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O Conselho Deliberativo do São Paulo aprovou, em dezembro do ano passado, a previsão orçamentária do clube para 2023. E no principal item de receitas, a negociação de atletas, ficou estabelecido o valor de R$ 135 milhões como meta a ser cumprida. O problema é que, com o fechamento da primeira janela europeia ’em branco’ para o Tricolor, a ‘correria’ para atingir o número ficou para o período de transferências que se abrirá no próximo dia 3 de julho.

E, segundo palavras do próprio diretor de futebol tricolor, Carlos Belmonte, a tendência é que não haja jogo duro por parte do clube do Morumbi no que tange propostas para eventuais propostas que chegarem da Europa por suas principais revelações.

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– O São Paulo, com a condição que está, não tem jogadores inegociáveis. Mas óbvio que o nosso desejo é a permanência desses dois jovens, que são fundamentais e importantes para o nosso elenco. Vamos ver como vai ser na abertura da janela – disse Belmonte.

O cartola são-paulino se referia especificamente às situações de Rodrigo Nestor e Pablo Maia, as duas promessas com saídas quase que definidas.

O interessado no jovem camisa 11 são-paulino é o Galatasaray. Representantes do clube procuraram o clube do Morumbi para saber por quanto poderia acontecer o negócio. Ouviram que o mínimo exigido é de R$ 80 milhões (aproximadamente 15 milhões de euros). E que haja a manutenção de parte dos direitos federativos.

Não é o primeiro jogador do São Paulo a ser sondado por turcos. Em fevereiro, o clube recusou uma oferta de 3,5 milhões de euros (cerca de R$ 19,4 milhões) do Besikitas pelo lateral-esquerdo Welington. A proposta foi tratada como ‘uma piada’ nos corredores do Morumbi.

Conforme oL!revelou,o Tricolor tem sondagens por mais duas revelações suas por parte de europeus. O volante Pablo Maia é desejado por clubes ingleses, enquanto o lateral-direito Nathan pode ir parar em Portugal.

O São Paulo, inclusive, já recusou uma proposta do Fulham por Maia no final do ano passado que alcançou 8 milhões de euros (cerca de R$ 43,1 milhões). O estafe do jogador queria o negócio, mas o Tricolor recusou, otimista de que poderia conseguir seu objetivo com vendas das promessas de Cotia (SP): sempre dois dígitos, pelo menos. Ou 12 milhões de euros (cerca de R$ 64,7 milhões) no caso de Pablo Maia.

Muito tem se falado de Beraldo, mas o plano do Tricolor é o de recusar investidas pelo zagueiro de 19 anos, que ganhará aumento nos próximos dias. O plano dos dirigentes é de mantê-lo por mais dois anos pelo menos no plantel. Tempo suficiente para que valorize ainda mais. E, claro, o clube do Morumbi consiga comprar parte dos direitos federativos que ainda pertencem ao XV de Piracicaba, onde ele deu os primeiros passos no futebol.

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He matched Gujarat’s Urvil Patel for the fastest T20 hundred by an Indian

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2024

[File photo] Abhishek Sharma now has the most centuries in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy•Associated Press

Abhishek Sharma has matched Urvil Patel for the second-fastest T20 century, reaching the landmark in 28 balls in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match for Punjab against Meghalaya. Urvil had got there last week, when he scored 113 not out in 35 balls for Gujarat against Tripura in the same tournament. The record belongs to Sahil Chauhan, who scored a 27-ball century for Estonia against Cyprus in June this year.This was also Abhishek’s fourth century in the tournament, making him No. 1 on that list, ahead of Unmukt Chand, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer, who have three each.Opening the batting in Punjab’s chase of Meghalaya’s 142 for 7 in Rajkot, Abhishek finished with 106 not out off 29 balls. Punjab got to their target in just 9.3 overs thanks mainly to Abhishek’s swashbuckling innings. The win was Punjab’s fifth in seven Group-A matches and the net-run-rate boost as a result of the speed of their win keeps them in the fray for progressing to the knockouts.Abhishek, who formed a destructive opening combination with Travis Head for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024, was retained by the franchise ahead of the upcoming season for INR 14 crore (US$1.67 million approx.).Earlier in the day, Baroda broke the record for the highest team total in men’s T20 cricket when they posted 349 for 5 against Sikkim in Indore.

