West Ham United are ready to entertain buyers for a speedy and direct player, as manager Julen Lopetegui attempts to raise January funds and strengthen his squad in key areas.
Julen Lopetegui reveals transfer talks with David Sullivan
Speaking to the press, Lopetegui shared that he’s held conversations with West Ham chairman David Sullivan over plans for the looming winter window.
West Ham chiefs impressed by £49m forward who Lopetegui personally wants
The Spaniard is keen to bring him to east London.
ByEmilio Galantini Dec 26, 2024
Technical director Tim Steidten is under pressure at West Ham, following a series of lacklustre investments over the summer window, which saw the club spend over £120 million on new signings – including flop striker Niclas Fullkrug from Borussia Dortmund.
West Ham are believed to be in the market for a new centre-forward next month, but must first raise funds through player sales, as Lopetegui sits down for talks with Sullivan to discuss the best steps heading into January.
“The talks I have with David I am not going to tell you, but we talk a lot about the team,” said Lopetegui on his meetings with Sullivan.
Liverpool (home)
December 29
Man City (away)
January 4
Fulham (home)
January 14
Crystal Palace (home)
January 18
Aston Villa (away)
January 26
“About the squad and about the next challenge, the only truth I believe is to be focused on the next match. After, we will see what happens.”
While Lopetegui refused to go into too much detail on West Ham’s transfer plans, reports suggest that Real Sociedad star Brais Mendez is a key target for West Ham alongside their pursuit of a new number nine.
It has also been reported that West Ham are serious contenders to sign Evan Ferguson on loan from Brighton, so there are rumoured targets on the agenda at Rush Green, but their need to sell after a summer of high expenditure means it could be a tricky one to navigate.
There are a number of squad members who could be forfeited in an attempt to bolster Lopetegui’s transfer kitty, and one of them is now winger Maxwel Cornet.
West Ham put Maxwel Cornet up for sale after Southampton re-call decision
According to The Athletic, Cornet will be recalled from his loan spell at Southampton, with the Ivorian barely making any matchday squads recently and appearing surplus-to-requirement at St. Mary’s.
West Ham are set to put Cornet up for sale once he returns to London, two and a half years after his £17.5 million move from Burnley, and the east Londoners could be hoping to recoup at least some of that fee in an attempt to raise cash.
Maxwel Cornet for Southampton.
The 28-year-old was a star player for Burnley in the 2021/2022 season, finishing that Premier League campaign as their top scorer with nine league goals, but it appears he’s failing to rediscover that form behind the scenes.
“Cornet is quick and direct. He could help them get behind,” said the late Kevin Campbell about Cornet back in 2022 (Football Insider).
“Cornet is a runner. He gets in behind and stretches teams. I think that is essential. He is a handful off the bench.”
The margin of victory will suggest the defending champions have got their campaign back on track. But it was a less-than-perfect performance from Australia as they beat Ireland by 42 runs to join New Zealand on five points at the top of Group 1. Their net-run rate remains below England’s, which could come into play when semi-final spots are decided.After being asked to bat, Australia recovered from a slow start thanks to a half-century stand between Aaron Finch and Mitchell Marsh. But Ireland made regular incisions and Australia only brought up their 100 in the 14th over. It was then that Marcus Stoinis and Finch lashed out, against a hapless Mark Adair, whose third over cost 26 runs, to put Australia within sight of 200. The pair shared 70 runs for the fourth wicket before Ireland hauled them back at the death to keep them under 180.Importantly for Australia, Finch notched up his highest score in T20Is since March 2021 and highest in T20 World Cups since 2014. But he injured his hamstring in the process and was off the field from the seventh over of Ireland’s reply. Tim David and Stoinis also picked up niggles, and there will be concerns about how quickly they will heal up. Australia’s next match is in four days’ time, against Afghanistan.In Finch’s absence, Matthew Wade marshalled an attack which was outstanding upfront but took their foot off the gas later on. Ireland were 25 for 5 before Lorcan Tucker and Gareth Delany got together for a sixth-wicket stand of 43. Tucker ensured Ireland were not dismissed for any record-lows or bowled out for 104 or less (which would have put Australia’s net run-rate higher than England’s). He scored his fifth T20I half-century and was eventually stranded on 71*. Ireland’s semi-final hopes are slim. They have one match left