West Ham table £25m bid for striker who they once tried to sign for Moyes

West Ham United have made a £25 million bid to sign a striker who they once tried to capture for ex-boss David Moyes, with Julen Lopetegui’s side now receiving a reply to their latest offer.

Tim Steidten eyeing new striker for West Ham in January

Hammers technical director Tim Steidten is tasked with leading their pursuit of a fresh centre-forward option next month.

West Ham could attempt January deal for "tailor-made" £60m striker

The Hammers need a prolific alternative to Danny Ings and Niclas Fullkrug.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 19, 2024

Michail Antonio is set to be out for the foreseeable future after his horrific car crash near the start of December, while summer signing Niclas Fullkrug has bagged just one goal in all competitions so far, owing to his persistent achilles tendon problem which kept him sidelined for nearly three months.

Match

Date

Opponent

Competition

Result

#18

16/12/2024

Bournemouth (A)

Premier League

1-1

#17

09/12/2024

Wolves (H)

Premier League

2-1

#16

03/12/2024

Leicester City (A)

Premier League

3-1

#15

30/11/2024

Arsenal (H)

Premier League

5-2

#14

26/11/2024

Newcastle United (A)

Premier League

2-0 win

#13

09/11/2024

Everton (H)

Premier League

0-0 draw

#12

02/11/2024

Nottingham Forest (A)

Premier League

3-0 loss

#11

27/10/2024

Man United (H)

Premier League

2-1 win

#10

19/10/2024

Tottenham (A)

Premier League

4-1 loss

Lopetegui’s lack of faith in Danny Ings means that he’s been forced to turn towards winger Jarrod Bowen as a makeshift striker option, with the England international scoring West Ham’s ‘El Sackico’ winner against Wolves and ultimately helping to save his manager’s job.

However, West Ham don’t plan on sticking with Bowen in that role, and reports suggest they’re firmly on the hunt for a new striker. The club have been tipped to bring in a fresh option in that area for quite some time, with West Ham’s former scout Mick Brown telling Football Insider that they were after a striker as far back as October.

“When you think about clubs that need a striker, there are a few of those in the Premier League, and he’d be a worthwhile contender,” said Brown on West Ham’s previous links with Greece star Vangelis Pavlidis.

“I know clubs have been having close looks since before he moved to Benfica.

“From what I know the likes of West Ham are looking for a striker, and have looked at him before. I’ve also heard that that interest could still be there, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see their name in the running if he is to move again.”

Brighton star Evan Ferguson is a rumoured striker target for West Ham also, and it is believed they’ve reignited their interest in Corinthians forward Yuri Alberto.

Corinthians reply as West Ham make £25 million bid for Yuri Alberto

The Brazilian has just secured his country’s Golden Boot award after a phenomenal 2024 campaign, where he bagged 31 goals in all competitions, and he’s a long-time target for West Ham.

Corinthians president Duilio Monteiro Alves confirmed that he rejected a £13 million offer from the east London club last year when Moyes was in the dugout, but that hasn’t stopped them from trying their luck yet again.

According to South American journalist Neto, via Sport Witness and Soutimao, West Ham have made another offer to Corinthians for Alberto.

They’ve apparently tabled a £25 million bid for his services, but president Alves has yet again rejected their advances. As a result, a transfer away for the 23-year-old looks more likely to be in the summer rather than January.

“I had said that he (Yuri Alberto) would be sold for £25m to West Ham, but that will no longer happen, because he will stay until the July 2025 window,” said Neto.

“Corinthians received an offer of €30m, but did not want to sell Yuri Alberto at that moment.”

