All posts by h716a5.icu

It may feel like we’re in the thick of the summer transfer window, Liverpool fans, but that’s not the case. Rather, FSG are working with incredible prudence to strengthen Arne Slot’s Premier League champions.

Trent Alexander-Arnold will likely feature for the final time as a Liverpool player on Sunday in the season’s closing game against FA Cup winners Crystal Palace, but sporting director Richard Hughes has already engineered and wrapped up a move for his successor.

Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong will play for the Merseysiders next season, with Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez also being pursued, discussions at an advanced stage.

Liverpool need something more in attack, too. While Mohamed Salah has forged an individual season for the ages, he’s perhaps been let down at times by his peers.

After penning a two-year extension, the Egyptian King needs to be supplemented by some elite-level firepower, someone capable of being his next Sadio Mane.

FSG may well have found just the man for the job.

Liverpool pushing to seal marquee signing

According to the Daily Mail’s Lewis Steele, Liverpool’s ambitious push to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz is very much intact, with FSG doing everything in their power to bring the 22-year-old under Slot’s influence.

Transfer Focus

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

Liverpool have been locked in a transfer battle with Bayern Munich for the talented midfielder’s services, and have been emboldened in recent days after Manchester City dropped out the race. Die Roten, however, remain favourites at this stage.

The truth is Liverpool will do all they can to get a deal done for Wirtz, Germany’s poster boy. However, given that the Bundesliga champions are also doing everything in their power to sign the playmaker, it’s not going to be easy.

In spite of the Germany international’s €150m (equating to about £126m) price tag, FSG are willing to green-light a staggering club-record transfer.

Here’s why.

Why Wirtz could be Slot's new "superstar"

Some might question why Liverpool aren’t instead preparing to fork out a similar sum on Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, but if the Magpies seal a place in next season’s Champions League, the Swedish striker isn’t going anywhere.

And anyway, with Alexander-Arnold set to depart and take his boundless creativity with him, Liverpool need to find a new playmaker-in-chief.

That could be Wirtz, who, aged 22, has already overcome a crushing ACL injury to win an invincible domestic double, win the Bundesliga Player of the Year and be called “the best midfielder in the world” by former Werkself striker Patrick Helmes.

Attacking midfield

169

48

57

Left winger

21

4

5

Right winger

17

8

5

Centre-forward

15

7

7

Central midfield

5

0

3

He’s the real deal, all right. After just 197 senior appearances for his current club, the 5 foot 9 midfielder has scored 57 goals and supplied 65 assists, showcasing a level of reliability in the final third that the likes of Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai don’t project with the regularity of Salah.

Or Mane, for that matter. You could say that Wirtz stands a stellar chance of becoming Slot’s own version of the Senegalese legend, whose “world-class” attacking threat, as remarked by Jurgen Klopp, hasn’t yet been recaptured by any signing at Liverpool.

Mane signed for Liverpool in 2015, leaving Southampton for a £34m fee. He devoted the prime years of his career to Anfield and left a legend, instrumental in conquering the Premier League and the Champions League.

Though typically playing off the left, Mane was positionally fluid and made a menace of himself through remarkable powers of intensity, overwhelming his opponents before finding space to strike on goal.

Wirtz is more central (see the table above), but he does enjoy playing out on the left, with his heatmap from the 2024/25 Bundesliga campaign suggesting he drifts over more often than not.

It would give Slot a new tactical piece to play with, in any case. Wirtz has only missed eight big chances across Leverkusen’s league and European campaigns this year, scoring 16 goals. Moreover, he’s created 21 big chances, denoting his immense playmaking ability that will allow the Reds to transition away from the Alexander-Arnold era, such as it is.

As per FBref, Wirtz ranks among the top 8% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues this season for goal contributions, the top 7% for shot-creating actions and progressive passes, and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90.

The German’s unrelenting energy in driving the ball forward is something to be admired. It’s something, perhaps, that is Mane-esque.

With flair and fleet feet and a deadly switch when placed at the end of an attacking sequence, Wirtz is the real deal. ESPN correspondent Rob Palmer called him a “superstar in the making” a few weeks ago, but he may well already be of the highest station.

Liverpool need to get it done, giving Salah the perfect new attacking partner to win more silverware over the next few years.

He'd be incredible with Kerkez: FSG want to sign £50m "tank" for Liverpool

Liverpool are looking to make sweeping changes in the summer transfer market.

ByAngus Sinclair May 19, 2025

With the disappointment of Wednesday night still lingering, the post-mortem can continue for those of a Manchester United persuasion, with the focus now on what lies ahead for the INEOS regime, and for Ruben Amorim.

