Leeds United are heading into the second half of the season in pretty good shape. Daniel Farke’s side are top of the Championship table, three points clear of Burnley and Sheffield United, and are undefeated in seven games.

To ensure they can keep up that form between now and the summer and seal a return to the Premier League, the Whites are reportedly getting ready to raid the transfer market in January, and have been linked with several big names.

Among them is Borussia Monchengladbach’s Nico Elvedi and RC Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov, who is also thought to be attracting interest from Manchester City, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur.

To fund moves for those players, Leeds will have to raise some money by selling some of their current crop. With that in mind, we have listed six players who could leave Elland Road this month.

1 Joe Gelhardt Linked with: Rangers, Portsmouth, Stoke

Since joining Leeds in 2020 from Wigan Athletic, Joe Gelhardt has struggled for minutes at Elland Road as the years have gone by.

After a respectable 22 appearances during his debut season at senior level, he made 19 the next year as he was shipped on loan to Sunderland.

In 2023/24, after Leeds were relegated back to the Championship, he then made only 13 appearances, while this term, he has not even managed 90 minutes.

Amid that ever-growing lack of game time, Gelhardt was being widely linked with a move away from Leeds before Christmas, with a number of clubs across Europe reportedly keen on acquiring his services.

According to The Yorkshire Evening Post, Rangers, Portsmouth, Stoke City, Plymouth Argyle, Preston North End and two Belgian clubs were interested in moving for Gelhardt, and that the winger himself is open to the idea of calling time on his career at Elland Road.

2 Patrick Bamford Linked with: Genoa, Wrexham

It was only a few years ago that Patrick Bamford was setting the Premier League alight, scoring 17 goals to help Leeds to an impressive ninth-placed finish in 2020/21. These days, the 31-year-old is lucky if he gets called off the bench.

Bamford hasn’t started a Championship game all season for Leeds and has managed just 123 minutes off the bench, meaning more often than not, he’s left watching the action from the sidelines.

According to TEAMtalk, Genoa and Wrexham are prepared to offer Bamford an escape route out of Elland Road in January, with the two teams keeping an eye on his situation. Football Insider had previously reported in October that Bamford is also keen on leaving.

3 Pascal Struijk Linked with: Tottenham

Back in July, Tottenham Hotspur prised away one of Leeds’ star players from last season in the form of Archie Gray, with a £30 million fee simply too good to refuse. And according to reports in late December, Spurs are planning to swoop for another of Leeds’ star players in Pascal Struijk.

Transfer expert Graeme Bailey said: “Struijk is coming into his prime and has really been under the radar to a lot of people – not Leeds fans – but he is very much on the radar of a number of Premier League clubs. He is real quality and I am told Tottenham are amongst those who have checked on him.”

However, Bailey added that Leeds do not want to lose the 25-year-old, who has started all but one of their 25 Championship games this season, and are prepared to offer him a new contract.

“Clearly, Leeds want him to stay and will look to tie him down to a new deal, but him staying long-term will be dictated by Leeds getting back to the Premier League.”

4 Illan Meslier Linked with: Arsenal, Man Utd

According to a recent report in the last couple of weeks from TEAMtalk, Manchester United have revived their interest in Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

The Frenchman was a previous target for the Red Devils before they decided to sign Andre Onana from Inter in summer 2023.

Arsenal are also thought to be interested in potentially making the goalkeeper their No 2, with Mikel Arteta thought to be happy with David Raya’s role in the Gunners squad.

United’s No 2, Altay Bayindir, who also joined the club in the summer of 2023 alongside Onana from Fenerbahce, has struggled when called upon this term, and according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, he could be sold in January.

It’s easy to see why United might want Meslier. This season, he’s kept 14 clean sheets in 25 Championship games.

5 Maximilian Wober Linked with: RB Salzburg

Maximilian Wober joined Leeds from RB Salzburg for £11m in January 2023, but was shipped to German side Borussia Monchengladbach barely six months later. Since his return to Elland Road in the summer, he’s found game time difficult to come by, making just one Championship start all term – mainly due to injury.

According to Austrian newspaper Kurier, as relayed by Sport Witness, Salzburg are now keen to take him back to the Red Bull Arena this month.

Salzburg director Rouven Schroder addressed the possibility of signing Wober (and Feyenoord’s Gernot Trauner) back in January, saying: “They are two very good players. We have a young team, so experienced players are of course exciting. But a lot of points have to be right, and we’ll examine transfers carefully.”

