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Birmingham City’s recent seasons in the Championship have involved the Blues just attempting to keep their heads above water.

This all came to a depressing close at the end of the 2023/24 campaign when the West Midlands giants finally fell through the relegation trapdoor, after their three finishes leading up to his dismal season saw them slump to 17th, 18th, and 20th before they were put out of their misery.

Looking back, this was just the reset needed for the Blues to believe again, with this relegation also coming at around the same time the mega-rich Tom Wagner became owner of the fallen titans.

Now, after a record-breaking title success in League One, Birmingham will be aiming to swim and not sink on their second-tier return.

But, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that Kwame Poku will line up for Chris Davies’ men when making this journey, irrespective of their long-term interest.

The Kwame Poku saga at Birmingham

It was first speculated back in the middle of April that Birmingham were keen on landing the Peterborough United ace, with journalist Graeme Bailey even suggesting that talks had already taken place for Poku to relocate to St. Andrew’s.

There has been no movement since, however, regardless of Poku’s name continuing to come up in Blues-related conversations, with GIVEMESPORT adding more fuel to the fire last month by stating Birmingham were one of a colossal 26 sides keeping tabs on the League One superstar.

With the calendar now reading June, Davies and Co. must be getting restless over whether a move to bring the 23-year-old to St. Andrew’s is actually feasible, especially with Premier League-bound Sunderland now allegedly in the intense race for his signature.

This could result in Birmingham switching up their priorities to land an equally as exciting attacker instead, with a bold argument to be made that their newer target is even better than the much-talked-about Ghanaian.

Birmingham's outstanding Poku alternative

After all, much like Poku, this new face being linked with a move to the on-the-rise giants has torn League One to shreds in recent times.

Indeed, GIVEMESPORT has recently revealed that Birmingham could be about to land Aston Villa youngster Louie Barry on a loan deal, regardless of any well-known hostilities between the two fierce rivals.

Any cross-city allegiances would be swiftly put to one side if Barry were to come in and take the Championship by storm like he managed in the league below with fellow loan employers Stoke City, with the audacious effort above just one of the many stunning strikes he registered donning Hatters blue.

He also shone for Stockport during their League Two promotion success the season before his third-tier explosion, meaning he is surely worthy of a shot in the second-tier now, with Barry a tricky customer to handle down either flank, much like Poku.

Staggeringly, despite all the hype and frenzy around Poku’s name at the moment, Barry would actually better the 23-year-old’s goal count this season in League One, even when playing five league games less.

On top of that, the “outstanding” Aston Villa youngster – as he’s been previously lauded by Villans great Gabby Agbonlahor – also lined up four times for Hull City last season in the Championship after his Edgeley Park spell was up, meaning he has had a more recent, yet brief crash course as to what the daunting level entails.

Unai Emery’s men won’t be writing off Barry as a future Villa Park star, but he needs to be handed more game time now as he just isn’t ready for the higher reaches of the Premier League.

Therefore, even if it’s Birmingham, this could be the best next destination for the spellbinding 21-year-old, with Davies’ men not turning their noses up at the prospect of landing the attacker whatsoever if a move for Poku remains stagnant.

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By
Kelan Sarson

May 30, 2025

Have you ever seen a Premier League season end in quite such fashion? After Liverpool dispatched Tottenham Hotspur at the beginning of the month, they were crowned champions, romping home to the title at a canter. No one was ever going to stop them, not even Ibiza. They partied hard between games, deservedly so, too.

They had to wait what felt like an age to actually get their hands on the trophy, though, but they lifted it aloft last Sunday in front of their own supporters for the first time in nearly 40 years.

The Reds may well have won the Premier League in 2019/20, but that ill-fated Covid-19 season meant that no fans were actually inside the ground to see Jordan Henderson get his mits on English football’s biggest piece of silverware.

