Glasgow Rangers may have a brand-new head coach in the building by the time they next take to the field at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership after the international break.

The Light Blues opted to remove their previous manager from his post after a draw last time out in the league meant that he had only won one of his seven Premiership matches in charge.

Russell Martin only won five of his 17 games as the club’s manager, as shown in the graphic above, and the Ibrox giants are now looking to find his replacement.

The latest on the Rangers manager search at Ibrox

The Light Blues are aiming to bring in a replacement ahead of their clash with Dundee United at Ibrox after the break, and they appear to be closing in on their man.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Rangers are ‘close’ to reaching an agreement with out-of-work head coach Steven Gerrard to make him Martin’s replacement.

The reporter claims that the English tactician, who left Rangers to join Aston Villa back in 2021, held face-to-face talks with Light Blues chairman Andrew Cavanagh and vice-chairman Paraag Marathe in London earlier this week.

Those conversations went well and the Liverpool legend seems to be closing in on a return for a second spell in the dugout at Ibrox this season.

This change in manager in Glasgow could have ramifications throughout the squad, as it is a clean slate for all the players, and the rarely-seen Clinton Nsiala may end up being the biggest winner.

Why Clinton Nsiala may be Ibrox's biggest Rangers winner

The left-footed central defender was bombed out of the squad by Martin this season and has not played a single minute of competitive football since the 2024/25 campaign.

Nsiala, whose last appearance came against St Mirren in April, posted an Instagram story of himself celebrating and smiling after a goal for the club at Ibrox after the news broke that Martin had been sacked. Possibly a coincidence and unrelated.

The 21-year-old starlet, who joined from AC Milan last year, made 11 appearances in the Premiership during the 2024/25 campaign and showed some signs of promise.

Appearances (starts)

11 (10)

Pass accuracy

89%

Ground duel success rate

45%

Aerial duel success rate

52%

Ball recoveries per game

2.1

Clearances per game

4.5

Duels won per game

2.6

As you can see in the table above, Nsiala got a taste of Premiership action last season and had positive and negative aspects to his performances, winning the majority of his aerial duels, but being a bit too weak in his battles on the deck.

At the age of 21, the French gem, who was described as an “exciting talent” by Nils Koppen, has plenty of time left to develop and improve as a player, but Martin was not willing to provide him with chances to gain experience this season.

That is despite Jayden Meghoma, a left-back, and Derek Cornelius, a centre-back, being the only two left-footed defenders in the senior squad at this moment in time.

Martin lined up with Cornelius out of position at left-back and the right-footed John Souttar as a left-sided centre-back in the 1-1 draw with Falkirk last time out in the Premiership, which speaks to the issues that the Gers have had on that side of the defence.

Nsiala, therefore, may end up being the biggest winner from the change in management at Ibrox because Martin, clearly, was not keen on him, but Gerrard may see the lack of naturally left-footed options at the back and provide the youngster with an opportunity.

Gerrard, after all, was the manager who signed Calvin Bassey and gave him his Gers debut as a young and versatile left-footed defender, which may give Nsiala hope that he could follow in the Nigeria international’s footsteps.

New Rangers manager could lose Ibrox star as soon as January window opens

Another potential blow for the Gers.

ByTom Cunningham Oct 10, 2025

It will now be interesting to see what kind of decisions the new manager makes, if it does end up being Gerrard, with the current squad once he is in the building at Ibrox.

There have been some iconic left-backs in previous generations – from AC Milan legend Paolo Maldini and free-kick specialist Roberto Carlos to Premier League greats like Ashley Cole.

Previously, a top left-back was a world-class defender who could also chip in with the odd goal going forward. Now, we have a new up-and-coming class of attacking left-backs who are crucial to their team’s build-up play, but who is the best in the world right now?

