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Glasgow Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara is reportedly being eyed up for a transfer away from Ibrox, according to 90min. 

The lowdown: Kamara omitted

The 26-year-old has been the subject of interest from numerous clubs this summer, and despite remaining a key part of Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s plans, a move away could still be on the cards.

The Finland international had previously been courted by Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa during this summer’s transfer window, but it now appears that a suitor from mainland Europe is in town.

Having been left out of Rangers’ matchday squad for the 2-2 draw against Hibernian on Saturday, it has emerged that there is strong interest from France in acquiring Kamara’s services…

The latest: Nice ‘lining up’ Kamara bid

As per 90min, Ligue 1 club Nice are believed to be ‘lining up a bid’ to sign the 46-cap midfielder.

It’s claimed that Kamara was left out by Van Bronckhorst ‘because of the ongoing uncertainty surrounding his future’ amidst the latest transfer interest.

The report also cites ‘two bids’ from Galatasaray earlier in the summer but makes no mention of the details of the potentially incoming offer from France for the man who was dubbed ‘fantastic’ by former Ibrox manager Steven Gerrard.

The verdict: No deal

Having already allowed Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey to leave this summer, the Gers cannot afford to lose another key component of their squad in such a short period of time.

One way that this exit could become more palatable is if the heavily linked Darius Olaru were to arrive at Ibrox and bolster the Rangers ranks in pursuit of the Premiership title.

Last season, Kamara scored four times and provided five assists in a mammoth 52 appearances across all competitions, highlighting his importance to the team. Only four outfield players were given more Premiership minutes for Rangers in 2021/22, which shows how much of a stalwart the Finn has been in Glasgow.

Valued at £6.75m and under contract until 2025 (Transfermarkt), the Rangers hierarchy are in a position of strength when it comes to deciding the future of their midfielder, but should his departure become inevitable, the priority will be to get the highest possible fee for such a crucial asset.

Nottingham Forest are reportedly not set to make a move for Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, despite their recent links with the player.

What’s the word?

As per journalist Matt Davies in a Q&A for Nottinghamshire Post, a deal to sign the 22-year-old now appears unlikely, with the Englishman’s reported £30m asking price seemingly set to prove too high for the Reds.

Asked whether the playmaker will make the move to the City Ground this summer, the Forest correspondent stated: “I’m not sure he will now. Ask me a week ago and I was very confident but the injury to Raul Jimenez is a real problem. Speaking to people over the summer, MGW would be happy to come to Forest, but Wolves want a huge price to fund other moves.

“They really need a striker now, but Bruno Lage is a big fan of MGW. Will Wolves sell another attacking option when their main striker is out early on. Not sure? Jimenez says he’ll only miss a couple of games, but it’s also been reported he’ll miss 8.

“Forest might have to wait till late in the window and then test Wolves with a bid. Every player has a price, but also a price limit and £30m is a lot! Not sure you can go that high.”

Previous reports have suggested that Steve Cooper and co were interested in Gibbs-White, although other reports have claimed that the Stafford-born gem is keen to remain at Molinuex this season.

Cooper will be gutted

That news will serve as a notable blow to those of a Forest persuasion, with the club’s promotion-winning coach in particular likely to be gutted at not being able to add such a promising talent to his ranks before the September 1st deadline.

The Welshman has already overseen 12 new arrivals in the transfer window thus far, albeit with further acquisitions needed having seen a host of last season’s loanees return to their parent clubs.

In Gibbs-White, the 42-year-old would have been able to secure the addition of not only a familiar face – having coached the youngster at England under-17 level and at Swansea City – but also a versatile asset, with the £9.9m-rated ace comfortable all across the midfield and the forward line.

Although the explosive menace is yet to truly nail down a regular role for the Old Gold, having made just ten starts from his 46 Premier League outings so far for the club, his form on loan at Sheffield United last term showcased just what a huge talent he is.

