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One final push. The Premier League title race has entered the last stretch, and Liverpool’s advantage at the summit is almost unassailable.

Barring a dramatic decline, Arne Slot’s Reds will be crowned champions by May, second-place Arsenal trailing 12 points behind. Focus is already being turned ahead to the summer transfer window, with the gaffer sure to want to avoid any bouts of second-season syndrome.

Liverpool need reinforcements in a range of zones. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s expected move to Real Madrid should give rise to a concerted approach for a successor, but it’s on the other flank that bringing someone in is a more pressing need.

It’s early days yet, but Milos Kerkez is the name on most fans’ minds.

Liverpool's interest in Milos Kerkez

Liverpool have been linked with Bournemouth’s Kerkez for several months now, Slot having grown concerned about Andy Robertson’s decline and Kostas Tsimikas’ unshakeable reputation as the second-fiddle man.

Kerkez has been a “revelation” for the Cherries this season, so says Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher, bringing a potent and sparky style to the left side of Andoni Iraola’s backline.

Now, things are starting to shift. As per The Times, Bournemouth will demand a fee of £45m for their 21-year-old star this summer, who has three years remaining on his current deal.

In short, chairman Bill Foley is ready to play hardball, even if the Hungarian, good friends with Dominik Szoboszlai, wants the move.

However, FSG rarely place all their eggs in one basket and could move for a different up-and-comer, one who might even have a higher ceiling than Liverpool’s ostensible top target.

Liverpool eyeing Kerkez alternative

Kerkez is a talented guy, but he’s not the only exciting left-back on the market. According to Football Insider, Liverpool are also interested in Ajax star Jorrel Hato, 19, and have been informed that a £40m bid would convince the Dutch giants to sell.

Hato’s propensity to impress across central and wide defensive berths makes him an attractive proposition indeed for Slot’s Liverpool. For one so young, £40m is a tall order but the lofty potential is clear.

However, Arsenal, Chelsea and Los Blancos are all keen too, so the Anfield side will need to act swiftly if they are to complete the signing of a supertstar in the making.

Why Jorrel Hato would be perfect

A buccaneering defender, Hato is aggressive and brave, rooted in his defensive virtues but eager to travel about and progress play forward.

Described as an “exceptional athlete” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Hato has been something of a revelation for Ajax, who are nine points clear at the top of the Dutch Eredivisie, two seasons without winning the title.

Already, he’s featured 104 times for the first team, racking up four goals and nine assists, with Mattinson unsurprisingly highlighting his “insane quality on the ball”.

FBref have the data to back it all up: the teenager ranks among the top 20% of full-backs across relevant leagues over the past year for ball recoveries and the top 6% for through balls per 90.

While Hato wouldn’t come cheap at £40m, it may be that he would make a better signing than Kerkez, for Hato could be shaped by Slot’s craftsman hands, nurtured into a player capable of serving across multiple defensive roles.

At 6 foot, the Dutchman is a powerful and commanding player, perhaps with a more structured style of play that could see him dovetail into Slot’s system without eliminating a natural attacking edge that has actually topped Kerkez’s own haul this term.

Jorrel Hato vs Milos Kerkez (2024/25)
Stats (* per game)	Hato	Kerkez
Matches (starts)	24 (23)	29 (29)
Goals	2	2
Assists	6	5
Touches*	66.6	57.8
Pass completion	90%	81%
Big chances created	5	6
Dribbles*	0.3	0.6
Ball recoveries*	4.0	4.6
Tackles + interceptions*	2.8	2.6
Clearances*	2.0	2.7
Duels (won)*	4.5 (55%)	3.8 (51%)
Stats via Sofascore

Hato might have the properties to perform as a centre-back in the long run, but he’s played the entirety of the 2024/25 campaign as a full-back and would be the perfect understudy for Robertson, 31, next season.

Well, understudy with a view toward leapfrogging the veteran. Hato’s tactical qualities lend themselves to success across multiple roles, but he’s got the ball-playing ability and sinewy athleticism to pass the tests the Premier League has to offer and indeed flourish in the years ahead.

Robertson, indeed, may be flagging but has still served as a starting member of a potentially title-winning team, completing 89% of his passes in the Premier League.