6 Junior Firpo Linked with: Real Betis

Junior Firpo’s Leeds future appears to rely on whether they get promoted to the Premier League at the end of the season, according to Football Insider, do so, and he’ll stay, but fail, and he is expected to leave.

Now in the final six months of his deal at Elland Road, Firpo, formerly of Barcelona, is free to talk to new clubs, and is reportedly a target for Real Betis, another of his former clubs.

TEAMtalk has reported that with the 28-year-old full-back’s future currently “unsolved”, Betis are “leading the chase” for his signature. Should he re-join Betis, he would be reunited with two of his former Leeds teammates, with Marc Roca and Diego Llorente both turning out for the La Liga side.

MatériaMais Notícias

Para dar sustentação ao momento esportivo histórico que vive o Fortaleza nos últimos anos, a gestão que tem como principal figura o presidente Marcelo Paz vem conseguindo não apenas aumentar as receitas do Leão, mas também manter o equilíbrio financeiro, mesmo diante de todas as dificuldades recentes.

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E uma prova do sucesso do atual conjunto de medidas ficou evidenciada na aprovação das contas referentes ao ano de 2021, por parte do Conselho Deliberativo do clube, algo que ocorreu na última terça-feira (26), em documentos onde constam um resultado de caráter histórico.

Ao ter como gastos totaisR$ 139.997.355,03 e uma receita de caráter líquido no valor de R$ 156.648.182,65, o clube do Pici terminou o ano passado tendo um superávit de exatosR$ 15.300.604,64, o maior em toda a história tanto do Leão como do futebol cearense de maneira geral.

A manutenção em partidas de grande visibilidade, bem como a volta consolidada do público aos estádios também trouxeram uma notória evolução de receita em relação a 2020. Isso porque enquanto a arrecadação de dois anos atrás havia sido de R$ 83 milhões, os mais de R$ 156 milhões obtidos no ano passado representaram um aumento de mais de 100%.

Em meio as boas notícias nos cofres e a recente conquista do tetracampeonato estadual, o Fortaleza busca a recuperação na Libertadores onde perdeu os dois primeiros jogos (Colo-Colo e River Plate) e recebe nesta quarta-feira (27) o Alianza Lima-PER. O confronto na Arena Castelão está marcado para às 19h (de Brasília).

It’s been about a year and a half since Ange Postecoglou was appointed manager of Tottenham Hotspur, and it would be fair to say that a lot has changed in that time.

There have been some undeniable positives, such as the more entertaining style of football, some big wins over Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United and the signing of players like Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke.

However, there have also been some significant problems, such as the team’s wildly unpredictable form and, on the recruitment side of things, the signing of Timo Werner on loan.

The German forward failed to establish himself in the team last season and has somehow endeavoured to be even worse this season, so recent reports linking the club with a player who could be the perfect replacement should excite fans.

Tottenham chase Premier League star

According to a recent report from the Independent’s Chief Football Writer, Miguel Delaney, Tottenham are one of several teams interested in Manchester United’s wantaway Marcus Rashford.

In fact, Delaney has revealed that the North Londoners have already made contact and held informal talks over the possibility of taking the Englishman on loan for the rest of the season.

However, in his report, he also claims that the United ace is likelier to go abroad and that his enormous £300k-per-week wage would pose an issue for the Lilywhites.

With that said, if they can convince Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co to cover a portion of his salary, then this could be a brilliant transfer for Tottenham, as even though he is someway off his best, Rashford would be an instant upgrade on Werner.

How Rashford compares to Werner

So, as things stand, it seems that Postecoglou’s go-to backup for Son Heung-min off the left is Werner, but as most fans will likely attest, he has been less than effective since moving to North London last January.

Therefore, were Rashford to join the club this month, he’d likely do so to compete with the German behind and for that to come in when the South Korean has to rest, and we reckon that is a competition he’d win hands down.

For example, despite being left out of the squad multiple times this season, the Manchester-born attacker has still scored seven goals and provided three assists in 24 appearances, totalling 1500 minutes.

That means that the “electric” 60-capped international, as dubbed by Statman Dave, is currently averaging a goal involvement every 2.4 games, or every 150 minutes for the Red Devils this season, which is perhaps better than some might have believed.

