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Birmingham City spent their brief time in League One building a Championship-quality squad, but now that they have secured promotion, they are investing further to ensure they can look upwards rather than over their shoulder.

The club have spent big on Japan centre forward Kyōgo Furuhashi, who has arrived from Stade Rennais in a deal that could reach £10.3 million. This has made the former Celtic star the third most expensive player to ever join the club.

Due to these new signings, the Blues have had to shift a number of players, including Romelle Donovan, Ayumu Yokoyama and Alfie May, and they aren’t finished just yet.

Birmingham City make 50% profit as Bielik moves on

Football League World have reported that Birmingham City centre-back Krystian Bielik will complete a transfer to West Bromwich Albion “in the next 24 hours”. Bielik had served as club captain from last season, and manager Chris Davis had previously described him as “a really important player, a good captain and a good leader”.

Birmingham will make 50% profit on the transfer as they will receive upwards of £1 million for Bielik after only paying Derby County £500,000 in 2023. A number of clubs were reportedly interested in signing Bielik, including south-coast Championship side Portsmouth, but he is reportedly settled in the Midlands, and the less-than-7-mile swap from St Andrews to the Hawthorns was the easiest option.

Ryan Mason was eager to sign Bielik, given West Brom’s centre-back situation. Torbjørn Heggem is on the brink of completing a £10 million switch to Serie A side Bologna, and Kyle Bartley has called time on his career following 232 appearances for the Baggies.

The emotional challenges that come with Birmingham's ambition

Bielik was a favourite among fans and was praised for his loyalty in not only staying with the club following relegation to League One on the final day of the 2023/24 season but also taking over as captain and ensuring that they secured promotion back to the Championship.

The player was clearly settled at Birmingham as his new club seems to have been decided primarily over West Brom’s short distance to his current home. Fans have taken to social media to express their sadness at Bielik’s departure.

While it seems all parties are saddened by Bielik’s departure, it is a clear example of the cost of the club’s ambition. After a rocky first season under new ownership, Birmingham City now seem to be on an upward trajectory. They were promoted to the Championship after heavy investment, so much so that their gross transfer spend was higher than all of the other clubs in League One combined.

With figures like serial winner Tom Brady at the forefront of the new Birmingham leadership, the club clearly has Premier League ambitions, and the cost of that will be players like Bielik, who are well regarded among the fans and happy at the club, having to move on as the team outgrows them.

South-Africa born batter will head back to England after she was hurt during training

Valkerie Baynes20-Nov-20241:46

Paige Scholfield is out to prove age is just a number

Paige Scholfield will leave England’s tour of South Africa before it’s begun after she was injured in training.Scholfield hurt her ankle during training on Tuesday and, following further assessment on Wednesday morning, withdrew from the T20I squad to return to the UK and begin her rehabilitation.”We’re obviously really gutted for Paige,” Her team-mate, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, said. “She’s a good mate of mine as well, so I was really sad to see her down on the floor yesterday. But she’s a tough cookie. She’s been really unlucky with her injuries over the last few years. But she’s putting a smile on her face, and staying positive, and actually said to me that she can’t wait to get stuck in on the rehab and get back fit again.”Scholfield was one of two changes made to England’s T20I squad which exited last month’s World Cup in the group stages, brought in to add firepower to England’s middle order with batter Alice Capsey overlooked amid a form slump and allrounder Dani Gibson ruled out after undergoing knee surgery. Fast bowler Lauren Filer was also included after missing the World Cup.Related