After a huge 4-1 win in the Summer Series last night, Manchester United are finally showing glimpses of the quality of a side that could achieve something under Ruben Amorim.

Rasmus Hojlund, Patrick Dorgu, Amad Diallo and Ethan Williams all managed to get on the scoresheet, highlighting the talent the side possesses within the final third.

However, despite the four-goal haul, Benjamin Sesko still remains a key target for the Red Devils this summer, with talks being held for the RB Leipzig striker.

The 22-year-old registered 21 goals across all competitions last season, potentially being one of the key targets the hierarchy are pursuing at the top end of the pitch.

However, other targets are also being considered across other areas of the pitch, as the boss looks to make his side as competitive as possible ahead of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign.

The latest on United’s hunt for new additions this summer

The midfield department has been subject to interest in recent days, unsurprisingly so, given the lack of options currently at the manager’s disposal.

Morten Hjulmand, Eberechi Eze and Douglas Luiz all appear to be on their radar, but the latter could be going elsewhere after Nottingham Forest entered talks to sign him.

However, the goalkeeping department is also subject to investment this summer, with Manchester City shot-stopper Stefan Ortega, according to FootballTransfers.

Their report claims that the Red Devils have already made an approach for the German’s signature, after the 32-year-old was made free to leave the Etihad this summer.

It also states that the player himself is open to discussing a move to Old Trafford despite the rivalry, but no final decision has been made about his next destination.

Why United’s latest signing would be bad news for Onana

Andre Onana has been United’s number one option between the sticks in recent times, costing a staggering £47.2m from Inter Milan back in the summer of 2023.

The Cameroonian was seen as the perfect replacement for David de Gea, but his time in Manchester has been a disaster, subsequently being subject to anger from the fanbase.

He’s been massively prone to mistakes during his stint at Old Trafford, notching a tally of eight errors leading to goals – ultimately costing the side in numerous key areas.

Altay Bayindir was utilised as an alternative at multiple points of the recent campaign, which has highlighted the need for added reinforcements in such an area.

Whilst it’s unclear how much a deal for Ortega would cost this summer, he could provide Amorim with an excellent option to help him improve the situation currently playing out in Manchester.

When comparing his stats to those of Onana in England’s top-flight last season, the German managed to outperform him in numerous key areas, further showcasing why he’d be a great fit for their number one position.

Ortega, who’s been labelled “incredible” by teammate Rodri, managed to register more saves per 90, along with a higher save percentage – handing Amorim a more confident and reliable option between the sticks.

How Ortega & Onana compare in the PL (2024/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Ortega

Onana

Games played

13

34

Save percentage

69%

68%

Saves made

2.7

2.5

Clean sheet percentage

27%

26%

Pass accuracy

81%

72%

% of long passes

32%

66%

Crosses stopped

7%

5%

Errors leading to goals

0

6

Stats via FBref

He also completed more of the passes he attempted, with fewer being long balls, having the ability to play out from the back should the side need that option.

The City star’s dominance is further reflected in his tally of fewer errors leading to goals, having the tools to massively improve such a situation ahead of next season.

The next few weeks will be interesting for the player if he is to move, with the Red Devils fanbase undoubtedly sceptical about the move given his status at their rivals.

However, it’s evident that the player himself would be an excellent addition this summer, ending any lingering doubts about the quality currently at the manager’s disposal at the back.

