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Qalandars tumbled from 59 for 1 to 123 for 8 in front of a Lahore crowd that was watching their home franchise for the very first time

The Report by Danyal Rasool21-Feb-2020New year, new PSL, new venue. Same old Lahore Qalandars. An unbalanced squad, curiously playing without a specialist spinner, began their fifth PSL campaign with a crushing five-wicket defeat at the hands of Multan Sultans. Shan Masood’s side had the composure to see off an early storm from Qalandars’ big hitting openers, fully cognizant that once Fakhar Zaman and Chris Lynn were removed, there was little meat on the bare bones the rest of the batting side comprised.From 59 for 1 in 5.2 overs, Qalandars tumbled top 138 for 8 in their allotted 20, well below par in front of a Lahore crowd that was watching their home franchise for the very first time. They soon realised they hadn’t been missing much when the bowlers failed to trouble Multan too much in the run chase, Shan Masood’s composed 29-ball 38 anchoring his side towards the perfect in an edition where Multan brim with optimism.Qalandars’ ineptitude should not detract from the glimpses of brilliance that Multan showed in this game. The experienced spin duo of Imran Tahir and Shahid Afridi had combined figures of 8-0-45-2, while Moeen Ali chipped in with a couple of wickets in addition to a brief cameo. Sohail Tanvir and Mohammad Irfan were effective at the start and the death, while two wickets from an ever-improving Mohammad Ilyas make him one of the bowlers to watch as this PSL season takes shape.Multan were less convincing in the chase than they might have liked, with unforced errors giving Qalandars a peek back into the game on a couple of occasions. Moeen’s run out buoyed Qalandars, who were looking to Shaheen Afridi to provide them with an explosive start. His perfect yorker to castle James Vince was the ball of the day, but Rilee Rossouw did perfectly what Multan had bought him to do: guide the chase steadily and without dram, and even though Zeeshan Ashraf fell thanks to another run-out, the asking rate kept dipping. There was even time to dust off the old classic: a few lusty blows from Shahid Afridi who knocked off the winning runs.Turning pointWith Fakhar and Lynn at the top of an order where there wasn’t much big-hitting to follow, how the opening partnership pans out will be pivotal to Qalandars’ chances. Today, it looked like that necessary gamble was paying off when the pair found their range early, with Sohail Tanvir spanked for 18 in his second over, and the 50-partnership brought up in the fifth.And on came Moeen for the last powerplay over, Lynn poised, as if at the trapdoor like a dragon waiting to breathe fire. Moeen got singed first ball when a full toss was dispatched over long-on. But the next pull, he pulled his line back and took the pace off it. Lynn stepped back in his crease and tried to loft it over mid-off. His timing failed him, and Shan Masood took the catch. Two balls later, Zaman danced down the wicket and heaved Moeen into the onside. The ball nearly went up into orbit, but when it came down, it was still within the confines of the boundary, and Khushdil Shah at cow corner made no mistake with the catch. Multan were into Qalandars’ middle order, and in truth, there wasn’t much there to worry them.Multan’s two 40-year oldsDane Vilas smashed a couple of boundaries off Shahid Afridi, but that aside, there was little looseness from him, and, bowling alongside Tahir, he ended his spell at just a shade over a run a ball.Tahir, if it’s possible, was even more effective. He was thrust in during the business end of the powerplay when Lynn was giving the Lahore crowd a taste of his immense power-hitting ability and found himself roughed up in that first over. But thereon in, he was tight, squeezing Qalandars for runs and forcing them into low-percentage shots. Mohammad Hafeez fell to him this way, before Dane Vilas, who looked Qalandars’ best hope of a rearguard, dragging a flatter one onto his stumps. If anything, those figures of 4-0-21-2 were a little too harsh on him.Lahore’s beleaguered captainIt may sound like clutching at straws, but Qalandars may take some encouragement from their skipper Sohail Akhtar holding the innings together as wickets fell in clumps during the middle overs, serving as useful foil to Dane Vilas and Mohammad Hafeez, none of whom kicked on in the way Qalandarsneeded them to. It was up to Akhtar himself to provide the big finish, and he did indeed tonk Tanvir for a pair of sixes in the final over to give Qalandars something to bowl at.Where the teams standMultan’s convincing win takes them top of the table on net run rate, while Qalandars find themselves at the bottom.