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Capsey had already been a late call-up to the South Africa touring party as cover for what England described as some minor niggles within the T20 squad, leaving her WBBL stint with Melbourne Renegades, before Scholfield was injured.Shortly before she left the UK for South Africa, Scholfield spoke of her joy at being selected for the trip to her birthplace, having made her England debut at the age of 28 during the tour of Ireland in September.”I thought it was my England A coach calling me, so I’ve got the wrong coach,” Scholfield told ESPNcricinfo of her call-up for the Ireland trip.”It was so out of blue and I was so excited and I just couldn’t believe it was happening. If I’m honest, I am still now trying to regulate my feelings around it.”Speaking to my mum and dad when I told them about this tour to South Africa, they were over the moon, being diehard South Africans, they just couldn’t believe it. My mum started crying. It’s just so exciting and I just hope it continues to happen.”Paige Scholfield made her England debut on the tour of Ireland in September•ECB via Getty ImagesScholfield was the fifth-highest run-scorer in the Charlotte Edwards Cup T20 competition this year with 259 runs at an average of 43.16 and strike rate of 140.00 with a top score of 73 not out. She also scored 190 runs in the Women’s Hundred, striking at 137.68 with a highest score of 71 off 40 balls playing for Oval Invincibles.”She really deserved a chance to be in the squad for this series,” Wyatt-Hodge added. “She’s done outstanding over the last couple of years for South East Stars and in the Hundred as well for Invincibles. So, obviously we’re gutted for her, but I’m sure there’ll be a lot more chances for her to show off what she can do in England colours.”Scholfield credited the ongoing professionalisation of the domestic women’s structure in England and Wales, which started in 2020, with helping her reach her goal of representing the country she has called home since the age of 12.”I’m 28, I had very little hope that I’d be representing my country with these youngsters coming through who are just unbelievably talented,” Scholfield said. “But this county setup now allows players like myself to still be able to have that ambition to represent their country and to show the rest of the world what we can do, and that age is just the number and I can still throw myself about and hit a couple of balls.”It’s an exciting time and I’m really enjoying where the game’s going and I hope it continues to grow to the point where we can get to where the men are at and make a career and travel the world doing it.”The multi-format series between South Africa and England starts on Sunday with the first of three T20Is in East London, followed by three ODIs and a Test.

“To captain him and win a title with him, is something that I’ll never forget,” Ellis said on Owen

Andrew McGlashan27-Jan-2025As chants of “Mitchell Owen, Mitchell Owen” were ringing around a packed Ninja Stadium, with the majority having stayed on to see Hobart Hurricanes be presented with the BBL trophy for the first time, the man himself was still trying to take it all in after what had the makings of a life-changing performance.Owen’s 42-ball 108, the century coming from a tournament joint-fastest 39 balls, included some of the cleanest hitting imaginable as Hurricanes made what appeared likely to be a demanding chase of 183 become a cakewalk with 35 balls remaining to end a 14-year wait for the title.”So surreal,” Owen told . “To be here and hear them chanting my name, it hasn’t quite sunk in, but it’s amazing and I’m so grateful for it.Related

