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Centurion’s proactivity on tricky surface could prompt change in England’s approach with the bat

Andrew Miller13-Feb-20212:55

Bell: Players like Rohit can take the game away from you quickly

Day six in Chennai, first session, and the ball was spinning like a roast chicken on a spit. Rumours that this surface was in fact a brand-new offering, rather than a repurposing of the one on which England had rushed to victory inside two sessions on Tuesday, seemed to have been confounded within two overs of Jack Leach’s first spell, as his fingerspin started disturbing the surface with ominous regularity.Day six in Chennai, final session, and the ball was popping like an over-heated frying pan. Joe Root’s part-time tweakers were suddenly the most lethal weapon in England’s armoury, his round-arm, round-the-wicket offerings extracting top-spin galore to threaten the splice and the gloves with mounting hostility. Even Rishabh Pant’s fearlessness out of the rough seemed compromised in the circumstances, although all things are relative where his remarkable style is concerned.But then, linking those two phases of play – including throughout a middle session of the most docile progress imaginable – there was Rohit Sharma’s transcendent innings of 161 from 231 balls.This was a performance every bit as totemic as Root’s double century in the series opener last week – a lobbed gauntlet of an innings from an opener whose twin failures in that contest had set the tone for a flaccid Indian batting display, but who has surely seized this contest with a grip every bit as vice-like as R Ashwin can expect to apply when his turn comes with the ball at some stage on Sunday.For there was little more that England, realistically, could have done to boost their standing in this contest after losing a very significant toss. Sure, they might have had a bit more luck with the TV umpiring, and they might have found more control with the old ball than Moeen Ali, in particular, was able to provide in his first Test outing in 18 months.Related

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• England frustrated after umpire error costs them wicket

• Rohit's 161 gives India control on spinning deck

• Stats – Rohit lifts his home average to 83.55, next only to the Don

• Bess' fate sealed by inconsistency and fatigue

But most of all, they found a batsman in the mood to reap his runs before the inevitable crumbling. “Proactivity” was Rohit’s watchword in that dicey early phase, when the hard new ball was tearing regular chunks out of the deck, and a dog-eat-dog mentality seized hold of his innings. “You can’t be reactive,” he said at the close. “Getting on top of the bowler, making sure you are ahead of him, was very, very crucial.”Aside from a few hairy moments in the 90s, his innings proved as chanceless as it was audacious. Whether or not he took a cue from Root’s mastery of the first Test, Rohit’s use of the sweep was the stand-out feature of his game, but his dominance of the scoreline evoked a more home-grown icon of Indian batting – particularly when he strode in at lunch on 80 not out in a lunchtime scoreline of 106 for 3. By that stage of the day, he had already produced an innings as agenda-seizing as Virender Sehwag himself, on this ground in 2008, when his 83 out of an opening stand of 117 broke the back of a famous India run chase.What’s more, not only did Rohit go on to double that impact before his late extraction in the evening session, but his departure – in the 73rd over – lifted with it the veil of normality that he had managed to drape over the contest. England may have been grateful for the late breakthroughs that their day’s endeavours had earned, but as the ball began to rag once more past the more vertical-batted play of India’s middle order, they won’t have been thankful for the circumstances.Rohit Sharma offers the full face of the bat•BCCI”Control the rate, control the game” is the mantra with which England’s bowlers have rebooted their Test competitiveness in recent months. It’s an old-fashioned edict for a new-fangled age of Test cricket, as simple in its message as David Saker’s instructions to James Anderson on England’s triumphant Ashes tour in 2010-11 – “don’t get cut” – but rather trickier to adhere to against an opponent with Rohit’s power and poise.They did plenty right in the invidious circumstances, not least when Olly Stone demonstrated that “fresh” really is the new “match-fit” in England’s lockdown lifestyle, after bursting off the bench to confound Shubman Gill within three balls of his overseas debut, before posting a top speed, 93mph/150.4kph, that only the absent Mark Wood has matched in England’s contests this winter.However, Stuart Broad – taking over from Anderson as England’s wise old head – was neutered with the new ball then failed to unlock any significant reverse swing with the old, and though Ben Stokes had been expected to play a bigger role with the ball in Jofra Archer’s injury-enforced absence, his two overs lacked venom and hinted at an underlying niggle despite the England camp’s insistence he was fully fit.And therefore, as had too often been the case in England’s toothless tour four years ago, the spinners had to be called upon rather more permanently than the team’s gameplan might have hoped for – 52 overs out of 88 all told, including the bulk of that drifty afternoon session.It started well enough for both men. Leach has now scalped Cheteshwar Pujara twice in two innings, quite the achievement after Pujara had not once got out to a left-arm spinner in the previous four years, while Moeen – like the man he replaced for this contest, Dom Bess – bagged the biggest scalp of all with his best ball of the match, a ripping offbreak through a wafty drive that left Virat Kohli as dumbfounded as he had been when Adil Rashid bowled him at Headingley in 2018.England celebrate after Moeen Ali bowls Virat Kohli•BCCIHowever, also like Bess, Moeen leaked his runs at more than four an over, and served up a range of all-sorts – most heinously a first-ball full-toss to the under-pressure Ajinkya Rahane – that denied England any right to control the game once the ball had gone soft. Like Bess, Moeen’s predilection for attack can lure errors that tighter bowlers might not unlock, but to paraphrase Shane Warne’s famous barb about Monty Panesar, this was the sort of surface on which playing the same game 33 times in a row might well have hit the pay-dirt.What is more, the tempo of India’s opening gambit has presented a daunting challenge for England when their own turn comes to bat. Though they were happy to bat into day three in amassing 578 last week, the advancement of this pitch means there is no earthly chance of dodging ten bullets across a similar time-frame this time around, so their fundamental goal of first-innings parity is already fraught with jeopardy.As Ben Stokes showed in his duel with Shabhaz Nadeem last week, sometimes it’s preferable to “take some runs with you” before the inevitable happens. But for all their merits as obdurate opening batsmen, new-ball counter-attacks are not their forte of Dom Sibley and Rory Burns (Burns’ reverse-sweep last week is a reminder of what can happen when he attempts to force the pace) while the absence of the rested Jos Buttler already feels grievous given how imperious his batting can be when given full licence to heed the advice on his bat handle.Root knows a thing or two about sweeping the spinners, of course. But to judge by what was happening when he was not on strike, Rohit may already have reaped more runs from this wearing wicket than it will be willing to relinquish from this point on.