His style of play has worked so well for Liverpool over the years, though, that it might be that Hato’s somewhat similar approach could bear dividends for the Reds as they move into their second iteration under Slot’s wing next season.

Harking back to the table above, Hato is showing signs of being a more able and reliable defender than Kerkez, who is no rookie himself, with an endless gas tank and an unwavering sense of tenacity besides.

Such prodigal talent has seen Hato become one of Europe’s most exciting youngsters. Indeed, last month, he became a part of his side’s prestigious 100 club, the youngest to achieve the feat at 18 years old – Matthijs De Ligt was the previous holder at 19 years and 199 days.

The exciting thing is that he’s got so much potential still to tap into. With Slot, his compatriot, guiding him to the fore, it could be a match made in heaven for Liverpool as they look to get even better next year.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

A tough ask; they are heading for the Premier League title, after all. But to consolidate this position of strength under Slot’s management, this is just the type of signing needed. Kerkez is great, Hato’s just better, and a mite cheaper at that.

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By
Angus Sinclair

Apr 1, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur have now held talks with the agents of a “sensational” £40m striker, who is attracting widespread interest from Premier League clubs, according to a report.

Spurs widening striker search

Tottenham are one of many big Premier League clubs looking at bringing in a striker this summer, with both Dominic Solanke and Richarlison struggling with injuries at times this season, which has left Ange Postecoglou lacking options in attack.

Moise Kean is the latest player to be shortlisted, with Spurs now monitoring the former Everton man, who has enjoyed a very impressive campaign with Fiorentina in the Serie A, while a ‘super’ bid could be made for Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres.

The Lilywhites have also started to make moves for Lille striker Jonathan David, who will be available for free in the summer, but with a number of Europe’s top clubs vying to sign the Canadian, it could prove to be very difficult to get a deal done.

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1 ByEmilio Galantini Mar 28, 2025

Another striker who is attracting widespread interest is Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap, in light of a solid debut campaign in the Premier League, and a report from The Boot Room has revealed Tottenham have now held talks with the forward’s agents.

Barring Manchester City, the rest of the Premier League’s ‘big six’ hold an interest in Delap, with Newcastle United also in the race for his signature, which means a deal will not be easy to complete.

Man City own a 20% sell-on clause on their former forward, which means they will pocket a tidy sum from any sale, with the Tractor Boys looking to hold out for around £40m.

Tottenham Hotspur’s upcoming fixtures

Date

Chelsea (a)

April 3rd

Southampton (h)

April 6th

Eintracht Frankfurt (h)

April 10th

Wolverhampton Wanderers (a)

April 13th

Eintracht Frankfurt (a)

April 17th

"Sensational" Delap impressing in a poor side

Ipswich are now nine points from safety, following a four-game losing streak in the Premier League, but their one shining light this season has been Delap, who has regularly been amongst the goals.

The Englishman has 10 goals and two assists to his name in 28 Premier League outings, which has led to high praise from some members of the media, having been dubbed “sensational” by GOAL writer Jacob Schneider.

Roy Keane and Daniel Sturridge have also been very impressed by the 22-year-old, with the former describing him as an “aggressive” striker.

Given his age, Delap could be a steal at just £40m, so it is exciting news that Tottenham have made initial contact, but with so many other clubs in the race for his signature, it may be difficult to win the race if they don’t seal Champions League qualification via a Europa League triumph.

Chelsea have now made contact over the signing of a defender, having stepped up their interest in recent weeks, but there may be competition for his signature from one of their London rivals, according to a report.

Blues keen to strengthen in defence

The Blues have set their sights on multiple defenders ahead of the summer transfer window, with Flamengo right-back Wesley Franca now emerging as a target, having held talks over a deal for the Brazilian in recent days.

On the opposite side of the backline, Enzo Maresca’s side could look to bring in Sunderland left-back Dennis Cirkin, having started to work on a deal, though there is set to be stiff competition for his signature from a number of Premier League clubs.

Maresca is clearly keen to bolster his options at full-back, and the manager is also driving a move for Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, who could be brought in as a replacement for Robert Sanchez.

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The west Londoners are now interested.