Owen's record-equalling 39-ball hundred seals Hurricanes' maiden BBL title

“All I wanted to do was lift that trophy. I was actually disappointed to get out, I wanted to be able to hit the winning runs and get us home a little bit easier, so I didn’t have to sit there a bit nervous, but it’s super special, it’s a childhood dream and I’m so grateful.”Owen’s transformation from a middle-order batter with a middling record to a T20 opener who will now likely attract attention from around the world has been remarkable and the story of the BBL season.”I think feeling backed by [coach] Jeff [Vaughan] and Nath [Ellis], and the whole team really, that’s quite powerful,” he said. “I was just super clear when I went out there, I knew what I wanted to do and needed to do, and I was lucky enough it paid off.”Team-mates were quick to laud a display which has propelled Owen from a fringe state cricketer into the global limelight.”I haven’t seen too many blokes hit the ball like that and the way he can just keep going,” Matthew Wade told . “To be honest, I was wanting him to go through the gears a little bit, but he doesn’t have that in him, he just keeps going and takes the game away from the teams. It was exceptional hitting, he’s going to be a hell of a player for a long time.”Mitchell Owen (left) and captain Nathan Ellis have been key parts of Hurricanes’ success•Getty ImagesCaptain Nathan Ellis recalled training alongside Owen when he was younger having made his move from New South Wales when he was unable to break into the professional system there.”I said the Scorchers innings was the coming-of-age innings; I think today he went up another level,” Ellis told . “I was bowling to a 15, 16-year-old Mitch Owen in the indoor nets here at Tassie when I first moved down, and to be a part of his journey, and also to captain him and win a title with him, is something that I’ll never forget, hopefully he’ll never forget. I’m just super proud and excited for not only tonight, but what’s to come for him.”Ellis was also key to Hurricanes’ victory as he halted a strong Thunder start of 97 without loss with the wickets of David Warner and Matthew Gilkes in consecutive deliveries during the 11th over and also claimed top-scorer Jason Sangha. He was reluctant to take much credit himself, but at the presentation said that Tasmanian cricket had changed his life.Asked to expand on his comment by host Mark Howard, Ellis said, “I came down here as a budding grade cricketer, sort of not knowing what way was up and never living at a home, and eight years later, I played for my country and now won a BBL title, so it goes without saying, it’s changed my life. I’m just really honoured that I get the opportunity to bring this title to the state of Tasmania for the first time.”It felt like the right moment for me to come on there,” he added of the 11th over. “Thankfully, it potentially changed the momentum, they were getting away from us there. But I can’t speak highly enough about bowling attack this year. We’ve bowled in all scenarios, in all conditions, we’ve been under the pump in different situations, and I feel like we’ve never missed the mark. So as a captain, really lucky to have the squad we have, but as a cricket fan, as I’ve said many times, I’m in awe of our squad.”For Wade, who was born in Tasmania and is now purely a T20 player, it was a significant moment late in his career having come to Hurricanes for the 2017-18 season.”It’s quite emotional, it was really, really cool,” he said. “I would have liked to get the winning runs actually, Reggie [McDermott] ran off on me there. I was nervous today. It’s as nervous I’ve been for a long time for a game of cricket, even playing for Australia, so I really wanted this one, especially for the people [in Tasmania]…cricket’s taken a huge step this year down here. We’ve got big crowds and just rapt for the BBL to be back to where it was it seems like 10 years ago.”

As they tend to do every year, Chelsea have made the most of the summer transfer window.

On top of shipping off those deemed no longer necessary, the Blues have added some seriously exciting talent to the side.

However, arguably the most exciting player to make their way to Stamford Bridge this summer is someone they technically signed last May: Esetvao.

The Brazilian teenager, who respected analyst Ben Mattinson has described as a “future Ballon d’Or winner”, has already impressed in pre-season, and it just feels like a matter of time until he truly announces himself in the Premier League.

Chelsea might be able to get even more out of the former Palmeiras gem should they complete the signing of another incredible talent they’ve been heavily linked with.

Chelsea target perfect teammate for Estevao

Despite already making several brilliant additions to the squad this summer, Chelsea continue to be linked with potentially game-changing stars.

Transfer Focus

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

One of the most prominent links has been to Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho, who has made it clear he only wants a move to Stamford Bridge.

Another name touted for a move to West London, and perhaps a more pressing transfer given Levi Colwill’s injury, has been Piero Hincapié of Bayer Leverkusen.

However, there is another international who the Blues have been chasing for some time now, someone who could be the perfect teammate for Estevao: Xavi Simons.

Yes, according to a recent report from the continent, Chelsea have maintained their intense interest in the RB Leipzig star.

On top of that, the journalist has revealed that the Dutchman has “decided to join Chelsea” and has now turned “down interest from Manchester City.”

Tavolieri does not mention how much the 22-year-old might cost, but based on reports from earlier this summer, it might take a fee of around £61m to get him out of Germany.

That is certainly a lot of money to spend on a young player, but Simons has more than proven his ability in recent seasons, and he could be perfect alongside Estevao.

Why Simons would be perfect for Estevao

One of the reasons Simons could be such a brilliant teammate for Estevao at Chelsea is that he has already followed a similar path in his short career.