Ranking factors

To help rank the left-backs in order, we have considered the following criteria:

Current form – how well a player has been performing Importance to their teams – how influential they are to their team Role – how unique their skillset is Reputation – what others are saying about them

Top 15 left-backs in the world

Rank

Player

Age

Club

Nation

1

Nuno Mendes

23

PSG

Portugal

2

Alejandro Balde

21

Barcelona

Spain

3

Federico Dimarco

27

Inter Milan

Italy

4

Alphonso Davies

24

Bayern Munich

Canada

5

Alejandro Grimaldo

30

Bayer Leverkusen

Spain

6

Riccardo Calafiori

23

Arsenal

Italy

7

Milos Kerkez

21

Liverpool

Hungary

8

Myles Lewis-Skelly

19

Arsenal

England

9

Alvaro Carreras

22

Real Madrid

Spain

10

Andrea Cambiaso

25

Juventus

Italy

11

Theo Hernandez

28

Al-Hilal

France

12

Ferland Mendy

30

Real Madrid

France

13

Destiny Udogie

22

Tottenham

Italy

14

Rayan Ait-Nouri

24

Man City

Algeria

15

Marc Cucurella

27

Chelsea

Spain

15 Marc Cucurella Chelsea and Spain

The Premier League has plenty of impressive left-backs, and Marc Cucurella has been making his mark at Stamford Bridge over the last 12 months.

Now one of the first names on the teamsheet under Enzo Maresca, Cucurella has shown why Chelsea splashed the cash on him from Brighton back in 2022.

Maresca called Cucurella “very important” and even wants seven players like him in his Blues side.

Marc Cucurella: Major titles won

Trophy

Years won

European Championship

2024

Club World Cup

2025

Europa Conference League

2025

Copa del Rey

2018

14 Rayan Ait-Nouri Man City and Algeria

New Man City signing Rayan Ait-Nouri is another who has been catching the eye at former employers Wolves in recent seasons.

The 24-year-old now holds a career-high €35m Transfermarkt valuation and hit double figures for Premier League goal contributions in what has been a struggling Wolves side.

13 Destiny Udogie Tottenham and Italy

Spurs have seemingly struck gold after signing Destiny Udogie from Udinese, with the Italian’s market value more than doubling since moving to north London.

Once called “the most underrated player in the Premier League” by Paul Merson and a full-back who “has everything” by Luciano Spalletti, Udogie, who is still just 22, may only get better in the coming years.

12 Ferland Mendy Real Madrid and France

Ferland Mendy has struggled with injuries in recent seasons, but when fully fit, is one of the best left-backs around in Europe.

The Frenchman has made more than 200 appearances for Real Madrid since signing from Lyon and was dubbed a “quiet force” by fellow teammate and countryman Kylian Mbappe. Carlo Ancelotti called him “the best in the world”, however, his lack of attacking output has him low down the list.

Ferland Mendy: Major titles won

Trophy

Years won

Champions League

2022, 2024

La Liga

2021

Nations League

2021

Copa del Rey

2023

UEFA Super Cup

2022, 2024

Spanish Super Cup

2020, 2022, 2024

11 Theo Hernandez Al-Hilal and France

Since leaving Real Madrid for AC Milan in 2019, Theo Hernandez has gone from strength to strength and has earned the praise of legendary left-back Paolo Maldini, who hailed the Frenchman as “special”.

Hernandez, who sealed a move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in 2025, also has the blistering pace required to get back from attacking phases and show his defensive qualities.

Theo Hernandez: Major titles won

Trophy

Years won

Champions League

2018

Serie A

2022

Nations League

2021

FIFA Club World Cup

2018

UEFA Super Cup

2017

Spanish Super Cup

2017

Italian Super Cup

2025

10 Andrea Cambiaso Juventus and Italy

Arguably a player who has been going under the radar is Juventus’ Andrea Cambiaso. Labelled as an attacking left-wing back with “world-class” vision and “elite passing ability”, the 25-year-old’s Transfermarkt valuation has rocketed to €35m.

Previously linked with Man City, Cambiaso, who actually doesn’t have a weak foot, could soon be the next star left-back to try his luck in the Premier League.

Andrea Cambiaso: Major titles won

Trophy

Years won

Coppa Italia

2024

Serie B

2021

9 Alvaro Carreras Real Madrid and Spain

Part of Real Madrid’s youth set-up from 2017 to 2020 before joining Man Utd, Alvaro Carreras is now back at the Bernabeu after impressing for Benfica in recent seasons.

Madrid paid €50m and gave Carreras a six-year contract, and he has slotted straight into Xabi Alonso’s defence.