In contrast, the former RB Leipzig ace has only been able to score a single goal and provided three assists in his 26 appearances this season, totalling 937 minutes.

Rashford vs Werner 24/25

Player

Rashford

Werner

Appearances

24

26

Minutes

1500′

937′

Goals

7

1

Assists

3

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.41

0.15

Minutes per Goal Involvement

150′

234.25′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In other words, the Stuttgart-born forward is averaging a goal involvement every 6.5 games, or every 234.25 minutes this year, which simply isn’t good enough for a team like Tottenham.

Ultimately, if Spurs are to progress this season and potentially even lift some silverware, Postecoglou is going to need some more attacking reinforcements, and while signing him on a permanent deal would potentially be too risky, bringing Rashford in for six months could be just what the team needs.

Therefore, Daniel Levy and Co should do what they can to bring him to N17 this month, as even if his form remained the same, he’d be an instant upgrade on Werner.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 13, 2025

George chimes in with 74 as Western Storm clinch victory by three wickets, despite Griffith, Scrivens fifties

ECB Reporters Network16-Jul-2022Sophie Luff and Katie George broke Sunrisers’ hearts as their stunning partnership carried Western Storm to a three-wicket win in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy at Chelmsford.It looked for all the world as if the hosts would secure a first-ever win in the 50-over competition at the 16th attempt when half-centuries from Cordelia Griffith (74) and Grace Scrivens (69) carried them to 254 for 6 and they reduced Storm to 103 for 5 in reply.But the visitors, who beat Sunrisers off the last ball in the Charlotte Edwards Cup earlier in the season at the same venue, snuffed out those dreams with a sixth-wicket stand of 125 in just 95 balls.George was the catalyst with 74 from 43 balls, including a six and 13 fours while skipper Luff completed an unbeaten century with the winning hit with one over to spare.Sunrisers were indebted to Griffith and Scrivens for laying a superb platform. The duo saw off the in-form Lauren Filer before Scrivens took successive boundaries off Danielle Gibson via a classic off-drive and a flick to long-leg. And with Griffith tucking into Gibson’s next over the 50 came up in 66 balls.Both drove strongly, while Griffith, dropped at mid-wicket on 39 from the bowling of Fi Morris, employed some wristy cut shots.Their fifties came up in the same over, Griffith’s from 84 deliveries and Scrivens 11 balls quicker thanks to eight boundaries.At 140 for nought a huge score looked in the offing, but Filer returned to have Griffiths caught at cover and then Holland (2 for 32) took centre stage.The youngster caught Naomi Dattani off the bowling of Morris before getting ball in hand to claim the prize scalp of Scrivens, who top-edged an attempted pull which Sophia Smale ran behind wicketkeeper Natasha Wraith to grab just above the turf.Mady Villiers (33) briefly regained the initiative with some inventive stroke-play before Holland castled her too, and it needed a six in the final over from Joanne Gardner (29 not out) to carry Sunrisers beyond 250.The host’s tally appeared light, but there was early reward in the field when Kate Coppack had Wraith snaffled at mid-wicket and Alex Griffiths too went cheaply caught at mid-off from the bowling of Villiers (3 for 33).Scrivens was introduced after the powerplay, but it was spin-twin Abtaha Maqsood who made the next incision with the big wicket of former England star Fran Wilson who slashed a wide one to Mia Rogers at backward point.Storm’s hopes now rested heavily on skipper Luff who clouted Maqsood back over her head to begin a counter-offensive.Morris too took heavy toll of a full toss from Maqsood, but was given a life on 16 when Dattani couldn’t cling on to pull shot above her head.But the run-rate kept climbing and pressure told when confusion in running saw both batters stranded mid-pitch, Morris the one to depart.Scrivens finally gained reward for a Scrooge-like spell when Gibson slashed third last ball into the hands of Griffiths and Sunrisers had scent of that elusive win.Luff though stood firm to reach 50 from 92 balls while George plundered 24 off one Gardner over as she raced to 50 in 25 balls with 11 fours.With the momentum shifted, the pair sent the bowling to all parts to raise the 100-stand.Villiers returned to york George and Kelly Castle removed Holland to threaten a final twist, but Luff had the last say to leave Sunrisers reflecting once more on what might have been.

With the New Year on the horizon, those of a Manchester United persuasion will no doubt be looking to forget 2024 in a hurry, with it having been a simply miserable 12 months at Old Trafford on the whole.

