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His penchant for scoring big in big tournaments stood out, especially in ODI cricket

Ashish Pant24-Aug-20241:37

Dhawan’s top 10

Early signs of something special

At the 2004 Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, Dhawan gave a glimpse of the kind of batter he would turn out to be. He smashed 505 runs, at an average of 84.16 and a strike rate of 93.51, to finish as the highest run-getter in the tournament, clear of second-placed Alastair Cook by more than 100 runs. In seven innings, Dhawan hit three centuries and a fifty, and was named Player of the Tournament for his role in India’s run to the semi-final. Dhawan’s tally was a record for the most runs in a single edition of the U-19 World Cup until South Africa’s Dewald Brevis bettered it by one run in 2022.

A Test debut to remember

Dhawan made his India debut in an ODI in 2010, but it wasn’t until 2013 that he got a proper run in the national side.It started with his Test debut against Australia in March 2013. He admitted being nervous remembering his ODI debut, which was also against Australia, where he fell for a two-ball duck. But there was no sign of nerves as he went about scoring a sparkling century in Mohali.Coming off 85 balls, it remains the fastest century by a Test debutant. He finished on 187, which is the highest score by an India batter on Test debut and the eighth-highest overall.”I wasn’t really playing in a hurry,” he said afterwards. “The fours were coming on their own after the ball hit the bat. I felt my shot selection was good and I played according to how I’d assessed the wicket. I didn’t feel that I rushed things. There was no strategy, I was hitting the ball well, I was middling the ball very nicely and the runs came on their own.”Shikhar Dhawan savours his century on Test debut•BCCI

India’s Champions Trophy hero

Before the 2013 Champions Trophy in England, Dhawan had played five ODIs in two-and-a-half years – all between 2010 and 2011 – and scored 69 runs. That would change soon. He began with back-to-back centuries against South Africa and West Indies. Then came a 48 against Pakistan, 68 against Sri Lanka and 31 off 24 balls against England in the rain-affected final. He finished the tournament with 363 runs in five innings, at an average of 90.75 and a strike rate of 101.39. India won the title.”I’d dreamt of this, I’m really happy with it,” Dhawan said after collecting the player-of-the-tournament award. “The bouncy tracks suit my game. I worked hard in practice and in the warm-up games. It makes it more special because I was out of the side for a few years.”

A List A high

The year 2013 was Dhawan’s through and through. Riding a wave of confidence from his Test and Champions Trophy exploits, Dhawan turned out for India A away against South Africa A, and ran the hosts absolutely ragged in Pretoria.Related

• 'A guy who punched well above his weight'

• Shikhar Dhawan, the king of global ODI tournaments

Batting first in a List A game, he smashed 248 off just 150 balls with 30 fours and seven sixes as India A piled on 433 for 3 in 50 overs. When Dhawan was dismissed there were still 32 deliveries left in the innings and Dhawan later admitted “if I had batted till the end, I had a chance to score a triple hundred”.It was an innings that left everyone impressed, from then head coach Lalchand Rajput to the opposition captain Justin Ontong, who described the innings as a “highlights package”.Dhawan’s 248 at the time was the second-highest List A score in the world and currently ranks third for an India batter behind N Jagadeesan’s 277 against Arunachal Pradesh and Rohit Sharma’s 264 against Sri Lanka in an ODI.

India’s go-to man at ICC tournaments

Dhawan soon developed a penchant for big scoring in big tournaments.After the Champions Trophy, he topped the run chart for India at the 2015 ODI World Cup and the 2017 Champions Trophy. In the 2019 ODI World Cup, he smashed a century against Australia before being ruled out of the tournament with a fractured thumb. Among those who scored at least 1000 runs in ICC’s ODI tournaments – the World Cup and the Champions Trophy – Dhawan has the highest average: 65.15. In 20 matches, he scored 1238 runs, with six hundreds and four fifties.Not to forget, Dhawan was India’s highest run-getter even at the 2014 and 2018 Asia Cups – talk about saving his best for the big stages.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Prolific in the IPL

Dhawan represented five teams in the IPL: Delhi Capitals (and Delhi Daredevils), Mumbai Indians, Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings. He finishes as the second-highest run-getter in IPL history, with 6769 runs in 222 games at 35.25 and a strike rate of 127.14.It took him 167 IPL innings to score his first IPL century, against Chennai Super Kings in 2020, and he quickly added another one in the next game against Punjab Kings, becoming the first to score back-to-back IPL centuries.He also holds the record for the most fours (768) in the IPL and is third on the list for the most 50-plus scores: 53.