For a manager who has lost 14 of his 26 Premier League games since arriving in November, the Portuguese coach has largely managed to retain the goodwill of supporters until now, although even he can not be free of responsibility for the dour display in Bilbao.

This may not be his squad, although the 40-year-old’s decision to remain wedded to his 3-4-3 system has thus far backfired, with the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur marking the 16th time this season that United have failed to score in all competitions.

That has come amid an at-times pragmatic approach from the Sporting CP boss, a fact perhaps outlined best with the decision to select Mason Mount ahead of Alejandro Garnacho against Spurs. A man who boasts just four goals and one assist in 45 games for the club got the nod over a player who has 21 goal involvements this season alone.

Such a decision made the headlines both pre and post-match, not least with Amorim pointing out that it was Garnacho who missed a “big opportunity” in the semi-final second-leg against Athletic Club, while Mount subsequently “changed the game”.

With the ex-Chelsea man proceeding to play on the periphery last night, Amorim’s choice not to make a change until the closing stages requires scrutiny, with the manager’s substitutions – or lack of – perhaps showcasing some worrying signs for sections of his squad.

Amorim's substitutions under the microscope

Whether Erik ten Hag’s successor got his starting lineup right or wrong is up for debate, although a more pressing issue is quite why he took so long to alter proceedings, not least with his side continuing to toil in the second half.

It wasn’t until the 70-minute mark that Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee were finally introduced, with the pair hardly afforded much time to make an impact up against a retreating and stubborn Spurs backline.

Even fewer minutes were granted to Kobbie Mainoo at the death – prior to the introduction of Diogo Dalot minutes earlier – with that lack of involvement marking the playmaker’s slide down the pecking order following last year’s FA Cup final heroics.

Like Garnacho, Mainoo’s future has already been in doubt heading into the summer window, with his inability to force his way into Amorim’s starting lineup only set to further heighten that uncertainty.

Of greater concern may be among those who failed to even make it off the bench at all, however, with it difficult to understand why the struggling Luke Shaw was not replaced, particularly with the exciting Ayden Heaven waiting in the wings.

Equally, the man who had started in all four games in the quarter-final and semi-final, Manuel Ugarte, was also an unused option on the night, with the Uruguayan in danger of drifting into Donny van de Beek territory under Amorim’s watch.

Man Utd's new Donny van de Beek

Failed signings have been the theme of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, none more so than that of Van de Beek, with the Dutchman signed on a £40m deal in the summer of 2020, despite suggestions that then-boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was keen on alternative targets.

The former Ajax man – who had reached the Champions League semi-final under Ten Hag in 2019 – went on to start just four league games in his debut campaign under Solskjaer, prior to not making a single start in the opening of the following season.

Following a loan switch to Everton, the hope was that the arrival of his compatriot in the dugout would alter proceedings, albeit with the playmaker unable to force his way into Ten Hag’s plans. Indeed, just eight league appearances came his way under the Dutch coach, prior to being sold to Girona for just £500k last summer.

Erik ten Hag

12

0

0

Michael Carrick

3

0

0

Ralf Rangnick

5

0

0

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

42

2

2

Total

62

2

2

In many ways, Ugarte’s tale looks to be following a similar path, with reports indicating that Ten Hag wasn’t wholly in favour of the £42m move last year, particularly with Scott McTominay’s exit sanctioned to fund the move.

The ex-Paris Saint-Germain man made just seven appearances under the 55-year-old before he was sacked, with the appointment of Amorim looking like the perfect fit amid their prior Sporting relationship. Indeed, Ugarte had played 85 games under the Portuguese in Lisbon.

While the midfield “monster” – as described by Statman Dave – has since made 34 appearances following Amorim’s appointment, chipping in with two goals and six assists, it hasn’t all been plain sailing.

Indeed, against Athletic Club, the defensive-minded asset was particularly poor, despite racking up two assists in the first leg, having lost the ball on 27 occasions across the two legs combined.

That erratic nature on the ball perhaps resulted in Amorim’s decision to leave Ugarte out of Wednesday’s showpiece, instead favouring the experienced pairing of Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes as part of the midfield two.

For the all-action Uruguay international to not be able to get the nod in such an important fixture, particularly considering he has thrived in Amorim’s 3-4-3 before, should have alarm bells ringing.

If he can’t earn the trust of a manager he is familiar with – much like Van de Beek and Ten Hag – then there should certainly be reason for concern.

Fewer touches than Onana: Man Utd dud showed why he'll be axed for Cunha

Man Utd’s key men failed to deliver as Spurs battled to a first trophy in 17 years in Bilbao…

ByRobbie Walls May 22, 2025

Nottingham Forest’s sublime season in the Premier League might well have run out of steam towards the back-end – with only one league victory coming their way in May – but Nuno Espirito Santo’s men still have the Conference League to look forward to next campaign after finishing in a fantastic seventh spot.

