West Ham's summer transfer window looks like it is about to heat up, as new manager Julen Lopetegui looks to bolster his side ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign, in an attempt to return to those European places.

After the signings of Max Kilman from Wolves, who previously played under Lopetegui, and Brazilian youngster Luis Guilherme, West Ham still have a number of positions they are looking to improve, such as a right back, left-winger, and a striker.

One of the names being touted for the striker position is Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran. The 20-year-old has been linked to West Ham, Chelsea and Newcastle in recent weeks, with Duran wanting a move to play more first-team football, currently waiting in the shadows of Ollie Watkins.

West Ham transfer news

According to reports from GIVEMESPORT, West Ham are set to attempt a move for Brentford striker Ivan Toney, as Tottenham Hotspur are also keen, and preparing a "lowball offer" for the 28-year-old.

The reports suggest Brentford have slashed their demands for the striker, now looking for under £50m, as the English forward enters the last 12 months of his deal.

It seems West Ham and Tottenham are the last remaining parties interested, after initial interest had been reported from the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal.

Toney vs Duran comparison

Thomas Frank has praised Toney, calling the forward "remarkable" back in 2023, after he scored his 20th Premier League goal of the season against Nottingham Forest.

Toney made 17 appearances in the Premier League last season, scoring four goals, and providing two assists in 1,449 minutes. However, the season prior, Toney posted an outstanding term, scoring 20 Premier League goals in 33 games, and providing four assists.

So, whilst Duran actually had more G/A involvement in fewer minutes than Toney last season (scoring eight goals, in 1,103 minutes in all competitions), Toney still has the pedigree to fall back on, having scored 20 Premier League goals the season before, which is a highly sought after commodity.

Ivan Toney League G/A per season
Season	G/A tally
23/24	6
22/23	24
21/22	17
20/21 (Championship)	41
Stats taken from Transfermarkt

Toney has shown, throughout his time at Brentford, his ability to consistently post goals and assists, managing to translate that exceptional 41 G/A Championship season into back-to-back double-digit G/A seasons in the Premier League.

This is something that could significantly improve West Ham, as the majority of their goals currently come from wide areas, with Jarrod Bowen scoring 16, and Mohammed Kudus scoring eight in the top-flight. Recognised strikers at the club, Michail Antonio and Danny Ings only contributed with seven Premier League strikes, and two assists between them.

Duran is more of a gamble. West Ham would be buying him based on his metrics produced from limited minutes, and the raw ball-striking ability he possesses. His 3.79 shots per 90 on average, 0.95 non-penalty goals per 90, and 3.79 aerials won per 90, all rank above Toney.

However, whilst Duran offers extremely high potential, and excellent performance in key metrics for a striker, Toney offers the experience of doing it consistently at Premier League level. That will be key during Lopetegui's first year at the wheel.

Imagine him & Summerville: West Ham 'close' in on exciting new signing

West Ham looking to add firepower along with Summerville in attack

By
Connor Holden

Jul 23, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

da dobrowin： Estádio com dinheiro público, salários atrasados, contratação e venda de atletas… todos os dias esses temas são levantados pelo menos uma vez no Corinthians. Desmenti-los cotidianamente é reforçar inverdades. Mas se há um dia para esclarecer esses pontos é o 1º de abril.

Na tradicional data em que se comemora o Dia da Mentira, a reportagem do L! esclarece alguns fatos mentirosos que de tanto repetiram se tornaram verdades para alguns torcedores corintianos.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansApós ser ‘furado’ pelo Shakhtar, Corinthians anuncia retorno do meia MayconCorinthians31/03/2022CorinthiansCorinthians empresta volante Mandaca ao LondrinaCorinthians31/03/2022CorinthiansFagner segue no departamento médico e pode desfalcar o Corinthians na LibertadoresCorinthians31/03/2022

da bet sport： SALÁRIOS ATRASADOS

O Corinthians está longe de viver o seu melhor momento financeiro, o que dá margem para que mensalmente pipoquem informações falsas sobre dívidas salariais com o elenco, o que está longe de verdade.

Mesmo tendo herdado uma dívida próxima a R$ 1 bilhão, e em um ano à frente do clube alvinegro não ter conseguido reduzir o valor, a atual diretoria corintiana tem arcado o compromisso com os atletas sem atrasos desde agosto do ano passado.

No fim da gestão anterior, comandada pelo ex-presidente André Sánchez, o Timão chegou a dever quatro meses de salários aos seus jogadores. Já na administração atual, a única vez que atrasos foram registrados foi em agosto do ano passado, quando os salários de julho foram pagos somente no fim do mês seguinte.

A equipe corintiana chegou a dever por mais tempo os jogadores das categorias de base, que ganham uma ajuda de custo. As pendências tiveram problemas no fluxo durante três meses e foram acertadas em setembro, parte no dia 15 e o restante cinco dias depois.