Harry Kane has been criticised for his "touchy" response to Gary Lineker's criticism of him, while being told to front up going forward at Euro 2024.

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Lineker criticises Kane at EurosEngland captain hits backComes in for criticism from ex-proWHAT HAPPENED?

England captain Kane said ex-internationals such as Lineker should be more "helpful" with their remarks before they criticise Gareth Southgate's side, after the BBC presenter described Three Lions' 1-1 draw with Denmarkas"sh*t". Now, former Arsenal forward Alan Smith says the Bayern Munich ace should have taken the comments on the chin, which also included Alan Shearer laying into the team, and focus on improving England's performances at the Euro 2024.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT ALAN SMITH SAID

The former England international told : "I wasn’t surprised to see Kane hit back at England’s critics because he can only answer the questions journalists ask him. Did you hear what Gary Lineker said? Did you hear what Shearer said? The criticism bites a bit harder when you’re a player inside the camp and you start to develop a siege mentality. I’ve been in Kane’s shoes, and you know very well that the players will be talking about the criticism, especially when it’s coming from Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer. I would have preferred it if Harry Kane said: 'Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have seen and done it all playing for England, so they’re entitled to their opinion, but we haven’t played well and we need to do better'. I think he could have avoided saying Lineker and Shearer have also been in this position and struggled so shouldn’t be criticising. Does that mean that they can’t criticise players when they are getting paid to give their opinion and insight? When performances aren’t good, things get touchy. Players cannot avoid seeing the criticism – it’s on their phones and in their rooms – they’re all aware of it, it all about how they handle it."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

England came into the tournament as one of the favourites but they have looked anything but that so far. The Three Lions unconvincingly won their group to progress to the knockout stages but they will have to improve if they want to win their first international trophy since 1966.

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Southgate's England side take on Slovakia, who finished third in their group, in a last 16 tie on Sunday evening. Kane – who scored in the draw with Denmark – and his team-mates will need to up their game to progress to the quarter-finals.

Southampton's rocky form in the Championship continued at home to Millwall this weekend just gone, the Saints losing 2-1 to the Lions who find themselves precariously just above the second tier relegation spots.

It's been a noticeable drop-off for Russell Martin's men who at one point looked dead set on an immediate return to the Premier League via the automatic promotion route, with Leeds United now occupying second place with a five-point advantage when fast-forwarding to the present.

Southampton do have a number of young talents on their side who can make a difference however to cut through the current doom and gloom, with former Manchester City winger Samuel Edozie impressing the St. Mary's masses in the 2-1 defeat at 21 years old when replacing an injury-stricken Ryan Fraser.

There's another starlet on the South Coast who could go on to be the most impressive one of them all, the attacking midfielder in question striving to be Southampton's next Adam Lallana if given a chance to succeed at senior level.

Ussumane Djalo's statistics at youth level

Once touted for a mega £8m away from FC Porto, with the likes of Manchester United and Everton sniffing about in the January transfer window, Southampton managed to acquire Ussumane Djalo's services at the start of this month on a youth loan surprisingly.

Able to play in a traditional central midfield role, on top of playing further forward in a position more accustomed to that of Lallana in his Saints prime in attacking midfield, Djalo shone at youth level in Portugal before relocating to the South Coast on loan.

The skilful creator would bag two goals and pick up a further two assists from 11 Porto Youth League appearances, helping himself to one of those assists against FC Barcelona U19s in the UEFA Youth League last year as Porto romped home to a 4-0 victory.

Onto six appearances for the Portugal U19s now as well, it could well be time for Djalo to cut his teeth at a senior level for Southampton soon.

The Portuguese starlet has only managed to make one appearance in the youth fold at the Saints since joining this month, but with a predicted bright future in the game, he could well go on to be a hero akin to Lallana if given time to shine.

Only at the club on loan – with a view to making the deal permanent – he could well be the long-term option in the centre of the park when Flynn Downes returns back to West Ham United come the end of the Championship campaign.

Djalo could be the next Lallana

Djalo is very much a midfielder with an eye to attack and shine going forward, as was Lallana when he dazzled at St. Mary's over various goal-filled seasons.

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The current Brighton veteran would amass 60 goals for the Saints in total, exiting the south coast club as a legend with 265 appearances tallied up.