After seven years, New York Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu's tenure with the team has come to an abrupt end.

The Yankees designated LeMahieu for assignment in a surprise move Wednesday afternoon, following indications that the team would move him to the bench after the return of infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr.

LeMahieu, 36, is slashing .266/.338/.336 with two home runs and 12 RBIs in 45 games this season—a solid-if-not-spectacular rebound from a 2024 where he cost his team 1.6 wins above replacement.

New York signed LeMahieu away from the Colorado Rockies in January 2019, and he briefly threatened to become one of the best players in baseball around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. He slashed a sizzling .327/.375/.518 with 102 RBIs in 2019, and nearly won the American League MVP in a 2020 season that saw him hit .364.

LeMahieu added a Gold Glove, the fourth of his career, in 2022.

The Yankees are currently 50-41, and sit 3.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East division.

The first stop of Lionel Messi's India tour took an unexpected turn as angry fans ripped up seats and hurled objects onto the pitch as chaos descended at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium. The unsavoury scenes came due to fan disgruntlement at Messi's brief 20-minute appearance, where they 'could not see his face'. The event organiser has been detained as a result of the incident and an enquiry is ongoing.

• ANI
  

  Fans hurl seats in chaotic scenes at Messi's tour in Kolkata

  The first date of Messi’s tour of India ended in chaos as disappointed fans raged against the perceived poor organisation of the event. Seats were ripped up and thrown onto the Salt Lake Stadium pitch, with those in attendance incensed at the limited opportunity they were given to see their idol. Video footage from news agency ANI showed fans who had climbed over a fence to hurl objects onto the field.

  The prime organiser of the event Satadru Dutta has been detained due to mismanagement following the stadium chaos, and chief minister of West Bengal state Mamata Banerjee has ordered a high-level enquiry.

  Messi is in India as part of his 'GOAT Tour 2025', a four-part event where he is scheduled to attend concerts, youth football clinics, a padel tournament and launch charitable initiatives across dates in Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi.

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• Circumstances revealed as fan refund touted amidst dramatic events

  According to reports in India and across social media, 2022 World Cup winner Messi walked around the stadium waving to the fans present, but was closely followed by a large group of people who obstructed the view of many fans to the Argentina and Inter Miami icon. Among those present alongside Messi were team-mates Rodrigo de Paul and Luis Suarez.

  Reports by Khel Now on X added that Messi was forced to ‘cut short’ the stadium lap as fans booed officials and politicians, and the subsequent events resulted in a security breach. West Bengal DGP Rajiv Kumar said in a statement to the media that fans are expected to be refunded. 

  “The Chief Minister has taken cognisance of the incident,” he said. “It was sheer mismanagement by the organising committee. The organisers are expected to refund the fans. Meanwhile, I request fans to exercise restraint. We have already detained the organiser.”

• Watch the clip

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• Chief Minister Banerjee issues apology to Messi as fan anger continues

  Chief minister Mamata Banerjee wrote on X about the events: “I am deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed today at Salt Lake Stadium. I was on my way to the stadium to attend the event along with thousands of sports lovers and fans who had gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite footballer, Lionel Messi.

  “I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident. I am constituting an enquiry committee … the committee will conduct a detailed enquiry into the incident, fix responsibility, and recommend measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.”

  A fan at the stadium told ANI: “Only leaders and actors were surrounding Messi … Why did they call us then? We have got a ticket for 12,000 rupees [£100], but we were not even able to see his face.”

  Another present added: “This was a complete fraud. Messi was not shown at all. Only reporters, police, and TMC leaders got to see him. We paid ₹5,000 for tickets, while those who came for free were able to see Messi and leave.”

Celtic’s interim head coach Martin O’Neill has confirmed that Wednesday night’s clash with Dundee at Parkhead will be his final match in the dugout for the Scottish giants.

