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Imran Tahir took five wickets as Derbyshire and Gloucestershire negotiated a final-day run chase in Bristol

ECB Reporters Network28-Sep-2017Derbyshire finished their Specsavers County Championship season on a high, beating Gloucestershire by 147 runs at the Brightside Ground, Bristol.Imran Tahir picked up five wickets and Matt Critchley and Harry Podmore two apiece as the visitors completed victory with more than 21.3 overs to spare.It was a disappointing end to the summer for Gloucestershire who, to their credit, had agreed to making a game of it by declaring on their overnight score of 224 for 2.Gloucestershire then gifted Derbyshire 144 runs, in their second innings, to set up a second innings chase in a minimum of 80 overs.In pursuit of 381 to win, they suffered an early blow when Benny Howell was caught behind by off the bowling of Harry Podmore in the fourth over. Thereafter, they struggled against a Derbyshire attack led, before lunch, by seamers Podmore and Hardus Viljoen. Podmore picked up his second wicket at 42 for 2 when he had Chris Dent caught behind, for 19.The game gathered pace after lunch as Gloucestershire fought to establish a position of strength and Derbyshire, with equal purpose, did their bit to keep themselves in with a chance of bowling out their hosts.Imran Tahir was the catalyst for Derbyshire – the leg spinner taking three wickets in the penultimate session to put Derbyshire back on top.James Bracey, who played well for 44, was the first to fall. The talented left hander, who scored an unbeaten 82 in the first innings, chanced his arm once too often and was caught at deep midwicket off the bowling of Tahir.Tahir then snared caught and bowled Hankins at 135 for 4, before trapping Jack Taylor lbw for 3, at 147 for 5.Gloucestershire had agreed to go for the target, regardless of what position they found themselves in. So, it was no surprise when Kieran Noema-Barnett opened his shoulders and struck six boundaries in quick fire time.Sadly, for Gloucestershire, he perished for 30 and it was left to Phil Mustard to shoulder his side’s hopes. At tea, Gloucestershire were 197 for 6, needing another 184 for victory.Their faint hopes disappeared shortly after tea when captain Mustard was bowled by Matt Critchley for 37. It was a long walk back to the pavilion for Mustard, who understandably fancied his chance of at least taking the game to the wire.David Payne was next to fall, caught at slip by Wayne Madsen off the bowling of Critchley for 0, and Josh Shaw followed for 1, bowled shouldering arms to a ball that spun back from Tahir.Derbyshire wound up matters when Tahir picked up his fifth wicket when trapping Matt Taylor lbw at 233 all out.

The other important aspect to be decided in the final round is who finishes top of the championship and earns the 13th place in the new ODI league

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Oct-2017Netherlands and Papua New Guinea have secured their places in next year’s World Cup qualifiers following the latest round of World Cricket League matches.Hong Kong’s victory over Nepal followed by the washout in the second of the two matches in Hong Kong means Netherlands and PNG are guaranteed to finish in the top four.Two out of Hong Kong, Scotland and Kenya will join them in the WCQ event in Zimbabwe next March. The final round of matches, which take place on December 6 and 8, are: Kenya v Scotland, UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v PNG and Netherlands v Namibia.The other important aspect to be decided in the final round is who finishes top of the championship and earns the 13th place in the new ODI league. Netherlands are currently top, two points clear of PNG.The side that does not earn a spot in the WCQ will join Nepal, Namibia and UAE in a six-team tournament that also includes Canada and Oman who have qualified from WCL Division 3.

Southampton are still in for West Ham midfielder Flynn Downes, and a new update has revealed what sort of deal Saints chiefs are looking to make.

Do Southampton want to sign Flynn Downes?

Saints started their Championship season in positive fashion last weekend, picking up a hard-earned 2-1 victory away to Sheffield Wednesday, thanks to Che Adams' late winner at Hillsborough.

That doesn't mean that more signings aren't needed between now and the end of the current transfer window, as was evident at times against Norwich, in order to give Southampton the best possible chance of securing a speedy return to the Premier League.

That is especially important with both James Ward-Prowse and Romeo Lavia expected to move on, with the pair two of the most influential players at the club currently.

One player who has been linked with a summer move to St Mary's is Downes, who once shone under Russell Martin at Swansea City and made 21 top flight appearances for West Ham last season.

