Birmingham City are thought to have turned down a £5m bid for a young player and now think they can receive more, according to a new update.
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Chris Davies’ side are flying at the moment, winning their last four League One matches in a row, and next up is a trip to Reading on Saturday lunchtime. Their opponents sit ninth in the table, looking to battle their way into the playoff positions, so it could be a tough assignment.
Victory for Birmingham would be another big step in the right direction, having already built up a six-point lead at the top of the table, not to mention with two games in hand. At this point, failure to win the title would be a shock, but the Blues cannot take anything for granted, continuing to be ruthless in their quest to return to the Championship.
When it comes to transfer news, Zaid Betteka has been linked with a move away from St Andrew’s, with the 18-year-old potentially not signing a professional contract at the club.
Now, it turns out that there was an opportunity for Birmingham to allow a young player to leave on a permanent basis recently, following a fresh claim that has dropped.
Birmingham rejected £5m bid for young player
According to Football Insider, Brentford saw a £5m bid for Romelle Donovan rejected by Birmingham, prior to him joining the Premier League side on loan instead for the remainder of the season, predominantly playing for their B team.
The report notes that the 18-year-old is ‘making impressive progress with the Bees and could be in the reckoning for a first-team promotion before the season ends’, with Birmingham now feeling ‘they could receive offers well in excess of £5m for him this summer’.
It will be interesting to see what happens with Donovan between now and the end of the season, in terms of whether Brentford decide to look at retaining his services or not.
The teenage winger has racked up 10 appearances for Birmingham to date, including one start and six outings in League One this season, while Brentford B head coach Neil MacFarlane has lauded his qualities, saying:
“Romelle will definitely add to our attacking options within the group. He is a player who has really good technical abilities aligned to our attacking style of play and he comes into a team that has been performing so well this season. We believe he can add goals and assists to further enhance the current group.”
At 18, Donovan is still such a young player, so there is no rush for Birmingham to sell him, but the lure of moving him on for a big fee must be tempting.
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Should the attacker continue to shine at Brentford, the Blues will be able to justify demanding more than £5m for his signature, so there could be a big decision to make in the summer.
Ruud Gullit reveals he never sought management roles and reflects on the harsh realities of being sacked and the lack of control managers face.
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Gullit reflects on managerial careerDutchman was sacked by Chelsea in 1998Admits being dismissed is 'not a nice feeling'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Ruud Gullit has admitted he never aspired to be a football manager but was thrust into the role at Chelsea. The Dutchman was named player-manager at Stamford Bridge in 1996 and went on to win the FA Cup a year later, but a dispute with the hierarchy over compensation led to his dismissal in 1998.
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Gullit's comments shed light on the pressures and uncertainties of modern football management, highlighting the demanding nature of the role and the brutal decisions that can override on-field performance. Chelsea notoriously ran through managers during the Roman Abramovich era and have already been led by Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino and Enzo Maresca since BlueCo completed their takeover in 2022.
WHAT GULLIT SAID
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Gullit said: "I didn't want to be a manager anyway. I never wanted it. I just got dragged into it.
"The one certainty you have is that you get sacked, that is what you know for sure, and it's not a nice feeling when you get sacked.
"There's a lot going on behind your back, a lot of things happening around you that you have no influence on. And that's what I hate about the job."
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Many managers are now scrutinised more than ever and a shorter tenure is commonplace, with Pochettino only getting a season at Chelsea before current boss Maresca was brought in as his successor. Gullit, meanwhile, remains retired from management and focuses on punditry.
Sydney Sixers will be favourites in Saturday’s final after a huge bounce-back season
AAP23-Nov-2022Despite a career spanning three decades, Alyssa Healy still struggles with handling defeat.”I can confirm I don’t like losing,” she said. “I’m a bit of a sore loser.”Fresh off her announcement as Australia’s T20 captain to tour India in December, Healy said Sydney Sixers are refreshed and ready for a return to WBBL glory after last season’s bottom-of-the-table finish.”After a disappointing couple of years, we’re back where we feel like we should be and playing some really good cricket,” she said.Sixers will enter this week’s finals as firm favourites to win their third crown, earning hosting rights to Saturday’s decider after topping the table.”Sunday was amazing to see all the people on the hill [at North Sydney Oval],” Healy said. “So that’s really buoyed us and the fact that we can play at home I think is a huge advantage as well.”Long-regarded as the competition’s marquee club, Sixers missed the past three finals series and struggled under last season’s Covid-19 restrictions.”It was challenging at times,” Healy reflected. “Especially when players were struggling off the field as well. Covid probably took its toll and being away in hubs and bubbles and not being able to come home was definitely a big factor.”But their bounce back under new coach and England superstar Charlotte Edwards has been immense.Their 11 wins this summer is the most of any club in a home-and-away season and they were barely challenged outside of a last-ball loss to Adelaide and a Beth Mooney masterclass in Perth.”You look at things from last year and I don’t think anyone would have disputed that we would potentially be in contention for finals,” allrounder Erin Burns said. “But things didn’t click. I don’t think there is any one thing you can put it down to.”Burns feels the big point of difference has been Edwards. She took over from long-time mentor Ben Sawyer earlier this year after the New Zealand head coach led the Sixers to their first two titles in 2016-17 and 2017-18.”Everyone is just playing with more freedom [this year],” Burns said. “Charlotte definitely tries to instil that in the team. She really backs our skills.”
