West Ham transfer chief Tim Steidten is being linked with more strikers by the day, as the German seeks to resolve a key issue.

West Ham want to sign new centre-forward this summer

Reports suggest David Moyes may not be at the helm next season, as West Ham chiefs look to life beyond their current boss.

Related West Ham chiefs tell Sullivan to sack Moyes with elite replacement possible

Figures have made their feelings known behind-the-scenes.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Apr 17, 2024

West Ham have apparently kickstarted their contingency plans to replace Moyes as both the tactician and Hammers amicably agree to part ways in the summer, as explained by journalist Pete O'Rourke this week.

Alongside their search for a possible new manager, Steidten is tasked with bringing in a new striker who can add more firepower in place of the ageing Michail Antonio and Danny Ings.

West Ham are even thought to be in the race for Ivan Toney with the England international looking extremely likely to leave Brentford this summer. Chairman David Sullivan and the Irons recruitment team quite simply need a new centre-forward, after failing to replace Gianluca Scamacca last year.

West Ham's top scorers in all competitions

Goals

Jarrod Bowen

19

Mohammed Kudus

13

Tomas Soucek

9

Lucas Paqueta

8

James Ward-Prowse

6

They've been heavily reliant on input from star winger Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus for the majority of their goals this season, and, arguably, they haven't possessed a clinical centre-forward for over a decade.

It's a position which supporters have been eager for West Ham to strengthen for some time, with Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy also attracting Steidten's attention following a prolific campaign in the Bundesliga.

In any case, West Ham have been urged to bring in a new number nine.

“I don't think David has had an out-and-out number nine, with Antonio used wide left and wide, right, while Bowen has cut inside from that wide right position,” said former West Ham boss Alan Curbishley last year.

“They are yet to have an out-and-out centre forward that has come in and taken the mantle, so I think that’s their big priority, but that’s also where you spend the big money. They are stocked up very well in all the other positions, that just seems to be the main one which is lacking.”

Now, according to a report by HITC, a lesser-known name is enticing West Ham following an excellent La Liga campaign.

West Ham set sights on Samu Omorodion

That player is Atletico Madrid starlet Samu Omorodion, who is currently enjoying a terrific stint on loan at Deportivo.

West Ham are one of a few sides now eyeing Omorodion ahead of the summer, with the 19-year-old impressing as one of Deportivo's star players this season.

“You can see him evolving in the games we’ve followed involving Alaves,” said Atletico boss Diego Simeone.

“He’s a young guy, strong, with a lot of speed in long spaces and very good play in the box with his body. Let’s hope he does well at Alaves because he has a future with Atletico. He spent only a few days with us, but he looks humble and hardworking.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers slipped to their second defeat in a row on the weekend, losing 2-0 against Aston Villa.

The result hinders their recent progress and with a top half finish in the Premier League at stake, an improvement will be needed against Burnley on Tuesday evening.

Vincent Kompany’s men currently occupy 19th place in the league table, winning just four matches all season. A win for Gary O’Neil’s side could see them gather momentum ahead of clashes against West Ham United and Nottingham Forest.

Injuries have not been kind to the Old Gold recently, with the likes of Matheus Cunha, Hwang Hee-Chan and Pedro Neto missing recent matches, but O’Neil must change things up tomorrow, especially as a few players delivered poor performances, most notably Rayan Ait-Nouri.

Rayan Ait-Nouri’s game in numbers vs Aston Villa

Having shone against Coventry City in the FA Cup prior to the international break, scoring and grabbing an assist, the defender failed to replicate that against Villa.

It was always going to be a tough match, especially facing off against Leon Bailey, but Ait-Nouri failed to really get into the game, taking just 33 touches while completing only 13 passes during his spell on the pitch.

Accurate passes

13/16

Touches

33

Key passes

0

Possession lost

9

Big chances created

0

Having provided such a vital attacking threat against the Sky Blues a couple of weeks ago, Ait-Nouri succeeded with just one dribble attempt, had one shot on target and missed a big chance, suggesting that he wasn’t quite at the races on the weekend.

There is no doubting his talent, it was just a case of the player having a bad game when it mattered most. This could perhaps give O’Neil a chance to unleash a young talent in his place for the match against Burnley, as Hugo Bueno could come into the starting XI.

Hugo Bueno’s Wolves statistics

The 21-year-old broke onto the scene during Wolves' turbulent 2022/23 campaign, making 23 appearances in all competitions in his maiden season for the first team.

The Spaniard even signed a long-term deal in November 2022, with journalist Liam Keen lauding the youngster as a “promising talent” as the future certainly looked bright.