The experienced manager stepped in after Brendan Rodgers resigned at the end of October and has won six of his seven matches in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, to date.

Columbus Crew boss Wilfried Nancy will then take over as the permanent successor to Brendan Rodgers and will face a baptism of fire at the weekend against league leaders Hearts in the Scottish Premiership.

The French boss will be watching on from afar for the clash this evening and will have one last chance to assess the players who will soon be at his disposal before being tasked with organising them in training.

O’Neill will also be keen for his last game to be a memorable one, leaving Nancy with the team in the best possible position, by claiming all three points against Dundee.

The experienced boss may look to make some changes to his starting line-up from the side that beat Hibernian 2-1 at Easter Road on Sunday in order to secure the win this evening.

The Celtic players who could be dropped against Dundee

Football FanCast have already suggested that right-sided winger Luke McCowan should be dropped from the team after he failed to impress against Hibs at the weekend, with no shots on target or ‘big chances’ created, per Sofascore.

The former Dundee man has been tasked with filling in out wide in recent games, due to the lack of natural options in that position, but he was ineffective last time out, which could provide Benjamin Nygren with a chance to play in that role.

On the other side of the pitch, Marcelo Saracchi could make way for Kieran Tierney at left-back, as the two defenders have shared the workload so far this season in the Premiership.

As you can see in the statistics above, they have both started six league games this term, and it could be Tierney’s time to start this evening after coming off the bench against Hibs.

Another player who could be dropped from the starting line-up, alongside Saracchi and McCowan, is left-sided attacker Hyun-jun Yang, who played a part in Arne Engels’ goal with a deflected cross for the Belgian on Sunday.

Aside from that deflected cross, the South Korean forward offered little to the side in or out of possession on the left flank. Per Sofascore, he played 86 minutes without registering a key pass, a ‘big chance’ created, or a shot on target, as his part in Engels’ goal did not count as an assist.

The 23-year-old star, who scored against Feyenoord last week in the Europa League, also lost 75% (3/4) of his duels throughout the game, per Sofascore, which shows that he was not strong enough in his physical battles.

With this in mind, and the fact that they have Hearts to play on Sunday, O’Neill should ruthlessly ditch Yang from the starting line-up to provide another player with an opportunity to impress.

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Dropping the South Korea international could allow the experienced boss to finally unleash rarely-seen winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha on the left flank against Dundee tonight.

Why Celtic should unleash Michel-Ange Balikwisha

The Belgian forward played 59 minutes across three substitute appearances in O’Neill’s first three games in charge, but has been an unused substitute for the last four matches in all competitions.

We are not privy to what goes on behind the scenes, in training and in tactical meetings, and the experienced boss will have his reasons for not giving Balikwisha much game time in recent weeks.

However, in a three-game week, this clash with Dundee ahead of the meeting with Hearts on Sunday provides the manager with a chance to give the summer signing from Royal Antwerp a start for the first time.

In fact, Balikwisha has not started a game for Celtic since the 2-1 win over Kilmarnock away from home in September under Rodgers, per Sofascore, which means that the winger has not had many opportunities to showcase his quality.

As you can see in the table above, the Celtic winger started his first two games in the Premiership against Rangers and Kilmarnock, after signing from Royal Antwerp, but has not gotten a look-in since then.

There is more to come from Balikwisha in a Celtic shirt because his form for Royal Antwerp in Belgium suggests that he does have the potential to carry a threat at the top end of the pitch.

Per Transfermarkt, the 24-year-old wing wizard scored 30 goals and provided 17 assists in 145 matches for Antwerp, yet he has only managed two assists and no goals in 12 outings in all competitions for the Hoops.

The only way he will improve and adapt to Scottish football, though, is by playing matches and getting used to the intensity and physicality of the division, which he cannot do from the bench.

That is why O’Neill should give Balikwisha a rare opportunity to start against Dundee as a parting gift to Nancy, as it would provide the winger with another opportunity to develop as a Celtic player ahead of a fresh page under the next manager.

