Despite interest from Bayern Munich and Barcelona, Kenan Yildiz has chosen loyalty over glamour, opting to commit to a long-term Juventus contract.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Yildiz close to signing deal until 2030 with Juventus
Rejected offers from Bayern Munich and Barcelona
Starred in Club World Cup with three goals and two assists
Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱
WHAT HAPPENED?
Yildiz has rejected transfer interest from both Bayern and Barcelona, choosing instead to stay at Juventus. According to , the 20-year-old Turkish international has agreed in principle to a contract extension that will keep him at the club until 2030, with a significant wage increase to match his growing importance.
Advertisement
Getty Images Sport
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Yildiz has become the face of Juventus' future. After impressing during the Club World Cup, scoring three goals and assisting two in just 251 minutes, he is being positioned as the centrepiece of the team's long-term sporting and commercial projects. With many Bianconeri players reportedly up for sale, Yildiz is one of the few considered truly untouchable.
WHAT YILDIZ SAID
On his bond with Juventus and his long-term ambitions, Yildiz said in a recent interview: “Staying at Juventus for the rest of my life would be a dream for me.”
Reflecting on the unpredictability of football, he added: “But in football, you never know what can happen. I prefer to enjoy the present without thinking too much about the future.”
Speaking about the responsibility of wearing the iconic No.10 shirt, Yildiz explained: “It's an honour to wear this number, but it's me who plays, not the number on my back. The weight of the shirt is the same for everyone.”
Getty Images Sport
WHAT NEXT?
The 2005-born Turk's new contract is expected to be signed soon, with only minor formalities remaining. Once confirmed, Juventus will have secured a rising star amid growing transfer speculation. With Barcelona and Bayern now effectively shut out, the Bianconeri will look to build their future squad around the young winger.
da mrbet： Apresentado pelo Corinthians nesta sexta-feira (14), o meia paraguaio Matías Rojas está apto para fazer a sua estreia pelo clube neste sábado (15), quando o Timão enfrenta o América-MG, pelo jogo de volta das quartas de final da Copa do Brasil. A tendência é que o atleta seja titular.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansCorinthians x América-MG: onde assistir ao vivo, horário e escalações do jogo pela Copa do BrasilCorinthians14/07/2023CorinthiansCorinthians é multado pelo STJD por objeto atirado em Deyverson, do CuiabáCorinthians14/07/2023CorinthiansEscalação do Corinthians: Luxa deve promover mudança tática e ter dupla aguardada em jogo decisivo pela Copa do BrasilCorinthians14/07/2023
da casino： Rojas, que chegou a São Paulo nos primeiros dias de julho, esperou duas semanas para poder ser registrado pela sua nova equipe, por questões burocráticas. De toda forma, ele vinha jogando regularmente pelo seu antigo time, o Racing, e acena que está com a parte física em dia para defender a camisa alvinegra.
+ QUE DESCONTO!!!!!! Renove o seu estoque de CAMISAS DO TIMÃO com o cupom LANCEFUT 10% OFF
– Estou preparado, estou jogando, mentalmente estou bem. Depois, é uma decisão que escapa das minhas mãos. Não tenho poder nesse sentido. Preparado eu sou. Espero que me escolha, mas se não me escolher será em outra partida – disse Rojas em entrevista coletiva.
continua após a publicidade
Matías Rojas também admitiu que está bem fisicamente, que histórico recente de lesões não pesa, principalmente porque ele costuma se cuidar, inclusive no extracampo. Recentemente, entre o fim de abril e o início de junho, o meia paraguaio passou pouco mais de um mês afastado por conta de um edema ósseo no tornozelo direito. No ano passado, o jogador ficou afastado por problemas musculares em dois períodos, em junho e setembro.
– Todos os jogadores se lesionam. Se eu não me engano, foram quatro lesões. Trabalho para não ter. Isso se passa com os mais jovens e mais velhos. Certa porcentagem é cuidar da parte física, e eu tenho 100%, e outra porcentagem é do futebol, que não está nas nossas mãos. O que posso dizer é que nunca vai acontecer um problema no meu extracampo. Tenho uma vida pessoal reservada e profissional. Por isso estou em um clube imenso – destacou o armador.
continua após a publicidade
ESCOLHA POR INTUIÇÃO
Rojas disse que a escolha pelo Corinthians foi por intuição. O jogador de 27 anos tem contrato com a equipe do Parque São Jorge por três temporadas.
