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Mauricio Pochettino's appointment during the off-season ensures the Chelsea head coach has a chance to run the rule over his players – of which there are many – before the Premier League season kicks off in early August.

It is set to be another busy window at Stamford Bridge, with numerous players linked with moves away and others being touted as possible replacements or indeed upgrades.

While it is true Chelsea are in need of a prolific goalscorer, the club cannot continue to throw large sums of money around in the hope of landing the perfect fit.

With Christopher Nkunku set to officially arrive from RB Leipzig this month in a deal worth over £50m, it looks increasingly likely that the Blues will splash out a further £30m to sign Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal.

But the Blues may already have a new signing of sorts in their ranks ready to step up and play alongside Nkunku when needed.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Pochettino is ready to give Armando Broja a chance to shine during pre-season, amid previous suggestions the striker could be used in part-exchange to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton and Hove Albion.

Is Armando Broja good enough for Chelsea?

Broja has spent 14 years on Chelsea's books, but with his 22nd birthday fast approaching, he has made just 13 Premier League appearances for the Blues.

After catching the eye on loan with Southampton in 2021-22 courtesy of a nine goal haul, Broja was finally given a run in the Chelsea side last season, only to sustain a knee injury during the winter break that curtailed his season after just 12 league games.

On the basis of those appearances, though, Broja showed he deserves another shot. He scored at a rate of 0.30 goals per 90 minutes, as per FBref, which was bettered last season by only Joao Felix (0.38) among Chelsea players.

Rather tellingly, though, Broja's figure of 0.30 came from an expected goals (xG) value of 0.24, compared to 0.47 for Joao Felix, suggesting he converted more times than expected based on the quality of his chances, whereas the opposite was true for the latter.

That is further reflected in the shots on target metric, with Broja – on as little as £40k-a-week, according to Capology – doing so from 83.3% of his attempts. The next-best Chelsea player in that regard was Noni Madueke with 50%.

When you also factor in the Albania international's team-high 0.61 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, which considers passes, take-ons and fouls directly prior to a goal, plus his 2.73 aerial duels won per 90 – only two others fared better – it is hard to argue against Pochettino not using Broja.

As Albanian coach Sergio Porrini said last season: "With the necessary comparisons, he's somewhat reminiscent of [Rafael] Leao in how unstoppable he becomes if he stretches the ball into space On the other hand, he is less good with his back to goal, in the construction of the action, but in the spaces he is devastating."

That is not to say Jackson is not a great striker himself – 12 goals in 26 LaLiga appearances last season tells you all you need to know – but Chelsea may well have an answer to their problems already raring to go without the need to waste more money.

A round-up of the Group B matches from the Vijay Hazare Trophy played on March 4, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2017Akshdeep Nath’s 109, his second List A hundred in three matches, carried Uttar Pradesh to a six-wicket win over Himachal Pradesh in Bhubaneswar. Nath struck 17 fours and two sixes during his 90-ball 109 as Uttar Pradesh chased down 256 in 40.4 overs. Nath’s 119-run partnership with opener Shivam Chaudhary, who hit 75 off 74 balls, formed the crux of the chase. Nath went onto bring up his century, then fell with his team 31 away from the target. Rinku Singh and Sarfaraz Khan, however, sealed a handsome victory.Having opted to bat, Himachal Pradesh fell to 68 for 4 in 19 overs. Debutant Ekant Sen and Ankit Kaushik then rallied their team with a 78-run stand. Both batsmen went onto score fifties and Mayank Dagar contributed with a 33-ball 46 to lift Himachal Pradesh to 255. Seamer Mohd Israr returned 4 for 33 while his senior partner Praveen Kumar claimed 2 for 40.Maharashtra limited Tripura to 188 and completed the chase with four wickets and nearly 100 balls to spare in Cuttack. This meant Maharashtra consolidated their position at the top of the Group B table with their fifth win in six matches. It was set up by new-ball bowlers Nikit Dhumal and Shrikant Mundhe who took a combined 7 for 58. They carved up the top and middle order, reducing Tripura to 30 for 5 in 12.2 overs. Gurinder Singh, coming in at No.7, lent some respectability to the score with 91 off 121 balls, including six fours and five sixes. His contribution accounted for nearly half of Tripura’s total of 188.Maharashtra lost Ankit Bawne and Naushad Shaikh early to Ajoy Sarkar but Ruturaj Gaikwad and captain Kedar Jadhav propped up their team with forty-somethings each. Wicketkeeper Nikhil Naik also made a forty – 46 not out off 34 balls – as Maharashtra got home in the 35th over.Batsman Unmukt Chand and left-arm seamer Pawan Suyal – belated additions to the Delhi squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy – helped the team to a consolation win over Kerala in Tangi. After Suyal took took wickets, Chand steered Delhi’s chase of 232 with 64 off 85 balls, including five fours and a six. Shikhar Dhawan and Gautam Gambhir had laid the platform for Chand with a 60-run opening stand. Milind Kumar complemented Chand with 40 off 37 balls and hastened Delhi’s win.Earlier, Kerala put up 231, thanks largely to Salman Nizar’s 59 and Sanju Samson’s 41 after twenty-somethings from the top three. Navdeep Saini too picked up two wickets while Milind chipped in with one.