Therefore, the interim manager should ruthlessly drop and rest Yang from the starting line-up this evening, bringing the rarely-seen Belgian in to give him a chance to stake a claim for a place in the side moving forward.

Nancy could bin Celtic star who's been the biggest winner of O'Neill's reign

Incoming Celtic boss Wilfried Nancy could drop this star who has been the biggest winner of Martin O’Neill’s reign.

1

By
Dan Emery

Dec 2, 2025

Cal Raleigh has become arguably the most valuable player in baseball.

Yes, Aaron Judge still exists. But it's worth considering the positional value the Seattle Mariners catcher brings to the table. The average major league catcher these days is below average at the plate. Meanwhile, Raleigh has been destroying the poor saps he's facing on the mound. He's on pace to make some serious history in the process.

Through 78 games, Raleigh is slashing .277/.382/.658 with an MLB-best 32 home runs and 69 RBIs. Yes, Judge's numbers are better overall and he's likely headed for his third MVP award in the last four years, but Raleigh's relative value is through the roof. He also won a Platinum Glove in 2024 as the American League's best defender at any position. The 28-year-old is a legitimate two-way star.

We decided to go inside the numbers put up by the man they call the Big Dumper during his remarkable first half.

32 — Raleigh's home runs through 78 games.

34 — Raleigh's career high in home runs, set last season.

17 — Number of home runs by the next closest catcher, Los Angeles Angels backstop Logan O'Hoppe. Only six catchers are in double figures, meanwhile, the switch-hitting Raleigh has 21 from the left side of the plate alone.

28 — Home runs hit in the first half of the 1970 season by Hall of Famer Johnny Bench, which was previously a record for catchers.

39 — Barry Bonds's record for home runs before the All-Star break, set during his BALCO-fueled 2001 season.

48 — Record for home runs in a season by a catcher, set by Salvador Perez in 2021.

20 — Percentage of batted balls Raleigh hits on the barrel, which is in the 98th percentile across MLB.

5.4 — Raleigh's fWAR in 153 games during the 2024 season, tied for the best among catchers.

5.4 — Raleigh's fWAR through 78 games in 2025, which ranks second behind Aaron Judge (6.1) among all players.

3.1 — fWAR of Dodgers catcher Will Smith, who ranks second at the position. There are only three qualified catchers with an fWAR higher than 1.8.

Mohamed Salah is set to return to the Liverpool squad for this weekend's clash with Brighton after holding peace talks with manager Arne Slot. The Egypt international claimed he had been "thrown under the bus" by manager Slot last weekend, and was left out of their Champions League clash with Inter Milan as a result.

• Salah to return

  Per widespread reporting, Salah is poised to return to the Liverpool squad this weekend. The Reds superstar sent a bombshell message at the weekend as he claimed that he was "thrown under the bus", but has since held clear-the-air talks with his manager, and is set to be reintegrated into the squad. It is the final opportunity for Salah to play before he jets off to the African Cup of Nations with Egypt. The news could end the ublic spat which has shrouded Liverpool in recent weeks, set against the backdrop of a woeful run of league, cup and European results, which has seen the club all-but surrender their Premier League title. 

  And while it isn't clear if he will be named in the starting XI or on the bench, the positive update will come as a huge relief to Liverpool coaching staff and fans ahead of the weekend clash with Brighton at Anfield. 

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  Slot confirms hopes for reunion

  The Liverpool boss spoke to the press earlier in the day and confirmed he was scheduled to speak with the Egytian icon before making any decision about including him in the team for the weekend. And while he was happy to admit to wanting Salah back, he baulked at the suggestion of making an apology for the mess, whoch has been an embarrassing episode for the club. 

  Slot told reporters: "I will have a conversation with Mo this morning and the outcome determines how it will look tomorrow."What I need is a conversation with him and the next time I speak about Mo should be with him and not in here. There's not much more I can say. I speak to him today and the outcome determines how things will look tomorrow. You can try in multiple ways but I just said the next time I speak about him should be with him. I think there's been a lot of conversations since the last week between his reps and ours. An apology? Normally I'd say you've had your three questions. I have no reason for not wanting him to stay."

