Liverpool Handed Boost In Pursuit Of "Fantastic" £69m Star

Liverpool have now received a boost in their pursuit of Nicolo Barella, with it being reported that Inter Milan are now willing to sell him if they receive a bid worth over €80m (£69m), according to reports from Italy.

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?

Fabinho has recently followed Jordan Henderson out the exit door, putting pen to paper on a three-year deal with Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad, meaning there is now a pressing need for Jurgen Klopp to bring in new reinforcements in central midfield.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has now confirmed that Southampton's Romeo Lavia is Klopp's "priority" target in midfield, with talks currently ongoing, however the deal is not straightforward, with the Saints looking to hold out for a package worth £50m.

Fluminense midfielder Andre also remains an option for the Reds, with the Brazilian club said to be holding out for a fee of €25m (£21m), while they have made contact over Eintracht Frankfurt star Jesper Lindstrom, who is also being targeted by Arsenal.

According to recent reports from Italy (via Sport Witness), Liverpool have also been handed a boost in their pursuit of Barella, as Inter would now consider selling the midfielder, if they were to receive an offer worth over €80m (£69m).

The Serie A side are now closing in on a deal for Udinese's Lazar Samardzic, which means they may no longer consider the Italian non-transferrable, in what would come as a real boost to his potential suitors.

In the Premier League, the Reds "in particular" are keen to sign the 26-year-old, with their interest mainly being driven by Klopp, who is believed to be a "great admirer", however Manchester City are also in the mix for his signature.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

How good is Nicolo Barella?

It is clear to see why Klopp is such a huge fan of the Italy international, as he is a real threat going forward, averaging 0.22 non-penalty goals per 90 over the course of the past year, which places him in the 92nd percentile compared to his positional peers.

The central midfielder averaged a 6.94 WhoScored match rating in the Serie A last season, the fourth-highest in the Inter squad, amassing a total of six goals and six assists, the joint-third highest number of goal contributions of any Inter player.

With an average of 1.6 key passes per game, the Cagliari-born maestro is clearly a very creative player, however he is also happy to pitch in with the defensive side of the game when needed, as indicated by the fact he averaged 1.4 tackles during that time period.

Lauded as "fantastic" by Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, the Inter Milan star has proven he could be a quality addition to Klopp's squad, however he is not a like-for-like replacement for Fabinho or Henderson, given that his main qualities are on the front foot.

As such, it is important the Reds get a deal for Lavia over the line first, but they should undoubtedly reignite their interest in Barella, should Inter Milan make it clear they are willing to sell him this summer.

Fulham: Silva "Pushing" To Seal "Special" Signing

Fulham are "pushing" to reach an agreement with Chelsea for Callum Hudson-Odoi and they're in pole position, according to reports this week.

Who will Fulham sign?

As we enter the latter stages of this summer transfer window, Marco Silva's side appear to finally be getting busy after being linked with a plethora of targets.

The west Londoners are chasing the signing of a star centre-back, leading to their talks for both Calvin Bassey from Ajax and Southampton's Mohammed Salisu.

The former is apparently Fulham's first choice and talks are at an advanced stage to sign the ex-Rangers star, according to reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Meanwhile, the Whites have also signed Mexico international striker Raul Jimenez from Wolves, coming as Fulham's star forward from last season, Aleksandar Mitrovic, pushes for a move away.

"It's not the ideal situation, I have to tell you," said Silva on Mitrovic's possible move to Saudi Arabia.

"Not because he received an offer, it's the situation about himself. As you know, he's not going to play tomorrow, he didn't play last Wednesday.

"He's not working properly with his team mates and when I say this is not the ideal scenario, this is the situation."

Amid talks for new forwards and new defenders, it appears Fulham's preparations for the 2023/2024 season are formally underway. Silva's side have also been seriously linked with a move to sign Hudson-Odoi from Chelsea, who spent last season on loan at Bayer Leverkusen.

The winger is surplus-to-requirement at Chelsea, and it is their London rivals Fulham who are in "pole position" to sign him.

callum-hudson-odoi-premier-league-everton-transfers

That is according to The Guardian and reliable journalist Jacob Steinberg, who writes that Fulham are "pushing" to seal a move for the forward this summer.

"Fulham are pushing to complete a deal for Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi," Steinberg wrote.

"Lazio are interested in the winger, who has a year left on a deal worth about £120,000 a week, but Fulham remain in pole position.

