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The work done by Glasgow Rangers during the summer transfer window has come under plenty of scrutiny after a fairly dismal start to the season for the Scottish giants.

One win in the first seven games of the Scottish Premiership campaign led to head coach Russell Martin losing his job, having only been appointed in the summer as the long-term successor to Philippe Clement.

Danny Rohl arrived at Ibrox last month and has already delivered four wins from four matches in the Premiership, but he has also lost both of his Europa League games in the dugout.

The former Sheffield Wednesday tactician has won 100% of his league games in charge, most recently beating Livingston 2-1 at Ibrox thanks to goals from Emmanuel Fernandez and Mohamed Diomande.

Despite this upturn in results in the league, there will still be question marks over the summer recruitment due to poor form on the European stage from the Light Blues under both Martin and Rohl.

Who were the worst signings of the summer window by sporting director Kevin Thelwell before he was dismissed from his role on Monday? Here are our worst three…

3 Youssef Chermiti

It is almost impossible not to mention Youssef Chermiti as being among the worst signings made by Thelwell when you consider the context of the signing and the fee that was paid for him.

Firstly, Rangers had already signed proven Premiership goalscorer Bojan Miovski from Girona for a fee of up to £4.2m, which suggested that Martin already had his first-choice striker in the building.

Secondly, Chermiti cost a staggering £8m to sign him from Everton. That made him the most expensive Rangers signing in 25 years, since the £12m that was spent to land Tore Andre Flo in 2000.

Paying £8m to sign a 21-year-old striker who failed to score a single competitive goal in two years at Goodison Park is bad enough on paper, but even worse when you consider that Thelwell was the man behind the £15m deal to take him from Sporting to Everton in 2023.

The Toffees had to take a £7m hit on the striker without getting a single goal out of him because of Thelwell’s investment, and now Rangers look set to suffer a similar fate if his fortunes do not improve.

Chermiti has scored one goal and provided one assist in 13 outings in all competitions for the Light Blues this season, per Sofascore, which shows that he has already offered more than he did for Everton, but it is still not enough to justify the huge outlay.

Starts

4

xG

1.29

Goals

0

Big chances missed

4

Big chances created

0

Assists

0

Pass accuracy

59%

Duel success rate

35%

As you can see in the table above, he has particularly struggled in the Europa League this season, failing to offer quality in front of goal, in his general play, or physically, which is a big concern.

For the amount of money paid, the signing of Miovski made before his arrival, and how he failed when Thelwell signed him for Everton, he has to be among the ex-Gers man’s worst deals.

2 Joe Rothwell

Joe Rothwell also currently looks like one of the worst signings of the summer transfer window, in a move that was very different to the one that brought Chermiti to Ibrox.

Whilst the Portugal U21 international was signed for big money as a 21-year-old talent with room for improvement and potential to eventually hit, the English midfielder came in as an experienced 30-year-old operator who should have made an immediate impact.

Instead, the summer signing from Bournemouth has failed to hit the ground running at Ibrox and now looks to be out of favour under new head coach Rohl, after being brought in by Martin, whom he played for at Southampton in the 2023/24 campaign.

Livingston

0

Celtic

18

Hibernian

0

Kilmarnock

0

Brann

64

Dundee United

83

Falkirk

70

Sturm Graz

21

Livingston

17

Genk

10

As you can see in the table above, the Englishman has become a bit-part player for the Gers, failing to get on the pitch in the three league games that he has been available for under Rohl.

Given he was brought in as an experienced player for the here and now, it is hard to look past him as another one of Thelwell’s worst summer signings.

1 Thelo Aasgaard

Thelo Aasgaard looks to be another one of Thelwell’s worst pieces of business from the summer transfer window, as he has been as ineffective as Chermiti and Rothwell.

Rangers swooped to sign the Norway international from Luton Town for a fee of £3.5m to bolster their ranks in the attacking midfield positions, but he has been unable to provide a regular threat at the top end of the park.

Per Transfermarkt, Aasgaard has only produced one goal and one assist in 19 appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues, whilst Chermiti has one goal and one assist to his name in 13 outings for the club.