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Nigar Sultana wants Bangladesh to beat Scotland in their opening match of the women’s T20 World Cup on October 3 and set the tone for the rest of the tournament. Beating Scotland would be a “huge achievement”, she said, since Bangladesh haven’t won a match in their last four World Cup appearances, and have won just one game in five editions.Nigar, however, clarified that Bangladesh were not taking Scotland lightly. “We want to win the first match,” she said. “It will be a huge achievement for the team. The team will get into a flow when that happens. We can then dream of something bigger. We are hungry for it.”Scotland, though, are playing good cricket. Generally teams arrive at the World Cup with a lot of expectations. They won’t let you win easily. They don’t give up without a fight. We are mentally prepared to face those challenges.Related

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“I have played four World Cups but we have never won a game in those editions. The last time we won was in the 2014 tournament [against Sri Lanka]. We have played well in previous editions but playing well only means something when you can win.”Nigar and Bangladesh are dreaming big. They want to challenge England, West Indies and South Africa, the others in their group in the first round, and are hoping to get into the semi-finals.”To play in the semi-final, we have to win against those three teams, too,” Nigar said. “We have different plans against each team. If we can execute our game-plan, then it will good for us. We have defeated South Africa in T20Is [twice in 13 completed matches]. We rarely meet England, only in World Cups, so it might be difficult for them, too. We all know that we have a good spin attack.”The tournament was initially supposed to be held in Bangladesh, but following political unrest in the country in July-August, the ICC relocated it to the UAE.”For a long time, we prepared with the understanding that the World Cup will be held at home,” Nigar said. “It is not in our control, so there’s no point thinking about it anymore. We played in Abu Dhabi in 2021, where the wickets were nice. Sharjah is a new venue for us, but we will play two practice matches, which will give us some idea.”Other teams will face similar challenges, so the faster we can adapt to those challenges, it will help us play better in the tournament’s main matches.”Young Rabeya Khan has been a revelation for Bangladesh in recent times•BCB

Batting a concern for Bangladesh

Bangladesh haven’t done well with the bat in their last two home series, against India and Australia, and also lost to India and Sri Lanka in the women’s Asia Cup earlier this year.Giving Nigar confidence, though, are newcomers like Shathi Rani and the uncapped Taj Nehar, who was picked ahead of the more experienced Rumana Ahmed.”Batting is definitely a concern but we saw some improvements among the batters during the ‘A’ team tour [of Sri Lanka],” she said. “We still believe that we can do well as most of our players have also done well in the domestic tournaments. I hope they continue their form in the World Cup.”We included Taj for the middle-order, although she doesn’t have experience. We saw her in the league [Women’s National Cricket League] where she showed good approach and intent. She can play the big shots. If you have followed our recent international matches, we failed in showing intent. Shathi was the highest run-getter in the league. She can go after the bowling, and you can see those in some of her innings. She can use the powerplay quite well. She has proved herself to come at this stage.”Bangladesh have a strong spin attack that includes left-arm spinner Nahida Akter and 19-year-old legspinner Rabeya Khan. Nigar paid a glowing tribute to young Rabeya, who is the team’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is this year [14 wickets in 12 games]. “Rabeya is one of our finest bowlers. She has taken our team to a different level through her contributions in both formats. She is a great fielder. She is good with the bat too but doesn’t take batting seriously. She is maturing slowly. If there’s someone I rely with the ball in tough situations after Nahida, it is definitely Rabeya.”

The PCB is considering “several key changes” to the nature of international cricketers’ obligations to Pakistan cricket, with potential implications for the ability to obtain NOCs, participation in domestic cricket and a change to central contracts agreed last year.What those key changes contain, however, remains shrouded in mystery. A 500-word statement that was light on detail – and not released through official channels or uploaded to the PCB’s official website – stated that domestic cricket “is now compulsory for players”. The board also announced that a “technical method” would be established for issuing NOCs, and only players meeting the criteria of that method would be granted NOCs. It would appear that the tenure of central contracts has been reduced to one year, an apparent rollback of the landmark three-year contracts announced last year.However, despite the potentially wide-reaching implications of such changes, no specific information was provided on what these changes would entail and how they would come into effect. Mohammad Rafiullah – a spokesperson for the board chairman Mohsin Naqvi – told ESPNcricinfo that committees would be formed to work out the fine print: devising the technical method for the NOCs, the tweaking of the central contract, and how much domestic cricket international players would be required to play.Related

