Rangers’ truly miserable European campaign continues, with their hopes of reaching the knockout stages now hanging by a thread.

On Thursday night, despite taking the lead through James Tavernier’s spot-kick, the Gers were held to a 1-1 draw by ten-man Braga at Ibrox, with the Arsenalists equalising shortly after Rodrigo Zalazar had been sent off for headbutting Nicolas Raskin.

This ended a sequence of seven successive European defeats, the longest streak in the club’s entire history, but they will almost certainly need to beat Ferencváros, Ludogorets Razgrad and Porto to stand any chance of reaching the Europa League knockout stages, which isn’t particularly likely.

Having finished eighth in last year’s inaugural league phase, before reaching the quarter-finals, this quite the fall from grace.

Much of the blame lies at those at boardroom level, hence why chief executive Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell were both sacked on Monday, much to the delight of many supporters.

Nevertheless, new manager Danny Röhl still has to build a cohesive team with the pieces he has been given, so which of Thelwell’s summer recruits did not impress on Thursday night?

Nasser Djiga at fault once again

The final Tuesday of the final international break of 2025 could prove to be a pivotal day in Rangers’ season.

Mere hours apart, one in Mount Florida and the other in well, Miami in actual Florida, both John Souttar and Derek Cornelius suffered long-term injuries that’ll see them sidelined until Christmas at least.

Thus, just as Röhl had found his first-choice centre-back pairing, he will continue to be without them going into the busiest period of the season, left with no choice but to keep picking Emmanuel Fernandez and Nasser Djiga, despite the continued poor performances of the latter.

Djiga was massively at fault for Braga’s crucial equaliser on Thursday night, completely misjudging a cross into the box which allowed Gabri Martínez to slot home.

The 23 year old joined Wolverhampton Wanderers from Crvena zvezda in January for a reported £10m, but barely featured for the Premier League side, suggesting why that might have been the case since making the loan move north of the border.

It did not start well for Djiga, sent off on his Premiership debut for tripping up Finlay Robertson as the Gers were held to a 1-1 draw by Dundee at Ibrox, before this inexplicable decision which allowed Romeo Vermant to score the first of Club Brugge’s nine goals in the Champions League play-off round.

Djiga, frankly, is costing Rangers points time and time again, which has to be a concern ahead of three winnable Premiership matches in a week against Falkirk, Dundee United and Kilmarnock, but which other starter from Thursday night may have just played himself out of contention?

Rangers summer signing who struggled vs Braga

Röhl made a couple of surprise selection decisions against Braga; Connor Barron came into midfield, while Max Aarons got the nod over Jayden Meghoma at left-back.

The Bournemouth loanee has been in and out the team all throughout the campaign, deployed in both full-back positions, but did not stake a claim for more regular minutes here.

The statistics document the Englishman’s tough night.

Aarons’ statistics vs Braga

Stats

Aarons

Match rank

Accurate passes

26

13th

Passing accuracy %

76%

12th

Key passes

Zero

10th

Attempted crosses

3

4th

Accurate crosses

Zero

7th

Defensive actions

3

16th

Tackles won

3

7th

Interceptions

Zero

12th

Clearances

Zero

19th

Possession lost

17

4th

Touches

59

6th

SofaScore rating

6.8

12th

Stats via SofaScore

As the table documents, despite the fact only two Rangers players, namely Tavernier and Fernandez, had more touches of the ball than Aarons, he did very little with all this possession.

The full-back completed just 26 passes, fewer than Braga goalkeeper Lukáš Horníček, was accurate with zero crosses and turned over possession on 17 occasions.

Fair to say, the Rangers support have not been enamoured by Aarons from the very start.

Under Russell Martin, he was controversially starting Champions League qualifiers instead of long-standing captain Tavernier, which most fans were not on board with, especially when Aarons was sent off just eight minutes into their 6-0 annihilation at the hands of Club Brugge at Jan Breydelstadion.

More recently, Aarons has been asked to fill in on the left-side, which he can do, but does not suit him naturally, especially on the ball, having to play on his weaker side.

Thus, for upcoming Premiership matches, where Rangers will dominate possession, expect Röhl to recall Jayden Meghoma at left-back, even if he has been far from convincing either.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Expand Collapse

As for long-term, it would be no surprise to see both Aarons and Djiga return to their parents clubs in the new year, or at the end of the season at the very least.