So, there was understandably quite the party at Anfield over the weekend as Virgil van Dijk, leader supreme, danced for joy as he threw the red-ribonned trophy into the air.

Such an astonishing season, Arne Slot’s first at the helm, lest we forget, begs a question. Where do these Liverpool players stand among the pantheon of Merseyside greats?

Which Liverpool players have become legends of Anfield

A year ago, Jurgen Klopp waved farewell to Anfield a bonafide Liverpool legend. Yet, is legacy may well now be surpassed by Slot who has managed the unthinkable in his first campaign in England.

For winning the league alone, the Dutchman will now stand among the greatest Liverpool managers of all time.

He’s also helped to successfully cement Mo Salah’s legacy as an icon, a player surely worthy of a statue in Liverpool once his playing days come to an end.

Across a simply staggering campaign, the rampant Egyptian scored 34 goals in 52 games, posting 23 assists as well.

In the league, he netted 29 in 38 and also supplied 18 assists. He was two of Thierry Henry’s assist record but he did tie the record for the highest number of goals and assists in a single Premier League campaign.

He is a certified legend, as too is captain Van Dijk. The pair of them signed new contracts a few months ago to cement their status as legends. Trent Alexander-Arnold may well have been up there too had he rejected advances from Real Madrid. Sadly, we all know how that story ended.

Is there anyone else up there? Well, Alisson is certainly a modern-day great, now up to 298 appearances for Liverpool and hailed as “the greatest goalkeeper in Premier League history alongside Peter Schmeichel,” by Jamie Carragher.

That trio of players will certainly not be forgotten in a hurry, but whether they’ve matched the legacy of a certain Steven Gerrard remains to be seen.

How Liverpool struck gold on Steven Gerrard

The term ‘generational’ is often thrown about a bit too regularly in modern football but it’s safe to say that Gerrard, as far as English talents go, was generational.

He’s one of the best we’ve ever seen in the Premier League but how did he get there?

Well, it all started in November 1998, when aged 18 years, five months and 30 days, he made his Premier League debut for the Reds in a 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers.

Managed by Gerard Houllier at the time, it was rather poetic that perhaps the best player he ever managed shared a name.

It was the Frenchman who saw Gerrard’s obvious talent, notably handing him the Liverpool captaincy just five years later in 2003.

The rest, as they say, is history. Gerrard, capped a remarkable 114 times for England, would go on to feature 710 times for Liverpool. That places him third on the club’s all-time record appearance makers behind Carragher (737) and Ian Callaghan (855).

He never lifted the Premier League like Salah and Co, but he did win the Champions League on two occasions and among many other domestic honours, lifted the FA Cup twice. Who could forget that screamer in the final against West Ham? It was a bullet of a strike, something the midfielder became famed for during his illustrious career.

However, it could have been different for the now 44-year-old. Remember when Chelsea came calling? How could we forget?

In 2004, during the European Championships, Gerrard was distracted by transfer speculation. “Arsene Wenger, Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson talked me up before the tournament, so I knew they fancied signing me,” he once noted.

It was Mourinho and Chelsea who followed up on that interest, reportedly tabling a British record bid for the iconic England international. Gerrard even allegedly handed in a transfer request.

Unlike Trent, a move to another of Europe’s biggest clubs never happened. The Liverpool academy graduate stayed at Anfield and became a legend, one of the greatest we’ve seen in this country.

Chalkboard

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

He was heralded left, right and centre, but perhaps most notably by the great Brazilian, Pele.

Speaking just months after the 2006 FA Cup final win over the Hammers, Pele said: “The fans, they look only for forwards, always a forward. Somebody who scores. Sometimes you have a player like Gerrard. For me, for the last five years Gerrard has been the best player in the world. He is a midfielder, he plays very good. People didn’t mention Gerrard, now they mention Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Messi because they are forwards.”

Fine words indeed from perhaps the greatest of all time. It’s safe to say Liverpool struck gold on Gerrard. They must be forever thankful that he didn’t head to Chelsea all those years ago.

