Birmingham City star Jack Butland is set to leave the Blues in January as their financial state worsens.
Liverpool are heavily linked with a move for the England goalkeeper in the January transfer window and Birmingham acting chairman Peter Pannu has confirmed he may well leave.
The Midlands club rejected a £6million bid from Premier League new boys Southampton in the summer but as their financial state worsens, fire sales in January is the only option.
Club owner Carson Yeung is still unable to come to England or have any involvement with City as he is facing trial for money laundering in Hong Kong.
Butland may not be the only player leaving St Andrews next month with fellow youngster Nathan Redmond and high earning Nikola Zigic also thought to be on their way.
Pannu has given an in depth interview to let the fans know exactly what is happening in the Blues board room.
“I can’t say that we are in a very wonderful situation, I would be lying if I said that,” Pannu told the Birmingham Mail.
“This is a very tricky question (player sales). What I can say is that – and I might be blasted for this by the fans – but no-one is for sale and everyone is available. As at any club.
“Give me a £15m offer for Jack Butland, can I say no?
“I have rejected £6m from Southampton (in the summer) but I rejected it when our finances were okay.
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“As the time is ticking, I might not be able to reject it if I get something similar.
“I do have a responsibility to keep the club running.
“My top priority now – and if I do offend anyone, I care not – is to make sure this clubs stays afloat.”
The Liverpool fans in and around the Transfer Tavern are feeling very confident for the season ahead and trust Jurgen Klopp will recruit the necessary players to launch a massive title push.
Having shown glimpses of being good enough to challenge Man City last season, Klopp has already started his summer signing spree to build his team so this time round they’re capable of bringing some silverware to Anfield. Both Naby Keita and Fabinho have experienced elements of success, ingredients that could prove crucial to the Reds’ title bid. Our punters believe that the recruit of Jerome Boateng, (who is valued at £40.5 million on Transfermarkt) could be decisive in the title race, with the Germany international thought to be available this summer.
The 29-year-old has been at Bayern Munich since 2011, commanding their defence and helping them towards a number of titles across his time in Germany. His season this time round was interrupted by injuries, as Boateng only made 19 league appearances. Still, his impact showed through, keeping 11 clean-sheets in the league games he featured in.
A World Cup winner, his experience as a Manchester City player many years ago now was barely the most productive, though he’s since gone on to prove his worth as one of the best ball-playing defenders in Europe. Interestingly enough, a return to England and Liverpool might even stop his former employers from waltzing to a league title once again.
On the other hand, Liverpool have now found a sturdy partnership between Virgil Van Dijk and Dejan Lovren although Jerome Boateng would be a massive upgrade on the Croatian in particular. The Reds have to be ruthless if they really want to target silverware next season and acquiring the German international is exactly the bold move to have an influential impact on that ambition.
Jurgen Klopp has already signed Naby Keita from the Bundesliga, could Jerome Boateng follow suit?
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Wolverhampton Wanderes took an important step towards automatic promotion from the English Championship on Wednesday night, beating Leeds United 3-0 at Elland Road.
Going into the match on the back of a three-match winless run, the pressure was on Nuno Espirito Santo’s side to produce the goods and they delivered, completely overwhelming a lacklustre Whites side.
Just 11 matches remain until the end of the season and Wolves now hold a 10-point gap over third placed Aston Villa, with the two set to meet this weekend. Win that one and they’ll have built an almost unassailable lead over Steve Bruce’s men.
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Fans were delighted with the result and performance, offering particular praise for Alfred N’Diaye after he bossed the midfield battle.
The in-form Ruben Neves was suspended for the clash and N’Diaye stepped up in his absence, controlling the game alongside Romain Saiss.
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Supporters are now hoping N’Diaye retains his place in the side for that clash against Villa.
They took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his performance…
With Louis van Gaal said to have been given an unlimited transfer budget to spend on the rebuilding of his squad, it doesn’t mean that he should get carried away with his new found spending power. He has already spent close to £60million with the addition of Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera, but is believed to still be targeting a few more players.
