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NFL legend Tom Brady is eyeing an ambitious transfer swoop as he bids to see his Birmingham City side promoted to the Premier League.

Birmingham aiming for the Premier LeagueTargeting ambitious signingsHave made unbeaten start to seasonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Birmingham were promoted to the Championship last season after beating Wrexham to the League One title and are now just one rung below the dreamland of the Premier League. The Blues have now made a move to bring Premier League experience to the club in the shape of former Liverpool and Arsenal star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, according to the . The midfielder is currently still with Turkish side Besiktas but is open to a return to English football.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Oxlade-Chamberlain has already been tipped to leave Besiktas this summer on a free transfer as he is not part of the club's plans for the future. Leeds United have also been linked with a move for the 32-year-old, following their return to the Premier League, but Birmingham may also be a tempting choice for the former England international as they bid to return to the top flight.

DID YOU KNOW?

Birmingham have already been busy this summer in the transfer market, bringing in a host of players including Demarai Gray, Kyogo Furuhashi and Marvin Ducksch. 

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR BIRMINGHAM?

Birmingham have opened up with four points from six at the start of the Championship season. The Blues are back in action on Saturday against Oxford United.

First and foremost, Newcastle United have no pressing concerns relating to finances and the ever-ominous profit and sustainability rules in the Premier League.

Furthermore, technical director Ross Wilson is now settled into his chair in the St. James’ Park offices, and have formed a good early relationship with Eddie Howe as they look to tackle key areas of the squad.

Now is the time for action. It’s been a wobbly start to the season after a summer of upheaval, but United are beginning to show green shoots in their bid to cement themselves as Champions League contenders and a multi-trophy-winning outfit.

Defensive positions are being examined, but with Joelinton’s form lacking in stages this season, Howe wants a new midfielder.

The question on everyone’s lips: Will it be Elliot Anderson?

Newcastle chasing elite midfielder

Howe spoke at the start of October about his desire to bring Anderson back home. The 23-year-old was sold to Nottingham Forest in 2024 and he has since become a top-class midfielder. It was not a happy sale for the Magpies, whose hand was forced by PSR.

Now, United want him back. The problem? Manchester City and Manchester United are also keen, and the Tricky Trees have priced their gem in excess of £100m.

This is a superstar in the making. Already, he is ranking favourably against the likes of Sandro Tonali in the Newcastle midfield; the Italian is widely regarded as one of the best in the Premier League.

If Newcastle are fruitless in their bid to sign Anderson, they could do worse than fall back on Scott McTominay, who was named the Serie A MVP last season after leading Napoli to the Scudetto.

As per Chronicle Live, McTominay is reportedly unsettled in Naples and is considering a return to the Premier League. Newcastle would be right there, offering the Scotland star a chance to take his career to the next level.

Valued at £70m, McTominay, 28, will not be short of suitors in 2026, but sources close to the player suggest that he would be open to moving to Tyneside and working under Howe’s stewardship.

What McTominay would offer Newcastle

It’s a testament to McTominay’s meteoric rise in Italy that had Newcastle signed him from Manchester United, it would have been a move met with indifference.

But now, he is revered as a hero for both club and country, 18th in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings and regarded as a “true superstar of European and world football”, as said by content creator Adam Joseph.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær, his former boss at Old Trafford, also hailed him as a “physical monster” once, and this is why McTominay could be such an interesting Anderson alternative.

He is capable of show-stopping moments, but the Tartan Army hero also has the athleticism and defensive attributes to dovetail right into Howe’s engine room.

His high duel success bespeaks his tenacity, and his eye for goal makes him an intriguing option to place just ahead of Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes, both elegant and combative players with excellent passing ranges, sure to pick out the Napoli star’s surges into the danger area.

Matches (starts)

37 (33)

34 (33)

Goals

2

12

Assists

6

4

Touches*

54.2

43.1

Accurate passes*

28.7 (82%)

22.7 (85%)

Chances created*

1.0

0.8

Dribbles*

1.0

1.1

Ball recoveries*

5.6

4.2

Tackles + interceptions*

2.5

2.0

Duels (won)*

6.5

6.1

Anderson has since raised his level, but McTominay has hardly regressed himself, instrumental in a title-defending Napoli team that trail first-placed AC Milan this season by only a single point.

There is a winning mentality about McTominay that Newcastle need to take their project to the next level, and while the 23-year-old Anderson would be a fantastic addition, this would provide Howe with the instant effect he and his team need.

Newcastle need a new midfielder, and that won’t change. Either of these stars would mark stunning acquisitions.

He wants to leave: PIF must sell Newcastle's "poor man's Haaland"

Newcastle United must cash in on this player who reportedly wants to move on from the club in January.

1 ByDan Emery Dec 1, 2025

It would be fair to say that, thus far, this hasn’t been a great transfer window for Tottenham Hotspur.

