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Birmingham City fans will now be counting down the days until their side kicks off their hotly anticipated Championship season.

Indeed, the Blues only have one friendly left until Ipswich Town come to St. Andrew’s for a Friday night kick-off to start the second-tier entertainment, before clashes against Blackburn Rovers, Oxford United, and Leicester City then round off a busy August for Chris Davies’ men in league action.

In bittersweet fashion, however, Lukas Jutkiewicz won’t be lining up for Davies’ side as they triumphantly return to the Championship, having confirmed his retirement right after Birmingham lifted the League One title.

It will be strange for die-hard supporters of the Blues not seeing Jutkiewicz line up for their beloved team in the EFL’s elite league, having often been viewed as the main marksman when Birmingham last regularly competed at the level.

How Jutkiewicz made himself a Birmingham legend

Birmingham’s previous Championship exploits haven’t always been rosy, but the 6-foot-1 striker remained as constant, even during those testing times.

The Blues will be entering back into the division hungry to compete near the top of the division, which will be some feat to pull off, considering Jutkiewicz’s days as the main source of goals at St. Andrew’s saw his lowly side be consistently plunged into a battle against the drop.

By the time the 36-year-old had called time on his playing days, the towering attacker had bagged a memorable 68 strikes for the Blues across 358 appearances, with 54 of those coming about in the notoriously punishing league.

Now, it will be up to a new face to be as impactful – away from Davies just relying on Kyogo Furuhashi and Jay Stansfield up top – with a fresh target on the Birmingham shopping list possessing the potential to become the club’s next iteration of their dominant number ten.

The "complete number 9" who could be their next Jutkiewicz

Arguably, Birmingham might not need to pursue the signature of another attacker, with both Kyogo and Stansfield sticking out as obvious choices to lead the line.

Yet, neither of those options will be able to throw themselves about with authority, which is where Blues target Bojan Miovski could come into his own if he makes the leap to join Birmingham shortly.

Coming in at a lofty 6-foot-2, Miovski is now seemingly one of the main targets Birmingham is casting their eye over to further enhance their striker personnel, with the ambitious Championship side currently in talks over a move to sign the lethal Macedonian at the expense of Celtic and Rangers, according to reports.

Whilst he has only managed to bag a middle-of-the-road four goals for Girona from 22 appearances in Spain, the 26-year-old more than proved himself when leading the line for Aberdeen that he is a worthwhile Jutkiewicz replacement in terms of his deadly finishing game when soaring into aerial duels, but also with the ball at his feet as a well-rounded presence.

Games played

98

Goals scored

44

Assists

7

Braces

8x

Fee sold for

£6.8m

The 38-time North Macedonia international registered a blistering 44 strikes for the Dons across 98 appearances, with his ability to be powerful in the air, yet classy when running through on goal, earning him the title of being a “complete number nine” by journalist Josh Bunting.

He should, therefore, be ready for the pressures of the Championship, even if his £6.8m move out to Girona hasn’t gone completely to plan, knowing he has what it takes to be the “best centre forward in the league” in the Scottish Premiership, as he was also labelled by ex-Dons teammate Nick Devlin.

Sealing a deal for Miovski to join the building might not be as instantly eye-catching as Kyogo’s statement deal was.

But, he should be able to leave a lasting impact on the English game if he finds his Aberdeen mojo again as a battling, skilful striker built very much in the same mould as Jutkiewicz.

Birmingham could sign a bigger talent than Cashin in "dynamite" £10m star

Birmingham City could soon win themselves a bigger talent than Eiran Cashin by landing this dynamite attacker.

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Surrey end run of five straight defeats to dent Leicestershire’s knock-out hopes