Josh Hazlewood has been rested for the first of five ODIs against Pakistan at the Gabba on Friday to help “freshen” him up after a long haul playing Test cricket.Hazlewood has bowled more than 40 overs in five out of six matches since the Australian summer began. Only three weeks ago, in Brisbane, he got through 42 overs in a single innings, the heaviest workload for an Australian quick in over a decade. His ability to maintain a strict line and length around the off stump has been vital to the success of his team, and has also resulted in tangible personal gains as well. On Sunday, Hazlewood became the top-ranked fast bowler in Test cricket. He has a week off to celebrate.Australia’s head coach Darren Lehmann said Hazlewood would be linking up with the squad in Melbourne for the second ODI on Sunday and “if one of our other fast bowlers picks up an injury in the run-up to Friday’s first game at The Gabba then he could be called up to slot in.”With one of the first-choice quicks on the bench, Billy Stanlake, the 22-year old fast bowler, might contemplate an ODI debut having played only four 50-over matches in domestic cricket. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, he confessed “shock” at how quickly he has broken into the national squad and even admitted to a little gaffe.”I got a phone call, I think, Friday morning. I actually missed the first one so I had to give him a call back,” Stanlake said. “I saw it was Trevor Hohns, the head of selectors, but I wasn’t too sure what he’d be calling about so I gave him a quick call back and he told me the news which was very nice news. It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I think it’ll sink in more when we get into the camp on Tuesday.”Billy Stanlake felt his height could make him an X-factor player•Getty Images

If Stanlake felt stunned, the rest of the world was even more so. He made his Queensland debut as recently as October 2015, but injuries have meant he has managed only two first-class and four List A matches since then. A back complaint had ruled him out of last year’s Matador Cup but he has been putting in impressive performances – six wickets at 17.83 – for Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League.”It’s funny how quickly things can happen,” Stanlake said. “It was only a couple of months ago that I was returning from injury in club cricket.” He hoped to make the best use of his opportunity to spend time with the likes of Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc and work on becoming a better bowler. “I feel I’d like to feed off of everyone as best I can. They’ve all got a wealth of knowledge and being a young guy, I’ll probably get around to most of them and learn as much as I can.”The selectors felt Stanlake’s height, which helps him extract disconcerting bounce, coupled with the ability to bowl at 140 kph could be assets and he agreed. “I think that’s probably what makes me a bit of an X-factor and probably a little bit of an unknown for the Pakistan side, they probably wouldn’t have seen me at all so that’s an upside as well.”Chris Lynn is another man who has found his way into international cricket via the BBL. Two shoulder injuries in 2014 and 2015 forced him out of the Matador Cup both times and has therefore not played a 50-over domestic game in three years. He has represented Australia A in List A matches during this period and has been in excellent form for Brisbane Heat, with 309 runs in five matches including a top-score of 98 not out. He came into the Australian set-up with a slight issue with his neck that might hamper him while throwing the ball, but was looking forward to giving it his all.”Just relying on my body to get me through a 50-over game and the selectors are happy where I’m at. I’m over the moon and hopefully if I get the chance to debut in my hometown at the Gabba, it would be a pretty special moment,” Lynn said, “It’s my neck that’s giving me a bit of grief. It’s more of a nerve issue, but it won’t stop me putting on the green and gold, that’s for sure.””It’s not giving me an issue while batting, that’s probably the most important thing. In cricket, you can always hide one or two blokes on the field, even though that’s a bit of baggage. I do feel a little bit uncomfortable with that but they’re happy to carry me around. Push comes to shove, I’ll be diving, throwing my body around and doing everything I can to contribute for Australia.”