> GALERIA – Veja todos os técnicos estrangeiros na história do Timão
> TABELA – O Brasileirão vem aí! Confira a tabela e simule os jogos

DÍVIDA COM PAULINHO

E quando falamos que o todo o elenco do Corinthians está com os salários em dia, estão inclusos nomes como Paulinho e Willian, que tiveram as suas contratações condicionadas a parceiros que pagariam os salários dos atletas.

Se o Timão até aqui não teve problemas com a Socios.com, plataforma de votação e recompensas para torcedores, que está no projeto do Fan Tolken do Timão e arca com os vencimentos de Willian, o clube alvinegro está tendo dores de cabeça com o Grupo Taunsa, empresa de agronegócios que se responsabilizou a viabilizar financeiramente os salários do meia Paulinho, mas tem atrasado o repasse, já no primeiro trimestre da parceria.

O Corinthians mantém o acordo com a empresa e aceitou a justificativa dada pelos representantes da Taunsa de que o pagamento não foi feito por problemas no fluxo de caixa, mas que o valor seria depositado nos próximos dias. No entanto, o clube está de olhos abertos para a instituição, principalmente após matéria divulgada pela ESPN que aponta abandono no local informado como sede da empresa, na cidade de Araçatuba, interior de São Paulo, e diversas outras divergências burocráticas e ausências financeiras em que o grupo está envolvido.

Publicamente, o presidente Duílio afirmou que mantém relações com a Taunsa, e que vê os atrasos com naturalidade no mundo corporativo, mas já há uma atenção interna, através dos Departamentos Financeiro e Jurídico do Timão, para buscar uma compensação da empresa em caso de novos calotes ou ruptura de contrato unilateral no futuro.

Sendo assim, se pode haver alguma parte que mentiu nesse tramite é a própria Taunsa.

Mas o Corinthians, mesmo tendo sido lesado com o não pagamento até agora, se viu precavido em bancar os salários de todos os atletas do elenco, inclusive Paulinho, prevendo o orçamento com esses jogadores incluso. O clube, portanto, prevê os salários mensalmente com o elenco inteiro na folha e trata o valor acordado como entradas a parte, correndo o risco de ter que arcar com os vencimentos em casos de ausências de pagamentos, como é o caso da Taunsa atualmente.

CHEGADA DE CAVANI, SUÁREZ E PEDRINHO

A contratação de Maycon tem tudo para ser a última do Corinthians neste primeiro semestre. Através de uma promessa de viabilização financeira do próprio Grupo Taunsa, o Timão chegou a sonhar com nomes de peso, como os centroavantes uruguaios Edinson Cavani, do Manchester United, da Inglaterra, e Luís Suázrez, do Atlético do Madrid, da Espanha.

Ambos estão na reta final dos seus contratos, que se encerram no meio deste ano, e já possuem uma idade mais avançada. Ainda assim, Suárez nem quis escutar o contato corintiano, pois não se sentiu atraído pelo mercado Sul-Americano, diferentemente de Cavani, que chegou a considerar jogar no Brasil, para ficar mais próximo do seu país natal, mas a opção por cumprir o contato com o United atrapalhou os planos corintianos.

Hoje, a proximidade da estreia na Libertadores, que acontece nesta terça-feira (5), contra o Always Ready, na Bolívia, e que tem o prazo para inscrições encerrado no sábado (2), além da chegada de Júnior Moraes, faz com que a diretoria corintiana não sonhe mais com a dupla de uruguaios badalados.

Outro nome que chegou a ficar próximo do Corinthians é do atacante Pedrinho, que está refugiado do conflito entre Rússia e Ucrânia, no leste europeu. Os representantes do atacante chegaram a conversar com os do Timão, mas preferiram priorizar a Europa, principalmente após uma investida do Wolverhampton, que disputa a Premier League, na Inglaterra.

Pedrinho permanecerá no Brasil até abrir a janela de transferências no meio do ano e buscar uma nova equipe para jogar, que dificilmente será o Corinthians.

SAÍDA DE LUAN

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Contratado em 2020 com status de estrela, mesmo já não vivendo boa fase, o atacante Luan é o típico caso de expectativas que não foram atingidas.

Como o atleta era torcedor corintiano na infância, o Timão comprou a ideia de recuperar o camisa 7 mantendo o padrão do atleta o mesmo de 2016 e 2017, quando ele foi um dos destaques no inédito ouro olímpico do Brasil, conquistou Copa do Brasil e Libertadores pelo Grêmio e foi considerado o Rei da América.

Dois anos depois, Luan se tornou um abacaxi duro de se descascar para o Corinthians, e geralmente o nome do atleta está envolvido em situações de possíveis negociações, trocas ou até empréstimos.

Com contrato até o fim do ano que vem, o Corinthians sabe que terá prejuízo no jogador, principalmente porque não encontra interessados.

Luan é um ativo altamente negociável do Timão, e os burburinhos de clubes interessados não passam de factoides.

Caso apareça uma proposta vantajosa para o clube alvinegro, até mesmo de empréstimo, para desonerar a folha salarial, a equipe dificilmente irá se opor. No entanto, enquanto isso não há nada e o Luan segue no elenco corintiano.

