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Rangers are now reportedly ready to grant Danny Rohl’s transfer request after the German commenced a personal scouting mission ahead of January.

Rangers must be "ruthless", says Rohl

As Old Firm rivals Celtic closed the gap on Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership, Rangers stuttered for the second-consecutive outing in midweek – drawing 2-2 against Dundee United. Just when Rohl was looking for a reaction, he watched on as the Gers were forced to salvage a point courtesy of Nedim Bajrami’s late penalty.

Disappointed by yet more dropped points, the Rangers boss told reporters: “We are disappointed because it’s just one point. We put everything on the pitch until the end, that’s why we deserve a point.

“When I see how many chances we create, we should win this game. If we can bring this together in the future with a clean sheet, we win games.

“We are disappointed, but I see a step forward today from my group. We had more tempo, better decision-making, our body shape between the lines. We sped up our games in the right moment.

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“I’m not happy because you have to win, there’s no question. We have to be ruthless in both boxes. I am convinced that more goals will come. At the moment it is hard work.

“Of course, the last two results are not what we want. They are two different results. The weekend [at home to Falkirk] was a boring draw, today it was an entertaining draw, but for both you get just one point.”

It’s become clear in the last week that those at Ibrox must back Rohl when the January transfer window swings open. Without sporting director Kevin Thelwell, there’s also every chance that the German will have greater control on arrivals and that could see Youssef Chermiti replaced.

Rangers ready to grant Rohl request

As reported by TeamTalk, Rangers are now ready to grant Rohl’s request for a new No.9 to replace summer flop Chermiti. The Gers boss has commenced a personal scouting mission in recent weeks and recruitment chiefs have held talks with agents in the Netherlands and Belgium on the hunt for a crucial addition.

Alongside a new striker, Rohl has reportedly asked the 49ers to sign a dynamic central midfielder and a versatile full-back in an attempt to add quality in depth.

It comes as no surprise that Rohl has set his sights on a striker. It would instantly make up for Thelwell’s mistake in the summer, which saw Chermiti arrive for as much as £8m to make the forward one of Rangers’ most expensive ever signings. That alone perfectly sums up the disaster that was the sporting director’s time in Scotland.

It’s also not a great shock that Rohl’s after a dynamic midfielder in 2026, given that Nicolas Raskin could still leave the club amid interest from the Premier League. Losing the Belgian would be a major blow, but the sale would also fund a much-needed overhaul when the winter window swings open.

Rohl must now ditch Rangers dud who was the "shining light" under Martin

Australia captain Alyssa Healy will miss the upcoming women’s ODI World Cup match against England after suffering a “minor calf strain” during a training session on Saturday.Vice captain Tahlia McGrath will lead the side in her absence, while Beth Mooney will keep wicket. Healy will be monitored ahead of the final league game against South Africa on Saturday, Cricket Australia said in a statement on Tuesday.”Really unfortunate there for Midge [Healy] but we know we have got some options,” Australia head coach Shelley Nitschke said in Indore on Tuesday. “It’s twofold. Obviously, it’s a big loss for us. She’s our captain, she’s made back-to-back hundreds, she’s certainly in some form with the bat. We talk about our depth a bit and that’s going to be tested. It’s going to provide some opportunities for others to step up into some role, which we’ve got the ability to cover. Whilst it’s not ideal, that’s why you bring 15 players to be able to absorb when things like this arise.”Related

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Nitschke said Georgia Voll was the “obvious choice” to replace Healy, but added that Australia were yet to take a final decision. On Monday, Voll had a long batting session at the Holkar Stadium and faced both pace and spin. Nitschke also gave her left-arm throwdowns from a low trajectory to emulate England’s left-arm spinner Linsey Smith, and Voll was seen training for the scoop against that kind of delivery.”Georgia Voll is here and has filled that role before,” Nitschke said. “We’ll sit down today and probably just make sure we’re getting our matchups right and come to a final decision, but she’s the obvious choice.”Voll made her ODI debut against India last year and scored a century in just her second game. She played the WPL for UP Warriorz as a replacement player and even scored an unbeaten 99 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Voll bagged a duck in her first international match on Indian soil – against India last month in New Chandigarh – but followed it up with a half-century.”Volly’s a pretty casual customer,” Nitschke said. “She seems to be able to take everything in her stride, and if we do go that way and select her, I’m sure that she’s going to be ready and up for the challenge. She has shown that she has certainly got what it takes to perform at this level, and doesn’t seem to get too overawed by an occasion. So if that’s the way we go, I’ve got full confidence that she’s going to be ready to step in.”Nitschke also threw her weight behind McGrath, who has had scores of 26, 5 and 12 in the World Cup so far. McGrath has led Australia only four times in ODIs before, and Wednesday’s game against Ashes rivals England will be her first at the ODI World Cup.”It works in her favour, she is a pretty cool customer, TMac,” Nitschke said. “She probably hasn’t had the [desired] output, but she had a really important partnership for us in the New Zealand game with Ash Gardner. She’s someone that certainly steps up when she’s leading the team. So, I’m looking forward to seeing her out there captaining us, and I know she’d do a fantastic job.”Alyssa Healy and Phoebe Litchfield put on an unbroken 202-run stand against Bangladesh•ICC/Getty Images