It looks as though Saints are still looking to sign him as soon as possible, continuing to see him as a great option to replace Ward-Prowse this summer, aiding their promotion push in the process.

What's the latest on Flynn Downes to Southampton?

Writing on Twitter, 90min's Tobuy Cudworth provided an update on Southampton's pursuit of Downes, confirming it will be a loan-to-buy deal:

"Never mind Kane or Caicedo, the big news of the day is that James Ward-Prowse has completed his WHUFC medical ahead of his £30m switch from Southampton. Flynn Downes in talks to go the other way on loan with a view to a permanent transfer."

At this point, it would be a surprise if Downes didn't end up at West Ham by the time the end of August arrives. The midfielder was lauded for his performances in Europe last seaosn by journalist Jonty Colman, saying:

"There was only a second start in West Ham colours for Flynn Downes, bought into the midfield allowing both Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek a rest. Looked really good in possession, keen to both receive the ball and move it forward where fit, creating a half chance for Antonio with a clipped in cross.

"Consistent throughout the game, won battles in midfield, fought for possession as much as he could and really impressed facing an Anderlecht midfield that had plenty of energy in it. 8."

At 24, Downes would be arriving at Southampton at a great age, coming straight in as an immediate key man, but also someone who could mature into a more formidable player over time, as has been the case with Ward-Prowse in a Saints shirt.

He has won a combined total of 11 caps for England's Under-19s and Under-20s, showing the talent he has possessed since his youth team days, and the fact that Martin has managed him before means he should be able to make a fairly seamless transition into the team. Should he excel for Southampton, a permanent move should then be a no-brainer this time next year.

Everton are finding it difficult to sign a key summer transfer target as he is 'not convinced' by Sean Dyche's project at Goodison Park, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.

Will Everton finally find a solution this window?

Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio has issued an update on the state of play surrounding Gnonto at present and has indicated that Leeds United are unwilling to sell their star man, stating on Twitter X: For Gnonto at the moment the @LUFC is not open to the sale: the possibility of a loan remains standing in the last days of the market (@AVFCOfficial and @Everton concerned)."

Earlier in the window, Everton saw a bid in the region of £15 million for the Italy international rebuffed by Leeds United boss Daniel Farke, who is keen to keep the 19-year-old at Elland Road after losing several key men this summer owing to relegation release clauses, as per The Daily Mail.

As per The Yorkshire Evening Post, Gnonto was absent from Leeds United's 2-1 victory over Shrewsbury Town in the Carabao Cup and Whites' boss Farke refused to be drawn on the reason for his omission other than it was not due to an injury concern, saying in his post-match press conference: “Willy was not available today. No [not injured], not available. Listen, in general you know I'm always open and honest and give you a pretty transparent answer."

FootballTransfers indicate that Everton have 'laid the groundwork' to try and bring Gnonto to Goodison Park and the outlet claim that finding an agreement on personal terms with the youngster will not prove to be problematic.

Southampton winger Kamaldeen Sulemana has been mentioned as an alternative to Gnonto and Paris Saint-Germain prospect Hugo Ekitike has been rumoured as another target.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Galetti thinks that Everton being able to convince Gnonto to move to Merseyside may prove to be a difficult task.

Galetti stated: "Everton are active on multiple negotiations, for example Gnonto, one of the attacking targets. At the moment, it’s getting complicated.

"The Leeds United player is not convinced that Everton is the right destination for his next career step. It’s an important step in his career.”

What next for Everton?

Everton are active in the market as boss Dyche looks for reinforcements to ensure that his side aren't dragged into another relegation battle this time around.

Portugal youth international Youssef Chermiti will officially become an Everton player very soon as his medical examination is ongoing and contract signatures have been drawn up with Sporting Clube de Portugal, as per Fabrizio Romano.

Southampton striker Che Adams and Leicester City forward Patson Daka have also been rumoured as targets for Everton as Dyche looks to double down on his depth in the forward areas between now and the end of the window, according to BBC Sport.

Journalist Paul Brown has indicated to GIVEMESPORT that he expects Everton midfielder James Garner to gain a lot of first-team minutes in 2023/24 and has heard 'good things about him from the coaching staff there' regarding his performances in training.