Espirito Santo’s Tricky Trees won’t just be content with one unbelievable season in isolation, however, with an ambitious approach during this summer transfer window perhaps allowing Forest to upgrade all over the pitch ahead of European football coming to the City Ground.

Already, Forest are flexing their muscles as they aim to finalise a deal for Botafogo attacking sensation Igor Jesus, but they might not be done there when adding in some exciting options up top.

Forest's search for a striker

As per a report by the Athletic, Forest remain keen on a deal for Brentford ace Yoane Wissa, having previously been interested in the Bees sharpshooter back in January.

At that time, the Premier League high-flyers were put off by the 28-year-old’s steep £40m valuation, resulting in a £22m bid for his services falling flat.

Now, a move could be back on the cards, even as Forest edge closer to landing the aforementioned Jesus from Brazil.

Worryingly so for the South American hotshot, Wissa’s arrival in through the door could see Espirito Santo and Co. win themselves an instant upgrade on the one-time Arsenal target, with the Congolese international very much a revered marksman in the Premier League.

Why Wissa would be an upgrade on Jesus

Wissa could soon go down as a fan’s favourite at City Ground, even though the long-standing Brentford servant would score this delightful effort only last month versus Forest to seal a 2-0 away success.

Still, they won’t be turning their noses up at adding Wissa to their attacking arsenal alongside Chris Wood, with that breakaway effort just one of 20 strikes the 28-year-old would fire home last season for Thomas Frank’s regular overachievers – 19 of which came in the top-flight.

To add context, the much-talked-about New Zealand powerhouse would tally up that exact amount last season in all competitions, meaning the pair working together in unison could be a dynamite duo.

But, away from any potential partnerships forming, the electric Bees number 11’s dependable record in the Premier League means he would instantly get the first-team nod over Jesus, with the experienced top-flight presence never looking back after entering the level in 2021.

24/25

39

19

5

23/24

34

12

4

22/23

38

7

3

21/22

30

7

1

Looking at the table above, Wissa has gradually improved by season by season at the daunting level, with that tally of 19 league strikes last season his most lethal return in the top-flight to date.

On the contrary, whilst Jesus is an entertaining watch with a hefty 3.5 total shots averaged on goal in Brazilian top-flight action this year, he doesn’t possess that same potency Wissa has in abundance, with a weaker output of seven goals coming his way from 24 Brasileirão Betano contests.

He does have an additional eight goals next to his name playing for Botafogo from 55 total appearances, but the concern will be that the four-time Brazil international could struggle to immediately make an impact in the English game.

Wissa wouldn’t have any of these issues to contend with, with the clinical number 11 once even labelled as “unbelievable” by his Brentford boss for his blistering goalscoring prowess.

Adding in both strikers could well be the dream scenario here, with Jesus able to bounce off a Premier League-recognised striker to up his standards.

After all, Forest might as well aim to strike up as many golden deals as possible whilst the club is on an all-time high.

Wow: Nottingham Forest could now sign £100m star in Gibbs-White swap deal

The Tricky Trees could look to bring in a forward, as part of a swap deal for Morgan Gibbs-White.

2 ByDominic Lund Jun 1, 2025

It has yet to be officially confirmed by the club, but Thomas Frank looks set to be Tottenham Hotspur’s new manager.

The Danish coach feels like a sensible choice to replace Ange Postecoglou, as since bringing Brentford up to the Premier League, he’s proven himself capable of achieving a lot with not much.

So, it’s exciting to see what he’ll be able to do at one of the wealthiest clubs in the league after what should be a summer with at least a few offensive signings.

That said, reports have recently linked the club to a tremendously promising player who could be the ideal replacement for Cristian Romero, who could be on his way out of the club.

Tottenham eyeing Romero replacement

So, while the exciting rumours have seen Spurs linked with attacking talents like Bryan Mbeumo and Antoine Semenyo, there have been some worrying reports concerning Romero’s future in recent weeks and months.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, in early April, the Argentine international was being linked with a move to European royalty Real Madrid.

Then later that month, into May and right up until this week, Atlético Madrid have emerged as the team who seem most intent on signing the World Cup winner for around £60m, and there have even been stories claiming that the players have already spoken with Diego Simeone.

In all, it feels like a distinct possibility that the 27-year-old could leave North London this summer, which might help explain the links to Jarrad Branthwaite.

According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, Spurs are now ‘considering a bold move’ for the Everton star this summer.