Now, there is undoubtedly more expectation on the young Brazilian’s shoulders, but the former La Masia ace has been talked about as a future superstar for years now.

For example, he made his first team debut for Paris Saint-Germain at just 17 years old, earned his first senior cap for the Netherlands at 19 years old, at the World Cup mind, and has been described as having an “extremely high footballing IQ” by U23 scout Antonio Mango.

Impressively, the 22-year-old has been able to cope with and navigate these pressures brilliantly over the last few years, and because of this, he’d be well-placed to help Estevao do the same in the coming campaigns.

With that said, the other reason the former PSG gem would be an excellent teammate for the 18-year-old is the simple fact that he is an output machine.

Appearances

33

Minutes

2763′

Goals

11

Assists

8

Goal Involvements per Match

0.57

Minutes per Goal Involvement

145.42′

For example, in just 33 appearances for Leipzig last season, totalling 2763 minutes, the dynamic “game-changer,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored 11 goals and provided eight assists.

In other words, the former Amsterdam-born dynamo maintained an average of a goal involvement every 1.73 games, or every 145.42 minutes, meaning he’d be able to provide an abundance of chances for the Franca-born maestro to bolster his own goal and assist tallies.

Moreover, he’s just as comfortable playing off the left as he is in the middle of the park, meaning there would be plenty of chances for him to develop a relationship with the young Brazilian.

Ultimately, Simons would be an excellent signing regardless of who else was in the squad, but he could be even more important for Chelsea now Estevao has made his way to West London.

Fewer touches than Sanchez: 5/10 Chelsea star was even worse than Palmer

Chelsea were held to a disappointing draw by Crystal Palace in their opening game of the Premier League.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 17, 2025

La Liga president Javier Tebas has accused the Premier League of inflating the players' salaries and transfer fees. According to the 63-year-old, this affects the global market and other leagues including the Spanish top flight as well as he stressed the importance of "sustainability" across Europe's leagues.

Premier League punching above their weight?

The 2025 summer window saw around 12,000 international transfers, and the spending, as per FIFA, was a whopping $9.7 billion. This was 50% more than last season, with Premier League clubs alone spending $3.19 billion on high profile such as Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, who all joined Liverpool, and new Manchester United forward Benjamin Sesko. This was more than the cumulative figure of Spain ($666m), Italy ($950m), France ($730m) and Germany ($980m), prompting Tebas to warning of a destructive outcome if such spending continues.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTebas explains his point with an example

While speaking at the third edition of the Expansion & Marca Business Sport Forum, he said: "We always compare ourselves to the Premier League, but we should see how we are doing compared to the Bundesliga. I want to point out how the Premier League's numbers are not correct. The turnover of La Liga and the Bundesliga is very similar; we're around €4 billion in revenue. The Premier League earns not double, but 1.8 million more, but we're going to say double. The logical thing is that if La Liga spends €700 million, the Premier League would spend €1.4 billion. But in the last seven seasons, the Premier League has always spent much more than double, which is what it should have. This year, it should have spent €1.4 billion, but it spent €4 billion. Where do those €2.5 billion come from? Losses. What happens? Inflation. If you pay more than you should have spent, you'll lose. Your turnover, what happens? If someone pays much more, it inflates salaries and affects us all because the market today is global."

He also touched on the UK government's interventions, referring to the establishment of an independent regulator, adding: "Today, the Premier League is being intervened by the government because they are worried about what is happening to English football. Last year, it lost €1.2 billion; La Liga isn't going to lose money, nor is the Bundesliga. I no longer talk about Italy and France because they are much worse off. We always go to the Premier League, but I am careful about the state of the Premier League, which has reached the point of being invested in by the government. Companies are competitive and economically sustainable. What we are doing in Spanish football is very important."

Tebas approached UEFA

Tebas wants to curb the Premier League's spending, and to get it incorporated, he has approached UEFA multiple times.