Tottenham Hotspur’s rooted strategy in signing exciting young talents and developing them into high-class players capable of thriving in the Premier League preceded the glittery early days of Ange Postecoglou’s tenure.

But perhaps the Londoners lacked a bit of experience to help guide them through the stormy spells any season will bring. The lowly top-flight finish ended Postecoglou’s frenzied spell at the helm, a two-year stint that elicited every range of emotion from the Spurs faithful and culminated with triumph in the Europa League, thus restoring Tottenham’s place in the Champions League.

While the Lilywhites have created a foundation with their historic victory over Manchester United, it’s crucial that the secured silverware is used as a springboard for sustained success over the coming years.

In order to do this, Tottenham are going to need to hit the mark with their transfer priorities, piecing a team together that is fit for purpose at the highest level of the Premier League.

Spurs' transfer priorities this summer

Uncertainty continues to reign over Cristian Romero’s future in the English capital. The Argentina centre-back is being chased by Atletico Madrid, who are willing to spend around £60m to bring him over to La Liga.

Frank is desperate to keep hold of his defensive anchor. However, the Danish tactician does seem keen on bolstering his ranks with a slick attacking full-back – the £45m-rated Antonee Robinson is on the radar – and a winger to replace Heung-min Son, should the iconic captain leave.

While he wouldn’t have strictly been a direct replacement, the powers that be down at N17 were desperate to sign Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo as Tottenham’s new goalscoring winger supreme, but he’s rejected advances from all but United and is edging closer to a transfer to Old Trafford.

Midfield is in less need of reinforcements, but the pursuit of Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze denotes an interest in signing a creative midfielder to contest for a starting berth with the likes of James Maddison.

However, with Eze fixed in Arsenal’s sights, Daniel Levy seems to have shifted his attention elsewhere.

Spurs join race for sought-after midfielder

According to Caught Offside, Tottenham have joined the race for SL Benfica midfielder Orkun Kokcu, who is anticipated to be available this summer for the right price.

Kokcu would fetch a €40m (£34m) fee, having impressed across his two terms with Benfica. Spurs are alongside Manchester United, Tottenham and Inter Milan in their interest; however, the player is thought to favour a move to Premier League champions Liverpool.