– Como eu disse, nos primeiros dias que cheguei tratei de tomar uma decisão por intuição. Estive muito tempo esperando um clube que me mova emocionalmente. Internamente, tratei de intuir, não decidir com a mente. Desde que apareceu o Corinthians, falei com o meu agente, meu pai, a minha mãe, as pessoas que me cercam e tratei de explicar que sentia que esse era o lugar. Primeiro porque tinha muita vontade de jogar no Brasil e fiquei encantadíssimo por ser uma equipe tão grande – destacou o paraguaio.
+ Transforme qualquer TV em Smart e ASSISTA OS JOGOS DO TIMÃO QUANDO VOCÊ QUISER!!!!!!!!
Mesmo sabendo da grandeza do clube alvinegro, Rojas ficou impressionado com o que viu no seu primeiro contato com a torcida corintiana, que aconteceu no último dia 2 de julho, quando o Timão enfrentou o Red Bull Bragantino, pelo Campeonato Brasileiro, na Neo Química Arena. Mesmo com a derrota por 1 a 0 e protesto dos torcedores, o meio-campista ficou impactado com a Fiel.
– No primeiro dia, com o Bragantino. Eu assisti com o meu pai e o meu agente e nos demos conta e nos surpreendemos – pontuou Rojas, que acrescentou dando razão às cobranças por parte da torcida.
– Creio que são momentos de futebol. Quando eu cheguei, encontrei muito trabalho. O que é bom. Eu sou bastante tranquilo. Enquanto aos protestos, os torcedores sempre estão nos direito de opinar e a gente tem que fazer o máximo para dar uma satisfação a eles.
Ao lado de Gabriel Moscardo, Renato Augusto e Ruan Oliveira, Matías Rojas deve formar o meio-campo corintiano no duelo diante do Coelho, neste fim de semana. Derrotado por 1 a 0 no jogo de ida, no último dia 5 de julho, em Belo Horizonte, o Corinthians precisa vencer por dois gols de diferença em Itaquera.
A provável escalação corintiana para o duelo diante do time mineiro é: Cássio; Fagner, Gil, Murillo e Fábio Santos; Gabriel Moscardo, Ruan Oliveira, Renato Augusto e Matías Rojas; Róger Guedes e Yuri Alberto.
Chelsea officials have held face-to-face Stamford Bridge talks with the representatives of a “monster” player in the last few days, according to a report, with the target keen on a switch to the Blues and set to decide his future after Sunday.
Chelsea set sights on new forward after pivotal Premier League final day
Enzo Maresca’s side take on fellow top five contenders Nottingham Forest on the final day of the Premier League season this weekend, and quite a lot is riding on the line for Chelsea.
£60m Premier League forward has spoken to friends about joining Chelsea
He’s apparently interested.
ByEmilio Galantini May 21, 2025
A win against Nuno Espirito Santo’s men would guarantee Chelsea’s place in the Champions League draw next season, while seriously boosting the club’s summer recruitment drive both financially and in the sense of player-pull.
However, anything less than three points would result in Maresca relying on results elsewhere to go Chelsea’s way, with this airtight race for Europe coming as the most dramatic and enthralling we’ve witnessed in years.
3. Man City
68
4. Newcastle
66
5. Chelsea
66
6. Aston Villa
66
7. Nottingham Forest
65
The immediate goal for Maresca, following his appointment at Cobham last summer, was to guide Chelsea back into Europe’s most prestigious competition. He’s now just 90 minutes away from ticking that item off his Chelsea to-do list, with Maresca set for a nervy bit of final day drama over a mouth-watering encounter against Forest at the City Ground.
While Chelsea’s boss prepares his side for their most important match of the campaign, the club’s transfer chiefs have set their sights on a new striker signing this summer.
Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku have scored just two Premier League goals between them this calendar year, emphasizing Maresca’s need for a clinical centre-forward if they’re to truly reach the next level.
Eintracht Frankfurt starlet Hugo Ekitiké, RB Leipzig ace Benjamin Sesko and Napoli outcast Victor Osimhen are three strikers being considered by Chelsea after their prolific campaigns abroad, but another name who keeps being mentioned is Ipswich Town star Liam Delap.
Ipswich Town'sLiamDelapreacts
The Englishman’s £30 million release clause after Ipswich’s relegation is well documented, and Man City’s ex-starlet has produced the goods for an otherwise underwhelming team – scoring 12 Premier League goals this season and counting.