Related Forget Djiga: Rohl must bin Rangers flop who lost the ball every 2 touches

Following Rangers’ 1-1 draw with Braga in the Europa League at Ibrox on Thursday, which flop must Danny Röhl axe who was even worse than Nasser Djiga?

Posts ByBen Gray Nov 28, 2025

Glasgow Rangers have officially confirmed that they have parted company with both CEO Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell, less than 12 months on from both of their arrivals at Ibrox.

Chairman Andrew Cavenagh reveals that the Light Blues ownership made the decision to move Stewart and Thelwell on as they believe that they need different people running the project moving forward.

This decision comes after Thelwell arrived from Everton in April and made numerous less-than-well-received decisions, including the appointment of Russell Martin and the signing of Youssef Chermiti for £8m from Everton.

Fraser Thornton has been made the acting CEO and it will be interesting to see what the club do with the sporting director position, given that the January transfer window is on the horizon.

Rangers submit offer to sign exciting winger

Despite the decision to part ways with Stewart and Thelwell, it appears as though there has been work going on behind the scenes to bolster Danny Rohl’s squad.

Transfer Focus

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

According to a report from Kazakhstan, via Scouts in Eurasia, Rangers have submitted an offer to sign 22-year-old Yelimay Semey left winger Galymzhan Kenzhebek, ahead of the January transfer window.

It claims that the Scottish giants have made the most attractive offer to the young starlet, and that has made them the frontrunners in the race for his signature.

Dundee United and Olympiacos are also said to be interested in a deal to land the Kazakhstan international in the winter window, but they are yet to make an offer that is more attractive than the one that Rangers have put down.

Whoever has the final say on transfers in January, which remains to be seen after Monday’s events, could make a better signing than any move Thelwell made in the summer by getting a deal over the line for Kenzhebek.

Why Rangers should sign Galymzhan Kenzhebek

The Gers should push to bring the 22-year-old winger to Ibrox because his form for club and country this season suggests that he could be an exciting addition to the squad.

With 12 Scottish Premiership matches played, none of the summer signings made by Thelwell have delivered more than two goals or one assist in the league, per WhoScored, which illustrates how ineffective his additions have been.

Kenzhebek is a forward who could come in and light up Ibrox in the second half of the season if he can adapt to Scottish football, which would make him a better addition than any of the signings that Thelwell made.

Appearances

11

8

Goals

6

2

Big chances missed

N/A

0

Key passes per game

1.7

1.0

Big chances created

N/A

1

Assists

4

1

Dribbles completed per game

8.6

1.4

As you can see in the table above, the young forward has been on fire domestically with ten goals and assists in 11 appearances, whilst also showing his class on the international stage with three goal involvements in eight outings.

Rangers-supporting writer Kai Watson described his dribbling numbers as “incredible”, and it is hard to disagree with that assessment when you consider that no Rangers player has completed more than 2.0 dribbles per game in the Premiership, per WhoScored.

Whilst supporters may question the level of the Kazakhstan Premier League, it is worth pointing out that Hearts signed Claudio Braga from the second division in Norway and Alexandros Kyziridis from the Slovakian top-flight, and they have combined for 14 goals and assists in the league, per WhoScored.

Perhaps dipping into a lesser-known market to sign Kenzhebek, instead of signing experienced Championship players and Premier League flops, could serve them better.

If the 22-year-old attacker can arrive at Ibrox and deliver the kind of attacking quality he has shown for his current club, he would be an even better and more effective signing than any of the moves that Thelwell made during his short stint in Glasgow.

The new Ryan Kent: Rangers can unearth "electrifying" Gassama upgrade

Rangers have a possible upgrade on Djedi Gassama who could be their next Ryan Kent, but he has not played any minutes this season.

ByDan Emery Nov 23, 2025

Captain Ronald Araujo has been granted indefinite leave by Barcelona following a request for a period of absence. The Uruguay international's representatives held discussions with club sporting director Deco on Monday after the defender was not part of the matchday squad for Saturday's 3-1 La Liga victory over Alaves at Spotify Camp Nou.

• Araujo was sent off in Barcelona's Champions League loss at Chelsea

  After being sent off in Barcelona’s 3-0 defeat against Chelsea in the Champions League last Tuesday, Araujo was absent as his side secured a victory over Alaves which sent them top of La Liga. 