Healy came into the World Cup low on runs – she scored 27, 9 and 30 in the ODI series against India – and started the competition with 19 and 20 against New Zealand and Pakistan respectively. But she then hit 142 in 107 balls in a record run-chase against India and 113 not out in 77 balls in a ten-wicket win against Bangladesh.Australia, having won four out of their five matches so far, were the first team to qualify for the semi-finals and currently sit at the top of the points table. England and South Africa have also secured their spots, with one more berth still up for grabs.This latest injury is a setback for Healy, whose 2024 T20 World Cup campaign was also marred by injury. During that tournament, she was sidelined for Australia’s final group match against India and their semi-final loss to South Africa after injuring her plantar fascia. The injury also had a knock-on effect through the remainder of her 2024-25 season. Knee and foot issues kept her out of much of the WBBL, an ODI series against India, the T20I leg of the Ashes, and a T20I tour of New Zealand.After months of rehabilitation, Healy made her long-awaited return in August, playing six white-ball matches for Australia A against India A in Queensland before being named in the World Cup squad.

When approaching a transfer window, whether it is in the summer or January, Glasgow Rangers should be looking to do one of two things with their signings.

They should be making signings with a view to improving the team in the short-term, as they should always be competing for trophies every season.

As well as those impact signings, the Gers should also be looking for young players who have the potential for big development, with a view to selling them on for a substantial profit in the future, to carry their player trading model.

In the summer transfer window just gone, Kevin Thelwell led the recruitment drive and it is hard to see many signings that fall into either of those categories at the moment.

In terms of short-term impact, Rangers are currently fifth in the Scottish Premiership after finishing second last season, which shows that they have regressed on the pitch.

Meanwhile, there are not too many players who were signed in the summer who currently look like they will go on to be sold for a profit in the future.

Rangers summer signings who are most likely to be sold for a profit

Thelwell, who was moved on from his position on Monday, swooped to bring in seven players on permanent deals to Ibrox in the summer, along with the pre-agreed permanent deals for Oscar Cortes and Lyall Cameron that were agreed before he joined in April.

Rangers have a fairly decent record of selling players for big money in recent years. Calvin Bassey joined Ajax for £19.6m, Joe Aribo joined Southampton for £6m, and Nathan Patterson signed for Everton for £11.5m in 2022, whilst Hamza Igamane was sold to Lille for £10.4m this year.

Excluding Cortes and Cameron, as they were not sanctioned by Thelwell, it would be bold to confidently predict that any of the seven permanent summer signings will be sold for profit.

Djeidi Gassama feels like the most likely, at this moment in time, because he was signed from Sheffield Wednesday for £2.2m and has produced six goals and two assists in all competitions, per Transfermarkt. No other summer signing has scored more than twice.

Because none of the others have provided much of an attacking threat, Emmanuel Fernandez, despite playing just four matches, may rank second. Signed for £3.5m, he has scored two goals in four matches and won 88% of his aerial duels in two league outings, per Sofascore.

1

Djeidi Gassama

2

Emmanuel Fernandez

3

Oliver Antman

4

Thelo Aasgaard

5

Youssef Chermiti

6

Bojan Miovski

7

Joe Rothwell

As you can see in the table above, Joe Rothwell and Bojan Miovski, who both started on the bench against Livingston last weekend, rank in the bottom two because they have been bit-part players at the ages of 30 and 26, which does not suggest that they are likely to kick on and be sold for a big profit.

