Newcastle United have a tough run of fixtures to contend with for the rest of November, before the bumper Christmas schedule weighs heavily on the calendar.

Indeed, the up-and-down Magpies have a tricky home clash with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City up next, as Eddie Howe no doubt worries already as to how his porous defence will deal with a free-flowing Erling Haaland.

Then, it’s back-to-back away fixtures at Marseille and Everton in the Champions League and Premier League, with Howe, presumably, under even more intense pressure if he fails to pick up a win or two across this stretch of contests.

Far too many players Howe has relied on over the years have failed to deliver the goods across recent matches, with many of those underperformers also falling into the high earners bracket at St James’ Park.

Assessing Newcastle's current wage bill

Newcastle’s highest earner currently continues to lead by example for the most part in club captain Bruno Guimaraes.

Understandably, during losses on the road against West Ham United and Brentford, the Brazilian wasn’t at his liveliest.

But, the £160k-per-week “talisman” – as he has been recently labelled by Michael Carrick – does still have three goals next to his name this season, when bailing his topsy-turvy side out of some sticky situations, which included this wonderfully taken strike breaking the deadlock against Nottingham Forest last month in a much-needed 2-0 win.

The same adoration isn’t being extended to Joelinton and Anthony Gordon – who both take home a hefty £150k-per-week pay packet – with the pair notably struggling in league action this season. Neither player has scored a single goal or registered an assist from a combined 16 Premier League outings.

Thankfully, Nick Woltemade has lived up to his club-record £69m price tag, and his high £132.5k-per-week wage, on the contrary, with four league goals already next to his name.

There will be some grumbles about Anthony Elanga’s £55m fee and £100k-per-week wage, though, with the ex-Manchester United attacker dubbed a “massive overpay” by analyst Raj Chohan, with the Swede yet to show off his exhilarating best on the wings. He remains goalless so far on Tyneside.

Chalkboard

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

The likes of Elanga and Gordon are not the only players being hounded.

A "legendary" star must be ditched by Newcastle

Elanga will also surely have the benefit of patience on his side, with the 23-year-old only 17 games down for his new employers. In time, the hope will be that the expensive £55m purchase does come good.

Whereas, in the case of Joe Willock, the peak of his Newcastle career looks to be very firmly behind him now, with his drop-off in form on Tyneside a very concerning tale.

Towards the start of his Newcastle playing days, Willock perform the role of a bright spark in front of goal from the midfield ranks expertly, much like Guimaraes now provides Howe and Co.

Staggeringly, he scored in seven straight Premier League matches during his initial loan spell from Arsenal during the 2020/21 season, as Willock lived up to Mikel Arteta’s words of being a “special” talent.

Ex-Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell even went as far as to state that Willock had achieved “legendary stats” at St James’ Park with this unbelievable goalscoring run, further hailing the number 28 as “god-like” to the Tyneside masses.

Games played

133

Goals scored

10

Assists

9

Transfer fee

£25m

Wage per week

£80k-per-week

Willock has, arguably, become a victim of his own successes at Newcastle, with the former Arsenal midfielder only managing to cough up two more goals across 133 games, away from exploding onto the scene with a breakneck eight goals during his first 14 outings.

The Athletic’s Chris Waugh has simply labelled the 26-year-old as a major “disappointment” over the past couple of seasons, with only 100 minutes of Premier League action handed his way this campaign, really bringing into view his lavish £80k-per-week wage.

Wildly, that means summer arrival Malick Thiaw earns less than Willock, despite being an ever-present part of Howe’s defensive unit in the Premier League so far this season, with the German only banking a £70k-per-week salary.

It’s far from the most uplifting story seeing the decline of Willock in real time, but if Howe is to turn around his side’s fortunes right now, he will have to consider shelving the EFL Cup-winning midfielder for good very soon, alongside other previous regulars who have now fallen off the horse.

Everton enter race to sign £88m South American "machine" with Newcastle

The Toffees need a creative spark.