Lallana's humble beginnings in the Saints youth set-up didn't stop him from excelling when making the leap to the first team, making his debut at just 18 years of age.

It could well be viewed as an outlandish claim to say Djalo could ever reach Lallana's heights, but with Djalo bagging three goals at international level for Portugal to date and with his two goals for Porto's youth side next to his name, the 19-year-old could well eventually burst into life for the Saints to then nail down a starting spot.

If that was the case, Southampton could rest a little easier over the prospect of Downes upping and leaving to head back to the London Stadium as well – Djalo adept at also playing in the centre of the park, as opposed to just being an attack-minded player.

Martin could utilise plenty of his young Saints talents such as Edozie and Jayden Meghoma in this midweek's FA Cup clash at Liverpool, with Djalo itching to be in the 38-year-old boss' plans soon if he does stay put beyond the end of this season.

Jurgen Klopp is seemingly enjoying life after Liverpool as the German has been spotted watching the tennis at the Mallorca Championships.

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Klopp steps down as Liverpool managerGerman enjoying time away from gameSpotted at Mallorca tennis tournamentWHAT HAPPENED?

Klopp stepped away from his Liverpool managerial role in May, ending a momentous near nine-year spell at Anfield. The former Borussia Dortmund boss announced he was returning to his old club's ground to see Taylor Swift earlier this month and now he has been spotted at the ATP tour tennis event, the Mallorca Championships.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Klopp has left quite a legacy at Liverpool. He won the Champions League, the Premier League, a host of domestic cups, and, arguably, made the Reds one of the greatest clubs in the world again. The big question is, what does he plan on doing after his spell with the Merseyside outfit?

Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?

The Stuttgart-born Klopp – who began his managerial career at Mainz before joining Dortmund – was in charge at Liverpool for 491 games and in that time they won 299 of them, drew 109, and lost 83. That gave him a winning percentage of 60.90.

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WHAT NEXT?

Following Klopp's departure, former Feyenoord boss Arne Slot will take over the reins at Liverpool from the 2024-25 season. It remains to see what his predecessor will do next after a lengthy spell at the Reds.

“We’ve come to win this World Cup and take it back from Australia”

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2020West Indies won the Women’s T20 World Cup title in 2016, beating Australia in the final, but ended on the wrong side of the result in 2018 as Australia beat them in the semi-final, that too on home soil. Anisa Mohammed hasn’t forgotten that, and wants to “spoil the party” and “return the favour” when the next chapter begins in Australia in less than a week.”We’ve come to win this World Cup and take it back from Australia,” Mohammed, whose 118 wickets make her the most successful bowler – man or woman – in T20Is, told ICC. “It would be nice to spoil the party. They spoiled ours, so it would be nice to return the favour.”Australia have been doing really well. They recently played in the tri-series [against England and India] and came out on top, but we’ve been working hard ourselves.”The final in 2016 was a really special day. That was probably the biggest highlight of my career – winning a World Cup is something I’d love to do again. As a team, we know what it’s like to win and what it’s like to lose. Winning is definitely better, so we want to win this time.”Australia are known as the top team in the world. All teams will be gunning to beat them.”Back in 2016, West Indies beat Australia, the favourites, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata in the final, with Hayley Matthews’ career-defining 45-ball 66 and Stafanie Taylor’s 57-ball 59 taking them to the target of 149 in the last over of the chase. In 2018, Australia’s bowlers were at the top of their game, finishing West Indies off for 71 for a 71-run win in North Sound. More recently, the two sides met in a bilateral series in the Caribbean in September 2019, where Australia blanked the home side 3-0 in the T20Is – they won the ODIs by the same margin.”We have some history with Australia,” quick bowler Shakera Selman said. “Since the last series, I’ve noticed a lot of the girls have built some sort of friendship and some sort of camaraderie.”They’ve beaten us a few times. They were hurting after we beat them in 2016 and they came back to beat us two years later. It would be a big game if we faced them in the semi-finals but we’ve got to take each one as it comes.”At the 2020 edition, four-time champions and favourites Australia are in Group A, while West Indies are in Group B, along with England, Pakistan, South Africa and Thailand. The tournament begins on February 21 with the opening clash between hosts Australia and India in Sydney, followed by West Indies v Thailand on February 22.