Alvaro Carreras: Major titles won

Trophy

Years won

Taca da Liga

2025

8 Myles Lewis-Skelly Arsenal and England

Another impressive youngster starring on the big stage has been Myles Lewis-Skelly at Arsenal. The Englishman has even featured as a left-back under Thomas Tuchel with England, despite coming through the Gunners academy as a midfielder.

Mikel Arteta has used the 19-year-old as a left-back at the Emirates, and Jamie Carragher has even compared Lewis-Skelly’s “football arrogance” to Jude Bellingham and Wayne Rooney.

7 Milos Kerkez Liverpool and Hungary

Milos Kerkez only cost Bournemouth £15m from AZ Alkmaar back in 2023, and the Cherries made a nice profit on the left-back who has joined Liverpool.

The Hungarian is already on his way to the top, so it’s no surprise to see the Reds come in for “one of the most talented left-backs in world football”.

6 Riccardo Calafiori Arsenal and Italy

Riccardo Calafiori now appears to have taken over at Arsenal as Mikel Arteta’s first choice left-back, with the Italian also capable of filling in at centre-back if required.

Arteta hailed Calafiori’s unpredictability, saying his attacking edge can be “very difficult to control for the opponent”. His stunning first Gunners goal against Man City highlights that.

كشف ييس توروب، المدير الفني للنادي الأهلي، عن بدلاء الفريق أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا، في المباراة التي تقام بينهما، اليوم ضمن لقاءات بطولة كأس السوبر المصري.

ويلعب الأهلي ضد سيراميكا كليوباترا اليوم على أرضية استاد هزاع بن زايد، في إطار لقاءات نصف كأس السوبر المصري.

ومن المقرر أن تقام منافسات بطولة كأس السوبر المصري، في الإمارات خلال الفترة من 6 إلى 9 من شهر نوفمبر المقبل، بمشاركة 4 أندية، هي، الأهلي والزمالك وبيراميدز وسيراميكا كليوباترا.

تشكيل الأهلي أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا في السوبر المصري

الفائز من مباراة الأهلي وسيراميكا كليوباترا، سيلاقي الفائز من مباراة الزمالك وبيراميدز، في المباراة النهائية المحدد لها يوم 9 من شهر نوفمبر.

وشهدت دكة بدلاء الأهلي تواجد محمد علي بن رمضان وطاهر محمد طاهر كـ أوراق رابحة في يد توروب للدفع بها خلال سير المباراة. بدلاء الأهلي اليوم أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا في السوبر المصري

مصطفى شوبير وعمر كمال عبد الواحد وأحمد رمضان بيكهام ومحمد علي بن رمضان وأحمد عبد القادر ومحمد شكري وأفشة وطاهر محمد طاهر ومحمد عبدالله.

Bruno Fernandes consulted the opinion of Cristiano Ronaldo when he was weighing up the possibility of leaving Manchester United to join Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia over the summer. The United captain revealed that he spoke to his Portugal team-mate when the lucrative offer came in but rejected it after discussing it with his family and coach Ruben Amorim.

• AFP
  

  Fernandes approached Ronaldo over Saudi move

  Ronaldo became the most high-profile player to move to the Saudi Pro League when he joined Al-Nassr in 2023 soon after leaving United. But Fernandes would have become arguably the second biggest name to head to Saudi had he accepted Al-Hilal's offer to sign him in the summer, which would have seen United bank between £80m-£100m. Fernandes ultimately turned down the offer because he wanted to stay at United and continue competing in the Premier League but he admitted that he approached Ronaldo first.

  "I spoke with Cristiano about the situation, about Saudi and everything," Fernandes told reporters ahead of his 300th game with United. "I wouldn’t say what he told me, but we spoke about it. Obviously, he now has a manager that also spoke with me at the time (Jorge Jesus, his former coach at Sporting CP). He was at Al-Hilal three years ago, the first thing he said to me, ‘Are you too expensive for the club?’ I said, ‘There is no expensive players for that club!’ But I told him the same, I wasn’t eager to move, to go to Saudi because I wanted to stay at the club. And he’s a manager I have a great relationship with. He was the one who trusted me to go to Sporting and to play on the biggest stages. But Cristiano told me, he had his opinion on what I should do. It was important for me, obviously, with all the experience he has and everything, it was important for me to hear what he thought. But obviously the decision will always come to me and to the club."