ESTÁDIO COM DINHEIRO PÚBLICO

A construção da Neo Química Arena com dinheiro público pode ser considerada a maior fake news envolvendo o Corinthians nos últimos anos.

O Timão recebeu um aporto de R$ 400 milhões do Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (BNDES) e a Caixa Econômica Federal, por conta do programa ProCopa Arenas, que contou com taxas diferenciadas para viabilizar a Copa do Mundo de 2014 no Brasil.

O Corinthians paga nutre até hoje uma dívida com a Caixa, que chegou a levar o CNPJ da Arena Itaquera, cadastro que aparece como sociedade do Corinthians pelo estádio, até ao cadastro de inadimplente do Serasa, em 2019.

De lá para cá alguns acordos foram feitos entre o Timão e o banco Federal, e a dívida se encontra R$ 569 milhões. Desses, R$ 300 correspondem ao pagamento parcelado que a Hypera Pharma paga pelo naming rights da arena.

O último acordo, costurado em 2020, prevê que as parcelas comecem a ser pagas pelo Corinthians no fim deste ano, mas o clube negocia um novo período de carência, para iniciar o pagamento no ano que vem.

As parcelas serão pagas até 2040, quando também se encerrará o pagamento pelo nome do estádio. Inicialmente o acordo era de financiamento até 2028, mas o parcelamento foi estendido pela Caixa.

Ainda assim, o Timão pagará um valor superior à dívida, por conta das correções monetárias e do reajuste anual de 3,4%.

O Corinthians também chegou a ter uma dívida com a Odebrecht, construtora do estádio, mas foi paga com os R$ 420 milhões recebidos referentes ao Certificado de Incentivo ao Desenvolvimento, que são incentivos fiscais que a prefeitura da cidade de São Paulo dá para fomentar o investimento em infraestrutura nos bairros da Zona Leste paulistana, região onde fica localizada a Neo Química Arena.

The day could hardly have gone more smoothly for Alastair Cook as England moved one step closer to a major achievement that has eluded them for so long

George Dobell at The Oval19-Jun-2013It was not, perhaps, the scenario spectators expected when they bought their tickets. The result was hardly in doubt by 11am; the result was decided before 5pm and several snoozed in the sun for long periods in the afternoon. For the impartial onlooker, this was probably a rather boring game.But from an England perspective, this was wonderfully, gloriously, beautifully boring game. After many years where success in ODI cricket has been a brief interlude in a general drama of pain, England secured their place in the final of a global ODI competition for the first time since 2004 and the second time since 1992. They may never have a better chance of shedding the embarrassing tag as the only team in this competition not to have won such a title.The uncharacteristic show of emotion from Jonathan Trott upon hitting the winning runs was telling. It has been an ambition of his for some time to play in the final of this competition at his home ground of Edgbaston and here he produced a typically calm innings to ensure it will happen.Nerveless and apparently unhurried, he still managed to score at close to a run-a-ball and, in his last 12 ODIs, has now registered one century, five half-centuries and been dismissed for under 37 only once. He has averaged 75.77 in that time. He will never win over all his critics but, in this situation, there is no more reassuring sight in English cricket than Trott scrapping his mark.It would be easy to take Trott’s runs for granted. But, when Alastair Cook and Ian Bell fell, England were 41 for 2 and only another wicket away from seeing their slightly vulnerable middle-order exposed. Pressure appears to bring the best out of Trott, though, and he led the run chase with the remorselessness of a hunter pursuing its prey. “It was quite a high pressure situation,” Cook said afterwards. “Trotty played a great innings,”But this was not a victory set-up by England’s batsmen. It was set-up by England’s excellence in the field and a woefully poor performance with the bat from South Africa. Winning the toss on a humid morning was, doubtless, an advantage and James Anderson, in particular, exploited it expertly. But there is no getting away from the fact that South Africa’s top-order folded with pathetic weakness.So England were fortunate. They were fortunate that South Africa were without Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel and Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis. They were fortunate to win the toss. And they were fortunate their opposition played so badly.One game away from “massive achievement”

Alastair Cook said England were “without doubt” capable of winning the final and suggested it would be a “massive achievement.”

“We just need one more performance from whoever is picked. We just need two of the guys to stand up and deliver a man of the match performance and we can win the trophy. That’s how close we are.

“At the beginning of the summer we had certain goals we wanted to achieve. One was to win the Champions Trophy and we’ve given ourselves a great opportunity to do that. It is in our own hands. If we turn up and deliver some good skills we’ve got a chance of winning.

“It would be a massive achievement. It’s taken us so long to get to the final. We got there in 2004 and hopefully this time we can go one better.

“Everyone has loved this tournament. Every game has meant so much, every game has been against high-quality opposition and you’ve had to be on your ‘A’ game to win. All the eight sides would say that. To be through with the quality of opponents we’ve played is a good achievement and hopefully we won’t stop here.”