ECB Reporters Network06-Aug-2024

In-form Dom Sibley’s second hundred in three matches spurred Surrey to end a run of five straight defeats with their first Metro Bank One-Day Cup victory of the season, dealing a blow to Leicestershire’s hopes of qualifying for the knock-out stages.Sibley followed his 149 against Warwickshire and 72 versus Nottinghamshire with 105, sharing stands of 138 for the first wicket with Ryan Patel (72) and 111 for the second with Ben Geddes (61) as Surrey totalled 296 for 6. It proved enough despite losing five wickets in the last eight overs.The Foxes were given a chance as opener Sol Budinger maintained his place as the competition’s leading run scorer by hitting 70 from 68 balls and Tom Scriven’s career-best 55 raised hopes of a gripping finish for a crowd of almost 1,400 but ultimately proved in vain, leg-spinner Cameron Steel taking 3 for 48 for the victors.All-rounders Ian Holland, with 2 for 50, and Scriven, with 2 for 51, were the pick of the Foxes bowlers, with 19-year-old seamer Sam Wood taking 1 for 34 on his List A debut.If the Foxes finished well with the ball, the start provided by Sibley and Patel with the bat was comfortably Surrey’s best of the season.Asked to bat first on an overcast morning, Surrey were 51 without loss from 10 overs and were 125 for nothing by halfway, Sibley having gone to fifty from 59 balls with Patel reaching his from 72.Patel suffered an unlucky dismissal. Shaping to hook the tall Wood, he seemed to be hit on the shoulder before the ball deflected off his helmet on to the stumps.Geddes maintained Surrey’s positive start. Dropped by Chris Wright at fine leg on 35 off Liam Trevaskis, he cashed in to the tune of 26 more runs before falling to a catch at deep midwicket off Roman Walker.Sibley had gone to his hundred from 115 balls in the 42nd over with his 11th four but soon miscued to long-off, giving Scriven wickets in consecutive overs after Rory Burns was bowled sweeping.Holland then had Josh Blake caught at backward point and 19-year-old Surrey debutant Ollie Sykes at long-on, a fifth wicket to fall in seven overs with Surrey slipping from 249 for 1 to 286 to 6.The Foxes’ chase suffered a double stumble to leave them 49 for 2 from 10 after Holland picked out deep backward square off James Taylor and Lewis Hill was caught behind off Conor McKerr.Ajinkya Rahane had an escape when he was spilled at cover on four off McKerr, which was beginning to look like an expensive drop by Steel as he and Budinger began to accelerate, the latter passing fifty for the fourth time in five innings, the run including 120 against Essex at Chelmsford. But Rahane could make only 27 before he was caught at midwicket off Patel, the ball perhaps sticking in the pitch a little.Budinger and Peter Handscomb shared a match-winning 113-run partnership against Essex on this ground last year but could add only 48 this time before Budinger holed out to deep midwicket.It felt like a significant moment at 142 for 4 in the 26th, one that was amplified two overs later as Handscomb hit straight to cover, both batters falling to Steel.Trevaskis was bowled by left-arm spinner Yousef Majid and Cox fell leg-before to McKerr. Scriven’s 45-run eighth-wicket stand with Wood, stumped off Steel for 22, kept the contest alive, Scriven hitting two sixes, but 20 off Taylor in the last over was always unlikely and the match ended with Scriven falling to a stunning catch by Patel at backward point as Leicestershire were all out for 279.With three wins from five, qualification for the knock-out stages is still possible, although Group B leaders Warwickshire and Glamorgan both have five wins from five.Both sides wore black armbands and a minute’s silence was observed at the start of the match as the cricket world mourns the loss of great England and Surrey servant Graham Thorpe.

Despite their PSR concerns, Aston Villa have now reportedly emerged as shock contenders to sign one of the best strikers that European football has to offer this summer.

Aston Villa yet to commence summer business

It’s a tough summer ahead for Aston Villa. After missing out on Champions League qualification last season, they can no longer escape their PSR problems and may need to sell at least one key man in the coming months. It’s a problem that forced Newcastle United into quiet transfer windows in recent years and one that the Villans must carefully navigate.

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Those concerns have already sparked a number of exit rumours too, with Emiliano Martinez among those rumours. The World Cup-winning goalkeeper appeared to be emotional on the final home game of last season and is now reportedly one of the players that could be heading for the exit door.

The Argentine’s departure would be a frustrating blow no matter what, but reports are now suggesting that he’s waiting for Manchester United in what would add salt to Aston Villa’s wounds.

Meanwhile, veteran defender Lucas Digne has also been the subject of interest. According to Fabrizio Romano, if Atletico Madrid fail to sign Andy Robertson from Liverpool, then they will turn towards the Aston Villa left-back.

Whilst those sales would hand Villa a major boost on the PSR front, they could also pave the way for fresh faces to arrive in the opposite direction. And even as they keep one eye on their profit and sustainability, those at Villa Park may yet cause the biggest shock of the transfer window.

Aston Villa emerge as shock contenders to sign Gyokeres

According to GiveMeSport, Aston Villa are now in the conversation to sign Viktor Gyokeres this summer after hiring scout Chris Badlan, who knows the Swede well after initially signing him whilst at Coventry City.

The deal won’t come cheap, however. Arsenal have already reportedly offered as much as £55m and failed to secure a deal, whilst Gyokeres’ release clause stands at a hefty £85m this summer. Whether Aston Villa can afford to splash out such a fee in the coming months will be the big question as they look to upset the odds and secure one of the best strikers in the world.