The notable high point came at Wembley back in May, yet that shock FA Cup final triumph has been quickly forgotten amid the club’s woes both prior and since, with manager Erik ten Hag shown the door just a matter of months after lifting the trophy.

New boss Ruben Amorim has arrived with bold new ideas and an engaging personality, although as recent results have shown, it has largely been more of the same for a side that still languishes in 13th in the Premier League table.

Just a month or so into the Portuguese’s tenure, the Red Devils reached their latest nadir following Sunday’s grim 3-0 defeat at home to Bournemouth, with that result laying bare just where the three-time European champions are at present.

Seven goals conceded across their last two games in all competitions may point to worrying issues defensively, although it is the attacking unit which remains a “major problem” – as noted by journalist Liam Canning.

Man Utd's attacking woes

It says a lot that the Old Trafford side meekly capitulating on home soil no longer sends shockwaves across the game. In truth, defeats like the one to the Cherries have simply become the norm over the last 18 months or so.

This season alone, the Red Devils have now lost 3-0 on three occasions at the Theatre of Dreams, having also wilted up against Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur to mark the beginning of the end for Ten Hag.

Again, the defence will cop much of the blame for those dismal results, but the lack of goals has become a real concern of late. Indeed, United have scored just 21 league goals thus far, leaving them level with the likes of Leicester City, while even behind relegation strugglers, Wolverhampton Wanderers (27).

Those woes were even evident at the weekend, with the hosts registering 23 shots in total and finishing with an xG of 2.28. Bournemouth, meanwhile, had just ten shots and finished with an xG of only 1.63, as per Sofascore.

As Amorim lamented after the defeat to Spurs in the Carabao Cup, his side simply just aren’t “clinical” enough, with the lack of a reliable number nine still a significant issue.

Indeed, while young Rasmus Hojlund has scored seven goals in 20 appearances in 2024/24 thus far, only two of those have come in his 12 league outings.

As for summer signing Joshua Zirkzee, the Dutchman has had an even worse time of it, netting only four times in 25 appearances since his arrival from Bologna.

The return of the latter man, in particular, simply isn’t good enough, with a swift upgrade needing to be found to resolve what has long been a problem position at Old Trafford.

Man Utd's search for a striker

Back at Sporting CP, Amorim’s success was built on the strength of his leading goalscorer, with Viktor Gyokeres scoring 66 goals in just 68 games during their time together in Lisbon.

Transfer Focus

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

As a result of that fruitful partnership, there will be clamour for a reunion to occur between the pair in Manchester, although according to recent reports, United could well look elsewhere to make a dream first signing of the Amorim era.

Indeed, there have been claims that the Red Devils are among the clubs keen to sign Nigerian sensation, Victor Osimhen, with the 26-year-old currently on loan at Galatasaray from parent club, Napoli.

Reportedly valued at around £62m, the former Chelsea target could make a belated move to the Premier League after a Stamford Bridge switch broke down over the summer, with the striker’s capture likely to be just what United are craving to end their goalscoring woes.

Why Osimhen would be a dream signing for Man Utd

The former Lille man may now be operating outside of Europe’s top five leagues in Turkey, yet it is hard to overlook his goalscoring prowess, having already bagged 12 goals in just 15 games during his time in Istanbul.

That haul ensures he has scored more times than Zirkzee and Hojlund combined in 2024/25 thus far, with the young pair netting just 11 goals between them across all competitions.

This red-hot form follows a prolific spell back in Naples for Osimhen, with the in-demand hotshot having netted 76 times in just 133 games for the Serie A side. In total across his career, the £62m man has scored 126 goals from 238 senior appearances.

To put that into context, Hojlund has scored just 50 senior goals in his career thus far, while Zirkzee’s record is even worse, having scored just 40 times (not including his stint with Bayern Munich’s second team).

The difference in quality between Zirkzee and Osimhen is stark indeed, as evidenced by their respective statistics in Italy’s top-flight last term, with Osimhen simply far more clinical, even if Zirkzee offers a greater creative influence. Amorim needs to ensure this deal gets done as a matter of urgency.

There will no doubt be fears over whether the Napoli man can make the transition to life in the Premier League, although any concerns should be eased by his likeness to a certain Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with that comparison having been made by his former Charleroi manager Felice Mazzu:

While Ibrahimovic’s time at Old Trafford was fleeting, the veteran certainly made his mark under Jose Mourinho, having ended the 2016/17 campaign with 28 goals to his name in 46 appearances.