"The rules need to be made much more uniform because they're different," he said. "What's allowed in the Premier League isn't allowed in Spain, and UEFA should take an interventionist stance there. We've had a few meetings with UEFA, and we'll see if we continue along those lines, which is what everyone wants, including many Premier League teams."

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AFPLa Liga more like Bundesliga than Premier League

La Liga introduced their economic control over the teams in 2013, after being inspired by UEFA's Financial Fair Play model. The president says comparisons to the Premier League are not helpful, preferring to put La Liga on a par with the Bundesliga instead.

West Ham United “could move” for an “incredible” England international as a replacement for Nayef Aguerd, who may be set for an exit before the transfer deadline.

West Ham eyeing new defender after Aguerd refuses to travel

After spending the 2024-25 campaign on loan at Real Sociedad, Aguerd has come back into the fold this season, starting the opening two Premier League games, during which West Ham conceded a combined eight goals.

However, it is clear the Moroccan has little intention of remaining at the London Stadium for much longer, with the 29-year-old pushing to leave before the deadline, amid interest from the likes of Sunderland, AC Milan and AS Roma.

In fact, the Keinitra-born defender is well-known to have refused to travel to Nottingham Forest for yesterday’s Premier League clash, with the centre-back taking drastic action to try and force through an exit.

However, ExWHUEmployee has now revealed that the club could be hesitant to sanction a departure, should they be unable to find an adequate replacement in time, with Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis among the potential options.

The West Ham insider said: “The club have yet to confirm any bid as yet from Marseille or Sunderland and even if they did would have to make a decision as to whether it is worth accepting and whether a replacement could be lined up in time.

“The club have looked at other defenders and one we exclusively revealed at the start of the window and we still have interest in us Charlie Cresswell, ironically he plays in France for Toulouse.

Aguerd upgrade: West Ham plotting late move to sign "excellent" £18m star

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1 ByBen Gray Aug 30, 2025 "Incredible" Harwood-Bellis could be solid Aguerd replacement

Although the Saints were relegated without putting up much of a fight last season, the 23-year-old clearly enjoyed a decent campaign on a personal level, having picked up his first cap for England, scoring on his debut against Ireland.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola also singled out his former player for high praise last season, saying: “He’s an incredible threat for Southampton from set pieces and a composer when they have the ball because the manager insists the way they have to play, they have to be close, to move differently.”

With Aguerd clearly eager to leave, West Ham shouldn’t stand in his way, should a deal for Harwood-Bellis be possible, and a move wouldn’t break the bank, with a £20m price tag being touted earlier this summer.

Alan Shearer heavily criticised Ruben Amorim's tactical rigidity following another poor Manchester United showing away at Brentford on Saturday. The Newcastle legend believes United's predictable approach makes them easy to play against, and that Amorim's inflexibility could cost him his job.

Pressure continues to build on Amorim

Manchester United's form has been wildly inconsistent under Amorim, who succeeded Erik ten Hag in the Old Trafford hot seat in November last year. Despite significant investment in new players during the summer transfer window, United are 14th in the Premier League table after just six games of the new season, with their latest setback coming in the form of the 3-1 defeat to Brentford. The criticism of Amorim is mounting and questions are being asked about his ability to turn things around.

AdvertisementGetty'He's right, everyone else is wrong'

Amorim's refusal to budge from his preferred 3-4-3 system and defensive substitutions have raised the most eyebrows, with Shearer among those who believe the Portuguese is trying to fit too many square pegs into round holes. The former Newcastle and Blackburn striker said when reacting to United's latest defeat on : "Brentford without doubt had their plan. He [Amorim] was out-schooled by Keith Andrews, and what Brentford did. It really will be his downfall, unfortunately for him, because he’s not going to budge. He’s right, everyone else is wrong, I guess.

"It was alarming what he was doing, moving so many different players around. the subs he brings on, moving right-centre-back into centre-back, middle of centre-back into left-centre-back. Then [Bryan] Mbeumo was right-wing-back. And then Mason Mount came on as a 10 for four minutes. Then he brought [Joshua] Zirkzee on, and then moved Mount to left-wing-back. It’s like, goodness me, what on earth is happening here? It’s incredible."