to play, against New Zealand on Friday.Australia’s scratchy start Australia were slow off the blocks against a disciplined effort from Ireland and took 14 balls before finding their first boundary. David Warner was tentative up front, followed a Josh Little delivery down leg but did not connect, slashed at an Adair full toss but only got it as far as cover and then pulled Barry McCarthy straight to short fine leg to depart for 3. He is yet to get going in this tournament, with 19 runs from three innings so far. Australia were 14 for 1 after three overs and added 24 runs in the next three overs to end the powerplay on 38 for 1 before Marsh smoked two sixes off Fionn Hand. Marsh was looking good but then didn’t move his feet when he tried to cut McCarthy and edged it behind. The Finch-Marsh partnership was worth 52 off six overs and laid a foundation for another strong stand later in the innings.Aaron Finch goes big•ICC via Getty Images
Adair’s awful over Ireland had mostly kept a lid on Australia, with the run-rate below eight an over until the end of the 14th. And then things went awry. When Adair stepped up to bowl the 15th, Finch and Stoinis tucked in. Stoinis slammed a drive down the ground off Adair’s first ball, then lofted him to long-on – where McCarthy pulled off a great save – and then pulled Adair through short fine. Under pressure, Adair went on to deliver three successive wides before adjusting to back of a length, which Finch pulled for four. He finished with a full toss which Finch deposited over deep backward square to bring up his first T20I fifty of this tournament. In total, Adair bowled 11 balls in that over and conceded 26 runs. Little goes big There’s plenty of hype around left-armer Little, who will play in the SA20 in the southern hemisphere. He put in another impressive showing against high-profile opposition. He started with two tight overs of mostly hard lengths in the powerplay and then struck in the middle and at the death to ensure Australia did not completely run away from Ireland. After his opening burst, Little was brought back for the 11th over where he set up Glenn Maxwell and removed him for 13. Australia were 84 for 3 and not progressing as smoothly as they may have hoped. He delivered the penultimate over, removing Stoinis and conceding only four runs to finish with 2 for 21 – Ireland’s most economical on the night.Australia on the attack Ireland got away with one when Josh Hazlewood flicked Andy Balbirnie’s offstump but the bails did not fall. But that was as lucky as they got. In the next over, Balbirne shuffled across his stumps to flick Pat Cummins through fine leg only to be bowled. Two balls later, Paul Stirling toe-ended Glenn Maxwell to mid-off. At the end of that over, Maxwell got Tector to pull one straight to square leg. There was no let up at the other end, where Starc replaced Cummins and blew the Irish middle-order away. He bowled Curtis Campher and George Dockrell with almost identical deliveries that swung into them and beat the edge. Ireland were 25 for 5 inside four overs and chances of another upset had all but evaporated.Tucker shines alone Throughout the tournament, Balbirnie has referred to Tucker as the batter who will lead Ireland’s line-up into the future and, with his team in disarray, he showed why. He hit Cummins over mid-on for four, two balls after the fifth wicket fell. He was similarly dismissive of Starc and picked up on any small errors in length. Overpitched on the pads? Tucker flicked. Back of a length? He pulled. He took 11 runs off Starc’s third over and 16 off this fourth and got more adventurous as his innings went on. Tucker scooped Starc over Wade, lofted him over the infield and then over mid-off and in total scored 35 runs off the 18 balls Starc bowled to him.
Celtic moved up to 13th in the league phase of the Champions League on Tuesday night with a fantastic 3-1 win over Bundesliga side RB Leipzig.
The Hoops have now won two and drawn one of their opening four matches in the competition, which means that they have already outperformed their tally in the group stage of the 2023/24 campaign, before the change in format.
Brendan Rodgers’ side only won one match and registered four points, as they finished bottom of their group, and the change in format has seemingly benefitted the Scottish giants this term.
Aside from the devastating 7-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in Germany, the Bhoys have impressed on the continent, with a 5-1 win over SK Slovan, a 0-0 draw away at Atalanta, and a 3-1 win over Leipzig.
It was the away side, however, that took the lead at Parkhead on Tuesday night, through Christoph Baumgartner’s header at the back post from a corner.
A brace from Nicolas Kuhn before half-time put the home side in front, though, and Reo Hatate then secured all three points for Celtic with a third.