  A double from Dani Olmo and a strike from Lamine Yamal helped Hansi Flick’s side rise to the summit ahead of Real Madrid, who stayed in second place after drawing 1-1 with Girona on Sunday. With Araujo missing, left-back Gerard Martin had to step into the centre of defence alongside youngster Pau Cubarsi.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Report states Spanish giants have granted defender's request for absence

  And according to Araujo has now been allowed to take a break following a request from his agents. The report states Barcelona chief Deco granted the 28-year-old’s wish to step away from football as the club remain committed to giving him the time he needs to recover.

  Spanish publication reported earlier on Monday that Araujo lodged the request because he does not believe he can deliver for Barcelona at the moment. The report added the centre-back feared he would “hurt” the team if he tried to force himself to play.

  While refusing to go into detail as to why Araujo requested a period of absence, Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick said ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Atletico Madrid: “It is a private situation, I don’t want to say more. And please, if you can respect it I’d appreciate it.”

• Barcelona president Laporta says Araujo has been treated unfairly of late

  Flick’s comments came after Barcelona president Joan Laporta said Araujo had been treated unfairly in recent weeks and that the club were “behind him”.

  Speaking at an event in Andorra on Friday, Laporta said: “He has been heavily criticised, and I don’t think that’s fair. He gives his all on the pitch, he’s our captain, and now he needs to get through this difficult period because he’s a very emotional person with strong feelings.

  “He’s had a tough time, and I want to tell him that we’re behind him, that he needs to turn the page because here we all win and we all lose, and no one person is responsible for defeats or victories.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  Barcelona boss Flick expecting tough test against 'fantastic' Atletico

  Barcelona are gearing up for a highly-anticipated fixture with Atletico in what will be just their third match at the renovated Camp Nou, following the earlier games against Athletic Club and Alaves. While the reigning champions are hoping to secure a win which would keep them above fierce rivals Real – who travel to Athletic on Wednesday – Diego Simeone’s Atletico should provide a strong test for Flick’s men.

  Currently fourth in the table, Los Rojiblancos could go level on points with Barcelona with a victory at Camp Nou. Simeone’s side have lost just one of their 14 league matches in 2025-26, winning nine and drawing four.

  Previewing the fixture, Barcelona boss Flick said: "We know we are up against a fantastic team with a lot of quality, one of the best in Europe with one of the best coaches. For that reason it will be a tough encounter.

  "We are back at the top and we are happy about that, it's where we want to be but the important thing is to stay there until the end of the season. We have to keep working hard and give our best. We are leaders but at the moment we are not at our best. We need to move forward to to get back playing our best football.

  “I think we are committing too many mistakes, despite having the quality to control matches. It's something we have missed in recent matches but we can do it and we are working towards that.”

Liverpool head into the Champions League tonight against PSV Eindhoven looking like a bruised animal once more.

Last time out at Anfield, Arne Slot’s Reds were convincingly beaten by Nottingham Forest in the Premier League in a 3-0 loss, with the match preceding this humbling defeat on home soil also seeing the Merseyside giants lose by the same emphatic scoreline, away at Manchester City.

Thankfully, the Champions League has been a temporary sanctuary for the reigning Premier League champions, as was evident in their 1-0 win against Real Madrid, the last time they did battle in the illustrious competition.

Therefore, Liverpool will be hoping they can lick their wounds again and beat their Eredivisie opponents later on this evening.

If form doesn’t pick up, though, the January transfer window will be a very apt time to try and find upgrades on the underperformers consistently letting the side down…

Transfer latest at Liverpool

Despite their poor form as of late, the Reds will still see themselves as a significant superpower in any transfer window to come.

After all, a colossal £415m was spent just this summer on a raft of new signings, with fresh rumours now indicating that the Slot and Co. could be prepared to drop another £123m on Bayern Munich ace Michael Olise.

Moreover, Antoine Semenyo remains in their sights as another attacking signing that could boost a side let down by the likes of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz to date.

On top of signings to add to their attacking arsenal, Liverpool are also allegedly looking to do battle with Real Madrid over the services of midfield talent Vitinha, according to emerging reports from Spain.

Indeed, the report elaborates that the La Liga giants are preparing a €150m (£131m) bid for Luis Enrique’s prized asset.

Yet, Liverpool are keen to accelerate a deal, as well, by matching the Los Blancos’ amount, ensuring they could actually eclipse the £125m club-record capture of Alexander Isak.

A next step to the Premier League is noted as being very appealing for the Portugal international, if a statement move were to whir into motion.

Vitinha’s arrival at Anfield might not be the news Ryan Gravenberch wants to read, however, with the classy Paris Saint-Germain number 17 a clear upgrade on the Dutchman, as the 23-year-old has noticeably struggled as of late.