One way or another, Gyokeres seems destined for the exit door at Sporting Club after publicly falling out with the club and refusing a meeting to clear the air. The clinical striker posted on social media: “There is a lot talks at the moment, most of it is false. I will speak when the time is right.”

Dubbed “clinical” by analyst Ben Mattinson in recent years, Gyokeres scored a staggering 54 goals last season. The fact is, whether it’s Villa, Arsenal or another club, the Swede would be a transformative signing.

One Tottenham Hotspur star is attracting very serious interest from a Premier League rival, who are also set to open talks over his signing “in the coming weeks”.

Tottenham face Bodo/Glimt in crunch Europa League semi-final

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou’s sole focus right now is on the club’s potentially fruitful Europa League campaign.

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The north Londoners travel to Bodo/Glimt knowing they’re just 90 minutes away from their first European final since Mauricio Pochettino took them to the brink of Champions League glory in 2019, and if they avoid an embarrassing defeat against the Norwegian minnows, Spurs’ spot will be confirmed.

Winning the Europa League would be a perfect end to an otherwise dismal campaign for Postecoglou, who has led the Lilywhites to 19 Premier League defeats as Tottenham languish 16th in the table.

Not only would it mean lifting their first piece of major silverware since 2008, but Spurs also have a golden opportunity to book a place in next season’s Champions League draw, so quite a lot is on the line tonight as Postecoglou seeks to rescue the season in dramatic fashion.

“I think the fact it is a semi-final and such a big game irrespective it is always going to be a bit tight and tense throughout the whole game,” said Postecoglou on the challenge of Bodo/Glimt.

“I think it is just the nature of the competition you’re in and being in a semi-final, whether it was at our place first or at our place second, it would have been the same kind of scenario of two teams who know there is a big prize at the end of getting to a final. Yeah, we’ll have to perform.”

Everton set to open talks for Richarlison

Their success in the competition may also determine Tottenham’s transfer plans for the summer, with recent reports suggesting they’re set for a ‘sell to buy’ summer window as things stand (The Telegraph).

One of the men who could be sacrificed to make room for new signings is £60 million striker Richarlison, who hasn’t featured as often as he would’ve liked this term due to a 24/25 campaign blighted by injuries.

The Brazil forward also faces losing his spot in the national team, according to journalist Graeme Bailey, who also told The Boot Room that Everton are set to open talks for Richarlison “in the coming weeks”.

The Merseysiders could offer Tottenham’s “underrated” attacker a route out in pursuit of more minutes, and it is believed Richarlison views the brand-new Everton Stadium as an ideal landing spot.

“I’m told that he has been made aware that he needs to be playing next season,” said Bailey.

“Brazil have a host of options competing with him – Real Madrid’s Endrick but also a host of Premier League rivals – Joao Pedro, Rodrigo Muniz and Evanilson – and they will all be starting for their respective clubs.

“Richarlison needs to be playing, he knows this and that is just why Everton are in such a strong position. They can offer him that chance of first-team football.

“Everton want him back, as we revealed earlier this year, and I believe there is confidence from their side, but also a belief from Richarlison and Spurs’ end that this is likely the best option.

“As it stands a permanent deal will be tough, but that is what the talks in the coming weeks will be aimed to work out.”

Richarlison is also believed to be attracting interest from Brazilian Serie A sides, and it will be intriguing to see where his future lies.

The 27-year-old has been a real mixed bag since making the move to London, enduring spells of bad form and unavailability whilst also going through real purple patches, like the one midway through 2023/2024, when he was seemingly scoring goals for fun.

Arsenal hold a serious belief that they’ve now signed a “world-class” player for Mikel Arteta ahead of next season, and they’re behaving like it is a done deal behind-the-scenes.

Arsenal's main transfer plans for this summer

Buoyed by the arrival of new sporting director Andrea Berta, Arteta has already admitted that Arsenal are set for a “big” summer transfer window after the Italian’s appointment.

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A host of incomings across multiple areas of the squad are anticipated ahead of what is expected to be a busy debut window for Berta, with GiveMeSport recently reporting that £300 million could be spent on seven major signings.

As per GMS, Arsenal are believed to be prioritising a new second-choice goalkeeper to replace Neto, a full-back, new midfielder, left-winger, right-winger and striker. Kieran Tierney is off to Celtic, while Oleksandr Zinchenko is expected to be sold after falling down Arteta’s pecking order.

While Thomas Partey is in talks to extend his Arsenal contract, Jorginho remains likely to depart when his contract expires, meaning the addition of a centre-midfielder is still pretty imperative before 2025/2026.