Why INEOS may be delaying sack call

Shearer went on to suggest that United's part owners INEOS, led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, are only delaying Amorim's sacking to save face. "I genuinely believe that the owners, or the people are running the club at the minute, have made that many errors in the last two years or 18 months since they’ve been there, it would look terrible to admit another error," he added. 

"And secondly, whether you look at the ticket increase, whether you look at people losing their jobs, whether you look at the new stadium, whether you look at paying for Dan Ashworth and then sacking him, and then his contract being paid up, then for them to go and say, ‘Actually, we went hell bent on getting this manager and paying a fee for him and demanding he comes now, rather than when he wanted to come’ for them to now say you’re firing him, and then pay out another huge chunk of wedge to for someone to lose their contract. I genuinely believe that’s probably one of the reasons why he’s still there, because they’re not any better, they’re not getting any better. They look miles off it."

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AFPSunderland next: Win or bust for Amorim

Amorim has only taken 34 points from his 33 Premier League games in charge of United to date, and has yet to oversee back-to-back wins. The former Sporting CP boss faces intense pressure to improve the Red Devils' performances and results immediately. Upcoming fixtures will be crucial in determining his future at the club, starting with next Saturday's home fixture against newly promoted Sunderland.

Victoria looked well-placed to push for victory but not for the first time of late they let a strong position slip

Alex Malcolm09-Mar-2025An inspirational unbeaten century from Jake Lehmann in combination with a career-best 83 from Liam Scott secured South Australia their first home Sheffield Shield final since 2016 after they chased down 300 with four wickets to spare to defeat Victoria at the Junction Oval.Lehmann and Scott shared a match-defining 148-run stand to break the back of the chase having come together at 108 for 4. Henry Hunt also made a valuable early contribution of 66 and shared a 54-run stand with Lehmann. The trio withstood some brilliant spells from Scott Boland who took two late wickets to threaten to steal the game but ultimately Victoria could not sustain enough pressure with the ball.Related