In 35 Championship appearances for the Blades during the 2021/22 season, the 5 foot 10 speedster recorded a haul of 11 goals and nine assists, while also creating 16 big chances in total and averaging 1.6 key passes per game, showcasing his creativity and his potent threat in the final third.

That sparkling form saw him prove “instrumental” for the Bramall Lane outfit, in the words of former team-mate Billy Sharp, while he has also previously been dubbed a “sensation” by journalist Mike McGrath.

A fresh start now appears to be on the cards for Gibbs-White at his parent club following that string of eye-catching displays in the Championship, with Cooper likely to be frustrated at having to come up against him in 2022/23 rather than having the player as a part of his squad.

Nottingham Forest have wasted no time in getting stuck into the transfer window ahead of their long-awaited return to the Premier League, with 11 signings already secured, and a reliable source has now given an update on the transfer plans ahead.

What’s the latest?

According to The Athletic’s Nottingham Forest reporter Paul Taylor, Steve Cooper’s side are nowhere near finished in the summer transfer market, with key positions left to fill.

As per Taylor’s report for The Athletic, the 42-year-old still wants to sign at least another midfielder, a striker and another left-back/winger after Omar Richards’ hairline fracture in pre-season training.

Cooper will be buzzing

So far it has been a very positive and promising transfer window for Forest, so there will be no doubt that Cooper will be buzzing to get started in the Premier League next month.

Forest have had to wait 23 years for their return to the top tier, so it is no surprise they are doing everything they can to give themselves the best chance of retaining their top-flight status when they finish their first Premier League campaign since 1998/99.

The signings so far have been a mix of young talent combined with experienced Premier League stars, with former Manchester United ace Jesse Lingard the most recent player to join the squad at the City Ground.

The newly-promoted side have continued to be linked with a number of players, including Wolves midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, Watford striker Emmanuel Dennis and Real Betis left-back Alex Moreno. All three are the profile of players that Taylor claims Forest are interested in signing before the transfer window shuts.

Cooper spoke out this week on the busy transfer window following the Reds’ victory over Hertha Berlin in a pre-season friendly (via Nottinghamshire Live).

The Forest manager said: “There’s loads of good players that are available or you can buy or you get offered to you.

“Obviously we want good players, but we want good players who fit our way of playing, fit our culture and fit our atmosphere. There’s lots of things which go into that. It’s like trying to put a jigsaw together, really.”

With that being said, it will be interesting but not surprising to see if Forest sign more players this summer, and Cooper will now have the job of making sure that his squad of fresh faces can work well together.

AND in other news – After Lingard: Paul Taylor drops Forest claim on possible 12th summer signing that’ll delight Cooper

Aston Villa have already been rather busy in terms of their business in this summer’s transfer window.

In addition to securing permanent deals for former loanees Philippe Coutinho and Robin Olsen, the Midlands club have also brought in new faces in Diego Carlos and Boubacar Kamara.

Another name with whom the Villans have been linked this summer, and who Steven Gerrard knows very well, is Rangers centre-forward Alfredo Morelos.

After scoring 46 goals and delivering 13 assists in 62 appearances for HJK Helsinki, the 26-year-old joined the Scottish club five years ago.

Since then, the Colombian has found the net 113 times in 224 appearances for the Ibrox outfit. With 294 club career appearances to his name, the striker has 159 goals and 64 assists on his CV.

Taking this into account, it’s safe to say that Morelos – who has been described as being “brutally ruthless” on the pitch by HJK chief executive Aki Riihilahti – knows how to be a dangerous and consistent goalscorer.

Another club with whom Gerrard has a significant connection is fellow Premier League outfit Liverpool, who have been just as busy as Villa in terms of their summer transfer business.

In fact, the Reds recently caught the headlines by splashing out a club-record £85m to sign Darwin Nunez from Benfica. The fact that they chose to shell out such a significant sum of money to bring him to Anfield just goes to show how highly they rate the 23-year-old.

