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Joshua Boyden rattled the defending champions by taking 4 for 16, before England chased down the low total inside 26 overs

Sreshth Shah16-Jan-2022Bangladesh crashed and burned in their opening game of the Under-19 World Cup, getting bowled out for 97, as England began their campaign with a seven-wicket win over the defending champions in Basseterre’s Warner Park.Bangladesh were rattled by England’s left-arm seamer Joshua Boyden, who effected four caught-behind dismissals after Bangladesh opted to bat first. He finished with 4 for 16 from his nine overs that also included four maidens.Related

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Memories of 2020 drive undercooked but determined Bangladesh

Boyden, who plays for Lancashire 2nd XI, took the new ball and in the third over of his spell struck with a ball angling across opener Mahfijul Islam as he tried to drive away from his body. Next over, the other Bangladesh opener, Ariful Islam, was sent back in similar fashion, once again pocketed by wicketkeeper Alex Horton.From the opposite end, right-arm seamer James Sales picked off Prantik Nawrose Nabil with another catch to the keeper, and when a direct-hit from William Luxton had wicketkeeper-batter Md Fahim packing for 1, Bangladesh were reeling at 8 for 4.Bangladesh promoted Ashiqur Zaman up the order to up the scoring, but his inexperience with the bat showed when he was out for 9 trying to pull a Thomas Aspinwall ball that got big on him.With England well and truly on top, Bangladesh’s No. 4 Aich Mollah (13) tried to start a rebuilding process alongside Abdullah Al Mamun. But Mollah fell to Fateh Singh’s left-arm spin when his cut behind point went straight to gully.Boyden, returning for a new spell, then brought the wicketkeeper back into play, in the 23rd over, by getting a length ball to nip across left-hander Mamun’s bat, taking a faint edge to Horton. Next over, SM Meherob top-edged a short ball from Aspinwall to Horton for his fifth catch and the score was 51 for 8.Bangladesh captain and bowling allrounder Rakibul Hasan was soon dismissed off the first ball he faed when a full delivery from Boydon angled across him, and the his aggressive-looking drive was edged to Horton.Bangladesh’s final pair, however, dug in to give the team some hope of a triple-digit score. Naimur Rohman made 11 and the No. 11 Ripon Mondol swung his bat around to crack five fours and a six to make 33. Their partnership of 46 runs pushed Bangladesh to 97 for 9 before Rohman pulled right-arm offspinner Tom Prest to a diving James Rew at midwicket.England’s unbeaten duo of William Luxton and James Rew walk back after the win•ICC via GettyEngland’s openers were in no hurry to chase the target of 98 down, looking to settle in before opening their arms. In search of wickets, Rakibul rotated his bowling options to find that opening breakthrough, and it came in the ninth over from second-change bowler Mondol when opener George Thomas mistimed a pull to midwicket.Prest, the England captain, then walked in at No. 3 with the score 20 for 1, but he didn’t last long. After taking 15 balls to score four runs, he got tempted to cut one square with a half-tracker from Rakibul, but ended up getting a thick edge to wicketkeeper Mollah. With England at 26 for 2, and Bangladesh lifted following two quick wickets, there was still a chance for the defending champions to make a game of the contest despite the low target.But all those hopes for Bangladesh were dashed by the third-wicket stand between Jacob Bethell and Rew. Despite being in no rush to get his runs, the opener Bethell impressed with his strokes, cracking four fours and two sixes. He made 44 in 63 balls, and held one end up, exactly what England needed at the time. However, he was run out responding to a single from Rew.With England on 91 for 3 and needing only seven more to win, Luxton walked in at No. 5 and played a slog sweep over deep midwicket off his very first ball. Rew then knocked off a single, for his 26th run, to seal England’s win with 149 balls to spare.”That’s probably the perfect start,” Prest said after the game. “For our bowlers to get them out for under 100 was very good. In the end, a good toss to lose.”Boydon was really good doing that for us, good at swinging the ball, especially to left-handers. We fielded very well, we were fizzing around. Fielding has been a big focus of ours.””I think as a batting unit we didn’t do well,” Rakibul said. “We want to come back stronger next game with the batting. We had some good batters at the end and they showed great character. If our main batsmen score some runs, then we can surely come back stronger in the next match. Look, for us, two games remain. We need to win two games to cross the line and we need to play our best cricket.”