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South Australia are now guaranteed a home final while Victoria can still made the decider if they beat Western Australia next week and other results go their way despite losing four matches in a row.Lehmann described his 12th first-class century as one of the best of his career after also going past 5000 first-class runs.”I feel like anytime you get a hundred and it’s in a winning team, and fourth innings is probably the hardest time to make hundreds these days, so yes, definitely up there,” Lehmann told ESPNcricinfo post match. “But it’s just probably on the vibe of the boys and the way we’ve played our cricket, and the belief in the team that we were always going to be able to chase them if we got into that last couple hours of the day.”South Australia coach Ryan Harris was full of praise for both Lehmann and Scott after the match. He was particularly proud of Scott’s efforts after backing up his 4 for 49 on day three with the ball with a match-winning 83.”I think his niche is probably No. 6 in this current set-up,” Harris told ESPNcricinfo. “And his overs, my communication with him is he’s probably a holder and now he’s a wicket-taker. And he’s done that because of having game time and learning his role and progressing as a player and as a person, learning the game. That only comes with game time and he’s done it beautifully. So he’s a huge player now.”Victoria coach Chris Rogers was left to lament how his side had lost a fourth game in a row after they had a lead of 163 with eight wickets in hand midway through day three and also had South Australia four down with 192 runs to defend on the final day.”We’re just missing something a little bit at the moment,” Rogers told ESPNcricinfo. “I just said to the group there were moments in this game where I think if we’d been able to get the upper hand we would have won this game against the side that’s on top of the table.”We feel like all the games we’re right in the contest, but then we just can’t get over the line. And that probably is the biggest frustration, and we’ve got to keep asking ourselves those questions, why aren’t we winning those moments?”The game was poised on a knife’s edge in the morning session when South Australia slumped to 54 for 3. Fergus O’Neill struck twice in three balls, pinning South Australia captain Nathan McSweeney lbw with a brilliant delivery that nipped in off the seam before taking the outside edge of Jason Sangha two balls later with one that straightened the other way.Lehmann and Hunt steadied with a 54-run stand but it was full of nervy moments. Hunt passed 50 but could have been out twice to Todd Murphy in one over, scoring a boundary off the outside edge while an offbreak beat his inside edge and went over the stumps past keeper Sam Harper for four byes.Lehmann also nearly fell to Murphy with Harper unable to hold a challenging catch down the leg side. Lehmann gave another life when he sliced a thick edge low to Xavier Crone’s left in the gully off O’Neill.Victoria still appeared firmly in the game when Hunt holed out to deep square for 66 off Sam Elliott. But Lehmann and Scott thoroughly dominated the middle session as Victoria fell flat.Boland bowled a very loose spell by his standards post lunch. He dropped short on several occasions and conceded four boundaries in three overs. Murphy gave up two at the other end as Lehmann and Scott set the tone for what was about to follow.The pair scored 104 runs from 30 overs in the middle session and scarcely looked troubled. Scott stood tall and drove powerfully through the off side against both spin and pace.Lehmann rotated the strike superbly without taking any undue risks and sweated on anything short and wide. Victoria spread the field to try and slow the scoring rate before the second new ball was due. But in the last 15 overs of the session Scott and Lehmann picked off 51 runs, including 16 off two overs of part-time spin from Campbell Kellaway and Harry Dixon.The trend looked set to continue against the second new ball as Scott raced past his previous highest first-class score while Boland struggled to get his line right in his first two overs after tea.But his international class shone through to force a late twist in the game. With 44 to win, Scott edged Boland to slip to give the hosts life. He then extracted another edge from Harry Nielsen shortly after to leave South Australia still needing 42 with just four wickets in hand. But Lehmann and Ben Manenti held their nerve.Lehmann survived another chance on 80 when he smashed Murphy straight to short cover but Kellaway could not hold the hot offer. Thereafter he latched on anything fractionally short to guide his side home, reaching his century and winning the game with three consecutive boundaries.

In what was a year to forget for Manchester United football club, captain Bruno Fernandes endured a season to remember on a personal level – producing numerous moments of magic despite the team’s failures.

The Portuguese international racked up a total of 37 combined goals and assists across all competitions – by far and away the highest tally of any member of the first-team squad.

However, he was unable to catapult Ruben Amorim’s side to any form of success, as the Red Devils ended the 2024/25 Premier League campaign in a measly 15th place.

The first team desperately needed reinforcements over the summer, something which the board provided with the likes of Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo.

Despite the additions in forward areas, a new midfielder was desperately needed, subsequently adding further quality to the side – but also pushing another talent down the pecking order.

Kobbie Mainoo’s future at Manchester United

During the 2023/24 campaign, academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo was a breath of fresh air to the United side – popping up in key moments during his breakthrough campaign at Old Trafford.

The 20-year-old scored multiple times that year, including a last-minute winner against Wolves – before netting the crucial effort in the FA Cup final triumph against rivals Manchester City.

However, in recent times, the Englishman has struggled for consistent action, starting just 19 times last season, with minutes even harder to come by this campaign.

Mainoo hasn’t started a single league game in 2025/26, with his only starting outing coming in the embarrassing Carabao Cup second round defeat to Grimsby Town.

He’s spoken about wanting to leave his boyhood club on loan in recent times to gain valuable game time elsewhere – but his request was denied, subsequently needing to fight for his place in the side.

Such a situation has been a disappointing one for both the player and the club, with a resolution needed, but they may have made a mistake in allowing one former youngster to depart.

The former United star who was the original Mainoo

United’s hunt for a new midfielder was evident during the summer transfer window, targeting numerous talents throughout Europe to offer further quality in the middle of the park.

Bruno, who’s primarily an attacking midfielder, has been forced to operate in a deeper role this campaign – especially after the arrivals of Cunha and Mbeumo in the number ten positions.