"The 22-year-old is keen on moving to Craven Cottage and is waiting for Fulham to agree a fee. Hudson-Odoi, who spent last season on loan at Bayer Leverkusen, has been training with Chelsea’s Under-21s.

"Fulham had their opening offer for Hudson-Odoi turned down last week and are looking for a compromise on a fee. Chelsea want to sell and are asking for about £8m, whereas Fulham have looked at paying £4m. Hudson-Odoi would compete with Willian for a place on the left wing at Fulham."

How good is Callum Hudson-Odoi?

Hudson-Odoi was tipped for the big time by Chelsea legend Frank Lampard back in 2019, who called him an "incredible" player at the time whilst predicting he could be "huge".

Now, Mauricio Pochettino's side want to sell the attacker – so much so they're very open to doing business with a west London rival.

While this doesn't give a great indication of his quality, members of the media did heap praise on Hudson-Odoi just last year.

FourFourTwo writer Mark White, taking to Twitter, called him a "special" player – all while highlighting the 22-year-old's "unbelievable vision" and "sheer mentality" in the final third.

Man United Readying £55.7m Bid For Serie A Attacker

Manchester United could be set to launch a bid for a new striker, with Sportsmediasetl via Sport Witness, reporting that the Red Devils have an offer lined up for Dusan Vlahovic as an alternative to Rasmus Hojlund, who is also strongly linked.

How many goals has Dusan Vlahovic scored for Juventus?

The 23-year-old has only been with current club Juventus for two seasons, but has already made quite the impression for the Serie A outfit. His goal tally has gradually increased and improved, with the Serbian managing to hit a double-digit tally over the course of the 2022/23 league campaign. In total, he featured on 27 occasions for the Turin side but managed ten goals and two assists – meaning that he ended the season with a rate of 0.56 goal contributions per 90.

Prior to the move to Juve, he was even better for Fiorentina. Vlahovic plundered 17 Serie A strikes in his last campaign with the club and managed to break the 20-goal barrier for La Viola in 2020/21. It means that his career total currently stands at 62 league goals in just 104 starts – and with the 23-year-old still only early on his career, there is room for plenty more where that came from.

Are Manchester United signing Dusan Vlahovic?

With Juventus now missing out on European football after a seventh-placed Serie A finish, there is interest in luring the Serbian away from the club this transfer window. Chelsea have been one of the sides most keen to do business, with a recent report suggesting that the striker himself may fancy a switch to Stamford Bridge.

They aren't the only Premier League side keeping tabs on the situation though, with Man United also eager to try and wrap up a deal for the attacker if they can this window, presumably as a different option to Hojlund – it's hard to envisage both joining.

Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic.

Now, according to a report from Sportsmediaset, via Sport Witness, the Red Devils are indeed pushing on with trying to sign Vlahovic this summer. Their report claims that the top flight side have a bid ready to go for the forward, adding that it is an offer that could cost them a whopping 65 million Euros (or £55.7m).

Erik Ten Hag's outfit though are not the only club prepared to splash the cash to land him, with Tottenham and Chelsea also ready to make the same offer to try and land the Serbian on a deal this window. It means it could be a three-way choice for the player, though none of the three are close to Juve's price tag yet.

The level of interest in his services showcases how superb Vlahovic has been since his switch to Juventus. The striker has really stood out with his goalscoring antics, and former professionals and managers alike have complimented the forward for his abilities to date.

Alessio Tacchinardi for example, who is a current coach and formerly featured for Juventus, has stated that Vlahovic is an "extraordinary" player and he can "tremendously increase" the goalscoring ability of a team. The attacker is a real threat upfront then – and if United were able to sign him, then it would help solve their current forward line dilemma ahead of next season.

Arthur Vermeeren: The Declan Rice regen linked with Arsenal, Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund

The Belgian is already playing in the Champions League and looks destined to join one of Europe's elite at the end of the season

In October 2022, Antwerp had no choice but to release Radja Nainggolan. The former Belgium midfielder was supposed to be a stalwart for the storied club, but it all went wrong in his home country. First, Nainggolan was arrested for driving with an expired licence. Then, a week later, he was caught smoking an e-cigarette on the bench.

With the 34-year-old forced out, and injuries elsewhere, Antwerp had no choice but to turn to their bench. Youngster Arthur Vermeeren was the one to ultimately fill the void.

Then still short of his 18th birthday, Vermeeren impressed immensely. Nine months later, he is one of the club's most important players – and being hailed as a future star.