1 ByTom Cunningham Nov 16, 2025

Pakistan, meanwhile, are growing comfortable in Colombo conditions and hoping to challenge New Zealand

Madushka Balasuriya17-Oct-20251:08

Omaima: ‘The main challenge is playing the new ball’

Neither New Zealand nor Pakistan have had an ideal World Cup. The former is on three points after four games with just a solitary win, while Pakistan’s sole point has come courtesy a washout against England.That match, for all intents and purposes, should have been firmly locked under the wins column for Pakistan, but such has been the weather in Colombo that any result has been firmly at the behest of the weather gods.”I’ve been around this a long time and there’s lots of things you can’t control, and weather’s one of those. It’s just something that we’ve got to roll with,” New Zealand head coach Ben Sawyer said ahead of Saturday’s match against Pakistan.Related

Fatima Sana – a captain burdened, a fast bowler unrestrained

New Zealand look to stay in semi-final hunt against winless Pakistan

Rains have been forecast throughout the day for Saturday as well, but for Sawyer, the preparations remain the same with the past few days also allowing some time for reflection on their washed-out game against Sri Lanka.”I thought we bowled really well,” Sawyer said. “It was a target that we thought we could chase. We just didn’t get the chance to do that. So practised really hard the last couple of days and yeah, ready to go for Pakistan tomorrow.”For Pakistan too, the weather has proved an unwelcome guest, bringing their victory charge against England to an abrupt end. It was the first time this tournament that they had managed to produce a complete performance with the ball, and before rain ended play they were looking quite comfortable with the bat as well – an area they had struggled with in the lead-up to the game.”The pitches are supporting the bowlers, especially spinners. Our spin department and fast bowling department are also doing great,” Pakistan opening batter Omaima Sohail said. “But we need to step up in our batting.”Pakistan’s improvement is not something that has evaded Sawyer and New Zealand, who are acutely aware of what they are capable of.”Their top order is, they made it look like light work of maybe chasing down that total the other night,” he said. “So, they’ve been impressive. They’ve really challenged a couple of weeks or two of the top nations. So, been impressed in particular with their bowling.”2:14

Sawyer: ‘We’ve got to be really wary of the Pakistan attack’

One reason for this uptick has been their increasing familiarity with the conditions in Colombo, where batting hasn’t been the easiest. This will be just New Zealand’s second game at the Khettarama this World Cup, though the rains ensured they were unable to bat against Sri Lanka.”We played here four matches, so now we know what the situations and what the pitch acts [like],” Sohail said. “So, we know what to do in upcoming matches. We will do better hopefully.”For New Zealand their focus will be on trying to put up more complete performances. Their batting has been bolstered almost solely by runs from Sophie Devine and Brooke Halliday, who have struck 260 and 142 runs respectively over their four matches. Sawyer however is confident that the rest of the team will come good sooner rather than later.”They’ve [Devine and Halliday] looked great and to me, I know it might sound a bit silly, but it’s really exciting,” Sawyer said. “Yeah, we have had probably two batters do the bulk of the work for us at the moment, so if we can get three or four firing at once, I think we can post some huge scores.”It’s a long tournament; it goes for a month. I think we’ve already been on the road a month, as every other team has, and you’re going to have people firing at different times and hopefully we’ve got some that are really going to fire towards the back end. So I’ve got no doubt those runs are coming.”

كشف الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم، يويفا، عن هوية اللاعب الفائز بجائزة رجل مباراة فريقي مانشستر سيتي وباير ليفركوزن، في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا مساء يوم الثلاثاء.

واستضاف ملعب “الاتحاد” مباراة فريقي مانشستر سيتي وباير ليفركوزن، في الجولة الخامسة من دوري أبطال أوروبا، مرحلة الدوري، موسم 2025/26.