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The original statement made no mention of the establishment of any committee, and it is not yet clear whether one committee will be tasked with all three responsibilities, or three separate committees will be formed to handle one task each. Rafiullah told ESPNcricinfo the committees – which have not come into existence yet – would submit their findings for implementation within 15 days.The statement did clarify that the centrally contracted players’ remuneration would not be reduced, a punitive move that initial reports suggested was being considered in the wake of Pakistan’s disastrous T20 World Cup campaign. It also said “the inclusion of players in various categories of the central contract would follow a defined procedure” without information on how this procedure was to be defined.It was also announced that Test head coach Jason Gillespie and white-ball coach Gary Kirsten had been added to the selection committee, though once again, it has yet to be clarified whether that means both coaches will make selectorial decisions across formats, or only sit on committees relevant to the formats they are respective coaches for.The issue concerning player NOCs is perhaps the prickliest one in Pakistan cricket at the moment, with some players understood to feel the spirit of the agreement to allow players two overseas leagues per year was not being respected . Last week, ESPNcricinfo reported Naseem Shah had been refused an NOC to play the Hundred on a contract worth GBP 125,000, while Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam are also expected to have their NOCs for the Global T20 League in Canada turned down. There is no international cricket that clashes with either of these leagues, but the PCB is likely to cite workload management as a reason for their refusal.In a separate statement, one that was uploaded to the PCB’s official website, Australian pitch curator Tony Hemming was appointed the head curator on a two-year contract. He comes in ahead of a busy home season for Pakistan, which includes seven Test matches, a tri-series and the ICC Champions Trophy.

Celtic got their second Fabrizio Romano ‘here we go!’ of the summer transfer window when he provided the latest on their pursuit of Benjamin Nygren on Saturday night.

The Italian journalist has confirmed that the Scottish Premiership champions are on the verge of completing a deal to sign the Sweden international to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.

Nygren is set to sign for the club on a five-year contract and will link up with his new teammates in pre-season in the coming weeks, ahead of competing for a place on the right wing next season.

The 23-year-old talent scored 15 goals in 30 appearances in the Superliga during the 2024/25 campaign, which suggests that the Hoops have landed a bargain with the fee that Romano has reported.

That is because Nygren’s contract with FC Nordsjælland was due to expire at the end of this year, forcing the Danish side to cash in before they lost him for nothing in January.

Whilst this looks set to be a shrewd piece of business, Celtic have shown that they are willing to push the boat out for signings, as shown by their move for Arne Engels last year.

Celtic hit the jackpot with Arne Engels

The Hoops smashed their transfer record to sign the Belgium international from Bundesliga outfit Augsburg in the summer of 2024 for a reported fee of £11m.

It overtook the previous record of £9m that was paid to sign Odsonne Edouard on a permanent deal from Paris Saint-Germain. It showed that the board were ready to seriously back Brendan Rodgers in the transfer market.

Given the money involved in the move, signing Engels for a fee of £11m was a gamble by the Scottish giants, but it is one that paid off big time for them.

24/25 Champions League

Arne Engels per 90

Percentile rank vs midfielders

xAG

0.25

Top 7%

Assists

0.37

Top 6%

Shot-creating actions

3.11

Top 29%

Key passes

2.24

Top 6%

Percentage of dribblers tackled

71.4%

Top 9%

Tackles made

2.49

Top 28%

Passes blocked

1.12

Top 27%

Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, the Belgian maestro provided plenty of quality in the Champions League, as he ranked highly among his positional peers in a host of key creative and defensive metrics.