But they were also fortunate when New Zealand dropped Alastair Cook three times on the way to his match-defining contribution in the previous game. And they were fortunate when Australia batted so poorly against them in their opening match of the tournament.Good fortune tends to follow when a team plays consistently good cricket. It tends to follow when a team applies consistent pressure. It exploits any weakness and forces mistakes. The very best teams may not always be beaten by such a tactic, but it is the best plan England have and they follow it with precision. They will not start the final as favourites, but there are certainly not no-hopers either.If Anderson were the sort to care about such trifles, he might consider himself unfortunate not to be named the Man of the Match. He bowled an excellent first spell that set the tone for the entire game.There has been precious little conventional swing available in this competition, but Anderson found just enough to account for Colin Ingram and Robin Peterson, both of whom were set up by out swing and trapped by deliveries that swung in amid a spell that threatened consistently and offered the batsmen almost nothing.While Steven Finn and Stuart Broad were disappointing, James Tredwell sustained the pressure with a spell that won him the match award. While only the odd delivery turned, it was enough to plant a seed of doubt in the minds of the batsmen and Tredwell, varying his pace subtly and bowling a tight line, benefitted as the ball sometimes turned but more often skidded on to batsmen playing without conviction.There were other impressive performers for England. Jos Buttler, who has enjoyed a fine tournament as a wicketkeeper to date, equalled the England record for the most dismissals in an ODI by claiming six catches – one an excellent diving catch down the legside; another a good diving catch to his right to dismiss Hashim Amla and a couple of neat efforts standing up to Tredwell – while Cook captained with ever increasing confidence and individuality.It would be premature to compare Cook to Mike Brearley or similar but, just as he improved as a Test and then ODI batsman, he showed here that he is developing into far more than a ‘captain by numbers.’ His decision to allow Anderson a seven-over opening spell was unusual, if hardly groundbreaking, while his use of three slips at times showed a welcome desire to attack when appropriate.England may face some tricky selection decisions ahead of the final. Tim Bresnan, his baby now safely delivered, will be available and may well replace Steven Finn, while Tredwell will be hard to omit even if Graeme Swann is fully recovered. They are not the worst issues with which to wrestle.

Faf du Plessis displayed maturity and patience in his knock of 78, and seems to be the right man to take a South African middle-order spot

Firdose Moonda at Adelaide Oval24-Nov-2012When Faf du Plessis scored his first runs in Test cricket with a crisply energetic drive through midwicket, he did not look anything like a man who was on the verge of being timed out a few seconds earlier.”I had an absolute shocker going down the stairs. My boot clipped one of the stairs and my whole foot came out. I had to kneel in front of the whole crowd while they were abusing me from both sides. My shoelaces were tied and my pad was in the way and I couldn’t get my foot back in. I was thinking I was going to get timed here,” he said later.His anxiety only deepened as he tried to negotiate getting his boot back on. “My foot slipped three-quarters of the way down and I thought I would have to run on like that and sort it out when I get there. Then my first step forward hit another step and I almost tripped. When I got on the field I thought it can’t go worse than that.”He was right. It went much better. Two balls later, he sent a low full toss to the boundary. The ball deserved it but to see du Plessis time it with such confidence and poise was a small sign that even if he couldn’t take steps down, he was on his way to taking one up.For the rest of South Africa’s time at the crease, du Plessis showed class and composure in a tough situation. Soon after he had arrived, South Africa were in trouble. AB de Villiers had been dismissed, Jacques Kallis was not ready to bat and the lower order was exposed. With that pressure on his shoulders, du Plessis did not look tentative and showed why he said as early as last week that he was ready for Test cricket.He knew, when he took over JP Duminy’s role at No. 7, that he would have to be a bridge between the top-order batsmen and the rest, something he had done for Titans before he was moved up the order last season. It would require a fine balance between protecting the vulnerable and adding enough to the total.For the first period, he concentrated only on the former. “I knew it was just for me to hang around with the tail,” he said. “For us it was just a case of being in the middle, it didn’t really matter about the runs, we had to occupy the crease.”A nervy ten overs could have du Plessis thinking he wouldn’t be able to manage that. Dale Steyn and Rory Kleinveldt did not prove able partners, though du Plessis looked capable of holding his own. Panic could so easily have set in and a few edges hinted at it, but largely, it stayed away.The sight of Kallis walking in at No. 9 almost shunned it because du Plessis knew he would have the opportunity to build a reasonable stand. “When Jacques came in the nice thing for me was to have his experience. I had a few questions that I threw his way and he was really good about helping me,” du Plessis said.Still, it would be the kind of partnership that would require a completely different gameplan for him. Kallis’ injury meant he was inhibited in running between the wickets. Du Plessis is the kind of batsman who would tire most partners and always looks for snappy singles which he then tries to turn into twos. Today, he had to rein that instinct in. In the 40 minutes before lunch, du Plessis and Kallis ran only four singles and Kallis sent du Plessis back three times. Overall, 17% of their 93-run stand came in singles.”I couldn’t just get singles because I really thought of his injury,” du Plessis explained. “It felt like we would either have to get a dot ball or a boundary but after a couple of overs, we settled in and got used to it. It was actually quite nice, because we could just stroll through the wickets. Usually I am always trying to sprint.”He was particularly impressive on the drive, but what could prove most significant about this du Plessis innings was a display of temperament. When Kallis departed, when he was hit on the hand by Siddle, when he was dropped at mid-wicket, he fought it out and rode his luck. When he could sense that the end of the innings was near, and there was only one wicket left, he launched a few to get South Africa as close as he could.His was an innings that stood in stark contrast to the one of Jacques Rudolph’s earlier. Though Rudolph had taken South Africa to safety on the second evening, he did not last too long on the third morning.Rudolph showed a distinct lack of awareness when he drove Nathan Lyon three times in three overs, twice at great risk. The first time, he moved well to the pitch of the ball and got a four through extra cover. The second time he survived hitting it in the air. The third time, he didn’t. That made it the sixth time in the last seven innings that Rudolph has been dismissed by an offspinner, a worrying trend.With AB de Villiers yet to make a meaningful contribution with the bat as he continues to don the wicket-keeping gloves , South Africa look a little suspect beyond their top four in the line-up. The sensible tactic would be to relieve de Villiers of the extra burden, bring in a specialist keeper and revert back to a six batsmen strategy. At the moment, they only have five in form although they are fielding seven.Although Kallis’ injury could delay such a change, it seems inevitable that it will happen. When that day comes, it will mean one of Rudolph or du Plessis may have to go. After the first innings in Adelaide, it seems clear which one that should be.