The story claims that the North Londoners are ‘huge fans’ of the young Englishman and that Frank sees him as ‘a cornerstone for Tottenham’s ambitions to compete for Champions League football.’

However, to get their man, the Lilywhites will have to stump up at least £70m.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given his ability and potential, it’s one Spurs should pursue, especially if Romero leaves.

Why Branthwaite would be an ideal Romero replacement

Now then, the first thing to say, and it’s important, is that if this deal were to go through, and Branthwaite was signed to replace Romero, fans should not expect him to come in and be just as good right away.

The Englishman is still just 22 years old, and while he’s hugely promising, with respected analyst EBL claiming he “ticks every box,” he’s not going to be at the level of a seasoned 27-year-old.

With that said, when we take a look at the pair’s underlying numbers from this season, the good news is that the Carlisle-born titan doesn’t fare too badly at all and actually comes on top in several defensive metrics.

Non-Penalty G+As

0.07

0.06

Progressive Passes

2.14

4.52

Progressive Carries

0.06

0.76

Passing Accuracy

79.8%

89.5%

Tackles

1.91

2.23

Blocks

1.47

1.15

Interceptions

1.34

1.29

Clearances

4.71

3.63

Errors Leading to a Shot

0.06

0.13

Miscontrols

0.58

0.64

Dispossessed

0.06

0.32

Aerial Duels Won %

68.6

60.3

Aerial Duels Won

2.72

2.61

For example, when he ranks higher than the World Cup winner for things like blocks, interceptions, clearances, and the percentage of and outright number of aerial duels won, all per 90.

Moreover, the England U21 star makes fewer errors leading to a shot, miscontrols the ball less, is dispossessed less often, commits fewer fouls and has a higher success rate when tackling opposition players in a dribble, also per 90.

It’s not just the statistical side of the game that makes the former Carlisle United gem such an appealing prospect, but also his physicality.

Standing at a massive 6 foot 5, the “ball-playing physical beast,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, would add some serious heft to the North Londoners’ backline that the 6 foot 1 Argentine just doesn’t.

Ultimately, while keeping Romero and him staying fit would likely be the best bet for improving Spurs’ defence next season, Branthwaite certainly wouldn’t be a bad replacement, and if they can get him as well as keeping the Cordoba-born titan, then even better.

Dream Semenyo alternative: Spurs plot bid to sign "terrifying" £21m star

The dynamic attacker could represent a sensational deal for Spurs.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 11, 2025

It’s all going on at Tottenham Hotspur this summer.

The North Londoners moved quickly to fire Ange Postecoglou earlier this month and then, in a relatively quick fashion, appointed Thomas Frank to lead the club into the next season.

However, that’s only the start of the business the North Londoners will be doing this season, as recent weeks have seen them linked to a plethora of talented players, from Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo to RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons.

Yet, perhaps the most interesting and exciting link has been to Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo, even though his valuation is currently lower than that of a current Spurs star.

Why Spurs want Mbeumo

As things stand, it would appear as if Spurs and Manchester United are the two teams most interested in signing Mbeumo this summer, and while the fee required to do so is still in the air, Football Transfers has valued the Cameroon international at around €58m, which comes out to £49m.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

Now, that is still a lot of money, but it would be hard to make a genuine argument against him being worth that and more.

For example, in 42 appearances for the Bees this season, totalling 3577 minutes, the former Troyes gem scored 20 goals and provided nine assists.

That means the 25-year-old phenomenon managed to maintain an average of a goal involvement every 1.44 games, or every 123.34 minutes, which is undeniably sensational and the sort of output that would seriously help the North Londoners next year.

Furthermore, the Avallon-born monster is reasonably versatile, as while his primary and best position is off the right, he has spent a not-insignificant period playing up top and as a second striker during his time in the capital.

Finally, while there might be cheaper and more exciting options elsewhere in Europe, the 22-capped international is Premier League-proven and, therefore, should easily slot into the Tottenham squad next season.

However, he will have to hit the ground running to see his valuation surpass one of his potential new teammates.

The Spurs star worth more than Mbeumo

So, even though Spurs endured a diabolically poor domestic campaign this season, the club is still blessed with an abundance of talented players, like James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Micky Van de Ven.

However, in this context, the player in question is fellow right-winger Brennan Johnson, who, according to Football Transfers, is currently worth €66.5m, which converts to about £57m, or £8m more than Mbeumo’s valuation.

Now, that might sound like a lot to some of you, but the Welshman actually enjoyed a pretty impressive season with the North Londoners this year.

For example, he ended the campaign as the club’s top scorer, with 18 goals and seven assists in 51 appearances, totalling 3316 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.04 games, or every 132.64 minutes, which isn’t much worse than the Brentford star.