وتعرض مانشستر سيتي للهزيمة على ملعبه ووسط جمهوره بهدفين دون رد، وهي الخسارة الأولى له في الموسم الحالي من دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وحسبما نُشر، حصل حارس مرمى باير ليفركوزن، مارك فليكين، على جائزة رجل مباراة مانشستر سيتي في دوري أبطال أوروبا، بعدما قدم أداءً رائعًا ضد كتيبة بيب جوارديولا.

وقالت مجموعة المراقبين الفنيين في الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم: “لقد تصدى فليكين لعدة فرص رائعة، وأظهر ردود أفعاله الرائعة، في إجمالي سبع تصديات خلال المباراة”.

Tadeo Allende struggled early, but his hot streak has arrived at the perfect time – and Inter Miami may need him more than ever in their push for MLS Cup.

Early in the season, Tadeo Allende kept missing chances – and he got plenty of them. The Argentine attacking midfielder, brought in by Inter Miami on loan from Celta Vigo last winter, was supposed to be the final piece in the Herons’ attack. His job was straightforward: bury the opportunities that would inevitably fall his way.

And there were always going to be plenty. That’s the reality of playing with Lionel Messi. When Messi gets on the ball, opponents tilt, their shape breaks, and gaps appear everywhere. The responsibility then shifts to those around him to exploit those spaces, time their runs and, ultimately, finish. Soccer is more nuanced than that – the rotations, the off-ball movements, the choreographed patterns – but at its core, Allende’s remit boiled down to one thing.

The problem was that he wasn’t finishing often enough. His 15 goals in all competitions looked solid on paper and even exceeded his xG, but Miami created such a high volume of chances that it always felt like there were more out there for him. Too often, he wasn’t getting into the most dangerous spots, and a few big opportunities slipped away.

Now, that has changed. Allende has found his scoring touch – and at the perfect time. Miami are charging toward MLS Cup, with Messi producing at a historic postseason rate, tying the league’s all-time playoff goals record with eight. But Allende has become the razor-sharp edge that completes the picture. And on Saturday, against Vancouver, the version of Allende that shows up may well determine whether Javier Mascherano’s side survives or goes home.

GettyA puzzling acquisition

And now, we have to talk about Inter Miami’s transfer policy. It’s a tiring thing to discuss, all said. Many eagle-eyed onlookers noticed that focused heavily on Argentina-born talent. Their manager, Mascherano, played with Messi. Some dubbed Miami’s moves "Messi’s signings." Leo gets what Leo wants. And there could be an element of truth there. 

One thing is for certain, though, Allende ran counter to a lot of what Miami needed. The Herons, during last year’s playoffs, were undone by a lack of pace in central defense and aging legs in midfield. What they required was a center back capable of stewarding a backline and a rugged, MLS-experienced supporting cast to plug holes in the midfield. 

What they got, instead, were questionable options in defense and a Celta Vigo loanee with no MLS experience. Allende was a strange acquisition, unproven in the Spanish top flight and relatively inexperienced for a mid-table club in the Argentine league before. 

The messaging from the club was that Allende could contribute all over. 

"We're pleased to bring in attacker Tadeo Allende to further strengthen our attack. Tadeo's versatility bolsters our options up front as he can perform in different positions across the pitch. We're excited to bring him on board to help us compete in multiple competitions in 2025," said president of football operations Raúl Sanllehí at the time. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportA mixed start

Allende was a mainstay in the side from the first minute, playing, as the club had promised, in a variety of different roles. But his primary task was, like for Messi's Argentina, to put in plenty of legwork and open spaces for when their star man had the ball – and do everything to win it back when they lost it. The early returns were good enough. Allende found the back of the net in four straight, and looked a real threat in the opening stages of the season. 

But the goals soon dried up. After bagging against Charlotte on March 15, Allende went two months without finding the net. In that time, he tallied 15 shots – over two per game – and put just three of them on target. His chances were all pretty good ones, too, shots from close range – often from Messi feeds. In effect, Allende was asked to apply a finishing touch. And he wasn't doing it. 