Engels also ended the season with a haul of ten goals and 13 assists in 52 appearances in all competitions from a central midfield position, which shows that he has been a big threat for the Hoops as both scorer and a creator of goals.

Celtic hit the jackpot with the midfielder because he hit the ground running at Parkhead to become an instant star, and they could repeat that trick with another record purchase this summer.

Celtic learn asking price for Sondre Orjasaeter

According to Norwegian outlet TV Sport 2, as relayed by the Glasgow Times, Celtic will have to splash out a fee of £11m to sign Sondre Orjasaeter from Sarpsborg before the end of the summer transfer window.

This means that they would have to make him their joint-record signing alongside Engels by splashing out a fee that they have never paid more than for any other player.

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

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The report, however, adds that Dutch giants PSV are currently leading the race to sign the Norway U21 international, and that French side Lille are also eyeing him up, which means that there is plenty of competition for his signature.

It was reported earlier this month that the Hoops had opened talks with Sarpsborg to sign Orjasaeter to bolster their options on the left flank, but there has been no further update on those discussions to date.

They now know that a record fee of £11m will be required to get a deal over the line in the coming weeks, and they could repeat their Engels masterclass by going through with a move.

Why Sondre Orjasaeter could be Arne Engels 2.0

As aforementioned, Celtic have hit the jackpot with the Belgian star because he immediately became a key performer in the middle of the park for Rodgers.

At the age of 21, Engels is also still a young player with plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve, and could yet be sold for a profit in the future.

Orjasaeter is a 21-year-old talent with similar potential, based on his performances for Sarpsborg. He has shown that the quality is there for him to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch, particularly as a creator.

It was confirmed in May that Jota is set to be out for up to nine months with a knee injury, which means that the left-wing spot where the Norwegian star operates is set to be vacant at the start of the 2025/26 campaign.

Sondre Orjasaeter (Eliteserien)

2024

2025

Appearances

28

7

Goals

5

1

Big chances missed

5

2

Big chances created

12

7

Key passes per game

1.9

2.0

Assists

5

2

Dribbles completed per game

2.4

2.7

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Orjasaeter is a player with the quality to fill the hole that has been left by Jota’s injury, as he has been in impressive form for Sarpsborg since the start of the 2024 campaign.

The 21-year-old star, who was described as a “playmaker” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has created 19 ‘big chances’ in his last 35 Eliteserien matches, which shows that the wing wizard is an incredibly creative forward.

For reference, Alistair Johnston’s haul of 15 ‘big chances’ created was the most of any Celtic player in the club’s 38-game Premiership season, suggesting that Orjasaeter could be a standout creative threat for Rodgers next term and beyond.

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That suggests that the potential is there for the Norwegian star to be an Engels repeat for the Hoops as a record £11m signing who could instantly become a key player for the club, whilst still having plenty of years left ahead to develop and improve.

A former Manchester United player was once dubbed the ‘next Cristiano Ronaldo’, but went against Sir Alex Ferguson’s advice in a move that may well have ruined his career.

Man Utd wonderkids who flopped after leaving

The Red Devils are famous for their academy, with numerous first-team stars being made in Carrington. From the Class of 92 to more recent graduates such as Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo, Man Utd regularly have one of their own in a matchday squad.

Ferguson was influential to the success of many Man Utd youngsters making the grade at Old Trafford and once described how to get the best out of them.

However, some youngsters who had been tipped for greatness didn’t hit the heights at Old Trafford.

Player

Man Utd appearances

Adnan Januzaj

63

Cameron Borthwick-Jackson

14

Ravel Morrison

3

Timothy Fosu-Mensah

30

Nick Powell

9

Scott Wootton

4

Ryan Tunnicliffe

2

Tyler Blackett

12

James Wilson

20

Not every Man Utd academy graduate to make a first-team appearance has gone on to enjoy the career of a Gary Neville, David Beckham or a Ryan Giggs, with many still playing at a lower level, and perhaps none fit the flop category better than Federico Macheda.

