The success enjoyed by Tom Brady and Ryan Reynolds could lead to Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods exploring takeover options at Manchester United.

Famous faces flocking to British footballNBA & golf legends could be nextMore investment & documentaries mootedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

That is according to Matt Jansen, who spent time on the books at Wrexham during his playing days and once saw a transfer to Old Trafford speculated on. He is now watching on from afar as celebrity investors generate plenty of buzz in British football.

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NFL legend Brady is part of the board at Birmingham, while Hollywood actor Reynolds is working alongside Rob McElhenney in North Wales. A number of other famous faces are involved with EFL clubs, with the promise of more takeovers to come.

DID YOU KNOW?

NBA icon Jordan and golf GOAT Woods boast the personal fortunes required to move into club ownership, and it is claimed that they may be tempted to tread a similar path to Brady and Co – with Jansen talking up deals for United and his former employers at Blackburn.

GettyWHAT JANSEN SAID

Jansen, speaking to , said of more A-list investment and money-spinning documentaries: “I think Tom Brady is a good one. Maybe Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods, people who’ve been at the top of their sport. The number one in their sport will always be impressive, and can relate a little bit more to football than the music industry.

“It could be any club, couldn’t it? But the likes of Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods would probably be looking at Liverpool, Chelsea or Man United, those kinds of clubs. They’re that big a star. So is Tom Brady, but Birmingham are really putting their money where their mouth is. I think they'll be a force this season.

“They could target clubs in the EFL. Look at what Wrexham started and they've been a success. It'll be other people putting it to the likes of Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods, rather than them approaching clubs.

“They'll see whether it’s worthwhile investing their time. It’s certainly worked for the two at Wrexham, and it’s worked for Tom Brady at the moment. How far it'll go, who knows?

“I could see them buying Manchester United. The fans are unhappy with Ratcliffe at the minute, and there are protests. You couldn’t put it past somebody like that coming in, and his aura could bring success.

“They'd certainly welcome them at Blackburn. They're in a bit of a mess with the Venky’s at the moment. It's a sorry place compared to the great days from Jack Walker’s era when I was playing. It's fallen quite far, and they’d definitely welcome some positive publicity.

“I’m a big Tiger Woods fan, so for me a documentary of him at Blackburn or Manchester United would beat any before it. Woods is a global superstar and it would certainly be one series I’d be looking forward to. It would be incredible if it happened.”

A lot is happening in Bangladesh cricket at the moment, but new head coach Phil Simmons wants the focus to be firmly on the upcoming Test series against South Africa.Things are messy. Simmons took over as Bangladesh’s head coach on Tuesday, replacing Chandika Hathurusinghe, who was sacked earlier this week and has since hit back at the BCB. Shakib Al Hasan, who hasn’t returned to Dhaka because of protests against him (for political reasons), has withdrawn from the Test side.When Simmons attended Bangladesh’s training session at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Saturday, protests for and against Shakib were on. All this, two days out from the first Test.Related

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• Shakib 'unavailable' for first South Africa Test

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“[Keeping distractions away from the players] is a big part of our job over the next few days, to make sure the focus is on the cricket, and not on the outside of cricket,” Simmons said. “We can control how we prepare for Monday, that’s how we are trying to get the team to focus.”The good thing is we have a very important Test match to prepare for. We win the next few Tests, and we are in contention for the [WTC] final. My first port of call is cricket and about getting the squad ready for Monday. The last two days [of training] have been brilliant. We have tried to leave out the confusion that’s around the cricket, and concentrate on preparing for Monday.”Simmons comes in with vast coaching experience, having worked with Zimbabwe, Ireland, West Indies, Afghanistan and PNG as well as several T20 franchises in the last 20 years. He was one of the candidates interviewed for the Bangladesh job in 2017 – to fill the role left vacant by Hathurusinghe – but was not selected.”All these experiences [with other teams] will help me in the next few days to get me ready for Monday,” Simmons said. “Afghanistan helped me with the language barrier sometimes. Ireland helped me with developing young players. It all comes in [handy] at the end of the day. I have to use all those experiences in this assignment.”Conversation with the captain [Najmul Hossain Shanto] has been about his thoughts on players and direction he wants to take the team. It was also about what we do before Monday. It is generally about how we go into the first Test match. As we get to know each other, there will be more discussions about ODIs etc. Now it is about Test cricket, and what we are going to do in these two matches.”Shakib Al Hasan’s fans show their support for the cricketer outside the Shere Bangla Stadium•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Simmons said he took more interest in the role after Bangladesh’s 2-0 Test series win against Pakistan and was particularly impressed by the youngsters in the side.”The interest comes from seeing the quality of the young players. They handled themselves well against Pakistan,” he said. “They didn’t do well in the T20Is against India but they played against the best T20 team in the world, so you have things to take out of there. It all added up to an assignment, which I enjoyed. One, [there are] young players to develop. Two, there’s Tests and ODIs involved. It wasn’t a hard decision [to take the job].”He believes Bangladesh have a good chance to beat South Africa, who haven’t won a Test series in the subcontinent in the last ten years, but was wary of taking them lightly.”It is definitely a good opportunity. Bangladesh are usually very strong at home. So it is a very good opportunity for us to win the Test series,” Simmons said. “South Africa has that [record in the subcontinent] hanging over their head but they are a resilient team. They will work hard to change that.”

