Wolvaardt, Luus and Kapp all make fifties but are unable to capitalise

Firdose Moonda16-Dec-2024England 395 for 9 dec and 31 for 1 lead South Africa 281 (Wolvaardt 65, Kapp 57, Luus 56, Bell 4-49) by 145 runsLaura Wolvaardt, Marizanne Kapp and Sune Luus all scored half-centuries but none went on three figures as England took control of the one-off Test in Bloemfontein.Lauren Bell’s career-best 4 for 49, which included the first and second-last wickets of the innings, will steal the headlines but England’s seamers were collectively excellent and well deployed by captain Heather Knight. Lauren Filer operated in short, sharp bursts which allowed her to maintain good pace, debutant Ryana MacDonald-Gay made crucial breakthroughs with the old ball and Nat Sciver-Brunt was typically disciplined as South Africa failed to build on their decent starts.Wolvaardt and Annerie Dercksen put on 92 for the second wicket and Kapp and Luus a South African record 99-run stand for the fourth, but there were no other stands higher than 25. They lost 7 for 44 in 14.4 overs which undid the good work from the first day, when they took 7 for 118 in England’s innings and survived a tricky end-of-day batting period to resume with all ten wickets in hand.England got a breakthrough in the second over when Anneke Bosch played at a Bell delivery on fifth-stump and feathered an edge through to Amy Jones. That brought Dercksen to the crease, promoted to No. 3 after debuting at No. 8 against India earlier in the year, and she was peppered by short balls from Filer, bowling at good pace.The fourth hit her the side of the helmet as she took her eyes off the ball and tried to get out of its way. Dercksen smiled as she was checked for concussion and provided the perfect riposte when she drove Bell through the covers in the next over. When Filer offered that length she got the same response. Wolvaardt meted out similar treatment to bring up South Africa’s fifty in the 14th over.Ryana MacDonald-Gay appeals during her key old-ball spell•ECB/Getty ImagesNat Sciver-Brunt replaced Filer, whose first spell was seven overs long, and Dercksen could relax. She reeled off two strong bottom-handed drives but any level of comfort was short lived. Sciver-Brunt found her edge in the next over but it went wide of the slips and then Sophie Ecclestone took over.At the other end, 20-year old MacDonald-Gay got her first opportunity with the ball and started well, with good shape into the right-hander. She squared Dercksen up in her fifth over, which earned the batter a streaky boundary. Wolvaardt looked far more assured as she pulled MacDonald-Gay through square leg to bring up the partnership fifty and then took the first runs off Ecclestone when she whipped her through midwicket. She brought up her own fifty off 99 balls, her second successive fifty-plus Test score.With 15 minutes to go to the lunch interval, Filer was brought back for a short spell and continued to trouble Dercksen, who top-edged the third ball to fine leg on 33. Bell made good ground but shelled the chance. Three overs later, Filer found the same steep bounce and Dercksen tried to cut but top-edged again. Heather Knight, at second slip, jumped to take the catch and parried to Ecclestone, who held on the rebound. South Africa went to lunch on 113 for 2, having scored 96 runs in the morning session and 282 runs behind.Luus resumed with Wolvaardt post-lunch and started watchfully. It was only when MacDonald-Gay and Filer went short that Wolvaardt and Luus took them on and England rectified their lengths quickly to dry up runs. South Africa scored 25 runs in 50 balls in the second session before Wolvaardt was stuck on the crease and hit on the pads by Ecclestone, who successfully appealed for lbw.Marizanne Kapp batted through the middle session for South Africa•Gallo Images/Getty ImagesWolvaardt immediately indicated she had hit the ball but, with no DRS, could not review. This was the second incident in the match in which South Africa could have benefitted from a referral. On day one, Kapp was convinced she had Tammy Beaumont out lbw off the second ball of the match but was given not out. Umpire Kerrin Klaaste was the decision-maker on both occasions.Kapp had to put that aside when she joined Luus and took on the more aggressive role. She sent Bell through the covers and past point and flicked Ecclestone fine and Charlie Dean through midwicket and, as she found boundaries, Luus allowed herself to play with freedom too. They brought up the South African 200, took on the spinners and then Kapp also blunted Filer before tea to finish a successful session for the home side in which 112 runs came for the loss of only one wicket.Play resumed for the evening session with the floodlights blazing and storm clouds overhead. The atmosphere was ominous and it proved so for Kapp who was bowled by a stunning MacDonald-Gay delivery which held its line, beat the drive and hit the top of off stump. Five balls later, a lightning strike took the players off the field for a further 45 minutes with the new ball six overs away.Lauren Bell was on a hat-trick as South Africa collapsed•ECB/Getty ImagesEngland made one more incision with the old ball when MacDonald-Gay’s discipline paid off and she had Nadine de Klerk caught behind for a duck. South Africa were 237 for 5, eight runs short of the follow-on target of 245. Chloe Tryon took them past that with successive fours off MacDonald-Gay and England took the second new ball as soon as it became available.Filer took it and started with a familiar short-ball tactic but adjusted to a fuller length early on. The first ball of her second over moved off the seam, Luus swung and nicked off. Chloe Tryon hit four fours before she chipped Bell to Beaumont at mid-on in the softest of dismissals and the tail could not have been expected to do much more. Bell bowled Jafta and Mlaba in successive balls after the former didn’t move her feet and the latter backed away and Sciver-Brunt picked up a wicket when Ayanda Hlubi was given out lbw.Wolvaardt used five bowlers to deliver the 14 remaining overs. Kapp and Hlubi opened the bowling and beat the bat several times in the opening exchanges, starting the innings with three consecutive maidens. Hlubi then produced a beauty in her third over, which moved off the seam and took the outside edge as Bouchier became the second batter in women’s Test to score a century and a duck in the same game, after Jan Brittin. Beaumont and Knight saw out the day, growing England’s lead to 145.