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• Why Fernandes wanted to stay at United

  The offer from Al-Hilal came in just after United had lost to Tottenham in the Europa League final, while the Red Devils were on their post-season tour of Asia. Fernandes told Amorim about it and asked the coach's opinion but he was quickly made to feel that he was a big part of the team's future. 

  "The manager spoke with me. He said I was still part of the project. He wanted me to stay. The club said the same. And I always said that if the club was like ‘Bruno, we want to cash in, you are 30 years old. We want to make some money. We don't think you can be part of the future project’ or whatever. I would be like, OK, I have to find a solution for myself, whatever is best for me and my family. And I will leave. But obviously that wasn't the case. I felt that I was still part of the plan, that I could still help the club to achieve whatever was our aims. And that's what made me stay. Obviously, I have a big connection with the fans, with the club, also the country. My family feels very well here."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Fernandes: I would reject another Saudi offer

  Fernandes admitted that he was offered a staggering salary by Al-Hilal and he said that the club were not pleased when he ultimately chose to reject their advances. "I don’t think they were very happy for me to reject the offer, obviously," he said. "I accept that, because the offer was very good in terms of salary. Everything was massive for me. It was a huge difference." 

  The midfielder was unsure whether Al-Hilal or another Saudi club would  try and sign him next summer but he claimed he would make the same decision and say no once more. "No, it will be the same situation," he insisted. "As I've always said, I feel good here. I want to achieve my dreams still. But obviously I can't talk by the side of the club. I've seen a lot of news. I've seen a lot of people talking that I had an agreement to go already next season. If the club has done that agreement, it wasn't made with me. So I haven't spoken with anyone. 

  "I could tell you that there are still people talking to me and saying that they will be very eager to have me next year, of course. But from my side, that's not talked about. Because my agent also knows how I work, so if he wants to talk to me, it will be after the World Cup. Because until then, I won't speak to anyone."

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• Amorim: Fernandes suffers a lot

  United boss Amorim said Fernandes had a different personality to the one he had imagined and praised his will to win. He said of his captain: "He is a little bit different to what I was expecting. Everything you read about the players sometimes is not that. He wants to help a lot the team-mates, sometimes it's not in the best way but it comes from a good place. He wants the responsibility all the time. He suffers a lot with the losses and you can see he takes it personally as he should as a captain."

MatériaMais Notícias

Se o problema de Renato Augusto é físico, basta o Corinthians anunciar que está em busca de um joelho novo. Certamente muitos corintianos vão entrar na fila para fazer a doação, pois é nítida a evolução da equipe alvinegra quando o camisa 8 está em campo. 

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+ Renove o seu estoque de camisas do Timão com o cupom LANCEFUT 10% OFF

É bem verdade que Renato vinha de algumas atuações pouco empolgantes, entre elas a no empate com o Grêmio, na segunda-feira (18), mas é incrível o quanto o Timão ganha quando o meio-campista está em campo. 

O primeiro tempo corintiano foi pobre em questões de criatividade, mesmo jogando metade dele com um jogador a mais. Luxemburgo, na entrevista coletiva depois da partida, até admitiu que não tem um meio-campo de intensidade, mas nem uma troca de passes contundente possui sem Renato Augusto em campo. O jogo corintiano sem um meia de articulação é um amontoado de bolas nas pontas que, contra o Botafogo, tinha os garotos Pedro e Wesley até tentando ir para cima, mas quase sempre errando as tomadas de decisões. 

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+ Veja tabela e simule os jogos do Timão no Brasileirão

Quando Renato Augusto entrou, o Corinthians ganhou em fluidez, passou a ser mais contundente, teve mais finalizações de fora da área. Agrediu e fez valer a superioridade numérica. Ganhou o jogo. Comandado por um jogador que é uma incógnita, por conta da sua inconstância física, mas que é diferenciado na sua natureza.

Dois anos de contrato seria precipitado, mas se o Timão pretende fazer um processo de renovação com o novo grupo que comandará a equipe na partida de janeiro, é fundamental que tenha Renato como uma voz de experiência. Não dá para descartar um jogador desse nível. 

