Composed 94* lifts visitors to 295 for 7 on opening day at Edgbaston
ECB Reporters Network19-Jul-2023Lancashire 295 for 7 (Balderson 94*, Bailey 75*) vs WarwickshireGeorge Balderson bailed out Lancashire’s misfiring top order on his return to the team for the LV=Insurance County Championship clash with Warwickshire at Edgbaston.Back in the side in place of the departed Colin de Grandhomme, Balderson struck a correct and composed unbeaten 94 off 202 balls to lift his side to 295 for 7 on the opening day.The 22-year-old went in with Lancashire in deep trouble at 91 for 5 and showed the concentration and shot selection required on a slow pitch which was used for Vitality Blast Finals Day last Saturday.He received excellent support in the last session from Tom Bailey, with a career-best 75 not out from 134 balls, as the eighth-wicket pair added an unbroken 145 against an attack which lacked the sustained incision to press home their early advantage. It was a hard-fought cricket as a pitch which, four days earlier, had delivered 821 runs, 71 fours and 23 sixes, surrendered runs grudgingly as it aged.The sense of transition surrounding the Lancashire side at the moment was illustrated by five changes from the team beaten by Essex at Blackpool last week. Balderson, Daryl Mitchell, George Bell, Jack Morley and Danny Lamb came in for de Grandhomme Dane Vilas, Rob Jones, Tom Hartley and Jack Blatherwick. Lamb was called up late after Luke Wood and Blatherwick reported injuries in the warm up.Warwickshire chose to bowl first and soon broke through when Luke Wells feathered a leg-side catch to wicketkeeper Michael Burgess off Chris Rushworth. Josh Bohannon’s fluent 33 off 43 balls, in a stand of 47 with Keaton Jennings, ended with an inside edge to the keeper off Ed Barnard before the pressure increased either side of lunch with the loss of three wickets for 16 runs in 27 balls. Phil Salt dragged on a loose drive at Olly Hannon-Dalby, Jennings edged debutant Mir Hamza to second slip and Bell edged Hannon-Dalby to third.Mitchell and Balderson added 58 in 19 overs, the former striking Danny Briggs and Rushworth for sixes, before another two wickets fell in eight balls. Mitchell (35) top-edged a sweep at Briggs and Lamb, drawn into playing away from his body, edged Barnard behind.With Lancashire 150 for 7, the home side looked well-placed to build on last week’s crushing of Kent, which has had some in the West Midlands talking of a surprise title push, but Balderson and Bailey dug in deep. The Red Rose know how to fight back against Warwickshire and the eighth-wicket pair invoked the spirit of Southport, 1982, when the Bears declared their first innings on 523 for 4… and lost by ten wickets.Balderson passed 1,000 first class runs and Bailey surpassed his previous career-best 68 as the new ball failed to inflict damage. Hamza’s first day as a Bear – with 1 for 89 – was one to forget but Balderson’s day was one to remember with pride, especially if he acquires the six runs he needs to complete his maiden century in the morning.
Bayer Leverkusen star, Jeremie Frimpong, has already touched down in England before completing his transfer to Liverpool.
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Frimpong set to sign for Liverpool
The Reds have activated his release clause
Has already undergone a successful medical
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Liverpool have activated the €35 million (£30m/$40m) buyout clause in Frimpong's contract with Leverkusen. And following a successful medical, the 24-year-old arrived via private jet on Tuesday to join the Merseyside club.
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Frimpong’s imminent arrival coincides with the departure of long-serving right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose exit over the weekend leaves a significant void on Liverpool’s right flank. His move to Anfield also adds to an increasingly Dutch flavour in Liverpool’s squad. The Reds already boast Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch, and Cody Gakpo among their ranks, with new manager Arne Slot, who took over from Jurgen Klopp, also hailing from the Netherlands.
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WHAT NEXT FOR FRIMPONG?
Shortly after Liverpool’s final Premier League match of the season, Frimpong ‘liked’ an Instagram post from the club that featured fellow Dutch internationals Van Dijk, Gravenberch, and Gakpo lifting the league trophy at Anfield. However, Frimpong may not be the only arrival from Leverkusen this summer. Liverpool are also reportedly closing in on another high-profile signing: German sensation Florian Wirtz. The attacking midfielder played a pivotal role in Leverkusen’s historic unbeaten league season, and Liverpool appear to have edged out Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich in pursuit of his signature.
In recent times, Celtic have been renowned for their business model at Parkhead of buying young players and selling them on for profit, a strategy that chief executive Michael Nicholson described as “successful on and off the field”.