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There were high hopes for Macheda at Old Trafford, especially after he burst onto the scene with a late winner against Aston Villa in the Premier League in 2009.

In fact, Macheda was called ‘the next Ronaldo’ in Manchester, but that goal against Villa would be as good as it got for the Italian under Ferguson.

Now coming into the twilight years of his career, Macheda left England in 2016 and has been playing his football in Italy, Greece, Turkey and Cyprus.

Federico Macheda’s career in pictures

Talking back in 2017, Macheda recalled when he decided to go against Ferguson by moving to Sampdoria on loan instead of remaining in the Premier League, something he now regrets.

In 2025, Macheda is currently playing his football in Greece with Asteras Tripolis and would make just 19 Premier League appearances in total for Man Utd, a figure which could have been more if he had listened to Ferguson.

Arsenal are now “working behind the scenes” to sign an £85m “superstar” as a potential replacement for Gabriel Martinelli, according to former scout Mick Brown.

Gunners pursuing new winger amid Martinelli criticism

Martinelli has been a key player for the Gunners for several seasons now, having made the left-wing spot his own, but the Brazilian has received some criticism as of late, with Jamie Carragher suggesting he isn’t good enough for a Premier League title-winning side.

Speaking earlier this year, Carragher compared Mikel Arteta’s current frontline to the attacking options Arsène Wenger had at his disposal in the 1997/98 season, saying: “They had [Marc] Overmars, [Nicolas] Anelka and Dennis Bergkamp. This team, at the moment, is playing with [Gabriel] Martinelli, [Leandro] Trossard and [Kai] Havertz. It’s not enough.”

After a very impressive 2022-23 campaign, the 23-year-old’s attacking output has certainly declined over the past two seasons, which indicates that Carragher may be correct about an upgrade being necessary.

Season

PL appearances

Goals

Assists

2022-23

36

15

6

2023-24

35

6

4

2024-25

32

8

4

As such, according to Brown, in an interview with Football Insider, Arsenal have now set their sights on a potential replacement, namely AC Milan’s Rafael Leao, having already started work on a deal.

The former scout said: “Rafael Leao is one of the players Arsenal have been looking at. They’ve been working behind the scenes, scouting him and figuring out what it would take to sign him.

“He’s very direct, quick and skilful which is exactly the type of winger they’re looking for. I think Arsenal have lacked that type of player this season because apart from Saka they don’t have decisive players in the final third who will make a difference.”

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The report makes it clear the Gunners are willing to sell Martinelli this summer, should they be able to find a top-level replacement, and there are plenty of signs the AC Milan star could be exactly that.

The Portugal international has been one of the Serie A’s star players for quite some time, and the current campaign has been no exception, picking up eight goals and ten assists in 34 league outings.

The 25-year-old, who has been lauded as a “superstar” by members of the media, has also outperformed Martinelli across a number of key attacking metrics over the course of the past year.

Per 90 minutes

Gabriel Martinelli

Rafael Leao

Non-penalty goals

0.28

0.34

Assists

0.14

0.26

Shot-creating actions

2.88

4.17

Successful take-ons

1.50

2.84

A deal for Leao will not be cheap, with previous reports revealing AC Milan could hold out for a fee of £85m, but there are clear signs the winger could be an upgrade on Martinelli, whose performance levels have undoubtedly dropped in recent times.

With their play-off hopes drifting away in the Championship, Blackburn Rovers have reportedly turned their attention towards the transfer window and signing a future star from the Premier League.

Blackburn suffer another play-off setback

Now as many as seven points adrift of the top six, Blackburn’s play-off hopes are all but over after a frustrating 2-2 draw against Sheffield Wednesday in a game that could have ended far worse. The Owls initially raced into a two-goal lead in the first-half courtesy of Yan Valery and Djeidi Gassama, only for Tyrhys Dolan and a late Yuki Ohashi strike to pull Blackburn level.