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“It’s the right time for me to hand over the baton,” he said in a statement

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jun-2025

During Deutrom’s time, Ireland attained Full Member status in 2017•Cricket Ireland

Warren Deutrom, Cricket Ireland’s chief executive, will step down in August after nearly 19 years at the helm. The decision was made after Wednesday’s board meeting where his resignation was formally advised.”It’s hard to explain my feelings since making this decision,” Deutrom said in a statement. “The role of Cricket Ireland CEO has covered more than a third of my life and two-thirds of my professional career. It has felt more like a vocation and a true labour of love than a mere job.”During his tenure, Ireland achieved Full Member status in 2017 and also won the rights to co-host the 2030 T20 World Cup with England, Scotland and Wales. Another significant achievement was the approval for a new cricket stadium with permanent seating in Dublin that is scheduled to be completed in 2028. Ireland Women also made strides in Deutrom’s tenure, making their first ICC Women’s Championship appearance in the 2022-25 cycle.Related

As Cricket Ireland CEO Warren Deutrom departs, he leaves behind a complicated legacy

Ireland government approves permanent cricket stadium in Dublin

“The attainment of ICC Full Membership and Test status is the most significant achievement I’ll look back on with pride. Indeed, if the first decade of my role was about trying to achieve ICC Full Membership/Test status, the next decade has been about trying to live up to that privilege.”Today, with new ICC funding, with permanent infrastructure planned, a World Cup to co-host, a central contracts system for both men and women, and the European T20 Premier League on the horizon, I’m more confident than ever that the foundations are there to realise that new vision, so it’s the right time for me to hand over the baton.”Brian MacNeice, chair of Cricket Ireland, hailed Deutrom’s work during multiple tricky periods for the board: “He took over an embryonic organisation, led it through an unparalleled period of growth, managed the organisation through challenges such as the economic crash and Covid, and always maintained an eye on the big picture.”Besides his role at Cricket Ireland, Warren has been in cricket administration for almost 30 years, including stints as head of events for both the ICC and ECB. He sits on the ICC Chief Executives Committee and ICC Women’s Cricket Committee, is the Chair of the European T20 Premier League, was a member of both the Irish Sport Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel and the Olympic Council of Ireland Disciplinary Panel, and is a former Board Director of both the Federation of Irish Sport and the European Cricket Council.The search for the next CEO will begin shortly with a “comprehensive and thorough recruitment process.”

Roston Chase, West Indies’ new Test captain, believes that he can bring the best out of his players with his “calm style”. Chase, 33, last played a Test match in March 2023 and had previously led West Indies in two white-ball internationals but despite the lack of recent game-time in red-ball cricket and limited captaincy experience, he was picked as the Test captain. Chase’s first assignment as Test captain is a three-match series against Australia at home, which begins in Bridgetown on June 25.”I’ve never captained a senior team in terms of the West Indies team or Barbados team [in Tests]. But I’ve captained eight teams in the West Indies before,” Chase said during an interaction facilitated by , the official broadcaster for West Indies in India. “I think I’m a good leader. Obviously, I’m not perfect. I’m still learning.””I did most of my captaining in my early days like school level and local divisions. I think I have a calm style [as captain]. I really know how to bring out the best in the players that I have.”Related

• Pace, swing, youth and promise – Ian Bishop's rundown of WI's bowling options for Australia Tests

• Chase: 'There's a legacy attached to captaining WI'

• Roston Chase appointed West Indies' Test captain

Chase will work with Daren Sammy, who has taken charge as West Indies all-format coach from April this year.”The captaincy conversations that I had would have been with the coach, Daren Sammy, and Miles Bascombe from the board,” Chase said. “I’ve been out for two years, but after Sammy approached me about coming back because I always wanted to come back and play Test cricket.”I was exploring the white ball and the franchise cricket for a bit. And he asked me about coming back and I thought about it and I ended up making the decision to come back.”Chase said he was “very excited” to take up the new role and that he was not ready to play Test cricket last year.”I was very excited to get the captaincy. I mean, it is a very prestigious job,” he said. “One that many greats before me have done. So, it was a very proud moment for me when I got the news.”I was asked in 2024 about coming back. But at that time, I was still finding my feet and trying to get into the franchise leagues. So, I wasn’t quite ready and had the time or the availability to come back into the Test arena. But after I had the conversation with Sammy and Bascombe, I decided that this was the right time for me to come back.”Chase, who has scored 2265 runs in 49 Tests with five hundreds, said that West Indies are ready for the Australia challenge. “I wouldn’t call it [playing Australia] pressure,” he said. “They’re obviously the No.1 team in the world. We’re just looking to go there and play our best cricket, execute the plans that we spoke about in our team meetings and the data that has been presented to us.”So, we’re just looking to go there and give a full 100 [percent] effort and play some hard cricket.”