• Carragher: 'Maximum damage'

  The great and the good have weighed in on the Salah debate in recent weeks, including both Jamie Carragher and Alan Shearer, who have been highly critical of Salah. Carragher initially labelled Salah a "disgrace" and "selfish" for comments made after being left on the bench against Leeds United. Carragher argued that Salah and his agent strategically time public outbursts to "cause maximum damage" and pressure the club, potentially to secure a new contract or even force the manager out. The ex-Liverpool defender later offered a conditional apology, saying he "adores" Salah the player but maintains the forward needs to "behave himself off the pitch". 

  All-time Premier League top goalscorer Alan Shearer echoed Carragher's sentiments, largely agreeing that while he understood Salah's frustration at being benched (having experienced it himself), the player was wrong to air his grievances publicly to the press. Shearer believes the matter has escalated to the point where Salah may have played his last game for Liverpool, and that his explosive remarks have "tarnished" his legacy at the club.

  Shearer said: "He'll go down as a Premier League great whether he has played his last match or not and it'd be such a shame for him to go out like this after what he's done for Liverpool. One thing I will say though is that it won't be forgotten all of this, but I don't think it'll ruin his legacy. He's achieved so much, and Liverpool wouldn't have won what they have without him so I don't think it'll ruin his legacy, but it will be tarnished. I think Slot has handled the situation really well. I thought he spoke well before and after the game on Tuesday. It was a very, very difficult situation for everyone but I thought he spoke with precision, honesty and openness – I thought he got things absolutely right." 

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  Seagulls test awaits Salah, Slot and co

  Liverpool's erratic form this season sees them languishing tenth in the Premier League table and are desperate for victory over Brighton at Anfield this weekend. As well as their well-documented defensive frailites, the Reds have struggled in front of goal this season, having not scored in the opening 45 minutes in any of their last five Premier League matches, their longest run without a first half goal since between January and March 2021. And while Brighton beat Liverpool 3-2 in their last meeting in May, they have never beaten the Reds in consecutive league matches before. 

One Rangers player who Danny Rohl does not rate could be on his way out of Ibrox amid interest from the Championship, according to recent reports.

Rohl praises "fantastic" Rangers reaction

After back-to-back draw against Falkirk and Dundee United, Rangers couldn’t afford to drop points again in the Scottish Premiership. They’ve been much improved since Rohl’s arrival, but another day without victory would have sparked all too familiar concerns around Glasgow.

The German and his Rangers team bounced back from those draws in style against Kilmarnock, however. With a brace from Bojan Miovski to accompany Mikey Moore’s effort, the Gers sealed a comfortable 3-0 victory.

Rohl shared his delight at full-time, but also urged Rangers to “develop” their “game management” – telling reporters: “From the first minute tonight, I knew the fans were behind the team. We have to do this together.

“I think looking back through the whole week, It was a good performance on Wednesday from Bojan Miovski. I’m glad Mikey [Moore] is back but in general, it was a whole team performance.

“We have to develop our game management, but tonight it was a fantastic reaction and now we have five wins in seven so this is a good step forward. We have to continue, everyone wants to win against us or take something from us. This is a tough league so we have to put the work in.”

It would be a good time for those at Ibrox to hit top form, given how frantic the festive period is and with the January transfer window now less than a month away from swinging open.

The winter window represents the first chance for Rohl to stamp his mark on his side and rumours have already claimed that he’s after a clinical striker.

Arrivals are unlikely to come without departures, though, and Kieran Dowell is among those who could reportedly be heading for the Ibrox exit door.

Hull City keen to sign Kieran Dowell

According to Alan Nixon on his Patreon, Hull City are now keen to sign Dowell in the January transfer window. The midfielder is yet to feature under Rohl, who quite clearly doesn’t rate him, and now looks destined to leave on loan in just under a month.

It’s been the story of Dowell’s Rangers career, but he must get his move in the January window.

The 28-year-old was offered some hope when Russell Martin arrived instantly jumped to his defence by saying: “And by the way he tries really, really every day, trains like an absolute beast, which I don’t think some people have come to this club and been bought for a lot of money, and I don’t think they have done that.”

Not just Miovski: Rohl must drop Rangers flop who lost 86% duels

Danny Rohl should ruthlessly drop this Rangers flop as well as Bojan Miovski this evening.