Having scored 67 goals in 138 club appearances, it’s easy to see why the Uruguayan has been included on a list of similar players to Morelos by Football Transfers.

With all this in mind, the prospect of linking up with Morelos once more and getting what could be his own version of Nunez at Villa Park would surely be an exciting prospect for Gerrard.

If the Villa manager can use his connections at Ibrox to help thrash out a deal which would see the Colombian move to England in the coming weeks, this could be a smart bit of business from the Midlands club.

Given his record of being able to score on a regular basis, the 26-year-old would certainly be a useful asset for Villa in front of goal.

In other news: Aston Villa now in the mix to sign “elegant” £106k-p/w machine, imagine him & Carlos

Celtic are reportedly closing in on a move for Lanus full-back Alexandro Bernabei, according to journalist César Luis Merlo. 

The lowdown: One out…

This comes after the Hoops agreed to send Liam Scales on loan to Aberdeen for the duration of the 2022/23 campaign. The 23-year-old will work under Jim Goodwin at Pittodrie and look to obtain much-needed first-team match experience before returning to Glasgow.

Despite being a natural central defender, Scales was predominantly utilised as a left-back to act as cover for Greg Taylor, last season and Ange Postecoglou appears to have wasted little time in replacing the young Irishman…

The latest: Two in…

Taking to Twitter, Argentine journalist Merlo has claimed that Celtic have reached a ‘verbal agreement’ with Bernabei ahead of a switch to the Premiership champions.

He stated: “There is verbal agreement for Alexander Bernabei to go to Celtic in Scotland. Lanús is exchanging documentation for an operation that is carried out for 90% of the economic rights.”

Arriving for a reported £4m transfer fee, the 21-year-old – who was hailed as a ‘very complete winger’ by reporter Ezequiel Liniado due to his versatility and unwavering work ethic – has been spotted bidding farewell in Argentina.

He is expected to follow the permanent signing of Jota, who starred on loan last season and is reportedly on the brink of penning a long-term deal to remain in Glasgow.

The verdict: Exciting times

Given the unquestionably sublime work already achieved by Postecoglou in the transfer market during his time in situ, it can be anticipated that the addition of Bernabei to the Lennoxtown ranks will be one of great success.

Boasting impressive dribbling, finishing and defensive contribution (WhoScored), the versatile Argentina youth international certainly possesses all the hallmarks of a full-back suited to the style of play under the 56-year-old, capable of playing anywhere up the left flank.

Albeit only in its infancy, Bernabei has already enjoyed a thriving senior career, with four goals and ten assists in 85 appearances, and the marauding wing-back will no doubt be hoping to evolve onto the next level as a Bhoy whilst pushing Taylor hard for a starting berth.

Seemingly perfectly suited to the manager’s system, it’s unlikely that the Celtic hierarchy would’ve allowed Scales to exit on loan without the Argentine starlet edging closer to an deal at Parkhead, and this seemingly imminent capture – alongside Jota’s permanent arrival – would mark an excellent start to the transfer window.

Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita is a target for Paris Saint-Germain and could follow Sadio Mane out the Anfield exit door, according to a report from Guinean outlet Imedias.net.

The lowdown: High expectations

Signed for a then club-record £48million from RB Leipzig in 2017 (BBC), Keita arrived on Merseyside 12 months later with a weight of expectation to impress from the outset.

Despite showing fleeting glimpses of his first-class ability, the Guinean struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League and picked up regular injuries throughout his first three seasons at Anfield.

However, having made 40 appearances across all competitions in 2021/22, Keita had appeared to turn a corner in terms of fitness and availability.

The latest: PSG keen

As per Imedias.net, an outlet in the player’s homeland, French Ligue 1 winners PSG are ‘ready to welcome’ Keita to their ranks this summer with an offer in the region of €50million (£42.5million) expected.

