallo and Casemiro at his disposal.

  "We have some injuries and a suspension with Bruno, so we had to be creative. Also, we had some players who have a short turnaround to West Ham, so we've made some changes there and a different set-up, but not so much different because we want to keep consistency," the manager explained. "We bring Mazraoui into the No.10 position. I know him from before, sometimes played him there for Ajax, also playing him as a full-back, and also in our system he's playing in the half spaces."

  It was a tactical decision that left Man Utd legend Paul Scholes flummoxed. "I’m confused by it," he said on . "I even think his explanation of it was confusing… I think Eriksen is perfect for that. I hope Mazraoui understands better what he has to do than I do. I found it difficult to understand Ten Hag’s explanation. I don’t see him as a No.10."

  Although he did play a role in United's goal, Mazraoui unsurprisingly looked out of place so far up the pitch and was eventually shifted back. Reflecting on the decision, Ten Hag said: "Experiment? We would never come up with this if we didn't have issues. It's a long time ago [that] he played there but he's capable to do it and we have seen today, in the lead-up to the goal he plays the role but also to strengthen the midfield, support the pressing, he was doing quite well in that position so [I'm] pleased with his performance."

• AFP
  

  'It's a good result for Man Utd'

  After the 1-1 draw, the man in the opposite dugout was under no illusions as to who deserved to win the game. Mourinho had been fired up throughout the encounter, earning himself yet another red card as he was sent to the stands for storming out of his technical area to remonstrate with the fourth official over the non-award of a penalty.

  While backhandedly complimenting United goalkeeper Andre Onana for a stunning double save when the Red Devils were 1-0 up, the prickly Portuguese made his feelings on the game abundantly clear.

  "Onana made two incredible saves in our fantastic initial period," he told . "Come on, he saved the result. My keeper didn’t make a save, he made two impossible saves. I think he was the most decisive player. He didn’t make 20 saves but two were incredible, Onana can do it.

  "We were better than them so it’s a good result for Manchester United. They got a point against us, we didn’t get a point against them. We played amazing. We will destroy every team if we play like this in the league. United are a superior level, the Premier League has more quality, more intensity, more everything."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Risk of humiliation

  Whether or not he has a good rapport with Ten Hag, Mourinho was clearly trying to aim something of a parting shot with his suggestion that United left Istanbul with their tail between their legs, and this was the latest instance in what has been a humbling European campaign to date for one of the continent's biggest names.

  Second favourites to go all the way in the Europa League behind domestic rivals Tottenham by virtue of the fact that Champions League teams will no longer drop down into the secondary competition, Man Utd find themselves 21st in the standings in the new league phase after three consecutive draws – already four points off the automatic last-16 qualification places and six behind leaders Lazio. If results don't pick up, they will face the ignominy of a knockout round play-off to progress.

  Whether that humiliation is a realistic prospect remains to be seen; United's toughest league phase fixtures are technically out of the way, with games against PAOK, Bodo/Glimt, Viktoria Plzen, Rangers and FCSB to come – matches they will be fully expected to take maximum points from. That said, only Greek side PAOK are currently below the English giants in the table.

  The draws against Twente – who are 28th – and Fenerbahce will not fill supporters with confidence, and neither will their surrender of a two-goal lead in the dramatic 3-3 in Porto. United have developed an unwanted habit of failing to secure victory from winning positions in Europe, with that the outcome in six of their last eight games across the Europa League and last season's disastrous Champions League campaign.

Albanian football has a long history, characterised by players who have had a big influence both domestically and internationally. From legendary figures who paved the way for future generations, to modern stars shining in Europe’s top leagues, these players have brought pride to Albania.

They made history fairly recently by earning a spot in their first major European Championship in 2016. Their victory over Romania demonstrated their potential on Europe’s biggest stage, even though they were unable to advance to the knockout stages.

Furthermore, Albania has a long history of competition in south-eastern European football, as seen by its victories in events such as the Balkan Cup in 1946 and the 2000 Malta International Tournament.

They returned to major tournament football at Euro 2024, but could not avoid another group stage exit.