Southampton survived an almighty scare against Huddersfield Town last time out, three goals in the final ten minutes for Russell Martin's never-say-die Saints allowing his high-flying side to come out on top as 5-3 victors.

Unbeaten in the Championship for 22 games now off the back of these heroics at St. Mary's, Martin will just want the wins to keep coming when his team travels to Bristol City on Tuesday night.

The popular Southampton boss could well have to make a couple of changes here and there to freshen up his troops after such a barnstorming contest on the South Coast, with Sekou Mara potentially coming into the XI after a crucial goal against the Terriers.

Here's what the Saints potential lineup could look like, with two changes in total from the enthralling Huddersfield clash…

1 GK – Gavin Bazunu

Despite shipping three goals against Huddersfield, Southampton's number one goalkeeper in Gavin Bazunu should remain between the sticks for the trip to Ashton Gate.

Keeping a clean sheet in Southampton's last away encounter versus Rotherham United, the former Manchester City goalkeeper will hope he can pick up another one against Bristol City.

2 RB – Kyle Walker-Peters

Likewise, despite being in the back four that leaked three goals at the hands of the Terriers, Kyle Walker-Peters will also remain in Martin's starting XI.

Walker-Peters was lively in the contest regardless of the weak defensive display at points as a collective, amassing 108 touches of the ball as an energetic attacking presence.

3 CB – Taylor Harwood-Bellis

Taylor Harwood-Bellis will also stick it out at the heart of defence against Liam Manning's Robins, accumulating 104 touches last game in total as the Saints attempted to create from deep to outscore Huddersfield.

The Manchester City loanee might be disappointed with the fact he only managed to win 50% of his duels against the Terriers, the 22-year-old hoping to put in a more resilient display in truth versus Bristol City that sees a win and a clean sheet notched up.

4 CB – Jan Bednarek

Jan Bednarek would come away from the full-throttle contest against Huddersfield with his head held somewhat high, winning all but one of his aerial duels at St. Mary's.

Therefore, the reliable Polish defender should be retained by Martin for the clash at Bristol City – the Southampton number 35 helping his side pick up eight clean sheets this campaign when played away from the floodgates opening last game.

5 LB – Ryan Manning

An unchanged defence could well be a brave call by Martin after his side conceded three rapid fire goals last game, but Ryan Manning could start again as Southampton's first-choice left-back tomorrow night.

Managing two key passes from down the left-hand side against Huddersfield, the Saints will just want Manning to be stronger when Bristol City shirts foray forward.

6 CM – Will Smallbone

Will Smallbone will also be kept in the side for the trip to Ashton Gate tomorrow night, the former Stoke City loanee becoming a fixed first-teamer under Martin this campaign.

The Saints number 16 was measured on the ball even when the contest was frenetic, only misplacing three of his 84 passes. Creating one big chance and constantly receiving the ball also, Smallbone will hope he can pick up an assist against Bristol City on the way to his promotion-seeking side registering another win in the second tier.

7 CM – Joe Rothwell

The first change to the side that pulled off an unbelievable comeback win against Huddersfield could see Flynn Downes miss out, the West Ham United loanee ruled out for the mid-week clash at Bristol City owing to an injury concern.

This is undoubtedly a blow for the promotion-chasing Saints, with Martin very fond of the slick central midfielder – the Southampton boss once describing Downes as "incredible" when the pair were together at Swansea City.

Joe Rothwell should be able to fill in for Downes to soften this injury blow however, the AFC Bournemouth loanee netting a brace from off the bench last game – which included an unbelievable first-time strike rippling the back of the net – to set Southampton on their way to pulling off the unthinkable.

Only misplacing one pass too from a very impactful 57 minutes on the pitch, it's a no-brainer to bring Rothwell in for an injury-stricken Downes.

8 CM – Stuart Armstrong

Rothwell wasn't the only midfielder attempting to turn the game on its head however, with Stuart Armstrong attempting three shots on goal during the contest to steer Southampton to three points when defeat loomed.

The Scottish midfielder did get hauled off on the 71st-minute mark, but he should still be retained to feature alongside Rothwell and Smallbone.

9 RW – Adam Armstrong

Adam Armstrong will be retained at the right wing spot most likely for the trip to Liam Manning's side tomorrow, even with Che Adams on the chopping block as the main striker and Armstrong's expertise in the striker role.