Why Vitinha is a clear upgrade on Gravenberch

Alongside the vast majority of his teammates, Gravenberch has suffered from a notable dip in his performance levels in recent matches.

Transfer Focus

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

Once labelled as being “vital” to the way Liverpool tick earlier in the season by ex-Reds midfielder Steve McManaman, the former Ajax prodigy turned Anfield first-teamer struggled to be an influential presence in back-to-back defeats at the hands of City and Forest, with only four ground duels won in total across 14 attempts, as per Sofascore.

To make matters worse, the underperforming number 38 would also fail to notch up a single key pass, leaving him on just the one paltry assist for the campaign.

While Gravenberch has shown visible signs of decline, Vitinha has continued to stand out on some pressurised stages for Enrique’s men, with this wonderful move – which was kickstarted by the 25-year-old’s fierce burst of pace – in last year’s Champions League final, just one reason why his national team manager in Roberto Martinez has glowingly labelled him the “best midielder in the world.”

In league action for PSG, too, this season, he blows his immediate competition out of the water, with one goal and six assists from 12 games – among other numbers – sticking out immediately to Slot, as he attempts to make Liverpool a vibrant and attractive watch in attack this campaign, again, rather than sticking by their current stifled appearance.

Vitinha vs Gravenberch (25/26 League stats)
Stat – per 90 mins*	Vitinha	Gravenberch
Games played	12	10
Goals scored	1	3
Assists	6	1
Touches*	113.8	74.8
Accurate passes*	98.2 (94%)	54.8 (89%)
Key passes*	1.5	0.7
Big chances created	6	2
Ball recoveries*	4.9	3.5
Stats by Sofascore

It’s not just in the attacking department where Vitinha could improve the downbeat Reds, with the 5-foot-8 playmaker also averaging 4.9 ball recoveries so far this season in Ligue 1, next to Gravenberch’s lesser 3.5.

Of course, the Premier League is a different kettle of fish altogether from the French top division, which PSG consistently dominate.

But, Vitinha has actually shown off his swagger against Liverpool at Anfield, with the “incredible” midfield general – as Enrique has also labelled him – dictating play during PSG’s slim 1-0 away win in the Champions League last campaign when amassing a ridiculous 103 accurate passes.

Worryingly, his Dutch counterpart receded into his shell, with zero accurate dribbles registered, and possession was lost a costly 12 times.

The one-time Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee won’t be moving to England on the cheap, but it could be a splurge worth signing off on, as Slot attempts to reinvigorate his options all over the pitch.

Perfect for Isak: Liverpool make £122m sensation their "dream target"

Liverpool need to make changes in the transfer market once again.

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 25, 2025

Tasmania 379 (Silk 104, Hope 76, Weatherald 67, Doran 66, Neser 4-75) and 317 for 7 (Chaudhary 76*, Jewell 67, Weatherald 57) drew with Queensland 612 (Labuschagne 160, Renshaw 128, Khawaja 69, Clayton 59, Chaudhary 5-108)Test aspirant Jake Weatherald posted his second fifty for the match as Tasmania’s Sheffield Shield run-fest against Queensland ended in a draw.Trailing Queensland by 233 runs after the first innings, Tasmania batted their way to safety at Allan Border Field on Tuesday. They finished on 317 for 7 in their second innings when the captains shook hands about 45 minutes before the scheduled stumps time.Related

• 'Stripped back' Labuschagne takes leap towards Ashes recall with 160

• Labuschagne dropped from Australia ODI squad, Renshaw earns call-up

• Hatcher and Hadley inspire New South Wales to victory

In-form opener Weatherald, one of many in contention to partner Usman Khawaja at the top for the start of this summer’s Ashes, followed up a 67 in the first innings with 57.Tasmania No. 4 Caleb Jewell faced 147 balls for his 67 before falling to tireless quick Michael Neser. Queensland thought they were still an outside chance of securing a win when Jewell departed which followed a brilliant catch at slip by Usman Khawaja to remove Bradley Hope.But Tasmania’s Indian-born Shield debutant Nikhil Chaudhary took them clear of being in any danger.Chaudhary, who claimed 5 for 108 as Queensland piled on 612 in their first innings, struck an unbeaten 76 from 80 balls at No. 8.The match will be remembered for centuries from Queensland Test hopefuls Matt Renshaw and Marnus Labuschagne.Renshaw, opening the batting with Khawaja, compiled 128 to enhance his chances of adding to his 14 Tests for Australia. During the day he had been confirmed for an ODI recall.Labuschagne, dropped for Australia’s most recent Tests against the West Indies in the Caribbean, compiled 160 in an important return to form.National selector George Bailey was present in Brisbane to watch Labuschagne grow in confidence after he took 12 balls to get off the mark.