It’s claimed that ‘sources’ have informed the outlet that the Parisien club ‘respectfully follows his situation’ and have placed the 48-cap Guinea captain on the ‘short list’ as incoming Sporting Director Luis Campos weighs up possible targets.

Ironically, the report goes on to say that the man hailed as ‘outstanding by Jurgen Klopp and ‘one of the best midfielders’ he’s ever seen could be lined up as a successor to former Anfield favourite Gini Wijnaldum.

The player shares an agent with Mane, so perhaps the Reds are not on the best of terms with the duo’s representatives.

The verdict: Tough call

Deciding what should happen with Keita is a difficult judgement to make for the Reds and in particular Klopp.

Starting on 25 occasions out of those aforementioned 40 outings, the dynamic maestro is clearly a preferred option of the German boss, but there can be no guarantees that the injury issues that plagued the 27-year-old’s early career at Liverpool won’t return in the future.

With the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain already reportedly on the way out, at the mooted price, there will undoubtedly be a temptation to cash in on Keita and spend the combined funds on a more reliable midfield option to bolster the options at Klopp’s disposal.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has dropped a key Liverpool transfer update. Read more here.

Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie has made an intriguing claim regarding Newcastle United’s interest in Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips…

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the trusted insider hinted that striking a deal to sign the England international could be a possibility, particularly if the Elland Road outfit are to suffer relegation.

Having been discussing a potential move for Tottenham star Pierre-Emile Hojberg, Downie revealed that a move for Phillips may be more likely: “I don’t know what his [Hojberg’s] contractual situation is actually with Spurs, but I’d be surprised if that one happened. I would say [Kalvin] Phillips would probably be a more workable deal for the club.”

This follows recent reports that suggested the Magpies were keeping an eye on the 26-year-old, with the £38k-per-week gem rumoured to have a £30m relegation clause in his contract should Jesse Marsch’s side be unable to avoid the drop.

Howe will love him

That will no doubt be welcome news to Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, with the 44-year-old seemingly keen to bolster his playing ranks again this summer, having already recruited successfully in the January window.

Despite rumours linking the club with the likes of Ibrahim Sangare of PSV, in Phillips, the northeast side have a player already accustomed to life in the Premier League, while he has also earned rave reviews for his displays at international level.

A key component of the Three Lions’ squad that reached the Euro 2020 final last summer – featuring in all seven games – the £45m-rated star was dubbed “the best modern midfielder” by iconic coach Fabio Capello.

Even amid a frustrating, injury-hit campaign that has contributed to Leeds’ tumble down the table, the defensive midfielder has still recorded some impressive statistics, averaging 2.7 tackles per game, 1.1 interceptions and 0.8 clearances in his 19 league outings.

Equally, compared to those in his position in Europe’s top five leagues, the 5 foot 10 machine also comes out favourably, ranking in the top 1% for pressures made, the top 2% for tackles made and the 4% for blocks made.

Although referencing Hojberg, pundit Noel Whelan suggested that the Tynesiders are in need of a “very disciplined holding midfield player” in order to allow the likes of Bruno Guimaraes to thrive, with Phillips potentially the man to do the job.

It may not be a done deal just yet, although the 19-cap destroyer appears to be a player that Howe would simply love.

IN other news, PIF now plotting Newcastle bid for “complete” £34m monster, he’s “like Yaya Toure”

Leeds United enjoyed an impressive summer transfer window, with Victor Orta bringing in no fewer than nine fresh faces to Elland Road in a bid to rejuvenate Jesse Marsch’s squad after a disappointing 17th-place finish in the Premier League last time out.

Although the Whites are only six matches into the 2022/23 campaign, a number of the club’s summer additions have already started to catch the eye, with Marc Roca, Tyler Adams, Rasmus Kristensen, Luis Sinisterra and Brenden Aaronson all ranking in Marsch’s top 12 performers in the top flight football so far this season.