Liverpool are planning to make Real Madrid wait for Trent Alexander-Arnold signing as the Reds treat departing defender to Dubai leaving do.
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Liverpool set to make Madrid wait for Trent Madrid want the defender before Club World CupThe Reds face Brighton on May 19 Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
earlier reported that Real Madrid will request Liverpool to release Alexander-Arnold before the expiry of his current contract on June 30, as the Spanish champions want the defender to travel with the team to the US next month to take part in the FIFA Club World Cup. The report also claimed that the Reds are expected to demand a €1 million (£850,344/$1.1m) compensation fee to let the player leave before the expiration of his deal.
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now reports that the bosses at the Merseyside club are likely to play hardball in the case of Alexander-Arnold's transfer, as they are clearly not happy with the way the English defender's move to Madrid transpired. They are unhappy that information about Madrid's pursuit of the full-back got leaked in January, which affected the focus of the player, who performed miserably in their 2-2 draw against Manchester United.
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The report added that the Three Lions star is currently in Dubai with the rest of the Reds squad, where the Premier League champions are treating him to a leaving do.
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Arne Slot's men will be back in action on May 19 as they take on Brighton in their penultimate Premier League match of the 2024-25 campaign.
Manchester United’s form in the Premier League so far this season has been nowhere near good enough for where the club should expect to be.
There are only four teams between the Red Devils and Southampton at the bottom of the table, with the Saints still two points behind Derby’s all-time low tally of 11, as they sit 15th in the division.
They have lost 12 of their 26 matches in the Premier League, winning just eight, and they needed a big comeback against Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday to avoid it becoming 13.
It is not as simple as pointing to one reason, whether that be the ownership, Erik ten Hag, Ruben Amorim, or the players, as to why United have been so poor in the Premier League.
Instead, it is a combination of a number of factors and recruitment, both in terms of their signings and their decisions on who to sell, has been an influential factor in that.
One strand of recruitment United have let themselves down with has been their treatment of academy talent, as they have allowed some top players to move on from Old Trafford after coming through the youth system.
Man United's academy graduate mistakes
Firstly, United sold academy graduate Scott McTominay to Napoli for a reported fee of £25m last summer and the Scotland international has scored six goals in 28 matches in the Serie A this season.
Meanwhile, no current player for Amorim has scored more than six league goals, with Amad Diallo and Bruno Fernandes tied on six, which suggests that the club could have benefitted from his attacking talent this season.
A year prior to McTominay’s exit, United allowed Anthony Elanga to join Nottingham Forest for a fee of £15m, after a return of four goals and four assists in 55 matches for the Red Devils at first-team level.
The club were not patient with the Sweden international and the Tricky Trees have benefitted from their impatience, as the winger has been in terrific form over the past 18 months or so at the City ground.
Starts
25
20
Goals
5
3
Big chances created
14
7
Key passes per game
0.9
1.4
Assists
9
8
As you can see in the table above, Elanga has provided a huge threat as a creative force for Forest with his ability to provide his teammates with ‘big chances’ to score.
This suggests that the 22-year-old whiz, who has more assists than any United player in the Premier League this season, is another one who the club let leave too soon.
Perhaps the most famous example of United allowing an academy graduate to leave too soon, however, was when Sir Alex Ferguson failed to convince Paul Pogba to stay in 2012.
Manchester United's Paul Pogba blunder
The French maestro came up through the academy system at United and made three appearances in the Premier League during the 2011/12 campaign, before his contract came to an end that summer.