By
Emilio Galantini

Mar 8, 2025

Signing a new goalkeeper may be an important task this summer given the catalogue of errors Sanchez has made this season, but there is also a desire to strengthen in the centre-back department.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Chelsea have now made contact over the signing of Feyenoord’s David Hancko, having stepped up their interest in the centre-back over the past few weeks.

However, there may be competition for Hancko’s signature, with Tottenham ramping up their interest of late, while Atlético Madrid and Juventus are also named as potential suitors – and he is said to be enticed by the idea of joining the Italian club.

Feyenoord would be willing to sanction the defender’s departure for £42m this summer, making him a relatively affordable option should the Blues choose to formalise their interest in the summer.

"Freak technician" Hancko could be a solid signing

The Feyenoord star has received high praise from freelance scout Ben Mattinson, who has lauded him for his ability to drive the ball forward from defence.

The former Sparta Prague man’s attacking ability is underlined by his impressive goal and assist record in the league over the past five seasons.

Season	League appearances	Goals	Assists
2020-21	24	5	2
2021-22	30	7	5
2022-23	34	2	4
2023-24	34	5	2
2024-25	23	3	2

Journalist Diederik de Groot has also described the Slovakia international as the “best defender” he’s ever seen at Feyenoord, and he has been in impressive form this season, emerging as one of the most consistent performers in the squad.

Hancko has certainly earned the chance to prove himself in the Premier League, and a £42m fee seems reasonable, so Chelsea should continue to monitor his performances before potentially launching a bid in the summer.

Shifting their focus towards the summer transfer window, Manchester United are now reportedly seriously considering a move worth over £66m to sign a midfield reinforcement.

Man Utd transfer news

More than almost anyone in the Premier League, Manchester United desperately need reinforcements. If the remaining months of Erik ten Hag’s reign began to expose the quality of the current side, then Ruben Amorim’s first few months have revealed all.

The former Sporting CP boss has quickly been forced to realise the reality of the situation he has joined, often left to work with square pegs in round holes. His 3-4-2-1 system simply has not worked with the current squad and, in truth, that should have been a given.

Amorim arrived to use a system that was relying on wing-backs in a squad without natural solutions until Patrick Dorgu joined. He also arrived to use a system which does not use wingers in a squad built around Marcus Rashford, Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho. So, even on paper, United’s struggles should have always seemed likely.

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ByJoe Nuttall Feb 21, 2025

It’s a problem that INEOS must fix when the summer arrives and hand their new manager players who suit his system – perhaps starting with a Premier League midfielder.

According to reports in Spain, Manchester United are now seriously considering an €80m (£66.3m) chase to sign Adam Wharton from Crystal Palace. Just back from a hamstring injury, the England international is gradually working his way towards full fitness and his best form, perhaps just in time for the summer transfer window to arrive.

At his best, Wharton helped to transform Oliver Glasner’s side in the second half of last season before seeing injury disrupt his first full campaign at Selhurst Park. Reportedly maintaining his pricey valuation nonetheless, Manchester United will have to raise an impressive sum if they are to sign the midfielder this summer.

"Great" Wharton needs time

Fresh from injury and yet to complete a full season in the Premier League, Wharton should maintain his patience and avoid joining what could quickly turn into a nightmare move at Manchester United.

Several players in the past have instantly regretted completing such moves and given that Palace are currently above the Red Devils in the Premier League, Wharton would need to question whether it’s a risk worth taking this summer.

Praised by Glasner last season, the Austrian told reporters when asked about Wharton: “[As coaching staff] we tell him, or give him, one or two tips and he tries to do it. He has a great quality and he’s fit, which is unusual as he [is] playing almost every single minute of every single game.

“He always shows great performances with his passing, with his solutions and with his hard working in central midfield together with Will Hughes, it’s very important for us. He’s at the beginning of a great career and we will support him as good as possible.”

Another question is whether Manchester United can even afford such a hefty deal. Their financial limitations are no secret and they must sell before they can even think about reaching Wharton’s reported price tag.

Chelsea’s season is in danger of spiralling out of control.

On Saturday evening, the Blues suffered a third successive Premier League away defeat, this time beaten 2-1 by Aston Villa.

Enzo Maresca’s side have now won just two of their last ten league outings, relinquishing their place in the Champions League spots.