The outfields at Kingsmead and Queen’s Park Oval have been rated poor by the ICC match referees who oversaw the washed out Tests between South Africa and New Zealand in Durban, and West Indies and India in Trinidad.The ICC said the officials – Andy Pycroft in Durban and Ranjan Madugalle in Trinidad – had expressed concerns in accordance with clause three of the Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process. The match referees’ reports have been forwarded to the concerned home boards, the WICB and Cricket South Africa, which now have 14 days to respond. CSA’s response, the ICC said, will be reviewed by ICC general manager, cricket, Geoff Allardice, while match referee David Boon will assess the WICB’s reply.Then, as per the rules, the grounds will either receive a warning or a fine not exceeding USD 15,000, along with “a directive for appropriate corrective action”. A repeat offence over the next five years would draw a fine not exceeding USD 30,000.In all, 11 sessions out of 15 were lost to a wet and soft outfield at Kingsmead, while in Port of Spain West Indies and India were able to play only one session across five days.It was the first Test played in Trinidad in August, which is the wet season there, and rain had hampered preparations in the days leading up to the match but during the game itself there was largely sunshine. However, with there not being enough covers at the ground to protect the bowlers’ run-ups or the outfield, and no super sopper available either, the outfield did not recover enough to allow play. The draw meant that India, who needed to win the Test to retain their No. 1 Test ranking, lost the top spot to Pakistan. The Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board had already said it would investigate the reasons behind the washout.The Durban Test was also scheduled in what is traditionally the off season in South Africa, during the winter. Rain forced the players off the field around lunch on day two, and the big damage was done to the outfield that night, when the ground took 65mm of water. Here, too, the covers did not protect large parts of the field, and the super sopper was made to stop operating for fear it would do further damage to the soft patches that persisted into day five despite no more rain falling.There were concerns over the Kingsmead outfield being underprepared even before the match began, as it had been relaid in June following complaints from South Africa and New Zealand that the surface was too hard during the limited-overs games played there last year. Similar comments were levelled at Centurion, the venue of the upcoming second Test, but the SuperSport Park outfield was relaid in April once the season ended; work could not get underway at Kingsmead till the Comrades Marathon – for which it is the ending point – was completed on May 29.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in making a move for Southampton talisman, James Ward-Prowse this summer, with the Englishman facing an uncertain future at St Mary's following the club's recent relegation.

What's the latest on Ward-Prowse to Spurs?

According to the Daily Mail, the Lilywhites – as well as the likes of Aston Villa and West Ham United – are said to be admirers of the 28-year-old, with the Saints already said to be preparing themselves for offers from Premier League clubs after their drop into the second tier was confirmed at the weekend.

As per the report, the influential midfielder's current deal – which is set to run until 2026 – does not contain a relegation clause, with the south coast unsurprisingly still keen on keeping hold of the long-serving asset despite the prospect of life in the Championship.

That being said, however, the piece goes on to add that the playmaker's reported £100k-per-week salary could prove rather 'pricy' for the newly-relegated side next season, with that potentially opening the door for the likes of Spurs to pounce.

Should Spurs sign Ward-Prowse?

Aside from the search for a new permanent manager at N17, the major concern for Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy will be the uncertainty surrounding Harry Kane's future at the club, with the 29-year-old the subject of interest from Manchester United with just a year left on his existing contract.

The hope will be that the club's record goalscorer will opt to stay put in north London beyond the end of this season, with the signing of Ward-Prowse, in particular, potentially set to be a key factor in tempting the England captain to remain in the capital.

The additon of his compatriot could well represent a dream signing for Kane such is the midfielder's ability to provide quality service, with talkSPORT pundit Darren Ambrose going as far as to suggest that if "you sign James Ward-Prowse, Harry Kane stays".