However, with a very successful pre-season, he may want to avoid another Marouane Fellaini – David Moyes incident, by making the right transfer calls ahead of the upcoming Premier League campaign. So, with that in mind, here are SIX panic buys the Red Devils should avoid this month.
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Edinson Cavani
Name: Edinson Cavani
Age: 27
Position: Striker
Nationality: Uruguay
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Price: £50 – £55 million
Why they should avoid him?
Manchester United don’t need another striker. They are already having enough trouble with Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez not getting enough playing time behind the likes of superstars Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie that a move for another front man will be very unnecessary. Plus, spending the hefty £50 million plus another huge salary will just risk United in breaching the Financial Fair Play regulations.
Angel Di Maria
Name: Angel Di Maria
Age: 26
Position: Winger
Nationality: Argentina
Club: Real Madrid
Price: £40 – £45 million
Why they should avoid him?
Angel Di Maria is considered a world class player, but the likeliness of him fitting into Manchester United’s 4-3-3 formation is rather slim. He is considered a very attacking winger, but with Louis van Gaal opting to field two wing back roles, Di Maria may not be able to perform at his best. We have also seen him deployed as a central midfielder for Real Madrid in the past, but it is highly unlikely that Van Gaal will splash the cash for a winger who may not want to play central midfield.
Arda Turan
Name: Arda Turan
Age: 27
Position: Winger / Attacking Midfield
Nationality: Turkey
Club: Atletico Madrid
Price: £25 – £30 million
Why they should avoid him?
Arda Turan is mainly deployed as a winger, but much like the Di Maria case, he might not be able to contribute to the more defensive-minded wing back role. However, he has also been effective playing right behind the strikers, but once again, with Juan Mata and Shinji Kagawa promised that role, the likelihood that he would move from Atletico Madrid as a regular to a back will be very unlikely.
Nigel de Jong
Name: Nigel de Jong
Age: 29
Position: Defensive Midfield
Nationality: Netherlands
Club: AC Milan
Price: £7 – £10 million
Why they should avoid him?
Although already given the chance to work under Louis van Gaal with the Dutch national side, a move to bring Nigel de Jong back to the English Premier League might not be the best option. He looks to be a very short term solution to the injury of Michael Carrick, but based on their pre-season form, they have a number of players who have stepped up to fill the role. De Jong wasn’t a standout player during his spell with Manchester City, hinted that maybe the English game isn’t for him.
Wesley Sneijder
Name: Wesley Sneijder
Age: 30
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Position: Attacking Midfield
Nationality: Netherlands
Club: Galatasaray
Price: £15 – £18 million
Why they should avoid him?
Other than the fact that Manchester United have been chasing the likes of Wesley Sneijder over the past few seasons, it may be about time they gave up on him. At 30, he could well be past his prime and the fact that he plays in the number 10 role, he cannot expect to get a first team berth. He is still a quality player, but with Louis van Gaal turning to a more quick paced attacking game, Sneijder may not prosper like he did during his time with Inter Milan.
Kevin Strootman
Name: Kevin Strootman
Age: 24
Position: Central Midfield
Nationality: Netherlands
Club: Roma
Price: £79 million (Asking price)
Why they should avoid him?
There are two reasons why Manchester United should not make a rash decision over the purchase of Kevin Strooman, one being his fitness, with the other one being his over-the-top price tag. Still recovering from an injury which saw him miss the World Cup, Strootman is nowhere near match fit to make a huge different to the club. Plus, with Roma slapping a £79 price tag on his head, the United board will have to be crazy to allow such an offer to me made.
Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina’s future has been plunged in doubt with manager Brendan Rodgers considering moves for Birmingham’s Jack Butland or German starlet Ron-Robert Zieler, report the Daily Mail.