Temba Bavuma gets SA20 deal after impressive hundred against England

After going unsold at the auction last year, he will now replace Tom Abell at Sunrisers Eastern Cape

Firdose Moonda02-Feb-2023Temba Bavuma’s performances in South Africa’s 2-1 ODI series win over England have landed him an SA20 deal after he was snubbed at the auction last year. Bavuma will replace Tom Abell at Sunrisers Eastern Cape. Bavuma’s big-hitting impressed the franchise to call him in for Abell, who will be joining England Lions.Bavuma was South Africa’s leading run-scorer in the series, with 180 runs from three matches, which was his most successful as an ODI batter. He struck a match-winning century in the second ODI, which also sealed the series, and maintained a strike rate of over 100 throughout the three matches. Having previously been criticised for his lack of big-hitting, Bavuma hit 23 fours and three sixes on two of the biggest grounds in South Africa in Bloemfontein and Kimberley, and also led the South African side well.

Bavuma has been under criticism for his poor scoring rate in T20Is. He had also spoken of his “disappointment” at not being picked in the SA20 auction last September. He had set his base price at Rand 850,000 (US$48,000 approx.) but did not find any takers. Despite being South Africa’s white-ball captain, not getting picked in his country’s T20 league had “let him down”. However, he redeemed himself in white-ball cricket with a series-winning, high-quality hundred against England in the second ODI.After his hundred, Bavuma spoke about the pride he felt in being able to show people “I am still here”, and said he had worked with stand-in coach Shukri Conrad on changing his mindset to be able to take on bowlers more. His back-foot play and his shot selection against spinners were particularly impressive, and later he said it was one of his best innings.

Chelsea consider summer bid for Jules Kounde with Barcelona defender lined up as alternative to Real Madrid target Dean Huijsen

Chelsea could reportedly move for Jules Kounde with the Barcelona star being viewed as an alternative to Real Madrid target Dean Huijsen.

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Chelsea want to reinforce their defenceHave set their sights on Barcelona's KoundeThe French defender has a contract until 2027Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to Chelsea have revived their pursuit of Kounde, a player they previously attempted to sign in 2022 when he was still at Sevilla. At the time, the Premier League giants were seen as frontrunners, but negotiations fell through, allowing Barcelona to step in and secure the Frenchman’s services for approximately €55m (£46m). Now, Chelsea appear determined to make another serious push for Kounde, believing that his ability to operate both at centre-back and right-back would add valuable versatility to their squad.

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Chelsea are expected to submit a substantial offer to Barcelona in the coming weeks. However, Kounde remains committed to his current club and is not actively seeking an exit from Camp Nou. His future, however, may hinge on contract negotiations with the Catalans. His current deal runs until 2027, and while Chelsea can offer a higher salary and the opportunity to play in his preferred centre-back role, much will depend on Barcelona’s willingness to match his demands.

DID YOU KNOW?

Recognizing Chelsea’s renewed interest, Barcelona are reportedly prioritizing Kounde’s contract situation, making it their most urgent renewal case to secure his long-term commitment. However, due to an abundance of centre-backs at Barça, the Frenchman has been primarily deployed as a right-back, a position he does not favour. With the potential arrival of Jonathan Tah this summer, Kounde’s chances of reclaiming a central defensive role could diminish even further. Additionally, Barcelona are also looking to recruit another right-back, which could create more competition for his current spot.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

If Chelsea fail to secure Kounde, they are expected to shift their attention back to Huijsen. However, securing the Bournemouth defender may prove challenging given Real Madrid’s strong interest in the player. However, they are planning to offload multiple players to make room for fresh arrivals. Axel Disasi and Trevoh Chalobah have reportedly been made available for transfer, while there are also uncertainties surrounding the futures of Tosin Adarabioyo and Benoit Badiashile.