Nicolas Kuhn's performance against RB Leipzig
The match-winner and game-changer for Celtic was, yet, again Kuhn, as he produced a phenomenal display in Europe against Leipzig, which was praised by goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel after the match.
He had not scored a goal in the Champions League prior to Tuesday night, with one assist in the first three matches, and announced himself on the European stage against the German side.
His first goal was a thing of pure beauty. The left-footed magician cut inside from the right flank and curled a sublime shot into the far corner from the edge of the box to make it 1-1 on the night.
Kuhn was then perfectly positioned for Greg Taylor’s cross to convert the ball into an almost empty net, after Daizen Maeda completely fluffed his lines by missing the ball.
The 24-year-old star also created two chances for his teammates on the night, which speaks to his creativity and unselfishness, but did not register an assist.
As you can see in the graphic above, Kuhn’s two goals also came from an xG of just 0.56 and this shows that his finishing against the Bundesliga side was ruthless.
His performance for the Scottish giants was far from a surprise, though, as the former Rapid Vienna sensation has been in stunning form throughout the campaign so far for Rodgers.
Nicolas Kuhn's form this season
The German attacker has produced nine goals and ten assists in 16 matches in all competitions for the Hoops so far this term, which is a staggering return for this point in the season.
To be on the verge of a double double for goals and assists before the November international break is a big achievement and shows that he has emerged as the star in this Celtic team.
24/25 Premiership
Nicolas Kuhn
Appearances
9
Starts
7
Goals
3
Assists
5
Key passes per game
2.2
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the talented ace has been directly involved in eight goals in seven starts in the Scottish Premiership for the Bhoys.
The former Bayern Munich youngster only managed three goals and three assists in 18 games during his first season at Parkhead, which shows that he has taken a huge step forward this year.
Nicolas Kuhn
Rodgers could already have his next Kuhn at the club in the form of South Korean prospect Hyun-jun Yang, who produced a positive performance off the bench on Tuesday and has the potential to also take a huge step forward.
Why Hyun-jun Yang could be the next Nicolas Kuhn
Firstly, the young winger came off the bench to complete 100% (1/1) of his attempted dribbles and 93% (13/14) of his attempted passes, whilst winning two of his three duels.
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Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
He proved to Rodgers that he has the energy and the quality to come in and hold his own against a top-quality side in Leipzig, who are second in the Bundesliga, in a big European game, even if it was only as a substitute on this occasion.
At the age of 22, Yang has plenty of time left to develop and improve during his time with the Hoops and could look to follow in Kuhn’s footsteps by emerging as a key player for the club out wide.
Celtic winger Hyun-jun Yang.
The South Korean wizard has all the attributes he needs to become a star for Celtic in the future but it is about showing them consistently and adjusting to the physicality and intensity of the game in Scotland, and in Europe.
Celtic signed Yang from Gangwon in the summer of 2023 and their president Kim Byung-ji heaped praise on the youngster at the time of the move. He said: “I hope Yang will continue to grow. He could easily become a world class player like Son Heung-min.
“He was a mainstay for our team and was an inspiration.”
These comments suggest that the young forward, who scored eight goals and supplied four assists in 31 K League 1 games during the 2022 campaign, has far more to show in a Celtic shirt.
Yang was recently handed a start against Dundee in the Premiership and made a positive impression, completing 90% of his attempted passes and creating one ‘big chance’.
It was his first start of the season and his performance was good enough to suggest that Rodgers should keep him around the first-team and provide him with more opportunities moving forward.
23/24 Premiership
Hyun-jun Yang
Appearances
24
Starts
10
Goals
1
Big chances created
5
Assists
3
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Yang showed signs of quality in his first season at the club last term, with six goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in ten starts.
It was his first year in Europe, away from South Korea, and that meant that it was mainly about him learning and adapting to football in this continent, rather than one where he was expected to be an instant success.
The 22-year-old ace now has over a year’s worth of experience in Scotland and could now look to kick on and fulfill his potential, by emerging as a key player for the Hoops moving forward.
Worth more than Kuhn: Celtic lost a real star whose value's soared 1,300%
The former Celtic forward has thrived since moving down south to the Premier League.
1
By
Dan Emery
Nov 3, 2024
It is down to him to keep impressing when he gets on the pitch, by scoring goals and creating ‘big chances’, to then earn a place in the starting XI out wide, as Kuhn did on his path to being the team’s main man.