What makes that return even less impressive is that his assist was the pass to Djeidi Gassama in the clip above, where the winger does the majority of the heavy lifting for the goal.

The English-born number ten has not shown enough quality in his performances to suggest that he can be a difference-maker, aside from his stunning solo goal against Dundee United, which currently looks like it was a flash in the pan.

Heart & Hand content creator David Edgar described Aasgaard as “rotten” at the start of this month, and it is hard to disagree with that when he has many red cards as goals this season.

Aasgaard’s red card against Celtic in the semi-final of the League Cup is far from the only poor moment he has had in a Gers shirt, though, as the £3.5m signing was also hauled off at half-time against Livingston last weekend.

Rohl was clearly unhappy with his contributions in the opening 45 minutes, and it is hard to be happy with his contributions over the entire season so far, which is why he has been just as bad as Chermiti and Rothwell.

Antman upgrade: Rohl must unleash Rangers flop who Thelwell tried to replace

Danny Rohl should finally unleash this Rangers flop who Kevin Thelwell attempted to replace.

ByDan Emery Nov 25, 2025

He and Ian Holland take three wickets each as Northamptonshire are skittled for 189

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay25-Sep-2025

Chris Wright struck in his final appearance before retirement•Getty Images

Leicestershire 429 (Eskinazi 155) and 86 for 2 (Budinger 50, Keogh 2-20) lead Northamptonshire 189 (Zaib 62, Wright 3-19, Holland 3-28) by 326 runsChris Wright celebrated his 600th first-class wicket, crowning the final game of a 21-year professional career as his 3 for 19 helped put Leicestershire in the ascendency on day two of this Rothesay County Championship match against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.Wright, who was greeted by a guard of honour when he batted in the morning session, also collected his 800th wicket in all formats, and with Ian Holland taking 3 for 28, a hapless Northamptonshire were skittled for 189 inside 58 overs, 240 behind.Only the prolific Saif Zaib looked totally assured for Northamptonshire, scoring 62, his sixth half-century of the season to go with six centuries. Named the Supporters’ Club Player of the Year during lunch, his innings moved him into sixth place on the list of Northamptonshire batters with the most runs in a season this century.With Leicestershire deciding not to enforce the follow-on, Sol Budinger picked up where he left off in the first innings, smashing 50 off 44 balls. Rob Keogh took two wickets in two balls in the day’s closing overs to offer Northamptonshire a glimmer of hope, but the visitors closed strongly on 86 for 2, 326 ahead.Earlier Northamptonshire wrapped up the Leicestershire innings within 40 minutes, Logan van Beek (35) edging behind off Justin Broad (3 for 38). Centurion Stephen Eskinazi added just five to his overnight 150 before Broad found some late movement to take the edge. Finally, Josh Hull was caught down the leg side to give George Scrimshaw his third wicket and Lewis McManus his fifth catch of the innings and 51st dismissal of the Championship season. The Northamptonshire keeper, who has played every competitive game this summer has 75 dismissals in all formats.McManus (25) displayed some crisp strokeplay, unfurling sweet drives through the covers, but he also edged several balls which fell just short or ran wide of the slip cordon. He fell playing a rash pull to Hull’s first ball with two men back for the shot, van Beek taking an excellent catch as he back peddled at fine leg.Debutant Arush Buchake survived probing early spells from Leicestershire’s seamers and showed good timing as he drove through the covers. But after punching Holland behind square for his sixth boundary, he edged to second slip for a well-made 35, as Northamptonshire lost three wickets for 12 runs in seven overs.James Sales fell cheaply to Wright when he cut too close to his body and chopped on to his stumps. Then Keogh (28), who had got off the mark with two consecutive legside boundaries off Hull, was possibly unlucky to be adjudged lbw as he came down the track to Wright, 10 short of 10,000 career runs in all formats.Zaib attacked the spin of Liam Trevaskis, smashing six down the ground before collecting another maximum as he swept over deep midwicket.At the other end, Broad dropped anchor, but after half an hour van Beek got one to lift sharply and draw the edge of his bat through to keeper Ben Cox.Zaib took on van Beek, pulling and hooking, while using his feet to drive Trevaskis down the ground, but Northamptonshire lost a sixth wicket when debutant Stuart van der Merwe fell cheaply, sweeping Trevaskis round the corner into the hands of van Beek.Zaib drove Hull through the covers to reach fifty off 58 balls, while George Bartlett (11) flat batted a full toss from part-time spinner Rishi Patel over long off for six. But on the brink of tea, Bartlett was trapped lbw as he played down the wrong line to a straight one from Trevaskis.After tea Zaib had a rush of blood smashing Holland straight to mid-off before Wright celebrated his milestone wicket when he snared Ben Whitehouse lbw. Scrimshaw was the last to go, offering a return catch to Holland.Batting again, Leicestershire made their intentions clear as Budinger went on the offensive, blazing six fours and a six before he was bowled by Keogh with one that spun away. Next ball Keogh removed Holland via a brilliant one-handed grab by Broad at first slip.