Tammy Beaumont says that England’s women now have a “massive target on their backs”, as the squad prepares to set off for Australia to contest this winter’s Ashes

Andrew Miller05-Oct-20171:13

‘There’s a massive target on our backs’ – Beaumont

Tammy Beaumont says that England’s women now have a “massive target on their backs”, as the squad prepares to set off for Australia to contest this winter’s Ashes, having risen to No. 1 in the ODI world rankings on the back of their thrilling World Cup victory in July.Beaumont was one of the stars of England’s World Cup campaign, scoring 410 runs at 45.55 at the top of the order, including a century against South Africa at Bristol and a vital 49 at the same venue four days later, as England edged out Australia in a gripping three-run win.A run of eight consecutive wins in the World Cup, including another heart-stopper in the final against India (who had beaten them at Derby in the tournament opener), helped to propel England to the top of the latest ODI rankings.And with the squad setting off for Australia on Friday, ahead of the first match of the 50-over leg of their multi-format series on October 22, Beaumont knows that that new-found status will be an extra incentive for their oldest rivals, whom captain Heather Knight last week insisted were still the best team in the world.”We’re only No. 1 in the world in ODIs, we’ve got a way to go in T20s,” Beaumont said. “And beating Australia in Australia, it doesn’t come any harder than that.”They are going to want revenge against us,” she added. “They have a number of match-winners in their team so we can’t hide away from the fact that we’ve just come off winning a World Cup and there’s a massive target on our back now, but it’s not going to be easy by any stretch.”One major boost for England will be the absence of Australia’s captain, Meg Lanning, who has had to withdraw from the series after shoulder surgery.”Meg is an exceptional player, she leads from the front with her batting, and her captaincy, but there’s a number of players in that batting line-up, they have got the batting depth and they don’t necessarily need Meg,” Beaumont said.”She missed a number of games in the World Cup and they still got over the line. It’s a shame that fans can’t come and watch the best batter in the world but there’s still enough firepower in that batting order.”Speaking at the PCA Awards in London, Beaumont reflected on a groundbreaking summer for women’s cricket, one that was lit up by the thrilling World Cup final at Lord’s, where England battled back from the brink of defeat to secure a nine-run win, courtesy of Anya Shrubsole’s 6 for 46.”I always knew we were going to win!” she joked. “That’s the great thing about our team, we always have complete backing in absolutely everyone who grabs the ball or goes to the wicket with the bat. I think a lot of people doubted us when we needed seven wickets for 40 runs but, I might be mad for saying so, but I always thought there was another twist in the game, and luckily it came.”Everyone was exceptional for the whole World Cup and that’s why we won. Everyone in the whole squad contributed in some way or another.””It’s been amazing,” Beaumont added of her new-found acclaim since the final. “I get asked to do commentary and things that weren’t on my radar… and sometimes I even get recognised on the tube which is pretty crazy.”I’m sure the other girls have similar stories. It’s great to be part of women’s cricket, women’s sport in general is massively on the up at the moment. It is proper news these days, and hopefully we can keep engaging with people and make our sport something really special.”

Fifties from opener Shivakant Shukla, debutant Pratham Singh, and Nitin Bhille led Railways’ response to Maharashtra’s 481 in Pune

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2017Umang Sharma struck his first century of the season as Uttar Pradesh built on their first-innings lead against Assam to end the day 260 runs ahead with eight wickets in hand in Guwahati. Assam had started the day on 279 for 6, still 70 behind UP’s 349 in the first innings. Overnight batsmen Pallvkumar Das and Swarupam Purkayastha extended their stand to 61, before Suresh Raina broke the partnership by getting Pallavkumar with the score on 298. Purkayastha fell soon after, becoming left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar’s fifth wicket. Assam were eventually bowled out for 318.Umang then put on 46 for the opening stand Abhishek Goswami (14), 84 for the second wicket with the promoted Raina (33) and an unbroken 99 for the third with Mohammad Saif (38*) as he dominated the scoring, making 131 of the 229 they got. Umang’s knock contained 16 fours and a six.Fifties from opener Shivakant Shukla, debutant Pratham Singh, and Nitin Bhille led Railways’ response to Maharashtra’s 481 in Pune. The visitors reached 330 for 5 at stumps with Arindam Ghosh (44*) set to become the fourth half-centurion in the innings.Resuming on 88 for 1, Railways suffered an early setback when they lost Saurabh Wakaskar in the second over of the day. Shukla, Pratham, and Bhille then steadied the innings, pushing the score beyond 200. Pratham and captain Mahesh Rawat fell late in the day, but Ghosh and Manish Rao took the team to stumps without any further damage. Offspinner Chirag Khurana was the pick of the bowlers for Maharashtra taking 2 for 50 in 17 overs.

