According to reports, West Ham United have now made a "verbal bid" to sign a new midfield reinforcement for Julen Lopetegui who could cost a hefty £4.8m-a-year.

West Ham transfer news

The Hammers have enjoyed a solid summer transfer window so far, welcoming Luis Guilherme, Max Kilman, and Wes Foderingham as they look to hand new boss Lopetegui the ultimate start to life at the London Stadium. Kilman particularly stole the headlines upon his arrival, given that West Ham reportedly paid out as much as £40m.

The 27-year-old expressed his delight at joining the London club, telling West Ham's official website: “It’s an amazing feeling to be a West Ham United player. As soon as I was aware of the interest from the Club, it was an opportunity I was keen to pursue, so I couldn’t be more delighted to be here.

“I really enjoyed working with Julen during his time at Wolves – he’s a top-class coach and someone I learned a lot from, and I am confident I will continue to improve as a player under his management here.”

West Ham frontrunners to sign £25m talent who’d make Duran unplayable

The east Londoners are getting busy in the transfer market.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 19, 2024

The Hammers aren't stopping there, however, having already opened talks over their next potential move. According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, West Ham have made a "verbal bid" to sign N'Golo Kante worth £15m, but have seen that offer rejected by Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad. The Frenchman is reportedly happy at the Saudi club, though he proved in abundance at Euro 2024 that he's still more than capable of playing at the very top.

"Unique" Kante is still Premier League quality

If there were any doubts over Kante's ability to still perform on the biggest stage then his displays at the Euros should have put those concerns to bed for good. Even at 33 years of age, the midfielder remains the impossibly athletic ball-winner who could be the perfect partner for James Ward-Prowse at the heart of Lopetegui's midfield.

Thomas Tuchel is one of many in European football to have praised Kante so highly, previously saying via Sky Sports: "I see this every day in training and it's hard to believe how good he is. Don't make the mistake of reducing him to ball-wins. He plays excellent in every possession game we have in training.

"He's a unique guy. We were strong in midfield with him, Jorgi [Jorginho], and Kova [Mateo Kovacic] in the second half. N'Golo is N'Golo, he's fantastic."

That said, if West Ham are to continue their pursuit of the World Cup winner then they will need to find a way past his current reported wage of £404k-a-week at Al-Ittihad, which sees him earn £4.8m-a-year.

Babar Azam and Saim Ayub upstaged Akeal Hosein’s hat-trick as Peshawar Zalmi thumped Quetta Gladiators by 76 runs and booked a playoff spot in the Pakistan Super League on Friday.Gladiators’ batters fumbled for a second straight game and were bowled out for 120 in 17.5 overs after Zalmi made 196 for 8.Ayub continued to make the most of his new allrounder role by claiming the key wickets of Gladiators captain Rilee Rossouw (8) and Khawaja Nafay (5) in one over.Babar notched his fourth half-century of this PSL in a blazing 53 off 30 balls. Babar is the leading run-getter this season, with 447 runs at a strike rate of 154.67 in eight games.Left-arm spinner Hosein achieved the first hat-trick of this PSL in his last over. He had Aamer Jamal caught behind; bowled Mumtaz; and Rossouw grabbed a sharp catch of Luke Wood in the lone slip. Hosein finished with 4 for 23.Despite Hosein, Ayub opened Zalmi’s batting with 30 off 14 balls and Babar struck nine fours and a six before falling lbw to Hosein’s straight delivery in the 13th over. Rovman Powell (28 not out) and Naveen-ul-Haq (10 not out ) added 39 off the final 26 balls to set up an intimidating total.Zalmi rose to second in the standings and could finish among the top two by winning the last league game against Islamabad United on Sunday. Gladiators need to win at least one of their remaining two matches to reach the playoffs.