Ferguson revealed that the 19-year-old starlet had agreed to join Juventus a “long time ago” before his move was made official in the summer of 2012. The legendary boss said: “(It) is disappointing. I don’t think he showed us any respect at all, to be honest.”
Perhaps his lack of minutes in the first-team, with three league outings, is what convinced Pogba to decide to ditch Manchester for Turin, and that possible blunder by Sir Alex allowed Juventus to land him for a compensation fee of £800k.
Of course, after 179 appearances, 34 goals, and 32 assists, for Juventus in all competitions, United later swooped to bring him back to Old Trafford in a world-record £89m deal.
This shows that the Red Devils made a huge mistake with Pogba as they had to pay a world-record fee to sign a player they had on their books in the academy and lost for just £800k, because he developed into a fantastic player during his time in Turin.
Amorim may, now, have repeated a similar blunder by allowing Marcus Rashford to move on from the club in the January transfer window, instead of spending more time with him to help him get back to his best in a red shirt.
Marcus Rashford's form since leaving United
The England international, who has scored 138 goals in 426 matches for United, was sent out on loan to Aston Villa in the winter window, and the Premier League side have the option to sign him permanently for £40m.
Rashford played 15 times for United in the first half of the season and contributed with four goals and four ‘big chances’ created, which is a fairly unremarkable return for a player of his quality.
Amorim omitted him from the matchday squads and claimed that the attacker’s lack of intensity in training was the reason behind his lack of minutes on the pitch.
Whilst there is absolutely blame to be placed at Rashford’s door, as he should have put the work in at training to earn his place in the squad, the Portuguese head coach was also quick to move on from the attacker instead of spending time to help the player improve in that aspect of his work.
Minutes
45
65
45
Shots on target
1
1
0
Dribbles completed
6/3
2/4
2/4
Key passes
4
0
3
Big chances created
2
0
2
Assists
0
0
2
As you can see in the table above, Rashford, who has been described as “unplayable” by analyst Raj Chohan, has caught the eye already for Villa.
Manchester United's MarcusRashfordduring training
The English speedster has already created four ‘big chances’ in three Premier League games, whilst Bruno Fernandes (11) is the only United player with more than five ‘big chances’ created in the entire season so far.
These statistics suggest that Unai Emery is getting the best out of Rashford and that he has seen enough from the star in training to consistently select him, which is why Amorim should have given the forward more time to show that to him at Old Trafford.
Now, Villa could, potentially, sign a sublime talent at Premier League level for a fee of just £40m, which United could go on to deeply regret in a similar way to how they did when Pogba left for just £800k.
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However, Rashford turns 28 later this year and it seems unlikely that he will return to United – should Villa exercise their option – for a world-record transfer fee in the future.
Promising legspinner hopes to return from a stress fracture before the end of the BBL season and impress Test selectors
AAP08-Dec-2022Young Sydney Thunder legspinner Tanveer Sangha is racing the clock to play in the BBL this season and put his name forward for Test selection ahead of a busy international cricket schedule.The 21-year-old has been sidelined with a stress fracture in his back but is hoping to return before the end of the Big Bash League season.”It was definitely a big blow,” Sangha told reporters on Thursday. “I wasn’t expecting it at all.”But I’m going to try and come back as quick as I can.”Related
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The promising legspinner has already been involved in the national set-up, playing for Australia A against Sri Lanka A in June, and has been touted as a potential long-term replacement for Nathan Lyon when the legendary offspinner eventually retires.With Australia set for a four-Test tour of spinners’ paradise India in February, Sangha would’ve been hoping for a big BBL season to impress selectors.But he insists Test cricket is the least of his worries at the moment.”I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself,” he said. “I’ve got a long career ahead so I just want to focus on my body right now so I can prevent it from happening in the future.”Todd Murphy has impressed in Sheffield Shield cricket•Getty ImagesAnother potential bolter for inclusion in the Test squad is BBL cross-town rival Todd Murphy.Despite having played just seven first-class matches, the 22-year-old Sydney Sixers offspinner has impressed for Victoria in his young Sheffield Shield career.Sixers teammate and fellow spinner Steve O’Keefe backed Murphy for selection for the India tour but the youngster was a bit more circumspect.”I would absolutely love to (play in India),” Murphy told AAP. “But that sort of stuff will take care of itself.”I’m still only young in my first-class career so if that opportunity arose I’d be stoked but if it doesn’t it’s not going to worry me either.”The Sixers are blessed with a formidable spin roster this season, with Murphy set to line up alongside veteran O’Keefe, exciting Afghan legspinner Izharulhaq Naveed and Lyon when he returns from Test duties.Murphy says he can’t wait to have his mentor Lyon back in the squad.”The week or two I had with him last year at the Sixers just to be able to compare things and just chat about spin bowling was awesome,” he said. “We stay in touch and he’s been really good to me and always said that if you need anything he’s willing to help out.”Both Murphy and Sangha will be familiar with Indian conditions having spent 10 days on a coaching tour of Chennai in August.Sangha says the experience has left him in good stead if he is given the opportunity to play cricket in India for Australia.”If I do go over there, I know I have some sort of basic knowledge, a few tips and tricks I can use on slower wickets,” Sangha said.