Oliver Antman, with three goal contributions, and Thelo Aasgaard, with two goal contributions, rank just ahead of those two because they are 24 and 23, respectively, and still have time to improve.

Youssef Chermiti ranks in fifth because he has plenty of time to develop, at 21, but was signed for a whopping fee of £8m and has only produced one goal in 13 matches as a striker, per Transfermarkt, which makes it seem unlikely, on current evidence, that they will recoup that outlay.

Meanwhile, there is a player in the current Rangers squad, signed before Thelwell arrived, who does look likely to be sold on for a substantial profit, and potentially for even more than the likes of Joe Aribo and Hamza Igamane.

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Nicolas Raskin was signed by former Gers boss Michael Beale under the previous ownership at Ibrox, whilst they were between sporting directors, in January 2023 for a reported fee of roughly £1.5m from Standard Liege.

Why Rangers could sell Nicolas Raskin for a profit

Given that the Belgian midfielder was signed for a fairly small sum of money, certainly in comparison to a player like Chermiti, it will be ‘easier’ for Rangers to bank a profit on him if they ever decide to cash in.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Leeds and Tottenham are two of a number of clubs across the Premier League and Europe that are eyeing up a possible move for Raskin, but that the Gers want a “big fee” for their star.

This shows that there are teams keen on snapping the Belgium international up from Ibrox in the winter window, which means that Rangers could, if they wanted to, cash in on him to fund new signings for Danny Rohl, not to say that is what they should do.

TEAMtalk reported earlier this month that it would take a fee of £18m to £20m to tempt the Gers to sell Raskin, which would be a substantial profit on the £1.5m they signed him for almost three years ago.

Selling him for a fee in that region would mean that Rangers would get more money for him than they did for Igamane, Patterson, and Aribo, as aforementioned, although it would take a fee of £20m for him to take Bassey’s crown as the most expensive sale in the club’s history.

Appearances

33

10

Sofascore rating

7.43

7.39

Goals

4

1

Assists

10

2

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.4

2.8

Ground duel success rate

57%

53%

Aerial duel success rate

56%

56%

As you can see in the table above, Raskin’s performances as a box-to-box midfielder in the Premiership have been exceptional since the start of last season, as he has provided quality in the final third and defensive strength out of possession.

The 24-year-old maestro, once praised as “unbelievable” by ex-Gers striker Kris Boyd, has proven that he can provide consistent performances for the club, which is something the batch of summer signings this year have failed to do thus far.

That is why Raskin may end up being sold for a huge fee, as possibly the most or second-most expensive sale in the club’s history, amid interest from several teams in January, whilst it is hard to say if any of Thelwell’s signings will go on to be sold for a profit.

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Whilst Rangers supporters may not want to see the Belgian move on from the club in January, his story and the fact that there is the possibility that he is sold for huge money is an example that Thelwell’s replacement should look to follow.

Southampton are currently on the search for their next permanent head coach after they made the decision to part ways with Will Still earlier this month.

The former Lens boss only won two Championship matches during his time at St. Mary’s, and the club must, simply, find a manager who can bring a winning mentality back to Hampshire.

Southampton, as shown in the graphic above, have had a run of less-than-successful head coach appointments, which may not fill supporters with too much hope for the next one.

The latest on Southampton's managerial search

The Telegraph reports that former Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bournemouth manager Gary O’Neil is in pole position to land the job, having left Wolves last year.

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It states that he is the leading contender for the role at this moment in time, but that it is still early on in the process and there are other managers are in the frame.

The Telegraph adds that Michael Carrick, who is also out of a job, is a head coach who is being considered and could come into the running to replace Still in the coming days.

The former Middlesbrough boss, who was hailed as an “insanely talented coach” by former Boro player Lukas Engel, has been a free agent since the end of last season, and could be a dream alternative to O’Neil.

Why Southampton should hire Carrick over O'Neil

Parking any concerns about O’Neil’s Portsmouth ties to the side, given that he previously stated a desire to manage Pompey, the former Wolves boss has yet to show that he can coach a team to dominate and win games consistently.

As shown in the graphic in the post above, his Bournemouth and Wolves teams consistently conceded more chances than they created, and both clubs improved statistically after he left.

There should, therefore, be concerns about whether or not he is the right profile of coach to lead Southampton to promotion back to the Premier League as a side that needs to win consistently to gain promotion.

