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West Ham United are planning a move to sign a "very quick" forward, with his club now deciding they may need to sell this summer.

West Ham set sights on new attacker and defender

Hammers technical director Tim Steidten's planning for the transfer window is reportedly well underway already, and it is believed the German has a few key transfer targets already.

West Ham make approach to sign defender tipped to become "one of the best"

The Hammers want to bolster their backline.

ByEmilio Galantini Mar 28, 2024

West Ham are keen to strengthen in both attack and defence, with Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo apparently turning heads at the club as his Craven Cottage contract ticks down to expiry.

The Englishman could be available for free this summer, amid uncertainty surrounding the futures of Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma. Both of manager David Moyes' starting centre-backs are being linked with moves to Saudi Arabia, with Aguerd in particular displaying real inconsistency throughout 2023/2024.

The Morocco international has been prone to errors this season, potentially leading to West Ham setting their sights on fresh faces to bolster their back line. Juventus starlet Dean Huijsen is another defender linked with a West Ham move, according to recent reports.

Further forward, West Ham are in need of more quality attacking options, and they've sensationally been plunged into the race for Brentford striker Ivan Toney lately.

Jarrod Bowen

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Mohammed Kudus

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Tomas Soucek

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The England international is set to be a sought-after name this summer, having scored 20 league goals last season and with his contract expiring just next year.

He is still likely to command a significant fee, though, and it is perhaps prudent for West Ham to scour the market for cheaper forward options across their attacking line.

This is where their new transfer target comes in, as Football Insider report interest in Juventus starlet Samuel Illing-Junior.

West Ham planning Iling-Junior move as Juve make sale decison

The 20-year-old, a product of Chelsea's academy, has been a bit-part player under Massimilano Allegri this season, but the Irons could offer him an escape route.

Pete O'Rourke writes for FI that West Ham are plotting a move for Iling-Junior as Juventus concede they may need to sell this summer, as his deal expires in 2025 and the Serie A heavyweights have little time to make any back off his exit.

The winger, last rumoured to cost around £15.5 million, has been revered for his pace and even likened to AC Milan star Rafael Leao.

“Iling Junior is a very quick player, who loves to take on opposing full-backs and attack the vertical spaces, in a very direct way,” Michele Neri explained to TNT Sports.

“He is a left winger who can also play as a right winger if needed. He has a great sense for dribbling and a speed from a standing start that other Juventus players do not have. In these qualities you can absolutely see shades of Rafael Leao when the AC Milan superstar was a bit younger. The fans went crazy for him after the Benfica game where he played 20 minutes and really shone, providing an assist to Milik."

One high-profile event likely to replace another, while the WTC will have to be considerably reworked