Delap has been called a “monster” by teammates, and he’s stood out as Kieran McKenna’s shining light throughout 24/25.
Liam Delap keen on joining Chelsea and set for imminent decision
Chelsea have been laying groundwork to sign Delap for months, according to journalist Simon Phillips, with his next destination soon to be determined.
As per another update from the reporter, via his Substack, Delap is keen on joining Chelsea and is set to make a decision after this weekend. His agents also held some talks with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last Friday, alongside fellow suitors Man United, when the two clubs faced off.
“Chelsea laid down a lot of foundations to sign Delap in January, and he is very much open and interested in a move to Stamford Bridge,” wrote Phillips.
“Delap’s reps were at Stamford Bridge on Friday and held talks with United officials. These talks were not seen as positive via our sources. At the time we did not hear that Chelsea had anyone speaking to the reps of Delap. However, we have since heard from another source that Chelsea did actually get to speak with Delap’s reps early on in the evening before the game.
“Chelsea have scheduled more talks with Delap’s reps and the player will make his decision after the weekend.”
Bangladesh captain Shanto and SL coach Silverwood have both promised a competitive series that will be played in the right spirit
Mohammad Isam03-Mar-2024Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Sri Lanka coach Chris Silverwood both played down any narrative of personal scores being settled by the two sides over the next month.While Sri Lanka-Bangladesh clashes in the past have occasionally boiled over, both camps, at least for now, expect little more than a competitive series played in the right spirit.”I am not thinking about the past,” Shanto said, on the eve of the first T20I, in Sylhet. “I think it will be a good series. We are doing everything we can to win this series. I am not feeling pressure about our opponents. We are focused on what we are doing. We want to do what we can control. Every international series has pressure, and that’s also true for our opponents. Everyone is capable of handling this pressure. Like I believe that all of our five or six bowlers can be match-winners.”Related
Silverwood welcomes 'great rivalry' with Bangladesh: 'We need good competition'
Najmul Hossain Shanto: 'Sri Lanka haven't moved on from timed-out incident'
Tharanga: 'Dickwella's experience will be useful heading into T20 World Cup'
Can Shakib-less Bangladesh keep their unbeaten spree going?
Hasaranga suspended for two T20Is for outburst against umpire
Silverwood, too, said that he wanted to forget the past and focus on the future, particularly Sri Lanka’s preparation for the T20 World Cup, which begins in June.”First and foremost, I expect this to be a very competitive series between two good sides,” he said. “What happened in the past, for me, that’s history. It’s gone. I think what we have to do is, certainly from our perspective, is concentrate on what’s in front of us and remember what we’re aiming for. Obviously we are now in the build-up towards the World Cup. I think all teams now are sort of finalising their sides, their squads give an experience, so ultimately that’s what it is.”We’re building up to a World Cup, and it’s great that we have such a good competition in front of us to do that, great series to do that in. So, as I said, I’m expecting a very exciting series. There’s some dangerous players on both sides. So I think it’ll be good fun. But as I said, what’s happened in the past is history. It’s about what’s in front of us now.”But the English coach was quick to point out who he believes are the series favourites.”Well, obviously I’m going to say Sri Lanka are going to be the favourites. But as I’ve already said, there are two good teams that will both be pushing very hard to win this series. We are all building up to the World Cup now, so we want to start making sure that we’re playing top cricket going into that. So as I said before, I expect this to be very competitive.”Shanto, for his part, is looking forward to his first series after being named as Bangladesh’s permanent captain in all three formats. The team has done well in T20Is in the last 12 months, including home series wins against England, Ireland and Afghanistan. They even won a T20I in New Zealand in December, for the first time.”We had a good year in T20Is last year,” Shanto said. “We have improved in this