Leeds United had an extremely busy time in this summer’s transfer window. In total, the Whites acquired eight new players and either sold or let go of no less than 16.

A number of the club’s best performers from last season were among those to leave however, including forwards Georginio Rutter, who joined Brighton for a fee of £40 million, and Crysencio Summerville, who moved to West Ham. Star midfielders Archie Gray and Glen Kamara also left the club.

Thus far, despite losing so many key players, Daniel Farke’s side are still flying high in the Sky Bet Championship. They are currently fifth, but have lost just one of their nine games so far this term and are just three points behind league leaders Sunderland.

Former Arsenal star could join as free agent

Despite performing well, the departures, combined with a number of recent injuries, has left Leeds short in a few positions, most notably in central midfield. Captain Ethan Ampadu is out for the rest of the calendar year, while Ilia Gruev has also been ruled out for at least a few months with a serious knee injury he sustained during Leeds’ 1-1 draw with Norwich.

To fix the problem, the 49ers Group may now look to the free market. According to The Sun, Leeds are now weighing up a move for former Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin, who has been a free agent since being let go by Spanish side Villarreal, who he joined for £11m back in 2020.

The Sun report that Coquelin, who made 160 appearances for the Gunners between 2008 and 2018 after being picked up by Arsene Wenger’s renowned French scout Gilles Grimandi, is open to moving to Elland Road, but faces competition for a deal from a number of other midfield targets who are out of contract.

He has been invited to train at Thorp Arch this week, but there is also an unnamed German midfielder in Yorkshire following the failed move for Cheikhou Kouyaté.

A tough test next against the Blades

Up next for Leeds is Sheffield United, who they welcome to Elland Road on Friday night. The Blades are currently second in the Championship, trailing leaders Sunderland only by goal difference. Speaking ahead of the game in a press conference on Wednesday, Farke addressed how he plans to approach his midfielder dilemma.

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ByBen Browning Oct 17, 2024

“We have to make some late decisions,” he explained. “We’ve trained today with 15 players but a few Under 21 players were involved. Several will just arrive this evening or during the day tomorrow and we have to assess them.”

He added: “So far no new injury news, that’s definitely good but we have to look at their condition due to the travel and game time. So far it looks like no one has picked up a new injury.”

Farke, however, confirmed that wingers Daniel Farke and Manor Solomon are both now fit and back in contention for the match.

“They are back in team training since late last week,” the German said. “They’ve trained more or less every day this week. Obviously James was out a bit longer so it’s a bit easier for Manor, just out for three weeks, but we desperately need them and it’s good to have them back.”

Liverpool and Chelsea are weighing up a move for a £30,000 per week Nottingham Forest star, according to a new report. It has been an excellent 2024/25 season for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side so far, as they have lost just one of their opening nine league games and now sit in seventh spot on 16 points, two adrift of the top four.

Related Nottingham Forest preparing £16m+ move for Trabzonspor star Batista Mendy

He has been long-linked with a move to the Premier League.

Posts ByBen Browning Oct 25, 2024 Nottingham Forest transfer news

The Reds have been a very busy side in transfer windows since becoming a Premier League club, and they already have their eye on one player who they would like to sign next summer. Forest are one of several sides interested in signing Batista Mendy from Trabzonspor.

The midfielder has become a key player for the Turkish side, starting 31 league games last season and has already started seven in this campaign. Mendy’s performances have caught the eye of Forest as well as Crystal Palace, and they could be able to sign the player for around £16 million next summer as Trabzonspor look to make a quick profit after signing him from Angers in France.