Carrick, meanwhile, has a proven track record of coaching a dominant team in the Championship, as well as taking over in a similar situation to the one that Saints find themselves in.

The English boss joined Boro after they had won two of their first 11 league games in the 2022/23 campaign and led them to a fourth-place finish, per Transfermarkt, whilst Southampton have won three of their 14 league matches this term.

Michael Carrick’s two full seasons at Middlesbrough
Championship	23/24	24/25
League finish	8th	10th
xPTS (Expected league finish)	73 (5th)	71 (6th)
xG	69.5	67.4
xGA	55.0	56.4
xGD	+14.5	+11.3
Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Carrick also coached expected play-off finishes in his two full seasons at Middlesbrough, but his squad did not deliver results that matched the performances.

Some may point to the fact that Boro are currently third in the Championship after his departure, but they are sixth for xPTS and have failed to win any of their last three games, per FotMob, which suggests that their fast start is slowing down to match their performance level.

Overall, Carrick could be a dream alternative to O’Neil because he does not have links to Portsmouth, he does have relevant Championship experience, and he has achieved a play-off finish after taking over a club in a similar position.

Whereas, O’Neil has never managed in the Championship and has lost 52 of his 100 games as a manager, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has yet to prove himself as a coach who can deliver winning football.

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Australia’s stand-in captain said that a pink-ball Test is ‘just a completely different game’

Matt Roller30-Nov-2025Steven Smith looks set to emulate former West Indies batter Shivnarine Chanderpaul by wearing ‘eye blacks’ on his cheeks during the second Ashes Test at the Gabba. He trialled the anti-glare strips while batting in the nets during Australia’s floodlit training session on Sunday evening ahead of Thursday’s day-night, pink-ball fixture in Brisbane.Smith has played 13 of Australia’s 14 previous pink-ball Tests but has not taken to the format in the same way as red-ball cricket: he has only scored one hundred in 24 innings in day-night Tests, averaging 37.04. His record in daytime Tests is far superior, with 35 centuries in 190 innings and an average of 58.31.”The pink ball in general is just a completely different game,” Smith had said during Australia’s most recent day-night Test match, a 176-run win over West Indies in Jamaica in July. “Personally, I find it quite tricky just picking the ball up at certain times of the day and things like that, and the way it behaves is completely different to a red one.”I think people like the spectacle. But as a player, particularly as a batter, it’s very challenging. The game can so quickly, and things change really quickly, which you probably don’t get so much with a red ball. But yeah, people like watching it, I suppose, so I guess it’s here to stay.”Related

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The ‘eye blacks’ – small, black, adhesive strips worn on the cheekbone – that Smith wore in training are commonplace in several American sports, and are designed to reduce the glare from floodlights by absorbing the light that would otherwise reflect off the skin.Chanderpaul is the most prominent cricketer to have used them previously. “I always used it whenever it was very glary,” he told in a 2018 interview. “I stick them on and it does help take 60-70 percent of the glare off my eyes, and that was good for me.”Alastair Cook, who played three day-night Tests for England, has identified focusing on the pink ball’s black seam as the biggest challenge for batters due to glare. “When the floodlights shine off the pink leather, it distracts from focusing on the black seam – and if you can’t see the seam as a batsman, you’re in big trouble,” Cook wrote in his column.”Whatever type of cricket you are playing, the seam is your clue as to how the ball will behave… At least you have a chance with a red ball. If it’s a pink one under lights, it’s nigh-on impossible to pick up the seam and, therefore, decide with confidence which way the ball might move.”Smith’s innovation came on the same day that Joe Root questioned whether the Ashes should feature a pink-ball Test, comments which Travis Head dismissed.Australia lead the five-Test series 1-0 after beating England inside two days in Perth.

Leeds United have now made contact over the signing of an “incredible” £50m player, with the 49ers looking to get a deal done in the January transfer window.

Leeds looking to strengthen amid poor run of form

After a solid start to the season, defeating Everton 1-0 on the opening day, Leeds’ survival hopes have taken a major hit over the past couple of months, having lost five of their last six Premier League games, which means they have now fallen into the relegation zone.

Gary Neville has recently suggested the warning signs were there right from the start, saying: “I said Leeds were going down after watching them on the first game of the season I thought ‘that’s not right, that’. Everton were shocking that night, but I just thought Leeds…”

Things aren’t going to get any easier in the coming weeks, with Daniel Farke’s side set to take on Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool in their next three matches, which means they could be in even deeper trouble by mid-December.