Deciding to focus on the positives of his side’s second-half comeback rather than how their play-off ambitions are drifting away, manager Valerien Ismael told reporters: “We showed a great mentality and we learned from the previous weeks. From two nil down to come back from behind we stopped the bleeding and we take more positives from negatives from that game.

“We said we have to stay calm, but that we had to stay on the front foot and be active and we have to be the first to score the next goal. We got the second. It is a little step but at the moment we take what we can get. We stop the bleeding first and it was a great second half.”

Championship Table: Latest standings for the 2024/25 season

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As much as the Blackburn boss will be glad to see his side’s run of five straight defeats come to an end, however, there’s no doubt that he’ll have one eye on welcoming certain improvements this summer in pursuit of the play-offs once again. And that could yet see those at Ewood Park turn their focus towards a Premier League youngster.

Blackburn racing to sign Adam Berry

Joining a hectic Championship race, Blackburn Rovers now want to hijack Stoke City’s deal to sign Adam Berry from Nottingham Forest this summer, according to TeamTalk. The 19-year-old is set to become a free agent at the end of the season when his current Forest deal expires and has also attracted interest from Norwich City to form a three-club race for his signature.

Initially a Manchester United academy product, the young winger has since impressed in Forest’s setup but looks destined to go in search of senior football in the coming months. Whether that comes at Blackburn remains to be seen, but it wouldn’t be the first time that Ewood Park played host to a young top flight talent.

It wasn’t so long ago that they were reaping the rewards of loaning Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott and Tyler Morton. Now though, they seemingly want to welcome a Premier League youngster on a permanent basis.

Compared to both Stoke and Norwich too, Blackburn should be in a position to offer the highest ambitions in their current state as they once again push to secure a place in the top six next season.

No shortage of allrounders in the final XI and perhaps a controversial call or two

Andrew McGlashan26-Oct-2024Ahead of the tenth season of the WBBL we thought it would be fun to select an all-time XI. The aim was to try and pick a balanced side with players as close to their usual positions as possible, or a role that they could fill. There are a few particularly notable omissions, with the top-order and spin options especially stacked.Beth MooneyThe leading run-scorer in the competition’s history heading into the tenth season, Mooney’s consistency has been remarkable. Only twice has she averaged under 42 for a season; one of those was the first year of WBBL in 2015-16 and the other was 2018-19 when she was still able to score a hundred and then play the defining innings in the final for Brisbane Heat. Her most prolific campaign was 2019-20 with 743 runs at 74.30 – she has followed that with four more seasons of over 500 runs following her move to Perth Scorchers.Related