Still, he was good enough off the ball to justify his inclusion, and the mere fact that he chipped in here and there with a goal made him a worthy addition. He started all but six of Miami's regular season games in all competitions, and scored a crucial goal against Palmeiras in the Club World Cup.

As for Miami, things were a little mixed. probably reached par as a team, losing to a superior side in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, finishing third in the Eastern Conference, and getting bounced from the Club World Cup by Champions League winners PSG. And, to be clear, Allende was not the problem for Defense was a clear issue. But Miami didn't lose a single game in which he scored. 

It couldn't be ignored: when Allende was finding the net, good things were happening.

Getting hot in the playoffs

In the playoffs, though, something has clicked. Somehow, Allende has become lethal. He has scored eight thus far in the postseason and seven in his last three games. He's not missing tap-ins, skewing headers, or making silly mistakes. His hat-trick that carried Miami past NYCFC in the Eastern Conference Finals was a truly wonderful thing, three excellent finishes to cap off a fine performance. 

The third goal simply had Mascherano laughing. Yannick Bright provided the pass in behind. Allende timed his run perfectly, beat the defender for pace, and, with time to think, consider the angles, measure his shot, and contemplate all of the ways he could miss, he unleashed a delightful chip that floated over NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese and into the back of the net. It was the finish of a seasoned striker and a player operating with total confidence in his own abilities.

Mascherano suggested it was all about confidence: 

"There’s nothing stronger in soccer than a player’s conviction. When your players are convinced where to go and which road… tactics don’t exist anymore, nothing else exists. For me, is about joining them in that conviction and make the less mistakes," he said after the win. 

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(C)Getty ImagesA slumping Luis Suarez

Messi, historically, has needed a running mate. These things usually just happen, in truth. At Barcelona, he was surrounded by elite attacking talent everywhere: Neymar, Thierry Henry, Suarez, David Villa – to name a few. At PSG, he had Kylian Mbappe. For Argentina, various superstars have come and gone. 

This isn’t necessarily American sports where a single superstar can be entirely shut down. You can’t ever really guard Messi out of a game. But he does need help. Last year, that was Suarez, who was truly excellent in his maiden MLS campaign. This season, though, his form has dropped. Suarez isn’t ineffective altogether, but his goal return has plummeted, and he, like Allende, was missing chances for fun at times. Miami, then, needed someone to step up at the right time. 

And more broadly, that’s the role that Allende has fulfilled with aplomb. He is the clinical No. 2 at the moment, the reliable guy to make things happen when Messi is otherwise occupied. And perhaps more importantly, he’s the guy that Messi trusts enough to give the ball to. With Suarez slumping, that could be invaluable.

Mohammad Rizwan has been sacked as Pakistan ODI captain, with Shaheen Shah Afridi replacing him. The decision was announced by the PCB shortly after the first day of the ongoing Test match between Pakistan and South Africa in Rawalpindi, a Test both Rizwan, 33, and Afridi, 25, are currently playing.No reason was provided for replacing Rizwan; indeed, the wicketkeeper batter was not even mentioned in the official statement. The decision, according to the PCB, was taken after a meeting in Islamabad between the selection committee and the white-ball head coach Mike Hesson.Rizwan’s removal was all but inevitable when the PCB put out a statement over the weekend, pointedly declining to confirm him as ODI captain ahead of the white-ball leg of the South Africa tour. Instead, it said Hesson had asked PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi to convene a meeting with the selection and advisory committee to appoint a new captain.ESPNcricinfo understands the desire to replace Rizwan was not specifically at the behest of the head coach, but enjoyed wider backing at the highest level of the PCB’s decision-making process.Afridi’s last foray into white-ball captaincy was an unhappy one, when he was tapped to lead the T20I team ahead of a series against New Zealand in January 2024. Pakistan ended up losing 4-1 before he was replaced in similar circumstances to Rizwan’s sacking right now, with chairman Naqvi pointedly declining to confirm he would continue in the role. Afridi was replaced by Babar Azam a week later.While Pakistan had different captains for all formats – a situation that will continue – Rizwan was until recently perceived to be the most secure of a group that includes Shan Masood and Salman Ali Agha. Since becoming captain of the ODI side last year, Rizwan is four runs short of the highest scorer for Pakistan, averaging just under 42. He led Pakistan to series wins in Australia and South Africa in 2024, though results this year have dipped, most notably with an ignominious first-round exit at a home Champions Trophy.Afridi pulls on the armband in good form in the format; he was Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker last year in ODI cricket, and central to their away wins in South Africa and Australia. Since the start of the 2023 World Cup, no fast bowler from a Full Member nation has more wickets than his 45, which have come at more than two wickets a game.Afridi’s first assignment as ODI captain is the white-ball series against South Africa, which comprises three ODIs in Faisalabad next month.