As Ambrose claimed, the arrival of the "set piece master" – as hailed by broadcaster Maximiliano Bretos – could give Spurs' talisman "an extra ten goals a season" due to his deliveries, with that likely to be a mouthwatering prospect as far as Kane is concerned.

Lauded as the "perfect player that Spurs need that goes from defence to attack" – according to Ambrose – Ward-Prowse would be a real asset to his Three Lions colleague as he arguably has the "best delivery in the league", in the words of teammate Jan Bednarek.

The Portsmouth-born gem – who is valued at around £17m by CIES Football Observatory – has notably created nine big chances this season as a marker of his devastating, creative brilliance, with that a better record than what the current midfield pairing of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (five big chances) and Oliver Skipp (zero big chances) have achieved combined for Spurs this term.

As such, it is clear to see that the 5 foot 8 sensation would represent a "great fit" for the club – as per journalist Pete O'Rourke – and potentially for Kane, with Levy needing to ensure that a deal is wrapped up sooner rather than later for the "unbelievable" talent, as hailed by ex-Saints man, Oriol Romeu.

Jack Taylor, the Gloucestershire offspinner, has been banned from bowling due to a suspect action

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jun-2016Jack Taylor, the Gloucestershire offspinner, has been banned from bowling due to a suspect action. Taylor was previously reported in 2013 and had to remodel his action.The news comes less than 24 hours after Taylor scored an unbeaten hundred to help Gloucestershire to a remarkable Championship victory over Worcestershire at New Road. He underwent independent testing last week and was found to have a bowling action that exceeds the permitted 15 degrees of elbow extension.He has therefore been suspended from bowling in county cricket with immediate effect, as per ECB regulations, until his action has been re-tested and found within the limits.Taylor has taken 53 wickets at 39.39 in first-class cricket – where he also has four hundreds – but his all-round ability was important for Gloucestershire in limited-overs cricket. In the club’s 2015 Royal London Cup success, Taylor was named Man of the Match after scoring 35 from 26 balls and taking 3 for 43 in the final against Surrey.After being called in 2013, and missing the rest of the season to undergo remedial work with Gloucestershire and at the ECB’s national academy in Loughborough, he was cleared to resume bowling in February 2014.He has been an ever-present in the Championship this season, taking 14 wickets and averaging 52.40 with the bat, as well as featuring in Gloucestershire’s one NatWest T20 Blast game to date.

Rain, snow, sleet and even a dead pigeon prevented a positive result at The Oval as Chris Rogers was left to hail the continuing influence of Marcus Trescothick

Vithushan Ehantharajah at The Oval27-Apr-2016
ScorecardKumar Sangakkara drives on his way to another half-century•Getty Images

When the start of play was delayed to remove a pigeon’s dirty protest to the side of the pitch, you wondered if that was a sign of things to come. In the end, both Surrey and Somerset played some impressive cricket even if it was to no avail. Had rain, snow, sleet and avian intervention not taken time out of this game, both teams would have been able to state their cases for a win.The match went as far as 5.45pm, at which point hands were shaken and a draw was officially called. That option was available to Gareth Batty from 5pm but, with Somerset 54 for 3 and no intention of chasing their target of 292, the Surrey captain sensed a collapse might be forthcoming. Only one more wicket would fall as composed knocks from James Hildreth and Peter Trego saw Somerset through to safety.The evening session and Somerset’s chase had started with Ravi Rampaul dismissing Tom Abell at the end of the second over, with no run scored, for the West Indian’s 14th wicket of the season. Zafar Ansari then accounted for the other three to fall. Along with his wicket in Somerset’s first innings and 67 runs in the match, Ansari put in a tidy shift in the field which was capped off with a stunning catch to remove Craig Overton off Rampaul on day three. It was a quietly impressive return to first-team action.Earlier on, both sides had shown a willingness to move the game along but it was the timing of wickets that prevented both from following through.

Trescothick ‘inspiring’ – Rogers

• On Marcus Trescothick’s three hundreds in six innings: “I thought Marcus’ innings in the first innings was world class. It’s kind of great to play with a guy and see that kind of innings at his age. That’s quite inspiring.”