The 24-year-old worked under Arne Slot at Feyenoord, but Frank’s new project, offering the promise of Champions League football, could see the Londoners sign an exciting new creative presence.

Why Spurs wants Orkun Kokcu

Kokcu is still young in his professional career, but he has already accomplished so much. Joining Benfica from Feyenoord for around €30m (£25m) in June 2023, he’s chalked up 19 goals and 22 assists over 98 appearances in all competitions.

Once heralded as “one of the best midfielders in the country” by football legend Jaap Stam, while plying his trade in Holland, Kokcu opted against taking a move to one of Europe’s elite and instead focused on fostering his talents with Benfica, now more complete for it.

And given that he’s been praised as a “leader” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, this rising star might turn out to be the galvanising midfield force to spearhead the Frank era.

Who knows, maybe he’ll even come to be an upgrade on Maddison.

Matches (starts)

33 (30)

31 (21)

Goals

7

9

Assists

7

7

Shots (on target)*

1.9 (0.7)

1.3 (0.5)

Big chances missed

2

5

Pass completion

86%

87%

Big chances created

12

6

Key passes*

2.3

1.3

Dribbles*

0.3

1.1

Ball recoveries*

5.6

2.5

Tackles + interceptions*

1.6

1.4

Duels won*

3.0 (47%)

4.3 (53%)

As you can see, Kokcu is more than capable of matching Maddison’s immense creative qualities – an aptitude which has indeed seen the England international hailed as a “magician” by the likes of statistician Statman Dave in the past.

Moreover, the 28-year-old playmaker’s two terms with Tottenham have been frustratingly defined by regular injury setbacks. Given that Kokcu is four years his junior, there’s plenty of scope for growth with Frank might want to take advantage of.

While Spurs’ man is somewhat more combative than Kokcu, the Turkey talent is even more creative and clinical besides. Indeed, having missed just two big chances in the Primeira Liga last season, scoring seven goals, he’s got the goalscoring edge that could be channelled in a similar fashion as his counterpart here.

And the proof is in the pudding, for Kokcu, indeed, has demonstrated his ability to stand out against high-level Premier League opposition.

While Maddison is an incredible, dynamic midfielder, he’s got his flaws, and in Kokcu, Tottenham could get their hands on a pass master with the ever-widening scope that is required for success at the highest level.

After all, he managed to throw down with the heavy hitters in last season’s Champions League, finishing the campaign ranked among the top 15% of midfielders for goals scored and shot-creating actions, the top 19% for progressive passes and the top 13% for completed through balls per 90, as per FBref.

Tottenham might not be able to sign one of their top targets in Eze, but by moving for Kokcu, Frank could get his hands on an astute signing who has so much room for growth – potentially even turning out better, more consistent, than Maddison.

Dele 2.0: Spurs open talks to re-sign the Championship's "best full-back"

Tottenham are looking to make some shrewd signings ahead of the 2025/26 season.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 4, 2025

Throughout the years, Tottenham Hotspur supporters have been truly blessed with the chance to watch numerous elite-level attackers feature for the club.

Players such as Heung-min Son, Teddy Sheringham and Harry Kane all managed to make themselves club-legends in North London, with the latter breaking nearly every record in sight.

The 32-year-old currently sits at the top of the Lilywhites’ all-time scoring charts on 280, which saw 208 of his efforts come in the Premier League – with only Alan Shearer scoring more.

However, Spurs’ lack of success on the pitch ultimately led to his departure in 2023, which has left boss Thomas Frank unable to have the chance to work alongside the talisman.

He will no doubt want his own elite-level talent within the final third, potentially landing a player of that calibre during the upcoming January transfer window.

Spurs’ hunt for new attackers in January

Over the last couple of months, Spurs have been just one Premier League side linked with a potential deal for Porto star Sami Aghehowa in the winter window.

The Spaniard has been in tremendous goalscoring form during the early stages of 2025/26, as seen by his remarkable tally of 13 goals in his first 22 appearances across all competitions.

However, the Portuguese outfit don’t want to lose their star man anytime soon, subsequently slapping an €80m (£70m) asking price onto the 21-year-old’s head.

He’s not the only centre-forward in their sights ahead of the upcoming window, with Crystal Palace star Jean-Philippe Mateta another player being considered by Fabio Paratici.

