A West Ham player who has been hailed as "phenomenal" in the past is now set to seal a return to one of his former clubs, according to a fresh transfer claim.

West Ham transfer news

The Hammers are being linked with plenty of exciting new signings as Julen Lopetegui looks to nail his summer transfer business having replaced David Moyes as manager.

One recent report has suggested that West Ham have enquired about Villarreal striker Alexander Sorloth, seeing him as a fantastic option alongside Mohammed Kudus, making Lopetegui's attack even more potent in the process. The 28-year-old scored an impressive 23 times in La Liga this season, highlighting the level of end product he could bring, acting as an upgrade on the ageing Michail Antonio.

Meanwhile, Celtic star Matt O'Riley has also emerged as a rumoured target for the east Londoners ahead of the 2024/25 season, as the Hammers look to find a tailor-made replacement for Lucas Paqueta should the Brazilian depart this summer. Like Sorloth, the attacking midfielder's numbers last season were mightily impressive, with 31 goal contributions (18 goals and 13 assists) coming his way in the Scottish Premiership.

Max Kilman has already been signed from Wolves, which looks like an eye-catching piece of business, but away from incomings, a current West Ham player is being linked with a move away.

"Phenomenal" West Ham player set to leave

According to The Sunday People's print edition [via West Ham Zone], Danny Ings is set to leave West Ham and re-join Southampton in the near future, following 18 months at the London Stadium.

The Hammers are willing to allow the £125,000-a-week striker to move on for a fresh challenge, but they are yet to come to an agreement with the Saints, with a £6m fee mooted.

This feels like the right time for Ings to move on considering his age and the fact that he has largely been a bit-part player since joining West Ham in January 2023. Only three starts in the Premier League were handed to him last term, which outlines his squad status, although former Premier League striker Noel Whelan did laud him during his time at Aston Villa, saying:

"He is a phenomenal finisher as well, and we’re really seeing that partnership work with [Ollie] Watkins. They’re building that telepathy, which is key to any good side. It’s what we’ve been asking for. They’ve had questions asked of them, criticism about the lack of goals – but they’ve shown exactly why Aston Villa paid the money to get them both in."

Burnley

130

43

Southampton

100

46

West Ham

52

4

Aston Villa

52

14

Bournemouth

30

8

Liverpool

25

4

England

3

1

31-year-old Ings only has one year remaining on his current West Ham deal, which means that selling him now makes perfect sense rather than losing him on a free transfer next year, and a reunion with Southampton represents a decent challenge for him at this point in his career.

علق هيثم فاروق لاعب الزمالك الأسبق والمحلل الرياضي الحالي، على تعادل الأبيض سلبياً في مباراة اليوم أمام المصري البورسيعدي، وذلك ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

والتقى الزمالك مع المصري، على استاد الجيش ببرج العرب في الإسكندرية، في الجولة الرابعة من دور المجموعات لبطولة الكونفدرالية.

وقال هيثم فاروق في تصريحات عبر قناة “بي إن سبورتس”: “كانت هناك سيطرة للزمالك في الشوط الأول، لكن في الشوط الثاني كانت للمصري فرص خطيرة”.

طالع أيضاً.. الزمالك يتعادل مع المصري سلبيًا ويحافظ على صدارة مجموعته في الكونفدرالية

وتابع: “جروس تحدث قبل المباراة عن استغلال الكرات الثابتة، واليوم كانت هناك أكثر من ركلة ركنية للزمالك لم يتم التعامل معها بشكل جيد”.

وأضاف: “تعادل قد يبدو جيدًا للمصري، لكن سنعلم قيمته في المباراة القادمة، لأنه سيواجه إنيمبا في نيجيريا، والزمالك سيواجه بلاك بولز في القاهرة”.

وأفاد: “تعادل المصري يمنحه فرصة للصعود، لكن لو خسر أمام إنيمبا سيكون الموقف صعباً على علي ماهر”.

واختتم: “أعتقد إن الزمالك قد يُنهي دور المجموعات في الصدارة، وكنا نتمنى أن يُحقق الأبيض فوزًا اليوم خاصة ونحن نحتفل بذكرى تأسيس أكبر قلعة رياضية في مصر”.

The Dutchman has finally got his marching orders, but the long delay has already threatened to derail the Red Devils' season

As anyone who has been in a doomed relationship will be able to tell you, once you have start to have doubts, it's best to end it there and then. And that is what Manchester United should have done with Erik ten Hag. Instead, they stalled on the biggest decision affecting the club until they were left with no choice after the infuriating defeat by West Ham. Rather than sacking the Dutchman in May after he had presided over the team's worst season in Premier League history, they decided to wait until Monday, leaving them scrambling around to find a permanent successor before the crunch Premier League game against Chelsea on Sunday.