“My mind wants to keep going, but my body can no longer endure the pain, the breakdowns, and the strain”

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Sep-20241:58

Pollard: Champion Bravo has given cricket his all

Dwayne Bravo has confirmed his retirement from all cricket after his final season in the CPL was cut short by injury.Bravo, 41 next month, is the leading T20 wicket-taker in history. He had previously called time on his international career in 2021, and stepped away from the IPL last year, as he began to move into coaching – in the last 12 months he has worked with Chennai Super Kings and the Afghanistan men’s team.”My mind wants to keep going, but my body can no longer endure the pain, the breakdowns, and the strain” Bravo said in a post on Instagram. “I can’t put myself in a position where I might let down my teammates, my fans, or the teams I represent.”So, with a heavy heart, I officially announce my retirement from the sport. Today, the Champion bids farewell.”ESPNcricinfo LtdIn an 18-year career, Bravo helped set the benchmark in T20 cricket, winning titles at the IPL, PSL and Big Bash, as well as becoming a two-time world champion with West Indies. He finishes with 631 wickets in the format from 582 appearances – second only to compatriot Kieron Pollard.Bravo announced before the ongoing edition of the CPL that it would be his last. He had been due to play in the third season of the UAE’s ILT20, having been retained by MI Emirates, but has decided to bow out after suffering a groin injury playing against St Lucia Kings in Tarouba on Tuesday.Bravo was the most decorated player in CPL history, having won five titles in all, including three with Trinbago Knight Riders alone. He had led TKR to back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018 before captaining Patriots to their first title in 2021.Related

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Russell and TKR pay tribute to CPL legend Bravo

In a number of T20 leagues around the world, especially at the CPL, Bravo has been harnessing his experience to nurture youngsters, settling into a role like MS Dhoni has been fulfilling for CSK for a while. During CPL 2021, for example, he took allrounder Dominic Drakes under his wing and helped transform him into a match-winner. Drakes came away with the Player-of-the-Match award in the CPL 2021 final and continued to work with Bravo in other leagues, including IPL (CSK) and T10 (Delhi Bulls).Bravo has also worked closely with Ali Khan, the USA fast bowler, who also often fronts up to bowl at the death for TKR. Bravo had first spotted Khan in the US Open T20 tournament and signed him on for the Winnipeg Hawks in the Global T20 Canada, before recommending him to TKR.

He went from being their top wicket-taker to being benched in the space of two IPL seasons, but the mystery spinner believes this is his year to bounce back

Deivarayan Muthu31-Mar-2023Varun Chakravarthy burst onto the cricketing scene in 2018 as a mystery spinner with a bagful of variations, but his life – and career – has had more twists and turns than there are variations in his repertoire.He started his career as a wicketkeeper-batter who wanted to become the “next Dinesh Karthik”, then had a cameo as an actor in a Tamil movie, , when he was trying to break through as an assistant director. Somewhere along the way he ditched cricket and movies for architecture. He then returned to cricket again as a mystery spinner who could turn the ball both ways at a quick pace.Related

Kolkata Knight Riders face tough questions in Shreyas Iyer's absence

Varun Chakravarthy reveals he is working on a 'new legspin variation'

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It was those abilities, a prized and uncommon skill set, that gave Kolkata Knight Riders’ attack a potent point of difference in the 2020 and 2021 IPLs. Soon after, Varun played for India in the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE. However, in IPL 2022, his form and rhythm plummeted so much that he was benched for three games. The ball wasn’t quite turning both ways or he wasn’t giving it much of a chance to do so by uncharacteristically tossing it up too full, which allowed batters to get underneath the length and pump him over the top. The mystery in his bowling seemed to have disappeared.