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jul-20203:33

ICC CEO: Stature of T20 World Cup, people’s safety both important

.Brace yourself for the IPLReplace one high-profile T20 tournament with another. The prime beneficiary of this postponement will be the IPL, itself indefinitely postponed in May this year because of the impact of the pandemic in India. But the tournament is now very likely to be held in its entirety in the UAE, with a tentative window set from September 26 to November 7. The BCCI had been waiting for a public announcement from the ICC about the T20 World Cup, and the path is now clear for the BCCI to confirm those arrangements.Given the IPL’s place in the international calendar and the fact that very little bilateral cricket is played when it is on ordinarily, as well as that the window was originally cleared in the calendar for the T20 World Cup, there is likely to be very little – if any – other cricket on at that time. “It won’t change anything for us immediately,” said CSA’s acting CEO, Jacques Faul. “If they play the IPL in that window, then it blocks out bilateral cricket anyway.”Will we see a World Test Champion next year?After the T20 World Cup and the IPL, the status of the World Test Championship (WTC) is arguably of most interest. Given that it is essentially bilateral cricket squeezed into a league format, this will take longer to figure out. Each member will have to take stock of the situation in their own country and work out what feasible timelines are for a return of bilateral cricket.The league stage of the WTC was originally scheduled to end by March next year, before a one-Test final between the top two teams in the table next summer in the UK. England’s ongoing series with West Indies and one with Pakistan are, for now, part of the WTC. India’s trip to Australia at the end of the year will also, presumably, be part of it. But given the number of bilateral series that have been hit by the pandemic and the short amount of time left between now and next March, the league will have to be reworked considerably for it to be completed.There does remain a broad commitment to it among members and with the question of the T20 World Cup out of the way now, attention will switch to resolving the WTC.We will still see an ODI Super LeagueThe ODI Super League was supposed to start in May this year, another league format squeezed onto the framework of bilateral cricket. But it was one of the early casualties of the pandemic. The 13-team league (12 Full Members and Netherlands), in which members play eight series against each other over two years, will stay, though when it starts and when it concludes is yet to be decided.The top seven teams in the league, will join the hosts, India, at the 2023 World Cup. The remaining sides will play in a qualifier with five teams from the lower tiers, with the top two from there going to the World Cup, which has been shifted from a February-March window to October-November, allowing more time for the league and the qualifying tournament to be played out.Members still get paidOne of the main concerns of a group of smaller boards outside the Big Three was of the financial fallout if the T20 World Cup did not go ahead this year. The ICC makes revenue distribution payments to all members twice a year based on a financial model agreed on in 2017. While those payments happen every year and are not dependent on ICC events, there was a worry that this year’s second payment – in July (the first comes in January) – may be affected by the unusual circumstances created by the pandemic.ESPNcricinfo understands, however, that the July payments have gone through, a relief to boards such as CWI, PCB, SLC and BCB, who rely heavily on these distributions. On current projections, each round of payments come to around USD 7-8 million for each of these boards. The BCCI and ECB receive a bigger share.

It's been a long and eventful Premier League season for Crystal Palace fans this year. However, the appointment of Austrian manager Oliver Glasner in February signaled the start of a new era at the club.

The 49-year-old has five points from his first four games in charge and started winter signing Adam Wharton in each one.

The youngster looks like he could have an incredibly bright future at Selhurst Park, although he's still worth significantly less than one of his teammates.

What Crystal Palace paid for Adam Wharton

After a month of back-and-forth negotiations, the Eagles finally completed the £18m signing of Wharton from Blackburn Rovers on February 1st, agreeing to a five-and-a-half-year deal with the highly-rated youngster.

Despite being 19 at the time, the Blackburn-born gem had already made 51 appearances for Rovers' first team and was described as "one of the most exciting English U-19 talents around" and the "The English Cambiasso" by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

The now 20-year-old has already made six appearances for the south Londoners in his short time at the club, five of those starts, and looks relatively comfortable in the Premier League.

His rapid rise from academy gem at Ewood Park to first-team regular at Palace has been mirrored by the rise in his valuation, with Football Transfers' Expected Value model pricing the young Englishman at just around €1m – £860k a year ago. The £18m man still has a way to replicate the rise of homegrown talent, Tyrick Mitchell, however.

Tyrick Mitchell's valuation at Crystal Palace

Mitchell joined Palace as a youngster after Brentford dissolved their youth setup in 2016. After spending a few years working his way up through the various youth sides, he made his full debut for the first team in a 2-0 Premier League defeat away to Wolverhampton Wanderers in July 2020.

In the three and a half years since that game, the Brent-born full-back has made 134 appearances for the south Londoners. In September 2023, he became the youngest player in the club's history to make 100 Premier League appearances.

The 24-year-old's importance to the team has been undeniable in recent seasons, and with new boss Glasner continuing to start him since taking over, it looks as if the "technically super-gifted" left-back, as ex-youth coach Gabriel Flores described him, will keep his place in the team for some time to come.

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His consistent performances in arguably the toughest league in world football have also impacted his valuation. In January 2021, Football Transfers' Expected Value model priced him at just €3 – £2.5m, whereas he's now valued at around €25m, which is about £21m, or more than Wharton's £18m transfer fee.

Crystal Palace were rinsed by £170k-p/w signing who earned more than Eze

The highly-rated star cost the clubs millions and offered nothing in return.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 22, 2024

Ultimately, Palace have a young star on their hands in the former Blackburn gem, but they have arguably done even better in nurturing Mitchell from the academy up to a £21m Premier League-level left-back.

Chelsea and Villarreal are in the final stages of negotiations for goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen, according to Fabrizio Romano.