After India A posted 413, they dismissed Australia A for 242 in 33.1 overs

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Oct-2025
Hundreds from opener Priyansh Arya and captain Shreyas Iyer set up India A’s demolition of Australia A in the first unofficial ODI in Kanpur on Wednesday. After rain allowed no play on Tuesday, the weather cleared for the series to get underway on the reserve day.After being asked to bat, India A posted 413 for 6 on the back of Arya’s 101 and Iyer’s 110. In response, Australia A were dismissed for 242 in 33.1 overs.Each of India’s top six had a strike rate of over 100, and five of their top six scored at least 50. Arya and Prabhsimran Singh, who had combined powerfully for Punjab Kings (PBKS) in IPL 2025, were reunited at the top for India A, putting on 135 for the opening stand in 20.3 overs. Iyer then took charge of the innings, hitting 12 fours and four sixes in his first List A match since the Champions Trophy in March earlier this year.Related

• Iyer to lead India A in one-dayers against Australia A

• BCCI okays Shreyas Iyer's request for six-month break from red-ball cricket

• After years in Chennai heat, Gurjapneet Singh is now in India A spotlight

Rajat Patidar was originally named captain for the 50-over series against Australia A but Iyer replaced him, with Patidar taking charge of the Rest of India side in the ongoing Irani Cup in Nagpur. Iyer is on a break from red-ball cricket due to concerns about his back, but continues to be available for white-ball cricket.Riyan Parag (67) and Ayush Badoni (50) also hit half-centuries to propel India A to a mammoth total. Iyer’s dismissal in the 47th over left India A at 380 for 4, but Badoni and allrounder Nishant Sindhu took them past 400.Australia A used seven bowlers, with only Liam Scott going at less than seven an over.Chasing 414, Australia A had a good start: they were 116 for 1 in the 13th over, but Cooper Connolly’s wicket triggered a slide. They lost their last nine wickets for 126 and left almost 17 overs unused in their chase.Opener McKenzie Harvey top-scored for the visitors with 68 off 62 balls while captain Sutherland made 50 off 33 balls. Spinners Sindhu, Bishnoi and Badoni shared seven wickets among them.Gurjapneet Singh, who was making his List A debut, having been fast-tracked into the India A side, came away with 1 for 40 in five overs.India A will be bolstered by the arrival of Asia Cup hero Tilak Varma for the remaining two one-dayers.

“If you’ve been watching me in the nets, it’s been a frustrating experience because I feel like I’ve had no rhythm whatsoever,” Alyssa Healy says of her patchy form of late

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Oct-2025

Alyssa Healy compiled an 84-ball century•Getty Images

Chasing 331 to win. In a World Cup game. With the stands full of noisy opposition supporters. Not the easiest job, unless you are Alyssa Healy. Or Ellyse Perry, for that matter. It required a record-breaking effort with the bat, and Australia did it with a whole over in hand. “That’s a really cool stat”, Healy said afterwards, and will give the batters “a heap of confidence” for the rest of the tournament.The innings Healy played – 142 in 107 balls – was the bedrock of that chase. Her sixth ODI century, but her first since April 2022. She has missed a fair bit of cricket in the interim period but it’s still a gap of 25 innings between centuries, and only her second fifty-plus score of the calendar year. Talk about good timing.”I think I was just trying to contribute. I think it needed somebody to make a hundred to chase down that total. Obviously you’d probably like two to make hundreds just to make it easy, but somebody needed to, if they got set, to cash in and have a good day,” Healy said at the press conference afterwards. “So, yeah, it was probably… it was my day in the end. It hasn’t been my day of late, but it was my day today, which was really cool.Related

Alyssa Healy to miss England match with 'minor calf strain'

