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One of the biggest clubs in the Premier League wants to sign an Everton star this summer, according to an update from former scout Mick Brown.

Everton battling to keep hold of key men

While much focus is on the players the Blues could sign in the summer transfer window, there are certain key figures whose services must be retained ahead of next season.

Jarrad Branthwaite is one such example, with the England international likely to be the subject of plenty of interest from some big clubs, as he continues to impress in an Everton shirt. Manchester United are thought to be in the mix to sign him, for example.

There are also others who may simply move on with their deals up at the end of the season. Abdoulaye Doucoure has been linked with a summer exit after an impressive spell with the Blues, not least scoring that all-important goal against Bournemouth back in 2023.

The same applies to Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who hasn’t always found playing time easy to come by this season, starting only 19 times in the Premier League. He is also out of contract at the end of the season.

Everton star Branthwaite wanted by Chelsea

Speaking to Football Insider, Brown claimed that Chelsea are interested in completing the signing of Everton centre-back Branthwaite this summer:

“There’s no doubt the manager wants to improve his defensive options. I’m told they’ve been looking at Jarrad Branthwaite from Everton. He would be a solid option for them, but I don’t think they’re completely convinced. If you’re looking at Branthwaite, how much better is he than what they’ve already got at Chelsea? Then, you have to consider that it would take big money to bring him in because Everton aren’t going to let him go easily.

“So if they’re spending that type of money, they want a player who would be a really significant upgrade on the likes of Colwill, and they’re not convinced he is. It’s something they’ll consider and then they’ll be the ones to make that decision. But as things stand I think they’re more likely to look elsewhere.”

The £35,000-a-week Branthwaite is arguably Everton’s most prized asset currently, so they must do all they can to retain his services.

The 22-year-old has once again been a rock at the heart of his side’s defence in 2024/25, making 30 appearances in the Premier League, averaging a whopping 6.3 clearances per game.

Jarrad Branthwaite’s 2024/25 Premier League stats	Total
Appearances	30
Starts	28
Minutes played	2510
Clearances per game	6.3
Aerial duel wins per game	2.1
Tackles per game	1.2
Interceptions per game	0.9
Goals	0
Assists	1

Branthwaite has received so much adoration in recent years after his rapid rise at Everton, with Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher heaping praise on him, saying:

“Branthwaite has been outstanding. I think this lad is pretty special. He’s a big part of why Everton in my eyes have a good chance of staying up, him and his partnership with [James] Tarkowski.”

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By
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Everton should only entertain the idea of allowing Branthwaite to leave if a monstrous offer arrives from Chelsea or elsewhere – ideally, though, he will be with the Blues for many years to come, becoming a legend over time.

Birmingham City are now “pushing hard” for the signing of a League One forward this summer, according to Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett.

Blues summer transfer plans taking shape

While the Blues were always expected to secure promotion this season, having spent big on the likes of Jay Stansfield and Christoph Klarer last summer, they managed to do so in spectacular fashion, amassing a whopping 111 points to win the title.

Promotion to the second tier was the first task for Tom Brady and co, but the long-term goal is to seal promotion to the Premier League, as underlined by the fact the American owners are set to target similar players to Ipswich Town, Southampton and Leicester City this summer.

Although the season only recently came to a close, work has already started on signing new players, with a move for AFC Bournemouth goalkeeper Mark Travers being plotted, while Torino striker Che Adams is also of interest.

Birmingham are also looking to strengthen their wide options this summer, according to Dorsett, with the reporter recently taking to X to reveal they are now “pushing hard” to sign Peterborough United winger Kwame Poku.

Poku’s contract is set to expire this summer, but given that he is just 23-years-old, compensation will be required, should the two clubs be unable to agree a fee, and arbitration is a situation everyone involved is looking to avoid.

Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony has also endorsed the winger making the move to St. Andrews, saying: “If he went there it’s probably the best move of his life and he could go to the Premier League in a year.”