This leads to plenty of players passing through the club, often for a very short period, sometimes making a ginormous impact, and other times leaving having made very little impression at all.
The latter is certainly true of a highly-rated youngster, once labelled “the Scottish Gareth Bale”, whose stint at Parkhead was, at best, unmemorable, and has certainly not lived up to his potential.
Celtic's best and worst loanees
According to Transfermarkt, since 2017, Celtic have taken 16 senior players on loan, not including players such as Daizen Maeda, Jota, Paulo Bernardo, Adam Idah nor Cameron Carter-Vickers, who initially arrived on loan, before making the move permanent.
Former Celtic winger Jota.
So, here they all are in all their glory. We bet there are some names on this list you’d completely forgotten about…
Celtic loanees (2017-present)
Players
Years at Celtic
Games
Goals
Trophies
Jeffrey Schlupp
2025-present
7
0
0
Álex Valle
2024
10
0
1
Nat Phillips
2023
8
0
1
Moritz Jenz
2022
19
2
2
Shane Duffy
2020/21
27
3
1
Diego Laxalt
2020/21
28
1
1
Jonjoe Kenny
2021
16
0
0
Mohamed Elyounoussi
2019/21
67
25
3
Moritz Bauer
2019/20
13
0
1
Daniel Arzani
2018/20
2
0
2
Filip Benković
2018/19
27
2
3
Oliver Burke
2019
19
4
2
Tim Weah
2019
17
4
2
Jeremy Toljan
2019
14
0
2
Patrick Roberts
2016-2018
78
18
7
Charly Musonda
2018
8
0
2
All information courtesy of Transfermarkt
Fair to say, looking at this list, it’s a real mixed bag, with Mohamed Elyounoussi and Patrick Roberts, almost unquestionably, the two best, both in terms of longevity and output.
On the flip side, the trio that arrived during the behind-closed-doors 2020/21 season, namely Shane Duffy, Jonjoe Kenny and Diego Laxalt, were not great were they, making it very little surprise that campaign was such a catastrophe.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.
One player on that list, who made fewer than 20 appearances in hoops, managed by both Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon during his brief time at the club, had massive potential, but never fulfilled that hype.
Celtic once had the 'Scottish Gareth Bale'
Oliver Burke was once described, as noted by analyst Kai Watson, as the ‘Scottish Gareth Bale’, with sky-high expectations placed upon his shoulders, hence why RB Leipzig paid a reported £13m for his services, signing him from Nottingham Forest in 2016 when he was still a teenager.
However, as outlined by Mark Walker of the Herald, Burke has had a ‘peculiar career’ since then, viewed as an ‘unpolished diamond’ when he first broke into Forest’s first team, with Steve Madeley of the Athletic describing him as ‘rampaging’ and ‘speedy’.
However, his manager at Leipzig, Ralf Rangnick, essentially intimated that Burke was unable to take on tactical instructions, so his time in Saxony did not go as planned.
The Scotland international, still only 27-years-old, was sold to West Bromwich Albion for £15m in 2017, but made just 24 appearances for the Baggies, loaned out to Celtic, for whom he scored four goals, including this brace against St Mirren.
Since departing Parkhead, Burke has represented Depotivo Alavés, Sheffield United, Millwall twice and Birmingham City, with Joseph Chapman of Birmingham Live describing his loan spell at St Andrew’s as ‘miserable’.
So, where is he in 2025 and how is he doing? Well, the Scot is back in the Bundesliga with Werder Bremen, joining die Grün-Weißen in 2022, but making only 36 appearances for them so far, albeit he was on target during Tuesday’s DFB-Pokal defeat at the hands of 3.Liga side Arminia Bielefeld.
At this peak, Burke was bought for £15m, but is now valued at less than £1m by Transfermarkt, merely a footnote in Celtic’s treble success of 2018/19.
Celtic's best striker since Larsson is now playing in Australia's 3rd-tier
Celtic have had plenty of top-class strikers in the 20 years since Henrik Larsson’s departure, but one is now plying his trade in the wilderness.
West Brom are now closing in on a new forward as they look to continue their push for promotion from the Championship in the second half of the season.
West Brom transfer latest
West Brom and Tony Mowbray were on the hunt for more firepower in the wake of an injury to top scorer Josh Maja, which has left the Baggies short at the top of the pitch.
That is an issue that they partially solved with the loan arrival of Tottenham forward Will Lankshear earlier in the week, with the teenage striker set to play a big role at the club for the remainder of the season as they battle to keep a hold of their play-off berth and perhaps even challenge those currently gunning for automatic promotion.