Out of both domestic cups too, this season, which seemingly promised so much, could ultimately be deemed a failure, with the Blues’ ongoing centre-forward crisis once again a talking point.

Chelsea's continued striker issue

As noted by Nizaar Kinsella of BBC Sport, despite spending in excess of £1.5bn since Todd Boehly’s takeover, Chelsea are ‘threadbare’ in attack ‘with no fit strikers to call upon’.

That’s because Chelsea are enduring a striker shortage, given that Nicolas Jackson will be sidelined until April ‘due to a muscular injury’, while Marc Guiu suffered a ‘bad knee injury’ against West Ham.

Even before this, there were question marks over Chelsea’s centre-forward position, with Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports stating he believes they do not have a striker good enough to win the Premier League title.

So, for now, Christopher Nkunku is leading the line, but he certainly isn’t earning rave reviews.

Louis Sealey of the Metro described his display at Villa Park on Saturday as ‘non-existent’, while Barry Glendenning of the Guardian outlines how he spent the majority of the evening ‘gesticulating in frustration’.

Meantime, Malik Ouzia of the Evening Standard notes that he continues to be the ‘least threatening of Chelsea’s attackers’, which is far from ideal considering the Blues’ lack of alternatives.

So, given Chelsea’s ongoing search for a reliable goalscorer, do they regret allowing one to leave?

Former Chelsea striker now among the goals

Many may have actually forgotten that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was a Chelsea player not too long ago. Described as “world-class” upon his arrival at the Bridge by Behdad Eghbali, he ended up making just 21 appearances for the Blues, scoring only three goals, before quickly departing for Olympique de Marseille a year later.

During one season with les Phocéens, the Gabonese striker actually scored 30 goals in just 51 appearances, but departed OM to become the latest big-name player to move to the Saudi Pro League, joining newly-promoted outfit Al-Qadsiah.

Well, with Aubameyang spearheading their attack, Al-Qadsiah are currently third in the Saudi Pro League which, according to Hussain Almaskati of New of Bahrain, is ‘defying expectations’, with a Saudi Gazette report describing his performances as ‘sensational’.

So, let’s see how Aubameyang compares to Chelsea’s two most-used strikers: Nkunku and Jackson.

Aubameyang vs Nkunku & Jackson 24/25

Statistics

Auba

Nkunku

Jackson

Appearances

21

33

24

Minutes

1,863

1,493

1,778

Goals

12

13

9

Minutes per goal

155

115

198

Assists

2

4

5

Shots per 90

3.54

2.72

3.27

Shots on target %

45.5%

55.3%

47.6%

Big chances missed

10

13

15

Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt, FBref.com & Sofascore

As outlined in the table, it’s actually Nkunku who boasts the best statistics, but this must be caveated.

The Frenchman has scored 13 goals this season, but only two have come in the Premier League, on target seven times in the Conference League, as well as bagging a hat-trick against Barrow in the EFL Cup.

Of course, Aubameyang is plying his trade in the Saudi Pro League which, according to Global Football Rankings, is the 31st best league in the world, while the Premier League is top of these rankings, which provides some perspective.

Nevertheless, the fact the 35-year-old has missed fewer Opta defined big chances than both Nkunku and Jackson this season suggests he could have helped the Blues had he stayed.

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Posts ByBen Gray Feb 23, 2025

West Ham are one of the lower-scoring sides in the Premier League this season, scoring 29 goals in 24 games so far.

Graham Potter’s side are averaging 13.8 shots per game which is the ninth highest in the division but have only generated 35.57 expected goals (xG) so far this term, ranking them 15th in the division in this metric.

This shows West Ham are not only creating poorer value shots than other teams, but they are also not finishing at a good enough level to offset that, underperforming their xG by -6.57.

The Hammers have been without a true striker for much of the season, with injuries to Michail Antonio and summer signing, Niclas Füllkrug, leaving much of the pressure on Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus once again.

Jarrod Bowen's & Mohammed Kudus' amazing partnership at West Ham

Last campaign, Bowen was on fire, making 44 appearances scoring 20 goals, providing ten assists and totaling 2,842 minutes, whilst Kudus made 45 appearances in his debut season, scoring 14 goals, providing six assists and totaling 3,511 minutes played.