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By
Angus Sinclair

May 27, 2025

An “outstanding” Rangers player has reportedly been left in limbo regarding his future at Ibrox, as Birmingham City consider making a move for him in the summer transfer window.

Rangers manager search continues

It always felt likely that Barry Ferguson would only be in interim charge of the Gers until the end of the season, even though he did his chances no harm after an impressive start, helping his side reach the Europa League quarter-finals.

Rangers have now officially confirmed that Ferguson will be moving on, with a club statement saying: “Everyone at Rangers Football Club would like to pass on their heartfelt thanks to Barry Ferguson and his staff, with yesterday’s game at Hibernian being their final match in charge.”

It’s now a case of the Scottish Premiership giants bringing in the ideal successor this summer, with David Ancelotti a leading target. The son of Carlo Ancelotti, he is the assistant to his father at Real Madrid, and may thwart interested parties by sticking by his Dad’s side on the Brazil coaching staff.

Meanwhile, reports linking Steven Gerrard with a return to Rangers still aren’t going away, with the Liverpool legend guiding the Gers to title glory in his first go round. Now, a new transfer update has emerged that is directly related to the managerial situation at Ibrox.

Ben Davies in limbo over his Ibrox future

According to a new report from Give Me Sport, financial powerhouses Birmingham City are keen on signing Rangers defender Ben Davies on a permanent basis this summer, having spent this season on loan at the Midlands side, helping them achieve promotion from League One to the Championship.

The Blues are one of the biggest teams in the English second tier despite having only just gone up, with reports suggesting they are set to spend on par with the three teams relegated from the Premier League this summer.

That said, the update states that the Gers’ “search for a new boss is preventing them” from sorting a deal. Birmingham are being forced to wait “until Rangers decide whether or not to keep” Davies which can only happen once a new boss comes in and assesses his squad.

Unless Rangers’ next manager rates Davies highly, which would arguably be a surprise after being shipped off on loan by Philippe Clement, it makes complete sense to sell him this summer.

A permanent switch to Birmingham could easily appeal to the English centre-back, considering he was such an influential figure throughout their promotion campaign, starting 32 games in League One and averaging 4.1 aerial duels wins per match.

Davies was also hailed by former Rangers manager Michael Beale, who said of him during their time working together: “What about Ben Davies? Comes into the season injured and misses up until after the international break. A lot has been said about him outside and the last two performances from him have been outstanding. Two clean sheets, coming back into the team.”

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By
Dan Emery

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Ultimately, it hasn’t quite worked out for Davies since his £4m move from Liverpool, even though he has still managed 58 appearances overall, scoring and assisting once apiece in that time. For that reason, a new challenge would benefit everyone, especially as he only has one year remaining on his current Gers deal.

Celtic appear set to conclude yet another very successful season in style.

On Wednesday night, despite the fact Brendan Rodgers made wholesale changes, the Hoops won 5-1 at Pittodrie, thanks to goals from Maik Nawrocki, Yang Hyun-jun, Luke McCowan, young striker Johnny Kenny and then Adam Idah.

Idah’s goal was his 20th of the campaign across all competitions and, given that Nicolas Kühn and Daizen Maeda had already reached this milestone, this is the first time since 1969/70 Celtic have had a trio of players register 20+ goals.

The Hoops will be presented with a record-equalling 55th Premiership trophy on Saturday, before seeking to complete a sixth treble in just nine seasons when they meet Aberdeen again in the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden a week later.

However, Rodgers is never satisfied, so he is targeting a new winger, in a deal reminiscent of, arguably, the best player he’s ever had across his two stints as Celtic manager.

Scott Sinclair's Celtic career in numbers

When Scott Sinclair arrived at Celtic from Aston Villa for a reported fee of £3m in the summer of 2016, his career was at a bit of a crossroads, looking to rediscover his best form, joining to link up with Rodgers, who’d previously been his manager at Swansea.

