Latest news with #Toure
Scottish Sun
01-06-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Europa League winner ‘could join Rangers' as huge summer rebuild at Ibrox is set to begin under new American owners
The 29-year-old has been released by Kaiserslautern and is on the radar of the Ibrox club according to reports in Africa TARGET TOURE Europa League winner 'could join Rangers' as huge summer rebuild at Ibrox is set to begin under new American owners RANGERS are being linked with a move for former Kaiserslautern defender Almamy Toure. The 29-year-old, who helped German Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt defeat the Ibrox club in the Europa League final in 2022, has parted ways with Kaiserslautern after his contract expired. Advertisement 3 Toure played for Frankfurt in the Europa League final against Rangers Credit: AFP 3 Toure in action for Frankfurt Credit: Getty 3 Toure came through the ranks at Monaco Credit: Reuters Toure only played eight times last season for the second division side after struggling with injury problems. On his Instagram, he posted: "It's been a great journey and I've appreciated both the ups and downs - thank you for your support and kindness throughout these two seasons together. "I wish the club all the best for the future. "Now it's time for some holidays and hard work before the next adventure." Advertisement Toure came through the ranks at Monaco along with Kylian Mbappe and Bernardo Silva and made over 80 appearances for the Ligue 1 club before joining Frankfurt in 2019. According to Africafoot, the full-back, who can also play in central defence, is a target for the Ibrox side, and it is believed he would be a replacement for Leon Balogun. The report says Rangers would have competition for the Mali international's services, with Serie A side Genoa, Turkish outfit Trabzonspor and MLS' Philadelphia Union being credited with an interest. Balogun was one of a number of players to leave Ibrox after the end of a disappointing season along with Ianis Hagi and Tom Lawrence, while loanee Vaclav Cerny returned to Wolfsburg and could be on his way to Turkey according to reports there. Advertisement If Toure was to become a Rangers player, he would be the first under the new American owners Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises. The US consortium completed the long-awaited takeover of the club, and have made £20 million available for the new manager to come in and begin a rebuild of his squad in the summer. What next for Rangers after American takeover is confirmed? It is still to be determined who that will be, but it seems to be a straight shoot-out between former Real Madrid assistant Davide Ancelotti and ex-Southampton boss Russell Martin. Rangers will hope to name Philippe Clement's successor in the next few days, with new sporting director Kevin Thelwell starting on Monday. Advertisement Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Daily Record
31-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Rangers 'close in' on first transfer of 49ers era as star who broke Ibrox hearts in Seville is on the table
A former Frankfurt defender is reported to be on his way to Ibrox as one of the 49ers' first signings Rangers are reported to be closing in on their first incoming transfer of the 49ers era in defender Almamy Toure – who played against them for Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League final. The widely anticipated takeover which was first broken my Record Sport was completed yesterday with the American consortium, headed up by Andrew Cavenagh who becomes the new chairman at Ibrox, buying a controlling stake in the club. They promise fresh ideas and investment on and off the pitch as they look to restore Rangers, who have won just one top-flight title in the last 14 years, as a genuine force in Scotland. The first step in that direction will be appointing a new manager with Davide Ancelotti, Francesco Farioli and Russell Martin among the current contenders. But work is already ongoing in tandem to ensure the next boss will have a serviceable squad to work with. They've parted company with a number of out-of-contract stars like Leon Balogun, Ianis Hagi and Tom Lawrence and it's being reported in Africa that one player being considered to plug a gap in a depleted squad is 29-year-old Toure. Africa Foot say the versatile defender, equally effective at right-back and centre-back, is a target with work already underway to bring him to Scotland. Toure spent last season in the German second tier with Kaiserslautern where he struggled with injury and is looking for a move to get back playing regularly and relaunch a career that at one time looked highly-promising. He came through the ranks at Monaco and was part of the golden generation of talent that included Kylian Mbappe, Bernardo Silva and Fabinho. Toure came off the bench in their famous Champions League comeback victory over Manchester City in 2017 and played 80 times for the club before his exit in 2019. He then signed for Eintracht Frankfurt, where he won the Europa League in 2022 – downing Rangers on penalties in the final. The defender's exit from Kaiserslautern has already been confirmed and his reported weekly wage of around £8,000 puts him on the table as a cost-effective defensive option whose name value and experience may well appeal to the new Ibrox owners. You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also on WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here. Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.