'I rotate strike well against spin' – Gill open to middle-order role in ODIs

India batter Shubman Gill is open to batting in the middle order in limited-overs format and emphasised the importance of reducing dot balls in T20 cricket by relying more on rotating strike against spin. While Gill has been a regular in India’s Test setup, he is yet to make his T20I debut and is on the fringes of the ODI squad. In the absence of the first-choice top-order players in Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli, Gill opened the batting with Shikhar Dhawan in seven of the nine 50-over matches he played this year against West Indies, Zimbabwe and South Africa.”I believe that the fewer dot balls you play in T20s, the better your strike rate will be”, Gill told ESPNcricinfo ahead of Punjab’s preliminary quarter-final match against Haryana in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. “Almost all batsmen have the same boundary percentage, but the ones with fewer dot balls have a higher strike rate. In T20s, you need to know what the bowler is trying to do. Those who bowl in a set way, you can dominate them.Related

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“My game all-round is very good and I rotate the strike well against spinners. So even if I get a chance in the middle order, I am ready for that. If they [the team management] are looking at me in the middle order, then I am ready for it. When I scored that hundred in Zimbabwe, I was batting at one down, I didn’t open. So one down or two down, whatever the team needs, I am ready.”Gill also reflected on his maiden county stint with Glamorgan, where he scored 244 runs, including a century and a half-century, in three matches. He said that a good start cannot be taken for granted in England, unlike in India.”In England, you have to concentrate all the time,” he said. “In those conditions, sometimes you feel you are set, but one spell can throw you off. It’s not like that in India. Here once you reach 40-50, there is a pattern to bat. There is no such pattern in England. You could be batting at 110 and are still not set. No matter what score you are on, you have to be careful [on] every ball.””You get a different type of confidence when you do well in red-ball cricket”•Getty Images

Gill has only played one of his 21 Test innings as a non-opener. In order to get more opportunities in the Indian Test side, he is willing to move down the order, too. While he is confident of his technique in red-ball cricket, Gill is aware of his concentration wavering when he is in flow.”The red-ball format is very important to me,” he said. “You get a different type of confidence when you do well in red-ball cricket. I am ready to bat wherever there’s a vacant spot in the side.”I don’t think there is anything wrong with my technique. When your concentration is disturbed, or you relax a little bit, and then if a good ball comes, you miss it. I think it always happens with me that I am batting well and then I get out.”There is no phase where I get out after I am constantly beaten. I think it [dismissal] is because of lapse in concentration. When a batsman is struggling, he is more alert. With me, sometimes it’s the other way round. I fail to keep my concentration going when I’m batting well.”

Spurs have a "monster" who’s just shown showed why he’s their new Dembele

Tottenham Hotspur showed why, under Ange Postecoglou, that at their best they are a force to be reckoned with on Sunday afternoon.

Spurs have flattered to deceive at points this term, notably losing to a winless Crystal Palace a week ago, but since then have shown why teams should be scared of them, beating Manchester City in the cup and then smacking four past Aston Villa in a 4-1 victory.

No team in the Premier League up to this point have scored more than their 22 goals. They are full of life and can outscore pretty much any team they face.

Dominic Solanke – who scored twice at the weekend – will no doubt take the plaudits but another face was just as good, if not better, than the striker. It was a display that had shades of a certain Mousa Dembele.

Why Mousa Dembele was so loved at Spurs

“Dembele was probably the best player I’ve ever seen play football,” remarked Kyle Walker many moons ago. He was “a freak of nature” in the words of Eric Dier.

Gain such fine praise from your pears and it’s hardly a surprise that he was so loved at White Hart Lane.

adam-wharton-mousa-dembele-tottenham-opinion

Dembele had the poise and grace of the finest footballers in the game but he combined that with a steely physical nature. In essence, he had it all. He could score goals, he could tackle ruthlessly and he could pick a pass.

One of his finest campaigns on English shores came in 2015/16 and to give credence to the claims we’ve just offered, he was involved in four goals, registered 2.9 successful dribbles per game and won 3.6 tackles per match. Yeah, he was everywhere, he did it all.

So, when the Belgian decided to leave for China in 2019, it was a sad day for Spurs supporters. Arguably since that day, they have struggled to find a player with similar qualities. That’s perhaps until the win over Aston Villa.

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Tottenham's new Mousa Dembele

There were a number of key performers in that win over Unai Emery’s team on Sunday, not least Solanke who was the scorer of two goals.

However, Pape Matar Sarr deserves an equal amount of praise for a display that Football.London felt obliged to hand a 9/10 rating.