Much of the attacking onus fell on the pair, with Bowen making 22 appearances as a centre-forward, showing the Hammers lack of a focal point.

This has carried over into this campaign, but the pair are struggling to have the same impact, providing less output for the side.

This season, Bowen has made 22 appearances scoring seven goals and providing four assists, whilst Kudus has appeared in 22 matches, netting just three times and supplying two assists.

The pair could clearly use a proven centre-forward to ease their pressure, and David Moyes reportedly wanted a certain striker who could have done just that back in 2023.

One that got away

The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast's One That Got Away series.

Expand Collapse West Ham missed out on amazing striker

It’s safe to say that West Ham’s luck in the striker market has been pretty appalling over the last few years.

From the likes of Gianluca Scamacca and Albian Ajeti to Fullkrug in the present day, nothing seems to quite click in the central attacking spot in the team. However, that could have been oh-so different two years ago.

Indeed, in the 2023 summer transfer window, Moyes and West Ham were reportedly very interested in Coventry striker, Viktor Gyokeres, with the manager personally scouting him on several occasions in the EFL.

However, when the 2023 summer window rolled around, Gyokeres made a shock £20m move to Portuguese giants, Sporting.

Since joining the club, the Sweden international has been nothing short of ridiculous having made 85 appearances, scoring 77 goals and providing 22 assists in 6,924 minutes played. The 26-year-old is now on 34 goals in 35 matches this term and is being touted as a £62.5m striker according to Transfermarkt, which would be a pretty sizable profit for Sporting.

Gyokeres vs Bowen & Kudus in 24/25

Stats (per 90 mins)

Gyokeres

Bowen

Kudus

Goals

1.20

0.37

0.16

Assists

0.26

0.18

0.11

xG

0.66

0.25

0.28

xAG

0.25

0.24

0.11

Progressive Carries

4.26

3.51

3.51

Progressive Passes

1.76

3.20

2.76

Shots Total

4.42

2.97

2.94

Goals/Shot

0.20

0.11

0.05

Key Passes

2.50

2.01

1.09

Shot-Creating Actions

3.82

4.23

4.02

Stats taken from FBref

When comparing Gyokeres’s underlying metrics with both Bowen and Kudus, you can clearly see the extra level of clinical finishing he would have provided.

He has a higher goals/shot ratio than both combined, scoring 1.20 goals per 90 and generating a higher xG per 90 than the Hammers wingers combined.

Gyokeres has been described as a ball-striking “monster” by Ben Mattinson, which has been further proven with his goal-scoring record in Portugal.

This is just one of the 26-year-old’s many elite qualities, including his ability to run the channels and manipulate the ball inside the box.

A front line consisting of Gyokeres, Bowen and Kudus could have been one of the most threatening in the Premier League, especially under Moyes in transition moments, playing in a deeper block and looking to hit teams on the break.

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Posts ByConnor Holden Feb 7, 2025

Batter due to fly out to Australia next week but may have limited practice before tournament

Matt Roller27-Sep-2022Liam Livingstone is likely to arrive at the T20 World Cup in Australia “undercooked” after his ankle injury, but should be fit to play in at least one warm-up game, Moeen Ali has said.Livingstone was ruled out of England’s ongoing T20I series to Pakistan after suffering the injury during the Hundred and has been at Emirates Old Trafford over the past week to step up his rehabilitation.He is expected to travel to Australia next week to link up with the rest of the England squad, who will fly there from Lahore on Monday after the seventh and final T20I against Pakistan. England will then play three matches against Australia and one official warm-up against Pakistan before starting their World Cup campaign against Afghanistan on October 22 in Perth.”I know he’s speaking to Jos and I actually messaged him a couple of days ago to see how he was going,” Moeen said on Tuesday. “He said it’s getting there and he’s on the mend. Hopefully, in Australia, he’ll probably play the last warm-up game or something like that.”When you do your ankle, it’s not easy. I’ve done mine at the IPL and once you’ve rolled it once, apparently it keeps rolling… you keep rolling it throughout your career so you’ve got to be really careful. I’ve done mine twice and I think he’s done his three times now.”We’re hoping that he’s ready. He might be a little bit undercooked but he’ll pick it up quickly and it’s actually not been a bad thing for him to have a bit of a break from cricket.”Chris Jordan, who also missed the Pakistan tour through injury, is expected to be ready to play when he arrives in Australia at the start of next week. Last week, the splint came off the finger that he fractured during the Hundred and he has been training at The Kia Oval to prepare for the World Cup.More immediately, Chris Woakes could make his first England appearance in any format since March on Wednesday night in Lahore after various injuries caused him to miss the home international summer.”There’s a good chance,” Moeen said of Woakes’ prospects, “but we’ve not named a team to the boys so we are just waiting. He’s good. He is really looking forward to playing but he’s also been out for a long time, so he wants to make sure he’s completely ready.Related