But while Forest have their eye on new signings, their performances this season are also meaning their star players are attracting interest. Defender Ola Aina has emerged on the radar of AC Milan, with the Italian giants plotting a move to sign the player and also facing competition from Roma, who have been linked with a £10 million move for him as well.

Forest will be determined to keep hold of Aina, but it doesn’t stop there for the Reds, as another defender is also being eyed, but this time from Premier League clubs.

Liverpool and Chelsea monitoring Murillo

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool and Chelsea are considering a move for Nottingham Forest defender Murillo. The 22-year-old has been at the City Ground since August 2023, and despite being there for such a short space of time, he has already established himself as a key player under Nuno.

This report states that Liverpool have drawn up a shortlist of centre-backs amid the uncertainty of current defender Virgil van Dijk, who is out of contract at the end of this season. It goes on to add that Murillo, who is on a weekly wage of £30,000, has entered Liverpool’s shortlist “forcefully,” and they now intend to monitor the defender over the rest of the season before weighing up a move in the summer.

But while Liverpool are interested in the Forest ace, so are Chelsea, and they also have Murillo on their shortlist. The Blues are said to be analysing where they want to improve in the next transfer window, and they may end up having more important positions to prioritise, but the Brazilian is on their centre-back list.

Murillo’s Nottingham Forest stats

Apps

45

Goals

0

Assists

2

Forest have no intention of selling Murillo in January, but were they to receive a big offer in the summer, it could potentially force their hand into a sale. The defender is contracted to the City Ground until the summer of 2028 and this report adds that they could consider offers in the region of £60 to £70 million.

Cristiano Ronaldo was already a different breed of footballer at 20 years of age, with his rise to GOAT status and stunning longevity being explained.

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Rise to superstardom began in EnglandStill going strong ahead of 40th birthdayMindset has remained the same throughoutFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Portuguese superstar rose to prominence on the back of his 2003 move to Manchester United. It was during his time at Old Trafford that Ronaldo collected the first of his five Champions League winners’ medals and Ballons d’Or – leading to a record-breaking transfer to Real Madrid.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ronaldo has gone on to star for Los Blancos, Juventus and Al-Nassr, while also taking in a second spell with the Red Devils. A standing among the all-time greats has been secured, with the evergreen frontman still going strong for club and country as he prepares to turn 40.

WHAT TOMASZ KUSZCZAK SAID

Those that have worked alongside Ronaldo have been quick to praise his relentless work ethic and desire to be the best, with ex-United goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak – speaking in association with – telling GOAL when asked what makes CR7 special: “I was one of many hundreds of players that he worked with. I hear people talk about him, colleagues and different players, and they are all quite similar in judgement. He is a top professional and always has been.

“As a young player, which can be a problem at times, he already knew that this is the vital key to his long-term career – to be a top professional. When you are young, 20 years old, sometimes your body is adapting and you recover straight after the game and you can play game after game. Some young players think it is always going to be like that. At some point in their career, the price comes – injuries, longer recovery and they can’t catch up with the younger players. He was the one that understood that straight away and was a great example.

“From my perspective, I had four years with Cristiano at Manchester United at one of the best times when he went to the top. From the time that he came to the club, he was young and not a fully developed player, but he became a top player in the world that many of the best teams tried to sign. I was watching him all the time and it was amazing.

“At United at the time, there were many players like that – players with vision and with potential to become top players, and they didn’t make it. The desire wasn’t there. If the desire fails, in day after day work – preparation, mentality of waking up in the morning and going to sleep early and drinking enough water, the time when you are not in the club and surrounded with the physios and the people who do that for you. Most of the time you are at home between games and you could tell that he never really drank alcohol, he was always fresh in the mornings because he had been sleeping well. He was preparing for the games in the same way.”

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Polish shot-stopper Kuszczak went on to say of methods that have not changed throughout Ronaldo’s record-breaking career: “When I went from West Bromwich Albion to Manchester United, at the time the biggest club in the world with top players, it didn’t matter how well he played, he was always the same.