Manchester United could replace Harry Maguire with one of his England international teammates at Old Trafford as Erik Ten Hag continues his recruitment drive, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.

Is Harry Maguire leaving Manchester United and who could replace him?

Cited by The Independent, Ten Hag has laid the gauntlet down to Maguire amid speculation surrounding his future at Manchester United, stating in an interview: "He has to fight for his place. He has the ability to be a top-class centre-back and he is the best for England so why shouldn’t he be the best for us? But he has to prove it. When he is not confident enough to fight then he has to go, then he has to make a decision, but I’m happy with him."

West Ham United have had a £30 million bid accepted for the England international; however, he has neither agreed personal terms or undergone a medical at the London Stadium, as per Telegraph Sport.

Former Leicester City star Maguire has been stripped of the captaincy at Old Trafford and is behind Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof in the pecking order under Ten Hag.

Aston Villa have initiated enquiries regarding a potential deal for Maguire in light of Tyrone Mings sustaining a serious injury in the Villans' defeat to Newcastle United last weekend, as per FootballTransfers.

Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo, Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi and Bayern Munich star Benjamin Pavard have all been linked to Manchester United as figures who could replace Maguire at the club.

What has Rudy Galetti said about Fiyako Tomori?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Galetti has indicated that AC Milan central defender Fikayo Tomori has also been shortlisted as a candidate to strengthen Ten Hag's backline.

Galetti stated: "To replace Maguire, coming back to the centre-back situation, there are many names on Manchester United's list at the moment. Jean-Clair Todibo, Marc Guehi, and also Fikayo Tomori, are some of the profiles under evaluation on their side."

Would Fiyako Tomori be a good signing for Manchester United?

Interestingly, the centre-back has even recorded a faster top speed than Marcus Rashford.

Tomori has been a smash hit at the San Siro since moving from Chelsea to Italian shores permanently in a deal worth £25 million in 2021, as per Sky Sports.

Last term, the Calgary-born £74k-a-week earner made 45 appearances in all competitions for AC Milan, registering one goal and one assist in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Playing out from the back with relative ease, Tomori averaged a pass success rate of 88.9% over the course of the campaign, demonstrating his suitability toward Ten Hag's high-octane style of play, as per WhoScored.

The 25-year-old has also excelled in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions in the art of tackling, winning around 2.34 per 90 minutes across the last 365 days, putting him in the eighth percentile for this metric, as shown by FBRef.

Cited by METRO, Manchester United boss Ten Hag has issued a plea to the Red Devils' board as he attempts to bring in more new signings this window, saying in an interview: "I will always want more! But I think every manager you could ask would also want more. But it is about the mentality; in top football we are talking about the demand, the absolute maximum. Because we demand that from our players and, in their defence, they expect it from us. We are looking for the perfect situation but you never get the perfect situation. Then you have to come into your place and work for that, maybe with not the perfect situation but the perfect results."

England claimed four cheap wickets in the final session after Australia opted not to enforce the follow on but they were still facing a 268-run deficit at the end of day three