The Baggies have also landed midfielder Isaac Price from Standard Liege, but are set for a busy final few hours of the January transfer window as they fight to keep hold of their players and add fresh blood to their ranks.
One player who does seem set to depart is goalkeeper Alex Palmer, with Ipswich Town having pounced to sign the West Brom ever-present as they look for a new man between the posts in their bid for Premier League survival, agreeing a deal that is reportedly set to net West Brom £2m.
At the other end of the pitch, the Baggies have been linked with a move for Chelsea forward Marc Guiu but face significant competition for his signature, and it remains unclear if Chelsea will even let him leave before the deadline as they look to shuffle their loans.
However, there is better news for another forward, who is now just a step away from being unveiled as a West Brom player.
Forward undergoing medical ahead of Baggies move
That comes according to Danish outlet Tipsbladet, relayed by Sport Witness, report that in-demand striker Tammer Bany is currently undergoing a medical in Madrid ahead of what will be a record departure to West Brom in the final hours of the window.
Bany, who was described by one Danish scout as a “class” player, was linked with several clubs including Celtic across the past month.
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However, the 21-year-old Dane now appears to be bound for the Hawthorns, with the report claiming that “a club-record fee of DKK 30m [€4.02m]”, around £3.3m, has been agreed with West Brom to take him away from Randers FC.
Both Bany and his agent are allegedly in Madrid, with the striker undergoing a medical in the Spanish capital before signing his contract in the midlands ahead of the deadline.
His arrival would certainly add more firepower to Mowbray’s ranks, despite Bany having managed just two goals and four assists in 15 Danish top flight games, with the majority of those appearances coming as a substitute.
Tammer Bady’s goalscoring record (Career)
Appearances
20
Goals
2
Assists
4
Minutes per goal/assist
145
Still just 21 years old, he could be one for the future as much as for the present, but an additional attacker will certainly be a bonus for the Baggies as they look to secure a route back to top-flight football.
Chelsea are planning on sending more wonderkids to Liam Rosenior's Strasbourg following the success of Andrey Santos.
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Santos to leave Strasbourg and return to Chelsea
Blues impressed by Brazilian's displays in France
Clubs connected by ownership group
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Strasbourg, the sister club of Chelsea, are once again set to be the beneficiaries of their ties with the Premier League giants, as two wonderkids in highly-rated Mathis Amougou and Kendry Paez could join the Ligue 1 outfit on a season-long loan deal ahead of the 2025-26 season.
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Reports from L’Equipe suggest that Strasbourg may sign 19-year-old Amougou, a France youth international who joined Chelsea from Saint-Etienne in January. Since his move to Stamford Bridge, Amougou has had limited opportunities, making just two appearances for Chelsea with only 22 minutes of playing time. A loan move could further his development, as he could get regular minutes under Liam Rosenior in France. Additionally, L'Equipe also report that Ecuadorian prodigy Paez, who's currently training at Strasbourg, could also be sent on a season-long loan to Stade de la Meinau. Paez was signed from Independiente del Valle in 2023 but officially join after his 18th birthday.
DID YOU KNOW?
Amougou's move to Strasbourg makes even more sense considering the fact that Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos would be returning to Chelsea after spending the 2024-25 season on loan under Rosenior. Blues manager Enzo Maresca is reportedly keen to assess Santos further during the upcoming Club World Cup, with the Italian seemingly impressed with his vital contributions from midfield at Strasbourg.
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WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?
Chelsea and Strasbourg are both hoping to compete in next season's Champions League, though they would need approval from UEFA to both compete due to multi-club ownership rules.
Everton made the decision to part ways with Sean Dyche earlier this month and swiftly decided to bring back club legend David Moyes for another spell in the dugout at Goodison Park.
The Scottish head coach is set to see out the final Premier League games at the stadium before the switch to the new one for the 2025/26 campaign, and is tasked with helping the club to avoid relegation to the Championship.
Moyes appeared to be the best candidate on paper as he already knows Everton and the Premier League, and has recent experience in helping a club to push on beyond a relegation battle.
David Moyes.
He won the Europa Conference League and competed in the Europa League as manager of West Ham United, before his exit from the London Stadium last summer.
It is now down to the board to back Moyes in the transfer market to ensure that he has the options needed to, firstly, avoid relegation and, then, to fight higher up the table next season.
The January transfer window has been open for business for two weeks now and the Toffees are reportedly eyeing up a striker from one of their Premier League rivals.
Everton eyeing Premier League striker
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Everton are interested in a deal to bring Brighton & Hove Albion centre-forward Evan Ferguson to Goodison Park before the February deadline.