da mrbet： After impressing on the opening day with a surprise hat-trick away at Queens Park Rangers, West Bromwich Albion attacker Josh Maja would struggle following up that magic display versus Leeds United at the Hawthorns.

da bet7： The ex-Fulham man would register just one effort on Ilian Meslier's goal all game, which ended up being an off-target shot at that, and so Carlos Corberan could well be prioritising another new striker in through the door to compete with the 25-year-old, between now and transfer deadline day at the end of the month.

The Championship promotion candidates might well now be targeting this centre-forward as a new recruit, who was even once on the books of Manchester United as a youngster.

West Brom's search for a striker

According to football journalist Pete O'Rourke, West Brom had made an initial enquiry for Preston North End striker Will Keane, to try and bolster up top.

It has since transpired that the Baggies have actually put forward a bid for the ex-Red Devils man, which has been rejected, as per Lancashire Post journalist George Hodgson, as Corberan and Co continue to try and add depth to the striker positions with Brandon Thomas-Asante now at Coventry City.

What Keane would offer West Brom

Gifted his first-team debut at Manchester United when Sir Alex Ferguson was still in charge, Keane's career hasn't been all smooth sailing, after walking away from the Theatre of Dreams for good in 2016.

Last campaign, the experienced 31-year-old did come into his own for the Lilywhites, however, as he now potentially prepares to usurp Maja's starting spot as the lone striker on his arrival to the Baggies.

In 2023/24 in the second tier, Keane would fire in 13 goals for his Lancashire outfit, including this instinctive finish finding the back of the net within the first minute at a stunned Elland Road.

Getting into double digits for the Lilywhites means the 31-year-old poacher has bagged ten or more goals in a league campaign for three seasons on the trot, having very much got back into his goalscoring groove when lining up for Wigan Athletic before moving to Preston, with 50 goals tallied up from 133 Latics appearances.

Keane's EFL goal record vs Maja's

Player

League played

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

Keane

Championship

157

33

8

Keane

League One

99

39

12

Maja

Championship

46

6

3

Maja

League One

24

15

2

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Maja isn't quite as accustomed to the rough and tumble of the EFL as Keane is, when glancing at their comparative goalscoring numbers, but the former Sunderland youth player will hope his moment in the spotlight in the second tier can come this campaign, after that devastating opening day hat-trick.

He might well have to fight it out for a starting spot in Corberan's team though, if Keane enters in through the door, who fired in a goal every 203 minutes last campaign in the Championship when in the thick of the action.

The five-time Republic of Ireland international also far outperformed his xG of 9.82, with 13 overall strikes bagged instead.

Keane could potentially become even more of a potent finisher at West Brom, therefore, surrounded by the likes of Tom Fellows attempting to put chances on a plate for him, as the Baggies push any lingering annoyance of Thomas-Asante leaving to one side.

Even described as possessing a touch "like Berbatov" according to BBC Radio Lancashire analyst Steve Eyre last season, after dazzling in a big win over Coventry, Keane will want to kick on and show there's still a hungry goal machine in his system if he does move to West Brom, even at 31 years of age.

That glowing compliment would have really been encouraging for the ex-Man United man to hear, who didn't quite live up to his hype at Old Trafford as a wide-eyed teenager, but he could be key to Corberan and Co's promotion hopes.