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Posts ByKelan Sarson May 8, 2025 Poku could be "outstanding" signing for Birmingham

With Birmingham looking to kick on in the Championship next season, it could be a solid strategy to recruit some of the third tier’s top players, and the Peterborough star could well be in that category, given his impressive attacking record this season.

Competition

Appearances

Goals

Assists

League One

27

12

8

EFL Trophy

2

0

1

FA Cup

2

0

2

Having amassed a combined 23 goals and assists in all competitions, there are clear signs the Ghana international could be capable of making the step-up to Championship next season, and potentially the top flight if he continues his current trajectory.

Not only that, but the Peterborough star was named as the Posh’s player of the year, which led to high praise from members of the Ghanaian media.

Poku could be a fantastic signing for Birmingham this summer, with Davies looking to build a squad capable of winning another promotion.

Celtic are currently 13 points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership table with six matches left to play before the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

Brendan Rodgers’s side are on course to win the top-flight title for the fourth successive year, since the old enemy won it in the 2020/21 season, but it has not been a perfect season by any stretch at Parkhead.

The Hoops have already lost more games (four) than they did in the entirety of the 2023/24 Premiership term, with their most recent defeat coming against St. Johnstone last weekend.

Celtic have lost two of their last three matches, having lost 3-2 to Rangers before the international break, and that is something Rodgers will be concerned about heading into the summer.

The Hoops boss will not want it to become a habit heading into next season and, so, will be looking at what has gone wrong in recent games to make adjustments and improve the team.

What went wrong in Celtic's loss to St. Johnstone

There were several reasons why the Premiership leaders ended up on the wrong side of a result against the team rooted to the bottom of the table last weekend.

One of them was that Auston Trusty, who came in to replace Maik Nawrocki, gave away a cheap free-kick that presented the home side with a chance to put pressure on the goal, resulting in a header that made it 1-0.

That gave the Saints something to hold on to and they did exactly that for the rest of the match as they sat deep and defended the box for their lives, needing their goalkeeper to make nine saves in total.

Celtic were unable to break them down to get the equaliser, and a subsequent winner, because they did not offer enough quality in the final third, due to their top performers failing to step up.

Minutes

76

61

45

Goals + assists

0

0

0

Shots on target

1

2

0

Key passes

2

0

1

Big chances created

0

0

0

Pass accuracy

76%

73%

72%

Duels won

7/11

2/6

3/10

As you can see in the table above, the front three that Rodgers selected to the start did not do enough at the top end of the pitch, with zero ‘big chances’ created combined.

Nicolas Kuhn, in particular, struggled as the German forward delivered zero shots on target, one key pass, and lost 70% of his duels in the first half before being withdrawn from the action at the break.

It has been a frustrating time for the 25-year-old attacker, whose form has dipped from his early season heroics, and Rodgers may be thinking of ways to get the left-footed whiz back to his best.

Nicolas Kuhn's recent struggles for Celtic

After the defeat to St. Johnstone, Kuhn has now been substituted at half-time in two of the last three matches, having also been hooked at the break in the loss to Rangers.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The German winger has only scored one goal in his last ten appearances in the Premiership and has been substituted by the 72nd minute in all five of his most recent starts in the division, which suggests that Rodgers has not been overly pleased with what the forward has produced on the pitch.

Kuhn had scored nine goals in his first 17 outings in the Scottish top-flight, which shows that there has been a clear drop-off in his output in the final third from the right wing.

The former Bayern Munich and Ajax youngster was the star of the show for the Hoops in the first half of the season, as evidenced by his exceptional goal return, but he now needs to find a way to reignite that flame.

Whilst there are things Kuhn could do to get back to his best, like delivering more quality in his actions at the top end of the pitch from the right flank, there is also something that Rodgers could do to put the forward on the right track.

Why Celtic must play Nicolas Kuhn in a new role

36 of the 25-year-old star’s 37 starts in all competitions this season have been on the right flank and the Hoops manager could brilliantly revive the winger’s form by unleashing him in a brand new role for the club.

The ex-Rapid Vienna star has never played in a central position for Celtic but he has played as a centre-forward at previous clubs, scoring an eye-catching 29 goals in 43 matches in his career in that role.