Adams struggled throughout a lacklustre 45-minute spell, substituted off at the break owing to a slight knock as was revealed by Martin post-match.

Still, with Martin having another player up his sleeve who could come in and shine as the centre-forward, Armstrong will remain as a winger for this one.

10 ST – Sekou Mara

The second possible change could see Martin give Sekou Mara an opportunity to shine from the get-go as the lone striker, with the exciting 21-year-old attacker scoring and assisting at St. Mary's last time out from just 11 minutes on the pitch.

Without Mara, the game could well have finished as a 3-3 draw with both teams huffing and puffing but no winner coming up trumps.

Yet, the ex-Bordeaux youngster's drive to come on and be a difference-maker paid off which could see him rewarded with a place in Martin's starting eleven tomorrow night.

The opener was dropped four times on the way to his second BBL hundred

Peter Della Penna05-Jan-2020D’Arcy Short made the hosts Perth Scorchers pay for a sloppy fielding display, making the most of a string of reprieves to post the slowest century in the history of the Big Bash, but one that served to set up victory for the Hobart Hurricanes by eight runs in front of more than 30,000 on Sunday night. Short was spilled on 21, 38, 53, and 68 in an explosive but charmed knock, striking seven sixes by the end of his innings as he brought up three figures on the final ball that served to produce a total which wound up being just out of reach of a valiant effort led by Mitchell Marsh in pursuit.The Hurricanes victory was all the more impressive in light of injuries to James Faulkner before the night began and Riley Meredith during the match itself as an understrength bowling unit withstood a late charge from the hosts. The Hurricanes moved up into fifth place with the win while the Scorchers sit in seventh on the BBL points table.Short’s record long stayThe Hurricanes opener set a new mark for the most deliveries spent at the crease to reach three figures in the history of the Big Bash League, taking 70 balls to do it for his second career ton in the BBL and first since an unbeaten 122 two seasons earlier against the Brisbane Heat. He had some help along the way though, including a pair of key assists from Tim David.Getty ImagesThe Singapore international David took four excellent catches and produced a runout in a brilliant fielding display to help knock off Scotland in a thriller at the T20 World Cup Qualifier in Dubai this past October, but his fielding on Sunday night was unrecognizable from that occasion. The easiest of the four chances offered by Short was the first one of the night put down by David, who charged in from the sweeper-cover boundary in the fifth over for a skied drive off the bowling of Matt Kelly. But David nearly overran the ball while covering the ground and as he slid to cushion the catching attempt, the ball wound up clanging off his chest instead of his hands and wound up going to ground.It was Short’s 14th delivery at the time and he continued to struggle for rhythm by the time he was dropped again. Three balls after Liam Livingstone broke the opening stand having Caleb Jewell caught at long-on, Livingstone could not hold onto a sharp one-handed return chance, which pushed Short to 39 off 38 balls.Short used his feet to strike Ashton Agar over long-on in the 13th for six and a single later in the over took him to a 44-ball fifty. Another tough return chance was put down by Jhye Richardson in his follow-through in the next over before Fawad Ahmed was the last bowler to miss out on claiming Short in the 16th. David could not clasp onto a top-edged sweep at deep backward square for what would have been another double-wicket over after Fawad claimed David Miller with a missed sweep. Short then struck three sixes in his final two overs, including a scoop over fine leg on the final ball of the innings to bring up his ton.Perth’s Rocky PowerplayThe Scorchers chase was blunted by three wickets in the first 15 balls. Having just struck two boundaries, Livingstone was overambitious in attempting a third in a failed attempt to go across his stumps to scoop Meredith’s 145 kph pace and was bowled for 13 in the second over. Cameron Bancroft’s waft outside off stump in the third gave Scott Boland a wicket. Boland then dropped Marsh on the first delivery to the Scorchers captain but the fumble caromed onto the non-striker’s stumps with Josh Inglis comfortably out of his crease.However, the Hurricanes early inroads were neutralized somewhat by an injury to Meredith in the fourth over. The fast bowler began clutching at the left side of his ribcage mid over and had to come off the field by the end of it. He never returned, leaving Hurricanes captain Ben McDermott pondering his options to fill in two overs later on.Mitchell Marsh is quite strong down the ground•Getty ImagesMarshalling the FightbackScorchers captain Marsh kept his side in the hunt with a 75-run partnership alongside Cameron Green. He was content knocking singles while waiting for loose balls to hit for six that rarely came, however. The stand ended when Nathan Ellis pinned Green leg before missing a flick to midwicket for 33. Chris Jordan was promoted to No. 5 but fell three balls later swatting a half-tracker from legspinner Qais Ahmad to Short at long-on.After a few lusty blows from David, Boland struck in the 16th with a slower ball before Marsh’s stay finally came to an end for 48 with a skied flick to deep midwicket to make it 129 for 7. A late flurry from Richardson made the scorecard more flattering for the Scorchers, who entered the final over needing 29 to win with two wickets in hand and wound up eight runs short.