Related He once had a £92m release clause: West Brom in talks over Styles upgrade

West Bromwich Albion are nearing towards completing a deal for this midfield gem.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Aug 21, 2024

Leeds United return to Championship action this afternoon in the hope of picking up their first win of the season against West Bromwich Albion.

The Whites travel to The Hawthorns to take on the Baggies in their second match of the second tier campaign, having drawn 3-3 with Portsmouth at Elland Road last weekend.

Daniel Farke's team competed in the League Cup in West Yorkshire on Wednesday night and endured a rough evening as they were beaten 3-0 by Middlesbrough.

The German head coach must now make changes to the starting XI from that match. Patrick Bamford is one player who must be ruthlessly ditched from the side.

Why Patrick Bamford should be dropped

The former England international was given an opportunity to impress from the start after he had been left on the bench for the draw with Pompey.

Unfortunately, it was not one that he grasped with both hands. Instead, Bamford put in a disappointing performance at the top end of the pitch.

Minutes played

90

Shots on target

0

Goals

0

Key passes

0

Assists

0

Duels won

1/6

As you can see in the table above, the 30-year-old attacker did not make any impact in the final third and struggled out of possession, as Middlesbrough's players dominated him in duels.

LeedsLive journalist Beren Cross awarded him a player rating of 3/10 and stated that the striker did not give the opposition defenders anything to think about, which is backed up by his dreadful statistics from the game.

Due to his poor display, Farke must ruthlessly ditch the liability, on and off the ball, from the starting XI and unleash academy graduate Mateo Joseph in his place this afternoon.

Why Farke must unleash Joseph

Whilst Bamford is in the latter stages of his playing career, the 20-year-old starlet is at the start of his Leeds career and will benefit from regular game time this season.

He showed signs of promise as a starter against Portsmouth last weekend, with four duels won, two out of three dribbles completed, and two shots on target – more than Bamford managed on Wednesday.

Joseph, as you can see in the clips above, also scored four goals in pre-season to convince Farke that he was ready to start the season as the club's first-choice number nine.

It is now down to the 5 foot 11 star, who was described as "dynamite" in the box by U23 scout Antonio Mango, had caught the eye at youth level prior to his first-team emergence.

The Spain U21 international scored a fantastic 19 goals in 33 appearances for the club's U21s, which suggests that the potential is there for him to score goals on a regular basis, if he can eventually translate that to the senior side.

Joseph did show signs of promise in a first-team start against Premier League side Chelsea last term, with two goals at Stamford Bridge in a 3-2 defeat.

Therefore, Farke must unleash the talented young prospect again from the start and drop Bamford from the starting XI that lost to Middlesbrough during the week, as he has the potential to develop into a lethal scorer for the Whites.

Worse than Aaronson: 3/10 Leeds star let Farke down badly vs Boro

The Whites attacker was handed an opportunity to impress in the League Cup clash.

1 ByDan Emery Aug 15, 2024

Aston Villa might well look to add to the eight signings they have made so far this summer before Friday’s transfer deadline. Ahead of a return to the Champions League, the Villans have looked to bolster their squad in all areas this summer, with their marquee signing being a £50m move for Amadou Onana from Everton.

With just over 24 hours left before the 2024 summer window slams shut, Unai Emery’s side have been linked with one player who could add quality and experience to their squad before they return to European football’s most elite club competition.

Aston Villa target Eredivisie defender

The player in question here is Feyenoord and Netherlands international defender Lutsharel Geertruida. According to a report from Graeme Bailey, the 24-year-old is a key target for Emery, who ‘has made clear to Monchi’ that he wants to sign the defender before tomorrow’s deadline.

Bailey reports that a price of £35m would be enough to get a deal over the line, with 'confidence' remaining that the move can be completed, albeit with the need for Monchi to make room in the squad.

That said, the Villans are now facing competition from RB Leipzig in the race for the defender, with it yet to be seen just whether he will end up at Villa Park this summer.

Why Geertruida would be a good signing

The Dutchman was a crucial player under new Liverpool boss Arne Slot last season in his native Netherlands. He played 34 times in the top flight, scoring eight goals and registering five assists, an impressive return. He was an ever-present in the Rotterdam side’s victorious Dutch Cup campaign, too.

One of the biggest strengths of the Feyenoord academy graduate is his versatility. He can play right across the back four, which might well make him such an attractive prospect for Emery and Villa this summer. Last season, he played 35 times at right-back, nine times at centre-back and even three games at left-back.

Not only that, but the Dutchman can also bring more leadership to Emery's side. He captained the Dutch giants on 25 occasions last season and was described as a "leader" by football analyst Ben Mattinson. One thing is for sure, you can never have too many leaders, and this experience could be crucial for Villa to lean on next season.

Indeed, the 24-year-old is statistically comparable to one of Emery’s crucial defenders at Villa Park, Ezri Konsa, who played 35 times in the Premier League last season. According to FBref, the pair are similar players statistically, and it means the Spaniard could have the second coming of the England international in his side.