With that, here is the list of what we believe are the ten greatest Albanian footballers…

1

Panajot Pano

1957-1975

2

Erjon Bogdani

1994-2013

3

Lorik Cana

2000-2016

4

Loro Borici

1937-1957

5

Elseid Hysaj

2011-present

6

Thomas Strakosha

2015-present

7

Ervin Skela

1992-2018

8

Altin Lala

1994-2012

9

Rudi Vata

1988-2005

10

Ilir Pernaska

1967-1981

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ByCharlie Smith Jun 9, 2024 10 Ilir Pernaska 1967-1981

Famous in Albanian football circles, Ilir Pernaska played in midfield for Dinamo Tirana and the national team, mainly in the 1960s and 1970s, and made a big impact. Known for his outstanding midfield skills, Pernaska was a master at playmaking. His time with KF Tirana was distinguished by his leadership on and off the field, which was instrumental in helping the team win multiple national league championships.

On the international stage, he made 15 appearances for Albania and returned a healthy record of five goals.

International caps

15

International goals

5

Clubs played for

Dinamo Tirana

9 Rudi Vata 1988-2005

One of the most well-known Albanian players to play overseas in the 1990s was Rudi Vata, a name synonymous with greatness in Albanian football, who had a stellar career both locally and abroad.

Vata travelled from Albania to a number of European clubs, the most notable of which was Celtic in Scotland, where his commitment, adaptability, and defensive skill won him over many supporters, as he won one Scottish Cup during his time in Glasgow.

He also enjoyed an equally illustrious international career with the Albanian national team. With 58 caps, he proudly represented his nation, emerging as a crucial member of Albania’s defence in the 1990s.

International caps

58

International goals

5

Clubs played for

Energie Cottbus, Apollon Limassol, Celtic, +9 others

8 Altin Lala 1994-2012

Respected in Albanian football, Altin Lala is best known for his lengthy and illustrious career with Hannover 96 in Germany, where he established himself as one of the team’s most recognisable players. Lala ended up making 320 appearances during his time at Hannover.

In addition to his club career, Lala was a mainstay of the Albanian national team, captaining the group and collecting 79 caps.

International caps

79

International goals

3

Clubs played for

Hannover 96, Borussia Fulda

7 Ervin Skela 1992-2018

Ervin Skela, who was renowned for his inventiveness and technical prowess in midfield, made a big impact on clubs around Europe as well as the Albanian national team.

Highlights of Skela’s career included playing in Germany for teams like Energie Cottbus and Eintracht Frankfurt, where he was praised for his ability to score from midfield. He scored 21 goals and laid on 29 assists in the Bundesliga.

He also represented Albania internationally, amassing 75 caps while contributing 13 goals and playing a pivotal role in numerous qualification campaigns.

International caps

75

International goals

13

Clubs played for

Eintracht Frankfurt, Energie Cottbus, FC Hanau 93, +12 others

6 Thomas Strakosha 2015-present

Thomas Strakosha is a gifted goalkeeper who has carried on his father’s legacy, as the son of Foto Strakosha. He joined Lazio in 2012 and has since established a reputation for having quick reflexes and strong shot-blocking, helping Lazio win the Coppa Italia in 2019.

Since then, he’s secured a move to the Premier League with west London club Brentford, but has only managed to make a couple of appearances for the Bees. Regardless, he has still managed to make 28 appearances for his country as their No 1.

At just 29 years of age, he still has a large part of his career ahead of him. Despite this, he has already managed to achieve many things, including two Coppa Italias, two Italian Super Cups, one Italian Youth Championship and one Coppa Italia Primavera title.

International caps

28

International goals

0

Clubs played for

Lazio, Salernitana, Brentford

5 Elseid Hysaj 2011-present

Elseid Hysaj is a well-known player in modern Albanian football who has established himself as a dependable and adaptable defender in some of the continent’s best leagues.

His career took off while at Empoli in Italy, and in 2015, he secured a move to Napoli as a result of his performances there. The 30-year-old established himself as a pillar of the Partenopei defence, renowned for his versatility and ability to cover all defensive positions.

In both Napoli’s Serie A campaigns and their European adventures during his time there, his efforts were vital, as well as helping them secure an Italian Cup. The defender later sought a move to Lazio in 2021, where he currently plays his football.

Since making his debut for the Albanian national team in 2013, Hysaj has been a vital member of the squad. He has more than 80 caps, taking part in prestigious competitions such as Euro 2016, where Albania made their competition debut.