This season has been slightly tougher for the left-back, starting just four Premier League games during 2023/24 – with none coming so far in 2024 – due to the form of Ait-Nouri.

When Bueno has played, however, he has created two big chances, averaging 0.3 key passes and 26.1 touches per game, despite averaging just 33 minutes of action in the top flight.

Bueno has also been dribbled past on just 0.3 occasions per game, along with making 1.1 tackles and recovering 2.1 balls per game. Showing his talents across a range of defensive and attacking metrics.

O’Neil should consider unleashing him against the Clarets in what would be his first league start of the calendar year, as this could stand him in good stead heading into the final weeks of the season.

A win is crucial for the Old Gold if they wish to finish in the top half of the league table come the end of the season.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Manchester City could take advantage of Bayern Munich's need to offload players before they can sign more to land Kingsley Coman on loan.

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Coman linked with Bayern exitMan City could make loan approachPlayer departures key in MunichWHAT HAPPENED?

According to , Manchester City have been keeping tabs on Coman for some time. Now could be the moment they move, with a potential loan offer and option to buy. But key for Bayern Munich is not having to continue paying the Frenchman's €20 million (£17.1m/$21.8m) salary. There are no concrete talks taking place at this stage and it remains to be seen how much of Coman's wages City would actually be willing to cover.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

City are in the process of losing Julian Alvarez, which is a substantial hit for their squad given that the Argentine forward was often the first player drafted in to cover for Erling Haaland or Kevin De Bruyne. Coman isn't a like for like replacement but offers proven quality at the highest level and may be an opportune target. Having spent considerably already this summer, Bayern have openly stated it will now be necessary to get rid of players before they can sign any more.

WHAT BAYERN MUNICH SAID

Bayern honarary president Uli Hoeness has said on the general situation: "There is a resolution from the supervisory board that says: We have spent €125m (£107m/$136.5m), and if new players come after that, we must first sell. I communicated that. And it is not  final word, but of the supervisory board as a whole."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Coman in't the only Bayern player being linked with an exit to cut wage costs. Defensive pair Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui are both heavily linked with Manchester United and could free up the space and capital to pursue Jonathan Tah.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na tarde desta quarta-feira, o Corinthians encerrou sua preparação para enfrentar o Sport, na Neo Química Arena, nesta quinta, às 19h, pela sexta rodada do Brasileirão-2021. Sylvinho segue com desfalques no setor ofensivo, mas tem a volta de Gustavo Mosquito para a lista de relacionados.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansCorinthians faz último treino antes de encarar Sport pelo BrasileirãoCorinthians23/06/2021CorinthiansCorinthians e Avelar decidem por rescisão e zagueiro deixará o clubeCorinthians23/06/2021CorinthiansOrganizada do Corinthians pede ‘expulsão imediata’ de Danilo Avelar após caso de racismoCorinthians23/06/2021

TABELA
> Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão-2021 clicando aqui

> Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!

GALERIA
>Bruno Méndez é mais um! Veja quem já deixou o Corinthians em 2021

Uma novidade da relação é a presença do jovem Felipe Augusto, promovido das categorias de base no início desta temporada. Ele será uma das opções para o ataque, em meio às baixas que a comissão técnica tem tido no setor. Outro garoto na lista é o meio-campista Mandaca, que já jogou o Paulistão.

O meia Luan segue em tratamento de uma tendinite no músculo adutor da coxa direita. Além dele, Léo Nate continua o tratamento de uma luxação no ombro esquerdo. Gustavo Mantuan e Ruan Oliveira estão em transição com a equipe de preparação física. Já Otero está com a seleção da Venezuela.

Gustavo Mosquito, que foi liberado do jogo do último domingo por conta da morte do pai, está de volta e à disposição da comissão técnica. Assim como Gabriel Pereira, que vinha se recuperando de lesão e retorna para a lista.

Um provável Corinthians é: Cássio; Fagner, João Victor, Gil e Fábio Santos; Cantillo, Gabriel e Roni (Vitinho); Gustavo Mosquito, Mateus Vital e Jô (Ramiro).