Moreover, he scored arguably the most important Tottenham goal in a generation in the Europa League Final last month.

On top of that, he stacks up reasonably well against the Cameroonian superstar when we take a look at their underlying numbers from this season.

For example, the 25-year-old comes out ahead in some metrics, such as progressive passes and carries, shots on target and shot and goal-creating actions per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.51

0.42

Non-Penalty G+As

0.61

0.58

Progressive Passes

2.69

3.72

Progressive Carries

2.21

3.43

Shots

2.13

2.08

Goals per Shot

0.23

0.18

Shots on Target

0.84

0.94

Goals per Shot on Target

0.58

0.41

Passing Accuracy

69.2%

66.1%

Shot-Creating Actions

1.72

3.80

Goal-Creating Actions

0.27

0.53

Tackles

1.42

1.29

Tackles Won

0.90

0.85

Blocks

0.97

0.69

However, the “frightening” former Nottingham Forest gem, as dubbed by content creator HLTCO, comes out ahead in just as many other areas, including expected and actual non-penalty goals plus assists, shots, goals per shot and shot on target, tackles and tackles won, blocks and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, Mbeumo might be the more exciting player at the moment, but Johnson fully deserves the valuation he has, and should the North Londoners get their hands on the Brentford star, there could be a fierce battle for that right-wing position next season.

He's like Isak: Spurs make contact to sign £47m Premier League "monster"

The reliable goalscorer would make Spurs far more dangerous.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 20, 2025

Glamorgan looked set to win before three dropped catches in last three overs came back to haunt them

ECB Reporters Network20-Jun-2024Gloucestershire 142 for 8 (J Taylor 70, van der Gugten 2-8) beat Glamorgan 140 for 6 (Northeast 46*, M Taylor 3-21) by two wicketsGloucestershire completed a superb win over Glamorgan with Jack Taylor’s 70 setting up a remarkable comeback from 45 for 5 to secure a two-wicket victory.Glamorgan looked certain to claim the win before three dropped catches in the last three overs came back to haunt them as Josh Shaw hit the last ball for six to take the visitors past their target.Runs for Sam Northeast and an excellent spell from Timm van der Gugten had put Glamorgan into a winning position before Taylor’s 70 from 48 balls set up the victory for Gloucestershire.Gloucestershire looked to be heading for a large defeat before Taylor’s innings allowed them snatch the win from the very last ball.The Glamorgan innings was characterised more by touch than by power with their top three looking to work the ball around in very bowling friendly conditions. Kiran Carlson tried some early innovation and was dismissed as a result. He attempted to scoop a ball from Shaw over the keeper and was caught at backward point by Matt Taylor.With the early wickets of Carlson and Labuschagne, Northeast was happy to soak up the pressure that the Gloucestershire seamers applied, and he was going at under a run a run a ball for much of his innings. Northeast finished on 46 not out from 42 balls, the lowest not out score by an opener in a full 20-over innings in the competition’s history.

Marnus Labuschagneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee pic.twitter.com/b5J7dpetk5

— Glamorgan Cricket (@GlamCricket) June 20, 2024

Colin Ingram looked to be more aggressive and fell when he attempted to on drive down the ground off the bowling of Matt Taylor for 25. When Chris Cooke fell to the next ball Glamorgan were 76 for 4. When Ben Kellaway was caught at deep square leg in the next over off Marchant De Lange that became 81 for 5.Dan Douthwaite and Northeast put on the biggest stand of the Glamorgan innings but that was broken after the pair had added 37. Northeast added 22 in the final overs with van der Gugten to get Glamorgan to 140 for 6 from their 20 overs.The Gloucestershire innings got off to a poor start with the new ball once again causing serious difficulties for the batting side. They were 29 for 3 at the end of the powerplay and really struggling to get going.Van der Gugten bowled four consecutive overs from the Cathedral Road end to finish with figures of 2 for 8 in a spell that included a maiden and just one boundary.The introduction of the very first over of spin in this match brought immediate rewards for Glamorgan when Marnus Labuschagne took a spectacular one-handed catch while diving full length off the bowling of Mason Crane to dismiss Ben Charlesworth as Gloucestershire stumbled to 53 for 5 after 10 overs.Jack Taylor batted brilliantly throughout but benefited from some sloppy fielding after he had passed fifty with both Carlson and McIlroy putting him down off the bowling of Crane.Taylor was run out in the last over to seemingly end Gloucestershire’s hopes but Northeast dropped Shaw off the penultimate ball to give him the chance to win the game with his six off the final delivery.