As that short but sweet stint proved, players of that ilk can score goals anywhere without the need for a period of adjustment, with United – and Amorim – in need of a repeat scenario with the capture of Osimhen.

For too long, since the days of ‘Ibra’ and Robin van Persie before him, have the Red Devils been seeking a genuine world-beater to lead the line. Now is the time to go out and get one.

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Looking to seal a dominant Scottish Premiership title victory, Celtic are reportedly set to accelerate their move to sign a young attacking reinforcement who could replace Daizen Maeda.

Celtic transfer news

The Bhoys are currently 18 points clear of closest title competitors in what has been a dominant campaign in the Scottish top flight, but are seemingly in a ruthless mood as the January transfer window continues to roll on.

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And with Champions League action soon returning, the Scottish giants may even get the chance to cause further shocks on the European stage, having already defeated the likes of RB Leipzig this season.

The fact that they’re clear and away at the top of the Scottish Premiership should undoubtedly aid their push to reach the next stage of the Champions League, as could any potential reinforcements.

On that front, the likes of Bazoumana Toure have already been mentioned among the headlines, with Celtic reportedly set to submit a bid of as much as £10m to secure the services of the young central defender.

However, it’s not just defensive reinforcements that the Bhoys are setting their sights on in the January transfer window. According to Football Insider, Celtic are now accelerating their move to sign Sondre Orjasaeter from Sarpsborg 08 this month in a deal that would welcome a player ready to eventually replace Daizen Maeda.

Just 21 years old, Orjasaeter has entered Celtic’s radar following an impressive breakthrough in Norway on top of their own need for attacking depth as they enter the second half of the campaign. As per Sky Sports’ Anthony Joseph, though, the Norwegian side are looking for £7m to sell their young star.

Maeda, now 27 years old, has once again been among the stars of the show for Brendan Rodgers this season, but could yet get the chance to move back into the No 9 role and away from the left wing if Orjasaeter arrives this month.

Celtic should splash out on "interesting" Orjasaeter

Described as “another interesting young player from Norway” by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, Orjasaeter’s £7m fee could quickly turn into a bargain if he was to complete a move and continue an impressive rise. Just last season, the 21-year-old was the star of the show at Sarpsborg – scoring six goals and assisting another seven in all competitions.

Thinking ahead to when Maeda is eventually past the peak of his powers certainly isn’t a bad idea either, and the young Norway star seems to be a worthy candidate to do just that at Celtic Park.

Whilst the Scottish Premiership is all but sealed in the current campaign, Rodgers will no doubt already have his sights set on defending his side’s throne for years to come, and perhaps even stepping things up on the European stage in the remainder of the season.

It just has not been Arsenal’s season this year.

Mikel Arteta’s side were handed a nightmare set of fixtures to kick off the Premier League campaign. Then, they had to deal with several suspensions, only for club captain Martin Odegaard to miss almost two months of football due to an injury picked up on international duty.

Once the Norwegian returned, the North Londoners looked back to their best, but back-to-back draws in the league against Fulham and Everton once again prevented the team from gaining any momentum.

Finally, to round it all off, the Gunners’ poster boy and undoubtedly most important player, Bukayo Saka, is now set to miss “many weeks” of action after suffering a hamstring injury against Crystal Palace on the weekend.

It would be fair to say that, at the moment, without their talismanic winger, Arsenal’s prospect of finally winning the title seems a million miles away.

However, the transfer window is set to open next month, and the club have already been linked with a player this year who could be the perfect solution to their current problem.

Arsenal's internal solutions

So, before we get to the player Arsenal could sign next month to solve the issue of Saka’s absence, it’s worth looking at the possible solutions within the squad, and for our money, two seem the most likely.

The first is what we saw following the Englishman’s substitution on Saturday: Gabriel Martinelli playing off the right.

The former Ituano gem hasn’t been at his best this season, but when playing off the opposite flank at Selhurst Park, he looked genuinely dangerous for the first time in a while and managed to put away the chance Gabriel Jesus missed in the second half.

However, as the 23-year-old is naturally right-footed, that could change how that side of the pitch operates, so another option Arteta could take is starting the left-footed Ethan Nwaneri there.

The 17-year-old is widely considered to be one of the most exciting prospects in the league at the moment, and while the manager would probably prefer to ease him into the side more carefully, this crisis could be the perfect opportunity for him to establish himself as an important player in the first team.