“After I played a few games and did well, you think it is always going to be like that and it’s easy to put aside your everyday structure of hard work. He never changed. He went to the game, scored a hat-trick, an amazing goal, and would grow naturally as he got more respect. He started to become the best player in the world, but the mentality never changed.

“It doesn’t matter what you do, it is always the same. The top professionals in sport – in basketball or tennis or whatever – the top guys always behave the same way. When they do well, they are quiet and keep doing what they did. In more difficult times they put in even more effort to try and change something – they don’t hide and they take the challenge.

“People talk about his professionalism and work, but I think his mentality was top at the time. These days when you see so many good players, they quickly become international stars and then they change clubs from one to another and disappear. If they had more focused people around them, stuck to the life, then it could be different but they forgot the life and the purpose. This is the problem. Ronaldo was a great example of what you should do and how you should behave.”

Despite Manchester United’s inconsistent start to the season, INEOS are now reportedly actively working on a double deal to secure the future of two Old Trafford stars.

Man Utd contract news

The Red Devils went through quite the transition in the summer, with Dan Ashworth’s arrival resulting in a new transfer strategy which saw no player above the age of 26 years old arrive in what was, on paper, a successful transfer window. The likes of Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee arrived as stars for the future, whilst Matthijs de Ligt came in ready to make an instant impact alongside Noussair Mazaroui and Casemiro’s replacement, Manuel Ugarte.

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Sir Jim Ratcliffe is yet to reap the rewards for his summer spending, however, with Manchester United picking up just two wins in their last six games in all competitions, which came against Southampton and League One Barnsley in the Carabao Cup. Even in the Europa League, Erik Ten Hag’s side were unable to get back to winning ways against FC Twente, who came from behind to earn a point at Old Trafford.

Even in the middle of such a poor run though, Ratcliffe is seemingly set to stick to the current strategy of focusing on the future. According to Sky Sports’ Melissa Reddy, INEOS are actively working on new Manchester United deals for both Kobbie Mainoo and Amad Diallo.

Talks with Amad are particularly pressing, given that the Ivorian’s current deal comes to an end next summer. United are reportedly confident that the winger will commit his future to the club though, with talks now set to take place.

"Brave" Diallo has earned new deal

Earning a reported £29,000-a-week in his current deal, Amad will almost certainly be handed a pay rise with a new deal at Old Trafford in what would be a deserved reward for a player finally making his mark at Manchester United. Pushing the likes of Marcus Rashford and Antony all the way to hand Ten Hag a selection headache, having started four of the Red Devils’ five Premier League games, there’s no doubt that Amad is the future.

It’s a rise that Ten Hag will be proud to see, having been full of praise for the 22-year-old back in March. The Dutchman told reporters via Utd District after handing Amad a starting spot in a 1-0 defeat against Arsenal last season: “I think Amad deserved it [his start], and there is still a lot of competition in that position.

“So he was injured for a long time, and he has built himself back. He deserved it, and across the season with [Alejandro] Garnacho, with Antony, we have options, and [Marcus] Rashford has also played there as well.

“But today, I thought he deserved it, and he played very good. He did what we expected him to do. He was brave, he was creative, defended very good, and I was impressed with his performance.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Conectado com a torcida do Corinthians, tendo marcado seis dos sete gols que marcou pelo clube na Neo Química Arena, sendo três desde o retorno do público ao estádio, o atacante Róger Guedes revelou que sua família torce para o Grêmio, adversário corintiano neste domingo (5), às 16h, em Itaquera, pela 37ª rodada do Brasileirão.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansRóger Guedes, do Corinthians, minimiza ‘guerra’ em duelo contra o Grêmio: ‘Para a gente são três pontos’Corinthians03/12/2021CorinthiansRóger Guedes admite proposta de clube dos Emirados ÁrabesCorinthians03/12/2021Corinthians35% dos gols do Corinthians no Brasileirão foram marcados por apenas dois jogadoresCorinthians02/12/2021

Além dos três pontos em jogo, uma vitória do Timão pode consumar o rebaixamento do Tricolor Gaúcho.