“I’m concerned about everyone’s form at the moment, including mine.”That’s how Durban’s Super Giants (DSG) coach Lance Klusener summed up the team’s fortunes in a season where they are languishing at the bottom of the points table, a year after they made the SA20 final. With just one win in seven games, they need to win their remaining three to stand a chance of making it to the playoffs.”I think we’ve got a group of very good players who just haven’t really found their form, unfortunately,” Klusener said after DSG’s defeat to Paarl Royals. “That’s cricket sometimes, but I think rather than dwelling on the past, we’ve got an opportunity ahead of us.Related

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“I’m pretty certain five [four] wins will qualify us, and that’s pretty much all we’re interested in at the moment. I just think with the quality in that dressing room, it just takes someone to light the fire and get them going.”We need to make sure that we’re just dotting the ‘i’s and crossing the ‘t’s. I’m sure there’s enough quality in that dressing room to get three from three at the moment. That’s kind of where we are at the moment.”Klusener was also confident that if DSG do manage to win three in three and pick up momentum at the back end of the tournament, they could go all the way.”I think if we can get going, we’re going to be difficult to stop if we can qualify,” he said. “I’ve been doing franchise cricket now for many years, and I know that teams that pick up momentum towards the end are the ones that are generally difficult to stop. Yes, we’ve got a bit of work to do, but that’s sport, and that’s what brings these great cricketers back every day. It’s that opportunity to write a story.”This season, DSG have largely used Quinton de Kock at No. 3 or No. 4, where he scored just one half-century in three games. On Thursday, de Kock was back at the top of the order, and top-scored with a 30-ball 43.Quinton de Kock started aggressively on his return to the top of the order on Thursday•SA20

“It’s all about balance. Lots of teams have got left-arm spin in the middle as well,” Klusener said, explaining the decision to use de Kock in the middle order. “That was something we looked at, and if you look at our squad, we’ve got Jon-Jon [Smuts] and… who else is there that can open the batting? [Bryce] Parsons can open the batting. I thought it was an opportunity to give Parsons a go early on.”As I said earlier, it was a thought of maybe just using Quinton in the middle as a left-right combination. That was our thinking about that early on.”In a late boost for DSG, they will have Australian allrounder Marcus Stoinis for the late stages of the season following Melbourne Stars’ exit from the BBL.”We’ll have to re-look at that balance,” Klusener said. “I know Stoinis will change the balance slightly and it might give an opportunity for someone like Prenelan [Subrayen] to make a play. We’ll just have to look at that. We’ll just have to see how Stoinis turns up tomorrow as well.”It’s exciting for us. We can have a look and maybe try and play someone who can attack those left-handers as well. We’ll have to see.”

Enzo Maresca has revealed he was approached by Manchester United before taking charge at Chelsea, but insists he had no doubts about joining the Blues. The Italian guided Chelsea to the Conference League and Club World Cup titles in his debut season. He also offered support to Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim, describing him as a 'magnificent manager' despite a rocky start at Old Trafford.