Healy and Australia ride the upswing after shoddy fielding show

Sutherland's sleight of hand conjures priceless Australia win

Harmanpreet rues India's 6 for 36 collapse against Australia

Healy, Perry seal all-time classic for Australia

“And to get ourselves, obviously I would have liked to be there a little bit longer and probably see it home a little bit more, but I think to get ourselves in a winning position at that point in time was really cool, and I’ll probably reflect on that a little bit later and be a little bit happy.”N Shree Charani and Deepti Sharma returned excellent economy rates of 4.10 and 5.20 respectively, but the other three frontline bowlers – Amanjot Kaur, Kranti Gaud and Sneh Rana – were expensive. Particularly impressive was Healy’s takedown of the quicks, Amanjot and Gaud, each time she faced them.”It wasn’t a distinct plan as such. Charani was getting actually quite a bit of spin; she was kind of the pick of the bowlers today,” Healy said. “We identified that really well and thought if we can capitalise on some of the pace bowlers, that would be handy knowing that they really have [only] five bowlers in their attack. So, yeah, we thought if we could attack that it’d be great. But it wasn’t really a plan as such, it just panned out that way on the day and I think with the wicket sliding on it probably enabled us to do that.”Coming into the game with scores of 19 (against New Zealand) and 20 (against Pakistan), Healy wasn’t in rhythm, as she confessed. But where rhythm was missing, competitive instincts did the job, especially against Gaud, who had Healy’s number in each of the three ODIs in the bilateral series prior to the World Cup.2:24

Healy: ‘It was my day today’

“If you’ve been watching me in the nets, it’s been a frustrating experience because I feel like I’ve had no rhythm whatsoever, been struggling to find it, and I didn’t really know where it went before I came into the World Cup,” she said. “But I think once you step out on the field, your competitive instincts kick in and you kind of just lock-in to getting in the contest. Obviously aware that Kranti had got me out a fair bit throughout the ODI series, so an opportunity to go out there and lock in a contest with her and just sort of, I don’t know, have a bit of fun in that regard, I think sort of got me going and that was really a really enjoyable experience. And like I said, it was my day today, and hopefully it continues but if not, I’m sure it’ll be someone else’s, which is cool.”That Australia were chasing 331, “just” 331, was thanks in large measure to Annabel Sutherland, whose 5 for 40 from 9.5 overs took out the middle order and stopped India slightly short of where they might have been after being 192 after 30 overs.”Bellsy’s spell, I think, we got our length right in that department. We bowled a little bit poorly at times and probably gave India an opportunity to cash in whether that be at the start of the over or the end of the over, and I think we couldn’t really create a lot of pressure,” Healy said. “But Alana King and Annabel Sutherland actually created a little bit of a partnership there, created some pressure, created some opportunities. And then Bellsy sort of cashed in at her end. So that was really cool.”And I thought the bowling unit as a whole really hung in there, hung tough and created a whole heap [of pressure] in that back ten to, like I said, restrict them in a way to 330, which is a little bit daunting, but I think did a great job at the back end, which was cool.”

Is Wilfried Nancy going to become the new Celtic manager?

Well, it was reported last week that Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney will remain in interim charge for Saturday night’s short trip to St Mirren, but for how much longer will that remain the case?

Other reports suggest that the Hoops are close to agreeing a £2m compensation package with Nancy’s current club Columbus Crew, with the aim for the Frenchman to take charge for the first time when the Celts visit Easter Road to take on Hibernian at Easter Road on Sunday 30 November.

Should Nancy swap Ohio for Glasgow, he would have plenty of work to do and numerous issues to solve, but ensuring Daizen Maeda stays in Scotland will no doubt be of great importance.

The latest on Daizen Maeda's future

Back in September, after the transfer window had closed, Maeda revealed that he had requested to leave Celtic this summer.

However, with the club struggling to replace Nicolas Kühn and Adam Idah, who were both sold, the Japan international was informed that he would not be allowed to depart.

Well, potentially as a result of this uncertainty, Maeda has not been at his blistering best so far this season, bagging just four goals to date, having netted 33 times across all competitions last season, four of which came in the Champions League.

After adding to his goal tally against Kilmarnock last time out, the 28-year-old started at left-wing-back as Japan beat Bolivia 3-0 in an international friendly on Tuesday, so could he push for a January move to help increase his chances of being included in Hajime Moriyasu’s World Cup squad?

Well, according to Fabrizio Romano, it is a “possibility” that the forward will be on the move in January, with Brentford, Everton, Leeds and two other Premier League clubs purportedly interested.

Considering that, since netting four minutes into his debut against Hibs in January 2022, Maeda has scored 66 goals in 175 appearances in hoops, he would be a massive loss, but could the incoming boss, Nancy, fill this void by bringing with him a star he knows rather well?

Celtic's potential Maeda replacement

When Ange Postecoglou arrived from Yokohama F. Marinos, he utilised his knowledge of the J League, an undervalued market, to sign gems for a cut-price, bringing in Kyōgo Furuhashi, Reo Hatate and Maeda himself.