There were numerous points last season when, in any other circumstances, the manager would have been sacked. Like in September 2023, when United were beaten at home by Brighton and then Crystal Palace. Or in October, after successive 3-0 home defeats by Manchester City and Newcastle. Or perhaps in December, when they were humiliated 3-0 by Bournemouth and exited the Champions League at the group stage.

Circumstances were on Ten Hag's side in each of those occasions, though, as the club was in ownership limbo while Sir Jim Ratcliffe negotiated the purchase of his minority stake, which was announced on Christmas Eve and then fully approved in February. United's results slowly picked up at that point, but they unravelled again towards the end of the season, culminating in the crushing 4-0 defeat by Crystal Palace.

That was when Ratcliffe and his INEOS colleagues began to seriously consider changing manager, reaching out to Kieran McKenna, Thomas Frank and Thomas Tuchel. But, influenced by United's shock FA Cup final win over Manchester City, they bottled it, giving Ten Hag another opportunity to put things right and triggering the one-year extension in his contract.

Not wanting to admit to their mistake was clearly a big factor in United's hierarchy showing more patience with Ten Hag after the dreadful 3-0 defeats at home to Liverpool and then to Tottenham to start the current campaign. The conclusion they have since come to is the right one, and you could say it's better late than never. But they have paid a heavy price for their indecision.

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  Throwing £7m away

  United's dithering has already cost them a hefty amount in extra compensation to Ten Hag compared to if they had parted ways with him in the summer. It was reported last May that sacking the Dutchman, who had one year left on his contract at the time, would have cost around £10 million (£13m). Triggering the one-year extension and giving him a contract until June 2026, therefore, would likely raise that figure to around £17m ($22m). And that is before you consider the amount if will cost to hire a new manager, especially one who is already employed elsewhere.

  United have effectively thrown away £7m ($9m) by stalling for four months on a decision that they should have taken over the summer. That might not seem like a lot given United made £662m ($860m) in revenue according to their last accounts, but it is a considerable amount in the context of the brutal cost-cutting regime Ratcliffe has implemented since taking the reins of the club's football operation.

  The billionaire has made 250 members of staff redundant and even cut ties with Sir Alex Ferguson, the club's greatest manager of all time and the reason why United are the global phenomenon they are today. The £7m they have parted with by giving Ten Hag that short-lived new contract could have paid the salaries of scores of those loyal employees. It also eats up a sizeable portion of the £30m ($39m) the club said it would save over two years by making those redundancies.

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  £95m on Ten Hag choices

  The £7m, however, pales in comparison to the amount of money United spent last summer on players that Ten Hag clearly pushed to sign. The club shelled out £178m ($231m) in the last transfer window on five new players, and while Manuel Ugarte and Leny Yoro appear to have been chosen by sporting director Dan Ashworth, it is reasonable to suggest that the manager asked to sign Noussair Mazraoui and Matthjis de Ligt, who both played under him at Ajax, as well as his fellow Dutchman Joshua Zirkzee. The trio cost a combined £95m ($123m).

  Zirkzee has scored just one goal since his £36m ($46m) move from Bologna, and although he set up Casemiro's goal against West Ham on Sunday, he has often looked clumsy and slow when he has played. De Ligt and Mazraoui, meanwhile, have been inconsistent, and it is hard to imagine that they would have been signed had a different manager been in place over the summer.

  The former Ajax duo's arrival meant that United spent £250m ($324m) on players Ten Hag had previously worked with at the Amsterdam giants. Only Andre Onana (admittedly after a very tough start) and Lisandro Martinez have been successes, with Antony looking like one of the worst signings in Premier League history.

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  Letting top candidates slip away

  United's dilly-dallying over Ten Hag has also left them with fewer obvious successors than if they had pulled the trigger in June. Mauricio Pochettino, who was greatly admired by Ferguson and was Ten Hag's main rival for the Old Trafford dugout in 2022, is now the manager of the United States. Tuchel, who held advanced talks with the club over the summer, is now the England head coach. Roberto De Zerbi was on the market over the summer but has since taken charge of Marseille.

  Julian Nagelsmann is also out of the question after renewing his contract with Germany back in April, when United should have been making contingency plans for Ten Hag's successor. Xavi Hernandez has effectively ruled himself out of the running for the now vacant job as he does not want to take on a new role until next season. Gareth Southgate also recently said he wants to take an extended break from management after leaving the England job in the summer.

  Graham Potter and Edin Terzic lead a now uninspiring list of managers who are currently out of work and could realistically get the job. Prising a highly-rated manager who is currently employed, such as Ruben Amorim or Thomas Frank, will be much harder to pull off at this stage of the season as their clubs would find it much harder to find a replacement and would therefore charge far more in compensation.

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  Serious questions

  Sacking Ten Hag four months into the season rather than last June looks all the more remarkable given that United made high-profile executive appointments just weeks after they had decided to stick with the manager. Omar Berrada began work as the club's new chief executive in July, around the same time that Ashworth started as sporting director.