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Chelsea in talks with VillarrealHave already agreed deal with goalkeeperJorgensen signed new contract last monthWHAT HAPPENED?

The London club are closing in on a deal with the Spanish side, the journalist reports, having improved on their initial €20 million (£17m/$22m) offer that was turned down by the Yellow Submarine. The two clubs are now in advanced talks to determine the structure of the deal.

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Jorgensen and Chelsea have already reached an agreement over a contract, as the Blues have fought off competition from Marseille to convince the 22-year-old to make the move to Stamford Bridge. Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City were all linked with the shot stopper earlier this year.

DID YOU KNOW?

Jorgensen progressed through the Villarreal youth academy and spent just one season as the team's first choice goalkeeper, helping them to an eighth-place finish in La Liga in 2023-24. Last month, he signed a new contract with the club that runs until 2029, but he seems set to leave in the coming days.

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

Chelsea have been in the market for a new goalkeeper to offer competition for Robert Sanchez. They had also been linked with Real Madrid's Andriy Lunin, who enjoyed a successful season in Spain after Thibaut Courtois was ruled out for much of the campaign with an injury.

The taking of a knee by England and West Indies has to be the start of a wider discourse

George Dobell09-Jul-20201:37

West Indies, England players take a knee in moving tribute

On the face of things, the first day of this series didn’t offer much in the way of memorable cricket.Oh, Dom Sibley will have nightmares about the one he left – his new abstemious attitude clearly has drawbacks – and we were reminded that our wonderful game is often confronted by an enemy far more familiar than Covid-19. With rain limiting play to tiny patches – one as short as seven deliveries; another just three overs – this was an immensely frustrating experience.But what was it CLR James said about those “that only cricket know?” For away from the action, unrecorded by the scorecards or data analysts, this was a significant day in the history of our sport.Not so long ago, someone in the administration of cricket would have decided that taking a knee was a political gesture. Just as, not so long ago, someone in the administration of the sport would have responded to Michael Carberry’s recent comments with denials and legal threats.But as Bob Dylan put it at the height of the civil rights movement, the times they are a-changing. It’s just they haven’t a-changed enough. As footage of the murder of George Floyd suggested, we haven’t come as far as we should have done since Dylan was singing about Hattie Carroll, Medgar Evers and Reuben Carter.So, to see the players of both sides pause before the first ball was bowled and take a knee as an expression of support for the Black Lives Matters (BLM) movement was important. It wasn’t just the players, either. The entire squads, support staff, selectors and umpires, too. Combined with some passionate testimony from Sky’s commentary team – Ebony Rainford-Brent and Michael Holding, in particular – it sustained the impression that we are at a watershed moment for our game.The point is: cricket is, in general terms, a conservative sport. It was administered until relatively recently by MCC, an exclusive members’ club in London which only started to allow women to join 22 years ago. It has tended – as the D’Oliveira case suggests – to look the other way when issues of morality or social justice are involved. So to see the sport united in acknowledging its role in society, its own shortcomings and embracing a need to do better is an important milestone.There may be details around the edges of what Carberry said, or what some involved in BLM profess, with which to take issue. That’s fine. But there is also an understanding of the general truth contained within. And from that comes a greater willingness to listen and learn. And only from that base can change come.ALSO READ: England, West Indies take a knee in moving tributeIn England, in particular, it will take a cultural change the like of which the game has arguably never undergone. An administration that takes the issue seriously probably doesn’t employ a man once suspended for a racist outburst to lead one of the new Hundred teams, or employ veterans of rebel tours to apartheid South Africa without consideration for the message that sends.West Indies’ players take a knee in support of Black Lives Matter•Getty ImagesBut it’s more than that. It’s the entire game – from its private school heartlands, its disappearance behind a paywall, its £40 joining fee for All Stars – has become elitist in a financial sense. As so often, The Simpsons put it best when they wrote: “Our prices discriminate because we can’t”.It’s been suggested in recent days that the trophy between these sides, currently the Wisden Trophy, might benefit from renaming; a name that better encapsulates its history and relevance. There have been many suggestions, not least those incorporating some of the great names – Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Vivian Richards, Michael Holding et al – who have featured in these series over the years.But how about the CLR James Trophy? In a moment, it recognises a past beyond the on-field action. It recognises the unique history between these teams and the nations from which they are drawn. And yes, it recognises a past that includes slavery and colonialism. It encourages conversation around those issues while still celebrating our great game.So, while Wednesday’s 17 overs of action may be forgotten soon enough, the pre-play gesture was truly significant. It showed, from West Indies, a refusal to accept a continuation of what has gone before and from England a humility in acknowledging the need to change. But the gesture, welcome as it was, has to be the start of a journey and not the destination.