However, it has been the €17m (£14.7m) capture of former RB Leipzig midfielder Adams which appears to have been one of Orta’s best of the summer, as the 23-year-old has wasted no time in making one of Marsch’s two central midfield roles his own.

Indeed, over his six Premier League appearances – all of which have come as starts – this season, the midfielder has highly impressed. He has played 1.3 key passes, completed 50.3 passes (at a success rate of 83%), made 1.3 interceptions, won 4.7 tackles (the most of any player in the league) won 6.3 duels (at a success rate of 55%) per game.

These returns have seen the USA international average an eye-catching SofaScore match rating of 7.00, ranking him as the Whites’ fifth-best performer in the league so far in 2022/23. That is no mean feat considering how recently he moved to Elland Road.

As a result of these returns, the 23-year-old currently has a market valuation of £26m – a whopping 77% greater than the fee Leeds were reported to have paid Leipzig for his services a little under 11 weeks ago. That proves just how much bang for his buck Orta got when signing the American.

As such, considering his impressive returns and spike in value, it would very much appear as if Orta hit the jackpot when bringing Adams to LS11 this summer. The midfielder is not only a hugely reliable option in the heart of Marsch’s side, he could also represent a significant payday for the club further down the line.

Praise for Sam Curran, and celebration time for Kings XI Punjab, after that incredible collapse in Mohali

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-2019Chasing 167, Delhi Capitals were cruising at 144 for 3 in 16.3 overs. Then came the capitulation. Kings XI Punjab took seven wickets in 17 balls, leaving Delhi 15 short of their target. Mohammed Shami and Sam Curran were the heroes for Kings XI with their bowling at the death.

Wow
.
Great bowling performance under pressure from @MdShami11 and hatrick to @CurranSM…….skipper was excellent tonight too @ashwinravi99
.@lionsdenkxip #SaddaPunjab #IPL2019

— Mike Hesson (@CoachHesson) April 1, 2019

WOW!!! Into Jaipur & caught the 2nd innings of ‘Mohali Madness’ @lionsdenkxip right royal rippa gents!Sammy Curran hatrick!!! #takeabow #IPL2019

— Danny Morrison (@SteelyDan66) April 1, 2019

Curran, playing only his second IPL game, was the Man of the Match. He scored 20 off 10 balls and took 4 for 11, including a hat-trick, off 2.2 overs.

Hahaha that was insane! Super proud, what a game @CurranSM

— Tom Curran (@_TC59) April 1, 2019

YESSSSSSSSS, @CurranSM!

— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) April 1, 2019

For such a young kid @CurranSM has Balls of steel … Another England player lighting up the #IPL2019 #LoveIt

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) April 1, 2019

Wow, what a performance from Sam Curran! Brilliant to see the England lads producing in the IPL! #IPL #Hattrick

— James Taylor (@jamestaylor20) April 1, 2019

IPL riches vindicated!!! Incredible @CurranSM so good watching that spell of bowling @IPL #KXIPvDD #hattrick

— Isa Guha (@isaguha) April 1, 2019

Curran revealed he wasn’t aware that he had taken a hat-trick.

The man of the moment, @CurranSM, takes us through #KXIPvDC | #SaddaPunjab #KXIP #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/Dxtx4RYrfe

— Kings XI Punjab (@lionsdenkxip) April 1, 2019

There were celebrations in the Kings XI camp.

Some bhangra moves there, courtesy @realpreityzinta & @CurranSM pic.twitter.com/VAeXq3I07o

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 1, 2019

View this post on Instagram

Emotions at their highest And the celebrations say it all !! #saddapunjab #ipl #iplt20

A post shared by Mayank Agarwal (@mayankagarawal) on Apr 1, 2019 at 1:01pm PDT

View this post on Instagram

VICTORY SELFIE #saddapunjab

A post shared by Mohammad Shami (@mdshami.11) on Apr 1, 2019 at 2:01pm PDT

And some puns.