Moreover, while he has primarily played in midfield for the first team this season, he has some experience playing out wide from his time in the youth sides.

With all that said, neither of these options is ideal, so what the club could, and probably should, do instead is sign someone next month.

Transfer Focus

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

More specifically, they should sign a star they’ve already been linked to.

The star Arsenal should sign

So, to get straight to the point, the player Arsenal should be looking to sign next month is Atalanta star Ademola Lookman.

The good news for fans is that the club have been consistently linked with the former Everton man since the summer.

However, it would likely be an expensive deal, as some reports suggest the Serie A side would demand around €70m for their man, which converts to about £58m.

Now, that is undoubtedly a lot of money to spend on a player in January, but based on his form for the Bergamo outfit over the last few years, it would be more than worth it.

For example, in just 45 appearances last season, the Nigerian international, whom former professional Nedum Onuoha dubbed “one of the hottest prospects in European football,” scored 17 goals – three of which came in the Europa League Final – and provided ten assists.

This season has been just as spectacular for the 27-year-old.

In just 20 appearances, he has already scored 12 goals and provided five assists, meaning he’s averaging a goal involvement every 1.17 games.

Appearances

45

20

Goals

17

12

Assists

10

5

Goal Involvements per Match

0.60

0.85

On top of being a lethal attacker, the Wandswaorth-born dynamo is also incredibly versatile.

Therefore, he could easily step into Saka’s role on the right while the Hale End icon is out injured and then provide competition for the entire frontline when he’s back.

Ultimately, while there is no perfect solution to losing your best player, signing Lookman next month would be about as close as Arsenal could get.

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Birmingham City have joined the race to sign a new versatile defender to help them in their push for a return to the Championship at the first time of asking.

Birmingham flying high in League One

After signiificant outlay in the summer transfer window, it is no surprise to see Birmingham City at the top of League One heading into the second half of the season. Chris Davies has overseen a strong campaign so far for the Blues, with the club boasting the best defence in the division alongside the second best attack.

As a result, they sit two points clear of fellow promotion hopefuls Wrexham and Wycombe Wanderers, while having two games in hand on the pair, meaning that when all is said and done they could find themselves a mammoth eight points clear at the top of England’s third tier.

Birmingham City’s season stats

Statistic

League Rank

Wins

16

1st

Losses

2

1st

Goals scored

41

2nd

Goals conceded

17

1st

Goal difference

+24

1st

But despite losing just twice so far this campaign, they are still active in the January transfer window, with the club having already agreed a deal to sign Phil Neumann at the end of the campaign when his current deal with Hannover comes to an end, having had a substantial offer for the German knocked back over the summer transfer window.

Now, they could be looking to make a more immediate addition to Davies’ side as they look to ensure an instant return to the Championship.

Birmingham rival West Brom for defender

That comes according to the Daily Mail [Via the Scottish Sun], who report that Birmingham are ready to rival their Midlands rivals West Brom for Rangers talent Adam Devine, who the pair see as a potential bargain buy this January.

Just 21-years-old, Devine’s reported £2,500 a week deal at Ibrox comes to an end this summer, and he is no closer to forcing his way into the first team. In fact, he has not featured for 16 months in Glasgow.

Last spotted on loan at Motherwell, Devine has managed just 33 senior appearances to date across spells with Rangers, Motherwell and Brechin City. Though breaking into the Rangers side under Michael Beale in 2022, he has failed to kick on and is now deemed surplus to requirements.

That means that Rangers are ready to let him leave this month in order to receive a fee for the versatile defender, who is a rightback by trade but has also played at left back regularly across his brief career to date.

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And Birmingham are one of the sides positioning themselves to land a potential bargain, as the Blues eye “an opportunity to sign a Rangers player on the cheap”.

Of course, Birmingham raided Rangers twice over the summer too, signing Scott Wright in a deal worth £300,000, while they also added Ben Davies to their ranks on loan. Now, it could be Devine’s time to tread what is becoming an increasingly familiar path from Glasgow to England’s second city.

كشفت رابطة البريميرليج، عن الفائز بجائزة رجل مباراة ليفربول وتشيلسي، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وحل ليفربول ضيفًا على تشيلسي، بملعب “ستامفورد بريدج” ضمن مباريات الجولة الخامسة والثلاثين للبريميرليج.