Natural de Ibirubá, cidade do interior do Rio Grande do Sul, há cerca de 1,2 mil km de distância da capital Porto Alegre, Róger, por sua vez, revelou que sempre quis vestir a camisa corintiana e, talvez por isso, exista essa sintonia entre ele e a Fiel Torcida.

– Vou ser sincero, lá atrás eu não torcia pelo Corinthians, a minha família toda é gremista até hoje mas sempre tive um carinho pelo Corinthians, e tinha o sonho de jogar no Corinthians. O meu empresário sabia disso, e eu queria vir para cá. Independentemente de qualquer coisa, estou conseguindo realizar isso jogo – afirmou o camisa 123 em entrevista coletiva virtual realizada nesta sexta-feira (3).

BOA FASE

Desde a sua chegada ao Corinthians, no fim de agosto, Róger Guedes tem 18 jogos pelo clube, todos como titular, e já é o artilheiro do clube no Brasileirão, ao lado de Jô. Ainda que tenha bons números, o atleta não se considera o craque da equipe do Parque São Jorge nesta temporada.

– Não é se considerar o melhor, acho que o grupo está muito bem. Desde a minha chegada me acolheram muito bem. Com a minha qualidade individual consigo ajudar, e se estou fazendo gols devo muito a equipe, que me dá as assistências. As vezes as pessoas não veem o trabalho lá de trás, de roubar a bola e tudo mais, mas sou privilegiado por ter jogadores que me ajudam a marcar gols lá na frente também – afirmou Guedes.

Ainda assim, o atacante não esconde que esperava ter esse retrospecto positivo logo de cara pelo Corinthians e relembra o trabalho que fez enquanto esteve parado, resolvendo pendências burocráticas com o Shandong Taishan, e sem poder atuar.

– Esperava (início promissor no Timão) pelo meu potencial e quanto eu trabalhei nos últimos meses. Foi fruto do meu trabalho lá atrás e também da ajuda dos meus companheiros, conseguimos melhorar o Corinthians. Estamos conseguindo fazer um excelente trabalho – destacou o jogador.

Por conta das restrições de entrada na China, devido a pandemia do novo coronavírus, Róger Guedes ficou de dezembro do ano passado a setembro sem jogar. No período, o empresário do jogador, Paulo Pitombeira, negociou a rescisão com o Shandong Taishan, e conseguiu fazendo com que o atacante chegasse livre de contrato ao Corinthians na segunda metade desta temporada.

West Ham United failed with a late offer to sign a "sensational" former Julen Lopetegui star pre-deadline, with the Hammers otherwise enjoying a very busy transfer window and perhaps their best of this decade.

West Ham spend £120 million on 9 signings this summer

In what was a real statement of intent for Lopetegui's debut campaign, and a major rebuild, West Ham signed nine senior players and spent £120 million over what was a hectic few months at the London Stadium.

Related West Ham have already hit gold on amazing star who's worth more than Soler

West Ham have enjoyed plenty of success in the transfer window this summer

Posts ByRoss Kilvington Aug 31, 2024

Lopetegui saw centre-back Max Kilman, winger Crysencio Summerville, centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo, forward Niclas Fullkrug, Brazilian starlet Luis Guilherme, right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, midfielder Guido Rodriguez, backup goalkeeper Wes Foderingham and midfielder Carlos Soler join the east Londoners, with many players also going out the other way.

Over the course of deadline day, Nayef Aguerd, Maxwel Cornet, James Ward-Prowse departed West Ham on season-long loan deals. Aguerd made a temporary switch to Real Sociedad, while both Cornet and Ward-Prowse signed for Southampton and Nottingham Forest respectively.