While their Premier League rivals have been making impressive signings left, right, and centre, Thomas Frank has been left waiting for the club to make another move after signing Mathys Tel on a permanent deal.

Worse yet, North London rivals Arsenal appear to have awoken from their slumber as well, and are starting to make waves in the market, most notably regarding the potential signing of Viktor Gyokeres.

However, things may soon be about to change, as reports have linked the Lilywhites to a Premier League star who could be Frank’s answer to the Sporting CP star.

Spurs target their own Viktor Gyokeres

Given their truly diabolical form in the competition last season, it makes sense that Spurs would be targeting some of the Premier League’s most exciting talents this summer.

Transfer Focus

However, thus far, the Europa League champions haven’t been able to secure any signatures, with Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo still looking more likely to join Manchester United over them, and Antoine Semenyo putting pen to paper on a new deal at Bournemouth.

Even Eberechi Eze, who was once again linked with the club this year, now looks like he could be joining Arsenal, alongside Gyokeres.

Yet, there is still reason to be optimistic, as the Lilywhites close in on a key target, a Premier League star who could be their answer to the Swede: Mohammed Kudus.

Yes, according to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Spurs have maintained their intense interest in the West Ham United ace.

In fact, the Italian journalist claims the Ghanaian is now a “top target and a crucial target” for Frank and that even though their initial offer of £50m was rejected, they will bid again.

In terms of the final price, it has been reported elsewhere that the Hammers may be holding out for a fee in the region of £65m.

It appears that this would be a complicated and costly transfer to complete this summer, but one Spurs should fight to secure, especially as Kudus could be their Gyokeres.

Why Kudus could be Spurs' Gyokeres

The first thing to say is that, yes, Kudus and Gyokeres are fundamentally different players and occupy very different roles within their respective squads.

However, when we say the former could be Spurs’ answer to Arsenal signing the latter, we are not talking or even thinking about where they play.

Instead, the point is that, in a similar way to how the Swede is likely to transform the Gunners’ attack and potentially their fortunes next season, the Ghanaian star has the ability to do the same for the Lilywhites.

Appearances

48

35

Minutes

3781′

2721′

Goals

18

5

Assists

10

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.58

0.25

Minutes per Goal Involvement

135.03′

302.33′

For example, while it’s certainly the case that his return of five goals and four assists in 35 appearances last season was underwhelming, his output the year before was nothing short of superb.

In 48 appearances, totalling 3781 minutes, the “generational talent,” as dubbed by journalist Gary Al-Smith, scored 18 goals and provided ten assists.

In other words, the Accra-born monster averaged a goal involvement every 1.71 games, or every 135.03 minutes, which is the sort of output that could fire Spurs up the table next season.

Furthermore, in addition to incredible ability in front of goal, the former Ajax gem can play anywhere from right wing to attacking midfield and even centre-forward, in turn giving Frank so many tactical options.

Finally, if you are still unconvinced over his game-changing potential, then you need only look at some of his underlying numbers.

Despite not having the best campaign in terms of output, FBref still ranked the international ace in the top 3% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for take-ons attempted and successful take-ons, as well as the top 6% for pass completion and goal-creating actions from long shots, among other metrics, all per 90.

Ultimately, Kudus may not have been at his very best last season, but the talent is there, and in the right environment, he could be utterly game-changing, and in a way, Spurs’ answer to Gyokeres moving to the red side of North London.

Shades of Haaland: Spurs submit bid for "one of the best STs in the PL"

Tottenham Hotspur have wasted no time in handing Thomas Frank the tools for success.

ByEthan Lamb Jul 6, 2025

“We can’t make mistakes against him tomorrow,” says Prabath Jayasuriya

Andrew Fidel Fernando22-Sep-2024If you’re a batter, your first Test at one of the most trying venues on the planet tends not to go well for you. Rachin Ravindra, though, is proving across formats, that he’s not your run-of-the-mill batter out of New Zealand.His fourth-innings vanguard, which by the end of day four has brought him 91 not out off 158, and pushed New Zealand into a spot where they still have an outside chance of victory, has been full of bravado.Sri Lanka’s offspinners attacked him outside off stump, figuring that as he likes to play shots out there, there will eventually be an edge that comes off his bat. The edge never materialised but plenty of runs did – 40 of his runs coming in the arc between backward point and cover, Ravindra’s shot-making frequent and consistent even when the pitch was spitting towards the end of the day.Related