Brenden Aaronson is reportedly ready to embrace a second chance at Leeds, but Danny Mills is not convinced the USMNT star wants Championship football.

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Suffered relegation out of the Premier LeagueLoaned out to Union Berlin for 2023-24 seasonReturning to England with questions being askedWHAT HAPPENED?

The United States international was snapped up by fellow countryman Jesse Marsch in the summer of 2022. He registered just one goal during his debut season at Elland Road, which finished in relegation out of the Premier League.

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Aaronson was among those to move on in 2023, as he linked up with Bundesliga outfit Union Berlin on loan, but is now due back in England after Copa America duty with his country. It has been suggested that the 23-year-old is ready to commit to the Whites, allowing him to win over a sceptical fan base.

WHAT MILLS SAID

Former Leeds defender Mills, speaking in association with , has told GOAL when asked if Aaronson could become a game-changer in Daniel Farke’s squad: “It’s a difficult one for Leeds. They have got all sorts of players coming in and going out. It’s a bit of a revolving door. Last season it was like ‘let’s get everybody out’, but there wasn’t too much thought as to what happens when they call come back in. It’s a difficult situation to manage within it. A lot of them will believe that they are Premier League players, or better than the Championship. How do you integrate them back into the squad? They are good players, but integrating them and getting them to believe in the Championship – when it’s Sat-Tues week in, week out – it’s never going to be easy. Players have egos, they have self belief. Daniel Farke did an incredible job at the beginning of last season to manage the revolving door and I think he might have a similar situation when it comes to this one. Until the window is closed, he is not necessarily going to know who is going to be in and who is going to be out.”

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GettyDID YOU KNOW?

Aaronson has graced the Champions League and World Cup, with Mills adding on whether he will now want to prove his worth in English football: “This is where it comes down to character. Did he want to be there last time in the Championship? It didn’t look like it did it, he was happy to get out of the door as quickly as possible. Will he want to stay and prove himself again? You have to look at the individuals and look at their character. He didn’t want to be there last time around, so why would he want to still be there now in the Championship? As a player you grow, you want to play in League One, then the Championship, then the Premier League, play as an international. To drop back when still at your peak is difficult sometimes. It needs to be a special person and character to be able to handle that.”

Nottingham Forest have endured an up-and-down spell under boss Nuno Espírito Santo, with the Reds still right in the middle of a relegation battle.

The former Wolves boss took over from Steve Cooper on 20th December last year, with Nuno making an instant impact, winning two of his first three Premier League games with victories against Newcastle United and Manchester United.

Those two victories were undoubtedly the peak of his time in charge so far, with the Reds' form dropping as they entered 2024.

Forest have only won one league game so far this calendar year, which came in the 2-0 home win against West Ham United back in February, with the Reds suffering back-to-back defeats since.

Nuno will be wanting a response to the 1-0 defeat to Liverpool last weekend as they travel to face Brighton this afternoon, with the Reds head coach needing to unleash one member of the Forest squad.

Why Ryan Yates should be dropped to face Brighton

Midfielder Ryan Yates came through the Forest academy, with the 26-year-old being a consistent part of the Reds' squad so far this campaign.

He took the armband for the game against Jürgen Klopp's side last weekend and brought a needed physical presence to the midfield. However, his clumsy playstyle saw him commit four fouls during the 90 minutes, with Yates often overstepping the line with his tenacious attitude.

Yates failed to win a single tackle against Liverpool and was poor in possession, completing just 20 passes at a success rate of only 69%.

He's a solid player to have in games against sides who like to control possession, but with the return of one Forest player, he should make way and take his place on the substitutes' bench.