SLC technical committee chairman Aravinda de Silva shares details of future plans

Andrew Fidel Fernando08-Apr-2021Sri Lanka is looking to revive inter-provincial cricket in the latest attempt to create a more competitive first-class structure. Although exact details of the new competition have not been announced, chairman of SLC’s technical committee Aravinda de Silva has hinted that the provincial system will become the premier multi-day competition in the country. The present club system will continue to exist with only minor alterations as well.Provincial cricket has been sporadically attempted in Sri Lanka, but such competitions have largely been short in duration, and have done little to connect with a fan base from the provinces each team is supposed to represent. De Silva suggested the existing first-class clubs (of which there are now 26), may be required to band together in clusters to administer each of these provincial teams. This is an idea that had first been floated in 2015, by Mahela Jayawardene, before a change of leadership at SLC did away with the plan for a cluster system.”We are trying to create another tier in domestic cricket through a provincial tournament,” de Silva said. “What we want to do is make that a stronger four-day competition. In that provincial competition, we will have an “A” tier as well, which will give players opportunities to qualify for development squads. But the main provincial competition will be the feeder for the national team.”We’re trying to create a pathway from the bottom to the top by clustering clubs so that we develop players leaving the school system right to the highest level.”De Silva was adamant that although the existing club system may be trimmed down to three-day matches (at present, clubs play a mixture of three and four-day encounters), and although the number of club matches may be reduced to make way for the provincial tournament, the club system would continue to be an integral part of Sri Lanka’s domestic structure. The club tournament also would not lose its first-class status.”The clubs provide the infrastructure for players who are just out of school, because they get facilities, support and opportunities, to give these players a foundation. Without that foundation – if we get rid of the clubs – it’s like we’re shooting ourselves in the foot. The club system has been the foundation for us to develop our cricketers thus far. If we get rid of that system, it will be very difficult for us to bridge that gap. You need somewhere for the 3000-odd cricketers leaving the school system to continue playing.”SLC has made no official announcements on the exact nature of the new domestic structure yet. De Silva’s technical committee working closely with Tom Moody – Sri Lanka’s new director of cricket – to finalise tournament details.The clubs, however, may need to be won over by these new proposals. They have typically been resistant to accept additional first-class competitions that threaten the club structure’s status as the top domestic competition in the country.

Pulisic found the back of the net in the 21st minute, before two second half goals from Milan teammates helped guide them to a 3-2 victory.

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• Pulisic scores again for Milan in UCL
• defeat Slovan Bratislava 3-2
• American leads Italian club in scoring

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  U.S. international Christian Pulisic helped lead AC Milan to victory Tuesday, defeating Slovakian side Slovan Bratislava 3-2. The American bagged the opening goal, after being fed a sensational ball by ex-Chelsea teammate Tammy Abraham, who scored the eventual winning strike after winger Rafael Leao added their second prior.

  Milan now sit on nine points through five matches played in the competition, with three wins and two losses.

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  The U.S. international now has eight goals and four assists across all competitions, with four-total goal contributions in the UCL this season. He's had a stupendous run of form that has seen him take his performances to a new level under manager Paulo Fonseca with Milan in 2024.

  Fellow U.S. international Yunus Musah began the game on the bench, but was introduced in the 75th minute of the contest – the same time that Pulisic departed. The midfielder had little impact during the closing stages of the match, but played his role well in the middle of the park.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MILAN?

  The and Pulisic clash with Empoli in Serie A action, with Milan now unbeaten in their last five matches across all competitions. Their next UCL appearance will arrive on Dec. 11 against Red Star Belgrade, wrapping up their final contest of the calendar year in the competition.

Gareth Bale is backing Kylian Mbappe to win the Ballon d'Or ahead of Vinicius Junior next year.

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Bale pitchside for Liverpool vs Real MadridAsked to name award winners for next yearFavoured Mbappe instead of Vini Jr for Ballon d'OrFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Welsh icon Bale was on punditry duty for Madrid's 2-0 loss to Liverpool on Wednesday. The former Galactico was great value and even opened up on his golfing days since retirement. He was also asked to name his next batch of award winners, including his favourite fort the Ballon d'Or. Bale chose Mbappe over the recently-snubbed Vinicius, while tipping Robert Lewandowski to be La Liga's top scorer.