Well, with Major League Soccer in a similar position, could Nancy follow this blueprint?

According to a report by the Daily Record, should Nancy arrive, his number one transfer target would be Columbus Crew star Diego Rossi, who has previously hinted that he would like to return to European football.

After beginning his career at Peñarol, Rossi really burst onto the scene at LAFC, scoring 59 goals in 121 appearances for the Black and Gold, picking up the 2020 MLS Golden Boot, form that earned him a £4.5m move to Fenerbahçe.

However, after a pretty underwhelming stint in İstanbul, he returned to Major League Soccer in the summer of 2023, and has taken his game to a whole new level under Nancy in Columbus.

To date, the Uruguayan international has scored 45 goals in 101 appearances for the Crew, bagging 16 MLS goals in 2025, comparing favourably to other players across the league.

Goals

16

13th

Shots

91

13th

Shots on target

40

10th

Goals – xG

+2.6

8th*

Big chances missed

13

23rd

Shot creating actions

94

37th

Progressive carries

106

11th

Touches in box

165

5th

Average rating

7.38

7th**

*minimum 15 goals. **forwards only.

Worth reiterating that MLS is a gigantic league with 30 teams, while 882 players made an appearance in the competition this year, so to be in the top ten or even top 20 for the attacking metrics included is impressive.

His tally of 16 goals is noteworthy, albeit it could’ve been even better had he not missed 13 Opta-defined big chances, something that has also been a tendency of Maeda’s game, so perhaps he would be a ready-made replacement.

According to Football Transfers, Rossi’s estimated market value is around £7m, having increased again in recent months after it plateaued in 2024, following his exploits in, according to Global Football Rankings, the tenth-strongest league in the world, a humongous 23 places above the Scottish Premiership.

Speaking ahead of MLS Cup Final in 2023, Carlos Vela, who was Rossi’s teammate in California, labelled the Uruguayan a “really good finisher”, adding that he’s “fast” and “technically good”, while Bob Bradley, his coach at LAFC, adds that the forward is “deceptive” and “such a good player to have” as part of your attack.

Now 27, in a similar way to Maeda, now may well be the time for Rossi to take the next step in his career, aiming to get into Uruguay’s World Cup squad, having not featured for los Charrúas since June 2023.

Unlike in European leagues, MLS’ primary transfer window is in the winter, something that will change in 2027, meaning January moves are a lot more common.

Thus, with Rossi into the final year of his contract in Columbus, he appears to be the perfect fit for a Celtic side lacking attacking firepower, irrespective of whether Maeda departs or not.

Palma 2.0: Celtic's £5m star is going to be on borrowed time under Nancy

With Wilfried Nancy poised to become the new Celtic manager, which “terrific talent” could be on borrowed time and may well become the new Luis Palma?

ByBen Gray Nov 17, 2025

FIFA confirmed that the USMNT will be in pot 1 at the World Cup draw, and will avoid a number of top opponents in their group. Pots 2, 3 and 4 could yet be tricky, though, with a handful of teams that they have lost to in the previous year in the fold. The draw will be held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on Friday December 5.

New seeding system set to benefit USA

The USMNT are ranked No.14 in the world, and will get a leg up from the new draw system. All of the teams other than Canada and Mexico are ahead of them in the FIFA rankings. Thanks to their seeding, it is unlikely that the U.S. will meet any top sides such as Argentina, Spain, France and England until at least the round of 16 – assuming that most heavyweights win their group. 

This method of seeding players is used in tennis, in a way which has led to several heavyweight final clashes between the current top two players in the world. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWorld Cup draw nears as U.S. pathway will soon become clear

While smaller nations will, perhaps rightly, claim that this new seeding system undermines sporting integrity by favouring the world’s most successful nations, a counter-argument would be the fact that all of the top four seeds still need to reach the semi-finals and could no doubt still face a difficult path in order to get there.

With 10 days to go until the draw on December 5, the USMNT face a nervous wait to find out who they will face in the group stage of the competition. The likes of Scotland, Norway, Croatia or Italy (if they get through the play-offs) could potentially be on the cards for Mauricio Pochettino's side – as can Colombia, Croatia or highly rated Morocco.

Match locations and kick-off times will then be announced the following day on December 6, as the tournament begins to come more clearly into view. 