Well, few could’ve forecast how good the Englishman would prove to be, scoring 25 goals during his first season in Glasgow, named Celtic Player of the Year, both the Players’ and Supporters’ awards, PFA Players’ Player of the Year as well as SFWA Footballer of the Year, a clean-sweep of all the individual accolades.

In total, Sinclair scored 62 times in 167 appearances for Celtic, averaging a goal every 185 minutes, and he remains the highest-scoring player at the club under Rodgers across both his tenures as boss.

As the table outlines, Sinclair is still clear by quite some distance at the top of this ranking although, if Maeda continues to score at this season’s rate next time round, who knows, he could overtake the Englishman by Christmas.

Fast-forward to the present day, with Jota sidelined for up to nine months, Celtic are in the market for a new wide attacker this summer, so they could go into the market to land a replacement

Celtic could sign their new Sinclair

According to a report by Stephen McGowan of the Herald, Celtic are ‘monitoring’ winger Tyrhys Dolan, who is expected to leave EFL Championship club Blackburn Rovers following the expiration of his contract, thereby becoming available for a ‘minimal compensation fee’.

Blackburn manager Valérien Ismaël was desperate to keep the 23-year-old at Ewood Park, labelling him an “important player”, adding that “he’s at a really good age… but [has] a lot of experience already”, however, Rovers were unable to convince Dolan to sign a new contract.

Elliott Jackson of the Lancashire Telegraph believes Dolan is “absolutely terrific”, while writer Kai Watson describes him as “quick” and a “direct… goal threat”, assertions that are supported by the table below.

As the table outlines, Dolan’s primary strength is his dribbling, with only six players registering more attempted take-ons, despite the fact he only featured in 77% of Blackburn’s total minutes.

Just like Sinclair, Dolan has shown plenty of promise at Championship level.

Before joining Celtic, Sinclair’s most productive campaign came during Swansea’s promotion season under Rodgers of 2010/11, scoring 27 times across all competitions, including a hat-trick in the play-off final victory over Reading at Wembley.

The duo share many of the same attributes: explosive pace, high-quality dribbling skills and an eye for goal.

Thus, if Celtic are able to get this deal over the line, especially considering Dolan is set to become a free agent on 1 July, they’d get their hands on a fantastic new wide attacker.

​​​​​​​

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By
Dan Emery

May 15, 2025

While they didn’t do an awful lot of buying last summer, Arsenal made a lot of money through sales.

Mikel Arteta and Co managed to get £30m from Crystal Palace for Eddie Nketiah, up to £25m for Aaron Ramsdale from Southampton and up to £34m for Emile Smith Rowe from Fulham.

Of those three players, it would be fair to say that the Gunners have missed Smith Rowe the most, as injuries and poor form have seen their attack seriously underwhelmed this season – as exemplified by the fact Liverpool has scored 17 more goals than them in the Premier League.

However, while Arsenal can’t just bring the Cottagers’ new star back to the Emirates this summer, recent reports have linked them with another exciting player who could become their new version next season.

Arsenal transfer news

In part, thanks to their lacklustre spending last summer and their underwhelming domestic campaign this season, Arsenal look set for a big summer of spending, and one of the names most heavily touted for a move to N5 is Viktor Gyokeres.

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The Sporting CP superstar is reportedly available for around £70m, and while that is nothing to sniff at, it might just prove to be a bargain for the Swedish international, as in just 48 appearances this season, he’s scored a mind-blowing 52 goals and provided 12 assists to boot.

Another incredible international player linked with the Gunners is Real Madrid star Rodrygo.

The Brazilian winger could be available for an astronomical fee of around £123m at the end of the season, and while that might be too much, there is no doubt that the 24-year-old would improve the North Londoners, as he’s racked up 23 goal involvements in 50 games this season.