The Reds’ number one has been short of his best so far this term and it’s believed that Rodgers is keen to draft in a long-term replacement for the 30-year-old.
The Anfield club are rumoured to have made an approach for Butland during the summer, but backed out at the last minute as they stepped up their pursuit of a striker.
But, they are ready to return for the 19-year-old England international once the transfer window opens.
Zieler has been mooted as an alternative, with the 23-year-old earning rave reviews in Germany for his performances for Hannover.
If either of duo are drafted in it would look likely that Reina may make way. Arsenal are believed to be interested, having previously approached the Spaniard, and could include unsettled winger Theo Walcott as part of any potential deal.
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But, it is unclear as to whether Arsene Wenger still feels that his goalkeeping situation is a particular worry.
Liverpool are also thought to be closing in on former youth player Thomas Ince, now at Blackpool, and Chelsea back-up striker Daniel Sturridge as they attempt to ease the goal scoring responsibility placed on Luis Suarez.
The Australia captain believed she may have been able to battle the pain for one match
Valkerie Baynes17-Oct-2024Alyssa Healy revealed a ruptured plantar fascia in her foot forced her to watch from the sidelines as Australia were knocked out of the T20 World Cup.Australia had hoped to have their captain fit for the semi-final, which underdogs South Africa won by a thumping eight wickets on Thursday night in Dubai, but the decision was taken not to risk her playing.Healy’s absence wasn’t confirmed until the toss but after the game she spoke for the first time about the full extent of the injury to the connective tissue which runs under the arch of the foot from the heel bone to the base of the toes suffered while running between the wickets during Australia’s penultimate group-stage game against Pakistan.Related
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“It’s a bit sore,” she said with heavy taping visible underneath her sock. “I ruptured my plantar fascia. I completely ruptured one and partially ruptured the other.”It was just a matter of function and pain and what I could handle. Ultimately, I probably only had one game in me and probably took the wrong risk at the end of the day.””It was a really hard decision to make last night as to whether or not we were going to give it a punt,” Healy added. “I tried to make the team decision and sat myself down instead of taking the risk.”Healy’s availability for the WBBL, starting on October 27, and India’s tour of Australia from early December, remains unknown.”I don’t know yet,” she said when asked how long she expected to be out for. “We’ll assess that when we get back. WBBL starts next Sunday so we’ll reassess that as we go.”Tonight was always going to be a real long shot and probably what I was going to have to go through to try and play the game wasn’t going to be very pretty either.”It was hard to do everything I needed to do to try and get out there tonight. Ultimately, I made the team decision to sit down and give the girls who are fully fit the opportunity to go out there and do that. It is what it is and hopefully it’s on the mend and we can play some more cricket next week.”Healy was an uncomfortable spectator as Australia scrapped their way to 134 for 5 in an uncharacteristically conservative innings after being sent in to bat first.Ayabonga Khaka and Marizanne Kapp struck early and Australia were kept quiet through the middle overs before Anneke Bosch made light of the run chase with an unbeaten 74, sharing a second-wicket stand worth 96 runs off just 65 balls with Laura Wolvaardt.”It was hard to watch, knowing that you can’t really go out there and help,” Healy said. “But it was good to see so many positives throughout the tournament. It hasn’t ended the way we wanted, but I think we’ve played some amazing cricket.”It’s knockout cricket, right? If you don’t quite turn up on the night and it doesn’t go your way, then you’re out. So, it’s pretty cutthroat. We’ve been in similar positions before and we’ve got ourselves over the line. So, it wasn’t to be tonight, but we’ll learn from that and get better.”Healy was full of praise for stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath, who had led Australia to victory by a thrilling nine runs against India in their final group game.”T-Mac’s had the opportunity to captain in my absence before and done it outstandingly well,” she said. “At the moment that it happened, everyone was pretty aware that things were a little grim and that people were probably going to have to play different roles.”I can’t fault the side at all in their optimism in taking on the challenge and going, ‘you know what, great, I get an opportunity to do this, do that, whether it’s opening the batting captaining, whatever it is’, so that’s where I feel like the group’s in such a great place.”It’s kind of a disappointing night because we’re actually in a really good place as a side and unfortunately one bad night people are going to write about us but I think where we’re at as a team is so exciting for the future.”