****

There is one constant theme in Varun’s life: he has bounced back from setbacks – both on and off the field. In 2017, for example, he started his own architecture business, but the floods in Chennai that year damaged his sites, resulting in heavy losses. He managed to find a way to overcome that disappointment. If anything, setbacks have been catalysts for him to bounce back. Just like when he decided to switch his career path to cricket from architecture.Having experienced such lows in life, Varun didn’t allow a few bad games in the IPL last season to send him into a shell. “Yes, obviously, I take the lessons [from life],” he says. “Cricket is part of my life and whatever happens in life also affects cricket. So I try to implement life lessons into my cricket as well and what I have understood is that even during your ups and downs, you should be level, and the only people who will always be with you are your family.Varun went wicketless in the three T20 World Cup matches he played in the UAE in 2021•Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images”I know that I’m not foolproof or damage-proof and I was expecting this kind of an [IPL] season at some point. Everyone will go through a low time, but it’s about coming back.”Sriram Krishnamurthy, Varun’s coach at Madurai Panthers in the Tamil Nadu Premier League and a former coach with Northern Brave Men in New Zealand, credits Varun with maintaining an equilibrium in both his cricket and life. “Even though he had that IPL season he had, one good thing about Varun we’ve seen from day one is, he never gets too high and never gets too low,” Sriram says. “While his confidence was dented after the last IPL, he wasn’t broken, and that comes down to the person that he is. He’s very practical and realistic about understanding the game and life per se. That’s a big strength of his because I feel like for someone who has had the life he has – being a late entrant into cricket – and how far he has gone, for anyone else, it could have taken them away from reality. We’ve seen other players get lost after this sort of quick success, whereas I feel with Varun, he is always focused on what he has to do and I feel the mental element of bouncing back from failures is there with him.”

****

What went wrong with Varun last season?Having worked his way up from a tennis-ball background, he previously hadn’t played or practised as much as he did in the last five years. As a result, he veered away from his strengths and some undesirable technical changes also crept into his bowling. His run-up became slower, his lengths fuller, and overall his bowling lost some of its fizz.In the UAE, Varun got some of his fuller ones to skid or hold off the pitch, but on fairly easy-paced hit-through-the line Indian tracks last season, batters lined him up easily. According to ESPNcricinfo’s logs, he conceded 107 runs off 48 full balls last IPL.Around the time he was relegated to the sidelines by the Knight Riders, he sat down and watched his old videos to remedy his bowling. “After those games, I had a break,” Varun says. I was basically trying to flight the ball, which was not my expertise. I [now] bowl quicker and that has worked for me. It was better sticking to that. Personally, I worked on my run-up as well. I realised it quite late, but I came to know that was a mistake.Sriram Krishnamurthy, Madurai Panthers coach: “If, with his pace, Varun ensures the batsman doesn’t have much time to think, I feel that will set him up well”•BCCI”I [had] just started running slower because… if a cricketer practises for a long time again and again, there are a few basics you might forget, which you usually get right. It was a case of that and then when I watched previous videos of my bowling, I realised I was running slow. Then my run-up was quicker, like what it was before, and I feel that was the difference. The last three matches for KKR went well for me after the break.”Once he returned to action for Knight Riders in the last stretch of IPL 2022, Varun hit the pitch much harder, increased his pace, dragged his length back, and denied batters easy access to the boundary. He stuck to his guns in the TNPL 2022 that followed and he and Sriram tried to recreate what had worked for Varun when he first broke into the IPL.”I remember having a conversation with him about what he was doing well when he was going well, in terms of the pace and length he bowled,” Sriram recalls. “By being slower through the air and bowling fuller, he was also giving batsmen an opportunity to sort of get to the pitch of the ball, and when you’re doing that you take away the element of [doubt about] which way the ball is going to go. From that perspective, we discussed how he was successful by bowling that length or slightly back of a length, which made the batsmen play him pretty much only off the pitch. The quicker pace with which he bowls means batsmen will have slightly less time to react.”He did go towards doing something different in the last IPL. For a player to evolve, he has to constantly keep working, and that was probably the journey Varun was going on as well. On the basis of performance, it didn’t necessarily reflect too well on how he did for KKR in that IPL, which again dented his confidence a little bit. But again, the clarity he had about his own bowling and whatever the conversation we had was not about me telling him what to do, but it was a process of rediscovering what he did well before, and to his credit, he was fully aware of his strengths. So he recreated that confidence. [Also] there is a difference in the quality of batting in TNPL and IPL. So it gives him a bit more space and time to get his confidence back, so to say.”With the IPL returning to the home-and-away format, Varun is set to play for KKR at Eden Gardens for the first time. He is usually not a big turner of the ball and particularly relishes bowling on bouncier or even flatter pitches. With Eden Gardens no longer the turner that it once used to be, Sriram thinks Varun has the tools to be penetrative at the venue.After his three-game break in the IPL last year, Varun returned to take two wickets in two games•BCCI”Varun is slightly taller than most average spinners and the other thing is his high release point,” Sriram says. “That release point helps him get bounce off the wicket. He has to bowl that length to extract that bounce. If he uses his height and release point… like he said, maybe he’s not a massive turner of the ball, but he turns the ball enough. If he ensures that the batsman doesn’t have too much time to sit back and think, which comes down to the pace at which Varun bowls, then I feel that will set him up well.”Varun has tuned up for the new IPL season after getting ample game time with Tamil Nadu in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Madurai Panthers in the TNPL, and Vijay CC in the Chennai league during the city’s oppressive summer.”At Tamil Nadu and in the TNPL, they’ve been using me as a death bowler, so it’s something that challenges me and hopefully I’ll be able to do the job in the IPL as well,” Varun says. “KKR have shown a lot of faith in me, which is important for any player. The KKR management has always been in constant touch with me on how I’m doing and all those things. I’ll always be grateful to KKR for what they’ve bestowed upon me and the responsibility that they’ve given me.”Right after the end of the IPL, we had another camp at the KKR academy. Normally people have a camp before the IPL, but the same players were part of another camp. You don’t know if you will be retained or not, but still we trained with the same bunch of guys. That’s something I liked about what they did last year, and it basically helped our preparation for Syed Mushtaq Ali [Trophy]. Regardless of whether they’re going to retain that player or not, they called all the Indians for the camp again. Hopefully, I can live up to the expectations this IPL.”As a retained player, the expectations on Varun to deliver are even greater this IPL and whichever way this season goes, it could well add another twist to his career.