The man to replace Yates this afternoon

Forest midfielder Ibrahim Sangare joined the Reds in a £35m move from PSV last summer. His time at the City Ground has been a stop-start one, with Sangare having a good start, but his progress was halted with the Ivorian joining up with his nation for the Africa Cup of Nations in January.

His last game for Nuno's side came in the away victory at Newcastle on Boxing Day, with the 26-year-old given extended time off after the Elephants' triumph last month. He's yet to feature since his return, with his ball-winning abilities potentially the difference in what could be yet another tough away trip for the Reds.

Despite his up-and-down start to life with the Reds, Sangare has shown glimpses of what he's capable of out of possession, with the midfielder brilliant at regaining possession, as demonstrated by his tally of 3.5 tackles per 90 – ranking him within the top 4% of midfielders in Europe this season.

The "unstoppable" midfielder, as dubbed by Dutch journalist Roger Schmidt, cost the Reds a lot of money in the summer, with the Forest fanbase yet to see the best of the former Toulouse man, with the trip to Brighton a great opportunity to kickstart his career on Trentside.

Mary Earps has hailed Jordan Pickford's penalty save for England against Switzerland during the Three Lions' shootout victory at Euro 2024.

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England won on penaltiesPickford saved Manuel Akanji's first penaltyThree Lions into Euro 2024 semi-finalWHAT HAPPENED?

Earps attended the F1 Grand Prix at Silverstone, and was approached by Martin Brundle to give her opinion on Pickford's exceptional performance against the Swiss. The two sides played out a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes and the Three Lions then scored all five spot-kicks, after Pickford saved Akanji's first.

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Pickford has a remarkable record for the Three Lions in shootouts. He has saved a penalty in every single shootout he has played in, with a total record of four saves from 14 spot-kicks.

WHAT EARPS SAID

Earps told Brundle: "Brilliant that they won, obviously goalkeeper's union, a great save from Jordan so yeah, let's keep going, let's win the thing!" The stopper was then asked about her forthcoming move to PSG and replied: "I'm really excited about it. But I had to come here first. I said no, no wait! I have to come here first!"

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

England play the Netherlands on Wednesday in their Euro 2024 semi-final. They are bidding to reach their second consecutive European Championship final.

A rain-shortened game turned into a no-contest very quickly as the England batsman took control

The Report by Danyal Rasool08-Mar-2020Nine overs a side game The rain deprived Islamabad United of any points against Peshawar Zalmi on Saturday, and they will now hope it had continued long enough to ensure today’s match against Multan Sultans was rendered impossible. For once it got going, Multan delivered a lesson in ruthless efficiency, teaching Islamabad how to fly out of the blocks and develop an unassailable lead. A target of 92 might have been tricky in nine overs, but not when James Vince is in full flow it’s not. An onslaught that was frightening in its brutality and exquisite in its execution steamrolled Islamabad, taking just 24 balls for an unbeaten 61. It killed off the contest, with Multan cruising to the chase in fewer than 6.3 overs.Islamabad were sitting fairly pretty in the opening stages of the match, having brought up their own fifty in just 3.3 overs. Their prospects looked bright when Colin Munro whipped Shahid Afridi for three sixes off his first three balls. But the wheels would come off after that for Shadab Khan’s side with wickets starting to fall with alarming frequency. Most batsmen found more height than distance on their shots, a number holing out in the deep, and in no time, a scorecard that read 57 for 1 had slumped to 91 for 7. Since the Munro offensive, only 41 runs came off the last 33 balls, and in a nine-over game, that was too much of a slowdown.Vince vs Akif JavedVersus implies this might have been a contest; it was, instead a blowout. For Vince, who delights and frustrates in equal measure, the former because of the elegance of his strokeplay and the latter for its ephemeral nature, found a shortend game suited his strengths wonderfully. He had displayed his timing was on point with a glorious drive through backward point off Dale Steyn, and Akif had plenty of reasons to be wary.The first ball was heaved into the onside for four and the next a slightly fortuitous edge to third man, and things would only get better. When Akif pitched one up full, Vince leant into one of those glorious drives most responsible for putting food on his table, before a straight drive made it four in a row. There was further ignominy for the hapless Javed when he was bludgeoned through extra cover for five in a row, and the only saving grace was Vince wouldn’t be able to make it six.That still meant eight fours had been scored off the first 11 balls of the innings. It was more a procession than a run-chase from that point onwards.Imran TahirNo matter how you stack the deck against bowlers and how hostile you make the conditions, Imran Tahir always seems to find a way to excel. Coming in for the fifth over – just after Afridi had been spanked for 20 in his – Tahir wasn’t fazed, taking just three balls to remove the dangerous Munro, his over costing Multan just seven. He was just as effective the second time around, this time snaring the in-form Shadab. He had a chance to make that spell an even more glittering one, but his weakest suit – his fielding – let him down as he failed to cling on to a skier by Asif Ali. Even so, 2 for 17 in his two-over spell was the perfect antidote to Munro’s destructiveness, and ensured that Multan wrestled back the momentum. Vince ensured once they had it in their grasp, they would never let of it.Where the teams standFor the first time in PSL history, a new team has entered the play-offs, with Multan Sultans confirming safe passage through to the last four. Islamabad have just seven points with one game to go, and may need other results to go in their favour if they are to maintain their perfect record of play-off progression.