  Ashworth and Berrada sought to distance themselves from the call to keep Ten Hag when they spoke to the media before the Liverpool game in September as they were still on gardening leave from their previous roles at Manchester City and Newcastle, respectively. Berrada said: "In terms of the contract, that was a decision that was taken prior to both of our arrivals. But we’re very happy with that decision. Erik has our full backing and we have worked very closely together in this transfer window. We’re going to continue working very closely with him to help him get the best results out of the team."

  The pair's words ring hollow now after they chose to sack Ten Hag, and the unusual timing of their arrival begs the question: why could Ratcliffe and INEOS director Sir Dave Brailsford not have delayed the decision on the Dutchman until they began work? And why did they deem it necessary to extend Ten Hag's contract when he had another year left anyway?

In April 1988, Pakistan survived 129 overs in the fourth innings to save a famous Test match in Trinidad with just one wicket left, against a West Indies pace quartet of its time.Thirty-two years and eight months later, Pakistan came within four-and-a-half overs of pulling off a near-repeat, against a New Zealand pace quartet that is now surely of comparable quality to that West Indies attack, certainly in its own conditions.

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Let’s leave comparisons be, for now. Let’s focus instead on the enthralling, excruciating, and/or devastating final day, depending on how you view it, that unfolded at Mount Maunganui. It was the kind of day that Test-cricket addicts hold up as examples to convert the skeptical.It was a day full of heroes. Eleven-and-a-half years after his first Test hundred, Fawad Alam scored a second, and spent 380 balls in the company of Mohammad Rizwan, to bring Pakistan to within sight of a draw, against all odds. It was the eighth-longest fourth-innings partnership of all time, in all Test matches for which balls-faced data is available.Alam and Rizwan, who came together in the second over of the day’s play, were still together with just 25.2 overs remaining. They had seen off 22.4 overs of the second new ball, on a pitch that had almost nothing to offer the fast bowlers when the ball was old.New Zealand needed six wickets in those 25.2 overs, and they found a way through, and how.Neil Wagner was the pulsing heart of New Zealand’s victory. He bowled 49 overs across the two innings, and took four wickets, two in each innings. He ran in with intensity, ball after ball, testing right- and left-hander from every possible angle of attack, frequently digging it in short, as is his wont, but by no means exclusively so, and did it all with two broken toes.”Unless they carry me off on a stretcher, I’m going to try and do everything I can,” Wagner had said at the end of the third day, when New Zealand had been clear favourites to win.Neil Wagner, broken toe and all, produced the key breakthrough to dismiss centurion Fawad Alam•Getty Images

By the end of his 11-over spell in the final session of the Test match, he may well have had just enough energy left in the tank to clamber onto that stretcher. By then, however, he had blown open a Test match that, at tea, might have seemed to be slipping away from a lesser attack.For the first 40 minutes or so of the final session, nothing seemed to happen off the deck. The bowlers seemed tired, the short ball was sitting up, and Alam and Rizwan picked up four fours in the first six overs after tea.But the threat of inconsistent bounce still hung over the batsmen, and they stayed vigilant, playing anything remotely within the line of the stumps with the straightest of bats. Then, in the 11th over after tea, Kyle Jamieson finally forced half an error from Rizwan, who got a touch too far across his stumps to a ball angled into the stumps from wide of the crease. Having to play slightly across the line in defence, he couldn’t get his bat down in time as it shot through low and struck his front pad.New Zealand successfully reviewed the not-out decision, and energy coursed through their ranks once more.From the other end, Wagner kept coming, kept asking awkward questions of the batsman. Nineteen balls after Rizwan’s dismissal, he coaxed (bulldozed might be a better verb) an error out of Alam. He attacked the left-hander with short balls from left-arm around, climbing at unpredictable heights from his blind spot outside his leg stump. He stuck two forward short legs in his peripheral vision.Alam had judged the short ball exceedingly well and played the pull with authority through his innings. But now he got cramped by a shoulder-high ball down the leg side, and gloved it to wicketkeeper BJ Watling. His resistance had lasted 396 minutes and 269 balls.Pakistan had just one recognised batsman left, and it was Wagner, again, who prised him out. He kept attacking Faheem Ashraf with the short ball, and Ashraf kept pulling him, controlling nearly all of them except one that flew over the head of deep backward square leg stationed a few yards inside the rope. Then Wagner sent down a good-length ball in the corridor, and got it to straighten by the tiniest degree. Ashraf could have covered the movement with a half-decent front-foot stride, but he failed to get one in, having been pushed back by all those short balls.At that point, New Zealand needed just three wickets with 16.1 overs remaining. But Pakistan’s lower order wouldn’t give up. Between them, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi – who underwent multiple concussion checks after ducking into a Wagner bouncer early in his innings – resisted the bowling for 80 balls. The pitch was flat enough by now for Nos. 9, 10 and 11 to get in line and defend Trent Boult and Tim Southee with a reasonable degree of comfort.Fawad Alam added 165 with Mohammad Rizwan in 63.2 overs•Getty Images