Manchester United are exploring deals to improve their squad during the summer transfer window, as they look to add to the signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers last month.

The Red Devils are reportedly confident that they will be able to complete a deal to sign Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.

In the 2024/25 season, the Cameroon international delivered 20 goals and seven assists in all competitions, which suggests that he could add a huge threat to Ruben Amorim’s side next term.

Whilst the signings of Cunha and Mbeumo, if the latter goes through, show that United are looking for Premier League proven performers to help them kick on, the Red Devils are also looking further afield.

Man Utd eyeing up LaLiga ace

As well as wanting to improve their options at the top end of the pitch, by signing players who can score and assist goals, the club would like to improve their midfield.

Transfer Focus

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

According to Caught Offside, Manchester United are one of a number of teams in the race to sign Barcelona defensive midfielder Marc Casado this summer.

The report claims that Amorim’s side are interested in a deal to bring the Spaniard over to England, but they have not made contact with the LaLiga champions yet.

It reveals, however, that their Premier League rivals, Chelsea and Arsenal, have spoken to Barcelona to enquire about a potential swoop for the 21-year-old talent.

Caught Offside adds that it will take a fee of around £43m to tempt the Spanish giants into cashing in on the midfielder, despite him having an £86m release clause.

Man Utd could find their next Carrick

If United can get a deal over the line for the Barcelona star this summer, Amorim could unearth his own version of Michael Carrick in the middle of the park.

The former Red Devils star, who recently managed Middlesbrough, was a metronome in midfield for the club during his playing days with his fantastic ability to dictate play with his quality on the ball.

From the 2009/10 season onwards (from when the data became available), the England international completed 88% of his attempted passes in 272 games before the end of his career.

In Casado, United could find a young midfielder with similar qualities to Carrick. However, at the age of 21, he is still very raw and needs time to develop and hit his stride at senior level.

He made 23 appearances for Barcelona in their LaLiga title-winning season last term, leading talent scout Jacek Kulig to hail his “incredible” form, and showcased the kind of qualities that you would associate with the former United midfielder.

