Opener smashes 52 runs in boundaries as Leicestershire’s 196 for 5 toppled with ease
ECB Reporters Network14-Jun-2025
Donald smashed fifty from just 18 deliveries•Getty Images
Derbyshire 197 for 3 (Donald 60, Scriven 3-29) beat Leicestershire 196 for 5 (Budinger 49, Brown 3-51) by seven wicketsDerbyshire Falcons completed back-to-back Vitality Blast derby wins in 24 hours with a seven-wicket victory over Leicestershire Foxes at Edgbaston.The Foxes were lifted to a hefty 196 for five by an impressive collective effort headed by Sol Budinger 49 and Shan Masood’s 43. Pat Brown took 3 for 51.But the Falcons chased it down with ten balls to spare, reaching 197 for 3 as Aneurin Donald launched the chase with an explosive 60 from 25 balls and Samit Patel crowned it with an unbeaten 52 from 32. Having belatedly opened their Blast account at the sixth attempt against Notts Outlaws on Friday night, suddenly the Falcons are flying and right back in contention for quallification.After the Foxes chose to bat, Budinger tore into the Falcons for the second time in a month. When these teams met in the group opener at Leicester, the 25-year-old blasted a 15-ball half-century. This time he thundered to 49, with seven fours and two sixes, by the eighth over. When he skied Samit Patel to backward point, his two Blast innings against the Foxes this season and yielded 100 runs from 41 balls.Masood and Rehan Ahmed (29) maintained the momentum with a stand of 71 from 43 balls. At 136 for 2 in the 15th over with two batters well set, the Foxes were racing but the Falcons hit back with three wickets in five balls. Pat Brown removed Ahmed, who edged to wicketkeeper Brooke Guest, and Masood, caught at third man, in four balls before Louis Kimber missed a cut at Patel and was bowled.Wickets usually slow the scoring but not in this case. Sixth-wicket pair Ben Cox (28 not out) and Logan van Beek (26 not out) settled quickly to smash 55 from the last 29 balls of the innings to ensure an imposing total.Undaunted, Derbyshire openers Donald and Caleb Jewell galloped to 50 from just 23 balls. Donald took 22 from five balls from Matt Salisbury and thundered to 50, 48 of which came in fours and sixes, from 18 balls.The Falcons were 93 without loss in the eighth over when Tom Scriven was brought on and took out both openers in his first over. Jewell edged to wicketkeeper Cox and two balls later an excellent delivery hit Donald’s off-stump. Scriven followed his successful first over with another excellent one (2-0-7-2 at that stage) to further peg back the Falcons.Patel and Wayne Madsen (35) deployed their considerable experience to good effect in a stand of 60 in 42 balls before Scriven returned to have the latter caught at long leg. Needing 22 from three overs, the Falcons still had a bit to do but Patel smote Scriven for successive sixes in the first of those overs to settle matters.
FC Barcelona legend Ronaldinho has named a 78-time England international as one of the “toughest” opponents he faced throughout his career, alongside Paolo Maldini.
Ronaldinho names ex-England star as "toughest" opponent
Famed for his skill moves, which included the elastico, rainbow flick and no-look pass, Ronaldinho is one of the most iconic players of his generation, winning the 2005 Ballon d’Or, 2002 World Cup and 2005-06 Champions League in what was an illustrious career.
Undoubtedly, one of the Brazilian’s greatest goals came against Chelsea in the Champions League back in 2005, with the Barcelona legend managing to leave Petr Cech completely flat-footed courtesy of a clever strike from outside the box.
The 97-time Brazil international always threatened against the Blues, picking up three goals and one assist in the six appearances he made against the west Londoners in the Champions League.
However, given that the 2002 World Cup winner has a completely even record against Chelsea, winning two, drawing two, and losing two, it is clear he had a tough time against José Mourinho’s former club.
"Massive fan" – Gerrard has named Man Utd legend among his "favourite players"
Steven Gerrard has made it clear he is a huge admirer of a former Manchester United star.
ByDominic Lund Sep 16, 2025
The former Barca star has since confirmed that he found it particularly difficult to come up against one Chelsea legend in particular, saying:
Terry one of the best defenders of his generation
Terry won it all at Chelsea, playing a major role in the Blues winning five Premier League titles, five FA Cups, three EFL Cups, the 2011-12 Champions League and the 2012-13 Europa League.