It fell to Mitchell Santner to take the last two wickets. The left-arm spinner hadn’t exactly justified his selection until tea, failing to offer the control required of a frontline Test-match spinner and getting pulled and cut repeatedly by Alam in particular, who scored 32 off 34 balls against him.But the ball was turning sharply on occasion when pitched in the right spot, and Kane Williamson went back to Santner against the tailenders, crowding them with as many as six close catchers. And over the course of his last four overs, broken into two spells, he finally made an impact, trapping Abbas lbw with a well-directed slider, and then, with time nearly running out, having Naseem caught-and-bowled with a ball that seemed to stick in the turf.It was a fitting finish, because the day had been defined by the slowness of the pitch and its sapping effect on ball and bat.Alam and Rizwan came together in the second over of the morning, when Azhar Ali, batting on 38 off 119 at that point, nicked off attempting an uncharacteristically loose push outside off stump to a fullish ball from Boult that seamed away to accentuate it’s angle across the right-hand batsman.Both Alam and Rizwan took time coming to terms with the slow surface initially, surviving moments of early indecision when they reached out well in front of the body to drive. But once they got used to the pitch, they turned its lack of pace into an ally that gave them time to negotiate its vagaries of bounce.The fast bowlers threw everything they could at them, using unusual angles and setting unorthodox fields to try and prise out a breakthrough. At one point, Boult bowled to Alam with two slips, two gullies, two short covers, short leg and short midwicket in place. Jamieson, the tallest of the New Zealand quicks, got the odd ball to climb unexpectedly in the corridor, and skid through at knee height on other occasions, both from just short of a length. Wagner’s bouncers frequently climbed barely a couple of feet over the stumps, causing the batsmen to duck awkwardly to evade them.But they got through the uncomfortable periods, and gradually began to shift the day’s momentum, with batting getting easier as the ball aged. By the time the new ball arrived, Rizwan had faced more than 100 balls and Alam nearly 200, and they began finding the boundary with greater frequency, even as the uncertain bounce increased in frequency and magnitude. As the final session approached its final hour, belief surged through both camps. On another day, Alam and Rizwan may well have outlasted Wagner and Jamieson.

Following the conclusion of the Euros and Copa América over the weekend, the transfer window is in full swing, and while things have been unusually quiet thus far, Tottenham Hotspur have already made their first major signing.

Daniel Levy and Co welcomed in the young Archie Gray from Leeds United a couple of weeks ago, and in his first friendly for the club last night, he impressed.

He started in defence as Ange Postecoglou's side ran out 5-1 winners against Scottish side Hearts, and while the former Peacocks gem did brilliantly, academy star Mikey Moore stole the show.

The young attacker is tipped to have a massive future ahead of him, but as things stand, another emerging talent at the club is worth even more.

Mikey Moore's valuation

Now, as Moore is only 16 years old, his first-team debut only came at the end of last season, and to date, he has a whopping 3 minutes of experience under his belt.

However, the fact that he was even given a chance to play at his age is a testament to his potential and incredible record at youth level.

For example, in just 24 appearances for the Lilywhites U18 side, the "outstanding" prospect, as talent scout Jacek Kulig has dubbed him, has scored 19 goals and provided 13 assists, meaning he has averaged a goal involvement every 0.75 games – outrageous.

Appearances

24

Minutes

1886'

Goals

19

Assists

13

Goal Involvements per Match

1.33

Minutes per Goal Involvements

58.93'

He's been just as effective for the junior national sides as well, as in 12 appearances for the U17s, he's scored ten goals and provided four assists, proving that he can perform regardless of the team he's in.

This rapid rise from an unknown youth product to the next big thing in N17 has understandably impacted his valuation, and according to Football Transfers, he is now worth about €5m, which converts to around £4m.

It's undoubtedly an impressive fee for a youngster with essentially no first-team experience, but another up-and-coming youngster in the Spurs squad is worth even more.

Lucas Bergvall's valuation

The player in question is Swedish wonderkid Lucas Bergvall, who joined Spurs for about £8.5m this year, and we're sure his price tag is a lot higher now.

The "astounding" 18-year-old talent, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, enjoyed a positive season with Djurgarden in his homeland last year, in which he made 19 first-team appearances, scoring six goals and providing five assists, equating to an impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.72 games.

Described as having "decision-making to a supreme level" by Mango, the young Swede was heavily linked to La Liga giants Barcelona before opting to join the Lilywhites, and there is genuine hope in Sweden that he could be their next global superstar.

A clear indication of just how highly thought of he is in the Scandinavian country is the fact that, despite being just 17 at the time, he made his senior debut for the national team against Estonia in January this year.