Kuhn is currently struggling for goals, making little impact at the top end of the pitch, and a spell in the team as a striker could help him to rebuild his confidence, before going back out to the wing.

With the league all-but-secured – 13 points clear with six games to go – Rodgers can afford to experiment and try new things with the team, which is why unleashing the German in a brand new role could be worth trying.

Appearances

27

10

xG

9.59

2.09

xG per 90

0.53

0.24

Goals

10

3

Big chances created

10

5

Assists

8

1

As you can see in the table above, the Celtic star has outperformed his xG in both the Premiership and the Champions League this season, which speaks to his ability to efficiently finish chances that come his way.

This suggests that the potential may be there for him to be an effective centre-forward with the team creating chances for him in central positions, rather than him needing to create openings for himself by coming in off the right flank.

The Celtic star, as shown in the clip above, is capable of providing exceptional finishes and Rodgers must, now, offer him the chance to showcase his finishing quality as a centre-forward in one of the team’s upcoming matches, in an attempt to help him get back to his goalscoring best for the Scottish giants.

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After losing seven of their first eight games, RCB are on the brink of achieving something remarkable. Here’s how they did it

Shashank Kishore17-May-2024Are Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on to something?Parallels are being drawn to the summer of 2016, when they made the IPL final after languishing near the bottom of the points table for the first half of the season. From two wins in their first seven matches, they had an inspired run of six victories in their next seven matches to finish in the top two. They were eventually runners-up to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).RCB’s start was worse this season. Seven losses in eight games left them rock bottom, and they had to win all their remaining matches to have a chance of finishing in the top four. They have won five in a row, and had several other results go their way, to keep them in the race, and now they just need to win one more. By a certain margin, though against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), weather permitting.Related

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RCB’s resurgence has been led by their batters, and the upswing has coincided with them finally hitting upon an effective bowling combination. Since scoring 262 for 7 in a chase of 288 against SRH, RCB’s run rate of 11.37 in their next seven games is the best in the league and a massive improvement over the 8.94 in their first six games.

Kohli on the frontlines

Like in 2016, Virat Kohli has been central to RCB’s late surge towards the playoffs. Back then, he scored four centuries and amassed 973 runs in the season, both records that still stand. While he is still a distance from those astronomical numbers, he is scoring faster than he has in any IPL season while remaining typically consistent: Kohli has contributed three half-centuries in the five-match winning streak.His acceleration starts in the powerplay, a phase where he’s scored at a strike rate of 193 in his last seven games, up from 131 in the first six. His overall powerplay strike rate of 163 in IPL 2024 is his best for a season.That is crucial. Even though Kohli was near the top of the run chart, there were questions raised about his ability to score quickly after the fielding restrictions were lifted, especially against spin. He has improved that aspect of his game too, raising his strike rate against spin from 123.57 in his first nine games this season to 167.69 in his next four. Unlocking shots he seldom used earlier – like the slog sweep – has been at the heart of this reinvigoration.”It’s an evolving process,” Kohli said after his 92 off 47 balls against Punjab Kings in Dharamsala. “I brought out the slog-sweep against the spinners. I didn’t practice it, I know I have hit it in the past. I’m always looking to expose that side of the field against spin. I know I need to take risks, it needs a bit of conviction. I have been managing to stay ahead of that thought. I am trying to keep up with the strike rate for me and the team.”Virat Kohli is scoring faster than he ever has in an IPL season•BCCI