Branislav Jasurek, representative of Napoli midfielder Stanislav Lobotka, has clarified the state of the player's relationship with head coach Antonio Conte. Jasurek and Lobotka stole headlines in Italy recently after comments resurfaced of the agent suggesting that his client will leave the club if the coach stays at the helm.

Lobotka's agent raises eyebrows in Italy

Jasurek appeared in a podcast with Slovak website which was recorded in October but gained significant traction in Italy this week. Lobotka's agent's comments sent shockwaves in Naples, as he stated that the combative midfielder could seek pastures new next summer if Conte ended up staying.

"Napoli have invested well in recent times and brought in new players," he said, before questioning Conte's choice to hand Lobotka very little rest amid his struggles with injuries. "That's why I don't understand why Lobotka had to play three difficult matches in eight days before the national team match. They could have given him a little rest and thus he would have been able to play for Slovakia in Northern Ireland. So I'm nervous," Jasurek expressed.

"If Stano wins a third title in Napoli, it will certainly be easier for him to leave, but I don't like to predict these things. He now has a significantly improved contract and could stay at the club for a few more years. But he is already 30 years old and it will be almost unrealistic to physically endure it under Conte. We are still talking about whether it can be managed at all. What Conte requires is brutally demanding. The coach's running requirements in statistics are incomparable."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportJasurek issues clarification, praises Lobotka's dynamic with Conte

Following how big a deal Jasurek's words became within hours of it making the rounds on the internet, the agent was contacted by Jasurek immediately issued a determined clarification, revealing that his words were taken out of context.

"I was very surprised, because the words were taken completely out of context," he assured. "It's true that I participate in a podcast in Slovakia, where we talk about the national team and some players. In that episode I spoke about Lobotka with a lot of appreciation. At the end, I said that it's difficult to work with Antonio Conte, because he's a very demanding coach, but I added that this is positive because he's a winner. Then I joked and said that Lobo might get tired and ask me for a transfer in the summer, but it was clearly a joke.

"Everyone on the podcast understood this, because I am his agent and every transfer is 'work' for me. Anyone who listened to the podcast in the original language would have immediately understood that it was just a joke. I can also assure everyone that Conte is like a father to Lobotka, and this relationship will never change. I am sure they will win many more trophies together."

Lobotka wants to win the Champions League with Napoli

Lobotka, who arrived from Celta Vigo in 2024, has a contract until 2027 with the Partenopei. There's also an option to extend his deal by another year. According to Jasurek, the Slovakia international harbors ambitions of lifting the Champions League trophy with Napoli, drawing parallels between his connection to the club and that of Marek Hamsík.

"Stanislav has the same relationship with Napoli as Marek Hamsik. He sees the city as his second home and has bought a house there. He shows commitment every week, often twice a week, and that's what matters most," Jasurek continued.

"He is already a two-time Italian champion with Napoli and fully believes he can win the title for the third time. He also dreams of the Champions League with this club. He is 30 years old — a time when he wants to lift trophies — and he is at the right club to achieve that."

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Getty ImagesHow's it going for Lobotka and Napoli this season?

The Scudetto holders have been struggling of late, dropping to fourth place after earning just seven points out of a maximum 15 from their previous five league encounters. Per reports, Conte is set to hold talks about his future at Napoli with the club's hierarchy. 