format, and if we keep this up, we can do better in any conditions. I think the 30-35 players who are in the three formats in total, it is very important that they all contribute to the team.”We have to play as a team. Everyone contributed to the team last year. Whether we believe in each other, that’s important. It was always imperative that we played T20Is just after the BPL. It is easier for our planning as everyone is playing in this format. I believe that we can win this series.Najmul Hossain Shanto was named Bangladesh’s permanent captain in all formats last month•Getty ImagesShanto touched upon his challenges ahead as the new captain, as he aims to build relationships with his players and coaching staff. He believes that the new responsibility will not pull him down as a batter.”It is a challenging job but planning wouldn’t be too difficult in the three formats. I have to know every cricketer, although we spend time together while playing.”It is not as if I have to score some extra runs for being the captain. I am a batter first, so my job is to score runs for the team. I would have to do the same when I was not the captain. I want to utilise the responsibility I am given. I don’t have to do a lot of things just because I am the captain.”For Sri Lanka, Silverwood said that the absence of bowling lynchpin Wanindu Hasaranga, who has been suspendeded for two matches for his outburst against an umpire, and Pathum Nissanka (hamstring injury) will give others an opportunity to step up.”Wanindu missing two matches is something that we have to deal with,” Silverwood said. “He has accepted his punishment, and all we have to do now is move on. What it does do is create opportunity for other people within the squad to get great game time, leading into the World Cup.”Pathum is a big loss. I mean, we’ve seen, certainly in the last seven, eight months, he’s become a very, very consistent player at the top of the order for Sri Lanka. And recently we’ve seen some super knocks from him, both in ODI cricket and in T20 cricket. The great thing is I don’t think Pathum will be too long before he’s returning to us.”He’s a very valuable member of the squad and a very much respected member of the squad. So we’re looking forward to getting back. But as I’ve said before, I mean, this also creates opportunity for people that might not get that game time that may be required, obviously, for a World Cup. So, for me It’s going to provide someone else with game time.”
A loss on Friday will end GT’s tournament, while CSK will be looking to boost their hopes of a playoff spot
Alagappan Muthu09-May-20244:37
Should CSK drop Rahane and open with Mitchell?
Match detailsGujarat Titans (10th; W4, L7) vs Chennai Super Kings (4th; W6, L5) Ahmedabad, 7.30pm IST (2pm GMT)Big pictureChennai Super Kings right now are Gujarat Titans from the start of the season. They have pretty much lost their entire pace attack, which has been crucial to their challenge for a place in the playoffs. Matheesha Pathirana, Mustafizur Rahman and to a lesser extent Deepak Chahar had done such a good job that the CSK quicks are the ones with the best economy rate in the middle overs (8) and the second-best at the death (10.43) in IPL 2024.GT had a bowler that they relied on just as heavily. Mohammed Shami. But he’s been out, recovering from ankle injury, and then surgery. In his absence, the team has looked at various options. Azmatullah Omarzai. Spencer Johnson. Josh Little. But nothing has worked. Fast bowlers are a point of difference, especially those with slingy actions or supreme new-ball skills or hard-to-pick variations. And when they go missing, it can be difficult to cope.Related
After reaching 1000 sixes in record time, how far can IPL 2024 go?
'I'm lost for words' – The Travishek show leaves LSG stunned
Rashid Khan: 'If someone is going after me, I'm going to make it super hard for him'
GT haven’t really been able to. A loss on Friday will end their tournament. CSK have to win. They are better placed to make a run at the playoffs and the final, which happens to be taking place at the very ground where someone said he wanted to end his career. Wouldn’t that be poetic?Form guideGujarat Titans LLLWL Chennai Super Kings WLWLLPrevious meetingBack in March – seems ages ago, doesn’t it? – the re-match of the 2023 final fell CSK’s way with Shivam Dube hitting a whirlwind half-century and their fast bowlers refusing to let GT find a hero from out of nowhere like they used to do. 206 for 6 comfortably beat 143 for 8.