Patidar and Jacks find their gears

After RCB’s loss to SRH on April 15, Glenn Maxwell attended the press conference at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, even though he hadn’t played the game. He went on to reveal he had asked to be dropped after scoring only 32 runs in his first six innings.In came Will Jacks, playing his first IPL season, and he made an impact in his third game by scoring 55 off 32 balls in a chase of 223 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens. They eventually fell one run short but Jacks’ 102-run partnership off 48 balls with Rajat Patidar showed RCB how to construct their middle order for the rest of the season.Patidar has been especially aggressive against spin in the middle overs in RCB’s last seven games, scoring at a strike rate of 254.71 and an average of 135 (135 runs, 53 balls, one dismissal). Among 19 batters with 50-plus runs against spin in this phase and period, his strike rate is the best, and all five of his fifties this season have come in less than 30 balls.While Jacks wasn’t as prolific as Patidar, he had his moments, like when he smashed Rashid Khan for 6, 6, 4, 6, 6 to race to 100 off 41 balls in RCB’s victory against Gujarat Titans. He isn’t available for Saturday’s game against CSK, though, having returned to England for national duty.”You don’t need a rocket scientist to figure who the replacement will be,” RCB’s assistant coach Malolan Rangarajan said on the eve of the match.With Faf du Plessis providing powerful cameos up top, and Cameron Green and Dinesh Karthik finishing strong, RCB will turn once again to Maxwell for that muscle in the middle overs.Rajat Patidar has scored five fifties, all in less than 30 balls•AFP/Getty Images

Siraj turns his season around

Ever since Mohammed Siraj became RCB’s spearhead, his form has shaped his team’s bowling performance.RCB picked up the fewest wickets (34) among all teams in the first eight games this season. Their bowling average (47.50) was the worst and their economy rate of 10.8 was the highest too. Siraj took only five wickets in seven games in this phase, and regularly conceded more than 10 an over.There’s been a remarkable transformation in their last five games. RCB have taken the most wickets (41), their bowling average of 20.5 is also the best, while their strike rate of 14 is only behind KKR’s.Siraj has had a massive role to play in this revival, bowling effectively in the powerplay and at the death, where he has a superb economy of 7.3 across the seven overs he has bowled. Two of these performances – against Titans and Kings – have had a positive impact on RCB’s net run-rate. Siraj has taken seven wickets in his last five games, and conceded more than 9 an over in only one match.Mohammed Siraj has found his rhythm when his team really needed it•BCCI

RCB run into their ideal bowling combination

With Maxwell benched, Mayank Dagar not making the XI after the first few games, and Karn Sharma missing six of the first seven, RCB were woefully short of spin options.They eventually turned to a 33-year-old left-arm spinner, Swapnil Singh, in their ninth game of the season. Before that, Swapnil had played only two IPL matches, for Lucknow Super Giants last season, and taken no wickets.Coming in as an Impact Player, Swapnil was entrusted with an over in the powerplay against the fearsome SRH batting line-up, and he dismissed Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen in the space of five balls to break their chase. RCB have given him the first over in his next four games, and he’s offered them control as well as frequent breakthroughs.Along with Swapnil, Yash Dayal and Green have also had improved returns and contributed to the team’s resurgence just before it became too late. Dayal’s spell of 3 for 20 and Green’s 1 for 19 were crucial to RCB’s NRR-boosting victory against Delhi Capitals in their most recent game.Halfway through the season, almost no one gave RCB a chance of making the playoffs. But they are still here, having strung together a run of wins in what was effectively five knockout games. Hopefully, the weather in Bengaluru will allow them their shot at completing the greatest comeback in the history of the IPL.

The shot isn’t working for him – or his team, so there could be a case for him to shelve it and find another way

Mohammad Isam13-May-2022Halfway through the first innings of the Gqeberha Test against South Africa in April, Mushfiqur Rahim was battling towards his first fifty in eight Test innings. He wasn’t looking completely out of form but the fact that he had only three half-centuries since the start of 2021 was a concern. Mushfiqur had moved to 47 with the visitors teetering in the presence of their last recognised batting pair.Simon Harmer was brought into the attack for the first time on the third day at this point with two possible overs remaining before lunch. It shouldn’t have been a make-or-break time for Bangladesh, but Mushfiqur suddenly decided to go after the offspinner.First ball, Mushfiqur didn’t time his sweep perfectly, but the ball floated away towards backward square-leg for a boundary. It got him to his fifty. Next ball, Mushfiqur went back to block a ripping offbreak and was hit on the pads. South Africa had lost all their reviews by that time, so he survived.With just ten balls remaining before the lunch break, Mushfiqur could have either rotated the strike or shut shop. Instead, he went for a reverse sweep against Harmer’s around-the-wicket angle. He missed it by a distance, and was bowled, as Harmer roared in approval.On TV commentary, Mark Nicholas, only minutes ago, had praised Mushfiqur for his professionalism. It was the fourth time Mushfiqur had got out playing the reverse sweep in just over a year. Bangladesh were in a difficult position on all those occasions .Bangladesh were eventually bowled out minutes after the lunch break. Mushfiqur then played another extravagant shot during Bangladesh’s blowout next morning when they were all out for 80 in the fourth innings. Rather than celebrating how the tour started, it ended with Mushfiqur’s shot – and by extension his mindset – being heavily questioned by fans and media alike.