In the words of GOAL’s Mitch Fretton, the Senegalese was a “monster” in the middle of the park and although he perhaps didn’t show the same level of drive with the ball, failing to attempt a single dribble, he was very much Dembele-esque in a lot of the work he got through.

Sarr vs Aston Villa

Minutes played

90

Touches

80

Accurate passes

59/64 (92%)

Key passes

1

Shots

4

Ground duels won

2/7

Aerial duels won

1/2

Possession lost

7x

Clearances

3

Interceptions

2

Tackles

0

Stats via Sofascore.

In the process of winning three duels, completing a supremely impressive 92% of his passes and boasting more touches (80) than anyone on the field, his finest action came when helping Spurs score their third goal of the game.

If the fact he had more touches than anyone else didn’t give you Dembele vibes then the way he broke up the play for Solanke’s second of the day should.

Sarr pounced on Pau Torres’ loose ball before darting forward with his great lengthy strides and sending it through to Richarlison who laid it on a plate for the £65m signing to score from. It was one of two interceptions from the young 22-year-old who should now be one of the first names on the teamsheet.

He drives his team forward, breaks up the play brilliantly and covers so much ground for his team. All of a sudden he is vital to the way Postecoglou wants his team to play.

Spurs thought they'd signed the new Mousa Dembele, then he left for free

The promising star couldn’t make it work at Spurs.

2

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 2, 2024

Yastika Bhatia out of Australia ODIs with wrist injury; Uma Chetry called up

Wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia has been ruled out of India’s upcoming ODI series in Australia due to a wrist injury she picked up during the ongoing WBBL. In her place, India have called up Uma Chetry, who is uncapped in the format.Chetry has played four T20Is, all this year. Her debut was against South Africa in July. Earlier this month, she was the second-highest run-getter in the domestic T20 Challenger Trophy with 231 runs at a strike rate of 154.00. She also scored the only hundred in the competition, a 122 off 71 balls.Chetry also has the experience of touring Australia, with India A side in August, even though her returns were underwhelming. In four matches across formats, she scored 7 and 11 in T20s, 16 in the one-dayer, and 2 and 47 in the four-day game.Related

  • Shafali dropped for Australia ODIs; Ghosh, Punia return

  • 'Just go all out': Rodrigues looks to Australian mindset

Bhatia was the second-highest run-getter for Melbourne Stars – despite missing the last three games – scoring 154 runs in six outings at a strike rate of 104.76. Stars, however, finished at the bottom of the points table with two wins from ten matches.Before her WBBL stint, Bhatia played the three-match ODI series against New Zealand at home and scored 84 runs in three innings. She was part of the T20 World Cup squad but didn’t get a game.The first two ODIs against Australia will be played at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane, on December 5 and 8. The third and final match will be played at the WACA ground in Perth on December 11.

India Women squad for Australia ODIs

Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Priya Punia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Richa Ghosh (wk), Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma, Minnu Mani, Priya Mishra, Radha Yadav, Titas Sadhu, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Saima Thakor, Uma Chetry (wk)

Torcida do Botafogo esgota carga de ingressos de dois setores do Niltão na partida contra o Athletico-PR

MatériaMais Notícias

da bet7k: A expectativa é de que o Botafogo volte a jogar com casa cheia no Nilton Santos. Na tarde desta sexta-feira (13), o Glorioso divulgou que foram adquiridos 22 mil ingressos para a partida com o Athletico-PR.

RelacionadasBotafogoQuais são os maiores títulos da história do Botafogo?Botafogo13/10/2023Fora de CampoFaltou só um Tiquinho? Torcedores cobram ausência de artilheiro do Botafogo após vexame diante da VenezuelaFora de Campo13/10/2023BotafogoFortes sinais! Vantagem do Botafogo na 26ª rodada é uma das maiores na história dos pontos corridos do BrasileirãoBotafogo13/10/2023

da imperador bet: O confronto será realizado no sábado, dia 21, no Niltão. Os setores Leste Inferior e Leste Superior estão esgotados para a partida válida pela vigésima-oitava rodada do Brasileirão.