Consequently, Ronaldinho is far from the only person who holds the 78-cap former England international in very high regard, with ex-Chelsea boss Mourinho once saying: “For me he is the best. I know Sir Alex would say Ferdinand. I know Ancelotti will say [Alessandro] Nesta. For me it’s John Terry.
“He’s absolutely amazing. I saw him play in the national team, so not just with us where is the skipper and has other responsibilities, and the level is the same. For me he’s the most complete central defender.”
Not only was the Englishman a “complete” centre-back, but he was also a real threat going forward, scoring 41 Premier League goals, the highest number of any defender in the history of the competition.
The former Chelsea captain is undoubtedly one of the Premier League’s greatest-ever players, which has now been recognised, having been inducted into the Hall of Fame back in 2024.
LSG begin their IPL 2025 season without four of their first-choice Indian fast bowlers
ESPNcricinfo staff23-Mar-20255:41
Should Pant open the batting for LSG?
Fast bowler Mayank Yadav’s recovery from a back injury has been set back by a new toe injury, but Lucknow Super Giants head coach Justin Langer is hopeful he will be available for the “back end” of IPL 2025.Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are going into their season opener against Delhi Capitals without four of their first-choice Indian fast bowlers – Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan and Akash Deep – all of whom are down with varying degrees of injuries.”Yeah, we’re very aware that four of our bowlers are unavailable for the first game and probably a couple of the guys for a few games down the track,” Langer said on the eve of the game in Vizag. “But that’s sport, that’s cricket, fast bowling usually gives you some headaches but you just have to adapt. And we’ve all been in the business long enough to know that the fast-bowling injuries is something that you always have to prepare for. You never hope for it, you never wish for it but you prepare for it. So, we might have to change our game plan a little, but knowing that as the tournament goes on, we’ll have some of these excellent bowlers to come back into our attack for us.”Related
Akash Deep likely to be available for LSG against MI
Zaheer wants to get Mayank Yadav to a place where he can 'play longer without breaks'
Shardul joins LSG as replacement for injured Mohsin
Spotlight on Rahul and Pant as DC and LSG begin new season with new hope
Rahul joins DC team but availability for opener not confirmed
Yadav, the fast bowler from Delhi who LSG signed last year, has been plagued by injuries since he hit speeds of 150kph and won Player-of-the-Match awards in his first two IPL matches in 2024.”Mayank, who everyone was very excited about last year, he was going quite well (coming back from a back injury), and he kicked his toe on the bed,” Langer said. “He got an infection in his toe. It’s put his rehab back about a week or two weeks. But he’s up and running. We regularly see videos of him bowling. I saw a video of his yesterday. So, hopefully by the back end of the tournament, Mayank will be up and ready to go for us.”Like Mayank, Mohsin was another fast bowler whom LSG retained, but he’s already been ruled out of the season and replaced by Shardul Thakur. Langer, however, was more hopeful of quick returns for Avesh (knee niggle) and Akash (back injury).”Unfortunately, I think Mohsin sustained a small calf injury in his rehab. So, knowing that we had four guys out, we had to make that tough call on Mohsin. We think Avesh Khan will pass his right to play tomorrow morning through the NCA. So, if that’s the case, then he’ll be back sooner rather than later. Akash Deep is up and running, and bowling at about 90% now. I believe he’s done his yo-yo test. So, he’s really ticking off all the boxes.”LSG are playing under a new captain this season, Rishabh Pant, whom they bought for an all-time IPL record price of INR 27 crore at the mega auction in December. His first game is against his former team – DC.
Liverpool have now reportedly reached an agreement over the signing of a player who has been hailed as an “absolute gem”, and he is set to join alongside Alexander Isak.
Liverpool to complete Alexander Isak signing
Isak has been the Reds’ biggest transfer target since they brought in Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, and he is now joining the Premier League champions after undergoing a medical.
It is another huge moment in Liverpool’s summer, with the Swede breaking the British transfer record that was only set by Wirtz recently, with many feeling that he could be another game-changing addition for Arne Slot’s side.
Alexander Isak in action for Newcastle.
Isak is arguably among the best strikers in the world currently, having scored 62 goals in 109 appearances for the Magpies, and he has the ability to turn the Reds into an even greater force than they already are.
Now, it’s a case of Liverpool sealing the signing of Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace and a massive update has emerged regarding their pursuit of him.
Marc Guehi undergoing Liverpool medical in London
According to Paul Gorst, Liverpool have now reached an agreement with the Eagles over the signing of Guehi, in their second significant piece of business of the day, with the player already undergoing a medical.