West Ham summer signings

From

Fee (Transfermarkt)

Max Kilman

Wolves

€47.5m

Crysencio Summerville

Leeds United

€29.3m

Niclas Fullkrug

Borussia Dortmund

€27m

Luis Guilherme

Palmeiras

€23m

Mohamadou Kante

Paris FC

Undisclosed

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Man Utd

€18m

Wes Foderingham

Sheffield United

Free transfer

Guido Rodriguez

Real Betis

Free transfer

Jean-Clair Todibo

Nice

Loan transfer

Carlos Soler

PSG

Loan transfer

West Ham summer departures

To

Fee (Transfermarkt)

Flynn Downes

Southampton

€17.85m

James Ward-Prowse

Forest

Loan

Maxwel Cornet

Southampton

Loan

Nayef Aguerd

Real Sociedad

Loan

Said Benrahma

Lyon

€14.4m

Angelo Ogbonna

Watford

Free transfer

Thilo Kehrer

Monaco

€11m

Nathan Trott

FC Copenhagen

€1.5m

Ben Johnson

Ipswich Town

Free transfer

Joseph Anang

St. Patrick's Athletic

Free transfer

Lopetegui and Steidten's major squad shake-up is now over, though, with the August 30 deadline now passed as the former looks ahead to what will be a very interesting Premier League season in the dugout.

West Ham were also linked with a deadline day swoop for Carney Chukwuemeka from Chelsea, but that didn't come to fruition. As well as Chukwuemeka, the Irons registered a late interest in ex-Lopetegui man Lucas Ocampos.

West Ham failed with late offer for Ocampos after opening talks

The Argentine, who ended up staying at Sevilla despite late interest elsewhere from Mexican outfit Monterrey, played under Lopetegui during their time together in southern Spain, and it is believed the West Ham boss wanted a reunion with him in east London.

According to TYC Sports reporter German Garcia Grova, West Ham opened talks to sign Ocampos and made a proposal to the 30-year-old, but it didn't come to fruition despite their best efforts.

Ocampos, who has scored 44 goals and registered 22 assists in 208 appearances for Sevilla across all competitions, has been called "sensational" for his contribution there by members of the Spanish media.

He would've provided both experience and versatility given his ability to play on the right and left, but Lopetegui may not be too disheartened after a very productive last few months of incomings.

Hameed falls just short of third hundred in four innings but Duckett, Clarke also find form

ECB Reporters' Network30-Apr-2021Nottinghamshire are on course to end a first-class drought stretching back to 2018 after dominating the second day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match against Derbyshire at Derby.Luke Fletcher completed a five-wicket haul as Derbyshire were skittled for 105 before half-centuries from Haseeb Hameed, Ben Duckett and Joe Clarke drove home their advantage.Hameed scored 94 from 142 balls and Duckett, who passed 25 for the first time this season, made 87 off 101 balls with Clarke contributing 53 as Notts scented their first victory in red-ball cricket for nearly three years.Although they lost five wickets for 10 runs to be bowled out for 318 with Fynn Hudson-Prentice taking 4 for 40, Derbyshire were set a daunting target of 470 and reached 23 for 0 at the close.Derbyshire’s first objective at the start of the day was to reach the follow-on target of 107 but they came up short with Fletcher claiming the last two wickets.Ben Aitchison went in the second over of the day, edging to third slip with no addition to the overnight score but Brooke Guest and Sam Conners resisted for another eight overs.Fletcher bowled Guest off a glove but with three days left in the game, Steven Mullaney decided against enforcing the follow-on.By lunch, Notts had extended the lead to 211 for the loss of Ben Slater who saw his hopes of a third consecutive century ended when a ball from Luis Reece came off a pad and dislodged the leg bail.Related

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The afternoon was dominated by Hameed and Duckett who plundered 157 in 29 overs to extinguish any chance Derbyshire had of staying in the game.Duckett looked set to end a lean run with a century until he edged Hudson-Prentice low to first slip and Hameed’s ambitions of a third hundred in four innings ended in the first over after tea when he was bowled trying to cut Matt Critchley.Nottinghamshire’s innings ended chaotically after Clarke fell to an acrobatic catch at midwicket by Tom Wood with the last five wickets falling in five overs.That left Derbyshire with 40 minutes to bat which Reece and Wood negotiated with few alarms although it would take a remarkable effort to deny Notts that long overdue victory.