Unbeaten 308 and 306-run, third-wicket stand with centurion Ingram has visitors 21 behind Leicestershire
ECB Reporters Network22-Jul-2022Sam Northeast, seen by many as one of the best English players never to taste international cricket, notched the first double-century of his career and converted it to only the second triple-hundred in Glamorgan history as his side closed day three of their LV= Insurance County Championship match on 563 for 5 in reply to Leicestershire’s 584.The 32-year-old eclipsed his previous best of 191 for Kent against Derbyshire in 2016, finishing on 308 not out – just one short of matching Steve James’s 309 not out against Sussex at Colwyn Bay in 2000 as the highest first-class score by a Glamorgan player.He shared a 306-run partnership for the third wicket with Colin Ingram, who made 139, comfortably beating the Glamorgan record against Leicestershire of 242 set by Steve James and Matthew Maynard in 1995, and another of 229 – unbroken so far- for the sixth with Chris Cooke (71).Northeast could have been out on 96 – missed at slip – while Cooke was dropped twice as Leicestershire, for whom Chris Wright took three for 74, missed a number of opportunities to take hold of a match that now looks likely to end in a draw.”There were times when they bowled really well and you had to ride that,” Northeast said. “I gave a chance on 96 but managed to survive that and battled for a bit. After that I began to feel it was a situation where I could get to 200 but 300 was never in my wildest imagination and a dream come true in a lot of ways.”We were in a situation in the game where we needed to take time out of the game, to keep batting and get past the follow-on target, so that was my main priority but, yes, the double hundred was a thing that needed ticking off in my career. I’ve made some big hundreds before without getting a double so there was a bit of relief to get over the line. Once we had avoided the follow-on we were able to express ourselves and have a bit of fun at the end and the runs kept flowing.”It was a strange year in 2021 after deciding to leave Hampshire and then playing on loan for two different counties but I feel I’ve found a real home at Glamorgan and I couldn’t be happier.”Northeast and Ingram completed their centuries in a morning session in which both could have been out without reaching three figures, each in turn missed by the normally reliable Colin Ackermann in the slips.Ingram, on 77, edged a ball from Ackermann’s compatriot, Wiaan Mulder, that went between his legs at second slip, while Northeast should have gone to the ball that saw him go to 100 with his 16th boundary, an edge flashing past Ackermann’s right shoulder as the only slip to spinner Callum Parkinson. On each occasion, Ackermann was left clasping thin air.Ingram completed his century from 75 deliveries when he drove Ben Mike square of the wicket for his 14th boundary. Glamorgan were 242 for 2 at lunch.Spinners Parkinson and Ackermann bowled for almost an hour in tandem at the start of the afternoon, without making any inroads, but when Mulder returned at the pavilion end, things began to happen.Ingram almost played on to his fellow South African on 138, picking up only one run more before Mulder found just enough movement to induce an edge, Harry Swindells diving low to his left to take a good catch. The wicket broke the partnership at seven short of Glamorgan’s third-wicket record against any opponent.The new ball was available in the next over, which Leicestershire took immediately despite Mulder’s success with the old one. The decision was vindicated when a testing five-over spell by Wright was rewarded with wickets from consecutive balls as Kiran Carlson was bowled off an inside edge, driving, before Billy Root edged to second slip, where Ackermann – no doubt to his own relief – took the catch.Having grabbed three wickets for 29 in 10 overs, with Glamorgan still 101 runs away from avoiding the follow-on, Leicestershire sensed an opportunity, yet the session ended in more frustration for Mulder as Swindells dropped Cooke on three – a much easier chance than the one he had held earlier – which would have sent Glamorgan in at tea on 341 for 6.Cooke escaped for a second time soon after tea, dropped by Louis Kimber at second slip on 15, again off the suffering Mulder. Having profited from Glamorgan’s laxness in the field, Leicestershire seemed oddly determined to pay their opponents back in kind.Glamorgan were only too pleased to accept their generosity, the next passage of play seeing them match Leicestershire with five batting bonus points shortly before Northeast reached the 200-mark with his 22nd boundary as he drove Parkinson handsomely down the ground.The follow-on was avoided as the total passed 435 in the same over as the Northeast-Cooke partnership moved into three figures.With Leicestershire’s bowlers looking understandably weary, Northeast’s third hundred came off just 74 balls, completed when he cut Ackermann for the 37th or his 38 fours so far.