Hopefully, such a decision doesn’t take away from the numbers he produced last season, already getting off the mark with his last-minute penalty against Burnley last weekend.

However, a new partner alongside him has been desperately needed in recent times, potentially making a mistake in allowing former youngster James Garner to depart the club.

The Portuguese international has previously praised the Englishman, labelling him a “good player” after the Red Devils’ pre-season tour back in 2021.

He rose through the youth levels at Old Trafford, just like Mainoo, but would only make seven first-team appearances – with his spells away from the club catapulting him to stardom.

Garner would spend 18 months on loan at Nottingham Forest, catching the eye with his box-to-box displays, registering eight goals and 10 assists over his two separate loan spells at the City Ground.

He subsequently helped the Reds secure promotion back to the Premier League in 2022, in a spell that would catch the eye of a side already plying their trade in England’s top-flight.

The 24-year-old joined Everton on a permanent basis for an initial £9m in the summer of 2022, with Erik ten Hag not seeing the player in his plans – with the Toffees getting themselves a bargain given his form on Merseyside over the last couple of seasons.

Games played

21

Goals & assists

1

Pass accuracy

82%

Tackle success rate

66%

Tackles won

2.4

Duels won

4.5

Interceptions made

1.3

Recoveries made

4.2

Garner has since made 88 appearances for the Toffees, showcasing his versatility, operating in the middle of the park, as well as right-back, but still thriving despite the unnatural role.

He scored his first goal of the new season in recent weeks, with his beautiful strike from outside the box securing the Toffees a victory in their first outing at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

The £9m fee now appears to be way too cheap, given his recent success away from Old Trafford, potentially being able to cement his place in Amorim’s side had he stayed at the club.

There’s no denying he was the original Mainoo, rising through the club’s youth levels, but ultimately, their loss is Everton’s gain – with Bruno missing out on starring alongside the Englishman.

Sold for £5m: Man Utd must rue selling £43m star who'd get Sesko firing

Manchester United made a huge mistake in allowing one player to depart Old Trafford in recent times.

1 ByEthan Lamb Sep 5, 2025

Stuttgart have responded to statements made by Bayern Munich supervisory board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge regarding the transfer of striker Nick Woltemade to Newcastle. On Monday, Rummenigge took a swipe at the Magpies and called them "idiots" for splashing a club-record £69 million ($93m) on the Germany international.

Bayern Munich fall short in Woltemade pursuit

The Bavarians had shortlisted Woltemade as their top target of the summer transfer window and submitted multiple bids. Those proposals were firmly turned down by Die Schwaben and the Magpies swooped in to lure the German forward to the Premier League. Bayern ultimately abandoned the plan and instead secured the services of Luis Diaz, who joined from Liverpool for €70m. On deadline day, they also finalised the loan of striker Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportKarl-Heinz Rummenigge's jibe at 'idiots' Newcastle

Rummenigge had previously spoken in an interview on about the ultimately unsuccessful attempt by the German record champions to bring Woltemade to the club during the last transfer window. The 70-year-old also took the opportunity to take a dig at Newcastle.

"When the story with Woltemade and Stuttgart's demands came up, at some point I said to Uli [Hoeness], Herbert Hainer, Jan Dreesen and Max Eberl: 'Guys, we're getting into sums of money that I simply don't find acceptable anymore,'" Rummenigge said.

He joked that one could only "congratulate Stuttgart for finding an idiot – in quotation marks – who paid so much money," adding: "Because we certainly wouldn't have done that in Munich."

Getty Images SportStuttgart's cheeky response to Bayern

"We are always delighted to receive congratulations from Munich," said Alexander Wehrle, chairman of the Swabian club, with a wink to .

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Getty ImagesHow has Woltemade's Newcastle career started?

From a personal perspective, Woltemade's start at his new club has gone well. The German international has already scored two goals in five appearances for Newcastle. However, the Magpies have only won one of their six league games so far and are currently languishing in 15th place in the Premier League.