Hello Rank Squad!It's Jack's last episode as a Bachelor, and we thought we'd take a look at some transfers to send him off blissfully into wedded life. Liverpool have signed Florian Wirtz, breaking the British Transfer Record in doing so, and we discuss his arrival at Anfield and how he might fit into Arne Slot's Champion Reds next season. That gives us a launchpad to talk about some of the other most expensive transfers in Premier League history, so we rank 2-10 (feels a bit early to judge Wirtz just yet!) in order of the value they provided for their fee and also their transformative impact on their clubs - running through some of the obvious flops, all the way to the deals which are proving worth every penny. There's also time for a little Things We Love, where Jack gives some flowers to Santi Cazorla and Real Oviedo - one of the true feel-good stories of a summer mired in controversy and differing opinions. It's Ranks!Â
And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?
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1:15:42
Ranking Potentially Overpriced Transfers This Summer
Hello Rank Squad!Today we're diving back into the murky depths of the transfer market, and looking at some of the potential deals that are being discussed right now. It's a seller's market, in so many ways, and that often means that teams will overpay for players - whether through a gamble on a major talent, a burning need to fill a gap, or because they're absolutely hellbent on trying to turn things around after a tough season the year before. We look at five deals that feel like they might be a big step, with Dean suggesting them, and Jack generally arguing about why it's actually a pretty good bit of business - for a variety of different price tags and reasonings. Before that, we get stuck into the Club World Cup, hear about Dean's experiences on the ground and Jack's ones watching from across the Atlantic, and try to work out what we can learn from the tournament a year out from the 2026 World Cup.It's Ranks!Â
And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?
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57:18
Ranking New Managerial Appointments for 25/26
Hello Rank Squad!The (first) Transfer Window has officially closed, but there's been plenty of activity on the managerial merry-go-round across Europe, with new faces taking over at new places - to the delight of some and the chagrin of others. On today's episode we're looking at a number of new bosses and analysing how we think they fit their new home. We start with the most recent appointment - Brentford's Thomas Frank is all set to take over at Tottenham Hotspur, who moved on from Ange Postecoglou at the end of last week, and try to build on that Europa League trophy that Ange won in what turned out to be his final game. We discuss the differing approaches and how this might all work out; before moving on to talk about Xabi Alonso's new era at Real Madrid, after he left Bayer Leverkusen to replace Carlo Ancelotti; and his replacement at Leverkusen - former Manchester United and Ajax gaffer Erik ten Hag. Then in Part Three, we get stuck into the Calcio Chaos - Christian Chivu replacing Simone Inzaghi at Inter; Max Allegri returning to AC Milan to take over from the sacked Sergio Conçeição; Gian Piero Gasperini leaving Atalanta to take over from Claudio Ranieri at Roma, with the Tinkerman turning down the Azzurri to stay upstairs in the Eternal City; and former Gasperini disciple Ivan Juric replacing the old chessmaster at Atalanta. There's some chat too about the Club World Cup and some of the transfers yet to happen this summer at the start of the show, and don't forget to take a look at our Patreon, where there's loads more transfer podcasts and newsletters happening over the course of this summer. It's Ranks!
And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?
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1:10:48
UCL Final Takeaways & Ranking Transfers That Could Flop
Hello Rank Squad! The footballing summer is officially here, with the Champions League Final crowning what has been a pretty unbelievable season in Europe all round. We start today's episode with the final word on that final, where Luis Enrique's brilliant PSG absolutely dismantled Inter in one of the all-time great showpiece performances. Then, it's onto the talk of the summer - transfer season; and whilst there will be plenty of this covered here on Ranks all summer long, we wanted to take a look at some of the deals already done or nearly done, that we have reservations about for one reason or another. Some are personal, some are club-related, and some are just a question of fit; but whilst there could and should be levels of excitement, it's important to try and be realistic as well. We discuss the details of moves for Rayan Cherki, Jobe Bellingham, Liam Delap and Matheus Cunha; and also touch on Bruno Fernandes' decision to stay at Manchester United. We finish off with a discussion of some of the deals we think are absolutely guaranteed to be a success, as well as some early thoughts on the links between Arsenal and Benjamin Sesko. It's Ranks!
And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?
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1:06:52
The Truth: The Season Finale
It's time for The Truth! For the last time this season, Sam and Dougie convene in the studio to record, and for the season finale, they're looking back at the first year of the podcast - what they got right, what they got wrong, and some of the best bits as well. Picking for each other, the boys choose a Best Take, Worst Take, Most Enlightening Take and Most Surprising Take from the year just gone, and analyse them with the huge added benefit of hindsight - as well as a hint of some justification. Before that, we have a chat about Sunderland's promotion to the Premier League, and Aston Villa's failure to secure Champions League football, as we finish up what's been a magnificent first year for the podcast. How did the boys do? Well, as ever, The Truth is somewhere in the middle...
And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon?
Welcome to Ranks FC - the show that takes football and puts it in the right order. Join Jack, Dean & friends every Wednesday for rankings that discuss the best of football across Europe, from the Premier League to Serie A, La Liga to the Bundesliga, Ligue 1 to the Primeira Liga and beyond!If you're here to hear about the best players on the planet, the next generation coming through, the biggest transfer deals and the under-the-radar steals, you've come to the right place - all with a positive outlook, Things We Love, and the infamous Melon of the Week. It's Ranks!
South Africa