• On Somerset’s display: “I thought we reacted really well to losing the toss. I’d say we created 30 chances with the ball and put down 12. That’s where we let ourselves down and we need to improve on that.”

• On captaining Somerset: “It’s different from Middlesex. There’s an interesting mix of senior players and young players who could be very special. A lot is to do with the development of those younger players. It’s been challenging but I’ve really enjoyed it. They’re a great bunch of guys and that’s a good recipe.”

For Surrey, any impetus for quick runs was curtailed at regular intervals. The loss of Rory Burns and Arun Harinath in the space of six balls, caught behind off Overton and Lewis Gregory respectively, meant Kumar Sangakkara and Steven Davies had to rebuild. After one run in his first 21 balls, Davies hit three fours in his next six before his wings were clipped for 26 – stumped off Jack Leach.Even Jason Roy, whose default is to press fast-forward, was unable to get going. Chris Rogers took a smart low catch at cover to give Leach a second wicket to remove him and it was only when Sangakkara fell for 71 – his fifty coming off 86 balls – that others tried to get the scoreboard moving along. With Batty’s dismissal came the declaration, which asked Somerset to get 292 in 42 overs.At stumps, Batty ceded that their original plan had been quashed by a disciplined Somerset bowling effort. “The perfect scenario would have been that we would have got into a better position quicker,” he said. “Somerset put up a real fight this morning, making it real tough for us to score.”He was also mindful of leaving Somerset too much time, referencing Surrey’s match with Leicestershire in May of last season. On that occasion the hosts, on a pitch not too dissimilar to this one, which took a bit of turn and was away to the side of the square nearest the Archbishop Tenison’s School, chased down 216 inside 22 overs to snatch the game at the death. With Somerset possessing big hitters such as first-innings centurion Marcus Trescothick, Peter Trego, Gregory and Overton, he didn’t want to risk it.”It was respect to them more than anything,” Batty said. “We were always very confident but we felt like we played a lot of good cricket in the game and we didn’t want to put ourselves in a compromising position against some very dangerous players.”Somerset, on the other hand, couldn’t quite get enough wickets at a rate that would have provided them with an appropriate target and ample time to chase. Gregory and Overton shared three wickets each – the former in particular exhibiting good control while the latter tested outside off stump, then ripped out middle when he yorked Tom Curran.While Somerset’s nerves were tested in the final session, they survived to register a second draw on the road this season.”It was pretty tough out there, actually,” said Rogers, who was impressed with his side’s scrapping throughout the match. It was his decision to call for the toss in the hope that Somerset would benefit from batting first and bowling last on what turned out to be a decent wicket for both disciplines. From the point they had lost the toss, Somerset were always behind in the game but performed admirably to not crumble in the face of Surrey’s first-innings 463 and then hold their own at the end.He did, however, deride his side’s inability to take their chances, particularly against Sangakkara, who he believed benefited from “four chances over two innings”. That really hurt us and I think he was the difference.” He highlighted that lack of ruthlessness in the field as something that needed to be addressed.Both sides, after two matches, are winless.

Liverpool are still working on a deal to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham this summer, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Ornstein’s update

The England international isn’t out of contract at the Signal Iduna Park until 2025, but being Edin Terzic’s top-performing player, is one of the hottest prospects in football.

The Reds are known to be long-term admirers of the 19-year-old whilst there are several other Premier League clubs also keeping a close eye on his situation.

TEAMtalk reported in February that the Bundesliga star would be open to making the move to Anfield should he be guaranteed that Jurgen Klopp remains in charge.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein then claimed on Monday however that a summer move is looking currently unlikely due to the price tag involved with other potential suitors therefore moving ahead in the race.

The Latest: Deal in the works

According to Football Insider, Bellingham remains very much an ‘active target’ for FSG with a deal ‘still being worked on’.

The Merseysiders are ‘in the hunt’ for the midfielder’s signature but aren’t alone in their pursuit, with Real Madrid, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea all targeting him.

Dortmund are expected to demand a club-record fee of more than €144m (£126m) to sanction his sale due to the fact that he has no release clause included in his contract.

His closeness to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson is one of the main ‘selling points’ in trying to convince him to join.

The Verdict: Huge coup

Bellingham has already shown what he is capable of at the highest level and has much more potential to give, so it would be a huge coup for Liverpool should they be able to get a deal over the line.