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Alyssa HealyIn this XI, Healy forms her international opening combination with Mooney. It won’t always be about volume of runs for Healy – the way she plays means low scores are part of the risk – but when things click she can be unstoppable. She has the most centuries (five) in WBBL history and the second-highest strike rate of those with at least 1000 runs. In 2019, during which she added a tournament-record stand of 199 with Ellyse Perry, and then 2020, Healy had the eye-watering strike-rates of 155.69 and 161.44. The following two seasons were less productive (albeit including 107 off 64 balls against Perth Scorchers) and the dog-bite incident meant she missed all but one game last summer.Grace HarrisOne of the WBBL’s most iconic figures. Harris’ three centuries all come with great stories: she struck the first in the competition’s history, then made the fastest off 42 balls and last season surged to 136 off 59 balls with one of her sixes coming with a broken bat. “Stuff hit, I’ll hit it anyway,” was the viral quote. As with a number of players in this side, there is a high level of risk vs reward and there will be lows amid the highs. But Harris can win a match on her own.Sophie Devine has regularly made an impact with bet and ball•Getty Images Sophie DevineThe most formidable allrounder in WBBL – and there’s good competition for that title. An ever-present across the nine seasons, split between Adelaide Strikers and Perth Scorchers, things started a little slowly for Devine in the first year but then she found lift-off with 103 not out off 48 balls against Hobart Hurricanes. Barring a tough 2022 season, she has remained ultra consistent. The 2019 edition was a stunning one where she averaged 76.90 with the bat and claimed 19 wickets. She remains the only player in the tournament with a half-century and a five-wicket haul in the same game.Ashleigh GardnerIt’s possible to argue that Gardner has underperformed overall with the bat in the WBBL. But her strike rate remains in the top 10 for those with at least 1000 runs, and in the middle order it’s about the impact a player can have over a shorter period. Initially it was Gardner’s batting that led the way – including the magnificent 114 off 52 balls against in 2017 – but the last two seasons has seen her offspin excel. In the 2022 edition she managed to bring both aspects together with a player of the tournament return where she averaged 28.25 with the bat, alongside a strike rate of 150.66, and claimed 23 wickets.Marizanne KappKapp gets into the side for her bowling, which includes the stand-out economy rate of 5.59 – the second best in WBBL history with a minimum of 200 overs – while providing a middle-order safety net with the bat. Until last season, where she admitted she had a torrid time at Sydney Thunder, Kapp had been the epitome of consistency. Her peak all-round seasons came in 2019 and 2020 when she averaged 32.61 with the bat and 19.82 with the ball across the two editions for Sydney Sixers. Then, having moved to Perth Scorchers for the 2021 season, she was player of the match in the final against Adelaide Strikers.Amanda-Jade Wellington has produced some remarkable figures•Getty ImagesJess JonassenThe leading wicket-taker in the competition, Jonassen has been an ever-present for Brisbane Heat. She has never had a poor season and peaked with a brilliant all-round double of 419 runs at 38.09 (strike rate 133.01) and 21 wickets at 19.19 in the second of their back-to-back titles in 2019. In the last two seasons she has taken a combined tally of 70 wickets across 46 games.Sammy-Jo JohnsonThe pace-bowling allrounder has been a key figure in two tournament deciders for two teams: in 2019 she broke open Heat’s run chase with 27 off 11 balls against Adelaide Strikers, then in 2020, having moved home to Sydney Thunder, took 2 for 11 off her four overs to set-up victory over Melbourne Stars to take the title. That capped a season where she was the tournament’s leading wicket-taker. In the 2018-19 edition, the first of Heat’s back-to-back titles, she produced a memorable all-round display with 260 runs and 20 wickets, becoming the first player to complete a 250 run/20 wicket double for a season. Last summer she joined the century of wickets club.Amanda-Jade WellingtonIt’s a tough race to be the legspinner in this team. In another era, Wellington would have played a lot more for Australia. Few bowl a harder-spun leg-break. Instead, she has been an integral figure for Adelaide Strikers with the last few seasons seeing her game go to another level. Across Strikers’ back-to-back titles she has taken 46 wickets. For 12 months she held the best figures in the tournament’s history with 5 for 8 against Heat in the 2021 Eliminator final, a return she matched against Renegades a year later, and she was player of the match in the 2023 final. Across all nine seasons only once (2016-17) has she not taken at least 10 wickets.Molly StranoLike Wellington, Strano is unfortunate not to have played more international cricket. She led the way from the WBBL’s launch, initially for Melbourne Renegades, and was the first bowler to reach 100 wickets. In 2019-2020 she was the leading wicket-taker in the season with 24 and only once has taken fewer than 13 in a campaign. Her best figures of 5 for 15 came in the first season of WBBL against Melbourne StarsMegan SchuttAs one of the leading pace bowlers in the world for a number of years, it’s little surprise that Schutt is the most successful quick in the WBBL although it is over the last two seasons where her wicket-taking numbers have really exploded including the 6 for 19 which are the best figures in the competition. While she wasn’t always a prolific wicket-taker, her economy rate has often been a standout: as low as 5.06 during the 2016-17 season never higher than 6.46 in any edition.