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“I’ll be honest, the pitch isn’t easy – but there were periods there when Rachin made it look very easy,” said Ajaz Patel, who partnered Ravindra through the last few overs of the day.”He’s a phenomenal player. I think he’s world class. With his batting out there today, you saw him sticking to a solid plan for long periods, and trusting his skills. He’s got an amazing future in front of him. I’m grateful he’s on our team. He’s a headache to bowl to in first-class cricket.”When Sri Lanka switched to bowling straighter at him, Ravindra was no less proficient through the legside. He was ruthless when the bowlers erred even slightly on length, preferring the pull to the sweep as his main run-scoring option on the legside.In fact, four of his nine fours, and his one six all came through midwicket, with the six coming off a full toss.Opposition left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya had serious praise for Ravindra too.”I mostly tried to bowl into the rough to him and turn it into him. Sometimes he was very good at latching on to the short balls.”There was some little chances that came off him. But he kept his patience and batted nicely. He hit the loose balls away and kept the good ones out. He played like someone who understood his game, and was sticking to a game plan. Sometimes we tried to take his wicket and bowled aggressively, but he turned those into scoring opportunities.”Sri Lanka now need two more wickets to win, while New Zealand need 68 for victory. Ravindra has to score those runs in the company of No. 10 Patel, and No. 11 Will O’Rourke. If he gets through that challenge, it may be the finest moment of his career to date – in Tests, at least.”We can’t make mistakes against him tomorrow,” Jayasuriya said. “We have to take those two wickets.”

The opener hasn’t played a single T20I this year but knows the next two weeks are crucial with the T20 World Cup looming

Shashank Kishore26-Aug-20224:16

KL Rahul: ‘Playing Shaheen Shah Afridi could have helped challenge ourselves ahead of the T20 World Cup’

KL Rahul is yet to feature in a T20I this year because of injuries, and in the time he has been away, India have shifted towards a new approach to the format from a batting perspective. He may not have been an active part of this process, but he’s aware of it, and happy to buy into it as India look to fine-tune preparations leading into the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.On Thursday, Rahul had his first hit with the T20I squad after arriving from Zimbabwe, where he led India to a 3-0 sweep in the ODI series. With scores of 1 and 30 in the two innings he played in Harare, his own batting form was patchy, and Rahul’s focus in the nets was simply on enjoying an extended session.Even as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav brought out their artistry, Rahul seemed intent on bringing back his fluency. VVS Laxman even jokingly stopped him from coming out of the nets twice. Rahul enjoyed three stints in all, over a three-hour session.Related

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He was edgy against pace initially, and was beaten on length on at least three occasions by Arshdeep Singh’s angle away from him. Rahul held his own against Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s swing, though, getting right behind the line and moving swiftly into position to drive and play straight. His sessions were closely monitored by two cameras – one behind the stumps and another in front of cover, just outside the net.After his first 30-minute session, Rahul cooled off for a bit and went back in for round two against spin. Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin challenged him by pushing him back with a series of quicker ones and sliders. Rahul focused on his back-foot play, and the big shots that weren’t seen in his first session slowly surfaced late into his second as he tonked a straight hit over the sightscreen.In the third session, Rahul was simply focused on meeting the ball with giant forward strides, especially against Arshdeep, who bounded in tirelessly. The left-arm seamer was tossed a new ball that he swung back in from different lines, ranging from fourth stump to middle, just to get Rahul playing straight and ensuring he wasn’t bringing his front pad in the way. For someone who has all the shots in the book, this session was all about the basics.Then, as the last round was called, Rahul had fun, paddling and ramping deliveries before ending with a flat-batted slap to walk off tired and happy. The punch on the bat as he walked off resonated with satisfaction at grinding his way in.KL Rahul last played a T20I in November 2021•BCCIOn Friday, Rahul spoke of India’s new approach and of enjoying the challenge of bringing it to life. At IPL 2022, his most-recent competitive T20 outing, Rahul’s powerplay strike rates barely crossed 100, drawing plenty of chatter from pundits and former players. In the death overs, though, which he seemed intent on building towards, he struck at 198.36. Overall, Rahul ended the season with the second-most runs – 635 in 14 innings at a strike rate of 135.38 – behind Jos Buttler.”This new approach, we’d spoken about it much before when I was part of the team early on in the year as well and just after the [2021 T20] World Cup,” Rahul said. “Last season we had spoken about what we need to improve individually and how as a team we try to be more aggressive, put the bowlers under pressure by going out there and play with a lot of authority, freedom and aggression.”So I was there when that happened. Unfortunately, I have not been able to play too many T20Is since then, but we have played the IPL, and I played with the same approach, tried to see how with that same approach I can be consistent and still contribute to the team. I haven’t played since the last two-three months, and that is a challenge for me, one I am looking forward to.”It’s done really well for us, the new approach. What the team wanted and what the captain needed has been embraced by everybody, every player in the team, which is great to see and that is the biggest step. That big step has already been taken and embraced by the players, so from now on it’s only about building on it and getting stronger and by the time the World Cup comes, everyone knows exactly what to do.”The next two weeks could be another test of Rahul’s work towards returning to being the white-ball destroyer he can be. He isn’t the captain, and he has a middle order that can take apart the best of attacks. From a team point of view, it’s all systems go. Rahul couldn’t ask for a more ideal scenario than this.