Passes attempted

76.37

Top 5%

Pass accuracy

89%

Top 10%

Progressive passes

5.98

Top 18%

Assists

0.17

Top 22%

Passes into the final third

7.71

Top 6%

Passes offside

0.00

Top 4%

As you can see in the table above, he ranked highly among his positional peers in a host of possession-based metrics, with both his pass accuracy and progressive passing statistics pointing to his efficiency and effectiveness with the ball at his feet.

These statistics suggest that Casado could be moulded into a Carrick-esque figure for Amorim, as a deep-lying midfielder who can move the ball around and dictate games, whilst being progressive in doing so.

However, Casado only won 53% of his duels, including 28% of his aerial battles, and he may need to improve the physical side of his game to truly thrive in England.

This is why he may not be the finished article right away for Manchester United in the Premier League, but he does have the attributes to potentially develop into Amorim’s own Carrick in the future, or straight away if he can hit the ground running.

Amorim's own Haaland: Man Utd make "world-class" £60m CF their top target

Manchester United appear to be making moves for a new forward in the transfer market.

2 ByEthan Lamb Jul 11, 2025

da premier bet： Tottenham Hotspur’s success in Europe this campaign is evidence that they are capable of achieving incredible things, needing to build on their recent trophy lift.

da bet sport： The Europa League triumph ended the club’s generational wait for silverware, handing Thomas Frank the platform to build on ahead of his first season in charge.

He was appointed as the club’s new boss after Ange Postecoglou was given the boot despite beating Manchester United in Bilbao at the end of May.

However, the Premier League needs to be the main focus for the Dane, looking to push the side in the right direction and building towards a title push during his tenure in North London.

Any success he could achieve is hugely dependent on how much business the hierarchy conducts in the summer, needing to back the new boss in his quest after making the leap across the capital.

The latest on Spurs’ hunt for new additions this summer

Over the last couple of days, Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze has emerged as a key target once again for Spurs, which could lead to them triggering his £68m release clause.

He’s not the only attacker on their radar, with West Ham United’s Mohammed Kudus also another potential option, with Frank evidently wanting to strengthen his options within the final third.

However, either of the options could be joined by Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz, after the Brazilian was labelled as a player on their radar as per GIVEMESPORT’s latest update.

They claim that the Lilywhites are preparing an approach for the 24-year-old this summer, after he registered eight goals in the Premier League throughout 2024/25 – with his current employers demanding £50m for his signature.

It also states that the forward would be keen on a move to North London this summer, after Marco Silva’s side rejected a £32m bid from newly-promoted Leeds United last week.

Why Spurs’ £50m target would be a better signing than Semenyo

Antoine Semenyo is another attacker who has appeared on Spurs’ radar over the last couple of weeks, with the Ghanaian seen as a key target this summer.

It’s been reported in recent days that Frank’s side are set to make a £65m bid to land the 25-year-old this window after registering 11 goals and five assists in the league this campaign.

It’s likely that Bournemouth won’t want to lose another star player after Dean Huijsen departed and Milos Kerkez moved one step closer to securing a move to join Liverpool this summer.

However, the Lilywhites remain confident over a deal for the attacker, but as previously mentioned, it would cost the hierarchy a pretty penny during the off-season.

The winger would be a superb addition; however, Frank and Co should be prioritising a move for Muniz as a result, with the striker able to fulfil a key position in the squad.

Within the current squad, the wingers contributed to 27 goals scored in the Premier League this season, but the strikers only registered 13 – highlighting the need for added reinforcements in such an area.

When comparing Muniz’s stats to those of Semenyo, he’s managed to match or better him in numerous key areas, offering the side the added threat they need in the final third.

How Muniz compares to Semenyo in the PL (2024/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Muniz

Semenyo

Games played

31

37

Goals & assists

9

16

Minutes per goal

120

291

Shot on target accuracy

49%

32%

Shots on target per 90

1.8

1.1

Aerials won

52%

48%

Goals per shot on target

0.4

0.2

Stats via FBref

The Brazilian, who’s been labelled “clinical” by one analyst, may have scored fewer goals, but has posted a better minute per goal ratio, demonstrating his finishing ability in attacking areas.

His dominance in such a department is reflected in his shot on target accuracy and his better goal per shot on target rate – taking advantage of more chances that fall his way in front of goal.

Muniz has also won more of the aerials that he’s entered, handing Frank the focal point he needs if he is to be a success during his time in the role in North London.

£50m may appear to be a hefty fee for a player who’s often been an impact option, but he’s showcased that he’s capable of thriving given the stats posted this campaign.