As such, the 49ers may have to bring in some fresh faces during the January transfer window, and they have already started work on potential new signings, with a report from The Mirror revealing Leeds have now enquired about signing Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips on loan.

However, the Whites want Phillips’ current employers to make a major contribution towards his astronomical £250k-a-week wages, which could be a stumbling block, and as things stand, it is unlikely that a deal transpires.

Since making a £50m move to the Etihad Stadium in 2022, the midfielder’s career has been on a downward trajectory, and he is prepared to move abroad, having now returned to full fitness after suffering a serious Achilles injury in pre-season.

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Pep Guardiola has personally expressed sympathy for how the Englishman’s career has panned out, describing him as an “incredible person”, but the Man City ace still has time to get things back on track, given that he is still just 29-years-old.

That said, it would be a risk for Leeds to re-sign their former player, considering he has found game time very hard to come by this season, appearing for just seven minutes, which came in City’s 2-0 EFL Cup triumph against Huddersfield Town.

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On his day, the 31-time England international is capable of great things, having particularly impressed for the Three Lions at Euro 2021.

As such, if a low-cost loan move were an option, it could be worth taking a gamble on Phillips, who is represented by the same agent as Wilfried Gnonto, but it may take him some time to get back to his best, having barely featured for City.

Newcastle United now hold strong interest in signing Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, who has received high praise from England manager Thomas Tuchel.

Alan Shearer recently spoke about just how happy he is Anderson has been able to kick on since leaving his boyhood club due to PSR issues, saying: “It was the best thing. Although it was tough for Newcastle and it wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for PSR.

“But it was the best thing that happened to him, to get out and play. He wasn’t going to get in Newcastle’s midfield. You’ve got to give him credit. He wouldn’t be far away now [from getting in Newcastle’s midfield], I agree with that.”

With the likes of Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes to choose from, Eddie Howe has some quality midfielders at his disposal, but it will no doubt be frustrating to have lost their academy graduate, who has since gone on to attract attention from a number of Premier League clubs.

The likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United have all been credited with an interest in the Whitley Bay-born midfielder, and reliable reporter John Percy has now dropped an update on his future at Forest…

Newcastle hold strong interest in signing Elliot Anderson

According to Percy, Newcastle now hold strong interest in signing Anderson, but would-be suitors will have to spend big to get a deal done, with the Tricky Trees looking to hold out for over £100m, including installments.

Sean Dyche’s side are unwilling to sanction a departure this winter under any circumstances, meaning a move will have to wait until next summer, at which point the central midfielder will be in high demand, with Man United also very keen.

The Telegraph report also relays comments from England boss Tuchel, who said: “Anderson is a key player for us at the moment,

“He is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, that’s why he is with us and starting for us.

“He is an elite player with the right attitude and a lot of talent.”

The 23-year-old has emerged as an important player for the Three Lions as of late, recently putting in a solid display as Tuchel’s side cruised to a 2-0 victory against Serbia in their penultimate World Cup qualifier.

As such, while it will sting to shell out around £100m for a former youth player, Newcastle should definitely pursue Anderson next summer, particularly considering there are now doubts over Joelinton’s future…

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Liverpool continue to pursue a move for Crystal Palace and England star Adam Wharton, with talks now reportedly taking place over a move to Anfield.

The 21-year-old has emerged as one of the most promising young players in the country, bringing so much maturity in the middle of the park for Palace.

The £100m-rated Wharton also started for England in their 2-0 win away to Albania on Sunday, which could be the first start of many for the Three Lions in the coming years, having been hailed by former Palace teammate Eberechi Eze.

“He’s an incredible player to play with. Playing with him at Palace, I’ve got used to seeing the way he plays and understanding him. He’s very calm, composed, and a joy to play with. For someone so young, he’s very mature and very wise. When you speak to him, it feels like you’re speaking to someone older than you, that’s the type of person he is. He’s an incredible player.”

Liverpool have been linked with signing Wharton for months now, but he stayed put in the summer, and now an encouraging fresh update has dropped.

Liverpool in talks to sign Adam Wharton

According to a new update from DaveOCKop, Liverpool are “holding initial talks” over the signing of Wharton in 2026, as they ramp up their interest in him.