Team news and Impact Player strategyGujarat Titans GT have tried 22 players, joint-most for the season, without really settling into a winning combination. Their success seems to depend heavily on Gill scoring runs at the top and Miller being there to finish. Their impact player strategy is likely to be a straight swap between Sai Sudharsan and Sai Kishore or Sandeep WarrierLikely XII: 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 , 4 M Shahrukh Khan, 5 David Miller, 6 Vijay Shankar, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Mohit Sharma, 10 Noor Ahmad, 11 Josh Little/Azmatullah Omarzai, 12 Chennai Super Kings CSK have repeatedly said they aren’t concerned with Ajinkya Rahane’s form, trusting in the fact that experienced players know how to get out of ruts. He has been part of their impact player strategy as well and will probably swap in and out for Simarjeet Singh.Likely XII: 1 Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), 2 , 3 Daryl Mitchell, 4 Shivam Dube, 5 Moeen Ali, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 MS Dhoni (wk), 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Tushar Deshpande, 11 Richard Gleeson, 12 In the spotlightRashid Khan’s overall IPL economy was around 6.3 runs per over until IPL 2022. Since last year though, he has been going at 8.2 runs per over. Some of this has to do with his home base shifting, some is the result of teams being more open to take risks against him thanks to the impact player rule. He’s also had to bowl in the powerplay a lot more than he’s used to. And he came into this season fresh off of back surgery. Even the greats falter when the odds are stacked that high but you know what else the greats do? They recover and they hit back.Simarjeet Singh has quickened up. This is based on only three overs’ worth of evidence in a game where the opposition was already four down when he came on to bowl but still he left a very clear mark – particularly on Ashutosh Sharma, whose body he pelted with a couple of well-directed short deliveries. Pace, of course, isn’t everything. Especially at CSK, who prefer their bowlers being smart as well. Still, it shows that Simarjeet has been working hard behind the scenes and is hungry to succeed.Rashid Khan economy rate has risen to 8.2 runs per over since last year•Prathikhsha MK/BCCI
Stats that matter There have been lots of similarities between GT and CSK and usually that tends to come off as a compliment. But this season both teams have had a fair bit of trouble navigating their innings. GT are scoring at 7.54 in the powerplay and 8 in the middle overs, making them the slowest team in the competition. CSK aren’t far behind with a run rate of 8.54 between overs 1 to 6 and 8.35 between overs 7 to 16. Rahane and Wriddhiman Saha, who once excelled at taking advantage of the fielding restrictions, have struggled with strike rates of 123 and 118 this year. Even Shubman Gill is suffering. From averaging 51 and striking at 152 in the first six games, his numbers have dropped to 13.4 and 102 in the next five. Dube needs one more six to raise a hundred in the IPL.Pitch and conditionsWhen in Ahmedabad, you chase, because conditions get better for batting as the evening wears on and dew sets in. Thirteen of the last 21 IPL games there have been won by the team batting second and that puts a fair bit of pressure on Ruturaj Gaikwad to change his luck with the toss. The average first-innings total in this period is 188.Quotes”He has enjoyed captaincy. It is something that takes time to really master. He has enjoyed it this season. He is a world-class player. I have no doubt that in the next three games, he is going to put in one or two really good performances, no doubt.” Gujarat Titans batting coach Gary Kirsten does not feel captaincy has affected Shubman Gill’s batting
Erik ten Hag’s tenure at Manchester United came to an end in October last year. Things ultimately did not work out for the Dutchman, despite winning two trophies in his two full seasons at the club. He guided United to their lowest-ever Premier League finish, eighth, last term, although that seems like it will be beaten this time around
The former Ajax boss was certainly backed in the transfer market, too. He spent a reported £616m on new signings over the course of his time at the club, reshaping the squad. Sadly, not many of those signings have ended up working out.
However, one player Ten Hag signed – under the INEOS regime – who seems to be finding his best form in a United shirt is Joshua Zirkzee.
Zirkzee’s United career so far
It has been a mixed debut season in Red for Netherlands international Zirkzee. He made the move to Old Trafford from Bologna in the summer for £36.5m, and initially struggled to find his best form, despite showing glimpses of what he can do.
Zirkzee, Dalot, De Ligt
So far, the former Bayern Munich star has scored six times and registered two assists in 41 games in that famous Red shirt, and has been particularly excellent of late, playing as one of the two number 10s in Ruben Amorim’s system.
Goals were a bit hard to come by for the attacker at the start of his United career. However, he has been finding the back of the net more consistently of late, and scored for United away to Real Sociedad in the Europa League.
He got the Red Devils’ only goal of the game to get a crucial 1-1 draw in the Round of 16 first leg.
As United social media presence Adam McKola said on Stretford Paddock, the United number 11 is “an intelligent footballer”, and possesses excellent close control. His ability on the ball is second to none.
So, Zirkzee may turn out to be one of the success stories of Ten Hag’s and INEOS’ transfer business. However, the new regime have made a handful of poor decisions in the market too, including selling one of United’s most important players last season, who is now outscoring Zirkzee this term.
The former United player outscoring Zirkzee
One of the rare things in modern-day football is to become a one-club player. Well, before his summer move to Napoli, Scott McTominay was on his way to doing just that at Old Trafford. He cost the Naples club £21m up front, with a further £4.2m in add-ons.