Maresca reveals Man Utd talks before Chelsea move

Maresca confirmed he held discussions with Manchester United but quickly made up his mind when Chelsea came calling in 2024. He stressed that the size of the club and the quality of the squad convinced him to commit to the Blues. At the same time, he praised Red Devils' historical stature and backed Amorim to succeed despite early setbacks in charge at Old Trafford.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMaresca happy at Chelsea – offers support to Amorim

“I am Chelsea manager, happy to be here,” Maresca explained. “In the moment that Chelsea [contacted] me for the first time, I said already many times, I was immediately convinced and sure. First of all, because of the club, how big it is and then because of the squad, because the squad for me last year was very good, and this season it’s also very good.”

On United, he added: “I think Manchester United is a big club, they have a big manager and no doubt that they are going to do important things with Ruben. The only thing I can say is that I really appreciate Ruben. I've watched Ruben's games since he was in Sporting. He's a magnificent manager. Like all the managers, when you start a new project, sometimes you can struggle a little bit more or a little bit less, but at the end, you're going to struggle. I don't have any doubt that he's a fantastic manager.”

Chelsea stumble at start of the season

Chelsea are looking to build on last season’s success, but their start to the new campaign has been inconsistent. The World Champions have taken two massive victories but have been held to draws by Crystal Palace and Brentford; they also suffered a humiliating 3-1 loss to Bayern Munich earlier this week. Meanwhile, Amorim is under mounting pressure at Old Trafford after leading Manchester United to a 15th-placed finish last season and only managing one win in five games so far this term.

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AFPAmorim's last saving grace? Maresca looking for three points

Chelsea face Manchester United on Saturday in a clash heavy with storylines. The Blues will want to steady their form and climb the table, while United desperately need a statement victory to silence growing doubts around Amorim. With pressure mounting on both sides, the result could shape the direction of their seasons.

Teenager named to lead youth tour of South Africa later this month

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jan-2025

Archie Vaughan, son of former England captain Michael, is set to follow in his father’s footsteps later this month, after being asked to lead England Under-19s on their tour of South Africa.England’s Young Lions are due to play three youth one-day internationals and two youth Tests against South Africa Under-19s, from January 17. It is 20 years to the month since Vaughan senior became the first England captain to win a Test series in South Africa in the post-Apartheid era.”I found out that I was going to be captain during the training camp before Christmas and it was a very special moment,” Vaughan, a top-order batter and offspinner, said. “To get the opportunity to represent England at this level is really special in itself, but to lead the team out is something else.”Having signed his first professional contract with Somerset in May, Vaughan made his county debut in July and shot to prominence in the team’s Championship run-in at Taunton in September. In tandem with Jack Leach, he claimed match figures of 11 for 140 to beat league leaders Surrey and briefly spark hopes of the club’s first title.In total, he played four first-class and seven 50-over matches for Somerset, averaging 33.71 with the bat in the Championship. He also impressed at age-group level, making 85 from 83 balls for a Young Lions Invitational XI in a warm-up match against the England Under-19 ODI squad, for whom Rocky Flintoff – son of Andrew Flintoff – top-scored with 106.”If someone had told me 12 months ago that I would have forced my way into the Somerset first team and be captaining the Under-19s, I wouldn’t have believed them,” Vaughan added. “It’s happened quickly but I’m going to keep my feet on the ground and work harder and harder.”Vaughan’s father went on to become one of the most successful England captains of all time, with 26 victories in 51 Tests in charge between 2003 and 2008, including the 2005 Ashes triumph.England Under-19s squad: Archie Vaughan (Somerset, capt), Farhan Ahmed (Nottinghamshire), Tazeem Ali (Warwickshire), Ben Dawkins (Kent), Kesh Fonseka (Lancashire – Test squad only), Alex French (Surrey), Alex Green (Leicestershire), Jack Home (Worcestershire), James Isbell (Middlesex), Eddie Jack (Hampshire), Ben Mayes (Hampshire), James Minto (Durham), Harry Moore (Derbyshire), Joe Moores (Lancashire – ODIs only), Thomas Rew (Somerset), Aaryan Sawant (Middlesex), Naavya Sharma (Middlesex), Alexander Wade (Yorkshire)

Tottenham Hotspur are in the market for three late-summer signings after missing out on Eberechi Eze to Arsenal, but time is quickly running out for chairman Daniel Levy and the Lilywhites recruitment team.