David Ornstein has since added the deal is worth £35m with a five-year contract already agreed.
This has been a deadline day to treasure for Liverpool, with Guehi and Isak strengthening Slot’s squad significantly, at a point when they are already sitting top of the Premier League table. The 25-year-old is arguably one of the best central defenders in the division, becoming a leader for Palace and also pushing to be the first defender on England’s team sheet heading into the 2026 World Cup next summer.
Guehi is a calm figure who combines technical ability and a strong reading of the game, with former Liverpool coach Michael Beale once heaping praise on him.
“He shows a huge amount of confidence to play on the left side and his technical upbringing from Chelsea means he can use his left foot, albeit he is dominant on his right foot. When you see the teams line up, he’s not the biggest centre-back but he has a huge leap. “Quietly people are realising we have an absolute gem in him.”
As good as Szoboszlai: £40m star dropped his best game in a Liverpool shirt
Liverpool dug deep to defeat title rivals Arsenal to maintain their perfect start to the Premier League season.
ByAngus Sinclair Aug 31, 2025
Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate were in need of sterner competition for the rest of this season, following the departure of Jarell Quansah to Leverkusen, and Guehi can push for a regular starting berth from the off.
Tottenham Hotspur have made a new bid worth £43m to sign an attacking midfielder similar to former target Eberechi Eze.
Tottenham move on from Eze with 2-0 win at Man City
Spurs were dealt a major transfer blow last week when Eze decided to snub a move to Thomas Frank’s side in favour of heading to north London rivals Arsenal.
Eze actually phoned Gunners boss Mikel Arteta in order to return to his boyhood side, with Tottenham being forced to look at other attacking targets before the deadline.
However, on the pitch, Spurs put their Eze transfer blow behind them to seal an impressive 2-0 at Manchester City. First-half goals from Brennan Johnson and Joao Palhinha were enough for Frank’s side to make it two wins from two without conceding a goal.
Talking after the game, Frank was only interested in talking about those that had joined Tottenham.
“I think it’s fair to say that we’ve got a few questions about the transfer market yesterday – a lot about why not, and what if, and all that. What is 100 per cent sure is that we brought two top players into the club, (Mohammed) Kudus and Palhinha. Both of them performed very well, which I’m very pleased with.
“And Palhinha, wow. You know, sometimes players need confidence, and they need to be on top. “I actually don’t think he’s fully fit yet where I want him to be, but very pleased with his performance and he’s definitely helping the team.”
Asked if he had used the Eze situation as inspiration, Frank said: “I think that’s very, very easy – never ever use one word about anything that is not in our club.”
Tottenham hold talks to sign £40m+ UCL winner who Son called "incredible"
The Lilywhites are scrambling to attempt a late move.
1 ByTom Cunningham Aug 24, 2025
With Spurs not back in action until Saturday 30 August, Daniel Levy and co have plenty of time to make progress with a number of alternative targets, and it looks as if they are getting straight to work with one attacking midfielder.
Tottenham make improved Nico Paz offer
According to Sky Sports reporter Gianluca Di Marzio, Tottenham have made an improved offer for Como’s Nico Paz.
Spurs had an initial €40m (£34.6m) bid turned down, with those in north London now raising their offer to €50m (£43m). Como or Paz are yet to respond to Tottenham’s latest bid, with the Serie A side previously valuing the 20-year-old at €70m (£60m).
Di Marzio adds that Paz remains a top target for Tottenham, with talks continuing. Should the Argentina international sign for Frank’s side, they will be getting a talent called “incredible” by Lionel Messi.
Jude Bellingham
Real Madrid
Bruno Fernandes
Man Utd
Eberechi Eze
Arsenal
Morgan Gibbs-White
Nottingham Forest
Maghnes Akliouche
Monaco
As can be seen, FBref have also likened Paz to Eze and other star names in the last 12 months, making his potential move to north London one to watch before the deadline.
Aston Villa have now been approached over the signing of a “dominant” defender, who they have tracked for quite some time, according to a report.
Villa keen on new defender after signing Guessand
After selling Jhon Duran in the January transfer window, Villa were a little light on options in the striker department, but Unai Emery now has both Ollie Watkins and Evann Guessand to choose from at centre-forward, with the ex-OGC Nice man arriving for £30m.