The Adidas-sponsored star has racked up 16 goal contributions in 34 appearances across all competitions so far this season, which has seen him bag an impressive six man-of-the-match awards in the Bundesliga.

The Stourbridge-born talent currently ranks in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons and the 97th percentile for most touches in the attacking penalty area, highlighting the constant threat he is able to provide in the final third (FBRef).

Birmingham City’s academy graduate also has the versatility to operate in all five positions across the midfield, which will be an extremely attractive attribute to Klopp, alongside his leadership qualities having already captained his side on multiple occasions.

Alastair Cook’s autobiography offers little that’s new or interesting

Freddie Auld12-Oct-2008
It would be far too easy to compare Alastair Cook’s new autobiography with his batting: determined and dependable, with the odd thrill. But sadly, it isn’t even that. For determined, read drab; for dependable, “dreary”; and as for the odd thrill, er, Cook had a game of darts with Freddie and Harmy on the eve of his Test debut. And that’s about as good as it gets.Most Cooky fans, of whom I am one myself, will be disappointed with his first, shamefully premature effort. The blurb promises a “fascinating insight” into one of the most “exciting and brightest players to burst on to the cricketing scene in recent years”. So I was hoping for juicy anecdotes about the Essex dressing room, the latter years of Duncan Fletcher’s reign, the disastrous Ashes campaign, the jelly bean files, and Michael Vaughan’s retirement. But no.Once you get past Cook’s early years – where he attended St Paul’s Cathedral School as a promising chorister – the book is mostly a combination of condensed match reports of Tests and ODIs mixed with Cook’s run-of-the-mill views on walking, sledging, captaincy, and the advent of Twenty20.Cook points to the influence of Graham Gooch and Andy Flower in his early years at Essex, and how a season of club cricket in Perth helped him develop. After deciding not to go to university, against the advice of the Essex authorities, he looks back with pride on his 214 against the touring Australians at Chelmsford, which, as he says, “made my name”. Then comes his unexpected call up to the full squad in India from the A tour in the Caribbean, a journey he shared with Jimmy Anderson, who he is now best mates with. Before Cook knew it, he was walking out to open the batting in Nagpur, and in his own words, “Strauss said ‘good luck’ in his posh accent, and away we went.”His champagne moment, following his 60 in the first innings with a remarkable debut hundred, was an ecstasy he says he has not experienced before or since. When he was sweating on 99, Kevin Pietersen had a sweepstake on how many balls Cook would take the reach his landmark, but disappointingly Cook can’t remember how many it actually took, or who won the cash.In the endless match reports that follow, he speaks of his surprising friendship with the northerners in the England team: Anderson, Paul Collingwood and Steve Harmison. He also reveals his superstition about odd numbers: hence why he has an even number on his shirt, and why he only has the volume of his radio on 8 or 10. The chapter on the Ashes is disappointingly bland, with the usual stuff of how the Aussies rip you to bits on the pitch but are great value off it. And the jelly-bean mystery remains unresolved, as Cook strongly denies any part in the bizarre saga that left Zaheer Khan hot under the helmet.Cook does reveal that the ECB asked him to have a chinwag with Mike Brearley, which suggests that he may have inherited the FEC (future England captain) tag from Pietersen, but again he doesn’t elaborate on what was said. After Vaughan stood down, Cook admitted the England captaincy was too early for him. It is certainly too early to start writing books about yourself.Perhaps I expected too much, but there wasn’t much in this I didn’t already know, and what I did discover wasn’t particularly interesting. However, even though Cook’s isn’t exactly riveting, here’s hoping that Cook waits until his story is complete before his next effort.Starting Out: My Story So Far
by Alastair Cook
Hodder and Stoughton £19.99

Philippe Clement will head into his first summer transfer window as Glasgow Rangers manager with the aim of moving out some deadwood while bringing his own targets to the club.

Several players look to be departing upon the expiration of their contracts at the end of the season, which will free up some of the wage bill for Clement to utilise, but he will also need to sell players for transfer fees in order to improve his budget.