+ A sua carreira no futebol pode começar hoje. Garanta a sua vaga no curso Gestor de Futebol e capacite-se!

Até o momento, as vendas estão restritas para os sócios do Plano Glorioso, Plano Alvinegro, Plano Preto e Plano Branco. A venda online para o público em geral começa na quarta-feira, dia 18, enquanto nos postos físicos tem início no dia seguinte. As vendas acontecem  no site que comercializa ingressos do Botafogo.

O Botafogo encara o Athletico-PR no sábado, 21, às 21h, no Niltão. Veja o serviço da partida aqui.

Man Utd now open talks to sign “incredible” free agent with 147 career goals

Manchester United have now opened talks to sign an “incredible” star, who’s scored a whopping 147 career goals, and they are looking to get a deal done at the start of next year.

Man Utd looking to bring in another leader

In the wake of the 4-1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday night, Ruben Amorim praised Lisandro Martinez for his leadership capabilities, while also adding: “Mason Mount is always the same thing, training, talking, dealing with people around Carrington. That is not easy. So he is a very, very good player.”

However, the perceived lack of leaders in the squad has been criticised for quite some time, with Roy Keane calling into question whether Bruno Fernandes is a suitable captain after the 1-1 draw against Chelsea last season.

Following the emphatic win at Molineux, the Red Devils are up to sixth in the Premier League table, but they clearly aren’t the finished article just yet, having lost at home to 10-man Everton and drawn with a struggling West Ham United side in recent weeks.

If Man United are to start competing for the top honours once again, they may need to bring in players who are experienced at the top level, and they have now opened talks over a deal for Sergio Ramos, who is a free agent, following his departure from Monterrey.

That is according to a report from Spain, which states negotiations are in the early stages, with United expressing the ‘strongest’ interest in securing the former Real Madrid man’s signature, and they are looking to bring him in at the start of next year.

Several other unnamed clubs are in the race for the Spaniard’s signature, with his future set to be resolved in the next few weeks.

Amorim's priority target: Man Utd step up interest in "special" Madrid star

Man United are now in the race for a “special” player

ByDominic Lund 3 days ago "Incredible" Ramos knows what it takes to win

With Keane previously making it clear he is not entirely convinced by Fernandes as a captain, Man United could perhaps do with bringing in an experienced leader, who knows what it takes to win.

The 39-year-old certainly fits the bill in that regard, having become the first player to captain a team to three straight Champions League triumphs during his time with Real Madrid.

Mesut Özil has also made it clear just how highly he rates his former teammate, saying: “Sergio Ramos is the best defender I’ve ever played with. And the one with the most character. At that time I was still very young, but I already had a very strong mentality. It was incredible. It was clear that sooner or later he would lead Real Madrid to UCL glory.”

Not only is the 180-time Spain international a top-quality defender, but he also poses a threat at the other end of the pitch, having amassed a whopping 147 career goals for club and country.

That said, Ramos is now 39-years-old, and hasn’t played in Europe since a spell with Sevilla in the 2023-24 campaign, so there may be some doubts over whether he is still capable of making an impact at a club like Man United.

Asia Cup 2025 in UAE starting September 9; India vs Pakistan on September 14

India and Pakistan are pitted against each other in Group A at the 2025 men’s Asia Cup, set to be held in the UAE from September 9 to September 28. Their group-stage meeting will be on September 14 in Dubai*, with two more potential games between them should both reach the final. Dubai, where the final will also be played, will host 11 games while Abu Dhabi will host eight fixtures.Last week, the dates for the 17th edition of the tournament were announced by Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi. Keeping in mind the T20 World Cup, the tournament will be played in the T20I format and, for the very first time, will feature eight teams, a bump of two from the previous edition.