In what would see them get one over on their top six rivals, Manchester United are now keen to sign an attacking star who’s currently Tottenham Hoptspur’s top target this summer.
Man Utd and Spurs battling on and off the pitch
So much of Manchester United’s season has mirrored Tottenham’s. Both find themselves languishing in the bottom half, both have been left to rely on the Europa League for any chance of turning their season around and both are now in desperate need of summer reinforcements. When the summer transfer window does arrive, it would also come as little surprise if the two ‘big six’ sides found themselves operating in close quarters, either.
After admitting that nothing could turn their season around, Ruben Amorim will at least be hoping that the lure of Old Trafford is still enough to see the Red Devils secure their targets ahead of the likes of Spurs even in Manchester United’s current state.
On that front, the rumours are already coming thick and fast. According to Caught Offside, Manchester United now want to sign Antoine Semenyo in a move that would see them beat Spurs to their top target this summer. The Lilywhites are even reportedly lining up a bid worth €40m (£34m) to sign the winger Bournemouth value at £50m ahead of the transfer window.
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That doesn’t look set to discourage United, however, who caught a first-hand glimpse of Semenyo’s quality earlier this season when he scored in a stunning 3-0 victory for Bournemouth. Handing Noussair Mazraoui a torrid time, the versatile full-back ended the defeat with just five defensive actions and a 50% duel-success rate.
Semenyo, meanwhile, found himself wheeling away in celebration after scoring the final of his side’s three goals to stun Old Trafford just after the hour mark.
"Powerful" Semenyo has earned big move
Whilst there would be plenty of irony involved if Semenyo set his sights on a big move this summer and found himself at a club currently on a crash course hurtling towards a bottom half finish, Manchester United’s name still carries plenty of weight. As they look to rebuild under Amorim, picking apart sides like Bournemouth would be a good place to start.
Antoine Semenyo scores for Bournemouth
Semenyo has certainly earned a chance to move onto a top six side too, scoring nine goals and assisting another five in all competitions for the Cherries so far this season. Receiving plenty of praise as a result, analyst Ben Mattinson dubbed the winger the “perfect instant-impact winger” who also possesses “powerful ambipedal ball striking”.
Semenyo certainly looks likely to have a decision to make this summer, but whether that results in a trip to Old Trafford remains to be seen.
Real Madrid legend Raul has reportedly been approached by Premier League-bound Leeds despite Daniel Farke leading the club to promotion.
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Raul set to leave CastillaLeeds are interested in the Spaniard
Villarreal and Schalke are also in the mix
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According to Spanish outlet , Raul is weighing up a new chapter in his managerial career as he prepares to leave his role in charge of Real Madrid Castilla, with a compelling offer already on the table from Premier League newcomers Leeds. Despite steady progress and internal support, he has repeatedly been passed over for promotion to the senior bench, most recently missing out to Xabi Alonso following Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to step down at the end of the season.
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Leeds' offer to Raul may seem surprising given Farke’s recent success, but the move could be viewed as a forward-looking contingency by the Leeds hierarchy should the transition back to top-flight football prove rocky. However, his coaching experience is largely limited to Castilla and youth-level tournaments such as the UEFA Youth League, which he won in 2020.
DID YOU KNOW?
Sources close to the situation suggest that more clubs could enter the race in the coming weeks, particularly as managerial vacancies begin to open up during the summer reshuffle. A couple of them have already shown serious interest, including Villarreal in Spain and Schalke in Germany, both of which have historical ties to the former forward.
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AFPWHAT NEXT?
Raul's appointment at Leeds would mark a significant step into senior football management and bring global attention to Elland Road. However, it will be a tough call to remove Farke from the hot seat, especially after guiding the team to the English top flight.