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“Until you play, you don’t know if you’re ready. But he is really confident, he’s happy and the medical team is happy with him, so we will definitely see him [in this series]. He is a big player for England… Woakesy is a great guy, great for the team.”Richard Gleeson has also been passed fit for the rest of the series after a niggle restricted him to two overs in the first T20I in Karachi. Gleeson will be one of three travelling reserves for the World Cup, along with Liam Dawson and Tymal Mills.Moeen, who has deputised as captain for the injured Jos Buttler during this series, said that he was happy with how England played in the Karachi leg of the tour, which finished level at 2-2 following Pakistan’s two-run win on Sunday.”I’m just pleased with the way we are playing, with the young guys coming in and performing really well,” he said. “Speaking to Jos, he’s really pleased with the way things are going.”When we lost in the summer, we were playing poorly. You are a bit more down about those results. It was a disappointing result the other night, but it was a great game of cricket. Okay, we lost, but I feel we are playing good cricket. We lost a lot of wickets in the powerplay but we managed to stay in the game until the very end.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Líder e 100% em dois jogos, o Monte Azul teve bom início no Campeonato Paulista Sub-20. Com vitórias diante o Botafogo-SP e Francana, o Monte Azul conquistou a liderança com cinco gols feitos – melhor ataque do grupo – e três gols sofridos.

Único time na chave com 100% de aproveitamento, o Monte Azul volta a campo nesta quarta-feira, diante o Olímpia, fora de casa, em jogo à partir das 15h.

Em seu primeiro trabalho como treinador do Monte Azul, Andrews Deco acredita na força do grupo como principal fator para o sucesso neste início da competição.

– Buscamos trabalhar principalmente no último terço do campo. Temos um grupo muito qualificado e que foi montado com muito planejamento. Extrair ao máximo desses garotos é o nosso principal objetivo, por isso trabalhamos atividades de criação e. velocidade. Além disso, faço com que eles atuem como um time, como um grupo, pois assim vamos conquistar grandes feitos – afirmou o treinador.

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Na classificação geral do torneio, o Monte Azul aparece na 14ª colocação com 6 pontos, mas com um jogo a menos do que todos os times que hoje formam o G5 geral de classificação. Uma vitória diante o Olímpia pode dar ao Monte Azul, dependendo das combinações de resultados, a 3ª colocação geral do torneio.

– Este começo mostra que estamos no caminho certo e que o trabalho pode ser recompensado com muito esforço e vontade dos garotos. Queremos alcançar grandes voos na competição e pra isso precisamos crescer mentalmente e fisicamente, jogo após jogo – finalizou Andrews Deco.

Birmingham City are set to sign a new player for Chris Davies in 2025, with an agreement already reached, according to a Sky Sports reporter.

Birmingham flying under Davies

The Blues are looking good for League One promotion at the first attempt under Davies, currently sitting two points clear at the top of the table with two games in hand.

Davies’ side have navigated their way through a busy festive period, with their last third-tier defeat coming back in November. The games continue to come thick and fast for Birmingham, including an eye-catching trip to Wrexham later this month.

Birmingham City’s next 5 fixtures	Date
Birmingham City vs Lincoln City (FA Cup)	11 January
Swindon Town vs Birmingham City (EFL Trophy)	14 January
Birmingham City vs Exeter City	18 January
Wrexham vs Birmingham City	23 January
Huddersfield Town vs Birmingham City	28 January

However, with the transfer window open, there have been rumours of a new defender arriving at St Andrews, including Swansea City’s Harry Darling. It looks as if a move for a long-term target has now been reached, though, in what will be a boost for the Blues and Davies.