Miami Herald
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Miami Hurricanes add another standout veteran linebacker. UM greats lobby Cantwell
The Miami Hurricanes continued an active post-spring portal cycle on Friday by adding Mohamed Toure, a former Rutgers linebacker who missed two of the past three seasons with separate ACL injuries but was very good in the one season that he played. Toure picked UM over Penn State, Indiana and North Carolina. He visited all four schools. Toure had 93 tackles (10 for loss) and five sacks in 2023, playing on a unit coached by new UM defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman. In Rutgers' bowl win against UM that year, he had eight tackles (two for loss) and a sack. But he tore his ACL in an August 2024 practice, his second torn ACL in three years. At 6-2 and 236 pounds, he's a natural weak-side or middle linebacker and was one of the most accomplished defenders remaining in the portal. Toure has 23 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and two interceptions in 37 games at Rutgers, having played in four seasons and missing two others with the ACL injuries. UM added North Carolina State linebacker Kamal Bonner a week ago, but Toure is the front-runner to start opposite Wesley Bissainthe. Adding Toure gives UM a very good and deep linebacker room; Raul Aguirre, Jaylin Alderman, Chase Smith and Bobby Pruitt all had good moments during spring practice. Toure is UM's eighth portal addition since spring practice ended, joining receivers Keelan Marion (BYU) and Tony Johnson (Cincinnati), Bonner, Tennessee safety Jakobe Thomas, Auburn cornerback/safety Keionte Scott (who spent the past four months with Houston), North Dakota State running back CharMar Brown and ex-Texas kicker Bert Auburn. In the months before spring practice, UM plundered the portal to add quarterback Carson Beck, ex-LSU receiver CJ Daniels, ex-Tulane tight end Alex Bauman; UAB tight end Jack Nickel; center James Brockermeyer; Louisiana Tech defensive tackle David Blay; cornerbacks Xavier Lucas (Wisconsin) and Ethan O'Connor (Washington State) and Charles Brantley (Michigan State); cornerback Emmanuel Karnley (the Arizona transfer then left UM in April); former Jacksonville State safety Poyser; ex-Charlotte long snapper Adam Booker and erstwhile FAU kicker Carter Davis. Lobbying of Cantwell Former Miami Hurricanes star offensive tackles Bryant McKinnie and Vernon Carey this week lobbied offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell, the No. 1 prep prospect in the 2026 class, to pick UM when he selects a school on Tuesday. Miami, Georgia and Oregon are the top contenders. 'Hey @jcantwell24, choosing the University of Miami was the best decision I've ever made—it fulfilled a lifelong dream,' former Miami offensive tackle and NFL first-round draft pick Bryant McKinnie posted on X. 'I came to The U with big goals, and I left having achieved even more.' Carey, also on X, said: 'From one No. 1 offensive lineman to another — The U is the move,' Carey Sr. wrote on X. 'Something special is brewing in Coral Gables, and we need you, @Jcantwell2499!' The 6-7, 300-pound Cantwell, who attends high school in Nixa, Missouri, visited UM in the spring and will visit Georgia on Saturday. says UM has told Cantwell it can pay him $2 million as a freshman as part of an NIL deal, though another recruiting web site said that figure is inaccurate and being floated by another school to hurt UM's chances.