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So why did Mushfiqur try the reverse sweep few minutes before lunch? On the face of it, here’s a senior player who trusts his own game plan, and was just trying to put off Harmer who had just come into the attack for the first time in the day. But this is also a senior player who was the last recognised batter in a game that was delicately poised.Veteran coach Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, whom Mushfiqur had last week invited to work on his batting, said that the reverse sweep usually comes out when Mushfiqur is bereft of options, particularly when he is not in good form.

“Mushfiq is a fantastic reverse sweeper which has got him a lot of runs in the past. If you are a left-handed batter, you will be under pressure if you are cover driving in the first 20-30 balls. It is okay when you play that shot after you made 50 or 60.”Russell Domingo

“It is a matter of personal choice,” Fahim said. “He also knows that he can benefit from it if he can make it work. When the easy options to score runs are fluent and open, then usually batters don’t go for those shots. But when the options are few and form isn’t great, then maybe a batter goes into those shots to get out of a situation. I am expecting him to score in his natural way. I don’t think he would need to get into those options.”Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo said that Mushfiqur plays the reverse sweep well but he should consider a few key questions before bringing it out.”If you say that the opening batsman getting out cover driving, you stop cover driving or playing through midwicket getting out lbw,” Domingo said. “If it is a shot you are confident in, and believe in, you know it’s a good option. There’s nothing wrong in playing it. I think the timing of playing the shot is important. When do you play the shot? Why you are playing the shot, is it to manipulate the field?”Mushfiq is a fantastic reverse sweeper which has got him a lot of runs in the past. If you are a left-handed batter, you will be under pressure if you are cover driving in the first 20-30 balls. It is okay when you play that shot after you made 50 or 60.”Fahim said that he has been working with Mushfiqur about a more technique-related issue and believes it would be only a matter of time for the form to be restored.”Sometimes when a batter goes away from his natural game, from his basics, it affects his form,” Fahim said. “Confidence can be lost, and that has an influence on his basics. Then you tend to try different things to come back, which ultimately doesn’t always work. So we were focused mostly on the basics.”His advantage is his experience of over 15 years. Once he can overcome his technical issue, he will start scoring runs. He knows how to score runs. When his flow returns, he will be as fluent as always.”

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The dismissal at Gqeberha was the second time Mushfiqur got out playing the reverse sweep in Tests since 2014. The first was against West Indies last year in Dhaka, while batting on 54.But it seems like this shot has caused him problems across formats in recent years. Generally, he has timed the ball well when trying to play the reverse sweep, having struck 38 fours in 107 attempts, getting out a total of nine times.Four of those dismissals have come since February 2021. He has also struck just two fours out of the 18 times he attempted the shot. Before this period, he was finding boundaries 40% of the time he was hitting a reverse sweep. In the last 18 months, it has dropped to 11%.To make matters slightly more complicated, after he got out to a reverse sweep in an ODI in May last year, he said it was one of his favourite shots and if the chance comes, he would play it four or five times in a match. Since he has also often played that shot in high-pressure moments, the statement hasn’t aged well.More than what he has said, however, it is also surprising that a batter of his experience and calibre continues to play a shot that isn’t really working for him. It is not working for his team either, and Mushfiqur might want to rethink his shot selection.The Waugh brothers shelved the hook and pull in the 1990s when it wasn’t working for them. Sachin Tendulkar famously didn’t play a cover drive during his Sydney double-hundred. It didn’t reduce them as batters, but probably helped them during a lean patch. Perhaps Mushfiqur, who is known for his training intensity and single-mindedness as a cricketer, will also figure out how to get over this mental barrier.