They were cruising, but we 'CAPITAL'-ized in the end! #SaddaPunjab #KXIPvDC #KXIP #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/ke1wIhqFGM

— Kings XI Punjab (@lionsdenkxip) April 1, 2019

It was the second straight chase that Delhi Capitals failed to close out. Against Kolkata Knight Riders, though, they went on to win in the Super Over.

View this post on Instagram

we'll rebuild & we'll come back stronger.

A post shared by Shreyas Iyer (@shreyas41) on Apr 1, 2019 at 9:14pm PDT

Stats highlights from the second day of the second Test between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at the P Sara Oval

Shiva Jayaraman16-Mar-201764 Test innings taken by Dinesh Chandimal to make eight Test hundreds – the second fastest by a Sri Lanka batsman. Mahela Jayawardene had taken ten fewer innings than Chandimal to get his first eight hundreds. Thilan Samaraweera is next on this list having made his eighth Test hundred in his 74th innings.4 Number of hundreds by Chandimal against Bangladesh in just eight Test innings. Only three other batsmen – Kumar Sangakkara (7), Mahela Jayawardene (5) and Sachin Tendulkar (5) – have hit more hundreds against them. Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Tillakaratne Dilshan too have hit four Test hundreds against Bangladesh. Chandimal has made 578 runs against Bangladesh at an average of 115.60.2010 Previous instance of an overseas opener getting three or more fifty-plus scores in a Test series in Sri Lanka. Virender Sehwag had scored two hundreds and a fifty in the three-match series on that occasion. Overall, Soumya Sarkar is only fifth visiting opener to get three fifty-plus scores in a series in Sri Lanka.1 Number of Bangladesh openers before Soumya Sarkar to get three fifty-plus scores in a Test series. Tamim has done it thrice: against Zimbabwe in 2014-15, and twice against England, in 2009-10 at home and in 2010 in England.4 Number of Bangladesh batsmen before Sarkar to make three or more consecutive fifty-plus scores in Tests. Habibul Bashar, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Nasir Hossain are the batsmen to do so. While Tamim has had a streak of five consecutive fifty-plus scores, Bashar had three separate such streaks in Tests.2010 Previous instance of an opening pair adding three or more fifty-plus stands in a Test series in Sri Lanka. Tillakaratne Dilshan and Tharanga Paranavitana had added four such stands against India on that occasion. Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar have added 118, 67 and 95 in this series so far. Tamim and Sarkar are only the third Bangladesh opening pair to make three consecutive fifty-plus stands in Tests. Tamim and Imrul Kayes have done it twice. Javed Omar and Nafees Iqbal are the other pair to do it.143 Runs added by Sri Lanka’s last-three wickets – which amounted to 42.3% of their first-innings total. This is the second-highest percentage of runs added by Sri Lanka’s last-three wickets when they have put up a total of 300 or more. Their last-three wickets had added 207 runs out of a total of 486 in Galle against South Africa in 2004 – a contribution of 42.6% to the team total, which is the highest.0 Number of fifty partnerships by Sri Lanka for their ninth-wicket in Tests against Bangladesh before the one between Suranga Lakmal and Chandimal. Sri Lanka have added more runs for their ninth or tenth wickets in a Test innings against Bangladesh only once before this. Charitha Buddhika and Chamila Gamage had added 64 runs for the tenth wicket at the SSC in 2002.3 Wickets Bangladesh lost in the space of seven deliveries in the last half hour of play on the second day. They lost two settled batsmen in Imrul Kayes and Sabbir Rahman, and the nightwatchman Taijul Islam, who was sent in ahead of Shakib Al Hasan. Before that run of play, Bangladesh had progressed to 192 for 2 – their fourth-highest score in away innings before the fall of their third wicket. This was the highest they had made before the fall of their third wicket in an away Test since the second innings of the Lord’s Test in 2010.