Derbyshire’s five-match winning streak comes to an end with hefty defeat
ECB Reporters Network23-Jun-2022Derbyshire Falcons’ five-match winning streak in the Vitality Blast came to an end after Notts Outlaws bounced back from three consecutive defeats by posting 247 for 6 – their highest total in this format – in a thumping 94-run victory over their East Midlands neighbours.Ben Duckett hit a season’s-best 63 and Alex Hales his third half-century of the campaign as the Outlaws, who conceded a competition-record 261 against Birmingham Bears here last week, enjoyed their best night of what has been a disappointing season.On a good batting surface, the Falcons had fancied themselves in a chase when they opted to field first but were never in the hunt, bowled out for 153 as fast bowler Zak Chappell marked his first appearance of the season by taking 3 for 28, veteran spinner Samit Patel 3 for 32 and Steven Mullaney a miserly 2 for 17 after Brooke Guest top-scored for Derbyshire with an unbeaten 40.Nonetheless, with two matches to come, the Falcons remain well-placed to qualify for a second Finals Day appearance in four years.After racking up 95 in the powerplay at Derby earlier in the season, the Outlaws punished the Falcons bowlers again with 86 off the first six and never took their foot off the pedal.Hales set the tone with a brutal 55 off just 22 deliveries, twice clearing the ropes as he plundered 21 against Sam Conners in the second over and lofted a towering straight six off Mattie McKiernan to complete his half-century.As on Tuesday against Leicestershire, he was caught at long-on attempting a repeat, but where he was the only Outlaw to pass 12 on a dismal night, this time he had plenty of support.Joe Clarke, who got away with a miscue when still in single figures, pulled Wayne Madsen’s opening ball for six to move to 38 before he was caught by the bowler off a towering top edge.Three boundaries in a row by Duckett off Wayne Madsen took the Outlaws to 124 for 2 at halfway, which became 188 for 3 after 15 following Mullaney’s 45 off 20 balls including four sixes, three of them off consecutive balls from George Scrimshaw as a top-edge over long leg was followed by two more launched over mid-wicket, where he was caught going for another.Duckett completed his first half-century of the campaign before hitting straight to mid-on and Patel was brilliantly caught by Leus du Plooy on the midwicket boundary as Mark Watt (1 for 51) and Scrimshaw (2 for 62) picked up consolation wickets, but four boundaries by Tom Moores took the Outlaws past their previous record total, also against Derbyshire, of 227 in 2017.The Falcons responded with 72 in their powerplay but at the cost of three wickets, critically among them that of leading scorer Shan Masood, bowled making room to cut by Chappell. Luis Reece and McKiernan were the other two casualties, as Clarke and Mullaney pulled off fine catches.Australian all-rounder Hayden Kerr struck 24 off 11 but was stumped off Mullaney’s first delivery. His seventh bowled Madsen in an attempted reverse sweep and at the halfway point the required run-rate was just shy of 15 per over at 99 for 5, with another setback soon to follow as Du Plooy fell on 35, picking out mid-off to give Chappell his second wicket.Alex Hughes skied one to become Chappell’s third scalp, Patel obtained two lbw verdicts in consecutive deliveries to remove Watt and Conners to leave the Falcons nine down in the 15th over, before Guest and Scrimshaw salvaged a little pride for the visitors by adding an unbroken 34.