Southampton just about got over the line away at Birmingham City on Saturday, dramatically winning 4-3 courtesy of a last-gasp Joe Aribo strike from off the bench.

Russell Martin would've been the most relieved man in St Andrew's when one of his last roll-of-the-dice substitutes buried their late chance, with the stuttering automatic promotion candidates ecstatic to secure the three points after losing three of their last four games before this clash.

Will Smallbone also stood out in the midfield away at the Blues, tallying up two assists in the barnstorming contest to more than play his part in the exhilarating match swinging in Southampton's favour at full-time.

Yet, there's one figure in Martin's camp at St. Mary's currently earning double Smallbone's wage despite featuring just once all season.

This could see the 38-year-old manager bin the dud soon, freeing up significant space in the wage bill in the process.

Alex McCarthy's wage at Southampton

Making just one EFL Cup appearance this term to date – where he shipped three goals to League Two Gillingham Town – it's fair to say Alex McCarthy's £50k per week pay packet with the Saints is rather extortionate.

McCarthy was only present for nine of Southampton's games in all competitions last season too as the South Coast club suffered relegation, further exposing the goalkeeper's hefty salary to be a mind-boggling amount to keep paying up.

Keeping just 35 clean sheets in total for the Saints over 139 total appearances, the time could well be right to offload McCarthy soon to then better utilise the money elsewhere in bolstering the Southampton squad especially if promotion is achieved.

Many members of Martin's promotion-chasing squad could well be seeking a pay increase too, with Smallbone just one face who could clamour for more money being on a meagre £25k per week compared to the reserve shot-stopper.

Wage Burners

Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.

Alex McCarthy's wage compared to the Southampton squad

When casting an eye over the wage bill at the Championship side, McCarthy comes in as the joint fifth-highest earner currently at the club – the likes of Adam Armstrong, Jan Bednarek, Stuart Armstrong and goalscoring hero Joe Aribo all bettering the Saints outcast.

Yet, that quartet are regular first-teamers compared to the 34-year-old who hasn't tasted a single minute of league action under Martin this campaign.

1. Joe Aribo – £70k per week

2. Stuart Armstrong – £65k per week

3. Jan Bednarek – £60k per week

4. Adam Armstrong – £55k per week

5. David Brooks – £50k per week

5. Alex McCarthy – £50k per week

McCarthy astoundingly comes in on a higher wage than Martin's first-choice goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, the former Manchester City keeper notching up ten clean sheets as a permanent fixture in his manager's starting elevens in the second tier.

The cast away 34-year-old doesn't even have a spot on the bench anymore, with the Saints boss preferring to give Joe Lumley fleeting starts here and there as his back-up over the £50k per week outsider.

It could well be that McCarthy is still a remnant of Southampton's hay day in the Premier League where inflated wages were commonplace, with the likes of Theo Walcott and Danny Ings demanding handsome £75k per week wages each despite not offering much for the Saints.

McCarthy's time as a high earner could come to an end soon, however, as Martin's young and hungry Saints bid for promotion and look towards a bright future back in the top flight.