According to one Spanish outlet, the Lilywhites are seriously considering tabling a bid for the Frenchman in January, as his contract talks at Selhurst Park look to have stalled in recent weeks.

It also states that the Eagles may be forced to offload the 28-year-old in the near future to avoid losing him for nothing, with his current deal set to expire in June 2027.

Why Spurs’ latest target would be Frank’s next Mbeumo

During Frank’s time in charge at Brentford before taking the Spurs job, he often had numerous top-level attackers at his disposal, which helped make the Bees an established top-flight club.

The Dane mainly relied on forward Bryan Mbeumo during the latter years of his spell at the GTEC, with the Cameroonian international providing a constant source of goals in the Premier League.

During the 2024/25 season, the 26-year-old netted a career-best 20 league goals, ending the campaign as just one of five players to achieve the feat in the division.

He no doubt thrived under the 52-year-old across the capital, so much so that the manager made a fierce attempt to land his signature after taking the reins in North London.

However, a reunion just wasn’t meant to be, as Mbeumo opted for a move to join Manchester United during the summer, subsequently leading Frank to hunt for a new talisman.

The likes of Mohammed Kudus and Richarlison have often provided the goods in attacking areas for Spurs this campaign, but Frank could get his new star forward with a move for Mateta this winter.

The Palace star has registered 30 goals in the last two full seasons in England’s top-flight, whilst already making huge waves during the first 15 games of the new campaign.

Mateta already has seven goals in 2025/26, but it’s his underlying stats from his outings at Selhurst Park that would make him Frank’s next star attacker in the capital.

The French international, who’s been dubbed “world-class” by one analyst, has registered 1.6 shots on target per 90 this season, which such a tally ranking him in the top 7% of all players in the league.

Games played

15

Goals scored

7

Shots on target

1.6

Dribbles completed

53%

Crosses completed

75%

Aerials won

2.5

Touches in opposition box

4.1

Recoveries made

3.5

Such a figure showcases his relentless nature in front of goal, handing the Spurs side the constant nuisance and goal threat they have lacked since Kane’s departure.

He’s also completed 53% of his attempted dribbles to date, whilst achieving a 75% cross completion rate – highlighting his all-round nature within the final third.

His biggest asset is his hold-up play, which could allow the Lilywhites to have the needed focal point they’ve craved, with the striker winning 2.5 aerials per 90 so far this season.

It could hand Frank the aerial presence needed to dominate in the 18-yard box, but also an option to help link the play and create intricate moves off a direct ball into the striker.

Whilst he operates in a different role to Mbeumo, the pair have both demonstrated their goalscoring prowess in recent times, with clinical goalscorers often hard to come by in the modern game.

Mateta could provide Frank with exactly what he wants in the January window, with such a move handing the Dane the perfect attacking option to kickstart his career in charge of the Lilywhites.

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MatériaMais Notícias

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Manchester City have beaten Newcastle United to the signing of goalkeeper James Trafford, with Pep Guardiola’s side reaching an agreement with Burnley. The deal has reportedly been sealed for less than the £40 million ($53.8m) buy-back clause originally set, as City prepare for possible changes in their goalkeeping department ahead of the new season.

• Man City to sign Trafford back from Burnley
• City match £27m Newcastle offer for Trafford
• Trafford to sign five-year deal with option for sixth

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Fabrizio Romano was first to report that Manchester City have agreed to re-sign Trafford from Burnley. The goalkeeper gave his approval to return, with Guardiola personally pushing for the move. Newcastle had also been in the running, but Trafford chose a return to the Etihad Stadium instead.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Manchester City’s renewed interest came after initially showing no intention of re-signing Trafford earlier in the summer. However, the 22-year-old will now join Ederson and Stefan Ortega in the Cityzens' goalkeeping group ahead of the new season. With Ederson publicly denying exit rumours and expected to stay, attention now turns to Stefan Ortega, who remains linked with a Bundesliga return.

• TELL ME MORE…

  Per , Newcastle had made a concrete £27 million offer for Trafford back in May, but City, who had the right to match any bids for the goalkeeper, have now done the same to reclaim their former prospect. Trafford is reportedly set to sign a five-year deal, with the option for an additional year, marking a full-circle return just two years after leaving the club.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR TRAFFORD?