Birmingham City are reportedly in talks to complete the long-term signing of a top target in their third deal of matching kind this summer.

Birmingham have to be "picky", says Davies

The Blues are preparing for life back in the Championship, following such a dominant and memorable title-winning season in League One, with the club in an exciting place currently.

Manager Chris Davies has outlined Birmingham’s approach this summer, admitting that they now need to be “picky” with signings, which hasn’t always been the case under him.

“Last season we found that we were convincing players and selling them a project. I was saying to them, ‘Look, come here and in 10 months’ time we won’t be in League One, we’ll be a Championship team’. Now they’re coming to us. A lot more are coming to us, ‘We want to be part of this’.

“You’ve got to be a bit more picky now about who you engage with. Birmingham is a club that is going somewhere and everybody wants to be at a club that’s going somewhere. A lot of people are talking about the club around the country, and internationally as well, so people want to come here. It’s important now that we make sure we pick the right ones.”

Birmingham are being linked with some exciting players, from Tommy Doyle to Demarai Gray, and now it looks as though they are looking to get another important piece of business over the line.

Birmingham in talks to sign Davies permanently

According to a new update from Birmingham World, Birmingham are in talks with Ben Davies over completing a permanent move to the club, following a successful loan stint from Rangers last season.

The Englishman only has one more year remaining on his current deal in Scotland, so they may be happy to cash in on him now, with his current market value said to be £2m.

The club have already completed two deals of this kind this summer, turning the loan moves of Alfons Sampsted and Taylor Gardner-Hickman into permanent signings.

In Davies’ case, the former Liverpool defender made 35 appearances in League One overall, 32 of which were starts, and he averaged 6.2 clearances and 4.1 aerial duel wins per game en route to the Blues comfortably securing promotion to the Championship.

Appearances

35

Starts

32

Minutes played

2959

Clearances per game

6.2

Aerial duel wins per game

4.1

Tackles per game

1.1

Goals

1

Assists

1

Now 29, Davies is a hugely experienced head who could be a great squad option for Birmingham, with Klopp speaking fondly of him after he arrived at Liverpool in a shock deal in January 2021.

“He’s a really good footballer, looks like a proper leader in this Preston team, good in challenges, looks football smart, can play different positions because he played in a back three and a back four and all these things. That makes him really interesting so I’m really looking forward to working with him.”

After Kyogo: Birmingham want to sign new ST who's better than Stansfield

Birmingham are interested in signing a forward who would be even better than Jay Stansfield.

1 ByDan Emery Jun 26, 2025

There are few negatives to Birmingham snapping up Davies this summer, and if he performs like he did last season, the Blues’ hopes of a good campaign will be improved instantly.

Manchester City fans will be hoping their damaged side can get back on the horse in convincing fashion when Premier League football kicks off again in August.

The ten-time top-flight champions fell way below their lofty standards last season when finishing in third spot in the competitive division, whilst an FA Cup final slip-up to Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace further added to the lacklustre mood at the Etihad.

City have been spending big this summer to try and right the wrongs of their 2024/25 campaign coming undone, with Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki and Rayan Ait Nouri all coming through the door in quick succession, but this hat-trick of exciting buys still couldn’t stop the Citizens from crashing out of the Club World Cup unexpectedly to Al-Hilal.

More new purchases could be pushed onto the table, therefore, to help boost Pep Guardiola’s men even more, with a potential defensive addition around the £25m mark on the agenda.

£25m star now on Man City's agenda

Of course, it’s not just incoming signings that City will be wanting to press on with.

The dented Premier League giants will also want to get even more personnel off their books this summer – away from allowing just Kevin De Bruyne to move onto Napoli – with Jack Grealish reportedly being eyed up by many a potential suitor, including both Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, as City continue with their clearout.

Transfer Focus

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

£40m could soon enter into City’s bank account if the former Aston Villa man finally departs Manchester for good, with £25m of that potentially used to snap up Inter Milan defensive star Denzel Dumfries.

Indeed, as per a new report from Italy, the lightning-quick right-back is being eyed up by City as another first-team altering addition.

It’s claimed that City are ready to trigger that £21m release clause fee, signalling their intentions to make a bid in the not-too-distant future.

How Dumfries can be City's answer to Frimpong

Should Dumfries head to England this summer then he could well be City’s answer to Jeremie Frimpong, with the Citizens once possessing the 5-foot-8 menace during his youth days, before he moved on to Liverpool for a hefty £29.5m after a blistering Bayer Leverkusen stint.

Now, that past regret will be far easier to process if Dumfries soon joins Guardiola’s ever-growing camp to be City’s up-to-date answer to their ex-academy talent.