Veterans make their marks in thrilling encounter as Derbyshire are outgunned by six runs

ECB Reporters Network04-Jun-2025A brilliant innings from Ravi Bopara took Northants Steelbacks to a third Vitality Blast victory by six runs despite a thrilling Derbyshire Falcons chase led by Samit Patel at the Central Co-op County Ground.Bopara scored an unbeaten 84 from 46 balls including five sixes as the Steelbacks recovered from 112 for 5 to post an imposing 194 for 6 with Afghanistan spinner Mohammad Ghazanfar taking 2 for 30.But Patel with 83 not out from 50 balls and Caleb Jewell, 71 from 44, gave the Falcons hope before they came up short at 188 for 4.Ghazanfar made an instant impact on his Derby debut, striking twice in the second over of the game.He beat Ricardo Vasconcelos’s big drive and then had Justin Broad lbw sweeping to reduce the Steelbacks to 15 for 2.It was 24 for 3 when Matt Breetzke pulled Zak Chappell’s first ball to deep midwicket and at the end of the powerplay the Steelbacks had work to do at 37 for 3.David Willey drove Chappell for six but the Falcons bowled with guile and discipline to restrict the visitors to 65 for 3 at the halfway point.The Falcons missed three chances to dismiss Willey and that looked like proving costly when 34 came off two overs from Ben Aitchison and Patel.So there was relief for the hosts when Willey pulled Martin Andersson’s first ball to deep midwicket to end a stand of 75 from 49 balls with Bopara.But that was short-lived as 56 came from the last three overs with Lewis McManus twice pulling Aitchison over the ropes before Bopara smashed Chappell for three sixesThe Falcons chase began badly with Aneurin Donald miscuing Willey to mid on and David Lloyd cutting the all-rounder to slip.Jewell drove Ben Sanderson for six but Wayne Madsen, on his 200th appearance at Derby, chipped the fast bowler to mid on to reduce the Falcons to 38 for 3 after six overs.Jewell and Patel steadied the innings but the Falcons went into the last 10 overs needing 129.Patel dispatched Lloyd Pope over long on for six and Jewell pulled George Scrimshaw over the ropes before another Patel six brought up the 100 in the 14th over.The pair took 15 from the next and the Falcons took flight when Jewell twice launched Scrimshaw for six with 18 coming from the 16th over.Jewell pulled Luke Procter to long on but Patel clubbed his third six to leave the Falcons needing 41 off the last three.Patel swatted Procter for six to bring that down to 15 off the last six balls but Sanderson bowled a superb last over to close the game out.

With every team in action on Tuesday, let's focus on which stars are set to go yard.

In the discussion for an AL MVP, Bobby Witt Jr. will look to keep a hot June going with a home run against a lowly Athletics pitching staff in favorable conditions, highligting my card on Tuesday with two other sluggers in the mix as well.

Find out how I'm attacking home run props on Tuesday's slate.

Best MLB Home Run Prop Bets Today, June 18thAdley Rutschman (+520)Julio Rodriguez (+420)Bobby Witt Jr. (+430)Adley Rutschman

Rutchsman is dangerous against lefty pitchers, which he is in line to face on Tuesday when the Yankees send out Nestor Cortes. 

Rutchsman is hitting .420 with a .693 slugging percentage against southpaws, crushing six home runs in 93 plate appearances. 

In the hitter friendly Yankee Stadium, Rutschman can take advantage of Cortes’ concerning hard-hit metrics, 17th percentile in the big leagues according to MLB Statcast, and high fly ball rate, fourth percentile in groundball rate. 

Rutschman is worth a bet at north of +500. 

Julio Rodriguez

Rodriguez only has seven home runs on the year, but is still hitting the ball just fine. He is in the 91st percentile in terms of hard-hit percentage and is in the 91st percentile in average exit velocity. 