Confira a lista de relacionados de Corinthians:

Goleiros: Cássio e Matheus Donelli
Laterais: Fábio Santos, Fagner e Lucas Piton
Zagueiros: Gil, Jemerson, João Victor e Raul Gustavo
Meio-campistas: Adson, Araos, Cantillo, Gabriel, Gabriel Pereira, Mandaca, Mateus Vital, Ramiro, Roni, Vitinho e Xavier
Atacantes: Cauê, Felipe, Gustavo Silva e Jô

The visitors had to pay 80% of their match fee after being found four overs short in the Hamilton ODI

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-2020After going more than five years without committing an over-rate offence, India have now had to pay fines in three consecutive matches, the latest a whopping 80% of their match fee after being found four overs short of the target in the first ODI against New Zealand in Hamilton on Wednesday.As per Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 20% of their fee for every over their side fails to bowl within the stipulated time.Following the match, which India lost by four wickets, India captain Virat Kohli pleaded guilty to the charge – levelled by on-field umpires Shaun Haig and Langton Rusere, third umpire Bruce Oxenford, and fourth umpire Chris Brown – and accepted the sanction, meaning there was no need for a formal hearing.It was in the fourth T20I of the five-match series in New Zealand that India’s run of 264 international matches – since a Test match at The Oval in August 2014 – without falling foul of the law came to an end.On that occasion, India were found to be two overs short of the target, and had to pay a 40% fine. Kohli was the captain for that match. Then, in the final fixture – Rohit Sharma led India with Kohli rested, but he too picked up an injury while batting, and KL Rahul led India during New Zealand’s failed chase – India were an over short, and therefore paid a 20% fine.

Celtic's place at the top of the Scottish Premiership table is safe for now after their rivals were beaten on Sunday, leaving them four points clear.

The Hoops smashed St Mirren 3-0 on Saturday to move four points ahead of Rangers at the summit, and the Gers went on to lose 3-2 to Ross County on Sunday.

Brendan Rodgers' side could see the gap reduced to one point if their rivals win their game in hand against Dundee on Wednesday night, but the title is still in their hands as it stands.

The Scottish giants are fighting to avoid a trophyless end to the 2023/24 campaign and they still have the Premiership title and the SFA Cup to compete for over the coming weeks.

Attention will then turn to the summer transfer window and how Celtic can improve their playing squad by dipping into the market to add to their options.

Celtic's interest in prolific forward

It was recently reported by Football Insider that the Hoops are one of a number of clubs interested in a possible summer swoop for Blackburn Rovers star Sammie Szmodics.

The initial report claimed that Celtic and Brentford are battling it out to land his signature ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, after his prolific season in the English Championship.

It also added that other unnamed teams in the bottom half of the Premier League could also provide competition to sign the Republic of Ireland international.

Football Insider followed up on that with an update shortly after and they claimed that the Bhoys could be blown out of the water if Premier League teams decide to act upon their interest with firm offers, due to the financial advantage they have over the Scottish side.

However, there was no mention of how much Blackburn would demand for the attacker and it remains to be seen whether or not Celtic can swoop in before others have the chance to make their move.

Rodgers could land a dream partner for current Hoops star Adam Idah, who is currently on loan from Norwich City, if he can get a deal for Szmodics over the line.

Football Scotland report that the Canaries are likely to demand a fee within the region of £6m for the Irish marksman, and claim that is within the club's transfer budget for the summer.

With this in mind, the board must push the boat out to land Szmodics and Idah to bolster Rodgers' attack for next season, as the prolific duo could form a terrific partnership at the top end of the pitch.

Adam Idah's form for Celtic

The Hoops snapped the 6 foot 3 striker up on loan from Norwich on deadline day at the start of February, and he has been a superb addition to the squad.

Idah had scored six goals in 28 Championship matches, including 12 starts, for the Yellows during the first half of the ssaon before his switch to Glasgow, and has already bettered that tally at Parkhead.

The 23-year-old dynamo has plundered an eye-catching seven goals and two assists in just ten appearances for Celtic in the Premiership since the start of February.

Appearances

33

10

Goals

11

7

Minutes per goal

200

65

Conversion rate

13%

30%

Big chances missed

21

6

As you can see in the table above, Idah has been far more effective in front of goal than Kyogo Furuhashi in the Premiership, with a goal every 65 minutes of action in comparison to the Japan international's one every 200.

No Celtic player has outperformed their xG by more than the Irish star, who has scored seven goals from 5.24 xG. Meanwhile, no Hoops man has underperformed their xG by more than Kyogo, who has scored 11 goals from 15.4 xG in the Premiership so far this season.

These impressive statistics suggest that Rodgers should be pushing for the club to sign Idah to lead the line as the starting number nine for the team next term, as he has been a prolific addition to the side.

He would also be the perfect foil for a signing like Szmodics, who operates in an attacking midfield role and stands at 5 foot 6, as he has won 69% of his aerial duels in the Premiership and can provide a physical presence up front that allows the smaller whiz to focus on his work in possession.

Sammie Szmodics' goalscoring record this season

The Ireland international has plundered a fantastic 30 goals and four assists in 45 appearances in all competitions for Blackburn so far this season.