Tottenham defender Cristian Romero has insisted that he never said he wanted to leave the club in the summer ahead of signing a new contract at the club. The World Cup winner was heavily linked with a move to Atletico Madrid but instead committed his future, whilst also being appointed club captain.

Romero hits back at exit suggestions

Reports throughout the summer claimed that Atletico were eyeing a swoop to sign the World Cup winner, but he ultimately shocked and delighted fans in equal measure by signing a new long-term contract and being appointed club captain. Now, he has hit back at suggestions he wanted to leave. 

AdvertisementGetty ImagesA key player

Romero is perhaps the most important cornerstone of the club's project under Frank, with the Argentina international playing every minute of every game thus far this season. He scored in the UEFA Super Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain, and also has a Premier League assist to his name. 

Romero's fierce rebuke

Romero has hit back at any suggestion that he wanted an exit ahead of the club's Champions League clash with Villarreal. 

He told reporters: "I never said I wanted to leave the club. Nothing came from me in that effect. It is important what the manager and president say. I am very happy here, it is like a family. I like the manager. I like the way we work, the way we train. Always things can improve but I think everyone here at all levels are taking the right steps to improve. I am very happy here."

Getty Images SportAll eyes on more European glory

Spurs are, of course, playing in the Champions League this season after their Europa League triumph last season. Romero won Player of the Match in the final, and will be out to help guide Spurs to the Wanda Metropolitano for this season's showpiece; the club have unfinished business there, having lost the 2019 final to Liverpool in the same stadium. 

Pep Guardiola hailed Erling Haaland as “better than ever” after the striker’s derby double inspired Manchester City to a 3-0 win over rivals Manchester United. Haaland’s ruthless brace, alongside a crucial opener from Phil Foden, saw the Citizens dominate at the Etihad. Guardiola later labelled Foden as “the heart of the club” in a glowing tribute to the Englishman.

Manchester City destroy United at the Etihad

Haaland scored twice to take his Premier League tally to five goals in four matches this season. The Norwegian also surpassed Didier Drogba in the league's top scorers list, underlining his lethal form in front of goal. Foden opened the scoring in the 18th minute, netting his first Premier League strike since January to set City on their way. Guardiola has now praised both the goalscorers after the Manchester derby win.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALHaaland on fire this season — Foden picking up pace

Haaland has now netted 16 times in his last 10 appearances for club and country. Guardiola believes the 24-year-old is performing at an even higher level than during City’s treble-winning season. With Foden rediscovering his form, City’s midfield and attack look sharper and more balanced than ever.

Guardiola praises Haaland and Foden after goals

“Erling has been incredible since the start but this season he is better than ever. I would say better than the Treble year. He’s dynamic and I don’t judge him for the clearance, we want him to score goals and to help us,” Guardiola told reporters.

On Foden, he added: “We missed him so much and the season before he was the best player in the Premier League so we need him, he has a work ethic. Phil is the core, the heart of the club, from the academy and he loves City. To have him back is good news.”

Getty Images SportMan City preparing for duel with Kevin de Bruyne

Manchester City have eyed Foden as the final replacement for Kevin de Bruyne; however, the Englishman will now have to go toe-to-toe with the Belgian when City take on Napoli in the Champions League opener on Thursday, September 18.

Glasgow Rangers will be working hard to secure another signing or two before the January transfer window slams shut tomorrow.

Philippe Clement’s side have returned from the winter break in solid fashion, securing three victories in a row, but it is no secret that the Belgian manager is looking to add some fresh faces to his squad ahead of a Premiership title tussle with Celtic.