Spurs were forced to return to their transfer drawing board for a new playmaker yet again earlier this week, after their north London rivals hijacked a once-advanced deal for Eze.

The 27-year-old agreed personal terms to join Thomas Frank’s side, with the finances of a deal also struck with Palace, so it appeared only a matter of time before they welcomed the player to N17.

However, Kai Havertz’s injury prompted Arsenal to mount a sensational late move for their ex-academy gem after weeks of groundwork, despite initially hesitating, and once the Gunners came in, Eze’s choice was crystal clear.

It marks one of the stories of the transfer window, but for Tottenham, it is nothing but frustration.

Since the Eze humiliation, Spurs have been linked with a host of alternatives – including Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche, Como’s Nico Paz, Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, Bournemouth midfielder (and boyhood Lilywhites supporter) Alex Scott, RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons, Southampton sensation Tyler Dibling and Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss.

However, the likes of El Khannouss, Dibling and Simons are already in talks over moves to different clubs, so if they’re serious, Tottenham may need to pull off a late hijack of their own.

Tottenham eyeing late moves for number 10, winger and centre-back

To make matters more complicated, according to Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge, Tottenham have other items on the agenda away from their search for a playmaker.

It is believed that Spurs are eyeing late signings of a number 10, winger and a centre-back before the deadline on September 1, so Levy has plenty to do, and with very little time to do it.

In terms of a winger and defender, Tottenham are expected to mount another push for Savinho from Man City, with the two sides going head-to-head today, and there is believed to be an interest in Brentford captain Nathan Collins.

Aston Villa are on the verge of signing their first major signing of the transfer window with OGC Nice’s Evann Guessand. The deal is expected to be worth around £26m, plus more than £4m in add-ons.

Guessand has been with Ligue 1 side Nice since 2014 and rose through their academy to become a first-team player and earn himself a place in the Ivorian national team. Manager Unai Emery will be hoping that the goals and assists Guessand brings to the team will ensure they don’t have an end-of-season drop-off this time around, after the sale of Jhon Duran depleted their depth in the number nine position last term.

It won’t take long from Guessand’s debut for his versatility to be on full display for Villa fans. Last season, under Franck Haise, Guessand was utilised both as a centre forward and a winger. This fluidity in attack is similar to what Emery implemented in the latter half of last season with loan players Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio.

However, with the previously mentioned loanees returning to their respective parent clubs, Villa are still somewhat shorthanded up front. Due to this, Emery has identified a new striker target to help rectify the situation.

Emery "eager" to reunite with Jackson

Caught Offside have reported that Aston Villa have identified Chelsea and Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson as an ideal target. Jackson previously worked with the Villa boss while the pair were at Villarreal.

With the departure of Duran and an exit for Ollie Watkins still on the cards this window, Villa need to strengthen their attack, and Jackson is seen as a possible solution. Caught Offside’s source stated that “Villa are among the clubs most keen on Jackson. Unai Emery is eager to work with him again after their time together at Villarreal”.

Aston Villa don’t have a clear run at Jackson presently, with Newcastle United having held “informal talks” with Jackson’s representatives and Juventus monitoring the situation in the event they sell Dusan Vlahovic.

An even bigger hurdle for Villa will be finances, with owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens potentially needing to sell to buy, according to the same report. If Villa can navigate the PSR hurdles and retain Watkins however, they could have a very dangerous attack on their hands.

All three players are averaging close to a goal every other game. Watkins is the best in this regard, but he is the oldest and most developed player; there is still plenty of time for Jackson and Guessand to match him.

While it may look like Jackson is massively underperforming against his Xg compared to the others, there is an explanation for this. When evaluating Jackson as a Manchester United target, The Athletic’s JJ Bull explained how Jackson’s Xg underperformance has been misinterpreted as him missing a lot of goals he should score, when in reality it’s distorted by him taking a lot of shots he shouldn’t take and often shooting too early.

These three players, alongside the other attacking options they have in the squad, could see Villa push for Champions League football once again and help the club away from its financial issues.

Barcelona are lining up a backup plan for their home fixture against Paris Saint-Germain in case Camp Nou is not ready on time to host their first Champions League home game. The Blaugrana have suffered several delays in their efforts to return to the renovated stadium, and are currently targeting the clash against Real Sociedad on September 28, just days before the French giants come to town.