The report claims that the Toffees have made contact with the Seagulls in attempt to sign the Ireland international on loan for the remainder of the 2024/25 campaign.
It states that Everton are vying to secure his services on a temporary basis amid interest from a host of clubs, including West Ham United, Bournemouth, Chelsea, and Arsenal.
Brighton & Hove Albion'sEvanFergusoncelebrates
However, the report also suggests that Chelsea and Arsenal would be interested in a permanent swoop for the striker and Brighton are only willing to consider a loan deal in the January transfer window.
The report adds, however, that the south coast outfit are yet to give their blessing for the Irish marksman to move on from the club on loan this month because they are concerned about knocks to Danny Welbeck and Joao Pedro, which have left them light in the centre-forward position.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Whilst it remains to be seen whether or not Brighton will allow Ferguson to secure a loan move to another team for the second half of the season, Everton must ensure that they are at the front of the queue to sign him if they do.
Finishing chances has been a big problem for Everton in recent seasons and it is no secret that the strikers at the club have consistently struggled in front of goal.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin's Everton struggles
In the 2023/24 campaign, the Toffees created 54.00 xG worth of chances and only scored 40 times under Dyche, which shows that they significantly underperformed compared to the quality of opportunities they created as a team.
Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s struggles in the striker position contributed significantly to that underperformance, and the England international has consistently let Everton down with his wasteful finishing at the top end of the pitch throughout his time at the club.
Since his return of 16 Premier League goals in 33 appearances during the 2020/21 campaign, the 27-year-old marksman has failed to hit double figures for goals in each of the last four seasons – including the current term.
2024/25
5.42
2
2023/25
13.63
7
2022/23
6.50
2
2021/22
6.22
5
As you can see in the table above, the English forward has consistently underperformed against his xG during those campaigns, particularly last season, with just seven goals from almost 14 xG.
These statistics show that Calvert-Lewin has been incredibly wasteful for Everton and has let his teammates down by failing to make the most of the high-quality opportunities that they have created for him.
Therefore, the Toffees could significantly improve their attacking output by signing a clinical striker with the quality to take advantage of the chances that they have been putting on a plate for Calvert-Lewin in recent years.
Why Everton should sign Evan Ferguson
This is why a move for Ferguson during the January transfer window could be perfect for Everton because the Irish forward is a ruthless finisher.
Injuries have seemingly prevented the 20-year-old star from kicking on at Brighton, as he was out from April to August last year with an ankle injury, which meant that the forward missed all of pre-season.
The young whiz is also currently out with another ankle issue, and has been since the end of December, and this suggests that it would be a gamble from Everton to sign him, as they run the risk of injuries preventing him from playing regularly.
It could be a risk worth taking, though, as Ferguson, who was hailed as “phenomenal” by teammate James Milner, is miles better than Calvert-Lewin in front of goal and could be a huge upgrade for Moyes at the top end of the pitch.
The Brighton youngster is in his third season of regular football in the Premier League and has consistently shown that he has the quality to more than make the most of the chances that come his way in the final third.
22/23
5.67
6
+0.33
23/24
3.97
6
+2.03
24/25
0.66
1
+0.34
Total
10.29
13
+2.71
As you can see in the table above, Ferguson has outperformed his expected tally by almost three goals since the start of the 2022/23 campaign, which speaks to his finishing ability at Premier League level.
Whereas, Calvert-Lewin has underperformed his expected tally by 22.94, with 56 goals from 78.94 xG, in the top-flight throughout his time with the Blues so far.
These statistics suggest that Ferguson has significantly more quality in front of goal in comparison to the English striker, which suggests that he would be miles better for the Toffees, given the quality of chances that they can create, and provide Moyes with a centre-forward who can be relied upon in the penalty area.
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If Everton can bring him in and keep the 20-year-old star fit then their respective finishing statistics suggest that Moyes would have a striker who is miles better than Calvert-Lewin available for the second half of the season.
Glasgow Rangers signed Rafael Fernandes earlier in the January transfer window, but so far, this has been the only new arrival at Ibrox.
Philippe Clement is under pressure to bring in another player or two before the window closes. While the Premiership title is certainly out of reach, going on a run in Europe, plus winning the Scottish Cup, may galvanise the Gers.
Celtic are the runaway leaders domestically and their transfer business looks like it could be excellent. Kieran Tierney looks set to rejoin the club, while former winger Jota could also return to Celtic Park on an £8m deal from Rennes.
Rangers managerPhilippeClementcelebrates after the match
Add in the fact they are about to sell Kyogo Furuhashi to the Ligue 1 side in the opposite direction, the Parkhead outfit are showing Rangers exactly how to operate in the January transfer window.