Where Are They Now
McTominay departed his boyhood club after making an impressive 255 appearances, scoring 29 goals and grabbing eight assists. Once described as a “hero” by Statman Dave last season, he scored some vital goals throughout his time at Old Trafford.
Last season in the Premier League, the Scotland international scored seven times. That included two goals against Brentford and Chelsea in match-winning causes at home, to earn United some big wins.
This season, the former United number 39 is thriving under Antonio Conte at Napoli. With Gli Azzurri pushing for the Scudetto, he has seven goals and four assists in all competitions, with ten of those 11 goal involvements coming in Serie A.
McTominay has made a brilliant start to life in Italy, and is even outscoring Zirkzee, who is starting to find his best form in Red for United.
Some of his stats on FBref show just how well he has played this term. For example, the Napoli midfielder averages 0.26 goals per game, ranking him in the top 95% of midfielders in Italy’s top flight.
McTominay key stats vs. Serie A midfielder 2024/25
Stat (per 90)
Number
Percentile
Goals
0.26
95th
Expected goals
0.22xG
93rd
Shot-creating actions (shot)
0.39
98th
Successful take-ons
1.13
86th
Aerial duels won
1.66
89th
Stats from FBref
Looking back on it, perhaps United regret selling McTominay. As well as Zirkzee is playing now, having their former academy star’s goal threat to add to the dynamic up front could have been deadly.
Even though they sold him for just £25m including add-ons, it seems United could have got an even better deal, or just kept him at the club instead.
Man Utd can ditch Dalot for 18-year-old who's "banging" on Amorim's door
Man Utd could have another Carrington gem on their hands
Glasgow Rangers’ domestic season is all but over. Defeat in the League Cup final to Celtic ended their defence of the trophy, while the Ibrox side suffered an embarrassing loss to Queen’s Park in the Scottish Cup a few weeks ago.
Now, all of Philippe Clement’s eggs will be placed in the Europa League basket as the club were drawn to play Fenerbahce in the last-16 of the competition.
It won’t be an easy task, especially away from home, but if the Light Blues play like they have done on the continent this season, they have an excellent chance of going through.
Rangers manager Philippe Clement.
Much will depend on whether they turn up or not, however, as performances have been shaky, to say the least.
There have been very few bright sparks throughout the season. Hamza Igamane has been one, but even he has struggled since last scoring against Aberdeen on January 15.
Perhaps things might have been different if Danilo and Nedim Bajrami had both been playing to the best of their abilities, as the pair have qualities that can change games in an instant.
It hasn’t been plain sailing for either due to several reasons.
Danilo & Bajrami's struggles for Rangers this season
In Danilo’s case, injuries have largely been his downfall. Since joining the Gers in the summer of 2023, the Brazilian has missed a total of 58 matches for the club due to several injuries, including a broken cheekbone and a serious knee injury.
When he has featured this term, the centre-forward has been solid in the final third. Across 19 games, he has scored seven goals and chipped in with three assists.
His goal against Celtic in the festive Old Firm tie looked as though it could be the catalyst for Danilo to emerge as a key player under Clement. A few weeks later, he sustained a shoulder injury that once again kept him out for a few weeks.
In Bajrami’s case, injuries haven’t been a problem at all, but he has failed to live up to the £3.4m fee that the club paid to secure his services last summer.
On the surface, it appeared to be a solid signing. Not only could Bajrami play across multiple positions, but he had experience of playing in Serie A, while scoring for Albania against Italy at Euro 2024.
A goal against Malmo on his first European start was certainly a confidence boost, and he shone on the continent for the Gers.
Since the start of 2025, however, the former Sassuolo midfielder has recorded just three assists in all competitions, with two coming against non-league side Fraserburgh in the Scottish Cup.
Where Are They Now
He has scored just one Premiership goal since arriving in Scotland while registering just one assist and averaging 1.2 key passes per game.
Hardly the sort of numbers that justify the transfer fee and if he doesn’t improve between now and May, Clement may look to offload the Albanian when the summer transfer window opens.
Rangers have sold their fair share of players over the years who appear to suddenly shine once they leave Ibrox. One such player is currently starring in the Championship with Sheffield Wednesday this season – Josh Windass.
Josh Windass’ Rangers statistics
Windass joined the Light Blues ahead of the 2016/17 season, the club’s first back in the top flight since their financial troubles began in 2012.