But who exactly is Vermeeren, and why are Arsenal, Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund after him? GOAL takes a look at one of Europe's most promising defensive midfielders…

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    Where it all began

    Football was always going to be on the cards for Vermeeren. Born in Lier, Belgium, less than one kilometre from the now-defunct Lierse SK training ground, he was identified as an intriguing talent early on.

    He later moved to KV Mechelen's youth side, and was developed as a centre-back for a mid-table Belgian Pro League setup. But starved of chances to play with older age groups, and keen to evolve as a midfielder, he moved down a division to struggling Antwerp.

    It was a decision that few would make, especially as Antwerp had only recently been promoted from the second division – and been out of the top flight for 13 years.

    But it proved to be a prudent choice, as the Pro League side were happy to deploy Vermeeren as a defensive midfielder, and offered him opportunities in his preferred position.

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    The big break

    The Covid-19 pandemic had an immense impact on many top youth players in Belgium. Some leagues shut down, while nationwide scouting networks were limited. It led to some promising talents seeing their opportunities for the national team limited.

    Vermeeren, though, enjoyed a stroke of luck. Belgium U17s coach David Penneman came across the youngster thanks to a tip, and took in Antwerp's U18 game against Charleroi.

    He was immediately impressed, and brought the relatively unknown midfielder into the youth national team setup – despite the presence of a number of highly rated No.6s in the group.

    "Arthur solved problems before they could be imagined, by constantly scanning the environment and playing football efficiently. He thought two steps faster than the rest," Penneman told .

    Mark van Bommel called Vermeeren into first-team training, and handed him his debut in a Europa Conference League qualifier.

    When an injury crisis hit Antwerp in winter of 2022 – and Nainggolan was forced out of the club – Vermeeren got his moment. And he's stayed in the team since.

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    How it's going

    Vermeeren is, at this point, comfortably the starting defensive midfielder for Antwerp. Van Bommel's side set up in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, with Vermeeren playing as an all-action presence, usually alongside Alhassan Yusuf.

    The reigning Belgian League champs haven't quite hit their stride this campaign. They are fourth in the league, 11 points behind first-placed Union SG.

    But there are some positives to be found. They are playing in the Champions League for the first time, and have already won the Belgian Super Cup.

    Vermeeren has been crucial to his team's efforts so far. He has played every minute of Antwerp's Champions League group stage campaign, and started every league fixture so far.

    His team might not be thriving, but Vermeeren looks better by the week.

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    Biggest strengths

    All of the traits of a modern No.6 are here. Vermeeren holds onto the ball well and is seldom dispossessed – a useful skill for a player who looks to drive forward. His ball-carries per game are in the 88th percentile among all midfielders, according to , while he is also a willing forward passer.

    But his strengths really lie without the ball. Vermeeren is adept at cutting passing lanes, and an excellent presser for his age and position. He wins a high percentage of his tackles, recovers the ball at an above-average rate, and is a good passer in transition.

    At 5'11'' he has the necessary height to be a physical presence, but he's also quick enough to cover ground all over the pitch.

    This all points towards a modern No.6/No.8 blend – a rare archetype that big clubs pine after. He would be a perfect fit for a proactive side that looks to play vertically and create opportunities on the break.

Derbyshire show bottle and being plundered

Billy Godleman led a Derbyshire fightback after Leicestershire had passed 600 on the second day of the Division Two County Championship match at Derby

ECB Reporters Network26-May-2017
ScorecardNed Eckersley’s 91-ball hundred was part of a rapid double-century stand•Getty Images

Skipper Billy Godleman led a Derbyshire fightback after Leicestershire had passed 600 on the second day of the Division Two County Championship match at Derby.Godleman marked his 50th first-class appearance for the county with an unbeaten 60 as Derbyshire closed on 154 for 1 in reply to Leicestershire’s 619, still 465 behind.Leicestershire captain Mark Cosgrove top-scored with 188, adding 239 in 38 overs with Ned Eckersley who made a career-best 158 while Sri Lankan allrounder Jeevan Mendis took 6 for 204.It was a question of how many Leicestershire would score at the start of another hot day and the answer was plenty as Cosgrove and Eckersley plundered 100 in the first hour.Cosgrove passed his previous best for the county of 156 at Derby two years ago with a pull for four off Tony Palladino and he launched Mendis for two sixes to bring up the 500 before he was caught at long on.The fourth-wicket stand beat the previous highest for the county against Derbyshire of 207 by Maurice Hallam and Willie Watson in 1959 and there were more records as Leicestershire erased their previous highest score at Derby of 552 for 6 declared 12 years ago.When Eckersley completed his first hundred of the season from only 91 balls, it was only the 13th time in Leicestershire’s history that three batsmen had scored centuries in the same innings and another declaration looked like the only way Derbyshire would get off the field until Eckersley clipped Tom Taylor to deep midwicket.His departure sparked a collapse that saw the last six wickets go down for 38 with Mendis the main beneficiary of Leicestershire’s pursuit of quick runs as he returned the best figures by a Derbyshire legspinner since Kim Barnett, now director of cricket, took 6 for 28 against Glamorgan at Chesterfield in 1991.It was also the most expensive analysis by a Derbyshire bowler in 113 years although he had bowled 52 overs, 24.3 of them in one spell from the Racecourse end broken only be lunch.But the most relevant figure for Derbyshire was 470, the runs required to avoid the follow-on, and Slater and Godleman gave them a solid start although both had some narrow escapes before Slater was caught at short leg off Zak Chappell for 42.Shiv Thakor played and missed several times but hit Chappell for three successive fours although Derbyshire have a lot of batting to do to save the game.