  City are keen on completing the deal for Trafford before the start of their delayed pre-season and compete with Ortega for the backup role behind Ederson. If Ortega departs before the window closes, Trafford could immediately step into the top backup spot and look to challenge the Brazilian for the starting spot as this season progresses.

Which players currently hold the orange and purple caps in the 2020 IPL?

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-2020Who is the orange cap holder in the 2020 IPL?
KL Rahul, with 670 runs from 14 innings, finished the tournament as its top scorer, and as the holder of the orange cap. Shikhar Dhawan of the Delhi Capitals, ended in second place with 618 runs;followed by the Sunrisers Hyderabad captain David Warner with 548; Shreyas Iyer, the Delhi Capitals captain, with 518; and Ishan Kishan of the Mumbai Indians with 516.A total of 110 fifties were scored in the 2020 IPL, and five hundreds, two by Dhawan, and one each by Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and Ben Stokes.Here’s the full list of the top scorers in the 2020 IPL.Who is the purple cap holder in the 2020 IPL?
Kagiso Rabada of the Delhi Capitals extended his lead over second-placed Jasprit Bumrah in the tournament final, finishing on 30 wickets. Bumrah took 27. Trent Boult’s three wickets in the final took him to third place with 25, and he was followed by Anrich Nortje of the Capitals with 22 and Yuzvendra Chahal of the Royal Challengers Bangalore with 21.Rashid Khan finished the tournament as the most economical bowler among those who bowled 30 or more overs – he gave away only 5.37 runs an over. He was followed by Washington Sundar of the Royal Challengers (5.96), and Axar Patel of the Capitals with 6.41.Bumrah and Rabada also finished top of the table for best strike rate among bowlers who sent down more than 30 overs – Rabada took a wicket every 13.1 overs and Bumrah one every 13.3.Here’s the full list of the top wicket-takers in the 2020 IPL.Which team finished top of the points table in the tournament? Here’s the IPL 2020 points table.

Celtic played their final away game of the Scottish Premiership season on Wednesday night and secured an emphatic 5-1 victory over Aberdeen.

Brendan Rodgers named a much-changed side and got the win thanks to goals from Maik Nawrocki, Hyun-jun Yang, Luke McCowan, Johnny Kenny, and Adam Idah.

It was a night for the rarely-seen Celtic players, including the likes of Viljami Sinisalo and Paulo Bernardo, and Nawrocki is certainly one of those who grasped his chance.

Why Rodgers should be impressed by Nawrocki

The Polish defender made just his third start of the Premiership campaign and caught the eye with an impressive display at the heart of the defence.

Playing on his favoured right side for the first time this term, Nawrocki completed an eye-catching 130 of his 136 attempted passes on the night and only lost possession nine times in total, as well as scoring the opener from a corner.

Defensively, the former Legia Warsaw star made five clearances, two blocks, and two interceptions to keep Aberdeen at bay, including one huge sliding block when facing a one-on-one in the box in the second half.

Chalkboard

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

Rodgers should, therefore, have been impressed by his combination of composed play in possession and stoic defensive work, but the manager should have been encouraged by Johnny Kenny’s display in the centre-forward position.

Why Johnny Kenny is now unsellable

The young marksman had not had many opportunities to impress in the second half of the season, with just six substitute appearances in the league, and his lack of game time may have led to question marks over his future heading into the summer transfer window.

However, the 21-year-old striker was finally given a chance to show his quality from the start and showed why he should be unsellable this summer for the Hoops, with a performance that shows that he can be part of the first-team squad next season.

Celtic need another number nine option to compete with Idah and Daizen Maeda, and Kenny’s showing against Aberdeen suggests that he can be that man.

Minutes

70

Shots on target

2

Goals

1

Passes completed

8/11

Duels won

3/4

Aerial duels won

3/3

As you can see in the table above, the Ireland U21 international scored with one of his two shots on target, with a well-placed header from McCowan’s cross, and showcased his physicality by winning all of his aerial duels.

Kenny scored 13 goals in 19 starts in the Irish Premier Division in 2024 on loan at Shamrock Rovers, and has now shown a glimpse of the kind of goalscoring quality he can bring to Celtic.

He is an exciting young striker with the physical qualities, as shown by his statistics against Aberdeen, and the goalscoring record to develop into a fine option for Rodgers, as proven by his performance on Wednesday.

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Therefore, the club should not look to move him on this summer, despite his general lack of game time in the last few months, and the manager should, instead, make him a regular player off the bench and occasionally from the start.