The Independent
01-05-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Why Yaya Toure paid special visit to Brighton squad ahead of Newcastle clash
Yaya Toure was a special visitor at Brighton this week ahead of the Seagulls's Premier League clash with Newcastle. Toure is renowned as a cult legend of the Premier League, having ran the show for Manchester City during his eight years at the club, where he won three Premier League titles, two FA Cups and two League cups. The former Ivory Coast midfielder spent time at Albion's training ground talking to Fabian Hurzeler and his players, with the Brighton boss admitting his glee at the opportunity to pick the brains of one of the league's all-time greats. "In general we are a very open club and we always want to learn from other departments and other personalities," said Hurzeler. "He's an unbelievable personality. He was a great player so therefore we have two aspects when he was here. "The first one is he has a good relationship to the African players and I think it's very important we have someone there who can talk with the players, who has an understanding of where they come from, how is the culture there and what are their needs. I think that's something where I also can learn from. "And on the other side he was a great player so he can give me and the players some small advice on what it needs to be at the highest level. "We had a really interesting exchange. Although I didn't have that much time, I took away a lot of things and for sure we'll stay in touch and let's see how this relationship continues." Toure was voted African Footballer of the Year for four consecutive seasons, winning the prestigious award from 2011 through to 2014. Hurzeler hopes Toure's visit will have a positive impact on his side, who go into Sunday's game buoyed by l ast weekend's last-gasp 3-2 victory over West Ham, which ended a five-game winless run in the Premier League and reignited their European push. Albion trailed 2-1 going into the 89th minute but goals from Kaoru Mitoma and Carlos Baleba earned them three points. "I think the last game was very important because we showed character, we showed personality and we showed the belief in ourselves," said Hurzeler. "The group is full of positivity, the group is full of energy, and that's very important to have these attributes now in your team, especially for the last part of the season. "The main focus is we try to prepare for the next game. We know it's another big, big challenge for us but we are looking forward to it and I'm sure after this training week we are ready for it." Hurzeler confirmed defender Jan Paul van Hecke will be available after he missed the West Ham game with a head injury, while Adam Webster and Igor Julio could also feature. Record signing Georginio Rutter is also closing in on a return from his ankle injury and Hurzeler expects him to be available before the end of the season. The Brighton boss, meanwhile, said he remains in dialogue with Tariq Lamptey over his future, with the full-back out of contract this summer. "We have a really good relationship, we are always in an exchange," said Hurzeler. "That's what I always try to give the players - my honest opinion, a very transparent communication - and that's what I always will do."
New York Times
01-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Brighton's Fabian Hurzeler speaks with Yaya Toure for tips on managing African players
Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Fabian Hurzeler has spoken to Yaya Toure for tips on managing African players in his squad. Toure, assistant coach of the Saudi Arabia national team, visited Brighton's training complex on Wednesday to watch a session and speak with Hurzeler. The Brighton squad pushing to qualify for Europe includes Carlos Baleba (Cameroon), Yankuba Minteh (Gambia), Simon Adingra (Ivory Coast) and Tariq Lamptey (Ghana). Advertisement 'He is an unbelievable personality and he was a great player,' said Hurzeler during his press conference on Thursday ahead of Newcastle United's visit on Sunday. 'That is why he was here. First of all he has a good relationship with the African players and it's very important that we have someone who can talk to the players with an understanding of where they come from, what the culture is there and their needs. 'That is something I can also learn. I have not been there yet (to Africa). That is something I want to do in the future, visit the countries of the African players, but he can give me some insights. On the other side he was a great player, so he can give me and the players some small advices on what you need to get to the highest level.' 41-year-old Toure won the Premier League with Manchester City three times, the Champions League with Barcelona and the Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast during an illustrious playing career. 'It was interesting for me to get an understanding of how he adapted to the Premier League,' Hurzeler added. 'He needed time to be able to play in the Premier League. He said the physical demands were completely different. It gives then an understanding of how he adapted, what helped him to adapt. 'He also shared some nice stories, because he had some great coaches in his life and he always took something away from the coaches. He shared two or three advice that stayed in his mind, and that is something I can also take away. 'It was a really interesting exchange. Although I didn't have much time, I took away a lot of things and for sure we will will stay in touch. Let's see how this relationship continues.' Jan Paul van Hecke is set to return to the centre of Brighton's defence against Newcastle at the Amex Stadium after missing the last two home games. Advertisement The Dutch international was ruled out of last Saturday's 3-2 win against West Ham United under medical protocols following a late clash of heads with Yunus Emre Konak in the preceding 4-2 defeat at Brentford. Hurzeler said: 'He's ready to start. He trained yesterday and he said to me immediately afterwards he wants to play.' Van Hecke was suspended for the 2-2 home draw against Leicester City earlier this month after a red card in the 2-1 defeat at Crystal Palace. Injury issues at centre-back are easing for Hurzeler. Adam Webster trained on Wednesday and is an option for the matchday squad together with Igor Julio. Webster has been out since the end of March, Igor since the beginning of January, both with hamstring injuries. Brighton have beaten Newcastle twice away from home this season, in the league (1-0) and in the fifth round of the FA Cup (2-1 after extra time). Hurzeler's side are ninth in the table, 11 points adrift of the third-placed visitors who are chasing Champions League qualification after earning a place in the Europa Conference League by winning the Carabao Cup. (Top image of Yaya Toure via Yasser Bakhsh – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