However, neither of the aforementioned superstars could be deemed as the club’s new Smith Rowe, unlike Jacob Ramsey.

Yes, according to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Arsenal are one of several teams interested in signing the Aston Villa ace this summer.

Alongside the Gunners, the report has revealed that Chelsea and Manchester City are also keen on the 23-year-old and that there is a real chance Villa could let him leave once the window opens.

Prior stories claimed that the Claret and Blue value the talented ace at around £50m, but it remains to be seen if he’ll be available for less in the coming months.

It wouldn’t be a simple transfer to get over the line, but it’s one well worth pursuing, especially as he could be Arsenal’s new Smith Rowe.

Why Ramsey could be Arsenal's new Smith Rowe

So, before we get into some of the other reasons why Arsenal should look to sign Ramsey this summer, why could he be looked at as a ‘new’ Smith Rowe?

Well, there are a few surface-level similarities between the two, such as the fact they’re both English, around the same age, already have considerable experience playing in the Premier League, and are right-footed.

However, perhaps the most significant similarity is in their positional versatility and play style.

During his time at the Emirates, the Fulham star was often either played in the middle of the park as an attacking midfielder or out on the left, in a front three or deeper in left-midfield.

So far in his career, it’s been a similar story for the Birmingham-born ace, as he’s often played either in the middle of the park, in left-midfield, or out on the left of a front three.

It’s this ability to play the role of an attacking midfielder and a winger which makes the two Englishmen so similar, and what could see the “sensational” Villa ace, as dubbed by journalist Seb Stafford-Bloor, become such a useful player for Arteta in North London.

On top of his similarities to the Cottager ace, the 23-year-old star – who scored for Villa in a 3-1 defeat at the Emirates back in 2021 – also has some impressive underlying numbers to his name.

For example, FBref places him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-on %, the top 3% for pass completion, the top 10% for shots blocked, the top 13% for goal-creating actions from live passes and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, while the fee might be a little on the high side, adding Ramsey to the squad would undoubtedly strengthen Arsenal ahead of next season, and who knows, he might just become their new Smith Rowe.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

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As PIF get ready to truly flex their financial muscles for the first time since their arrival, Newcastle United are now reportedly in pole position to sign another attacking addition after Antonio Cordero.

Newcastle set to sign Cordero

Already getting what could be a busy summer of business underway, Newcastle are now reportedly set to complete the signing of Cordero from Malaga – fending off interest from both Barcelona and Real Madrid. The talented young winger chose to complete a move to St James’ Park over the two Spanish giants, highlighting just how far the Magpies have come in recent years.

They’re not done there, however, with reports coming thick and fast over further potential reinforcements in the coming months which includes links surrounding Luis Henrique and Facundo Medina.

The former would be a particularly interesting signing after the season that he’s had at Marseille. Whilst Rayan Cherki has stolen the spotlight at times, Henrique has quietly gone about his business and scored nine goals on top of his eight assists in all competitions.

What Newcastle are now doing in busy race to sign 7-goal gem after Cordero

He’s a future star…

By
Tom Cunningham

Apr 15, 2025

Seemingly doing enough to earn a place on Newcastle’s radar, the Brazilian is certainly one to watch in the coming months. Attack certainly looks to be the focus for those at St James’ Park this summer, given that they’re already set to sign Cordero and links are already emerging with the likes of Henrique.

It’s a focus which has also seen Newcastle turn their attention towards a Premier League rival too, and one who would offer Eddie Howe an instant upgrade within his frontline.

Newcastle leading race to sign Mbuemo

According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Newcastle are now in pole position to sign Bryan Mbeumo this summer in a deal worth as much as £50m. The Bees have reportedly accepted the winger’s inevitable exit with a number of sides now lining up to secure what would be one of the most impressive Premier League signings of the summer.

Speaking to The Boot Room, Bailey revealed: “There’s a quiet acceptance at Brentford that he’s the next one out. Do they let Wissa and Mbeumo out? It’s possible this summer.