Ultimately, both Moore and Bergvall look destined for enormously successful careers with Spurs, but given his experience, it's easy to see why the Swede cost £8.5m, although that fee may look like a bargain very soon.

Spurs favourites to land £60m "entertainer" who's like Phil Foden

The incredible talent would be a statement signing.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 18, 2024

Arsenal have yet to pounce during this summer's transfer window but there's no sense of concern at the Emirates. Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu are dedicated to bolstering the Premier League behemoths.

One of the staples of the Gunners' rise and rise in recent years has been the remarkable bouncebackability in the market, having navigated past various setbacks to create a balanced and elite-class squad.

Benjamin Sesko, last week, broke Premier League hearts as he announced he would be staying at RB Leipzig. Aged 21, the Slovenian striker probably made a prudent call, continuing to build on his exploits of last season, posting 18 goals from 42 matches.

Signing a centre-forward has plainly been a priority position for a while but given the emphatic form of Kai Havertz and a lack of top alternatives on the market, Arteta and Co may turn to other positions.

Arsenal eyeing talented winger

According to The Athletic's Pol Ballus, Arsenal have placed Spain's Euro 2024 star Nico Williams on their 'wish list', with the Athletic Bilbao winger earning quite the reputation as a fleet-footed, tricky customer.

A range of Premier League rivals – and Barcelona – admire the 21-year-old ace but Arteta will hope that his exciting project and emphatic success over recent seasons will hold sway.

Williams has a €58m (£49m) release clause in his contract and given that the Gunners have turned their transfer cannon away from the striker's position, this might be a feasible deal for the north London outfit.

Nico Williams' style of play

Born and raised in the Basque Country, Williams has enjoyed a dream start to his career, plying his trade alongside his brother, Inaki, and winning the Copa del Rey last season, ending a 40-year wait for a trophy.

Last season, he scored eight goals and notched a whopping 19 assists across 37 appearances in all competitions, utilising his pace and power to surge into dangerous openings and wreak chaos on his adversaries.

Evidencing such traits: as per FBref, the 5 foot 9 star ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 20% for shot-creating actions, the top 7% for progressive carries and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90.

Such attributes have led FBref to place Gabriel Martinelli as a similar player to the Spaniard, with Arsenal's left-sided forward also direct and devastating on his day but struggling to perform last season, scoring eight goals across 44 matches and adding only five assists.

Martinelli, aged 23, has been described as "unplayable" by pundit Owen Hargreaves in the past but he left plenty to be desired last year, also creating, on average, 1.3 key passes and completing 1.1 dribbles per top-flight game. Williams, however, trumped him, averaging 1.5 key passes and 2.8 dribbles per match.

These statistics suggest that he would come to The Emirates as an upgrade on the Brazil international, due to his superior quality in the final third when it comes to creating quality chances for his teammates.

He registered 14 more assists in seven fewer appearances than Martinelli during the 2023/24 campaign and could provide Arsenal's forwards with more opportunities to find the back of the net next term.

He's not yet a high-level goalscorer but this isn't really at the front and centre of his style. Instead, Williams performs with a selfless, unshackled kind of gusto that allows him to pick out teammates and boost the overall attacking fluency of his team.

Such players can have quite an effect, as has been evidenced by Williams' performances with Spain at Euro 2024 thus far, notably enjoying a barnstorming display as his nation confidently defeated Italy 1-0 in their second group game, having already dispatched Croatia 3-0.

Minutes played

78'

Touches

60

Accurate passes

27/29

Shots taken

2

Hit woodwork

1x

Key passes

4

Dribble attempts

4/10

Duels won

6/21

Winning UEFA's Player of the Match in that one, the exciting young wide forward has the creative and combative style to make a real impact in the Premier League, and Arsenal must ensure they are the ones to secure his services.

Imagine Nico Williams & Bukayo Saka

Playing with electric style down the left flank, Williams could be the perfect partner for Bukayo Saka on the alternate. Saka needs no introduction, having bloomed into one of the most prodigious talents in English football over the past several years.

Like his Spanish counterpart, the Three Lions phenomenon was in imperious form last term, clinching 16 goals and nine assists from 35 Premier League matches, averaging 2.5 key passes, averaging 1.5 dribbles, averaging 5.9 successful duels.

His creative expertise and authoritative performances were crucial to the success of Arteta's side, and while many have called for a more prolific centre-forward, upgrading on the left flank to create a perfect sense of wide balance could be the key to success.

Think, for a moment, about the options that would present themselves to captain Odegaard, defence-splitting moments unfurling like a flower in spring bloom.

The Norwegian ranks among the top 4% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 2% for progressive passes and the top 1% for shot-creating actions per 90. A master distributor, he would have a duality of overlapping quality to wrap opposing defences in on themselves, constraining and suffocating.

Arteta very close to first Arsenal summer signing in £42 million forward

It would be quite the coup.