Serie A giants Roma are reportedly eyeing a swoop for Tottenham forward Mathys Tel, who is seen as a potential alternative to Manchester United's Joshua Zirkzee. What once looked like a straightforward January approach for Zirkzee has been thrown in to doubt by his stellar display for United at Crystal Palace over the weekend, and the fact Ruben Amorim could be short on attacking options over the next two months.

• Zirkzee ends goal drought

  Zirkzee had endured an excruciating goal drought of nearly eight months, but he finally found the net in United’s Premier League win over Palace on Sunday afternoon. His strike was a well-taken equaliser, and it was not only his first since April, when he scored against Lyon in the Europa League, but also his first in England’s top flight in close to a year. It was a moment that not only eased personal pressure but also revived questions about his immediate future.

  Speaking to after the match, the 23-year-old could barely hide his relief. 

  "A great feeling, you know, it’s always a good feeling to score but most importantly it got us back into the game." he said. "It was all about the three points today, just very happy that we got them, very important. When asked about the pressure of going without a goal while playing for United he said: “It’s one of the biggest clubs in the world and you have to perform, so if you don’t score for a long time then it can get to you. But I’m surrounded by great players, great people and we help each other every day and they made it quite easy for me. Today is just a reward I think for patience, hard work and trying to be consistent and I’m just thankful to the manager as well, staff, everyone. A good environment."

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Roma’s pursuit complicates after his comments

  report that the Italian club have been in dialogue with the striker’s representatives for weeks. Manager Gian Piero Gasperini has categorised Zirkzee as his priority target, and sporting director Frederic Massara has been pushing to arrange an initial loan agreement. However, Zirkzee’s post-match declaration of happiness at United has reportedly unsettled the Serie A club. While his desire for minutes remains known, his public tone of contentment is viewed as a potential obstacle, raising doubts about whether he would push for a mid-season departure. Amorim is also relying on Zirkzee to lead the line while summer signing Benjamin Sesko is out injured, with United's frontline set to be depleted further when Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo head to the AFCON.

• Tel moves up the shortlist

  With the Zirkzee plan suddenly at risk, Roma are widening their search and Tel has quickly risen to the top of the list. The Tottenham forward has faced his own struggles for game time, offering an opportunity the Giallorossi believe they can exploit. Tel’s last Premier League start dates back to October. Although he scored in a 2-2 draw against United, he has since been restricted largely to late substitute appearances, including in Spurs’ latest clash with Fulham. Roma see this stagnation as a window to tempt him with a more significant role in Italy.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  What comes next?

  As January draws closer, Roma must now make a firm decision. Whether they return for Zirkzee with renewed conviction or pivot fully toward Tel may define the direction of their winter window.

Matthew Lugo is having a rollercoaster of a season in the Los Angeles Angels organiztion. Lugo, a 24-year old outfielder currently ranked as the No. 13 prospect in the Angels organization, started his season on the Triple A Salt Lake Bees. He was called up and made his major league debut on May 9th and started the next day.

Lugo came out on fire with nine hits in his first 25 at bats with three home runs, a double and a triple in his first eight games. With Mike Trout preparing to return from the injured list, Lugo was optioned back to Salt Lake after going 0-for-14 in his last few games.