Wellington have lined up Adam Milne to fill in the Hamish Bennett-sized void after the 35-year-old quick retired from all formats of cricket following the last season. After being part of Central Districts for more than a decade, since his debut in March 2010, Milne will now work under head coaches BJ Watling and Bruce Edgar at Wellington. He joins Logan van Beek and Ben Sears in a potent seam-bowling group.Milne has not played red-ball cricket since October 2018, but he did not rule out the possibility of a return, for Wellington. He, however, added that, given his history of ankle and elbow injuries, workload management would be given priority. Milne is now fit again after having been sidelined from his IPL 2022 stint with Stephen Fleming’s Chennai Super Kings with a hamstring injury.Related
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“I think it happens in sport all around the world, but particularly with my history, it’s important to manage my expectations and the team’s expectations of how much cricket we are playing,” Milne said. “But I’ll try and play as much as I can. I think it’s again assessing how I’m feeling after games or from a week-to-week and if the body is saying that it needs a rest and that’s possible with the team… Obviously, [I’m] trying to keep myself in the best of shape to play as much cricket as I can.”In another move, Wellington have roped in batter Nick Kelly from Otago. The Victoria-born top-order batter also brings with himself CPL experience, having been part of St Kitts & Nevis Patriots.Batting allrounder Luke Georgeson, who recently withdrew his Ireland central contract to chase his New Zealand dream, has also won a deal with Wellington.Wellington’s first-round contracted players: Finn Allen, Jakob Bhula, Luke Georgeson, Troy Johnson, Nick Kelly, Iain McPeake, Adam Milne, Ollie Newton, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Michael Snedden, Nathan Smith, Logan Van Beek, Peter Younghusband
Auckland
Allrounder Simon Keene has earned his first domestic contract after having bagged 25 wickets in five first-class matches earlier this year, including career-best returns of 6 for 44 against Canterbury in March.Auckland’s first-round contracted players: Adithya Ashok, Cole Briggs, Mark Chapman, Louis Delport, Danru Ferns, Ryan Harrison, Ben Horne, Simon Keene, Ben Lister, Robert O’Donnell, Will O’Donnell, Sean Solia, Will Somerville, Ross ter Braak, George Worker
Central Districts
Milne’s departure has stripped CD of experience and firepower, but they have signed up a promising prospect in Brett Randell, who has moved from Northern Districts. Randell was the joint-highest wicket-taker in last season’s Plunket Shield, with 31 strikes in six games at 14.83. Randell’s entry boots a pace attack that has been further depleted by the injury-enforced absence of Ben Wheeler.CD’s first-round contracted players: Doug Bracewell, Tom Bruce, Josh Clarkson, Dane Cleaver, Joey Field, Greg Hay, Jayden Lennox, Seth Rance, Brett Randell, Brad Schmulian, Ben Smith, Blair Tickner, Ray Toole, Bayley WigginsIsh Sodhi will play for Canterbury this season•AFP
Canterbury
Wicketkeeper Mitch Hay, allrounder Zak Foulkes and batter Matt Boyle have been awarded their first Canterbury contracts. After ten seasons with Northern Districts, Ish Sodhi, who resides in Christchurch with his family, will now represent Canterbury.Canterbury’s first-round contracted players: Cole McConchie, Chad Bowes, Matt Boyle, Leo Carter, Sean Davey, Cam Fletcher, Zak Foulkes, Mitch Hay, Ken McClure, Ed Nuttall, Will O’Rourke, Fraser Sheat, Henry Shipley, Theo van Woerkom, Will Williams
Northern Districts
Tim Pringle, the son of former New Zealand seamer Chris Pringle, has been handed his first Northern Districts contract. The left-arm spin-bowling allrounder was recently part of a New Zealand XI that faced a touring Netherlands side in a one-day fixture in March earlier this year. More recently, Tim made his international debut for Netherlands, where he was born, dismissing Liam Livingstone with a beauty.ND’s first-round contracted players: Joe Carter, Katene Clarke, Kristian Clarke, Henry Cooper, Matt Fisher, Zak Gibson, Brett Hampton, Scott Kuggeleijn, Bharat Popli, Tim Pringle, Jeet Raval, Tim Seifert, Fred Walker, Joe Walker, Anurag Verma
Otago
In one of the major moves of the season, Glenn Phillips has shifted south to Otago from Auckland to reunite with his younger brother Dale. Glenn’s contract will not count towards Otago’s domestic contracts as he is already part of NZC’s central contracts list. This is another opportunity for Glenn to bowl more in domestic cricket and establish himself as an allrounder. He can also keep wicket although a back condition has limited that skill in the recent past.South Africa-born allrounder Dean Foxcroft, who had been locked out of the past two domestic seasons in New Zealand because of border restrictions and visa complications, is now set to return to Dunedin to resume his career. He had recently turned out for Lahore Qalandars in the PSL in February.Otago’s first-round contracted players: Matt Bacon, Max Chu, Jacob Cumming, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Jake Gibson, Andrew Hazeldine, Ben Lockrose, Jarrod McKay, Travis Muller, Dale Phillips, Michael Rae, Michael Rippon, Hamish Rutherford
Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Jr has been named the best footballer in the world by Indiana Pacers star Pascal Siakam.