International caps

83

International goals

2

Clubs played for

Empoli, Napoli, Lazio

4 Loro Borici 1937-1957

Legendary Albanian footballer Loro Boriçi made a lasting impression as a coach and player. He was a key player for Partizani Tirana and the Albanian national team in the 1940s and 1950s. He also captained Albania and was well-known for his midfield brilliance on the field, as well as making a huge contribution to the growth of football in the nation.

Following his retirement, Boriçi enjoyed great success as a coach, implementing an emphasis on talent, discipline and tactical awareness while managing the Albanian national team as well as others, including Vllaznia Shkoder.

Interestingly, a stadium in Shkoder which was previously named Vojo Kushi, took Borici’s name in his memory.

International caps

23

International goals

6

Clubs played for

Vllaznia Shkoder, Lazio, Partizani Tirana, Spartak Tirana

3 Lorik Cana 2000-2016

Lorik Cana was one of the most recognisable players in Albanian football, operating as a defensive midfielder. He took absolutely no prisoners as a no-nonsense player who loved to fly into tackles and protect the defence.

The 40-year-old started his professional career at FC Dardania Lausanne II before moving to Paris Saint-Germain in France, where he soon started to establish himself. Throughout his career, he played in several of the best European leagues, spending time with Lazio in Italy, Galatasaray in Turkey, Marseille in France, and Sunderland in the English Premier League.

He made more than 90 caps for the Albanian national side, captaining the team and setting an exemplary example on and off the field. He was another of those players involved in Albania’s historic qualification for Euro 2016.

Despite retiring, Cana is adored by supporters, a hero to young athletes and a source of pride for Albanian football.

International caps

92

International goals

1

Clubs played for

PSG, Marseille, Sunderland, Galatasaray, Lazio, Nantes

2 Erjon Bogdani 1994-2013

One of the most prolific scorers in Albanian football is Erjon Bogdani, a name that is practically synonymous with the sport in Albania. Throughout his career, he played in various top European leagues, spending a long period of time in Italy with teams like Reggina, Verona and Siena, among others. He made 397 appearances at club level, scoring 79 times for nine different clubs in total.

Bogdani was a vital member of the Albanian national team, setting a record with 18 goals to become the all-time top scorer. Over the course of his distinguished career, which spanned more than a decade and included multiple World Cup and European Championship qualifiers, he earned 75 caps while representing Albania.

International caps

75

International goals

18

Clubs played for

Siena, Partizani Tirana, Chievo, +7 others

1 Panajot Pano 1957-1975

Celebrated as Albania’s Golden Player, Panajot Pano is a legendary figure in Albanian football, known for his technical talent and goalscoring exploits during his prime years with Partizani Tirana. Pano established himself as a pivotal character in the history of the club by leading them to multiple league titles while dominating the Albanian Superliga in the 1960s and 1970s.

He then demonstrated his abilities at international level by scoring four goals and earning 28 caps for Albania. This led to the President of Albania honoring him with the Honor of the Nation Order in recognition of his remarkable achievements in football. He was also honoured as Albania’s Golden Player at the UEFA Jubilee Awards, recognising him as the greatest player in the nation’s football history for the previous fifty years.

International caps

28

International goals

4

Clubs played for

KF Tirana, Partizani Tirana

After already sealing deals for Jefte and Oscar Cortes this summer, Rangers have reportedly turned their attention to landing Phillippe Clement's third arrival of the transfer window.

Rangers transfer news

The Gers recently confirmed the arrival of Cortes on another year-long loan deal with an obligation to buy from Lens. The winger initially enjoyed a solid start to life at Ibrox in his first spell, before injury ended things before he had the chance to really find his feet in Scotland. There were seemingly enough positive signs before that knock, however, with Clement welcoming him back for another campaign.

Speaking to the official Rangers website, Cortes expressed his delight over the move, saying: “I am delighted to be able to stay at Rangers.

"It was an honour and privilege for me to join the club in January and I was enjoying my football under the manager and playing alongside my team-mates. Sadly, the injury ended my season early, but I have been working hard and I am excited to help the team and play in front of the wonderful fans again soon.”

Clement could sign his own Aaron Ramsey in early Rangers swoop

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ByDan Emery Jun 4, 2024

Now, however, the Gers have turned their attention towards a third arrival. According to The Scotsman, Rangers are now very likely to sign Liam Kelly on a free deal upon the expiry of his Motherwell contract. With talks already held, Clement looks set to receive an instant replacement for Jon McLaughlin, who left Ibrox as a free agent at the end of the season.