After all, City have licked their wounds in this department before, with Guardiola and Co. still managing to finish above Chelsea last season, even as their former homegrown product Cole Palmer terrorised Premier League defences at will.

Now, they will be hoping to overshadow another of their top-flight rivals in Arne Slot’s Reds by landing their own version of Frimpong, with both right-backs in question loving a speedy dart forward, as much as they love to battle away at the back for their team’s cause.

Last season in the intense environment of the Serie A, Dumfries would dazzle as a gung-ho option on the right, with a sublime seven of his 11 goals for the campaign coming in Italian top-flight action, which included a fantastic breakaway move being finished off by the direct 29-year-old.

Frimpong bettered Dumfries’ hefty amount, but not by much, with the pacey Amsterdam-born defender chipping in with a bumper nine efforts himself in the Bundesliga.

Total shots

1.52

1.36

Shot-creating actions

2.32

2.67

Attempted passes

38.68

35.80

Progressive passes

2.25

2.00

Progressive carries

2.51

4.11

Touches in attacking penalty area

0.76

0.90

Tackles

1.49

1.13

Blocks

1.46

0.98

Aerial duels won

2.60

0.43

The similarities don’t just end with their shared prowess for gallivanting forward with pace, however, as seen when glancing at the table above, with both defenders willing to get stuck in for the cause, too.

If anything, City might be winning themselves a better signing by landing Dumfries for a lesser £25m, with the Dutchman winning more tackles and aerial duels over the last year than Frimpong, according to FBref, away from just being known as a “monster” in the words of journalist Alan Rzepa.

A fascinating battle might well ensue at the top of the division next season between City and Liverpool, with the Citizens hopeful they can return to the Premier League summit after experiencing a blip of a season by securing more and more new stars, such as Dumfries.

Bigger talent than Reijnders: Pep driving Man City move for £43m sensation

Following the arrival of Tijjani Reijnders, Man City still want to bolster their midfield options, reportedly interested in making a £43m signing.

ByBen Gray Jul 4, 2025

The frequency of the mega auctions and the auction purse were among the other points discussed

Nagraj Gollapudi and S Sudarshanan31-Jul-20243:35

Should the Impact Player rule stay or go?

Delhi Capitals (DC) co-owner Parth Jindal wants the Impact Player rule scrapped, while Kavya Maran, the owner of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), recommended a minimum of seven players to be retained without any restrictions on the number of overseas players bought back. There was also a split vote on having a mega auction every five years. These were some of the discussions during the meeting between the BCCI and the owners of the ten IPL teams on Wednesday, in Mumbai.The meeting, which was held at the BCCI office, was organised to discuss various points concerning retentions for the IPL 2025 season. There were also discussions on whether the right-to-match (RTM) card option should be brought back at the auction, and if a special category should be created for uncapped players to incentivise teams that have scouted and developed young talent. The frequency of the mega auctions and the auction purse were among the other points discussed.In a media release, the BCCI said these recommendations will be taken to the IPL governing council for “further deliberation and evaluation” before formulating the player regulations. The rules for both retention and auction for the 2025 season are expected to be finalised by end of August.Impact Player ‘detrimental to Indian cricket’The original motive of the Impact Player rule was to allow more Indian players, especially the uncapped ones, to get exposure. However, prominent players and coaches argued that it was not creating a level-playing field, with India’s Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma saying he was not a big fan of the rule because it would hold back the “development” of allrounders.Jindal agreed with Rohit’s viewpoint. “Some people want it because it gives a chance to young players to play in the IPL,” Jindal said after the meeting. “Some people don’t want it because it is detrimental to Indian cricket in terms of the development of allrounders. So it’s a mixed bag. I’m on the second camp. I don’t want it. I prefer the game as it is 11 versus 11, and I think allrounders are very important. And you have different players who don’t bowl in the IPL or don’t bat in the IPL because of this rule, which is not good for Indian cricket.”A combination of retention and RTM? Number of retainees?Retention was the most important item on the agenda and Jindal said it was “all up in the air” with teams requesting various numbers. It is understood Maran asked for at least seven retentions. It is no surprise considering SRH have several big names in their squad. Apart from captain Pat Cummins, the likes of Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Reddy and T Natarajan played important roles in SRH finishing as runners-up in the 2024 season.ESPNcricinfo has learnt that Maran requested the IPL not to impose a cap on the number of overseas as well as capped and uncapped Indians a franchise could retain once the IPL had finalised the retention number. She said they would lean towards retaining maximum overseas players. This view was echoed by more than one franchise during a recent meeting with IPL chief operating officer Hemang Amin.The franchises had told Amin that retaining the core was critical not just from a performance point of view but it enabled teams to create fan loyalty with some of the established players. They also wanted to retain uncapped Indian talent they had deeply invested in.13:31

Runorder: Is the mega auction good for the IPL?