Fast bowler struggles with shoulder and leg problems but assistant coach Vettori confident of fitness
Andrew McGlashan20-Jul-2023Australia are confident that Mitchell Starc will be fit to bowl on the third day at Old Trafford despite landing heavily on his left shoulder and being unable to throw the ball on his brief return to the field.Starc suffered the blow when he dived at mid-on in the 65th over to intercept an on drive from Harry Brook. Briefly it looked nasty as he stayed down but he was able to walk off with the physio and doctor after initially attempting to stay on the ground.Starc returned at the end of the following over, with the hope of being able to bowl late in the final session, but after chasing a ball towards the boundary three deliveries later he did not feel comfortable in throwing and left the field again.After play he was receiving ice treatment and there were no immediate plans to send him for a scan with a further assessment to take place on Friday morning. Earlier in the day, he had also appeared to have discomfort in his left leg having felt it a couple of times while bowling and again, more significantly, after a dive on the boundary, but that was not considered a concern.”I think the leg is good, no issues there,” Daniel Vettori, Australia’s assistant coach, said. “The shoulder, we saw what happened in the field, he’s currently got some ice on it and we’re pretty confident it will be right tomorrow.”He’s one of those guys who doesn’t like to spend too long off the park. But he got straight into a hot spot and three balls in a row came to him in the field and he didn’t quite feel comfortable throwing it. I haven’t actually spoken to him but that’s what it looked [like]. We’re all pretty confident he can bounce back tomorrow.”Starc, who has enjoyed a successful series after missing the opening Test at Edgbaston, made the first breakthrough for Australia when he found Ben Duckett’s outside edge and added a second when Moeen Ali was well caught at midwicket by Usman Khawaja.Related
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The final two Tests of the series are back-to-back which would put time pressure on anyone who did pick up an injury in this match. Scott Boland, who has played twice in the series, and Michael Neser are the reserve quicks.The more immediate concern for Australia is whether they can retain the Ashes before reaching The Oval having endured a chastening day at the hands of Zak Crawley and Joe Root. A poor forecast for the weekend might be their biggest ally, but Vettori insisted it wasn’t at the forefront of their minds.”It all leads to batting exceptionally well in the third innings, that’s what will set up the rest of the game as well as how well we bowl tomorrow,” he said. “We won’t have a chance to have a say on the result unless we do the next day well. England are in control, but if we can come in and get those final wickets for as few runs [as possible], then it sets up for that final innings and the weather may play a part in that.”From England’s point of view, Crawley was not privy to any discussions between Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum but thought that they would look for as big of a lead as possible rather than an early declaration on the third day.”I’m not sure, anything could happen with Stokesy,” he said, “but while there are two very good players at the crease Jonny [Bairstow] still to come, and good tail-end batters, I think the gameplan would be to bat once. Maybe if we lose a couple of wickets early that might change but I’d have thought it would be to get a big lead. We are expecting them to bat well.”