The Light Blues have shown interest in a few former players themselves, however. Nikola Katic has been linked with a return, but it is Ryan Kent who might be a more attractive option…
Rangers could pull off their own Jota coup
With Celtic closing in on sealing a deal for Jota, who was excellent during his time in Glasgow, could Rangers perhaps seal their own masterclass by luring Kent back to the club in the near future?
Transfer Focus
Reports from Turkey earlier in the transfer window linked Kent with a move back to Rangers, as a six-month offer was apparently on the table for the Englishman.
With Rabbi Matondo being allowed to leave, plus Oscar Cortes suffering with injury issues, some added quality on the left flank might not be a bad idea, that’s for sure.
Would the fans see the Kent who shone in his first three seasons? Or the player who looked like a shadow of his former self between 2022 and 2023?
Ryan Kent’s Rangers statistics
Kent failed to settle at Fenerbahçe, making just 19 appearances for the Turkish club and struggling to showcase his true talents on the continent.
The former Liverpool winger was at his best for the Gers between 2018 and 2021. During his first three seasons, not only did he score 27 goals, but the winger recorded 27 assists, culminating in the club winning the Premiership title for the first time in a decade during 2020/21.
Season
Games
Goals
Assists
2022/23
44
3
10
2021/22
46
3
19
2020/21
52
13
14
2019/20
34
8
4
2018/19
43
6
9
The Light Blues even reached the final of the Europa League the following campaign, with Kent praised for his performances by producer Andrew Dickson, who said that the attacker was “unplayable”, especially against Borussia Dortmund.
His form tailed off in his final two seasons, scoring just six goals across all competitions, which might put some supporters off with regard to seeing him back at Ibrox.
If he is able to get back to 100% full fitness, however, Kent could be a solid signing by Clement, especially as it wouldn’t cost the club anything.
With Jota closing in on a return to Celtic, Clement could follow suit by signing a former winger who has plenty to prove.
Former Rangers winger Ryan Kent.
Whether it works out or not remains to be seen, however.
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Shakib Al Hasan will skip Bangladesh’s white-ball tour of Zimbabwe, the BCB’s cricket operations chairman Jalal Yunus has confirmed. Shakib is also reportedly out of the ODI series in the West Indies, which begins next week.Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim, the other three senior players, are available for the Zimbabwe tour. Bangladesh will play three T20Is and as many ODIs during their two-week trip, starting July 30. It was initially assumed that the board may send a second-string side because of the team’s busy schedule this year and the fact that the ODIs are not part of the World Cup Super League, but Yunus said otherwise.”Most of the senior players are available,” Yunus said. “They all want to play [in Zimbabwe]. Shakib informed us that he isn’t going. We have confirmed a team with the selectors. A full-strength team will go to Zimbabwe. It is an important series although [the World Cup Super League] points are not involved. But we want to do well there. Many people said it would be a second-string team but no, we want to send a strong Bangladesh side.”Tamim, though, will not be part of the T20I series. He had said earlier this year that he would take a six-month break from the format. Yunus said the board was waiting for an update from Tamim about his hiatus.”Tamim will let us know, maybe after this series or end of July,” Yunus said. “He had asked for time till July and he was supposed to inform us in August. At the end of July, or at the beginning of August, he will inform. We don’t have to give reminders. We have held plenty of meetings with him. So there is nothing to remind him of.”He didn’t even tell us if he is available for the [T20] World Cup. Forget the World Cup, whether or not he will play T20Is is important. We were always positive and we wanted him. The decision belongs to him, not us.”
Na tarde do último sábado, o Grêmio foi derrotado pela Chapecoense por 1 a 0 na Arena, o que elevou a pressão por bons resultados.Com o revés, o time de Roger Machado entrou na zona de rebaixamento, e a cobrança é para uma reação imediata a partir das próximas rodadas da competição. Campeão estadual, o Tricolor foi eliminado na primeira fase da Copa do Brasil pelo Mirassol.
>>> VEJA A TABELA DA SÉRIE B
Além da falta de resultados no início da Série B, outro ponto que liga o sinal de alerta é a falta de bola na rede. Nos dois jogos da competição, o Tricolor não conseguiu furar a marcação da Ponte Preta e Chapecoense. Esta é a primeira vez que o Grêmio fica dois jogos sem marcar com Roger Machado no comando.
O Grêmio volta a campo na segunda divisão nacional nesta quinta-feira contra o Guarani, em Porto Alegre, às 16h30.
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