It is stated that this is a move that is “likely for the summer of 2026 rather than in the January window”, with Palace understandably keen on keeping hold of one of their most prized assets until at least the end of this season.

Wharton stands out as an exceptional option for Liverpool, with the youngster already such an impressive performer for Palace, playing with maturity beyond his years.

He is an unruffled presence with the ability to not only dictate games at his own pace from his deep-lying midfield role, but also put out fires, showing good positional sense and making importantly-timed tackles.

Granted, Wharton wouldn’t arrive at Liverpool on the cheap, especially as he is a young English player, but he could be worth every penny over time, becoming a fulcrum of the Reds’ midfield after already beating them twice this season in the Community Shield and Premier League.

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With some doubts persisting over Alexis Mac Allister’s long-term future at Anfield, the England star could be a great choice to come in alongside Ryan Gravenberch, although it would still be far better to sign him and also keep hold of the Argentine World Cup winner.

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All the key numbers from South Africa’s dominant 2-0 victory in India

Sampath Bandarupalli26-Nov-20254:35

Philander: ‘Harmer out-bowled the Indian spinners’

408 runs India’s margin of defeat in the second Test in Guwahati – their biggest in terms of runs. It is also South Africa’s second biggest victory in Test cricket.3 Home series in which India have been whitewashed by the visiting side. The previous two were against South Africa in 2000, and against New Zealand last year.394 days between India’s two recent Test series defeats at home – against New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa in 2025. Only once have India suffered two series defeats at home in a shorter time span: 367 days between defeats to West Indies in 1958-59 and Australia in 1959-60.Related

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South Africa’s extraordinary all-round dominance15.5 South Africa’s bowling average in this series is the second best for any team in a Test series in India (minimum of two matches).It is also the second-best series average for South Africa bowlers, behind the 13.92 in West Indies in 2021.13.04 The difference between South Africa’s batting average and bowling average in the series against India. Only three teams have had a higher difference in series of more than two matches in India, but none in the last 50 years.India’s sorry batting201 India’s first-innings total in Guwahati was the only time they scored more than 200 in this series. It is the second-lowest ‘highest total’ for India in a series with two or more Tests. The lowest is 161 on the tour of New Zealand in 2002.India’s batting average of 16.39 in this series against South Africa is their second lowest in a Test series.58 Yashasvi Jaiswal’s first-innings score in Guwahati was the highest for India in this series – the joint-lowest ‘highest individual score’ for India in a Test series of two-plus matches.Simon Harmer finished the series with 17 wickets at an average of 8.94•BCCISimon Harmer wrecks India8.94 Simon Harmer’s bowling average for 17 wickets in the series – the best average for South Africa in a Test series and the second best for anyone in India for a minimum of 15 wickets.27 Test wickets for Harmer in India, the most for South Africa going past Dale Steyn’s 26 scalps. Harmer’s average in India is 15.03, the best among all players with 25-plus wickets.Harmer now has 69 wickets in 14 Tests, the most by a South Africa spinner in their first 14 Tests, going past Hugh Tayfield’s 67, and the third most overall behind Vernon Philander (78) and Fanie de Villiers (70).Marco Jansen scored 93 in South Africa’s first innings, and took 6 for 48 in India’s first innings in Guwahati•AFP/Getty ImagesMarkram and Jansen break records9 Catches for Aiden Markram in the Guwahati Test – the most by a fielder in a Test match, going past Ajinkya Rahane’s eight against Sri Lanka in Galle in 2015.10 Players with a score of 90 or more and haul of six wickets or more in a men’s Test before Marco Jansen in Guwahati. Jansen is only the third South African to achieve this double, and the first since 1902.11 Test wins as captain for Temba Bavuma, the most by any captain without a defeat. Bavuma has led South Africa in 12 Tests so far – only Ray Illingworth (19), Sunil Gavaskar (18), Mike Brearley (15) and Mike Smith (14) led in more Tests before a loss.The Guwahati Test was Bavuma’s eighth consecutive win as captain, the longest winning streak since Ricky Ponting’s 16 between 2005 and 2008. No other captain won more than six consecutive Tests for South Africa.10.07 B Sai Sudharsan’s strike rate in the fourth innings, where he scored 14 off 139 balls. Only one batter has a slower innings of more than 100 balls in Tests for India – 8.28 by Yashpal Sharma, when he faced 157 balls for 13 against Australia in Adelaide in 1981 (where balls faced data is available).17 Indian wickets lost to catches in Guwahati – equalling the most such dismissals for them in a home Test. All ten wickets in India’s first innings fell to catches; only the fifth such instance at home.