• Plans to host Real Sociedad at home while moving the PSG game away

  According to , Barcelona are confident of securing the final construction certificate in time to host Real Sociedad at Camp Nou at the end of the month. However, the club will only be able to admit around 27,000 spectators, with large sections of the stadium still under renovation. For the clash against PSG, though, Camp Nou may remain unavailable, as a key section with a 45,000 capacity cannot yet be opened. Both PSG and UEFA have already been informed of the possible venue change to avoid any confusion.

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  Revamping the Camp Nou as part of Espai Barca

  As part of the project, club president Joan Laporta convinced the General Assembly that the revamped stadium was a crucial element of Barcelona’s financial future. In December 2022, the Assembly voted in favour of the renovation plans, which were also approved by the City Council. They initially planned to return to the iconic stadium last year but have faced several delays which have now run into the current campaign. La Liga granted their request to start the season with three straight away matches in order to give them more time to get Camp Nou in order but they yet to confirm when the stadium will be ready to host a match.

• Camp Nou delays and postponement

  Recently, the Joan Gamper Trophy, Barcelona’s annual pre-season fixture which had been scheduled to take place at Camp Nou, was moved to the Johan Cruyff Stadium after the club failed to obtain the necessary licence from the council. Missing the deadline once again, Barcelona were forced to host their home game against Valencia at the Johan Cruyff Stadium for a second time. The situation looked even bleaker when vice-president Elena Fort admitted uncertainty over when the team could finally return to Camp Nou. It is reported that the club have lost close to €90 million (£78m/$106m) in revenue by being unable to play at their iconic home ground.

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  What's in store for Barcelona?

  Barcelona will hope that there will be no more delays in revamping the stadium and they will be able to host big games and Champions League nights at the stadium. Otherwise, they will have to play all of their League phase matches at the stadium in Montjuic. 

  This weekend's game against Getafe will take place at the same 6,000-capacity stadium that hosted the Valencia match.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na tarde desta sexta-feira (12), na Academia de Futebol, o Palmeiras finalizou a preparação para o confronto com o Bragantino, que acontece neste sábado (13), às 18h30, no Allianz Parque, pela sexta rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Para o duelo, o Verdão terá mudanças.

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+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Em campo, os jogadores participaram de um treino técnico em dimensões reduzidas e, na sequência, de uma atividade de aprimoramento de finalizações. Desde a última partida, que foi a goleada sobre o Grêmio, o Alviverde teve apenas dois dias de treinos para o jogo deste sábado.

+ Todos os jogos do Brasileirão você encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe o seu time do coração!

O zagueiro Murilo, o lateral-direito Marcos Rocha e o meio-campista Atuesta cumpriram cronograma na parte interna com o Núcleo de Saúde e Performance. Os três se recuperam de lesão e o clube não informa prazos para o retorno dos atletas. Além do trio, quem está fora é o atacante Giovani, que está com a Seleção Brasileira sub-20, que se prepara para o Mundial da categoria.

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Isso sem contar os dois titulares que levaram o terceiro amarelo contra o Grêmio e estão fora desta rodada, casos do volante Zé Rafael e do lateral-esquerdo Piquerez. A dúvida fica por conta de Fabinho ou Richard Ríos para substituir Zé, pois na lateral Vanderlan é nome certo na escalação.

+ Palmeiras x Bragantino: onde assistir, prováveis escalações e desfalques 

Um provável time do Palmeiras para este sábado é: Weverton; Mayke, Gustavo Gómez, Luan e Vanderlan; Gabriel Menino, Richard Ríos (Fabinho) e Raphael Veiga; Artur, Dudu e Rony.

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O Alviverde é o vice-líder do Brasileirão com 13 pontos em cinco rodadas. Com três pontos de diferença para o terceiro colocado, o Verdão somente perde a segunda posição caso seja ultrapassado no saldo de gols. Já para ser líder, será preciso vencer e torcer para um tropeço do Botafogo, que atualmente está no topo da tabela. Os cariocas enfrentam o Goiás, fora de casa, neste domingo, às 18h30.