Where the pair are most comparable is from a defensive point of view. The FBref stats suggest they are neck-and-neck in terms of all-round ability, with Geertruida last season averaging 5.38 ball recoveries and 2.37 combined tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes. In comparison, the Villa number four averaged 4.16 ball recoveries and 2.4 tackles and interceptions.

Stat (per 90)

Geertruida

Konsa

Ball recoveries

5.38

4.16

Tackles + interceptions

2.37

2.4

Blocks

0.53

1.06

Clearances

1.45

2.14

Aerial duel win %

63.6%

68.2%

Where the Feyenoord defender edges it over the England international is his ball-playing abilities. By no means is this a weak point of Konsa’s game, but his stats are far lower than the Dutchman. Last term, Geertruida averaged a whooping 7.93 progressive passes and 2,54 progressive carries each game, compared to 3.99 progressive passes and 1.09 progressive carries.

It is worth considering that the in-possession stats for the Feyenoord number four have been boosted by the fact he spent large parts of last season playing right-back, a position where he would naturally progress play more regularly.

For a fee of around £35m, singing Geertruida could cap off an excellent window for the Villans. They would bring in a very similar player to Konsa, plus add someone with impressive versatility into the squad. It could be an extremely smart move by Villa, who have a huge season ahead.

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1 ByRoss Kilvington Aug 29, 2024

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has revealed the key improvement Jadon Sancho has made since joining the club from Manchester United.

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Sancho joined Chelsea in summer Blossoming into key player under MarescaHas scored two goals and laid on five assistsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Sancho has enjoyed some exceptional form for Chelsea in recent weeks, scoring in both of their last two Premier League games, against Southampton and Tottenham. He has also laid on five assists, and Maresca has explained that the winger has managed to add a "finish" to his game.

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The 24-year-old only managed to contribute to 18 goals throughout his time with Manchester United, across 83 games. At Chelsea, he has contributed to seven goals in 10 games and Maresca believes he is starting to ally creativity with being lethal.

WHAT MARESCA SAID

Maresca told Chelsea's website: "Jadon, since we started, is doing well. He was lacking a finish because we had many different games where he arrived one-v-one and he is always looking for an assist. This is good but sometimes he is in a position where he can take a shot and now he is doing better.

"If you look at us this season, from the right winger with Noni and Pedro, the right pocket with Cole, the number nine with Christo and Nico, we have scored goals. From the left side and left pocket, we struggle a little bit but now we start with Enzo and Jadon. With the five attacking players, we need goals and assists from them. All the same.

"Off the ball, the way we work, Pedro and Noni on one side and Jadon and Misha on the other, they have to run when we don’t have the ball. It’s not more than that. You can’t only play football when we have the ball, you have to play it when we don’t have the ball. We require sacrifice and hard work."

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Chelsea play Brentford on Sunday. They are currently second in the Premier League table, four points behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand.

Lucy Bronze could not take to the field as a substitute in the Lionesses' friendly win over Switzerland due to a "human mistake".

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• Wiegman wanted Bronze to come on for final 10 minutes
• However, she was told to go back to the dugout
• Jess Carter was instead given a run

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 33-year-old right-back, who was poised to join the action in the final ten minutes at Bramall Lane, had to retreat to the bench despite being fully prepared in her full England kit. With Bronze unable to enter the field, defender Jess Carter was called upon as a substitute instead.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT SARINA WIEGMAN SAID

  England manager Sarina Wiegman later explained that Bronze was excluded because her name was mistakenly omitted from the official team sheet, making her ineligible to participate.

  Speaking to after her team's 1-0 victory, Wiegman stated: "Yes, that was a moment where she was not on the list. So there had been a mistake, unfortunately, a human mistake, and we found out there. We still wanted to bring her on the pitch but unfortunately, she couldn't go (on) so that was really frustrating — of course the most for herself — but we couldn’t change it.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The International Football Association Board's (IFAB) regulations state that only players listed on the official team sheet may participate in the game. Any individual not included is considered an "outside agent," disqualifying them from taking part.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The friendly against Switzerland saw England field a relatively inexperienced lineup, with Wiegman making wholesale changes to the squad that had drawn 0-0 against the United States Women's National Team just days prior at Wembley. Grace Clinton scored the game's only goal in the first half, securing the Lionesses' victory. The match also marked the senior debuts of Ruby Mace and Laura Blindkilde Brown, as Wiegman used the opportunity to test new players and the squad depth.

On a surface aiding spin, the South African spinners were on point in the first game – can India’s pair match them this time around?

Saurabh Somani20-Jan-20221:50

Can Aiden Markram find some form? Will Venkatesh Iyer bowl?