5 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 21, 2024

The Gunners must now press ahead and secure a deal for the Spain international before the summer transfer window slams shut at the end of August, due to the quality he could add to Arteta's squad next term.

His statistics in LaLiga suggest that the ability is there for him to be an upgrade on Martinelli and a lethal partner for Saka at the top end of the pitch, which is why Williams could arrive in London as a fantastic and exciting signing for supporters to look forward to watching if they can get a deal over the line for him.

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner is reportedly doing his best to bring a former player to Selhurst Park this summer – one he has used in various positions.

Crystal Palace transfer news

The Eagles finished last season as one of the most in-form Premier League teams, only dropping two points in their final seven matches, picking up respective 4-0 and 5-0 wins over Manchester United and Aston Villa in the process.

For that reason, there is understandable positivity heading into the 2024/25 campaign, even if key players are being linked with moves away as Glasner continues to work his magic. New signings are needed to take Palace in a positive direction, and fresh rumours continue to emerge.

Jobe Bellingham may be overshadowed by his older brother, but he is an extremely exciting player in his own right and has been backed to join Palace from Sunderland, for whom he scored seven goals in the Championship last season.

Arsenal ace Emile Smith Rowe has also emerged as an exciting transfer target for the Eagles, with the Englishman potentially in need of a new challenge after falling down the pecking order at the Emirates. If he stays put in north London, he may have to accept playing second fiddle to the likes of Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz.

Glasner wants former player at Crystal Palace

According to TuttoMercatoWeb (via Sport Witness), Glasner wants to bring Juventus' Filip Kostic to Crystal Palace this summer, with the Eagles boss personally pushing to get his man.

The 31-year-old played under him at Eintracht Frankfurt between 2021 and 2023, where he was used as a left wing-back and left-sided attacking player.

The £52,000-a-week Kostic has the potential to be an excellent signing for Palace this summer, possessing so much experience at a high level down the years.

The versatile ace has racked up 64 caps for Serbia and won the Europa League alongside Glasner in 2022, highlighting his pedigree, while he featured for 43 minutes of his country's 1-0 defeat to England at Euro 2024 earlier this month. Compatriot Aleksandar Mitrovic has heaped praise on his quality as a player, claiming he is even better than Angel Di Maria:

"Di Maria is a great champion, but Kostic is my favourite winger at Juventus. Filip is one of the best wingers I’ve played with. If you put him in a position that exploits his potential, he repays you with crosses and assists. I’m not just saying it out of friendship, but from experience. I scored several goals thanks to Kostic."

At 31, Kostic isn't getting any younger, and there can be a risk element in bringing ageing players to the fast and frenetic Premier League, but the fact that Glasner knows him so well as a footballer can only bode well.

Filip Kostic's key career stats	Appearances	Goals	Assists
Bundesliga	249	35	67
Serie A	66	3	12
Eredivisie	39	9	8
Champions League	6	0	1
Europa League	42	9	12

The Serb would add depth and experience to a squad that has some young talent in it, helping Palace become even more of a force next season in the process.

Finally on home soil after the Covid-19 summer kept them at neutral venues for all 15 of their previous games, the Sydney Sixers rode on the back of another James Vince special to become the second Big Bash League club to claim back-to-back titles. Fittingly, at a joyous SCG, they defeated the Perth Scorchers, the only previous club to claim two crowns in a row, to get there.The Sydney Sixers players celebrate after clinching victory in the BBL 2020-21 final•Getty Images

Vince’s contribution was elegant as ever and summed up why the Sixers had the measure of the Scorchers in both of their finals meetings. This is not to say things could not have been different. Perhaps overly influenced by showers that passed through Sydney comfortably before the 7.40pm start time, the Scorchers had decided to bowl first upon winning the bat flip and then did not use the full allocation of the wristspinner Fawad Ahmed, comfortably their best bowler on the night.Those mis-steps aided the Sixers in compiling a total that, while not match-sealing, was going to be unreachable if the hosts put in a solid shift with the ball and in the field. Blessed with plenty of experience to bowl the right spells at the right times, the Sixers were never seriously challenged after the exit of Liam Livingstone.The seasoned trio of Jackson Bird, Steve O’Keefe and Dan Christian all put in excellent displays with the ball. Christian has now been part of nine domestic T20 title-winning combinations; the coach Greg Shipperd was at the helm for his sixth Australian T20 tournament win spanning both state and club-based eras. Old blokes do indeed win stuff.Vince turns platform into launchpad
Back against the Scorchers after his decisive 98 in Canberra which vaulted the Sixers into the final, Vince carried on almost as though he was continuing the same innings. Commanding through the off side as ever, but also feasting on short stuff from Jhye Richardson, Vince was almost totally at ease, even if the Sixers’ early progress was pockmarked by a horrid mix-up to end in the run-out of Josh Philippe after he and Vince ended up at the same end.One of Vince’s sixes, an inside-out lofted drive well over the cover boundary on the long side of the ground, was almost worth the price of a ticket alone, and the rest of the Sixers order contributed a series of complementary cameos around him. Denied a century by a possible accidental wide from Andrew Tye at Manuka Oval, Vince began to look a little ragged as he neared the milestone for a second time in as many innings, being dropped twice. He fell when slicing Ahmed to gully, a dismissal that hinted at how the wristspinner might have been better used.James Vince led the Sixers’ batting effort with a 60-ball 95•Getty Images