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Siakam reveals his admiration for ViniciusBrazilian missed out on Ballon d'OrStill playing starring role for Real MadridFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Vinicius Jr is a big NBA fan and has been spotted hanging out with superstars including Victor Wembanyama, LA Lakers legend LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo on trips to the U.S. The Brazilian also spent time with Siakam last summer after the NBA star paid a visit to Real Madrid's training camp in Charlotte during the club's pre-season preparations.
AdvertisementAFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Siakam has clearly been impressed with Vini and has hurled praise at the Real Madrid forward and says he's the best player in the world currently. Vinicius controversially missed out on the Ballon d'Or last year to Rodri but did pick up FIFA's The Best Men's Player for 2024 award after a season where he won La Liga and the Champions League.
WHAT SIAKAM SAID
He told reporters: "My boy Vini Jr. Cause yeah he's nice. He's my boy. And he's tough. Best player right now in the world." Vini Jr responded online with the message: "My broooo!!!!"
AFPWHAT NEXT FOR VINICIUS JR
Vinicius Jr and Real Madrid saw their La Liga title hopes suffer a blow on Saturday after dropping points against Osasuna. The Spanish giants return to action at the Santiago Bernabeu in midweek for the second leg of their Champions League play-off and resume with a 3-2 lead over Manchester City.
da fezbet： O atacante Vitinho se despediu do São Paulo em publicação nas redes sociais. O jogador, que fez uma boa Copa São Paulo de Futebol Jr em janeiro, tinha contrato com o Tricolor até o meio do ano.
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– O São Paulo me proporcionou muita coisa, me deu a chance de mostrar meu futebol ao Brasil, sou grato, e sempre serei grato por tudo que o São Paulo fez por mim!!! Saio daqui de cabeça erguida e convicto que dei o meu melhor sempre que meu futebol foi colocado à prova – escreveu Vitinho.
A jovem promessa teve uma longa novela de renovação do seu contrato.Ainda neste início de temporada, o atleta recebeu duas propostas de clubes estrangeiros. O primeiro interessado pretendia deixar um pequeno valor, pensando em uma venda futura, mas sem desembolsar nada de forma antecipada, enquanto o segundo ofereceu 200 mil dólares (cerca de R$ 1 milhão na cotação atual).
Porém, a diretoria do São Paulo fez uma proposta na qual pretendia renovar com o meia após a final da Copa São Paulo, mas não obteve respostas e a renovação não foi realizada.
Arsenal chiefs believe one good value striker would be a much better signing than Sporting Lisbon superstar Viktor Gyokeres, even if manager Mikel Arteta would actually prefer the latter.
Arsenal still targeting new number nine for Arteta
Over the summer window, sporting director Edu Gaspar elected not to bring in a new number nine, instead placing their full faith in Kai Havertz – following the German’s excellent displays in a makeshift centre-forward role.
Arsenal have new injury concern alongside Ben White as star spotted limping
The Gunners will be hoping that there is no lasting damage to their key men.
ByDan Emery Sep 23, 2024
The Premier League title hopefuls were linked with a host of interesting strikers, including the likes of Victor Osimhen before the Nigerian was ultimately forced to settle for a loan move to Turkish Süper Lig champions Galatasaray.
Arsenal have decided not to go for Osimhen in January, despite his rumoured break clause which would allow him to leave Turkey for another club mid-season. The north Londoners also had their eyes on Ivan Toney, who eventually sealed a lucrative switch to Saudi Arabia with Al-Ahli.
dominic-solanke-ivan-toney-tottenham-opinion
Arteta decided against signing Toney due to holding a theory that the Englishman wouldn’t fit in with the squad’s chemistry, according to some reports. Then, of course, there was their widely reported pursuit of RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko.
Appearances
42
Goals
18
Assists
2
Minutes per goal
115
Minutes played
2,057
Arsenal made a proposal for Sesko, as did Chelsea and Man United, but the Slovenia international decided against a move to England and penned a contract extension at Leipzig instead.
Reports since the summer window’s closure have refused to rule out the possibility of Arsenal bringing in a new forward at the turn of the year, with Edu considering a “big-money” striker bid in January.
Arsenal chiefs think Jhon Duran would be better than Gyokeres
According to Football Transfers, both Arteta and those within Arsenal are seemingly at odds over who to bring in.