Blackburn Rovers are in "advanced talks" to complete the signing of a "fantastic" Premier League player on loan, and a deal is expected to be completed after a breakthrough this week.

Blackburn impress in Championship early on

John Eustace's side have made a flying start to their 2024/25 Championship season, picking up seven points from their opening three matches. Rovers opened their account with a 4-2 win at home to Derby County, generating plenty of early-season excitement among the fans, before drawing 2-2 at Norwich City and winning 2-1 at home to Oxford United last Saturday.

They also thumped Stockport County 6-1 away in the EFL Cup first round, so things appear to be going smoothly with Eustace at the helm.

Losing star striker Sammie Szmodics to Ipswich Town was an undoubted blow for the Championship outfit, however, and further business is required to replace him in the coming days, prior to the summer window closing.

It looks as though Blackburn's attention could be on the addition of a new defender currently, however, following a fresh transfer update that has emerged.

Blackburn set to sign "fantastic" youngster on loan

According to journalist Elliott Jackson on X, Blackburn are in advanced talks to sign Liverpool left-back Owen Beck on loan this summer. James Pearce, a Liverpool reporter for The Athletic, has followed that up with more good news for Rovers fans, with a breakthrough now made as Beck is now "set to complete" a one-year move to Ewood Park.

Beck is an exciting young talent who could represent a brilliant addition to Eustace's squad in the current campaign, boosting their hopes of sealing a long-awaited return to the Premier League in the process.

The 22-year-old is a highly-rated figure at Liverpool, with coach Barry Lewtas lauding his ability back in 2022, saying: "I thought Owen was fantastic. The progress he has made over his time at the Academy, but certainly the last couple of years, is a credit to him with the work he puts in [and] how coachable he is because he listens and takes on board the information we give him."

Such is Beck's ability, it is possible that he could even be viewed as a long-term successor to Andy Robertson at left-back at Liverpool, especially if Arne Slot promotes youth in the same way Jurgen Klopp, with the German allowing the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott to become key first-team players.

A year on loan at Blackburn has the potential to be ideal for all parties in the same way it was for Elliott, giving the Welshman an opportunity to pick up regular minutes in arguably one of the most competitive and challenging leagues in the world, prior to him returning to Anfield as a more mature player, having made three senior appearances for the Merseysiders to date.

Related Championship Table: Latest standings for the 2024/25 season

Latest English Football League Championship standings 2024/25.

Posts ByStephan Georgiou Apr 22, 2025

Rovers may even hope that there is a possibility of signing him permanently next summer, however, should the Reds make him surplus to requirements, and if he shines at Ewood Park.

Leeds United are a matter of days away from kicking off their 2024/25 Championship season as they prepare to face off against Portsmouth at Elland Road on Saturday.

The Whites will be looking for a fast start to the new campaign after they narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League back in May, losing 1-0 to Southampton in the play-off final at Wembley.

Daniel Farke is now hoping that it is second time lucky for his side as the German goes in search of his third promotion out of the second tier, having won the title twice during his time with Norwich City.

The West Yorkshire outfit's hopes of promotion have been dealt a blow by the exit of winger Crysencio Summerville, though, as the forward has joined West Ham United on a permanent deal this month.

Starts

41

Goals

19

Conversion rate

15%

Assists

9

Dribbles completed per game

2.3

The former Feyenoord youngster, as shown in the table above, was a constant menace to opposition defences in the league last term and Leeds are looking to dip into the market to secure his services.