Consequently, Emery now want to turn his attentions to strengthening at the opposite end of the pitch, especially considering Pau Torres is attracting interest from elsewhere, with Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr recently being named as potential suitors.
It could be wise to cash-in on Torres this summer, given that the Villans are well-known to be treading a fine line when it comes to PSR, and Saudi teams are arguably more willing to pay over the odds, with Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez recently joining Al-Hilal for up to £56.6m.
Aston Villa make approach to sign £22m attacker, may submit bid within days
The Villans have now made contact over a deal for an “incredible” player.
ByDominic Lund Aug 10, 2025
Should Aston Villa sell the 28-year-old, it may be a smart move to bring in a younger centre-back, with greater re-sell value, and they have now been approached over the potential signing of Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez.
That is according to a report from The Boot Room, which states Villa are being kept informed about Ordonez, alongside a whole host of their Premier League rivals, with Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur also named as potential suitors.
Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins in action with Club Brugge's JoelOrdonez
Emery’s side have been in contact over the highly-rated young defender for the past 12 months, but he is now closing in on a move to Marseille, which means they will need to move swiftly to hijack a deal, and it may take a bid of around €33m (£28m).
"Dominant" Ordonez could be fantastic signing for Villa
At just 21-years-old, the Brugge centre-back is still in the infancy of his career, but football talent scout Jacek Kulig believes he could go on to achieve great things, having likened the youngster to Real Madrid star Antonio Rüdiger.
Kulig describes the Ecuadorian as a “dominant” defender, which suggests he is strong in duels, but the starlet is also forward-thinking and very comfortable in possession of the ball, which is crucial for a modern-day centre-back.
Statistic
Average per 90 (past year)
Passes attempted
66.15 (87th percentile)
Pass completion %
91.6% (95th percentile)
Progressive passes
5.31 (94th percentile)
Despite his age, the Ecuador international already has a plethora of experience at first-team level, making 84 appearances for Club Brugge, including 12 in the Champions League last season, which suggests he may now be ready to test himself in the Premier League.
As such, it would certainly be exciting if Aston Villa were to pursue a late move for Ordonez, but they would have to move swiftly, given that Marseille are closing in on a deal.
Tottenham have now waved goodbye to the legendary Son Heung-min, who played his last game for the club against Newcastle in front of an adoring crowd of his native supporters in Seoul on Sunday.
Tottenham now in pole position to hijack Juventus in race for £70m+ star
The Lilywhites are still seeking attacking reinforcements.
3 ByTom Cunningham Aug 4, 2025
After coming to Spurs as a relatively unknown 23-year-old from Bayer Leverkusen, 10 years, 454 appearances, 173 goals and 101 assists later, Son departs for Los Angeles FC as both an heroic Lilywhites figure and their most influential player of the last decade alongside Harry Kane.
Almost immediately after Son donned the Tottenham jersey for a final time against Newcastle, Fabrizio Romano gave his trademark ‘here we go’ to the winger’s MLS switch.
Son Heung-min
7.00
James Maddison
6.98
Pedro Porro
6.95
Dominic Solanke
6.84
Dejan Kulusevski
6.83
via WhoScored
Son didn’t even bother travelling back to the UK with Thomas Frank’s squad and instead parted ways in Korea, with the 33-year-old due to travel stateside for his LAFC medical ahead of an MLS record-breaking near-£20 million move (ESPN).
“I didn’t think I was going to cry at first,” Son said in an emotional final interview.
“But after hearing a few words from my teammates, leaving the club I’ve spent so much time with felt really tough. I felt really, really happy playing this match. Thanks to my fans, my teammates and also my opponents, I’ve had an unforgettable day.
“My career is not over yet, and I want to continue to bring (the fans) joy. I know I have more things I want to accomplish as a football player.”
Son rejected lucrative proposals from Saudi Arabia in favour of a move to America, and it is no coincidence that LA has the largest Korean population of any city outside of South Korea itself.
LA will act as a ‘home away from home’ for Son, with the attacker ultimately choosing that over the riches on offer in Saudi – which in itself speaks volumes of the man.
Back at Tottenham, attention turns to who could possibly do their best to replicate both Son’s leadership behind-the-scenes and his quality on the pitch.
Tottenham identify Ademola Lookman as alternative to Rodrygo
In the last fortnight, Spurs have been linked with an audacious swoop for Real Madrid star Rodrygo to fill Son’s shoes on the left, but they do have a ‘plan B’ option.