The move will be a full circle moment for Kelly, who left Rangers in 2018 and now seems on course to finally make his return as many as six years later.

"Terrific" Kelly can take McLaughlin role

Whilst Jack Butland remains Clement's clear number one at Rangers, Kelly can arrive to take McLaughlin's number two role to provide sufficient backup for the former Stoke City goalkeeper throughout what is always an action-packed campaign. At 28 years old and with experience in the Championship as well as plenty in Scotland, Kelly certainly represents a reliable second choice too, especially given the praise of Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell.

Kettlewell said via BBC Sport: "I can assure you there's no-one who dissects anything more than Liam. If he feels he's culpable for a goal or a situation in a game, he's the first person to hold his hand up. He's not scared to take blame for anything and I really enjoy his integrity. He's a terrific influence on everyone else around him."

With Jefte, Cortes and now reportedly likely Kelly through the door already this summer, Rangers' summer overhaul is certainly going to plan, making the departures of the likes of McLaughlin, Borna Barisic and Kemar Roofe seem like yesterday's news. With Clement making his mark, the Gers could make more additions over the coming months.

Jurgen Klopp's long tenure at Anfield came to an end on Sunday when Liverpool came out on top with a comfortable 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.

First half goals from Jarrell Quansah and Alexis Mac Allister were enough to secure all three points for the Reds on Merseyside, as they finished third in the division.

The attention will, possibly after a period of looking back on Klopp's success and legacy on Merseyside, to incoming boss Arne Slot and what he will do with the club moving forward.

With the summer transfer window now fast approaching, the Dutch head coach may already have thoughts on how he would like to shape the squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

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One player who he must get rid of, either from the club or as a regular starter, is midfielder Wataru Endo, after he let Jurgen Klopp down one last time with a poor display in the middle of the park.

Wataru Endo's poor performance against Wolves

The Japan international lined up in midfield alongside Mac Allister and Harvey Elliott but left a lot to be desired with his work out of possession throughout the contest, ultimately handed a distinctly average 6/10 rating by Liverpool World.

Whilst Liverpool ultimately won the match against the ten-men of Wolves, who had Nelson Semedo sent off at 0-0 after 28 minutes, Endo was still found wanting on the physical side of the game.

Wataru Endo	Vs Wolves (19/05/24)
Minutes played	90
Ground duels won	7/18
Aerial duels won	0/0
Tackles won	4
Fouls committed	3
Dribbled past	6
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the defensive midfielder lost a whopping 11 of his 18 duels against Gary O'Neil's side, which shows that opposition players found it far too easy to get the better of him.

Endo, who also created just 0.04 xA for his teammates, was dribbled past a staggering six times. For context, no player was dribbled past more than 2.2 times per game in the division this season, which speaks to how poor the midfielder was on Sunday.

Why Arne Slot must move on from Wataru Endo

Slot must now make the former Stuttgart star a rotation or back-up player, or find a way to cash in on him this summer, as he should not be a regular starter for the Reds next term.

Signed from the Bundesliga last year, the 31-year-old enforcer has struggled with the physicality of the Premier League at times this season for the Reds.

Endo ended the top-flight campaign with a duel success rate of 44% and a ground duel success rate of just 42%, which shows that opponents got the better of him more often than not.

The experienced battler, who did not register a single assist in the division, was almost dribbled past as many times per game (1.4) as he completed tackles per game (1.7), which illustrates how flaky he was in the middle of the park for Liverpool.

Manchester City's Rodri won 59% of his duels and Arsenal's Declan Rice won 52% of his battles, whilst both players were dribbled past less than once per match on average, and this shows the level of physicality that is required from a player at the base of a title-contending midfield.

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Therefore, Slot should look to get rid of Endo from the starting XI next season and potentially look to recruit a stronger defensive midfielder to anchor the side.

Former Chelsea star John Obi Mikel has explained why fellow Nigerian Victor Osimhen saw a summer transfer to Stamford Bridge fall through.

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Blues made late play for strikerNigerian star ended up in TurkeyPotential there for January dealWHAT HAPPENED?