ESPNcricinfo has also learnt that Maran proposed that players could be secured via a plain retention process or a combination of retention and RTM at the auction or all exclusively via the right-to-match (RTM) card. The last method, it is understood, was suggested by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who had asked for as many as eight players to be bought back exclusively via the RTM method.Maran is believed to have told the gathering that the franchise would get the choice to discuss with the player whether he wanted to be retained prior to the auction or via the RTM option. This will not leave the player “disgruntled” about his retention price, she said. From previous experience, Maran pointed out that players preferred to go to the auction because they felt the retention amount was on the lower side.An RTM, which allows the market to determine the price, was previously part of the 2018 mega auction but not in 2022 when teams were revamped after a four-year cycle. Maran felt that a player could be paid better in case he preferred the RTM option, so that the auction purse would dictate his exact value. Either way, Maran said, the process would ensure transparency.Scrap mega auction?Jindal said while the franchises were “not on the same page on many issues”, he was “surprised” some owners wanted mega auctions scrapped.”I was surprised,” he said. “There was a debate. Some people said that there should not be a mega auction at all. There should be only smaller auctions. I’m not in that camp. I feel that it evens the playing field and it’s very good for everyone. It makes the IPL what it is. It makes it competitive. It makes it an even-playing field.”Maran was one of those in favour of having mega auctions every five years. She also proposed having just a mini-auction for the 2025 season.Retention pot instead of slabsDuring their meeting with Amin, some franchises, including SRH, had suggested that the IPL must allow them the discretion to negotiate the retention amounts with the players instead of ranking them via retention slabs which has been the norm in previous mega auctions.Maran is believed to have suggested that based on the number of players retained, the IPL could determine an amount which the franchise then would negotiate with the players.Apart from Jindal and Maran, other owners who were present at the meeting were Shah Rukh Khan (principal owner of KKR), Manoj Badale and Ranjit Barthakur (principal owner and chair of Rajasthan Royals respectively), Kiran Gandhi (DC co-owner), Rupa Gurunath and Kasi Viswanathan (owner and CEO of CSK respectively), Prathmesh Mishra and Rajesh Menon (chair and vice-president at Diageo, the group that owns RCB), Sanjiv Goenka and Shashwat Goenka (LSG owner and his son), Ness Wadia (co-owner of Punjab Kings), Amit Soni (CVC Partners, owners of Gujarat Titans) and Akash Ambani (Mumbai Indians owner), who is understood to have attended virtually.

Lord’s will host two men’s Tests this summer, with England’s third Test against India slotted for the venue as well

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Sep-2024The final of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 will be played at Lord’s from June 11.India and Australia are currently the top two teams on the points table with 68.52 and 62.50 percentage points respectively, but the identity of the finalists will not be known till next year. For India, who were the losing finalists in both the previous WTCs, there are ten Tests left to play in the cycle – two at home against Bangladesh, three at home against New Zealand, and five away in Australia; Australia, the defending champions, also have an away series of two Tests in Sri Lanka.”Winning the World Test Championship was, and still is, a big goal for this team,” Pat Cummins, Australia’s Test captain, said in a statement. “It is the culmination of hard work and consistency over the two-year cycle for all teams. So hopefully we will be there again, there’s a lot of cricket still to be played between now and then, and the fans can get a chance to watch us defend the title.”ESPNcricinfo LtdNew Zealand (50.00) are currently at No. 3 on the nine-team table and, after their historic 2-0 series win in Pakistan, Bangladesh (45.83) are at No. 4. They are followed by England (45.00) and South Africa (38.89). Sri Lanka, Pakistan and West Indies are the bottom three teams at the moment.England has been picked as the venue for all three WTC finals so far, the first having been in Southampton and the second at The Oval.”We’re delighted to be working with the ICC to bring the World Test Championship final to Lord’s for the first time,” Guy Lavender, the MCC chief executive and secretary, said. “It is our great privilege to be asked to host a final of any kind but to welcome the two best men’s sides in Test cricket – our most cherished format – is a singular honour. It will be an experience not to be missed, adding to the storied 140-year history of Lord’s Tests.”Lord’s will host two Tests next summer, the other being the England vs India Test from July 10 to 14. That is the third Test of that tour, which will start at Headingley on June 20, followed by Tests at Edgbaston (from July 2), Lord’s, Old Trafford (from July 23) and The Oval (from July 31). If India make the final of the WTC, it will mean six Tests in a row for them in England.