Wolves Now Eyeing Up Deal To Sign £34m Ace at Molineux

Wolverhampton Wanderers target El Bilal Toure is a potential 'upgrade' on the likes of Diego Costa at Molineux as the Old Gold look to add some firepower in attack, says journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving El Bilal Toure?

According to Football Insider, Toure has attracted interest from a host of Premier League clubs this summer, including Wolves, Everton, West Ham United and Burnley.

The report states that Almeria have put a £34 million price tag on the head of the Mali international, who has also drawn admiration from the likes of Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen.

As per The Daily Mail, Wolves have a good working relationship with Almeria, which could come in handy in their efforts to try and land the 21-year-old.

Toure is a physical striker that is said to have been likened to former Chelsea icon Didier Drogba and looks odds on to seek a new challenge this window.

Diario De Almeria via Sport Witness claim that ‘the first approaches are already taking place’ between Everton, Wolves as the race to sign the youngster gathers pace.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that Toure would add a new flavour to the Wolves attack at Molineux if he were to join the Premier League outfit.

Jones told FFC: "There's obviously an agent hard at work here to try and get him a move, but he's a fast and awkward player to handle.

"I think at Wolves he would add an edge to their attack. He also could be quite frustrating at times, to be honest, but he's definitely a very different option from Diego Costa. If they want someone who's more mobile, then this is an upgrade."

How did El Bilal Toure fare in 2022/23 with Almeria?

Toure enjoyed a commendable campaign with Almeria and showed flashes of his undoubted potential, which has, in turn, attracted interest from the Premier League.

In 2022/23, the 21-year-old made 22 appearances for Almeria, encompassing all competitions, registering seven goals and two assists, as per Transfermarkt.

UD Almeria forward El Bilal Toure.

WhoScored show that Toure carried a keen goal threat during the season and averaged around 1.4 shots per match in the Spanish top flight.

As per FBRef, Toure also carried out 2.36 shot-creating actions per match for Almeria, showing his ability to fashion chances for himself and his teammates.

Wolves could do with some fresh blood in attack ahead of next term and Toure could be an exciting arrival with lots of potential at Molineux.

Crystal Palace Eyeing Swoop For "Unplayable" £17m Striker

Crystal Palace are tracking Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres ahead of a potential move to the Premier League, according to reports.

Is Viktor Gyokeres leaving Coventry?

Gyokeres will be out of contract at the end of next season meaning that the upcoming transfer window will present Mark Robins with his final opportunity to cash in on his prized asset, who won’t be short of potential suitors being his side’s top-performing offensive player last season.

Back in November 2022, Football League World first credited the Eagles with an interest in the 25-year-old but no deal ever came to fruition in January, though as a result of The Sky Blues, failing to win promotion to the top-flight, there’s a possibility that he could want to move elsewhere to compete at the highest level.

The Athletic recently stated that the Sweden international is viewed as more of an outside target for Roy Hodgson, but the following update makes it sound like he is seriously being considered by the hierarchy at Selhurst Park.

Who is signing Gyokeres?

According to Sky Sports, Gyokeres is firmly “on the lists” of Crystal Palace, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham, alongside Sporting CP, who have also “joined the race” to sign him. Coventry are believed to be wanting offers “in excess” of £17m for their talisman, with bids above this fee needed in order for his club to part ways and sanction his sale.

Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres.