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Bale's decision to choose Mbappe over Vinicius for the world's most prestigious individual award is a dangerous one considering the debacle involving the Brazilian and Rodri a few weeks ago. But it can be seen as a show of solidarity from Bale, who also felt the incredible pressure of playing for Madrid at the peak of his career. Vinicius is undoubtedly one of the best in the world and even without the support of the Welshman, will fancy his chances of winning the trophy next season.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Bale's highest ranking in the Ballon d'Or was sixth, which he achieved in 2016. He never broke into the top three as a player, reflecting on the pure domination from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who always featured at the top.

Ipswich Town are continuing to ramp up their transfer business ahead of their Premier League opening day clash against Liverpool on Saturday, and are closing in on a pair of new midfielders.

Ipswich's impressive business to date

After securing back-to-back promotions there has understandably been significant squad turnover at Portman Road this summer. Their most important business was to renew the contract of manager Kieran McKenna, who had been linked with Chelsea, Manchester United and Brighton before penning a new deal in East Anglia earlier in the transfer window.

On the pitch, the Tractor Boys have shelled out £60m on five new faces, with last season's hero Omari Hutchinson the pick of the transfers after he arrived from Chelsea for a club record £20m.

They have also added Hull City defender Jacob Greaves to the heart of their defence, while they raided relegated Burnley to bring Arijanet Muric to Portman Road in a deal worth around £8m and added veteran Conor Townsend to their side from West Bromwich Albion.

Imagine him & Davis: Ipswich keen on signing "great" new defender

This potential new Ipswich Town signing could shine next to Leif Davis.

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Ben Johnson also arrived on a free transfer after his contract with West Ham United expired, while they bolstered their frontline with the arrival of Liam Delap from Manchester City, in a move that set them back a further £15m.

Now, they are closing in on signing on a loan deal to sign Napoli midfielder Jens Cajuste, who had previously been linked with a move to join fellow Premier League side Brentford, only for that move to collapse and the Tractor Boys to pounce. They are also now on the brink of another midfield addition too.

Ipswich ready for statement signing

That comes amid widespread reports that the Portman Road have beaten several other Premier League sides to the loan signing of 31-cap England midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who is set to leave Manchester City this summer.

The 28-year-old midfielder has endured a torrid time since his move to the Etihad from Leeds United, spending the second half of last season on loan with West Ham United and dropping out of Gareth Southgate's England squad as a result of poor form.

Though David Moyes urged fans to stay with the "excellent" midfielder at the London Stadium, Phillips managed just three starts and a total of 319 minutes across ten appearances.

"Kalvin Phillips is a really good player, an international player, an excellent footballer and I do believe we can still make something out of the time we’ve got left with him here", Moyes explained before opting to withdraw him from the firing line in the final games of the season.

Phillips at West Ham

Starts

3

Wins while starting

0

Fouls committed

14

Yellow Cards

1

Red Cards

1

Despite still having four years left to run on his £150,000 a week deal with the Premier League champions, he was always likely to leave the club this summer at least on loan, and Ipswich are set to benefit.

As per the East Anglian Daily Times, the midfielder is now travelling to Suffolk for his medical after the club agreed a one year loan deal with Manchester City, though the deal includes no option or obligation to buy Phillips at the end of his loan spell.

A move to Portman Road will see Phillips reunite with Leif Davis, with the pair having been together at Leeds United. It will also represent a statement signing for Ipswich as they look to secure Premier League survival.

Aston Villa have been offered the chance to bolster their ranks with a decorated free agent this summer, according to fresh reports.

Aston Villa lead Premier League's transfer business

Unai Emery's side are in Europe's top club competition for the first time in over 40 years and are flexing their financial muscle ahead of the new Premier League season in a bid to ensure that they stay there for the long term.

Much of their focus has been on adding depth to their ranks, with eight new signings already having been made by the club. However, the squad is still lacking any real Champions League experience, with Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne the only players in Emery's side to have played more than 15 times in Europe's elite competition.