According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham have identified wantaway Atalanta star Ademola Lookman as another target to replace Son.
Atalanta's Ademola Lookman celebrates scoring their second goal with Atalanta's GiorgioScalviniand Atalanta's Matteo Ruggeri
The Nigerian famously dazzled with one of the most exceptional cup final performances ever witnessed last year, scoring a hat-trick against the previously unbeatable Bayer Leverkusen to both end their undefeated streak and win Atalanta the 2024 Europa League title.
Despite his star player status, things haven’t exactly been smooth between the 27-year-old and Atalanta, with Lookman now submitting a transfer request for this summer as he looks to push through an exit from the Serie A side.
TT reiterate news of the transfer request and write that Tottenham are plotting a potential move for Lookman to take advantage of the situation, coming after another impressive campaign where he bagged 20 goals and seven assists in all competitions.
Atalanta's Davide Zappacosta celebrates scoring their fifth goal with AdemolaLookman
Atalanta are demanding around £44 million to sell the player, which comes as a far cheaper deal than Rodrygo would be, but Spurs are now in desperate need of a new number 10 after James Maddison’s serious injury against Newcastle.
They’re also in the market for a new defender before deadline day on September 1, so it remains to be seen whether Tottenham can allocate funds towards a deal for Lookman or wait until January.
Only six of Australia’s Test stars have been named to play in the opening Shield round as the states try to navigate injuries and player management
Alex Malcolm04-Oct-2024
Marnus Labuschagne is set to play the first round•Getty Images
Australia Test batters Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh have been named for the opening Sheffield Shield round of the summer but Steven Smith won’t play for New South Wales with his batting position in the Test side yet to be determined.Despite not having any international commitments until November, only six of Australia’s incumbent Test XI will play for their states when the opening round of the Shield season begins on Tuesday while the injury toll from Australia’s limited-overs tour of the UK has continued with Cameron Green (back), Matthew Short (adductor), Sean Abbott (hamstring), and Aaron Hardie (quad) also missing the opening round.Smith, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood have not been named in New South Wales’ (NSW) squad for their opening clash with South Australia but Nathan Lyon will play while Head and Alex Carey have been named for South Australia, although it may be Head’s only appearance in Shield cricket before the Test summer due to the impending birth of his second child.Related
Mature McSweeney making his mark in South Australia
Indore to Hobart: Kuhnemann's journey to revive his red-ball career
Maxwell set for Shield return with Test hopes on the horizon
'Feels like we're in rarified air' – WA face their toughest test
Sheffield Shield preview: WA chase history
Smith, Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood are being set for the second Shield round against Victoria at the MCG, which is expected to be Scott Boland’s first match of the season for Victoria as he is being rested from the opening round while he builds up his bowling loads following off-season foot and knee problems. There is a chance, though, that Australia’s big three quicks might not play at all for NSW and will instead use the ODI series against Pakistan to build up for the India Test series.As expected, Green has not been named for Western Australia against Queensland due to his back injury and it is still to be determined how long he will be out for. Marsh has been named but is likely to play as batter only as he carefully builds up his red-ball bowling loads given Green’s injury. Hardie was also set to play as a batter only but has been withdrawn from the squad due to a quad issue.Western Australia have named Josh Inglis and Cooper Connolly for just his second first-class match. But Cricket Australia contracted quicks Lance Morris and Jhye Richardson are unavailable, while experienced seamer Joel Paris is also missing with a calf issue. Morris is a chance to play in round two for WA. Richardson is not expected to be available for Shield cricket until after the BBL as he is being carefully managed due to his recent injury history, although he has been named to play in WA’s Second XI against South Australia in Adelaide this week and will be under bowling restrictions. Mahli Beardman, who was a shock call-up to Australia’s ODI tour of the UK as a reserve player, is also playing in the Second XI match alongside uncontracted spinner Ashton Agar.Steven Smith could play the second Shield round•Getty Images