The opener finished unbeaten on 160 while Marcus Stoinis made a return to first-class cricket
AAP10-Feb-2023A career-best innings from Daniel Drew lifted Sheffield Shield outsiders South Australia to a strong position against runaway leaders Western Australia after the opening day at Adelaide Oval.Drew remained unbeaten on 160, having posted a second first-class century in eight outings and eclipsing his previous best of 130 in the process.Entering the fray in the 10th over following Jake Carder’s dismissal for 6, Drew looked comfortable throughout, finding the boundary on 18 occasions during a 272-ball knock.In concert with opener Henry Hunt, Drew featured in the best partnership of the day, leaving the Redbacks sitting pretty at 1 for 171 during the middle session.WA medium-fast bowler Charlie Stobo led the way on a tough day in the field for the visitors, returning 2 for 40 from 20 overs.Jake Lehmann contributed a typically breezy 26 before being caught down the leg side, while Thomas Kelly added 39 before he was dismissed late in the day.Western Australia went into the match with two high-profile inclusions in the form of Marcus Stoinis – playing his first red-ball state match for nearly three years – as well as veteran batter Shaun Marsh for the first time this season.South Australia, in contrast, were without their Test stars Travis Head and Alex Carey, while paceman David Grant (stress fracture) and long-term opener Jake Weatherald (personal) were also absent.Holders WA boast four wins from six starts while SA only broke through for their first victory of the season in the final match prior to the mid-summer break.
Mumbai coach Boucher says England seamer has “picked up a little niggle”
Nagraj Gollapudi and Matt Roller08-Apr-20232:45
Tait worried for Archer after more elbow trouble
Jofra Archer was absent from Mumbai Indians’ line-up for their seven-wicket defeat to Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday evening. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Archer experienced discomfort in his right elbow immediately after his first game of the season against Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 2.Rohit Sharma, the Mumbai captain, when asked by Ravi Shastri at the toss about injuries replied, “one injury.” He then quickly corrected himself to say, “not an injury actually, more of a precaution” before confirming that Archer was sitting out.It is understood that Archer has not bowled since that match although he did turn up for one of Mumbai’s training sessions this week. He travelled to the Wankhede with the rest of the squad but warmed up away from his team-mates, undergoing short running and throwing drills.”He’s picked up a little niggle,” Mark Boucher, Mumbai’s head coach, said after the match. “We’ve got a fantastic medical team that are looking after him. He’s obviously a massive player for us, so hopefully they can pass him fit sometime soon.”We will always look after the player, so if he’s not ready to put his hand up to play then we’ll look after him as well, but we’re following medical advice from our team at the moment. Hopefully he’s up for selection pretty soon.”Related
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Mumbai bought Archer for INR 8 crore (£800,000 approx) last year, even though they knew he wouldn’t be able to play IPL 2022. Saturday’s game was his debut for the franchise, having previously represented Rajasthan Royals. He went wicketless, giving away 33 runs in his four-overs spell as Royal Challengers cruised to victory.Having broken onto the scene as a generational talent, Archer suffered a major injury setback in 2021 when he began to have trouble with the same right elbow that is causing concern now. The England fast bowler had to undergo two operations for it, and missed nearly two years of international cricket after suffering a lower-back stress fracture during his rehabilitation.He had only just returned to cricket in January this year, playing for another Mumbai franchise – MI Cape Town – in the SA20. In total, Archer has played 10 T20s and four ODIs since his comeback. The 28 year-old has been careful about doing too much too soon and is already seeing the possibility of playing anything more than one Ashes Test – the five-match series begins on June 16 – as a bonus.Super Kings without Stokes and MoeenBen Stokes, Archer’s England captain, was also ruled out of Saturday night’s fixture. Stokes said earlier this week that he had bowled “pain-free” during Super Kings’ victory over Lucknow Super Giants on Monday night, but reports emerged on Friday night that he had a sore heel after training. Stokes has been clear that he wants to be fit and ready for the new English summer, which begins with a Test against Ireland on June 1 and leads into the Ashes.Archer, Stokes travelled to the Wankede on Saturday night but took minimal part in the team’s warm-ups. The franchise clarified on Sunday afternoon that Stokes was “nursing a minor toe injury” which he had sustained in training.A third England player, Moeen Ali, was also ruled out of the game due to illness. Moeen played in both of Super Kings’ first two matches of the 2023 season and addressed a press conference on Friday evening, but Dhoni said he was “not well” at the toss.Deepak Chahar was added to this list when the game began, the fast bowler only able to complete one over before leaving the field with his left hamstring causing problems. He’s already had a difficult time with injuries to his back and quadricep in 2022.