Then on Sunday he was mysteriously pulled from a game in the middle of an inning. The timing was particularly odd because it was right after a ball dropped in front of him. No injury was reported and when you watch the replay, it's not like Lugo wasn't hustling.

At least one person reported seeing Lugo hug the team's manager as he left the game, but there still hasn't been any report that Lugo has been called back up to the Angels.

So time will tell whether there's more news coming about Mike Trout's health or maybe the Angels are just looking for a spark as they have lost seven of their last eight games.

Alex Bregman decided he needed to make a change during Friday night's Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees rivalry game.

The Red Sox quickly went down 7-0 to the Yankees after two innings, and Bregman figured his team needed a vibe shift. So, he went into the locker room and shaved his mustache off. Yep, you read that right.

Bregman has been out since May 23 with a quad injury, so it's not like he was in the middle of playing when he decided to shave. But the cameras were still on him in the dugout, so fans could see a clear before-and-after shot of Bregman's face.

Unfortunately for the Red Sox and Bregman, Boston couldn't capture the win on Friday night. The team went on to score six runs, but New York still won 9-6.

As for Bregman, he's hoping to make a strong recovery from his quad injury. The two-time World Series champion has already begun his running progression, too, reported earlier on Friday. His expected return date hasn't been shared yet; maybe the mustache will grow back by the time he re-enters the lineup.

Ahead of a crucial week for Celtic, the last thing the Hoops needed was some disruption.

There was an argument to be made that Martin O’Neill should have remained in charge for the game against Hearts and the League Cup final next week.

The other argument, however, suggested that new manager, Wilfried Nancy, needed to get his feet under the table as soon as possible in a bid to assess the squad ahead of the January transfer window.

Well, his tenure got off to the worst possible start, losing to Hearts 2-1 and surrendering ground on the league leaders.

What made things worse was Nancy’s behaviour on the touchline. We aren’t ones to judge too hard, but the fact that he was clipped moving little magnets around on a whiteboard in the dugout with his team losing sent alarm bells ringing.

Nancy discusses his Celtic tactics

Celtic have traditionally played in a classic 4-3-3 in recent years but the Frenchman tweaked things against the Jambos, starting with Kieran Tierney in a back three, with Sebastian Tounekti and Yang Hyun-jun playing at wing-backs and a four-man box midfield.

Evidently, it did not work and rightfully, Nancy was quizzed about his tactics post-game.

The new Celtic boss said: “To be honest, in the first half we changed the system. I would say in the second half it was the same system. After that, when we wanted to push, it was not the system that we started with.

“So for me this is more about how we can deal when teams are really low. The centre-backs for example, when they had the ball, recognise the moment to play a little bit quicker, recognised the moment to play in between. The intention was here. These are now the nuances that we need to improve.”

Nancy continued: “This is more about how we can connect a little bit more. When we connected, we had opportunities to break them. But second half, we didn’t connect. When we conceded the second goal, we started to put in cross and cross and cross. We needed to combine a little bit more, to attack the box with numbers because they are really good defensively with big tall guys.”

McInnes reveals how Hearts beat Celtic

What should be really concerning for the Bhoys is just how easily Hearts were able to pinpoint the way in which Celtic would play under Nancy.

Usually when a new manager arrives, things are a tad unpredictable for the opposition but that was not the case for Derek McInnes and his side on Sunday.

Speaking at the conclusion of the match, he said: “We have studied the last two or three days, watching a lot of Columbus Crew and what they want to do and expect from their players.

McInnes continued: “We felt well prepared for that and it meant we needed to fill the middle of the pitch with bodies. Celtic have got a lot of good players in that central area, so we needed to make sure we were nice and solid through that part of it.

“We tried to play in the spaces between the outside centre-back and the winger because it’s quite a big distance at times,” the Hearts boss said.

This was a crucial game for Nancy, not just because it was his first in charge, but because the Edinburgh side moved three points clear at the top of the Premiership.