Key group-stage matches

Ban v SL, Sept 13, Abu Dhabi
Ind v Pak, Sept 14, Dubai
Ban v Afg, Sept 16, Abu Dhabi
SL vs Afg, Sept 18, Abu Dhabi

Apart from India and Pakistan, Group A includes Oman and hosts UAE. Group B has Afghanistan and Hong Kong, who kickstart the tournament in Abu Dhabi on September 9, alongside Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.The top two teams from each group will move on to another four-team group for the second stage, with the top two teams of that group proceeding to the final on September 28.The venue and dates for the tournament were finalised at the ACC’s annual general meeting in Dhaka last Thursday, where the Asia Cup was one of the key points on the members’ agenda. The fate of the tournament had briefly been thrown into uncertainty following the India-Pakistan military skirmish in May. After the AGM in Dhaka, Naqvi had addressed a press conference about the imminent notification of the Asia Cup dates, though he had stopped short of confirming specific details at the time.The India-Pakistan fixture is, by far, the most financially lucrative fixture in the Asia Cup. The format of the tournament and the placement in the same group make at least two India-Pakistan matches likely, the second on September 21 – also in Dubai – if it happens. It also leaves open the possibility of a third meeting in the final in Dubai on September 28. There has, however, never been an India-Pakistan final in the Asia Cup.India are the official hosts of the tournament, but, after an agreement between the BCCI and the PCB earlier this year, tournaments held in India or Pakistan will see a neutral venue provided for the other side for a three-year period. The agreement came about ahead of the Champions Trophy held in Pakistan earlier this year. India played all their games, including the one against hosts Pakistan, in Dubai. The final, which India qualified for and won, was also held in Dubai.India are the defending champions, having beaten Sri Lanka in the final of the previous edition in 2023. Sri Lanka won the previous T20I edition, beating Pakistan in the final in 2022.*1700 GMT, Aug 2: The news story was updated after the ACC released the detailed schedule

Fluminense não perde para o Juventude como mandante desde 2005

MatériaMais Notícias

da bet sport: Após a boa vitória contra o Alianza Lima pela Libertadores, o Fluminense volta suas atenções para o Brasileirão. Neste sábado (01), o Tricolor encara o Juventude, às 18h30, no Maracanã, e tem um bom trunfo ao seu lado: Não perde para o rival desde 2005 jogando como mandante.

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da imperador bet: ➡️ A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

Um bom retrospecto do Fluminense

Em 13 jogos disputados com mando do Fluminense na história, são 11 vitórias do Tricolor, um empate e apenas uma derrota, por 2 a 1, em 2005. No último encontro entre as equipes no Maracanã, vitória do Flu por 4 a 0, no Brasileirão de 2022.

Estatisticas de Fluminense e Juventude

Ao todo, Fluminense e Juventude já disputaram 26 jogos entre si, com 12 vitórias do Tricolor, seis empates e oito vitórias do Juventude. O Tricolor marcou 44 gols, enquanto o Jaconeiro balançou as redes em 37 oportunidades.

continua após a publicidadeCampanha na Libertadores impressionou

Com o triunfo sobre o Alianza Lima, o Fluminense encerrou a fase de grupos da Libertadores com 14 pontos conquistados. Essa é a segunda melhor campanha do Tricolor nessa etapa da competição.

A equipe de Fernando Diniz só não conseguiu superar o Time de Guerreiros de 2012, que fez 15 pontos em uma chave com Boca Juniors, Arsenal-ARG e Zamora. Ainda assim, o Time de Guerreiros demonstra força em busca do bi pela Glória Eterna.

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Nas oitavas de final, o Fluminense também tem um trunfo para avançar às quartas de final. Em todos os anos em que o Tricolor conquistou a liderança na fase de grupos, a equipe avançou até as quartas de final do torneio.

Na única vez em que foi eliminado nas oitavas de final, o Time de Guerreiros havia avançado de fase na 2ª colocação de sua chave, em 2011. Na ocasião, os cariocas foram eliminados para o Libertad, no Paraguai.

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