Whilst Semenyo would be a superb signing, the need for a new striker is evident this summer, with the Fulham star potentially the perfect option to fill the void in Frank’s side.

Related He'd be better than Semenyo: Spurs plotting move to sign £68m "magician"

The incredibly talented attacker would be game-changing for Spurs.

Posts 1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 23, 2025

It’s only ten days now until Birmingham City know their exciting full set of Championship fixtures ahead of the eagerly anticipated 2025/26 campaign.

Chris Davies will be praying that his super-confident Blues side can win on the opening day to get their season off to the best possible footing, with a hope in the air that Birmingham can thrive in the second tier after making League One promotion look like clockwork.

To help make their transition up a league as smooth as possible, Birmingham will be prepared to spend in the transfer market to upgrade their team, with a deal potentially back on the cards for a former star to return to St. Andrew’s.

Birmingham still interested in former ace

As per a new report from Birmingham Live’s Alex Dicken, a spectacular reunion deal for Demarai Gray to return to the West Midlands shouldn’t be written off just yet.

Dicken states that Birmingham are believed to still possess an interest in the entertaining 28-year-old winger, but he also reveals that there are many obstacles in the newly promoted side’s way in trying to get a statement deal over the line.

The obstacles include his lavish £76k-per-week wage at Saudi employers Al-Ettifaq – as per Capology – on top of the fact Dicken states that a number of Premier League clubs are also eyeing up the former Everton attacker.

But, Birmingham – who could seal Gray’s signature for £8m – have been successful in the past when going after outlandish deals deemed too unlikely to happen.

That was seen in Jay Stansfield’s £15m deal last summer – with Gray’s potential arrival onto the scene also perhaps culminating in him striking up an enthralling attacking duo with another target on the Blues’ ever-extending shopping list in Joe Gelhardt.

Why Gray could be brilliant alongside Gelhardt

Both Birmingham targets have shown flashes of their excellence at the very top of the English football pyramid, with Gray’s sublime strike against Arsenal just one of 19 goals the Jamaica international notched up in the Premier League.

Still in the infancy of his career, Gelhardt does still have eight-goal contributions next to his name in the elite division when he was deemed the next big thing coming out of Leeds United’s esteemed academy, meaning the pair together at St. Andrew’s could bring about a sense of class to proceedings, having tasted such lofty heights previously.

Leicester City

169

13

14

Birmingham

78

8

4

Everton

75

12

6

Al-Ettifaq

50

4

5

Bayer Leverkusen

12

1

2

Looking at the table above, Gray could also gift Gelhardt chances galore to score from if the pair are to don Birmingham blue together very soon, with the experienced 28-year-old forward up to 31 assists now from his varied playing days.

Even when he hasn’t been firing on all cylinders at current employers Al-Ettifaq, a frustrated Gray has at least been trying to carve out openings, with a healthy four big chances created by the ex-Blues attacker in Saudi Pro League action last season, despite no assists coming his way.

Whilst his teammates in the Middle East might not be finishing off his moves, Gelhardt could soon be the perfect companion to Gray based on his impressive Championship numbers last campaign with Hull City, with a promising five league strikes picked up from only 19 starts, while also spurning just one big chance.

With the aforementioned Stansfield also close by, both the “electric” winger – as he’s been glowingly labelled in the past by journalist Scott Saunders – and Gelhardt could really enhance Birmingham’s attacking numbers ahead of their second-tier adventure officially kicking off.

Stansfield 2.0: Birmingham now showing interest in “special” forward

Birmingham City could be about to land their next Jay Stansfield by signing this exciting attacker.

ByKelan Sarson Jun 15, 2025

Despite already welcoming as many as four fresh faces this summer, Derby County have now reportedly initiated contact to sign another Championship rival.

Who Derby County have signed this summer

It’s been a busy summer for the Rams so far, having signed Andreas Weimann, Danny Batth, Richard O’Donnell and Carlton Morris to get off to an excellent start. All four players have a lot of experience in the Championship and all four could make an instant impact on John Eustace’s side as a result – starting in pre-season.

Matlock Town vs Derby County

12/07/2025

RB Salzburg vs Derby County

18/07/2025

Walsall vs Derby County

22/07/2025

Burton Albion vs Derby County

26/07/2025

Solihull Moors vs Derby County

29/07/2025

Those at Pride Park just have a matter of days before their pre-season fixtures get underway and a full month until their Championship campaign commences with a trip to Stoke City.