Fawad Ahmed: 3-0-16-1
On an SCG pitch that had to offer some assistance for spin, the Scorchers’ captain Ashton Turner appeared to get his sums wrong. How he managed not to find room for Ahmed to bowl his full four overs, conceding just 16 from three and also claiming the wicket of Vince, while bowling Livingstone’s occasionals for two that cost 21, stretched credulity. Certainly the exit of Daniel Hughes opened up a vast array of right-handers for Ahmed, and they proved far more adept at attacking pace.Richardson’s late-tournament fade continued with his most expensive analysis, while Aaron Hardie was also notably expensive. The final over of the innings had Carlos Brathwaite coming to the middle for his first ball and finding himself able to cosh a pull shot and then a straight drive after a typically effective contribution from Christian ended with a tight call on a full toss that may or may not have been worthy of a no-ball call. The Sixers walked off satisfied with what they had to defend.Sixers correct early errors in line
The sight of Cameron Bancroft walking out to open the batting must often cause intriguing thoughts for opponents, who respect his dogged attitude but can question his shot-making ability. Bancroft tried to clear the boundary in Bird’s opening over but saw the ball mistimed and plugged short of the rope, but he was to be rather more successful in subsequent overs as the Sixers bowlers drifted too short and straight, allowing him to ping the leg-side boundary numerous times.At length, the hosts made the requisite corrections, and Bird had Bancroft skewing a pull-shot attempt to mid-on. After having scored 36 from three overs, the Scorchers managed only 22 from the next four and lost the vital wicket of Colin Munro. Josh Inglis was promoted, and for a time he and Livingstone appeared to be rebuilding for a well-positioned dash at the target, doing just enough to keep the required rate around 10 per over.Jackson Bird removed both the Scorchers openers after they had settled in•Getty Images and Cricket Australia

A successful squeeze to the title
Bird returned for the 11th over of the innings with the game very much open. His subtle variations in length and line were successful in slowing the Scorchers, however, and made a pivotal contribution when Livingstone was pouched on the midwicket boundary. What followed were a pair of outstanding overs from the wily O’Keefe, who went from figures of 0 for 17 from two overs to a critical 0 for 26 from four: four dots and seven singles in those final 12 balls put an extreme squeeze on the Scorchers.Suddenly the required rate was pushing 13, and wickets followed inevitably even as the Scorchers took the Power Surge. Mitchell Marsh was wonderfully caught off Ben Dwarshuis – who picked up three overall – by Vince moving as smoothly in the field as he had done at the crease, and Inglis’ muted final innings of a successful campaign was ended with a miscue to mid-off. Christian delivered a typically canny follow-up over, and though Brathwaite conceded 16 from the 17th over, the Sixers always appeared to have enough in reserve.Having had to make homes away from home this summer, they celebrated as though the SCG decider was a long-awaited Saturday night house warming.

A member of Enzo Maresca's squad has set his sights on joining Real Madrid from Chelsea, and it is believed he's desperate to make the transfer happen.

Players who could still be sold by Chelsea before August 30

Thiago Silva, Hakim Ziyech, Lewis Hall, Omari Hutchinson, Michael Golding and Ian Maatsen have all left Chelsea already, bringing in around £89 million and helping to balance the books after a fairly active first half of the summer window.

£152,000-per-week forward contacts Chelsea over signing him via his agents

He’s reached out to Stamford Bridge.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Jul 13, 2024

Deals for Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Omari Kellyman, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Estevao Willian and Renato Veiga have cost Todd Boehly around £93 million, but Chelsea's aforementioned sales have allowed the club to register a net spend of just £4 million so far.

With Profit and Sustainability rules at the forefront of their thinking, the Blues have operated cleverly in this transfer market, so much so that they seemingly have the licence to bring in a few more key additions.

Cole Palmer

7.48

Conor Gallagher

7.13

Nicolas Jackson

7.07

Moises Caicedo

6.85

Noni Madueke

6.84

Maresca is said to have made clear he wants a new forward at Chelsea to compete with Nicolas Jackson next season, while other reports suggest that Boehly could bring in another centre-back after Tosin.