Though by no means a pre-requisite for success in the competition, European experience is useful as Premier League rivals Arsenal have found out in recent seasons. Now, Villa have been offered the chance to bring in a man who has plenty.

Aston Villa offered to sign free agent

That comes as journalist Graeme Bailey claims that Villa have been "offered" the chance to sign veteran attacking midfielder James Rodriguez this summer.

The two-time Champions League winner is a free agent after leaving Sao Paulo a year early and is reportedly "keen" on a move back to England, where he spent a season with Everton.

Imagine him & Williams: Aston Villa could sign a "clinical" star for £0

Unai Emery is in the market to sign a striker this summer…

By
Ross Kilvington

Jul 22, 2024

He managed 10 goal contributions in a stop-start season for the Toffees, before leaving for Qatar and subsequently moving to Brazil. The ex-Real Madrid man boasts a mammoth 53 appearances in the Champions League, during which time he has found the net on five occasions and set up a further 11.

Villa are just one of the sides his representatives are thought to have contacted, with the likes of Midlands rivals Wolves and Nottingham Forest among those who have also been made aware of his availability.

Rodriguez could be Aston Villa's Coutinho 2.0

Of course, Aston Villa have just got rid of an attacking midfielder in their early thirties who boasts a Champions League trophy in his cabinet, but Rodriguez's performances in the most recent Copa America suggest that his arrival could play out differently were it to come to fruition.

While he brings a wealth of Champions League experience, he is also still performing on a regular basis, at least for his national side.

The Colombian attacker helped his side reach the final of the competition before they were eventually beaten by Argentina, grabbing a goal and six assists on the way.

Those six assists were enough to set a new record for the competition and land the 33-year-old the player of the tournament award ahead of the likes of Lionel Messi and Emiliano Martinez.

There are certainly question marks about whether that form can be sustained over the course of an entire season, but as he showed during the early stages of his stint with Everton, he has the ability to carve Premier League teams apart when he wants to. He could well be worth taking a risk on as a free agent, making this one to watch.

England’s Charlotte Edwards is the only other batter to have reached the milestone

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Mar-2021

Mithali Raj has become the first Indian batter, and only the second overall, to score 10,000 runs in women’s international cricket. Raj went past the mark during her innings of 36 in the third ODI against South Africa on Friday, getting there with a flicked boundary off the bowling of Anne Bosch.Raj was dismissed off the next ball, which means she will have to wait a little longer to reach another major milestone – she is now 26 runs away from becoming the first batter to 7000 runs in women’s ODIs. England’s Charlotte Edwards, who ended her career with 5992 ODI runs, is a distant second on that list.Charlotte Edwards, Mithali Raj, Suzie Bates, Stafanie Taylor and Meg Lanning are the top five run-getters in women’s cricket•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Edwards, incidentally, is the only other woman to have scored 10,000 international runs. She made 10,273 runs overall, in a career that stretched from 1996 to 2016.Raj has enjoyed an even longer career. She made her India debut back in June 1999, in an ODI in Lucknow against England, and has so far played 10 Tests, 212 ODIs and 89 T20Is. She now has 663 Test runs at an average of 51.00, 6974 ODI runs at 50.53, and 2364 T20I runs at 37.52.”When you play for so long, you obviously go through different milestones. And this is just one of them,” Raj said after the match. “I think the key for me has always been consistency. I’ve always believed in scoring runs each time I walk out to bat – whether it’s in domestic or internationals, it never mattered.”As long as I get an opportunity to bat, it has to be counted, and that has given me a lot of experience and exposure to work on my game over the years, with the changing standards of women’s cricket and to stay relevant on the international circuit.”Speaking to the media ahead of the third ODI, India opener Smriti Mandhana had reflected on the significance of Raj reaching the milestone.”Getting to 10,000 runs first or second is a huge thing,” Mandhana said. “She is the first Indian to do that, so I think it is something that shows how consistent she has been throughout her career. We have looked up to her, definitely a very proud feeling for all of us in the team.”