Glenn Maxwell is unavailable for the opening Shield round for Victoria but may play in the second against NSW with the Test tour of Sri Lanka on the horizon. Victoria captain Will Sutherland will miss the opening round as he is still managing a back issue despite playing and bowling in the opening two One-Day Cup games last week. Peter Handscomb will take over as Victoria captain. Riley Meredith returned to club cricket in Tasmania earlier than expected after suffering a side injury during Australia’s tour of the UK. He bowled seven overs on Saturday for Clarence but he was not named in Tasmania’s squad for the clash with Victoria. He should be fully fit to return in round two.The state teams are being severely challenged at present as they plan for the opening four rounds due to the huge injury toll among Australia’s contracted and fringe players and the scheduling of two Australia A-India A matches in late October and early November on top of the ODI and T20I series against Pakistan.The careful management of Australia’s Test stars and players on the fringes like Boland, Morris and now Hardie, combined with the injury toll that includes Green, Short, Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis (pectoral), Xavier Bartlett (side), Nathan Ellis (hamstring), and Spencer Johnson (side) means that most state teams will have major turnover in their XIs across the first month of the season.Western Australia squadSam Whiteman (capt), Cameron Bancroft, Hilton Cartwright, Brody Couch, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Gannon, Jayden Goodwin, Josh Inglis, Matt Kelly, Mitch Marsh, Corey Rocchiccioli, Charlie StoboQueensland squadMarnus Labuschagne (capt), Jack Clayton, Liam Guthrie, Lachlan Hearne, Usman Khawaja, Ben McDermott, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Tom Straker, Mitchell Swepson, Jack WildermuthNSW squadOllie Davies, Jack Edwards, Matthew Gilkes, Ryan Hadley, Liam Hatcher, Moises Henriques (capt), Sam Konstas, Nathan Lyon, Nic Maddinson, Jack Nisbet, Josh Philippe, Tanveer SanghaSouth Australia squadJordan Buckingham, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Daniel Drew, Travis Head, Henry Hunt, Ben Manenti, Nathan McAndrew, Conor McInerney, Nathan McSweeney (capt), Lloyd Pope, Liam ScottVictoria squadPeter Handscomb (capt), Ash Chandrasinghe, Xavier Crone, Sam Elliott, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Campbell Kellaway, Cam McClure, Jon Merlo, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Mitch Perry, Tom RogersTasmania squadGabe Bell, Jake Doran, Kieran Elliott, Brad Hope, Caleb Jewell, Matt Kuhnemann, Lawrence Neil-Smith, Mitch Owen, Jordan Silk (capt), Charlie Wakim, Tim Ward, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster
Ryan Mason currently has his West Bromwich Albion troops out at a pre-season camp in Austria ahead of the new Championship campaign getting underway next month.
A behind-closed-doors friendly match will take place between the Baggies and Dynamo Kyiv this coming Friday to officially get the second-tier side’s pre-season up and running, with Mason perhaps selecting brand-new £4.7m buy Aune Heggebo from the get-go to see what he’s made of in attack.
Mikey Johnston will also be linking up with the pre-season camp shortly, although this isn’t the planned-out route the ex-Celtic winger would have envisaged for himself this summer, as a move to Brazilian giants Flamengo, unfortunately, collapsed at the final hour.
The lowdown on Johnston's failed move to Flamengo
It was a deal that suddenly arrived from left field, but it had been reported that Johnston was going to move out to South America for a fee around the £5m region.
It’s stated that a move fell through – according to reports from Brazil – over concerns emerging over the Republic of Ireland international’s long-term availability fitness-wise, with Johnston prone to significant time out of the Baggies side through injury.
This will have come as a devastating blow to Johnston, considering it was rumoured that the 26-year-old was in line to earn a whopping £1.2m a year at his new Rio De Janeiro home, as opposed to banking £650k a year at the Hawthorns.
It remains to be seen whether the 5-foot-9 winger will be content with staying put at the Championship side after such an ordeal, with the potential loss of Johnston obviously hurting Mason and Co. after he fired home a promising three strikes in league action last season, even as West Brom’s promotion push fell to the wayside.
However, not all hope will be lost if Johnston does move on to another suitor down the line, especially if Mason can flex his past Tottenham Hotspur connections to land this rising North London talent to replace the outgoing Irishman.
Mason's dream Johnston replacement
West Brom has been a hotbed for some exciting, young talent from the Premier League in the not-so-distant past, with Romelu Lukaku once calling the Hawthorns his temporary sanctuary on loan away from parent side Chelsea.
Mikey Moore could be the next future star that gets his senior career up and running in style in the West Midlands, with reports last month speculating that the 17-year-old Spurs prodigy is being looked at by the new Baggies boss, having worked with the teenage sensation when coaching at the Premier League side.
He has already made a splash in the senior side at Thomas Frank’s men, with this sublime solo strike in Europa League action kickstarting his men’s career at Spurs, but he will be desperate for more long-standing first-team opportunities if a move to the Hawthorns is finalised.