Indeed, it is believed both Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran and Sporting’s Gyokeres are being internally monitored, but there is a disagreement over whom to go for. Arsenal chiefs believe Duran would be a better signing than Gyokeres, while Arteta would prefer the Swedish sensation, who’s stood out as one of Europe’s most prolific frontmen lately.
Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran
Duran, valued at around £40 million by Villa, has started the season in rip-roaring fashion after being heavily linked with an exit all summer.
“Unai Emery thinks in the next few years he can become one of the best strikers in the world,” said Villa director Monchi.
“He is 100% convinced. But what is the problem? We also have Watkins and Duran wants to play. He thinks he is better than Watkins. That is normal because every player thinks he is better than their teammates. To manage Ollie Watkins and Duran is not easy but in the end it is the best for the team. If you have two big strikers it is better than only one.
“Did Duran want to leave the club? Yes. That is normal because he wants to play. But now we spoke with him yesterday and he is happy. He is training well.”
Nottingham Forest maintained their unbeaten away record in the 2024/25 Premier League campaign, securing a 1-1 draw at Chelsea this afternoon.
Chris Wood put Nuno Espírito Santo’s side ahead just minutes into the second half but were pegged back less than ten minutes later after Noni Maduele fired home for the hosts.
Both sides pushed on for a winner, but excellent saves from Matz Sels and Robert Sanchez in stoppage time saw the game end level, with both teams having to settle for a point.
The result takes Forest back into the top half of the table ahead of the second international break, with a tally of ten points from the opening seven games of the new campaign.
However, it was a day to forget for one first-team member who failed to make a positive impression on the meeting at Stamford Bridge, in just his fourth start for the club.
James Ward-Prowse’s stats against Chelsea
After joining on loan from West Ham United on deadline day, midfielder James Ward-Prowse arrived at the City Ground with high expectations of bolstering Nuno’s midfield.
However, up to now, he’s yet to make any sort of positive impact, with his latest display summing up his time in the East Midlands so far this season.
The 29-year-old was sent off for a second bookable offence after losing possession, before diving on the ball and handling the ball to prevent a counter-attack from Enzo Maresca’s side.
Whilst he undoubtedly took one for the team, the mistake was an avoidable one, but up until his dismissal, he failed to pull up any trees, looking lacklustre throughout.
Minutes played
78
Touches
48
Passes completed
33/39 (85%)
Possession lost
11x
Fouls committed
2
Duels won
2/4 (50%)
Interceptions made
0
Ward-Prowse lost possession 11 times in his 78 minutes on the pitch, committing two fouls and only winning 50% of his duels.
It was certainly an afternoon to forget for the loanee, who will now miss the meeting with Crystal Palace after the international break, with Nuno having a decision to make over who could replace the midfielder.
However, despite his display in the capital, one other Forest player endured a tricky afternoon, producing some stats just as poor as the dismissed loanee.
The man who was as bad as Ward-Prowse
Whilst Forest were defensively solid throughout the draw, left-back Alex Moreno struggled against the pace and direct nature of opposition winger Madueke – often coming out second best in the battle with the England international.
The Spaniard, who’s currently on loan from Aston Villa, has cemented his place at full-back in recent matches, but his display at Stamford Bridge this afternoon was arguably his worst since his move in the summer.
The 31-year-old managed just 40 touches during his display, a tally lower than goalkeeper Sels who registered 44 – an indication as to his lack of impact during the encounter.
He also only won 40% of his duels, whilst losing possession nine times and committing a foul as he looked unable to compete with the pace of Madueke.
Minutes played
82
Touches
40
Passes completed
15/17 (88%)
Duels won
4/10 (40%)
Possession lost
9x
Dribbled past
3x
Fouls committed
1
The Chelsea wide man managed to dribble past him three times – including for their goal – unable to get close enough to the youngster, who was able to cut inside before firing home.
Whilst the point was a great result given the circumstances, Moreno failed to come away from the game with any plaudits, potentially putting his starting role at risk.
He was subsequently handed a 5/10 match rating by Nottinghamshire Live Forest correspondent Sarah Clapson, further highlighting his lack of positive impact during the draw.
As a result, Nuno could look to recall Neco Williams and switch Ola Aina back to a left-back role when his side face Oliver Glasner’s Palace in just over two weeks time.
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