Leeds eyeing up Premier League winger

According to journalist Alan Nixon, the Whites could pursue a deal to sign Crystal Palace wide man Jesurun Rak-Sakyi before the end of the window.

The reporter claims that fellow Championship sides Sheffield United and Hull City are both trying to secure his services on loan for the 2024/25 campaign, whilst Queens Park Rangers have also been linked.

Nixon adds that Leeds could come in with a move for the 21-year-old whiz if they do not sign Jonathan Rowe from divisional rivals Norwich City.

Football Insider recently reported that the Whites have already had an offer of £7m quickly rejected by the Canaries for the England U21 international.

The outlet added that the Yellows are set to demand a fee of at least £15m for their academy graduate, who has one year left on his current contract at Carrow Road – with an option to extend that by a further year.

This means that Leeds offered less than half what Norwich want for the impressive winger and it could, therefore, be a difficult deal for Farke and his recruitment team to get over the line.

However, the German boss could forget all about raiding his former club for Rowe by securing a deal to sign Rak-Sakyi from Palace instead.

Jonathan Rowe's form for Norwich

Firstly, it is easy to see why Leeds are interested in signing the Canaries youngster to bolster their options on the flanks in the wake of Summerville's move to the London Stadium.

He's a young and proven Championship performer who could come in and hit the ground running at Elland Road, whilst also having the potential to improve and develop over the years to come – at the age of 21.

Rowe is someone Farke could work with on the training pitch to help him fulfill his potential but he is also an excellent player who could make an instant impact on the pitch.

Appearances

32

xG

5.36

Goals

12

Big chances created

1

Assists

2

Key passes per game

0.8

As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old dynamo was a goal threat for the Canaries in the second tier last term, in his first full season at senior level.

12 goals from an xG tally of just 5.36 also shows that Rowe's finishing was exemplary. He rarely wasted a high-quality chance to find the back of the net, scoring almost seven more goals than expected based on the quality of opportunities that were created for him.

However, the English gem did not provide much in the way of creativity. The Norwich youngster made less than one key pass per game and only created one 'big chance' in 32 outings during the regular season.

This suggests that Rowe would be unlikely to replace the creativity Summerville displayed on the flank, with his nine assists in the Championship.

Whereas, Rak-Sakyi is a player who could come through the doors at Elland Road with the potential to make an impact as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Why Leeds should forget about Rowe

Instead of splashing out a staggering £15m to sign a player from one of their Championship rivals, the West Yorkshire side could save their money and land a loan deal for the Palace youngster as a potentially better alternative.

Rak-Sakyi is coming off the back of a frustrating season where he was used as a squad player for the Eagles – making just eight first-team appearances.

He did, though, fire in four goals and provide one assist in three U21 matches for the Premier League 2 side, which offered a glimpse at the quality he can offer.

His form at academy level for Palace has always been strong. Rak-Sayki has scored 24 goals and assisted eight in 40 U21 games for the club, along with eight goals and eight assists in 17 U18 matches.

The left-footed ace, who was described as "remarkable" by Roy Hodgson, has also showcased his attacking quality in senior football with Charlton on loan in the 2022/23 campaign.

Appearances

43

32

Goals

15

12

Assists

8

2

Big chances created

5

1

Key passes per game

1.3

0.8

Completed dribbles per game

1.8

1.1

As you can see in the table above, Rak-Sayki was a star for the Addicks with his ability to score and create goals, with 23 direct goal contributions in 43 matches.

Albeit at a lower level, the Palace youngster outscored Rowe and provided far more creativity for Charlton than the Norwich whiz did in the Championship last season.

Rak-Sakyi's statistics at academy level and in League One suggest that the potential is there for him to offer more than the £15m-rated Leeds target at the top end of the pitch, due to his goalscoring prowess and creative quality.

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Therefore, Farek could forget all about a move for Rowe this summer by winning the race to sign the former Charlton loanee to bolster the squad.