During the 2022/23 Championship season, Gyokeres proved to be an absolute revelation – he was dubbed “unplayable” by his Coventry former teammate Maxime Biamou, and looking at his return in the final third, the centre-forward would be an outstanding acquisition for Palace.

The Building Society Arena talisman posted a remarkable 31 goal contributions (21 goals and ten assists) in 46 Championship appearances, form which saw him not only collect ten man-of-the-match-awards but also finish as the second-highest goalscorer in the league.

The SE25 outfit’s target was additionally a threat even when the ball didn’t hit the back of the net, clocking up 191 shot-creating actions which was more than any of his fellow teammates in the Midlands, as per FBRef.

Finally, Gyokeres is a versatile operator having been deployed in six different positions since the start of his career, including everywhere across the frontline and even in midfield, so making a play for his services is something that the board shouldn’t even have to think twice about.

Man United Plot Swoop For £33m Premier League Titan

Manchester United could look to the summer transfer window to further strengthen their squad and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Amadou Onana to Man United?

According to TEAMtalk, Manchester United are plotting a move for Everton's Amadou Onana should the Merseyside club suffer relegation from the Premier League at the end of the season.

As per the report, the Red Devils are keen to bring in another midfielder this summer and have made Onana a target after being impressed with his displays this season.

It is claimed that the midfielder is looking to cement a place in the Belgium squad, so securing a move to an elite club is something the player is keen to push for, despite only completing his £33m Everton move less than a year ago.

Who is Amadou Onana similar to?

Scott McTominay could be set for an exit from Old Trafford this summer with several reports linking him away, whilst Marcel Sabitzer will return to Bayern Munich following his loan, as there is no option for a permanent move, so there is certainly an opportunity to strengthen and add depth to the centre of the pitch.

Indeed, Onana is still inexperienced compared to the likes of Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes, however, the youngster has been showing promising signs that he could be the next Pogba with his huge presence in midfield at Goodison Park.

Michael Ball even compared the 21-year-old to the Frenchman following his influential display in the victory over Arsenal earlier this season. Writing in his column for the Liverpool Echo – he claimed that Onana 'has got the talent and reminds me a little bit of Pogba in the way he glides around the pitch with a sense of confidence.'

Not only that, French journalist Julien Laurens also named Pogba when comparing players to Onana in analysis with The Blue Room:

"He's an incredible talent. He's a Tchouameni, he's a Pogba, those kinds of players."

Everton, Amadou Onana

Over 30 Premier League appearances, the Belgian titan has scored one goal, registered two assists and created two big chances, as well as averaging 1.1 shots on goal, 1.1 interceptions, 2.3 tackles, 42.7 touches and 6.1 duels won per game.

Just like Pogba, it is clear to see that the 6 foot 4 star possesses outstanding box-to-box qualities that could be a hugely valuable asset to the Man United midfield and, at such a young age, Onana has the potential to develop and mould into the perfect player for Ten Hag.

With that being said, it would be a no-brainer for Man United to secure the services of Onana ahead of next season as his Pogba-esque approach to the game could take their midfield to the next level.

Worcestershire revel in record run chase

Worcestershire pulled off a record run chase in a home Championship fixture to bring last-evening delight and New Road and leave Northants looking on in disbelief

ECB Reporters Network26-Aug-2016
ScorecardJoe Clarke’s reputation was enhanced by a record run chase•Getty ImagesWorcestershire kept alive their faint hopes of winning promotion in the Specsavers County Championship when beating Northamptonshire by two wickets after declarations by both teams at New Road.Set to make 401, they had one of the available 80 overs to spare on completing their highest successful run chase in a home fixture after centuries by Daryl Mitchell – who made 107 not and 103 in the match – and Joe Clarke (125).Both batsmen were out in a burst of three wickets in five deliveries by Ben Sanderson but Ross Whiteley dipped into his one-day repertoire with four sixes in a 30-ball 45 and Ben Cox made 34 in their stand of 78 in nine overs.The game swayed again with two wickets in three balls but Joe Leach got his side over the line from the last delivery of the 79th over. The vice-captain reached an unbeaten 33 with a match-winning six off Sanderson, restoring confidence ahead of a must-win game against leaders Essex at Chelmsford, starting next Wednesday.Rhodes salutes Mitchell

Worcestershire’s director of cricket, Steve Rhodes, saluted Daryl Mitchell for a “special” achievement in scoring two hundreds in the match to pass 10,000 first-class runs and set up an impressive win against the odds against Northants.
Rhodes said: “This club has got a wonderful history of terrific batsman and Daryl will look back on today and on this achievement and be very proud.
It’s been a tough old season for him. His run tally was down on what he would have wanted and for him score so well in this game is absolutely brilliant. Hopefully he’ll crack on and score a lot more.”