Worse than Maeda: Nancy must drop Celtic flop who lost the ball 23 times

Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy must drop this flop who was even worse than Daizen Maeda against Hearts.

By
Dan Emery

Dec 8, 2025

Glasgow Rangers parted ways with sporting director Kevin Thelwell at the start of last week after the Englishman had just one transfer window in his role.

In the summer, the former Everton chief was given plenty of money to spend and splashed £8m on Youssef Chermiti, which made him the club’s most expensive signing in 25 years, since they paid £12m for Tore Andre Flo in 2000.

The Portugal U21 international has scored one goal in 15 matches for the Light Blues in all competitions, per Sofascore, which illustrates how difficult he has found the move to Ibrox so far.

With Danny Rohl now in the building and Thelwell gone, the Scottish Premiership giants are reportedly making plans to make changes to the squad that Thelwell built in the summer.

The latest on Rangers' plans for the January transfer window

According to TEAMtalk, the German head coach wants to make three ‘major’ additions to the squad in the January transfer window next month.

Transfer Focus

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

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The report claims that the former Sheffield Wednesday boss is eyeing a new striker, another ‘dynamic’ central midfielder, and a full-back who can provide competition on both sides of the pitch.

TEAMtalk does not mention any names of specific players, but the outlet reveals that Rohl has been watching players and will be backed by the owners with funds to make these ‘major’ additions ahead of the second half of the season.

The report also states that the Rangers manager wants a ‘proven’ number nine who can hit the ground running and provide an instant threat on the pitch, rather than another ‘project’ player, like Chermiti.

Why Rangers should sell Bojan Miovski

With this news in mind, the Light Blues should ruthlessly cash in on Macedonia international Bojan Miovski just a matter of months on from his move to Ibrox.

The left-footed striker’s form for Aberdeen, as shown in the graphic above, made him an exciting signing in the summer because he was billed as a ‘proven’ performer in Scotland, arriving in what should be the prime years of his career at 26.

Unfortunately, though, it simply has not worked out for him on the pitch for the Ibrox giants so far this season, as he has scored one goal in 11 appearances in the Premiership, per Sofascore.

With Rohl looking to sign a ‘proven’ centre-forward to come in and start matches week-in-week-out, the Light Blues may need to move on one of the three senior strikers they already have in the building.

Given that Miovski was signed in the summer, for an initial fee of £2.6m, to be that proven goalscorer for Rangers, it may be his position at the club that is most under threat.

Rangers’ strikers in 25/26

Stat

Miovski

Chermiti

Danilo

Age

26

21

26

Games

18

15

20

Starts

10

7

13

Goals

2

1

3

Big chances missed

6

5

3

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 26-year-old attacker has missed more ‘big chances’ than Chermiti and Danilo, whilst he has also scored fewer goals than the latter.

Journalist Mark McDougall described Miovski as an “awful” player who is “worse than Chermiti” at the end of last month, and it is hard to disagree when you look at their all-round play.

Chermiti, to his credit, has won 43% of his duels and 52% of his aerial duels in the Premiership, per Sofascore, which shows that he offers the team a physical outlet at the top end of the pitch. Miovski, however, has won 32% of his ground duels and 31% of his aerial duels in the league.

This shows that, whilst both players have only scored one goal in the league, it is the former Everton man who offers more to the team overall with his hold-up play and physicality.

On top of that, Chermiti is five years younger and was signed for £5.4m more, which means that there are more reasons for Rangers to stick with him and hope that he proves to be a good signing in the long run.

Therefore, attempting to cash in on Miovski in order to free up room for the proven striker Rohl wants to sign in January could make the most sense for the Light Blues.

Related 0 tackles, 0 interceptions: Rangers flop must never start under Rohl again

Rangers are still paying the price for a dismal summer of recruitment…

Posts ByRobbie Walls Dec 4, 2025

It is not an ideal situation, given that he only joined in the summer, but the Macedonia international appears to be the most viable option to sell out of the three strikers they currently have.