“I think Brentford have stagnated a bit, to say they’ve had a disappointing season would be a little bit harsh, but they have plateaued and I do expect Mbeumo to go this summer.

“There’s an awful lot of interest in him; are Newcastle furthest ahead in that interest? I think there’s a case they are at this point, but we know Arsenal have looked at him, and I think for Liverpool, if Salah had left, Mbeumo would have been an option there.”

Dubbed “unplayable” by Brentford boss Thomas Frank in December, the interest in Mbeumo should come as no surprise and he’s someone that Newcastle should be going all out for in the coming months.

Liverpool are now preparing to make an offer to sign a “superb” attacking player who Manchester United have already offered £70 million for, according to a new report.

Liverpool chasing new attacking talent for summer additions

Agreeing a new contract with talisman Mohamed Salah is excellent news for the Reds, but it doesn’t appear to be stopping the soon-to-be Premier League champions from looking at players who they believe will improve their attack for next season.

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By
Tom Cunningham

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Given how Diogo Jota, Darwin Núñez, and at times Luis Diaz have struggled for consistency this season, Arne Slot looks to be in the market for new arrivals that can take the pressure off Salah.

It’s been reported that Liverpool are ready to make a £130 million offer to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle United. The Sweden international is considered to be a priority for the Reds, and they hope this mouth-watering offer is enough to persuade Newcastle to agree a transfer.

It’s not just Isak that the Reds are looking at, as according to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Liverpool are also lining up a move to sign Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford. The forward is now expected to leave the Bees this summer, and a bid of around £50 million would be enough to secure a transfer.

Liverpool preparing offer to sign Aston Villa star Rogers

The list of attacking options doesn’t stop there, as according to Empire of the Kop, Liverpool have placed Morgan Rogers at the top of their transfer list and are preparing an offer to sign him from Aston Villa.

The report states that his performances for Villa throughout this season have placed him on Liverpool’s radar, and the Reds are now planning a ‘serious’ move to bring him to Anfield. But they are not alone in this race, as the report does add that Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and both Manchester clubs are also interested in the attacking midfielder.

In fact, Man United have already made a bid for Rogers worth £70 million, but it isn’t clear if he would be interested in a move to Old Trafford. Liverpool club chiefs have been left impressed by Rogers’ pace, dribbling and his ability to create clear-cut chances.

Rogers, who has been dubbed “superb” by scout/writer Jacek Kulig, has scored eight goals and recorded eight assists in 31 league games this season, making him one of Villa’s key attacking players.

A factor that Liverpool fans will hope works to their advantage is that Rogers is sponsored by Adidas, and the Reds have recently secured a £60 million deal per season with Adidas to be their new kit sponsor, perhaps increasing the motivation for FSG to complete a deal for a player who will see them thrive both on the pitch and off it.

It looks set to be another summer of significant change for Tottenham Hotspur this year.

The Lilywhites didn’t get enough business done last year, and that, combined with a terrible run of injuries, has seen their domestic campaign go from bad to worse this season.

However, it’s not just incomings that could completely alter the team in the coming months, but outgoings, as it remains to be seen whether Ange Postecoglou will keep his job and several key stars have also been linked with an exit.

In fact, the club could even be at risk of losing one of their most important players in a move that would feel reminiscent of Christian Eriksen’s transfer in 2020.

Tottenham's potential exits

Without a doubt, the biggest story concerning an exit from Tottenham at the moment concerns Cristian Romero, as, after being linked with Real Madrid earlier this year, reports from the last few weeks have touted him for a £67m move to Atlético Madrid.

Transfer Focus

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

Worse yet, those same reports have revealed that the Argentine would also like the move and has already held talks with Diego Simeone.

A far less damaging exit, and one likely welcomed by the fans, could be that of Timo Werner, as it was recently revealed that the North Londoners will likely not be making his stay permanent.