After a rain-shortened third day, a formula was devised to prevent the game from spluttering into a dead-end, although Alex Wakely may have had some reservations about exposing Northants’ weakened attack to so much bowling on a hot day.In the morning Worcestershire declared their first innings 350 behind at 201 for three and Northamptonshire halted their second innings at 50 for one.With the calculations done, the home side made a sticky start. In five overs from Rory Kleinveldt, Brett D’Oliveira was caught low down by wicketkeeper David Murphy and Tom Fell, after a couple of imposing cover drives, shouldered arms when bowled for 22.With the score 48 for two, the equation at lunchtime was 353 from 65 overs but Mitchell and Clarke batted through the afternoon, increasing the tempo as the partnership developed, and at tea the requirement was down to 202 from 35 overs.In the final session, Clarke was first to a hundred, his fourth of the season in the championship and fifth in first-class games, after hitting 16 fours from 129 balls. In the process he reached 1,000 runs in a season for the first time.Mitchell, having earlier passed 10,000 first-class in his career, then completed two centuries in a match for the third time in the championship. In his understated way, he got to the milestone with only nine fours from 160 deliveries.Their untroubled progress in putting on 232 trimmed the requirement to 133 at around six runs an over but the pressure built up with Sanderson’s intervention.From the last ball of the 57th over, Mitchell danced forward but succeeded only in slicing a catch to substitute Graeme White at point and from the first of the 59th over George Rhodes clipped a low chance to Wakely at mid-wicket.What Worcestershire could not afford was to lose Clarke as well but the worst happened when he tried to turn a ball on the leg-side but missed and was given out lbw.Northants stuck to their task all the way and were rewarded when Chad Barrett yorked Whiteley, Cox chipped Rob Keogh to mid-on and Ed Barnard gave Sanderson a fourth success with a catch behind.

Lloyd and Ingram leave Kent trailing

ScorecardColin Ingram is making up for lost time•Getty Images

A rain affected game in Cardiff was dominated by a fantastic innings from David Lloyd who made a career best 97 not out as Glamorgan posted a formidable total of 175 for 4 from the 16 overs available to them. Lloyd put together a partnership with Colin Ingram that was worth 132 in less than 10 overs that settled the match.A rate in excess of 11 an over from the outset was a mountainous task for Kent and when Dale Steyn claimed three early wickets there was only one winner as Glamorgan claimed victory by a massive 55 runs.Lloyd, promoted to open in limited-overs cricket this season, has gone from strength to strength. He made his maiden List A fifty against these same opponents last week and here he breezed past his previous best Twenty20 score of 31 in no time and accelerated from there.While it will be Lloyd’s near-hundred that gets most of the plaudits, the efforts of Ingram, who is making up for lost time after injury forced him out of the first stage of the season, cannot be overlooked. When he came to the crease Glamorgan were 12 for 1 and David Griffiths was finding swing and seam movement.Ingram had made 95 not out and 85 in his last two innings and his 60 here was a continuation of that fine form. He brought up his half century of just 21 balls and struck four sixes. It was in pursuit of another maximum that he fell, attempting to hit James Tredwell over long on, well caught by Alex Blake.Glamorgan looked set for even more than their 175 with Lloyd marching towards a maiden century, but late wickets curtailed their scoring. No batsmen other than Lloyd and Ingram found a way to make run scoring look easy on this Cardiff pitch.When Kent came out to bat they needed to get off to the best possible start and they had the opposite. Dale Steyn conceded just one run, a wide, and took the wicket of Daniel Bell-Drummond who was dismissed for a five-ball duck.Steyn bowled three consecutive overs from the River Taff End and claimed a victim in each of them as Kent stumbled to 30-3 at the end of the fifth over.Things only got worse from there for the visitors as Joe Denly and Darren Stevens fell cheaply. A spirited innings of 30 from Alex Blake held up the inevitable for a time, but when he fell attempting to hit an Ingram long hop into the stands only to find the waiting hands of Graham Wagg at midwicket, all hope was lost.This was a chastening defeat for Kent who have relished big chases like this one in the NatWest T20 Blast so far this season, but in truth they never came close to challenging the target that they had been set.Glamorgan remain top of the South Group with just one loss in six matches and a net run rate superior to any other team in the group. If they keep up this T20 form over the coming weeks a home quarter-final will be beckoning.

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