Arsenal have been utterly sensational so far this season.

Mikel Arteta’s side are flying in the Champions League, and look near enough unstoppable when it comes to the Premier League.

More impressively, the Gunners tore Tottenham Hotspur to shreds on Sunday afternoon without the man many would consider to have been their best player so far this year: Gabriel Magalhães.

The Brazilian has been sensational in defence and attack, and so fans should be excited about reports linking Arsenal with a star who could be looked at as another version of him.

Arsenal target another Gabriel

With the transfer window just over a month away from opening, it’s not been a surprise to see reports starting to link Arsenal with some brilliant players in recent weeks.

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For example, while the Gunners are fairly well-stacked in the position, Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson has been touted for a £120m switch to the Emirates.

Likewise, despite Leandro Trossard’s impressive form this year, Kenan Yıldız continues to be linked with a move to the Premier League title challengers.

However, while incredibly talented, neither of these players can really be compared to Gabriel, unlike Murillo.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of a few clubs interested in the Brazilian defender.

Alongside the Gunners, the report has revealed that Chelsea and Barcelona are keen to sign the talented centre-back, who Forest value at up to €90m, which is about £79m.

Therefore, it could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given his ability and similarities to Gabriel, one Arsenal should be pursuing.

Why Murillo would be another Gabriel

So to start with, there are the more superficial similarities between the pair, such as both being Brazilian centre-backs.

On top of that, there is the fact that when Arsenal signed Gabriel from LOSC Lille in the summer of 2020, he was 22 years old, and if they sign Murillo in the winter window, he’ll be just 23.

However, the comparison goes deeper than that, as, in addition to playing in the same position, the two defenders tend to play in a similar style as well.

For example, while he’s not quite as tall as the Gunners star, the “monstrous” Forest man, as dubbed by journalist Ryan Taylor, is someone who makes the most of his physicality.

Whether it’s in the air or on the ground, the former Corinthians gem is more than happy to go in for a full-throated challenge, which, more often than not, he comes out better off from.

However, don’t let that fool you into thinking the Sao Paulo-born titan is just an old-fashioned defender who can’t compete when it comes to the technical side of the game, as that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Like his compatriot, the 23-year-old is far more accomplished on the ball than most who don’t watch him on a weekly basis would expect.

For example, FBref ranks him in the top 5% of centre-backs in the league for successful take-ons, the top 9% for shot-creating actions, the top 11% for through balls and shot-creating actions from live-ball passes, the top 13% for progressive passes and more, all per 90.

Murillo’s Scout Report

Statistics

Per 90

Percentile

% of Dribblers Tackled

100.0%

Top 2%

Blocks

1.83

Top 3%

Shots from Free Kicks

0.12

Top 5%

Interceptions

2.07

Top 5%

Successful Take-Ons

0.49

Top 5%

SCA (Defensive Action)

0.12

Top 7%

Passes Blocked

0.85

Top 7%

Ball Recoveries

4.87

Top 7%

Shot-Creating Actions

1.46

Top 9%

Tkl+Int

3.65

Top 9%

Goals/Shot

0.25

Top 11%

Goals – xG

+0.09

Top 11%

Non-Penalty Goals – npxG

+0.09

Top 11%

Passes Attempted (Long)

9.99

Top 11%

Through Balls

0.24

Top 11%

SCA (Live-ball Pass)

1.10

Top 11%

SCA (Dead-ball Pass)

0.12

Top 11%

Progressive Passes

4.87

Top 13%

SCA (Shot)

0.12

Top 13%

Tackles (Att 3rd)

0.24

Top 13%

Goals

0.12

Top 15%

All Stats via FBref

When you consider those technical qualities alongside the fact that he helped Forest produce one of the defensive record in the country last season, it’s easy to see why one analyst made the bold claim that he’s “one of the best defenders in the Premier League.”

Ultimately, while he might not be on the exact same level as Gabriel – few defenders are – Murillo is clearly an exceptional player. Therefore, Arsenal would be wise to sign him before one of their rivals gets there first.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 24, 2025