The next month is, therefore, crucial and any business must get done before that Stoke trip arrives if Eustace wants to start the season with a settled side ready to avoid the drop and more.

Perhaps the most impressive to arrive so far, Morris told Derby’s official website after putting pen to paper: “It’s a massive club that I’ve heard a lot of good things about. When they came in for me, it was a bit of a no-brainer, really.”

Derby now set to sign "fantastic" star in £7m package after Batth & Weimann

He looks set to become their fifth signing of the summer.

ByTom Cunningham Jul 4, 2025

After suffering relegation with Luton Town last season, the forward will be keen to avoid suffering the same fate at Pride Park. Instead, his sights should be set on causing plenty of upsets alongside the rest of Eustace’s side.

Even after welcoming Morris and others, however, Derby still reportedly have unfinished business in the transfer window and could yet sign their fifth EFL rival in the coming weeks.

Derby County initiate contact to sign Brittain

According to Sky Sports’ Anthony Joseph, Derby have now initiated contact to sign Callum Brittain from Blackburn Rovers this summer. The Rams already set their sights on Brittain earlier this summer and are joined by Wrexham and Middlesbrough in the race to sign the right-back, who Blackburn are keen to keep hold of ahead of next season, but the Rams have now made a move.

Given that Brittain is into the final year of his current deal at Ewood Park, Blackburn may have no choice but to sell one of their key men this summer and that’s where Derby could take full advantage.

At 27 years old, the defender would once again bring plenty of experience and, more importantly, experience playing under Eustace. The Blackburn man featured 43 times for the current Derby boss during their time together in Lancashire and could now get the chance to reunite with his former manager at Pride Park.

Having previously dubbed Brittain a “leader”, Eustace will know more than most exactly what he could add to the current Derby side.

Suspended Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk is in line for a surprise return to action next month after not featuring for over a year, according to reports.

Mykhailo Mudryk banned for positive drugs test

Mudryk’s absence from Chelsea’s first-team setup has now exceeded twelve months, with the Ukrainian international last appearing competitively on November 28 last year before his career ground to a dramatic halt.

The 24-year-old tested positive for meldonium, a performance-enhancing substance prohibited under anti-doping regulations.

Following confirmation of his B sample analysis in June, the FA formally charged Mudryk, leaving him facing a potential ban ranging between two and four years if found guilty.

Throughout the ordeal, Mudryk has maintained complete innocence, and even voluntarily undertook a lie detector test which supported his version of events.

Ukrainian sports journalists have theorised that contaminated stem cell treatment administered during international duty may explain the adverse finding, suggesting the injection originated from cattle previously exposed to meldonium.

Chelsea sanctioned the record £88.5 million transfer from Shakhtar in January 2023, initially viewing him as a transformative attacking signing after hijacking Arsenal’s deal.

However, his Stamford Bridge career proved underwhelming even before the suspension materialised, with inconsistent performances failing to justify the enormous investment.

The club reassigned his prestigious number ten shirt to Cole Palmer following Mudryk’s suspension, signalling their acceptance of a prolonged absence.

Chelsea also reinforced their attacking options by striking deals for Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens in the summer, further blocking any potential pathway back into Enzo Maresca’s plans.

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Reports have suggested that, once Mudryk is eligible to play again, Chelsea could allow the forward to join sister club Strasbourg on loan in a bid to reignite his career.

Mykhailo Mudryk in line for January return as Sevilla eye Chelsea loan deal

Now, according to journalist JM Villalba and Canal Sur Radio, that eligibility could be as early as next month.

Speaking to the Spanish broadcaster, Villalba has reported that Mudryk will be able to play again after January 17, and this has piqued interest from La Liga side Sevilla.

The club are considering a deal for Mudryk once he comes back midway through next month, which is a surprise when factoring in how very little we’ve heard about the winger’s return timeline.

If Mudryk is indeed eligible for a January renaissance, BlueCo should certainly green-light a temporary move away for him.

He quite simply needs game time and renewed confidence following the lengthy layoff, controversy and serious drop down Maresca’s pecking order, with the Spanish top flight potentially providing that needed reintroduction to competitive action.

That being said, it should be a dry loan with no option or obligation to buy, with Chelsea poised to make a key decision about Mudryk’s long-term future.

He still has six years remaining on his current contract, giving the Blues plenty of time to do so.