Birmingham set to sign defender

According to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg, Birmingham have “sealed” the services of Hannover 96 defender Phil Neumann. The 27-year-old is out of contract in the summer where he will join the Blues on a free transfer.

Neumann, a former Germany U20 international, is primarily a centre-back but can also play at right-back if required.

He came through the youth academy at FC Schalke before turning out for FC Ingolstadt and Holstein Kiel, signing for Hannover 96 in 2022.

Neumann’s next club is set to be Birmingham, though, and talking to Football League World, Blues fan pundit Mike Gibbs thinks he could be a “massive addition”.

“I think the Neumann deal is outstanding. Based on the reading I’m doing, and looking at some of the data, looking at some of the reports that are coming out, he’s probably the most respected defender (in Germany) outside of the Bundesliga I think.

“He’s obviously done very, very well. We were in for him in the summer, I think there was talk of about £4m. I think he’d be an outstanding signing, and all of the signals lead to him being a massive addition.

“I think, obviously, there’s a lot of chat about, yes, it’s a pre-contract agreement, but can we then do a deal with Hannover where he joins in January? A lot of the chat on some of the groups that I’ve been in is if you can get him in January, but almost give him six months to acclimatise.

“It doesn’t majorly disrupt what’s going on now, but what it does mean is that, come the summer, he’s raring to go for next season, which is hopefully in the Championship. I think, next year, if he has a full summer, or we do bring him in in January, I do think he’s a natural starter, personally.”

“We were even going ahead in the game, but they kept on fighting, and they played better than us in the second innings”

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jul-2022It started with a match-haul of nine wickets at Trent Bridge over a year ago and ended with a world record with the bat at Edgbaston. In between, there was a workhorse-like spell at Lord’s and magic at The Oval – all of which contributed to his 23 wickets, the most by an Indian bowler in a Test series in England. Then came the captaincy.Essentially, it should’ve been everything Jasprit Bumrah could have asked for, right? It wasn’t. He, and India, would’ve dearly loved to wrap up a series win in England, but that wasn’t to be. The fifth Test, which was originally to be played in Manchester last September, finished with England pulling off their highest-ever chase in Test cricket – 378 – with seven wickets in hand.Related

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A disappointed Bumrah touched upon India’s batting lapses in the second innings as the turning point in the Test. India lost their last seven wickets for 92 to fold for 245.”This is the beauty of Test cricket, isn’t it? Even if you have three good days, you have to keep coming in and keeping up the good performances,” he said. ” I think yesterday [Monday], we fell short with the bat, and we had to come back with the ball. That is the phase where we let the opposition in, and the momentum kept shifting away from us.”Bumrah credited England’s fighting spirit and their ability to seize the advantage at key moments. “Ifs and buts… if you go back, you could say in the first match if there was no rain, we could’ve won the series, but this is how the game of cricket goes,” he said. “England played really well, they put us under pressure.”We were even going ahead in the game, but they kept on fighting, and they played better than us in the second innings and won the game. So yeah, hard-fought series, but that’s the ideal result, isn’t it? Both teams played good cricket.”Bumrah had a word of praise for Rishabh Pant, who turned the game around on the opening day by lifting India from the depths of 98 for 5 with a counterattacking 146 off 111 balls. His 222-run sixth-wicket stand with Ravindra Jadeja set the tone for India’s 416.”He takes his chances. He and Jaddu [Jadeja] really got us back into the game because we were really struggling at that time. [At] 98 for 5 England were on top. They counter-attacked and got us into the game, and we were ahead in the game. That’s the beauty of Test cricket, we’ve got different characters in our team. He [Pant] takes his chances, backs his game, and goes to the hilt. So, very happy for him, he had a very good match.”Having had a taste of Test captaincy, was it something he was happy to hand back to Rohit Sharma? Or does he see himself in the hot seat going forward?”That’s something I don’t decide,” he said. “It was a good challenge. I always like responsibility. That’s the way I’ve always played cricket. It was a new challenge; a lot of great learnings came my way, and I was a lot more involved in the game. Very happy, it was an honour to lead the team. It was a great experience.”