Moore might well be ready to take over from Johnston down the left wing if given the chance to do so, with the 17-year-old’s main skills resting on his ability to play across a wide array of attacking positions – away from his blistering powers of picking up goals and assists for fun – including down the ex-Celtic man’s trusty left-hand side.
LW
18
4
6
AM
8
6
4
CF
7
11
4
RW
6
1
0
Indeed, when looking at the above table, it’s clear that Moore can shine all across the attacking positions. But, his preferred position does look to be on the left wing, with a stunning four goals and six assists coming his way here from 18 outings in the English capital.
Therefore, any gaping hole left behind by Johnston down the line could be effectively filled in by the “future superstar”, as he’s been referred to by football analyst Ben Mattinson previously.
After all, he has also been donned as “fearless” by Spurs teammate James Maddison recently, meaning he could take to the pressures of being one of West Brom’s main options here in his stride, with the troubling issue of Johnston wanting to move on resolved by this promising loan capture.
The new Brunt: West Brom eyeing EFL star with 119 Championship appearances
West Bromwich Albion could sign their next Chris Brunt by picking up this phenomenal EFL performer.
Celtic are on track to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch this week with a deal for FC Nordsjaelland winger Benjamin Nygren moving closer.
Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph claims that the Hoops are close to agreeing a fee with the Danish side for the Sweden international, in a move that is expected to cost around £2m.
The journalist states that there is a desire from all parties to get a deal over the line and that talks are progressing well, as Brendan Rodgers looks to add another forward to his attacking arsenal.
Nygren scored 15 goals in 30 matches in the Danish Superliga during the 2024/25 campaign, as a left-footed right winger, and could compete with Nicolas Kuhn for a place in the team next season at Parkhead.
The Swedish star may not be the only winger to arrive in Glasgow before the end of the summer transfer window, though, as they are also eyeing up a left-winger.
Celtic have interest in Norwegian forward
According to the Daily Record, Brendan Rodgers wants further attacking signings on top of the pending arrival of Nygren, with a couple of left-sided forwards on the club’s radar.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The report claims that Norway U21 international Sondre Orjasaeter is one of the wingers being eyed up by the Scottish giants, as they look to add more quality to their frontline options.
It states that the Sarpsborg star, who is valued at £7m by his club, is a long-term target for the Scottish Premiership champions, alongside Royal Antwerp’s Michel-Ange Balikwisha.
This should be good news for the Hoops faithful because Orjasaeter would be a signing that is just as exciting as Nygren if they can get a deal over the line before the end of the window.
Why Sondre Orjasaeter is as exciting as Benjamin Nygren
Nygren is an exciting addition because of his impressive goal tally of 15 goals in 30 league games, but the 23-year-old has only provided three assists in his last 50 outings in the Superliga.
Orjasaeter may not be a winger who is going to score 15 goals in a season, which is why Nygren is particularly exciting, as he has only scored six league goals since the start of the 2024 Eliteserien campaign.
Benjamin Nygren and Alexander Isak celebrate together for Sweden.
However, the Norwegian starlet offers creativity as well as a goal threat from the left flank, and is two years younger than the Swedish forward at the age of 21.
Orjasaeter has created seven ‘big chances’ and delivered two assists in seven Eliteserien outings in the 2025 campaign to date, after he caught the eye in last year’s season.
xG
4.01
Top 26%
Goals
5
Top 18%
Shots on target
30
Top 1%
Assists
5
Top 16%
xA
6.31
Top 11%
Chances created
52
Top 11%
As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old starlet ranked very highly in the Norwegian top-flight as both a scorer and a creator of goals for his side, and was let down by wasteful finishing from his teammates.
Orjasaeter, who was dubbed a “highly valued player” by Sarpsborg sporting director Hampus Andersson, is a winger who provides a decent goal threat, but also brings the ability to consistently unlock opposition defences with his creativity.
This is why he is as exciting as Nygren, despite the disparity between their respective goal outputs, because they could both offer a lot of quality at the top end of the pitch for the Hoops, albeit in different ways.
Celtic can land bigger signing than Schlupp in move for "incredible" star
Celtic have progressed in their attempts to sign a left-back who would be even better than Jeffrey Schlupp.
ByDan Emery Jun 14, 2025
It is now down to the club to ensure that they get transfers over the line for both of these wingers in the coming days and weeks, to give Rodgers plenty to work with next season.