Former Rovers boss Jon Dahl Tomasson hailed Szmodics as "incredible" at the start of the year, and his sensational statistics this term back that comment up.

Appearances

41

Sofascore rating

7.28

xG

19.21

Goals

24

Minutes per goal

152

As you can see in the table above, the 28-year-old star has been a prolific presence in the number ten position for Blackburn in the Championship, with more than one goal every other game on average.

24 goals from an xG of 19.21 means that he has outperformed his expected tally by almost five goals, which speaks to how clinical the Irish whiz has been in front of goal.

Szmodics, who has played the bulk of his games as an attacking midfielder but can also play as a centre-forward, could thrive alongside Idah at the top end of the pitch for Celtic.

His compatriot could occupy opposition defenders with his physical presence, standing at 6 foot 3 with an impressive aerial duel success rate, and free up the current Blackburn star to make runs and pick up clever positions in the box to find the back of the net in an attacking midfield or second striker role.

Both players have been lethal scorers for their respective clubs this season, both outperforming their xG, and could combine to form a sensational pairing for Celtic next season to improve Rodgers' attack as they attempt to compete domestically and in Europe.

It is now down to the board to ensure that they can wrap up deals for both attackers during the upcoming summer transfer window to provide the manager with a clinical forward line for the 2024/25 campaign.

India quicks dominated on the second day of the tour game in Hamilton as they ran through the New Zealand XI to bowl them out for 235. Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav and Navdeep Saini shared nine wickets between them, while the final wicket went to offspinner R Ashwin. Following that, openers Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal got off to a steady start in the second innings to help India gain an 87-run lead.In reply to India’s 263, Rachin Ravindra began positively despite losing his partner Will Young to Bumrah for a cheap score. Shami was the chief tormentor on the day, picking up the first of his three wickets by having Tim Seifert caught behind for 9. Finn Allen then joined Ravindra as the hosts gained some momentum, but Yadav wouldn’t let it last, dismissing Ravindra for 34. Bumrah struck soon after to remove Allen as well.There were brief stages of recovery from the New Zealand XI thanks to the middle-order contributions from Henry Cooper (40), Tom Bruce (31) and Daryl Mitchell (32) but none of them could go on to make a big score. James Neesham, walking in at No. 8, became Shami’s third victim, bowled for just 1. The lower order then added 74 runs, taking the total past 200, to finish with a deficit of 28 runs. Shami finished with figures of 3 for 17, while Bumrah, Yadav and Saini picked up two apiece.After failures in the first innings, Shaw and Agarwal were off to a rapid start, hitting a boundary-laden 35 off 25 and 23 off 17 respectively. The duo was especially severe on Scott Kuggeleijn, who had dismissed them for those low scores in the first innings, taking him for 34 runs in three overs. India finished the second day with the score on 59 for 0 in only seven overs.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Conselho Deliberativo do São Paulo aprovou, na última terça-feira (22), um empréstimo deR$ 79 milhões com os bancosBanco Rendimento S/A e Banco Daycoval S/A. A informação foi divulgada incialmente pelo ‘GE’ e confirmada no LANCE!.

>> Baixe o novo app de resultados do LANCE!

Os valores serão utilizados para quitar dívidas de curto prazo. Esse empréstimo é o segundo desde o início da gestão de Julio Casares. No começo do ano, o São Paulo pegou R$ 70 milhões emprestados para pagar dívidas do clube, como a compra de Tchê Tchê do Dínamo de Kiev (UCR).

>> Confira a tabela do Brasileirão e simule os próximos jogos

RelacionadasSão PauloE agora, Crespo? São Paulo tem desfalques em todos os setores para o jogo contra o CuiabáSão Paulo22/06/2021São PauloÉ hoje? São Paulo encara o Cuiabá buscando primeira vitória no BrasileirãoSão Paulo22/06/2021Futebol NacionalEquilíbrio marca confrontos entre São Paulo e Vasco pela Copa do BrasilFutebol Nacional22/06/2021

O Tricolor vem tentado pagar dívidas atrasadas. O clube também acertou a situação deum débito com o Orlando City (EUA) pela contratação de Kaká, operação realizada ainda em 2014. Se somados os valores dos dois empréstimos, a gestão de Casares já pegou R$ 150 milhões.

Mesmo com alguns débitos quitados, a dívida total do São Paulo gira em torno de R$ 600 milhões. A diretoria busca algumas fontes de renda, como a reformulação do sócio-torcedor e também pode vender alguns jogadores na janela internacional de transferências, no meio do ano.

Despite all the off-the-field turmoil at the club, Everton have enjoyed success in recent seasons in the transfer market, signing youngsters who have been a hit at Goodison Park.