The RB Leipzig loanee has been underwhelming at best during his time at the club and has only been able to amass a haul of four goal involvements in 27 games.

However, a far more significant loss would be that of Dejan Kulusevski.

Yes, according to former Tottenham scout Mick Brown, the Swedish international is “going to be interested” in moving back to Serie A this summer.

Speaking to Football Insider, Brown revealed that AC Milan and Napoli are just some of the teams interested in him and that, due to him and other players feeling “frustrated” about how the season has panned out, it’s a move that’s genuinely “feasible even if Tottenham don’t want to let him leave.”

Losing the former Juventus ace would be a disaster for Spurs and a potential repeat of Eriksen’s departure five years ago.

Why Kulusevski could be Eriksen 2.0

There are, unfortunately, a few reasons why Kulusevski’s transfer this summer could mirror Eriksen’s in 2020, and the first is the fact that they are both sensationally gifted creative midfielders.

For example, during his time in North London, the former Lilywhites star racked up an incredible haul of 69 goals and 88 assists in 305 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.94 games.

For his part, the “world-class” Stockholm-born maestro, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored 25 goals and provided 29 assists in 138 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.55 games.

However, this season has seen him spend more time in the middle of the park than on the wings for the first time in his Spurs career, which has seen him produce 20 goal involvements in 42 appearances or one every 2.1 games.

The next similarity would be their destinations and the fact that Tottenham did not want to lose them, as the current Manchester United ace left North London to join Inter Milan and Kulusevski’s potential destination looking like it could be the black and red half of the city: AC Milan.

Finally, both players are key members of a Scandinavian national team, with Eriksen amassing a staggering 140 senior caps for Denmark and the Lilywhites star earning 45 for Sweden.

Ultimately, losing Kulusevski this summer would be a disaster for Spurs, so Daniel Levy and Co need to do all they can and give him what he wants to ensure he stays at the club.

He's a £101m star in the making: Spurs hit gold on "monster" Nuno signing

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By
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The Madhya Pradesh captain in the Ranji Trophy hasn’t played a T20 game in two years, never featured in the IPL, but is comfortable in his skin in the long game

Himanshu Agrawal03-Sep-2025Shubham Sharma is content living a low-profile life as a cricketer. He hasn’t had a chance to play in the IPL, and is not a regular for his team, Madhya Pradesh (MP), in T20s. Batting in T20 cricket isn’t Shubham’s strength; that lies in his ability to accumulate runs and grinding his way through in the longer formats.Shubham’s batting style and trigger movement remind viewers of Wasim Jaffer: he leans into the shots, and drives the ball late as he gets low.It has been nearly 12 years since his first-class debut for MP, and two years since he was named the MP captain for the Ranji Trophy. While plenty of young cricketers graduate through the junior ranks, Shubham never got the chance to play for India Under-19s. The closest he came was when he was named among the probables for the Under-19 World Cup in 2012, but wasn’t selected in the final squad – India went on to lift the trophy under Unmukt Chand.Related

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Despite toiling for years in domestic cricket, Shubham hasn’t been able to make the step up to India A. Set to turn 32 later this year, he knows higher honours may have passed him by even as his MP team-mates Rajat Patidar, Avesh Khan, Venkatesh Iyer and Kuldeep Sen have made their India debuts in recent years. Shubham’s motivation, however, comes from trying to achieve excellence in domestic cricket.”It’s a great feeling to have played for this long, and I want to keep doing well in domestic cricket,” Shubham told ESPNcricinfo after his side Central Zone (CZ) progressed to the semi-final in the season-opening Duleep Trophy by beating North East Zone (NEZ).Since the 2021-22 domestic season, Shubham, far from the limelight, has the most runs (2849) by any batter to have played at least 40 innings across all top-flight first-class domestic competitions in India. His nine hundreds are the joint-second-highest in this period, and he averages 52.75.