Premier League giants in west London made a late play for Osimhen as he shuffled towards the exits at Serie A side Napoli. The 25-year-old turned down a lucrative switch to the Saudi Pro League, after seeing Al-Ahli have an €80 million (£68m/$88m) offer accepted, and ended up agreeing a season-long loan at Turkish side Galatasaray.

AdvertisementGOALWHAT MIKEL SAID

Ex-Blues midfielder Mikel has told of why Osimhen did not end up in England – with the potential still there for a deal to be done in January: “I know what Victor wanted, I know what the club offered him, I know where we got to, we finally got to a compromise, both sides had to compromise, it was just some little things here and there, paperwork, medical, and a few issues we just couldn’t get over the line and we didn’t have much time. Both sides really played their part in terms of getting the deal done, and I commend Chelsea for that because I can see their ambition of where they want to take this club now and also on Victor’s side, how much he really wanted to come to the club.

“He was disappointed it didn’t happen. I spoke to him when the transfer window shut, I gave him a call, we spent 20 minutes talking, I said, ‘listen, I’m always here for you, you need to keep your head down, you need to keep working hard, keep training, I know it’s not the best situation right now but I know you’re strong’. You know, Victor’s a strong character, he’s a bit like Didier Drogba and Diego Costa and that’s something we’re missing at the club, strikers who have that edge, who have that bite who can intimidate defenders and Victor definitely has that.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Mikel added on rekindling interest in the next window: “Definitely there are no issues. I think if we have to pick this back up again like I said, whenever it is, January or next summer, we know where we are, we know where we’ve stopped, and it’s just little details that need to be finalised and the deal will be done. So for me, the club is in a very happy place with Victor and Victor is in a very happy place with the club. I want to make sure, I’m not going to rest, I want to make sure I get him to the club because I know, not because he’s my friend, or he’s like my younger brother or he’s Nigerian, no, he is one of the best strikers in the world right now, he’s Africa’s best player, I know what he can bring to the club and I’m sure a lot of Chelsea fans know what Victor can bring to the club.

“Victor has come under a lot of criticism about this because people don’t know the ins and outs of what happened. You need to know that before you criticise the kid. Victor really, really wanted to come to the club and he had to compromise a lot to come to the middle because we did reach an agreement in terms of the salary, in terms of what he wants, it was just a few minor details here and there that we couldn’t get over the line. For me, hearing all that nonsense about Victor being greedy, a lot of people talking down about him. No, I think it’s time, especially Nigerians, support him, it’s time people around him, friends, Nigerian fans, get behind him and support him. Like I said, if we have to pick it back up again, if there is interest come January, Chelsea still want Victor and Victor still wants to come to Chelsea, we know exactly where we are. It’s not a matter of it being difficult, we’re just going to get the deal done.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

Osimhen is said to have a release clause in his deal at Galatasaray that can be triggered by as many as 10 leading European clubs in the January transfer window. Chelsea are one of those and remain in the market for another proven No.9.

أعرب إسلام الشاطر مدير منتخب مصر للشباب، عن سعادته بالفوز الذي حققه الفراعنة في مباراة أمس على تونس في ختام منافسات التصفيات المؤهلة إلى كأس أمم إفريقيا.

واستطاع منتخب مصر الفوز بهدف وحيد على حساب تونس وخطف بطاقة التأهل إلى نهائي كأس أمم إفريقيا للشباب تحت 20 عاماً.

وقال إسلام الشاطر في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورتس”: “ميكالي مدرب جيد ما أعلمه أن عقده أربعة سنوات، لا يوجد شيء يقول إنه لن يستمر”.

طالع أيضاً.. ميكالي: عانيت من ظروف صعبة قبل تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا.. ونمتلك جيل جيد من اللاعبين

وتابع: “منتخب مصر تعرض لضغوط رهيبة قبل وأثناء البطولة، ميكالي ركز على الجانب النفسي والانفعالات الحماسية في تحفيز اللاعبين”.

وأكمل: “منتخب مصر يضم مجموعة من اللاعبين الواعدين، وأعتقد أن ميكالي قادر على تحقيق نتيجة أكبر عن التي حققها مع منتخب مصر في الأولمبياد”.

وأتم: “إن شاء الله هذا المنتخب يكون قادرا على فعل شيء في كأس أمم إفريقيا”.