Meanwhile, Leandro Trossard’s long-term future is uncertain, as his contract expires in 2026, with Arsenal arguably in need of another winger who can provide Arteta with a quality alternative to the likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.

Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz’s long-term injuries have also emphasised the need for Arsenal to finally sign a prolific striker, so there is plenty to do for Berta. Indeed, Arteta confirmed last week that he wants Arsenal to bring more strength and depth into the squad, sending a subtle message to his director.

“Squad quality and availability. Without those two, we cannot compete in four competitions,” said Arteta on his Arsenal transfer wish.

“At this level, especially in this country, it’s impossible. The higher the quality, the higher the availability, the more chances, probability you have. After you have to do it. But the probability goes high.”

Arsenal "internally" behaving like Martin Zubimendi deal is "done"

One top target for Arsenal, as per multiple reports, is Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi.

They’ve been in negotiations over the Spain international’s acquisition for quite some time, with The Mail first reporting advanced pre-summer talks in January. Since then, the consensus has been that Arsenal are confident they can sign Zubimendi before June, while Marca journalist Juan Castro reported this week that an agreement appears to be struck already.

Now, the reliable David Ornstein has somewhat backed up Castro’s claim, stating that Arsenal are “internally” behaving like Zubimendi is a “done deal”.

This interesting update from a very credible source should fill supporters with confidence, as the feeling within N5 appears to be that it is inevitable the 26-year-old will finally make his long-awaited move to England, just a year after he publicly rejected Liverpool’s advances.

Called a “world-class” player by Tierney, during their time together at Sociedad, Zubimendi has been likened to Balon d’Or winner Rodri and played a key role for Spain in their Euro 2024 final triumph against England.

The La Liga mainstay is indispensable for his boyhood club, but it appears he’ll soon be waving goodbye if all goes to plan.

In what is a frustrating blow for those at the Stadium of Light, one Sunderland star could now miss the rest of the season – including the play-offs – after already missing the Norwich City game.

Le Bris provides Sunderland injury update

Whilst the play-offs are already well within their grasp, Sunderland would have still been left frustrated by their 0-0 draw against Norwich City in midweek. The Black Cats are in the type of form that many expected to continue against the inconsistent Canaries, having lost just once in their last five Championship games. Nonetheless Regis Le Bris’ side were forced to settle for a frustrating point.

The Sunderland boss delivered his verdict on the 0-0 draw in his post-match press conference, telling reporters: “It was a tough first half. We defended well and we expected a strong team in possession with many threats. We did well without pressure, which was probably the main problem.

“The first half was a little bit too reserved. The tactical set-up was clear, so now it was a case of taking risks. It’s easier when you are on the bench, but after 30 minutes, it was a little bit better.

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“At half time, we spoke about the boldness we needed to have against a strong team. Things were better in the second half – we had good possession and the four subs helped. These games against West Brom and Norwich are really interesting because they are strong in possession with many threats. The fact that we can manage these games and keep a clean sheet says a lot about our efficiency.”

Le Bris was also able to provide an update on Jobe Bellingham’s injury, revealing that the midfielder missed the draw through a minor recurring ankle injury in what should see him make a swift return. The same can’t be said for another Sunderland star, however, following a recurrence of his own injury.

Romaine Mundle suffers injury blow

After the winger missed the Norwich game through injury, Le Bris revealed that Mundle could now be out for the rest of the season. The Sunderland boss told reporters: “Romaine has a hamstring injury, but we don’t yet know the timeline. We need to seek some further advice from some specialists and so we will have to wait a little bit.

“It’s possible [that his season could be over], we’ll have to make a decision about the situation. It’s not up to us really, we need specific advice before we can make a specific decision.”

The latest piece of bad news continues a frustrating campaign for Mundle, who already missed 16 Championship games through the same injury frustration earlier this season. Having scored five goals in all competitions despite the disruption, it’s clear that Sunderland will miss the winger if that is to be it for him this season.

Dubbed “brilliant” by captain Dan Neil in the past, Mundle will be desperate to put his struggles behind him as soon as possible and look forward towards a comeback which may have to wait until next season.