As deadline day approaches on August 30, it's set to be another interesting few weeks at Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea are far from done in terms of clearing the deadwood. Indeed, Romelu Lukaku, Armando Broja, Malang Sarr, Trevoh Chalobah, Lesley Ugochukwu, Carney Chukwuemeka, Ben Chilwell, Mykhailo Mudryk and Raheem Sterling are players who could still be sold by Chelsea in the coming month and a half.

Co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley will be especially eager to get Lukaku's £325,000-per-week wages off the books, amid rumoured interest from the likes of AC Milan and Napoli in Serie A.

Another high-earner who set Chelsea back dearly when he signed is goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. The 29-year-old became the most expensive shot-stopper of all time when he sealed a £72 million move from Athletic Bilbao in 2018, and he takes home around £150,000-per-week in west London.

The Spaniard spent last season on loan at the Bernabeu, with recent reports claiming Kepa is very keen to quit Chelsea and move on this summer.

Kepa ready to take pay cut so he can join Real Madrid from Chelsea

Spanish news source AS have another update on the keeper's future this week. They claim that Kepa is desperate to join Real Madrid from Chelsea and is even willing to take a pay cut so it can happen. Both Chelsea and Kepa are in agreement that it is time for him to go, according to AS, and the former La Liga star is very eager to link back up with Carlo Ancelotti.

Kepa also has held talks with Al-Ittihad, but the Saudi Pro League side had an initial bid turned down from Chelsea (The Athletic), so the door is still open for Real to re-sign him – depending on what happens with Andriy Lunin and his contract situation.

Everton will be desperately trying to cling onto the services of centre-back star Jarrad Branthwaite this transfer window, knowing this will be a tricky feat to pull off.

Manchester United are very keen on the breakout Toffees gem, who was only on the books at Carlisle United a matter of seasons ago before exploding into life on Merseyside, with a potential eye-watering £70m move to the Theatre of Dreams no doubt tempting for the in-demand 22-year-old.

If the 6 foot 5 colossus does leave for pastures new this off-season, it looks likely that Sean Dyche's men will attempt to sign a replacement swiftly, with this defender reportedly on their agenda from Ligue 1.

Everton eyeing up former Crystal Palace centre-back

Formerly on the roster at Crystal Palace, current Olympique Lyonnais number 12 Jake O'Brien could soon be moving back to the Premier League, with the Toffees just one club interested from the top English division.

A recent report in the Daily Mail states that Everton, alongside West Ham United, are keen on a move for the 6 foot 6 giant, who has impressed during his debut campaign out in France, even when coming up against the likes of Kylian Mbappe for Lyon.

It would take a substantial bid of £15m to win his services, as per the report, with Palace and Lyon raking in significant amounts of cash in the process if a deal was to take place, having sold O'Brien for just £850k.

O'Brien could end up being a perfect heir to the out-going Branthwaite, therefore, with the Irish 23-year-old hungry to prove himself back on Premier League soil, after never being given the chance to excel at the level with the Eagles.

What O'Brien could offer Everton

Much like Everton's star number 32 who prides himself on being assertive and authoritative in winning duels, with 5.3 won per match last season in the league – as per Sofascore – O'Brien hasn't been afraid to roll up his sleeves and use his lofty height to his advantage plying his trade out in France.

O'Brien put his towering frame to good use with four goals managed last campaign from 27 top-flight contests, alongside being a calm operator on the ball under pressure away from just being an imposing presence, with an 88% pass accuracy in-tact per match.

Stat – per 90 mins

Branthwaite

O'Brien

Passes attempted

40

54.71

Pass completion %

79.8%

88.2%

Progressive passes

2.14

2.58

Progressive carries

0.06

0.57

Successful take-ons

0.14

0.27

Touches in attacking penalty area

1.13

1.06

Tackles

1.91

0.84

Interceptions

1.44

0.46

Blocks

1.47

0.87

Clearances

4.71

3.72

Aerials won

2.72

1.67

Stats by FBRef

Beating Branthwaite in a head-to-head battle when glancing at many of the passing statistics between the two, O'Brien still has lots he can improve on when it comes to many of his defensive tasks however, with Dyche wanting to get more out of his unfinished product if he was to sign on the dotted line and move to Goodison Park.

Branthwaite wasn't an instant first-teamer overnight for the Toffees, having to battle his way into first-team contention after only six Premier League appearances came his way during the 21/22 campaign, with James Tarkowski also potentially being beneficial for O'Brien as an experienced centre-back partner he can bounce off of.

It would be less than ideal for Dyche and Co if they were to lose Branthwaite this summer, but if that does become an inevitable reality, signing O'Brien could be a risk worth exploring, to try and find their next gem at the back.

Everton could forget about Godfrey with move for £10m "Rolls Royce"

Sean Dyche could bring a talented English defender to the club following Godfrey’s sale

ByRoss Kilvington Jun 30, 2024

Therefore, the Toffees should press ahead with a deal to sign the "impressive" – per journalist Josh Bunting – star before the end of the window.