There should be no shortage of offers for a few of his first team regulars, although it appears a former Rangers manager has his eyes on not one, but two current players…

Rangers transfer news

According to the Daily Record, Steven Gerrard is eyeing a shock double swoop for James Tavernier and Connor Goldson this summer as he looks to bring the duo to the Middle East.

Both players, of course, worked under the former Liverpool captain during his three and a half year spell as Ibrox boss, helping the club win their first league title in a decade during the 2020/21 season.

Both players are on the wrong side of 30 and have two years left on their current deals, which suggests it could be a tempting proposition for Clement to move them on if he receives a sizeable transfer fee.

Goldson hasn’t quite been in the best of form in recent weeks, whereas Tavernier’s goal contributions have been vital for the Light Blues this season.

James Tavernier’s stats for Rangers this season

Once again, the defender is currently the top scorer in the squad, scoring 24 goals along with registering ten assists in what has been a career-best total for the former Newcastle United gem.

Tavernier notched his 131st goal of his career against Hibs in March, coming via one of his customary penalties which have formed the bulk of his goals. In the process, he became the highest-scoring defender in British football history, a stunning achievement for a right-back.

His goal involvements have been crucial to the club regaining their footing after a poor start under Michael Beale, and it appears as though Clement has placed his full trust in the 32-year-old to lead his team.

Among his teammates this term, Tavernier currently ranks first for overall Sofascore rating (8.08) in the top flight, while also ranking first for goals and assists (25), fifth for shots per game (2.1), first for big chances created (17) and for key passes per game (3.2), showing just how much of a positive influence he has in the current side.

Without his goal contributions, there is no telling where Rangers would be. One day, however, the club will need to find a replacement for him, which could prove to be extremely tough considering how much he offers, especially from an attacking perspective.

Metric

Europa League

Premiership

Goals

0

17

Assists

0

8

Big chances created

0

17

Key passes per game

1.1

3.2

Successful dribbles per game

0.3

1.1

There will be players Clement has his eyes on in terms of potential long-term Tavernier successor, yet there could be someone who is currently out on loan who could forge his way back into the first-team picture next season – Adam Devine.

Adam Devine’s Rangers career so far

The right-back made his first team debut for Rangers during a clash against Dundee United towards the end of the 2021/22 season as Giovanni van Bronckhorst was looking to rest senior players due to their involvement in the run to the Europa League final.

His first start came a week later in the final match of the season against Hearts, and he impressed during a 3-1 win, succeeding with 100% of his dribbles while taking 79 touches, showing his willingness to get on the ball.

The youngster had to wait until December to feature for the first team again, as injuries meant Beale called him into the starting XI for three successive games, playing particularly well against Ross County a few days before Christmas.

Not only did he make four key passes during the tie, but Devine also succeeded with both of his dribbles, won four of his seven ground duels contested along with making two tackles, and it looked as though he had a bright future ahead of him.

In total, Devine played eight times for the senior side throughout the whole of last season, gaining vital experience, and it looked as though he could push on this term. After playing just nine minutes in the League Cup for the Light Blues, Clement sent the defender on loan to Motherwell in order to give him some much-needed game time.

Adam Devine’s statistics for Motherwell

The 21-year-old was hailed by former Partick Thistle manager Ian McCall after the Jags signed him on loan in 2021, describing him as “a highly rated young player” and his current spell at the Steelmen may have given Clement plenty to think about.

So far, he has played nine games for the club since his arrival in January, scoring once and grabbing an assist. Of the eight league matches, Devine has started in six of them, averaging 0.4 key passes per game, succeeding with 100% of his dribble attempts, recovering three balls per game and winning 0.9 ground duels per game – an impressive success rate of 70% – which has proven his ability to perform on a consistent basis in the top flight.

While he may not offer the same sort of attacking qualities as Tavernier, Devine could be a solid option for Clement to call upon next season.

He still has plenty of time to develop as a player, while being homegrown will be advantageous with regard to European games, as the squad has to have a certain number of homegrown players present.

Hopefully, Tavernier still has a year or two left at Ibrox before he moves on to pastures new, but that’s not to say Devine should be intimidated by his presence.

Gaining minutes in certain matches next season could allow him to continue his rapid development while demonstrating his talents to Clement in the process, as the manager could save millions in the transfer market by trusting the youngster.

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