Mark Warburton was trying to build a team capable of challenging Celtic for the title, but this proved to be a false dawn. The Englishman suffered a succession of injury problems during his maiden campaign, restricting him to just 27 appearances and a solitary goal.
The following year was far better for Windass. Not only did he establish himself as a key member of the starting XI, but the attacking midfielder also netted 18 goals and grabbed eight assists in all competitions throughout the campaign.
It didn’t do the team much good as they failed to win any silverware for the second season in a row since their promotion. In May 2018, Steven Gerrard took over as manager, and it resulted in a fresh start for everyone at the club.
Josh Windass
For Windass, it was clear the former Liverpool captain didn’t take to him. During the final few weeks of the summer transfer window in 2018, Windass finally left Ibrox and joined Wigan Athletic for a transfer fee in the region of £2.5m.
This represented a solid piece of transfer business for the Gers, especially as they required funds to bolster the squad.
He only lasted a year and a half at Wigan, with his spell at the Owls being far more productive indeed…
Windass' record at Sheffield Wednesday
Across 170 matches for the Championship club, Windass has scored 50 goals while registering 21 assists in all competitions.
The 2024/25 campaign has been especially positive for the 31-year-old. Not only does he have ten league goals this term, more than Bajrami and Danilo put together, but he has even recorded three assists.
Josh Windass’ stats since leaving Rangers
Season
Games
Goals
Assists
2024/25
35
10
4
2023/24
28
7
2
2022/23
42
16
7
2021/22
12
4
2
2020/21
44
10
6
2019/20
25
7
0
2018/20
45
5
4
Via Transfermarkt
Windass has also created four big chances in the second tier for the Owls while averaging 0.6 key passes and registering 2.4 shots per game.
It appears as though the Championship is certainly his level, as he failed to truly demonstrate his best during his two-year spell in Scotland.
The Englishman was right to leave in 2018, especially considering the fee was so good for a player who wasn’t going to be in Gerrard’s plans.
The fact he has scored more league goals than Danilo and Bajrami, however, proves that the club have sold so many players over the previous few years who seem to find that extra gear at a new club.
For both Danilo and Bajrami, the next few weeks could be important indeed. That’s for sure.
49ers could seal a dream first Rangers signing in £4m SPFL starlet
Rangers could be set to undergo a takeover from the 49ers this summer.
تمكن بريان جرودا، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برايتون من إحراز الهدف الثاني لصالح فريقه أمام مانشستر سيتي بالمباراة ضمن منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
ويواجه مانشستر سيتي نظيره برايتون ضمن منافسات الجولة الثالثة من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “بريميرليج”.
وجمع مانشستر سيتي بقيادة بيب جوارديولا 3 نقاط من مباراتين، بعد فوز ثمين على ولفرهامبتون برباعية نظيفة، وخسارة أمام توتنهام بثنائية نظيفة على ملعب “الاتحاد”.
وجاء الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 89 من عمر اللقاء بعد تمريرة رائعة من ميتوما لينفرد جرودا بالمرمى الذي يحرسه الحارس ترافورد واستطاع أن يراوغ مراوغة رائعة ويسكن الكرة الشباك. هدف برايتون الثاني أمام مانشستر سيتي بالدوري الإنجليزي
برايتون يسجل في الوقت القاتل#الدوري_الإنجليزي_الممتاز#PremierLeague pic.twitter.com/CtHmUU9ytl — beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) August 31, 2025
Yet another chapter was written into the story of subcontinental cricket’s most engrossing rivalry, in which Bangladesh came away deserved winners against Sri Lanka, winning by three wickets and, crucially, 53 deliveries in Delhi. The margin of victory means Bangladesh have leapfrogged Sri Lanka on the points table on net run rate, while Bangladesh, Netherlands and Sri Lanka are all on four points and all three – and England – are still vying for the two remaining spots at the 2025 Champions Trophy.This, though, was a game where a solitary incident overshadowed all else. The now customary controversy associated with the “Naagin Derby” was this time a historic first, as Angelo Mathews was dismissed timed out – the first instance of the rare dismissal in international cricket.The incident took place midway through Sri Lanka’s innings after Mathews’ faulty helmet strap meant that it had been over two minutes since the fall of the previous wicket without the new batter being ready to take strike. Shakib Al Hasan appealed. Mathews was out.Related
Mathews on timed-out dismissal: 'Never seen a team or a player stoop so low'