The Report by Brydon Coverdale04-Dec-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFirst, the good news for England. They still hold the Ashes. And they had the ball hooping and Australia’s batsmen hopping in a tense final session on the third day. But lest anyone get carried away with this impressive bowling display, led by James Anderson, it is worth remembering that Australia lead by 268 runs, with six wickets in hand. Unless they can roll Australia for under 117, England will need their all-time highest successful Test chase to win this match.This was a day on which England clearly won the final session, reducing Australia to 4 for 53 in their second innings. But it was also a day on which their top scorer was the debutant No. 9, Craig Overton, with an unbeaten 41, and a day when they gave Steven Smith the option of enforcing the follow-on. He chose not to do so, preferring to give his bowlers a rest, but it was an interesting decision to make at the start of the tricky twilight batting period.He must hope that his call will not backfire as Joe Root’s choice at the toss had. Root sent Australia in on a good batting surface, and watched as they batted into their sixth session and declared at 8 for 442. It was this hefty platform that gave Smith the confidence to bat again. By stumps, Smith was one of the four men to have lost his wicket, and Australia had Peter Handscomb at the crease on 3 alongside the nightwatchman Nathan Lyon, on 2.Anderson and Chris Woakes had each picked up two wickets as the ball curled under the Adelaide Oval floodlights. Cameron Bancroft felt at an Anderson outswinger and was caught behind for 4. Usman Khawaja was squared up by an Anderson delivery that nipped away, and was lbw for 20. David Warner edged to slip off Woakes for an uncharacteristically subdued 14 off 60 balls. And Smith was lbw to a Woakes ball that nipped back in for 6.Such a summary can barely capture the intensity of the session. For the first time in the match, Australia were playing for survival. Anderson in particular seemed to have the ball at his mercy, and was a few centimetres from having three wickets himself when Smith was given lbw to an inswinger from around the wicket, that was shown on review to have pitched a hair’s breadth outside the leg stump. But is it too little, too late for England?James Anderson struck twice in a lengthy spell•Getty ImagesNever one to mince his words, former England captain Michael Vaughan had said before play that his country needed to win every session today or the Ashes were lost. Within two hours, the word “whitewash” was beginning to cross his mind. That England fought back in the final session could undo the fact that they had collapsed to be all out for 227. Whatever the final prognosis, that alone affected the health of their campaign.Four wickets in the opening session were followed by three in the second, and the innings was wrapped up quickly after the dinner break with two more breakthroughs as Lyon had Stuart Broad caught behind and then trapped Anderson lbw. In doing so, Lyon moved, if temporarily, to the top of Test cricket’s wicket tally for the 2017 calendar year. Like the chimera of Greek myth, Australia’s hybrid GOAT-Lyon creature is in fire-breathing form.England had started the day at 1 for 29, knowing that a solid day of batting might have dragged them back into the contest. Instead, they lost James Vince from the ninth ball of the day when he tried to force Josh Hazlewood off the back foot and edged behind. That left England at 2 for 31, but it also brought together their two best batsmen as captain Joe Root joined his predecessor Alastair Cook at the crease.But in trying to play positively, Root fell for 9 when he drove at a fullish delivery from Pat Cummins and edged to third slip, where Bancroft snapped up the opportunity. Cook too succumbed to a needless stroke when he pushed at an offbreak from Lyon and edged to Smith at slip on 37. Dawid Malan made 19 before he failed to negotiate a sharp delivery from Cummins that nipped back in and bounced, taking his inside edge on the way through to the wicketkeeper Tim Paine.England were 5 for 128 at tea, and although their lower order fought, the damage had been done. Remarkably, all three wickets that came between tea and dinner were caught and bowled, and two of them among the most spectacular examples of the dismissal. Moeen Ali, who had managed 25 off 57 balls, began the trend when he was done by Lyon’s dip, driving uppishly away from the bowler, who dived full-length and plucked the chance in his left hand to leave England at 6 for 132.Not to be outdone, Mitchell Starc threw his right hand out to intercept a well-struck Jonny Bairstow drive, and the ball lobbed up behind Starc, allowing him to complete the catch on the second grab. Near the end of the session, Starc completed the easiest of the trio of return catches when Woakes top-edged an attempted pull and the bowler barely needed to move to collect the skied opportunity.Woakes and Overton had put together a 66-run eighth-wicket stand. Combined with the fine bowling in the last session, it was enough to keep England in the match. But only barely.

West Ham are battling to sign Ernest Nuamah before the transfer deadline transfer, and a big update has dropped regarding his future.

Who is West Ham target Ernest Nuamah?

The Hammers have had a busy summer to date, experiencing the disappointment of losing captain Declan Rice to Arsenal, but replacing him with some genuine quality.

Edson Alvarez has arrived from Ajax, in what represents an exciting piece of business, while Southampton's James Ward-Prowse also looks like a shrewd acquisition in the middle of the park, too.

The hope is that West Ham's transfer business isn't quite done yet, as they look to give themselves the best possible opportunity to kick on in 2023/24 and build on their fantastic UEFA Europa Conference League success.

One player who could move to the Premier League before the end of the month is Nuamah, who has emerged as an exciting young player for Danish side Nordsjaelland. He has scored 20 goals in just 49 appearances for them, as well as already winning one cap for Ghana, despite his age.