The club's financial issues have often seen the Toffees resort to investing in youth, with the hope the club can make a hefty profit after they've made an impact at the club to avoid any future FFP problems.

Jarrad Branthwaite and James Garner are just two examples within Sean Dyche's squad who have made a brilliant impact since joining – with the pair joining for a combined £10m from Carlisle United and Manchester United respectively.

The duo are now worth a combined £44m, according to Transfermarkt, with the club now operating in a much more sustainable way than a couple of years ago in a period which saw the Toffees spending over £20m on players such as Yannick Bolasie and Jean-Philippe Gbamin with the pair both leaving Goodison on free transfers.

With the summer transfer window set to open in a couple of months, Everton are already being linked with another young talent who could see the club make a huge profit in the years ahead should they win the race for his signature.

Everton linked with young English talent

According to Football Insider, Everton are one of a number of sides who are being linked with a move to sign Juventus youngster Samuel Iling-Junior, with the 20-year-old out of contract in just under 18 months.

The report states that the Toffees face competition from fellow Premier League sides Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Brighton and Hove Albion for the Englishman, with the Italian side set to sell Iling-Junior to avoid losing him for nothing.

The young "menace", as dubbed by scout Antonio Mango, is believed to be up for grabs for around £17m – as per a prior report from the same publication – and has made 17 appearances for the Old Lady in Serie A this campaign, but most of his game time has come from the bench after only featuring for 465 minutes.

Everton are claimed to be long-term admirers of the youngster, with the Toffees needing to address their lack of goals given their tally of just 29 league goals this season – the second lowest in the Premier League.

Illing-Junior could be Moise Kean 2.0 for Everton

The youngster wouldn't be the first player to swap Juventus for Everton in recent seasons, with the Toffees signing striker Moise Kean from the Italian side for £27.5m back in 2019.

At the time, it was seen as brilliant business by the club, with Kean impressing in Serie A after scoring six times in 13 league outings. However, the striker would flop at Goodison, scoring just four times in his 39 appearances before returning to Juve in 2021.

Despite his lack of impact, it was a good move from the club as they started to prioritise younger additions to the squad, with Everton needing to do the same again with Iling-Junior.

He might not have featured as much as he would've liked this campaign, but the 20-year-old has the ability to be a huge hit under Dyche should the club pursue any deal for him this summer.

His stats per 90, given his limited minutes this campaign, are remarkable, with the attacker consistently ranking highly among other players within Europe's top five leagues.

Touches in penalty area

3.8

Top 3%

Progressive carries

3.6

Top 9%

Shot creating actions

3.6

Top 5%

Shots

1.5

Top 7%

Assists

0.4

Top 1%

Given Everton's lack of goals, coupled with the youngster's impressive stats in the final third, the club should be doing everything they possibly can to win the race for his signature.

They would face tough competition trying to convince him to join the Toffees instead of Tottenham, who could even secure Champions League football this season, but a move to Goodison could allow him to receive more consistent first-team minutes and develop his game further, which could result in a hefty profit further down the line.

Everton want to complete signing of prolific gem compared to Bukayo Saka

An offer is being prepared by the Blues.

ByHenry Jackson Mar 26, 2024

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney posted on X paying their respects to Wrexham's oldest fan after his death at the age of 100

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• Reynolds & McElhenney show respect to Wrexham fan
• League One club's oldest supporter dies aged 100
• Arthur Massey starred in the Welcome to Wrexham documentary

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Wrexham co-owner, and Hollywood actor, Ryan Reynolds took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to pay his respects to one of the club's biggest fans after he passed away on Thursday, August 8. Arthur Massey's daughter announced on social media that her father had died aged 100.

  Her caption read: "14/3/24 – 8/8/24. RIP Dad 💔"

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• WHAT RYAN REYNOLDS SAID

  After Julie Birrell posted about her father's passing, Reynolds was quick to show his affection for Masseyon his own social media account.

  The Deadpool star posted: "A man who embodied everything Wrexham is all about. Thank you, Arthur."

• WHAT ROB MCELHENNEY SAID

  Reynolds' fellow co-owner, Rob McElhenney, also added his condolences after the heartbreaking news.

  He said: "What a beautiful man. Thank you for sharing him with the world. Love to your entire family."

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Arthur was a passionate Wrexham fan attending his first game in 1931 at the age of seven, and continued to support the club, even being featured in all three series of the Welcome to Wrexham documentary. He was a loved character in the community and met King Charles when he visited the Racecourse in 2022. Tributes poured in for the WW2 veteran and it indicated his popularity across the Welsh club's fanbase.