Big picture About three weeks ago, India were riding the crest of a wave. They had breached a South African fortress in Centurion, were 1-0 up in the Test series, and had every prospect of turning that into a series-winning lead. However, that belonged in 2021. In 2022, India haven’t won any game in South Africa. Defeats in the last two Tests have been followed up by a loss in the opening ODI, and now India find themselves within one game of returning home with defeats in both the series, a prospect that would have seemed somewhat far-fetched at any point before the tour began or even after the first Test.The second ODI follows close on the heels of the first one, and at the same venue too – Boland Park in Paarl. The heat and the dryness of the pitch meant spinners found purchase, and the South African duo of Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi (combined figures of 20-1-94-3) comfortably out-performed India’s pair of R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal (20-0-106-1). And if you add Aiden Markram’s part-time spin to the mix, South Africa’s spin figures become an even more impressive 26-1-124-4.Apart from expecting more from their spinners, India will also have to deal with the familiar issue of the middle order lacking runs. It has been the flip side to having a top three of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli – who have piled on runs relentlessly – that the middle order remains slightly uncooked, and it is not a problem with easy solutions.Related

van der Dussen, Bavuma feed off each other in fine partnership

Dhawan's knock underlines his value in India's ODI side

For South Africa, the theme that ran through their success in the Test series held good in the first ODI too: they are a team without too many superstars but one that still gets the job done. Rassie van der Dussen has played 30 ODIs so far, and averages a whopping 73.62 in them. In the first ODI here, he showed what he could do with inventive and attacking batting. His innings swung the game decisively South Africa’s way, with the run rate floundering until he took charge.While it is unrealistic to expect him to sustain this level of run-scoring in ODIs, it is not as if these numbers are completely out of the blue for van der Dussen. In a List A career spanning 119 matches, his average is just shy of 50.Form guideSouth Africa WLWLW (last five completed matches; most recent first)
India LLWWW
Runs haven’t been coming for Aiden Markram, and South Africa have other options in the squad•AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight KL Rahul will face the heat as captain and opening batter. On the eve of the first ODI, he had lauded Venkatesh Iyer’s all-round utility to the ODI side, but then opted not to call him up for a single over with the ball even when the others were being dealt with easily by Temba Bavuma and van der Dussen. It left the question as to why Iyer was preferred to Suryakumar Yadav or Ishan Kishan, who arguably offer more as batters alone. And while batting, Rahul opted for some caution even though South Africa opened the bowling with Markram’s part-time offspin.A favourable match-up against a non-regular bowler with the field up during the powerplay and a steep target to chase should have unlocked Rahul’s free-stroking persona. Instead, he brought out the IPL image of recent vintage: the captain intent on caution. Tactically too, it wasn’t the best move as it allowed South Africa to get six overs out of the fifth bowler’s quota first up, and gave them much greater freedom to use their main bowlers at key moments. How Rahul responds to these as captain and batter will be interesting to see.While Aiden Markram’s bowling offered an unexpected bonus, and his fielding at point remains top notch, his main suit has been in trouble lately. He isn’t short of class but the runs haven’t been coming for Markram, and that is something that could trouble South Africa on another day. Hence, they could well consider a swap with a bowler. In the likes of George Linde and Dwaine Pretorius, they have bowlers who can bat.If they want to go for a pure bowler, there is Sisanda Magala. In effect, if Markram is not contributing via runs, there is an argument to be made that his part-time bowling can be replaced by someone with greater pedigree.Team news South Africa are unlikely to make changes to a winning combination from the first ODI. They followed the same philosophy in the Test matches, where Maharaj played the second and third Tests despite having little to do.South Africa (likely): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Janneman Malan, 3 Temba Bavuma (capt), 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Rassie van der Dussen, 6 David Miller, 7 Andile Phehlulwayo, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Tabraiz ShamsiRahul had said before the series began that while India would look to be flexible tactically, they would ensure those selected got a good run. On that basis, it is not likely that they will make any changes to the side from the first ODI either.India (likely): 1 KL Rahul (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Venkatesh Iyer, 7 R Ashwin, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalPitch and conditions It is set to be another hot day in Paarl. The surface is slow and aiding spin already, and the heat will dry it out further. The slowness of the pitch is balanced by the shorter boundaries. And so, like in the first ODI, the team winning the toss will look to bat in all probability.Stats and trivia Among the top ten pace bowlers in terms of ODI wickets since Jasprit Bumrah’s debut in January 2016, only he has an economy rate below five. Bumrah has the second-most wickets in this period, but his average and economy rate are both better than Trent Boult, who has the most. Keshav Maharaj has played six of his 16 ODIs at home – all in the last two years – and in four out of those six, he has paired with Tabraiz Shamsi. This is a pointer to the South African pitches not always being spin-unfriendly, as well as to South Africa having two quality spinners to call on. Quotes “Our thought process is that we are building a team for the 2023 World Cup. So there are going to be a few hiccups here and there. But we all have good clarity that we have got this bunch of players and how we have to refine them. It doesn’t matter if we lose an odd game while trying to do that because we are looking at the bigger picture.”
“Definitely a lot more in favour of the Indian players, more like a subcontinent pitch rather than a South African pitch. So that’s what makes the victory even sweeter, basically in foreign conditions, we outplayed them.”