A fresh update has now dropped regarding West Ham's interest in the 19-year-old, with a significant development taking place.

Will West Ham signing Ernest Nuamah?

According to Football Insider, West Ham have now tabled an offer for Nuamah this summer, with the teenager also being tracked by Spurs:

"West Ham have submitted an offer for FC Nordsjaelland star Ernest Nuamah, sources have told Football Insider. The Hammers are in the market for more attacking reinforcements and have made a formal move the 19-year-old winger after shortlisting him as a top target.

"Nuamah’s performances in Denmark’s top division earned rave reviews this season and he is widely regarded as one of the most exciting talents in Europe."

Nuamah, a left-winger who can play on the right or through the middle, looks like a hugely exciting prospect with a big future in the game, with such a prolific goalscoring record for his current club outlining his potential greatly. Flemming Pederson, technical director at Nordsjaelland, has lauded the youngster in the recent past, saying:

"Ernest is first and foremost a dribbler. He is incredibly fast, has a huge acceleration, and a good agility. He is primarily left-footed, but can also use the right. He is a great individualist with tremendous power, who has great potential to also become a skilled team player."

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

There is no question that Nuamah is still a raw footballer learning his trade, so it would be a surprise if he came in as a regular starter for the Hammers, but he is someone who may well be viewed as a massive part of their future, also proving to be an exciting squad player from the off.

His pace, unpredictability and goal threat could be a really effective weapon for West Ham off the substitutes' bench, at a point when opposition legs are tiring, and it is a signing that would be met with even more happiness if the east Londoners pipped Spurs to his services, as well as the likes of Burnley and Brighton.

Glasgow Rangers enjoyed a somewhat productive summer transfer window, releasing various players such as Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos, who were on big wages, while managing to lure some quality to Ibrox in the process.

The likes of Danilo, Jack Butland and Jose Cifuentes are players who have proven their class elsewhere and are the kind of pedigree that can only improve the Gers in the long run.

Michael Beale failed to secure the club Champions League group stage football for the second season in a row and will have to be content with the Europa League following a poor display against PSV Eindhoven.

This wasn’t his only blunder either, as the 42-year-old missed out on a few players during the window, and one could have been a major upgrade on a player who has made just one appearance this season – Scott Wright.

What’s happened to Scott Wright?

The right-winger has failed to light up Ibrox during his two-and-a-half seasons at the club, netting only eight goals and registering seven assists across 85 games, a poor return for a player who was signed in order to add some goal contributions from the flank.

Indeed, across 34 matches last term, Wright managed just one assist, while ranking in a lowly 30th spot for overall Sofascore rating (6.64), tenth for successful dribbles (0.5) and 21st for key passes (0.4) per game, indicating that he failed to really take his chances when given an opportunity to shine.

It’s evident that Beale shouldn’t rely on the Scot during the 2023/24 campaign and the 42-year-old missed a great opportunity to sign a player who was starring in the MLS for Los Angeles FC – Kwadwo Opoku.

Who did Rangers miss out on signing?

Despite Beale completing a major overhaul of his squad, the Ibrox side did miss out on a few targets, such as Luis Palma, Morgan Whittaker and Auston Trusty, yet it could be the failure to sign Opoku that leaves the Gers short of wide options.

The Ghanaian was linked with a move to the Light Blues back in June, with Old Firm rivals Celtic also showing interest, and it looked as though he could’ve been available for €4.8m (£4m), which wouldn’t have been out of their price range.

The right-winger registered 11 goal contributions during the 2022 MLS season – eight goals and three assists – as he played a starring role in the club claiming the MLS cup.

He ranked third for big chances created (11), sixth for key passes per game (0.8) and for successful dribbles per game (one), clearly suggesting he’d be an upgrade on Wright, especially with his eye for goal.

The 22-year-old was hailed by journalist Owuraku Ampofo following LAFC winning the title, saying: “Kwadwo Opoku caps off a magnificent season with LAFC, helping them lift the MLS trophy.

“Opoku had 8 goals and 3 assists this season, and was vital in the playoffs – providing an assist in the Quarterfinal, and scoring in the semi-final. A fairytale story for the forward.”

It wasn’t to be for Rangers however, as the 5 foot 4 starlet made the move to CF Montreal instead of heading to Europe, and it could certainly come to represent an opportunity missed by the club, especially if Wright barely features before Christmas.