England head coach reveals his fears about working together – that they’re too similar
ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jun-2022Brendon McCullum believes the England captaincy has come at the right time for Ben Stokes and admitted he initially feared the two were too similar to succeed together.McCullum was appointed as coach of the England Test side in the second week of May. By then, new managing director Rob Key had already taken the decision to make Stokes captain after Joe Root had stepped down at the start of the summer after five years in the post.The fear in the lead-up and reaction to Stokes’ appointment was burdening a talismanic allrounder with yet more responsibility, especially after he had come back from a mental health break less than a year before.McCullum, in a rare interview since taking his post, described the timing of Stokes’ appointment as “perfect”. And while talking up their similarities, acknowledged there were areas for them to improve on. Even after a strong start which sees England 2-0 up in this three-match series with New Zealand, the similarities between the pair will lead to some blindspots.”I think where Stokesy’s at in his career, and his aspirations as a leader and where he sees his team needs to go, it aligns beautifully to his personality and also to mine,” McCullum told SENZ Radio.”The danger probably was that we’d be too similar. But I think both of us have got such motivation to try and improve the side that we give and take in the areas we need to, and we try and ensure that we surround ourselves with leaders within the group as well, both on the field and also support staff who can fill in some of the gaps where we may not be as strong as well.Related
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“So understanding that we’re not the perfect products either, but I think being able to bounce off each other and to also push each other towards the danger, as well because sometimes even you have doubts. But if you’re able to have that filtering system between both the captain and the coach and to remain on task with what we’re trying to achieve and the direction that we want to go, I think it gives you a better chance of ensuring that there’s consistency with that message.”He also played it coy when asked about his words at tea on the final day of the Trent Bridge Test. England still had 160 of their 299 target to achieve, but did so in just 16 overs as Jonny Bairstow and Stokes went postal. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo last week, Ben Foakes revealed McCullum was “like William Wallace” when giving his team talk.”I don’t want to go too much into kind of what we what we said because it’s sacred in the dressing room,” said McCullum. “But I was echoing the sentiments of the skipper really, his messaging has been incredibly powerful and simple, trying to remove the fear of failure”There’s moments in Test matches, there’s moments in series, there’s moments in careers where you’ve got to be strong enough to stick to what the plan was initially. And just because there’s more at risk, or there’s more on the table, you shouldn’t walk away from that. And that was very much the message, go out there and try to win lads, that’s what we’re here for. We’ve done well even if we get beat, we’ve played a good game of cricket and if someone’s able to stand up to us and beat us when we throw everything at them then you’ve got to be content with it. And that was very much the messaging and the guys have been fantastic.”I couldn’t have asked for a more receptive dressing room than what we’ve had in the last two Test matches. But a lot of that is down to the skipper, his way and his methods are very much aligned to mine.”And so the messaging is from both angles, coach and a captain, I think it is able to resonate a lot more often. And with a lot more authenticity, which is able to permeate right throughout the group. So there was a little snapshot, it’s not always going to work, we’re going to get beat at some point as well, trying to play the same method. But that’s what’s going to give us our greatest chance to ensure that England is competitive and that England is able to be at the top of the tree in Test cricket and ultimately will allow Test cricket to hopefully continue to thrive.”
Negotiations have resumed between players union, ECB and counties over potential pay cuts
Matt Roller25-Jan-2021James Harris has admitted that the English game still faces “a huge challenge” in the form of the Covid-19 pandemic upon his election to the role of chair at the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), but said that he is confident that he will be able to steer the organisation through choppy waters.The PCA resumed its negotiations with the ECB and the first-class counties on Monday afternoon as they continue to discuss collective solutions including the possibility of further temporary salary cuts, but hopes that with the prospect of a full domestic schedule and fans returning to grounds this summer, such measures will soon no longer be necessary.Harris, the Middlesex seamer, was confirmed as Daryl Mitchell’s successor on Monday, after serving as vice-chair alongside Heather Knight since last June and as Middlesex’s player representative before that, and described his election as a “huge honour” in his first media interaction in the position.ALSO READ: England confirm two-Test New Zealand series for June“I’ve got some big shoes