By
Dan Emery

Dec 6, 2025

Any hope of a Rangers revival has now evaporated, however, with Rohl seemingly ready to bid farewell to the midfield flop who has struggled since arriving in 2023.

Rangers prioritising move to sign "strong" 6ft 4 box-crasher after scouting mission

The Cleveland Guardians have long been renowned for their development of pitchers—and now their staff has another ace up its sleeve.

Former pitcher Corey Kluber is joining the Guardians as a special assistant, the team announced Wednesday morning. Kluber, 39, has been out of baseball since a year with the Boston Red Sox in 2023.

The move reunites Cleveland with its best pitcher of the 2010s, whose stoic presence on the mound galvanized its success in the middle part of the decade.

Virtually out of nowhere in 2014, Kluber went 18-9 with 269 strikeouts, a 2.44 ERA, and an MLB-best 8.1 bWAR. He won the American League Cy Young award, and eventually won it again for a 100-win Cleveland team in 2017.

The franchise traded Kluber to the Texas Rangers before the 2020 season, and he bounced around four teams before calling it a career.

The Guardians are currently 25-17—second in the American League Central Divison and 2.5 games behind the first-place Detroit Tigers.

Former Crystal Palace chief John Textor has revealed an interesting partnership with Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis that allows the pair to 'adjust' transfer fees in deals between clubs. Textor previously owned a 43 per cent stake in Crystal Palace, which he sold in June this year for £190million. Textor considers Marinakis to be a close aide and a 'partner' in the world of football.

• Textor shares close bond with Marinakis

  Former Palace chief Textor, who exited the Premier League club in June by selling his 43 per cent stake, recently opened up about his special bond with Forest owner Marinakis. The two club owners reportedly 'adjusted' transfer fees as part of their understanding while dealing in player transfers between their clubs.

  Marinakis currently owns Nottingham Forest, while Textor sold his stake in Palace for £190million in June. They also have a portfolio of clubs worldwide; The Forest boss also owns Olympiacos in Greece and Rio Ave in Portugal, while Textor, through Eagle Football Holdings, has Lyon in France and Brazilian giants Botafogo. 

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  'He has really become the partner that we wanted to have'

  Speaking to , Textor said: "The relationship is, though we do not own Nottingham Forest, and Marinakis does not own any piece of Eagle Football, he has really become the partner that we wanted to have with Crystal Palace. It’s important, I believe, to have a strong Brazilian club, to have a strong European club, to have a strong United Kingdom club. I would like a partner in Portugal. I might even prefer a partner in Spain more than a partner in France, but Marinakis has effectively become that partner because he has clubs in Portugal, clubs in Greece, and a club in the UK, and he, more than any other owner I’ve met in the world of football, believes in Brazilian talent. 

  "That’s my first explanation. The second part of the question is, you have to understand that you do your best to allocate the transfer price on an athlete-by-athlete basis. But you also understand that if you have a large relationship and you’ve been trading players in Brazil and elsewhere because he’s sending players to us in France, we sent some younger players to him in Portugal, right?"

• Were transfer fees adjusted between Marinakis and Textor?

  When asked adjusting fees while dealing transfers between their clubs, Textor added: "You feel really stupid when suddenly Igor Jesus (who Botafogo sold to Forest for £16.5m this summer) is the best player against Liverpool and you’re sure you should have gotten paid more money for him. But the fact is his injury history was the greatest reason we didn’t get paid more for him. A lot of those numbers will bounce around and sometimes you’ll look stupid and sometimes they’ll make sense. And sometimes it’s part of making an adjustment because you trade with that particular friend in a lot of situations."

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• 'Every deal is a negotiation'

  Further speaking to , Textor said: "A team owner can say, 'Give me a break on this new one; you know I overpaid for the last one, based on performance.' Every deal is a negotiation, and if you desire to continue trading with a particular owner, you sometimes agree to another owner’s perception of value, sometimes forfeiting your own perception of value. These negotiations swing both ways. 