The Dodgers aren’t done making moves this offseason, and another big one could be on the way.

ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez reports L.A. would “not be opposed” to trading Tyler Glasnow.

Glasnow has elite, ace-level stuff, but has only topped 100 innings once in his 10-year MLB career. Since joining the Dodgers in December 2023, he has only made 40 starts. In that time, he has gone 13-9, with a 3.37 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP, and 274 strikeouts against 78 walks in 224 1/3 innings. He has produced 5.5 fWAR and boasts an xFIP of 3.10.

As mentioned, the issue with Glasnow has been availability. He dealt with shoulder issues in 2025, after missing the entire postseason run in 2024 due to an elbow injury. This season, he only made 18 starts but pitched just 90 1/3 innings and went 4-3 with a 3.19 ERA.

The Dodgers acquired the 31-year-old Southern California native from the Rays along with Manuel Margo in exchange for Ryan Pepiot and Jonny DeLuca. They immediately signed him to a five-year, $136.5 million contract extension. As Gonzalez explained, the deal is fairly manageable now, with a minimum of $81.6 million left on it over the next three seasons if Glasnow opted in for 2028. Unless he gets a whole lot healthier, it’s unlikely anyone would pick up the $30 million option for 2028.

Glasnow could certainly be part of a deal for an upgrade, or the Dodgers could use him to solve the big hole they currently have in the outfield. Andy Pages is set in center field, while the team seems content to keep Teoscar Hernandez at one corner spot. Or they could decide to swing big and use the veteran righty as part of a package for Skubal, as Gonzalez suggests.

With Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, and Blake Snell firmly entrenched in L.A.’s rotation, the remaining spots should go to Glasnow and Roki Sasaki. That’s as things stand today, but the Dodgers are not done maneuvering. Don’t be shocked if they do something big, and if Glasnow is part of it.

Less than a fortnight after Sydney Sixers were mauled by Melbourne Stars, they have won the return bout to continue their late-season WBBL surge.Ash Gardner starred with her highest score in the league for more than two years, as well as taking three wickets, in the 16-run win on Wednesday at Drummoyne Oval. The Sixers improved to equal-second in the standings with Stars, and have a game in hand.On November 20, Stars great Meg Lanning unleashed a batting masterclass against Sixers, and her 135 remains the top score of the season. But since that heavy loss, Sixers are on a three-game winning streak, with one no-result. By contrast, Stars have lost their past two matches to fall three points behind top side Hobart Hurricanes.After Sixers won the toss on Wednesday, Gardner headlined their innings with a quickfire 50 from 31 balls, featuring seven fours and two sixes. It was her highest WBBL score since October 2023.Maia Bouchier’s 67 went in a losing cause•Getty Images

Opener Sophia Dunkley contributed 41 and Sixers reached a healthy 164 for 5.Stars looked shot when Gardner trapped Lanning lbw for just eight, leaving them 30 for 4.Enter Maia Bouchier, playing her first game of the WBBL season as a replacement for Marizanne Kapp. Bouchier combined with Kim Garth for a fifth-wicket stand of 82 that put Stars back in the hunt.After Gardner dismissed Garth for 17, Dani Gibson immediately hit three fours and suddenly the pressure was on Sixers.Stars were 131 for 5 in the 18th over when Bouchier rifled a low drive off Mady Villiers and Lauren Cheatle took an outstanding catch at cover. With Bouchier out for a match-high 67 from 40 balls, and Gibson dismissed in the next over for 17, Sixers could breathe again.Stars reached 148 for 8 as Gardner snared 3 for 31 from four overs.Sixers will close out the regular season against Melbourne Renegades and Adelaide Strikers, while Stars will play Sydney Thunder.