He bowled two dream deliveries to help Bangladesh start their T20 World Cup campaign with a crucial win in a low-scoring game

Mohammad Isam08-Jun-20242:21

Tamim: Bangladesh need to nurture Rishad

The ball pitches outside leg stump, spins viciously and kisses the right-hand batter’s outside edge. The batter is squared up, the catch taken at slip. Next over, the ball pitches on middle stump, spins away sharply as another right-hand batter haplessly slogs but finds only air and is stumped.Bangladesh’s fans have dreamt of these kind of dismissals for decades. A legspinner bamboozling good players of spin in a high-stakes match. They have watched this yearningly as other teams have discovered, promoted and encouraged legspinners into becoming matchwinners. Bangladesh have finally got one of their own in Rishad Hossain. His 3 for 22 against Sri Lanka changed the course of their T20 World Cup 2024 match in Dallas, which they eventually won by two wickets.Sri Lanka were 100 for 3 at the end of the 14th over when Najmul Hossain Shanto gave Rishad his third over. Sri Lanka weren’t exactly motoring along but Pathum Nissanka had given them the base for at least a 160-plus total. That would have been a lot to handle for Bangladesh’s fragile top order.Related

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Rishad first removed Charith Asalanka, having him hole out to deep square leg off a slog sweep. The next ball, to Wanindu Hasaranga, was Rishad’s big moment. Hasaranga is unconventional in the way that he backs away from the stumps to attack the bowlers. Rishad floated one outside Hasaranga’s leg stump, it turned, took the outside edge, had Hasaranga squared up, and the catch was taken at first slip.With Sri Lanka five down, it was time for Dhananjaya de Silva, watching all this from the other end, to show some desperation. In Rishad’s next over, he went for the slog sweep but the dip and turn on the ball made him overbalance on the back foot, and Litton Das whipped the bails off behind him.At 109 for 6, Sri Lanka were already slipping but you couldn’t tell that from Rishad’s unanimated reactions. He wasn’t celebrating profusely. It sometimes leaves his team-mates and TV commentators reacting late to his wickets.Rishad had rewarded his captain’s faith in him and Shanto said after the game that Rishad’s improvement as a bowler was due to the hours he put in the nets.”He was outstanding with the ball today,” Shanto said. “He has been improving in the last few series. He practices a lot. He prepares very well. We finally have a legspinner.Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha celebrates with Mahmudullah after their two-wicket win•ICC/Getty Images”I was always confident about him. He is a wicket-taking bowler. It is not easy to go after a legspinner. They can concede one or two boundaries, but they always have a wicket around the corner. I don’t think match-ups really matter with him. He fulfilled my wish as a captain by taking out three wickets.”Rishad was one of the three bowling lynchpins for Bangladesh. Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed were also effective, as Sri Lanka lost their las six wickets for 26 runs in the last six overs. It is the least runs and most wickets taken in this period of the innings for Bangladesh in a T20 World Cup game. It made sure Nissanka’s blitz in the powerplay didn’t materialise into much for Sri Lanka.”We didn’t make a good start with the ball but everyone held their nerve,” Shanto said. “The bowlers took good decisions in the middle overs. The fielders backed them up. Everyone showed great character and calmness.”I was always confident that a wicket or two would swing the game our way. Our bowlers have been doing well for quite some time now.”It was particularly important for the bowlers to hit back in a World Cup game after they finished second-worst among the bowling attacks in the 50-over World Cup in India last year.Bangladesh’s batting struggled too but on a day when the bowlers won them the game, gaining the two points was more important for Shanto. “I don’t think I have ever played such a pressure match in my career. From a couple of days before the game, we knew how important this was going to be. I am just happy that we won this high-pressure game. We got two points from it.”Our batters know that we didn’t do well. However, [Towhid] Hridoy batted beautifully and [Mahmudullah] Riyad bhai finished the game. Litton [Das] gave us a good start after a long time. I would hope that whoever gets set, takes us home next time. All seven batters are responsible for getting runs but I don’t think all of them will score runs every day.”This was indeed a big game for Bangladesh. They have a below-par record in T20 World Cups. Their build up to this tournament was losing the T20I series against USA last month. When Shanto shed tears at the end of Bangladesh’s national anthem, you could sense just how much it meant to him. A defeat would have almost ended Bangladesh’s campaign after the first game. They had to beat their favourite opponents Sri Lanka in the sub-continental derby. But they did it cleanly, without the jousting. Bangladesh won it by discovering a new match-winner with the ball.

Still only 31, he has a realistic shot at Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time record for most runs in Tests

S Rajesh05-Jun-2022When Joe Root clipped Tim Southee for a couple in the 77th over of England’s chase at Lord’s, not only did he reach his 26th Test hundred, he also became only the 14th player to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket. The 10k milestone came in his 218th innings, which means there are nine others who have got there in fewer innings. The quickest is 195 innings – by three batters – while Steve Waugh’s 244 is the slowest.