to fill in those of Daryl Mitchell, who has done a brilliant job,” Harris said. “I was always keen if the role came up and thankfully I’ve had the support of lots of my colleagues around the country. It’s great that I can lean on Mitch – he’s got another month in the post and hopefully I can get up to speed and make sure I’m as clued up as I can be.”No doubt, there’s a huge challenge in front of us. Everyone involved in the game did brilliantly last year, playing as much cricket as we did – at the start of last summer, it would have looked a long way off.”It’s about seeing us through to the end of this pandemic [and building on] the work that Daryl did, getting the players’ committee together and coming up with everything that they have to see us through with collective agreements. There may be more of that required, but we hope there isn’t too much more. We want to be as responsible towards the game as we can be, so that we can build as strong a game as possible around the country.”Harris also gave his endorsement for the Hundred, describing it as a “fantastic concept” which will be a “massive showpiece for cricket in this country”. The PCA’s initial response to the Hundred was lukewarm in 2018 when the ECB unveiled its new competition, with concerns raised over the 100-ball format and possible conflicts of interest, but has since thrown its support behind it.”It’s just another part of a cricketer’s career,” Harris said. “Guys will try and make their way into Hundred teams, and it’s going to provide a lot of opportunities for guys in county cricket, perhaps who wouldn’t have necessarily got a look-in at certain times or for younger guys who might get pushed into the first team a bit earlier.”It’s a different concept. It’s exciting. It’s something that’s going to bring a lot of eyes from around the world onto English cricket, which can only be a good thing.”Harris becomes chair at a time when the PCA’s active playing membership is bigger than ever before, with 41 new members following the ratification of women’s domestic contracts at the end of last year. While he admitted that he has “a lot of learning to do across all areas of the game, both men’s and women’s”, Harris said that he had already reached out to Knight – who will continue as vice-chair – and Kate Cross, the England women’s representative in recent days.”I’m going to support everybody as well as I can,” he said. “We’re building up relationships as much as we can already, and it’s a really exciting time in the women’s game as well, having those new members join the PCA and become full-time professionals. It’s a great time for everyone involved in the game whether male or female.”One relationship that Harris will already feel secure in is that with the PCA’s chief executive, Rob Lynch, who was previously Middlesex’s commercial director and chief operating officer, and took over from Tony Irish on a full-time basis in October. Lynch, who had no say in Harris’ election, said that he had been “thrilled” to hear he had been chosen for the post.”I’ve known him for four or five years and he was always one of my favourite guys to work with at Middlesex,” Lynch said. “We have to put some stability inside the PCA which has been one of the challenges over the last couple of years through some changes in leadership at the top. This year is about rebuilding and being clear about our purpose and our role in the game.”Our job is to find the line between playing a responsible stakeholder role and also pushing tooth and nail for the rights that the players have, because we recognise that we’ll need to continue with that we’ve done. We’re all hoping to get back to a more normal set-up as soon as we can.”
Opening batsman was on track for a thousand-run Championship season before ankle injury
ESPNcricinfo staff02-Sep-2019Ricardo Vasconcelos has signed a new five-year contract with Northamptonshire.Johannesburg-born opener Vasconcelos still had two years remaining on his previous contract but has penned the new deal to secure his place at Wantage Road until the end of the 2024 season.”It was an easy decision for me to stay here.” said Vasconcelos “Northants took a chance on me and picked me out of South Africa, so it was a no brainer for me to be loyal to the club that gave me a chance to live my dream.”Vasconcelos, 21, first appeared for Northamptonshire as a non-overseas player – he has a Portuguese passport – against Pakistan in 2018 before making his County Championship debut against Leicestershire later that year. He was on track for a thousand-run Championship season before an ankle injury ended his campaign early. At the time, he had amassed 750 runs at an average of 46.87 for the season.”The club has really shown ambition this year with some top-class overseas signings so hopefully that ambition pays off and we can get promoted and continue to improve in Div One next year.” Vasconcelos said.”The injury is coming along well, I’ve started walking again now so this is where the hard work starts, I guess, but I’m prepared to put in the work and come back stronger and fitter than ever for what hopefully will be a really good season for us in Division One next year.”I’ve been working hard to get back fit and I’ll be playing some club cricket in South Africa over the winter to make sure I’ve got some cricket under my belt before the start of the new season.”Northamptonshire are third on the County Championship Division Two table with three rounds remaining.