Australia spinner to undergo surgery on injured knee, which has kept her out of action for a while now

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jan-2025Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have called up England’s spin-bowling allrounder Charlie Dean to replace the injured Sophie Molineux in their squad for the upcoming WPL 2025.Molineux, the Australian left-arm spinner, was ruled out of their home Ashes series against England after picking up a knee injury that will require surgery.She had managed the knee issue through the WBBL in October-November last year. She captained Melbourne Renegades to the title despite missing four of their 11 games.Related

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The issue flared up again during Australia’s ODI series against India at home, which immediately followed the WBBL. Molineux played in the second and third games of the series, and picked up one wicket across the 11 overs she bowled.She also missed the trip to New Zealand, which featured another three ODIs, and now faces a further spell out of action. Australia’s physiotherapist Kate Beerworth had said in December that “further updates on an anticipated return date” for Molineux would be provided only after the surgery, which is supposed to take place this month.Molineux was retained by RCB ahead of the 2025 edition of the WPL. She had represented them in their title-winning run in 2024, when she had bagged 12 wickets in ten games at an average of 23.16.Dean, meanwhile, is yet to feature in the WPL. But she has played 36 T20Is for England, and taken 46 wickets at a brilliant average of 18.19. She is currently in action for her country in Australia, where she has struck only once in the first two ODIs of the Women’s Ashes.Dean has also represented London Spirit in the women’s Hundred, and has played 30 games for the franchise across four seasons from 2021.

Birmingham City were mere minutes away from sealing an impressive 1-0 opening day win over Ipswich Town on their arrival back into the Championship.

Unfortunately, controversy ensued at St. Andrew’s during the dying moments of the Friday night clash, resulting in George Hirst firing home a last-gasp penalty to rid Chris Davies’ men of a dream victory.

Still, that shouldn’t take away from the exciting attacking display that was on show, with Kyogo Furuhashi proving himself to be an instant hit, on top of Jay Stansfield already finding himself off the mark in the second tier this season by firing home the opener.

That’s before you even throw new recruit Marvin Ducksch into the equation, too, as Davies licks his lips at the attacking arsenal he has at his disposal.

Why Ducksch is a great signing for Birmingham

The reigning League One champions have routinely splashed the cash in recent years to land some thrilling talents, with the aforementioned Kyogo costing £10m just this summer to bring in to further improve Birmingham’s attacking options.

Ducksch, on the other hand, has cost far less at around the £1.7m mark. Yet, his career numbers in his native Germany – before moving on to England – would suggest he’s another stunning pick-up by the Blues.

Bundesliga

130

34

28

2. Bundesliga

138

71

34

3. Liga

54

19

14

Indeed, just one glance at the table above is enough to gain an insight into the prolific nature of the 6-foot-2 marksman, with a bumper 124 career goals coming his way when rising up the German divisions all the way up to the top with Werder Bremen.

The hope will be that Ducksch acclimatises to his new Championship environment well, with his red-hot ability to put away chances a dangerous weapon for Davies to have by his side in crucial games to follow.

The Blues might well dip their toes into the European market once more with this next potential summer buy, hopeful that he can be as intimidating to Championship defences as their new German centre-forward.

Birmingham line up move for £1.3m star

Davies and Co are already ten signings down this summer, but don’t expect that to deter them from making even more moves before September’s deadline.

French journalist Mohamed Toubache-Ter has taken to X in recent days to reveal that Birmingham are showing strong interest in Montpellier winger Tanguy Coulibaly, with Coulibaly reportedly worth around the £1.3m mark, when assessing his value via Transfermarkt.

Much like Ducksch, the 24-year-old attacker has proven himself at a top level for a considerable amount of time now, having skilfully plied his trade at both Montpellier and Stuttgart for a hefty 119 games.

His spell at Stuttgart even resulted in sporting director Sven Mislintat hailing him as “very gifted”, on top of being described as possessing “plenty of tricks in his locker” by academy coach Peter Reichert.

Stuttgart

74

6

3

Montpellier

45

4

1

While his numbers for both clubs in question might not be as instantly as jaw-dropping as Ducksch’s in Germany, Coulibaly would, no doubt, be a valuable asset to Birmingham this season if he were to join, having accumulated 14 goal contributions in total out in Germany and France.

Capable of also lining up as a centre-forward and as a number ten, Coulibaly should be able to offer himself up to Birmingham as a worthwhile utility body, particularly when the Blues are suffering deep into the 46-game marathon.

Ducksch could also have to make do with being an impact option for Davies, with the task of displacing the likes of Stansfield from the main team a tricky one to pull off.

Still, both players in question will feel they can offer their all to the Birmingham mission this coming season – having been in and around elite leagues for some time now – with the Blues dreaming of another fairytale promotion story if everything slots into place.

Birmingham City could land dream signing for Ducksch in £16k-p/w star

Birmingham City would secure a dream partner for Marvin Ducksch by going back in for this exciting playmaker.

2 ByKelan Sarson Aug 10, 2025