As for Lobotka, the 30-year-old has recently returned to full fitness after spending two weeks on the sidelines due to an adductor injury. 

The 21-year-old has been appointed Guyana’s vice-captain as they prepare to defend their four-day title in the West Indies Championship

Deivarayan Muthu29-Jan-2025Guyana’s Matthew Nandu had a rousing start to his career, scoring a century on first-class debut and almost repeating the feat on List A debut, in 2023. He then suffered a slump in form but is rising again, having topped the run-charts for Guyana in the 2024 Super 50 competition, with 260 runs in six innings at an average of 43.33. The 21-year-old has now been appointed Guyana’s vice-captain as they prepare to defend their four-day title in the West Indies Championship, which will kick off on January 29.Guyana will open their campaign against Barbados at Providence. Nandu has fond memories of his 126, spanning over eight hours, against the same opposition on debut in North Sound almost two years ago.”Before making my debut I was nervous but after I got a hundred it was a special feeling,” Nandu recalled, speaking to ESPNcricinfo during a camp at the Super Kings Academy in Chennai in December 2024. “Yes, not many people can say that they have a hundred on debut, but I think we can now leave that behind and keep moving forward. “I don’t want to look back at the past, I want to continue looking at tomorrow and what it brings.”Nandu prepared for West Indies’ domestic season by facing a variety of spinners on a variety of surfaces, including black and red, in Chennai. He hopes he can incorporate the Chennai lessons against spinners in the Caribbean.”I’ve been able to figure out ways to score off the spinners in the middle, especially against left-arm spin, and the coaches have given me some good pointers,” Nandu says. “I think what the coaches have passed on over this past week and a half, it’s been very helpful towards my game. I came here with an open mind, looking to learn as much as I possibly can and try and incorporate as much as I can towards my game. So, when I get the time to go back home and put in the work, I’ll definitely focus on the things that I learnt here and try and make it more consistent towards my game.”Related

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While Guyana continues to produce new heroes – Shamar Joseph is the latest poster boy of the region – cricket isn’t as popular in Canada, where Nandu grew up. Nandu played a number of sports, including baseball, basketball and ice hockey, when he was young, but he was always hooked to cricket, which is in his blood. Matthew is the son of Arjune, the former West Indies Under-19s and Guyana legspinner, who played four first-class matches before he moved to Canada. His uncle Richard Jodah has also represented Guyana in youth cricket.During the off-season in Canada, Nandu used to travel to Guyana and went onto emulate his father by playing for both West Indies Under-19s and Guyana. Against Papua New Guinea in the 2022 Under-19 World Cup at Diego Martin in Trinidad, he made 128 off 134 balls to go with two wickets with the ball.”I’ve had my dad work with me since I was a kid, so he’s played a big part in my journey as well; I’ve had the support from my mom and my brother and my uncle as well,” Nandu says. “I’ve been working hard towards my game since I was about nine-ten years old, fell in love with the game and found my way in Guyana, playing trials and stuff like that to get to the next level, so just looking to continue moving forward and taking one game and one opportunity at a time.”Matthew Nandu hones his defence at the CSK Academy in Chennai•Super Kings AcademyWhile these are still early days in his first-class career, Nandu has displayed stickability, which was the calling card of his hero and Guyanese great Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Nandu also idolises current West Indies ODI captain Shai Hope, who had handed out his maiden CPL cap at Guyana Amazon Warriors.”He’s not playing now but I looked up to Shiv Chanderpaul growing up,” Nandu says. “I think right now, it’s Shai Hope – the way he goes about his game and his mannerisms on and off the field. I feel special that Shai was the one who gave me the [CPL] cap and hopefully I’m looking forward to that happening in the future.”Shai was very open. He always wanted to share his knowledge with me, and I tried to work as much as I could with him, to learn as much as I can. And he was always open to share his experiences, and I took that with both arms.”You can be fairly certain Nandu wasn’t talking about getting another cap from Hope for any other team in domestic or franchise cricket.”Well, yeah, it [playing for West Indies] is the ultimate goal, but I think it’s one thing, getting to the level is one thing…but staying there and performing every game is another thing,” he says. “So, it comes more so with the mindset and working on that every day, every game. Just want to continue to have that right mindset.”

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