Mohammed Diomande was the Gers' second winter arrival, joining on an initial loan deal from Danish side FC Nordsjaelland with an obligation to buy in the summer, and it could be a shrewd signing.

Brazilian left-back Jefte also looked like he was closing in on a move to Ibrox, but recent reports have suggested that no deal has been agreed for the player, although things could change suddenly on deadline day.

The 49-year-old manager will be working hard to further improve the squad, and they could be close to landing a young South American talent…

Rangers search for new signings

Earlier this week, a link emerged out of the blue that stated Rangers were showing interest in Colombian winger Oscar Cortes with regard to a potential winter swoop, according to prominent journalist Chris Jack.

Fast-forward a couple of days and Jack has provided an update on their chase for the highly rated youngster, saying:

“Rangers are still working to finalise a deal for Oscar Cortes. Suggestions of a previous knee injury have been dismissed. No truth in reports linking Rabbi Matondo with a move to Germany.”

This is promising news with regard to signing Cortes, and it looks as though it could be a loan move with, hopefully, an option to buy in the summer.

While Jack dismissed the notion that Matondo could depart this month, things often change without prior warning in the last few days of the transfer window.

The former Schalke man has improved this season, yet Cortes may be an upgrade on the Welshman, especially if he can hit the ground running.

Rabbi Matondo has improved this season

Having joined in the summer of 2022 for around £3m, much was expected of the rapid young winger, especially as he had scored ten goals for Cercle Brugge the season prior.

Matondo endured a difficult debut campaign at Ibrox, however, registering only five assists in 28 matches, and it looked as though Michael Beale was going to move him on last summer following just 12 months at Ibrox.

The 23-year-old knuckled down in pre-season and began to fight for his place, impressing during the opening few weeks of the campaign.

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Not only did he score against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League qualifiers, but he also began to show the sort of form which led Giovanni van Bronckhorst to splash millions on him in the first place.

While he has had to battle an injury that has kept him out of a few matches this term, along with competing for a spot on the left wing with Abdallah Sima, the former Manchester City starlet is still a useful option to have.

If Clement can get a deal for Cortes over the line before tomorrow night, however, Matondo may find his chances limited due to his presence.

Oscar Cortes could be an ideal Sima replacement on the left wing

Rangers were given horrible news last week that Sima will be out of action for the foreseeable future due to suffering an injury while training with Senegal at the African Cup of Nations, and it is a huge blow for the club.

The on-loan winger has scored 15 times this term and the Ibrox side are losing one of their most reliable attacking threats.

Matondo can offer pace and the ability to take the ball past opponents, yet he does not have the same clinical nature as Sima and this is a big worry.

Cortes, on the other hand, is much more flexible – being able to operate out wide or through the middle – and this could lead him to become a perfect replacement for Sima on the left flank.

Although right-footed, the youngster could use his ability to cut in from the left to devastating effect. His spell at Lens has not gone to plan since joining from Colombian side Millonarios last summer, scoring just once and grabbing an assist in four Ligue 1 matches, yet he has not been given enough time to shine.

Despite averaging only 13 minutes per game, the 20-year-old has still created one big chance while having a goal conversion rate of 100% and this indicates that if he appeared more regularly, he could be an even bigger threat.

His performances for Colombia during the U20 World Cup last year were arguably what led him to making the move to Europe, as he was one of the stars of the competition.

Indeed, not only did he rank second in the tournament for overall Sofascore rating (7.6), but he also ranked fourth for goals and assists (six) and first for big chances created (four), showcasing his wonderful potential alongside other emerging talents.

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Signing a player with this type of potential could be vital for Clement, as if Cortes hits the ground running, the Gers could secure a profit on him in the next few years.

Rangers Journal founder Kai Watson lauded the youngster amid the links to the Light Blues, saying: "Rangers need options on the wing and the young Colombian is a very exciting prospect.

“He’ll provide pace, power and will get goal contributions.”

It looks as though he needs a fresh start in order to build on his displays for his country last year and a move to Rangers could certainly provide him with that.

Matondo has shown great maturity to come back after a poor first season at the club to provide Clement with a solid option on the wing, but Cortes is clearly showing much bigger potential.

The next 24 hours will be key to any sort of progress regarding a deal and Clement will be hoping it is sorted swiftly, so he can potentially move on to other targets before the window closes.