According to the tournament playing conditions: “After the fall of a wicket or the retirement of a batter, the incoming batter must, unless Time has been called, be ready to receive the ball, or for the other batter to be ready to receive the next ball within 2 minutes of the dismissal or retirement. If this requirement is not met, the incoming batter will be out, Timed out.”An incensed Mathews was sent back, and Sri Lanka played the rest of the game with a chip on their shoulder. But to focus solely on that would take away from a solid all-round effort from Bangladesh, and from Shakib.On a belter of a batting surface, Bangladesh had sent Sri Lanka in to bat and then limited them to a sub-par 279. The pacy young Tanzim Hasan went for 80 in his ten overs, largely because of Charith Asalanka – whose 105-ball 108 would go in vain – taking the attack to him, but he picked up three wickets, including the key wickets of Pathum Nissanka and Asalanka himself.The rest of the bowlers, though, ensured Sri Lanka were not allowed to cut loose, and aided by some loose batting, they kept their opponents well in check.Then a 169-run third-wicket stand between Shakib and Najmul Hossain Shanto underpinned their chase, even as Sri Lanka became the first side this World Cup to truly struggle with the evening dew. The bowlers struggled with control, while some dropped catches didn’t help their cause either.When the partnership was eventually broken, the requirement was just 70, but Sri Lanka kept picking up wickets to make for a nervy finish. Bangladesh, however, bat deep and they kept their cool to secure a hard-fought win.2:09
How good was Charith Asalanka’s innings?
On a surface well suited to batting, Sri Lanka were largely architects of their own downfall.After yet another early exit for Kusal Perera – caught acrobatically behind the stumps by Mushfiqur Rahim – a 61-run stand between Nissanka and Kusal Mendis settled the Sri Lanka innings. An aggressive Nissanka accounted for 40 runs in that stand, frequently finding boundaries to relieve the pressure being built at the other end, while an out-of-sorts Mendis searched for form.It took 14 balls for Mendis to get off the mark, and despite finding two boundaries – a four and a six – in his 30-ball stay, he looked a pale shadow of the man that had taken the early part of the tournament by storm. A loft down the ground lacking in power brought about his eventual demise.Nissanka followed soon, chopping Tanzim on, before another solid stand threatened to pull Sri Lanka clear. It was here that Asalanka entered the fray alongside Sadeera Samarawickrama, himself new at the crease. Their left-right pairing served to make life particularly difficult for the Bangladesh bowlers, while their run-scoring was largely risk-free.This is what made Samarawickrama’s dismissal all the more jarring, as he found deep square-leg with an aerial flick, having been unflustered up until then. It was this wicket that preceded the flashpoint in the innings – and the game – as Mathews strode out, not knowing the fate that was to befall him.Angelo Mathews tells Shakib Al Hasan it’s time to go, but it was far too late to do any good to Sri Lanka•ICC/Getty Images
Up until that point, Sri Lanka’s batters could perhaps even have been accused of complacency in terms of the way they had lost wickets. But, just like that, the perceived injustice of Mathews’ dismissal instilled resolve that might have served them a lot better earlier in the tournament.Having barely strung together any partnerships of significance lower down the order all tournament, Sri Lanka suddenly found two of genuine quality. The first between Asalanka and Dhananjaya de Silva brought 78 – Sri Lanka’s best stand for the sixth wicket since their opening fixture against South Africa. After Dhananjaya fell, stumped off Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Asalanka stitched another stand of 45 with Maheesh Theekshana – this one easily Sri Lanka’s best seventh-wicket stand of the tournament.Asalanka scrounged together another 20 with Dushmantha Chameera, before himself holing out at deep point. It brought an end to a marvellous innings that was replete with smart strike rotation and calculated risks. However, it would be a bittersweet day for him as he was the one to drop a sharp chance off Shakib when he was on seven. Mathews was the bowler.That wicket might have been karmic retribution for Sri Lanka, but Shakib would have the last laugh. While Mathews eventually got his man – giving Shakib a send-off as well, tapping his wrist, signalling that it was “time” to go – it was not before Shakib had scored 75 more runs.Mathews wasn’t done yet, though, removing Shanto shortly after as Sri Lanka were offered a whiff of an unlikely chance. Theekshana then picked up a couple and Dilshan Madushanka added another, to go with his two scalps at the start of the chase, to take his World Cup tally to 21. But, in the end, it was a case of too little, too late as some lusty blows brought the game to a swift close.