  "If you adjust the negotiation of a transfer fee, that’s not the same thing as adjusting a transfer fee.' But won't fans feel aggrieved if a player they like was sold for a specific fee just to keep a 'partner' happy? 'It’s my money, right?' Textor snapped back. 'But you’re ignoring the rest of the conversation about that same answer. 'And what I object to is people saying there’s some sinister relationship between me and Marinakis, and because people are going after him."

  He added: "What if I have a strategy where I’m creating a pathway; a regular pathway from Brazil into the Premier League? You can watch a Premier League game between Leeds United and Nottingham Forest and see Botafogo players on both sides of the pitch. And that’s never happened before."

Will Rangers be busy in the January transfer window?

Well, new manager Danny Röhl will certainly demand that they are, having taken over a complete mess, following Russell Martin’s short but ill-fated tenure.

Well, after spending around £30m on 13 new recruits in the summer, Rangers reported annual losses of £14.8m in their latest accounts on Friday, despite seeing revenue increase to £94.1m, a club record.

Despite this, the club are still expected to be busy in the January transfer window, but sporting director Kevin Thelwell will be tasked with finding gems in the market, so has one already been identified?

Rangers' search for a new attacker

One of Rangers’ many issues this season so far has been a lack of attacking firepower.

Across all competitions, only captain James Tavernier and Djeidi Gassama have scored more than three goals, with youngster Findlay Curtis and Danilo the only players on three.

Thus, according to a report in Kazakhstan, Rangers are attempting to sign winger Galymzhan Kenzhebek.

They note that “negotiations began” between his representatives and the Glasgow-based giants, while Dundee United and Aberdeen as well as clubs in Slovakia, Russia, Greece are also in the race.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

So, could he soon become the first Kazakh player to represent Rangers, with Kazakhstan thereby becoming the 67th different nationality represented at Ibrox?

What Galymzhan Kenzhebek would bring to Rangers

Despite the fact he is only 22 years old, Galymzhan Kenzhebek has had something of a journeyman career to date.

After bouncing around various Kazakh clubs including Kairat Almaty, a name that’ll send a shudder down the spine of any Celtic fan, and then did something few of his compatriots do by venturing abroad, enjoying stints with Akritas Chlorakas​​​​​​​ in Cyprus and Košice in Slovakia.

He did return home in June, joining Yelimay Semey, for whom he was on fire, scoring six goals in his final nine Kazakh Premier League appearances before the season concluded on 26 October, firing his team up to fourth, thereby qualifying for a major UEFA competition for the first time ever.

However, by the time they play that historic Conference League qualifier in August, it seems unlikely that Kenzhebek will still call Semey home.

The Rangers Journal labels him a “very pacy and direct” winger, also praising his “goal-scoring instincts” and outlining that he is a high-volume winger who “loves to just get the ball and commit defenders”.

Meantime, Kai Watson was also impressed, noting that he is a “quality ball carrier” and could add quality to the Rangers squad at a pretty low price.

Well, as well as starring for his club, Kenzhebek has also made the breakthrough at international level this year too.

He scored his first-ever international goal at the Borisov Arena against Belarus in a friendly in June, before netting twice during a 4-0 demolition of Liechtenstein last month, thereby starting each of Kazakhstan’s last six World Cup qualifiers, including Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Belgium, a famous point, a match Nicolas Raskin also started.

So, could Kenzhebek replicate Daizen Maeda’s success from across the city?

Well, when the Japanese international arrived at Celtic from Yokohama F. Marinos on a bargain deal in January 2022, he was a complete unknown, but his skillset sounds very reminiscent​​​​​​​ to that of Kenzhebek, as a pacey forward who typically operates off the left flank.

While an “inconsistent finisher” right now in the view of Watson – much like the at-times erratic Maeda was when he arrived in Glasgow – Rangers will hope their potential new recruit can go on to eventually prove equally as clinical in Glasgow derbies.

So, while Kenzhebek is not proven at an elite level, he is seemingly worth the risk and, at a low fee, could prove to be a masterstroke in recruitment?

Thelwell can upgrade on Souttar by signing £8m defender for Rangers

With Danny Röhl in need of defensive reinforcements, could Rangers sign an “aggressive” £8m-valued star better than John Souttar and Nasser Djiga?

By
Ben Gray

Nov 20, 2025