Sajid and Noman shared 19 out of 20 wickets to leave their batters chasing a target of only 36

Vithushan Ehantharajah26-Oct-2024Pakistan 344 (Shakeel 134, Sajid 48*, Noman 45, Rehan 4-66, Bashir 3-129) and 37 for 1 (Masood 23*) beat England 267 (Smith 89, Duckett 52, Sajid 6-128, Noman 3-88) and 112 (Root 33, Noman 6-42, Sajid 4-69) by nine wicketsThe wait is finally over. For the first time since 2021, Pakistan have won a Test series at home, coming back from 1-0 down to confirm a 2-1 success over England.A comprehensive nine-wicket win on day three of the third and decisive Test in Rawalpindi arrived before lunch, achieved with so little fuss that England’s victory by an innings in the opening match feels like it belongs in a different series altogether. It is only the second time Pakistan have come from behind in a series and the first time they have done so at home.Just as it was in the first innings, and indeed the victorious second Test at Multan, Noman Ali and Sajid Khan ran riot, bagging all 10 wickets as England were snuffed out for 112 in a listless second innings performance. It was Noman’s turn to pocket the match ball with 6 for 42, a sixth five-wicket haul, while Sajid’s 4 for 69 registered a second 10-wicket match of his 10-Test career after 6 for 128 on the first day.That left a nominal chase of 36 on the table, which was still enough for beleaguered home skipper Shan Masood to indulge in a cathartic 23 from six deliveries. He clouted four successive fours against Jack Leach upon his arrival to the crease after Saim Ayub was trapped leg before, then sealed victory with a towering six off Shoaib Bashir.Prior to Masood walking off with Abdullah Shafique, Noman and Sajid had done so hand in hand, basking in the glory of instigating England’s day three collapse in which the final seven wickets fell for just 46, and the fact their introductions turned the series on its head. Since being drafted into the squad after the tourists took a 1-0 lead, they have managed 39 wickets between them – Noman’s left-arm spin taking 20 at 13.85, Sajid’s off breaks 19 from 21.01.And yet, things began serenely enough for England. They started Saturday 53 behind on 24 for 3, but in Root and Brook, they had two batters capable of chipping off that deficit, and then some.Related

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Multan to Pindi, dust to dust, if Sajid don't get ya, Noman must

Sajid Khan claims Urdu misdirection aided his batting exploits

When Brook began the 13th over by striking Sajid for back-to-back fours – first through cover, then over mid off on the charge – the more pessimistic Pakistan fans might have been wondering if the Yorkshire pair were about to embark on another match-tilting partnership. After all, it was these two who combined for all of 454 in the first Test at Multan.However, that was before Sajid and Noman entered the series. And after the former adjusted his line to keep Brook honest, the latter followed up a slow delivery with one far quicker that was cut late into the gloves of Mohammad Rizwan. Pakistan’s lead had been cut to 11, but the first domino had been toppled. Others duly followed.Stokes’ troubles against spin continued, inexplicably leading a straight delivery from Noman, expecting turn from over the wicket that never came. Jamie Smith’s charge to Sajid was almost as bad, bowled off stump through a wild swing that belied the sensibilities he had displayed with a load-bearing 89 in the first innings.It was only four balls after Smith’s dismissal that England went ahead, and what hopes they had of extending that in a meaningful way ended when Root was snared by a pearler from Noman with a lead of eight. Perfect dip onto a length to drag the right-hander forward from around the wicket, before just enough spin – it was a delivery the 38-year-old had served up a few times but only Root was good enough to nick. ASajid tagged in to lop off the tail, yorking Gus Atkinson before knocking back Rehan Ahmed’s leg stump for his second 10-wicket match haul. And he looked to have bagged a second five-for in the match when Shoaib Bashir was given out LBW on the sweep.A cursory DRS review came back in the No.11’s favour, with the impact onto the pad coming outside off stump. The reprieve only brought an extra two runs, as Noman caught Leach lacking on the charge, firing one wide of the advancing left-hander, stumped smartly by Rizwan.A lead of 35 was always going to be light work on a pitch that was far from demonic, but it was Masood’s introduction that ensured formalities were completed inside 3.1 overs. Ayub began the chase with a brace of fours at the end of the first over before Leach pinned him in front, confirmed via DRS after another erroneous call from umpire Sharfuddoula.But even his dismissal brought some icing to the cake, as Masood took the team charging over the line for his first series win as captain. After starting his tenure with six straight defeats before the second Test of this series, It was hard to begrudge him that honour.