Trent Rockets slip to third straight defeat after under-powered batting effort

ECB Media03-Aug-2024Welsh Fire made it three wins from four in the Hundred as they beat Trent Rockets – who have now lost three in a row – in a controlled chase with two balls to spare.Rockets skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt won the toss and opted to bat but lost both openers to their first ball: Bryony Smith played on against the impressive Freya Davies, and Grace Scrivens also chopped on facing Beth Langston.The Rockets’ powerful and dependable middle order of Sciver-Brunt and Ash Gardner went some way to repairing the damage after Natalie Wrath had hit a 24-ball 28. They were 33 for 2 after the 25-ball Powerplay, and 60 for 3 at the halfway mark.But when Sciver-Brunt overbalanced against Jess Jonassen and was stumped for a predictably excellent 37 from 26, Welsh Fire were right on top. Gardner and Heather Graham were able to press the accelerator to an extent, but a total of 130 seemed under par, with all of the Fire bowlers proving tricky to get away, Davies excellent up top and Aussie Jonassen picking up two wickets with her ever-accurate left-arm spin.Fire also lost two early wickets, Sophia Dunkley brilliantly caught by Kirstie Gordon and Tammy Beaumont lbw to England colleague Sciver-Brunt to provoke a few jitters on the bench.But West Indian superstar Hayley Matthews and Scottish keeper Sarah Bryce rebuilt, taking the score up to 49 from 33 balls before Sciver-Brunt repeated her lbw trick to get rid of the dangerous Matthews.From there Jonassen and Bryce kept the required run-rate in check in, putting on 38, and Georgia Elwiss took over once Jonassen was out, adding a further 44 with the impressive Bryce, who ended up with an unbeaten 51 from 39 balls.”We knew if we just built partnerships together, there were runs out there, with big pockets where you could run hard, and I think we did that really well,” Bryce said. “Jess is a great runner. They say winning is a habit and we have had some tight games when different people have stood up at different times and I think as a team that is really exciting.”

Birmingham City are now ready to offer a £30,000-a-week contract to sign a 23-year-old on a free transfer this summer, according to a recent report.

Birmingham City eye proven Championship defender

The Blues’ stay in League One was short-lived, as expected, as they have been by far the best team in the division. Chris Davies’ side are back in action on Thursday evening, with nothing on the game apart from pride, as Birmingham wrapped up promotion and the League One title a long time ago.

Wagner and Brady already in "talks" to sign EFL star for Birmingham City

They’re not alone, though.

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They have four games left to play in the league, but the focus will likely be turning towards next season and what the club wants to do in the summer transfer window. It’s already been reported by Wales Online that the Blues are interested in a move to sign Harry Darling from Swansea City. The centre-back is out of contract at the end of this campaign, and while he has an offer on the table from the Swans, Birmingham are keen on swooping in and securing a free transfer.

The 25-year-old has performed well for the Welsh side this season, and his experience of Championship football could be the reason why Davies wants to add him to his Birmingham team for the next campaign.

Birmingham plan to offer big contract to Kwame Poku

It is not just Darling that the Blues want to sign on a free transfer; according to Football League World, Birmingham City are preparing to offer £30,000 a week to sign Kwame Poku on a free transfer from Peterborough United.

It was reported earlier this month that the Blues were already in talks with Poku over a move to Birmingham. It was also claimed that, as well as Birmingham, Crystal Palace and Rangers are also interested in the EFL attacker, who has once again had an impressive season.

Football League World now reports that Birmingham are planning to beat Rangers and Palace to the signing of Poku by offering the attacker a £30,000-a-week contract, which is likely a significant increase on his current deal with Peterborough.

Posh did try and secure Poku’s future at the club earlier this season, but the forward turned down what was a record contract offer for Peterborough, and now the League One side expect him to leave for nothing at the end of this campaign.

Apps

146

Goals

30

Assists

30

The 23-year-old has scored 12 goals and recorded eight assists in 26 League One games this season, and that has been achieved in a team that has underperformed and been nowhere near competing for a League One play-off place.

Poku’s potential arrival at Birmingham would see him join the likes of Jay Stansfield, Alfie May, Keshi Anderson, Scott Wright and Lyndon Dykes – there will be a lot of competition in the forward ranks, which is exactly what’s needed to fire upwards instead of looking downwards next term.