We are starting to see his numbers trend upwards, hitting .281 in June with a slugging percentage that is a monthly high of .456. He already has tied May for the most home runs in a month with three in June and I fancy his chances of going yard on Tuesday against Triston McKenzie. 

The Guardians right hander is in for harsh regression as the season continues, posting an xERA of 4.81 that far outpaces his 4.10 ERA. Further, the wind is set to blow out of Progressive Field at nearly six miles per hour, helping J-Rod’s hard contact to push over the fence. 

Bobby Witt Jr.

Witt Jr's numbers are fantastic this season, and they should be even better. With 11 home runs and a slugging percentage of .551, Witt's xSLG is .616. He is one of the best hitters in the bigs and should have plenty of more home runs already.

Tuesday is a great set up for him, facing an Athletics pitchign staff that is bottom five in ERA and starting lefty Hogan Harris. The utility arm has allowed three home runs to right handers in five appearances this season, making for a tough matchup against the likes of Witt Jr, who will also have the benefit of more than nine miles per hour of winds pushing the ball out.

Leeds United were willing to splash the cash to back Daniel Farke in the summer transfer window to bolster the squad for a season in the Premier League.

Whilst they may not have brought in the winger, Harry Wilson, that they wanted on deadline day, the Whites did add to the manager’s options in several key positions across the pitch.

Their work in the summer window has helped them earn eight points from their first seven Premier League matches. A very respectable return for a newly-promoted outfit.

Ranking Leeds United's summer signings

The Championship champions brought in ten new signings to improve the squad in the summer, and we have ranked them based on how they have looked so far.

We have gone for Noah Okafor in first place because the winger has scored two Premier League goals already and looks like he could be a real difference-maker in the final third, which could be the difference between being relegated and staying up.

Ranking Leeds United’s summer signings
Rank	Signing
1	Noah Okafor
2	Anton Stach
3	Gabriel Gudmundsson
4	Sean Longstaff
5	Dominic Calvert-Lewin
6	Lukas Nmecha
7	Lucas Perri
8	James Justin
9	Jaka Bijol
10	Sebastiaan Bornauw

Jaka Bijol, Sebastiaan Bornauw, and James Justin are all in the bottom three because they have played 18 minutes of Premier League football between them.

Sean Longstaff, Gabriel Gudmundsson, and Anton Stach have been regular starters and established themselves in the XI fairly quickly, hence their rankings, but Dominic Calvert-Lewin still has a bit to prove with one goal and eight ‘big chances’ missed in all competitions, per Sofascore.

Whilst it remains to be seen how these signings will be remembered in the future, we can review how some of the club’s signings performed when they were last promoted to the Premier League.

The Whites splashed the cash to break their transfer record to sign Rodrigo for Marcelo Bielsa in the summer of 2020, and the transfer did not go exactly to plan.

How much money Leeds United lost on Rodrigo

Leeds reportedly paid a fee of £27m to sign the Spain international to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch, but he failed to provide consistent quality in the final third.

Rodrigo scored seven goals and provided two assists in 27 Premier League matches in the 2020/21 campaign, before a return of six goals and one assist in 31 games in the 2021/22 season, per Sofascore.

At the end of that second season, journalist Phil Hay said: “My criticism more and more is that the impact of that investment just hasn’t been felt. Not enough of their signings have made a difference.

“Even on Wednesday, watching Rodrigo against Chelsea, I still can’t work out what he is. Where does he really fit in and is he ever going to work. That’s a £27million player.”

The reporter could not work out where the left-footed forward would fit in, and it was fair to question his contributions after 13 goals in two seasons as a £27m club-record signing.

In that 2021/22 campaign, pundit and former player Michael Dawson also claimed that he was “hiding” and “non-existent” in a clash with Southampton in October 2021, which shows that pundits and journalists alike were unimpressed with his performances.

Rodrigo scored 13 goals in the 2022/23 campaign, as Leeds were relegated from the Premier League, and eventually left the club to join Al-Rayyan for a fee of just £3m.

This shows that the Whites had a howler with the signing of the Spaniard because he was criticised by pundits and journalists in his first two seasons at the club, scored goals in a season that the team struggled in, and then left for £24m less than what he was signed for.

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It was a signing that did not prove to be value for money in the long run, and Farke and the 49ers will be hoping that none of this summer’s transfers are remembered as poorly as this one.