'This will ensure' – FIFA issue statement on seeding pathway decision

A FIFA statement said: "While the final draw will determine which teams play each other in the group stage, the updated match schedule, including the stadium assigned to each match and the respective kick-off time, will be confirmed on Saturday, 6 December.

"The match allocation process that follows the draw aims to ensure the best possible conditions for all teams while, where possible, enabling fans all over the world to watch their teams play live across different time zones.

"To ensure competitive balance, two separate pathways to the semi-finals have been established when developing the match schedule. In order to have a balanced distribution of the teams, the four highest-ranked teams … will have the following constraints: the highest-ranked team [Spain] and the second highest-ranked team [Argentina] will be randomly drawn into opposite pathways, and the same principle will apply to the third [France] and fourth [England] highest-ranked teams.

"This will ensure that, should they win their groups, the two highest-ranked teams will not meet before the final."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

AFP2026 World Cup comes ever nearer for the USMNT

Recent results have looked good for Pochettino's side as they move towards the World Cup. The U.S. are on a five-game undefeated run, and ended their last camp with wins over Paraguay and Uruguay. 

They will have one more international window in March – in which the U.S. will face Portugal and Belgium in Atlanta – before playing a duo of tune-up games for the tournament in the weeks before kick off. They will find out their group opponents next Friday, with the draw scheduled to start in the afternoon and the times released shortly after. 

The Blue Jays were inches away from capturing the franchise's first World Series title in 32 years during Game 7 of the World Series—and manager John Schneider still thinks about one play in particular: the play at the plate involving Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Keeping in mind the instruction of Blue Jays third base coach Carlos Febles, Kiner-Falefa, who had entered the game as a pinch runner and was the lead runner with the bases loaded and one out, took an unusually short lead—8.6 feet off of the bag according to MLB player tracking data—off of third base to protect against the possibility of a line drive double play. But Kiner-Falefa overcorrected, as he was forced out at home plate by mere inches on a ground ball to second, which, despite a stumble upon gloving the ball, was fielded cleanly and delivered to catcher Will Smith in time by infielder Miguel Rojas. Kiner-Falefa may have scored had he had even a slightly bigger lead off of third.

Reflecting on the play while speaking to reporters at the winter meetings, Schneider defended Kiner-Falefa while admitting Toronto could have handled the situation a bit differently.

“For one, I feel so bad for Izzy [Kiner-Falefa] for getting all the blame,” Schneider said. “Izzy's an unbelievable baseball player… Could we have done a better job of getting him off [the bag] a little bit? Yeah. Another step or two. There's been video of Carlos telling him where to go…”

But Schneider also peeled back the curtain into the Blue Jays' thinking, saying they had noticed a tendency with Dodgers catcher Will Smith—one the Dodgers had later said they also talked about if the situation arose—which played into Toronto's strategy to emphasize a shorter lead for Kiner-Falefa.

“What's not talked about enough is the fact that Will Smith likes to back pick to third with left-handed hitters up,” Schneider continued. “It's something we talked about at length before the series. Something that Carlos reminded Izzy of…

“…People have said, 'What are the odds that Varsho is going to line out to third?' Fairly low, right? That's just where he doesn't hit the ball. So could we have done a better job of getting Izzy another step or two down? Yeah for sure.”

Schneider doesn't believe Kiner-Falefa, who slid feet-first, could have done anything different (sliding headfirst, not sliding, etc.) to change the outcome of the play. But he's not alone in his thinking that Toronto could have given Kiner-Falefa a bit of a wider lead.

Former Blue Jays coach Don Mattingly believes Kiner-Falefa play could have been handled differently

During an appearance on , former Blue Jays bench coach Don Mattingly singled out the Kiner-Falefa play as one he'd like to handle differently if given the opportunity.

“The one play, the IKF play—and I think it's played properly because you got the bases loaded, you got one out, the infield's totally drawn in. So you're not in a contact situation there,” Mattingly said. “You've got to at least freeze on a line drive… So I'll say the one thing that we kind of missed—and I'd say it myself, Schneids [Schneider], is that Varsho does not line out to third base. He does not hit line drives on that side of the field really.

“And so you can get a little bit more. But if it was a right-handed hitter, IKF's probably right where he should be…”

Mattingly noted that it was “not IKF's fault, but probbaly all of our faults.”

One thing is for sure. The Blue Jays will be thinking about that play—and the World Series loss— for a long time.

“No I don't think I ever will [get past the loss] to be honest with you,” Schneider said. “I think I'll think about it until the day I leave this earth, unless you get another opportunity to squash that one.”