وتمكن تشيلسي من تحقيق الفوز على بطل الدوري الإنجليزي، ليفربول، بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدف (طالع التفاصيل من هنا).

وحصل كول بالمر على جائزة رجل مباراة ليفربول وتشيلسي، بأعلى نسبة تصويت من الجماهير عبر موقع البريميرليج الرسمي.

وبلغت نسبة التصويت لكول بالمر، 56.5%، يليه قائد ليفربول، فيرجيل فان دايك بنسبة تصويت 18.5%.

وسجل كول بالمر الهدف الثالث لصالح تشيلسي، من ضربة جزاء في الدقيقة السادسة من الوقت المحتسب بدلاً من الضائع.

وكرر بالمر 4 تمريرات مفتاحية وخلق فرصة كبيرة وبلغت نسبة تمريراته الدقيقة 80%.

يذكر، أن ليفربول بطل الدوري الإنجليزي لموسم 2024-2025، ويحتل تشيلسي المركز الخامس برصيد 63 نقطة بعد فوزه اليوم، متساويًا مع نيوكاسل صاحب المركز الرابع.

If England had sent Emma Lamb in to bat at any position, she reckons she would have tried to grab her chance with both hands. That the opportunity came knocking in her favoured opener’s role and resulted in a century as England swept South Africa aside by five wickets in their opening ODI made it “amazing”.Making just her fourth international appearance, Lamb’s 97-ball 102 accounted for much of England’s successful pursuit of 219 in Northampton to take a four-points-to-two lead in the multi-format series, with two more one-day matches and three T20Is to play.A fortnight ago, Lamb made 38 on Test debut opening alongside Tammy Beaumont as the sides drew in Taunton. That followed a second-ball duck during the third ODI against Australia during the Ashes in February and she wasn’t required to bat as England opened with Beaumont and Danni Wyatt in their nine-wicket win against Pakistan at the World Cup.”You always want to prove yourself, don’t you?” Lamb said pitch-side at Wantage Road on Monday, when asked about those earlier ODIs. “I suppose that was kind of like a little drive, a little thought in the back of my mind but I feel like any opportunity that I got, even if it wasn’t opening, I would have taken it and tried to do the best I could with it.”Wyatt has moved up and down the order as England wrestled with an opening conundrum. She replaced Lauren Winfield-Hill at the top during the World Cup and scored a century in the semi-final against South Africa. Here she dropped down to No. 6 and struck the winning runs with an unbeaten 14 off five balls after Lamb had done the heavy lifting alongside an explosive 55 off 36 by Nat Sciver.Heading into the Test match, England head coach Lisa Keightley had said she was keen to see what Lamb could do as an international opener, having played the majority of her domestic and regional cricket there, and she acquitted herself well in a 65-run stand with Beaumont.Here Lamb took a lead role after Beaumont fell in the third over and she ran with it.”I felt pretty comfortable,” Lamb said. “I went in today knowing my role and having the coaches and my team-mates back me, I felt pretty happy with what I needed to do.Related

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“When you lose an early wicket there’s a little bit of pressure on me but I was still wanting to play my game and not change anything. When I got past the 50-mark, I was really happy but when I got to 100, obviously I was over the moon.”She played beautifully to the off-side and when she brought up her ton with an open-faced drive off Nadine de Klerk, Heather Knight, her captain was at the opposite end of the pitch, with a fist-pumping hug at the ready and looking almost as thrilled as Lamb until the latter removed her helmet and turned to the changing room with a beaming smile and arms raised aloft.”She was just so buzzing for me,” Lamb said of Knight. “It’s a little bit emotional. I think when anyone gets a hundred it can be like the best thing in the world and a little bit emotional but yeah, it was very nice to be out there with the skipper and get a hundred and hug her.”Heading into the second match in Bristol on Friday, Lamb indicated England were keen to ride a wave of positivity against a South African side which beat them in the group stages of the World Cup and had come into this match wanting to atone for their semi-final defeat.That the match wasn’t particularly close after Sciver and Katherine Brunt had combined to take seven wickets between them to contain their opponents did not come as a surprise to her either.”I’m not surprised because I think it was a big mindset thing for us,” she said. “We just wanted to be really positive and our bowlers did really well today on a very good wicket.”We just wanted to be positive with the bat and when we play our best cricket, we can easily dominate and win easily like we have done.”