Despite a gruelling day in the field, studded with five dropped catches, Joe Root remains adamant that England are still in touch with Australia in the second Test at the Gabba, but says that any prospect of a fightback will require their batters to “express themselves in the right way” for the remainder of a must-win match.Root himself did just that in England’s first innings, finishing unbeaten on 138 to record his maiden Test hundred in Australia, and his 40th overall. Too many of his team-mates failed to provide the requisite support, however, with Harry Brook’s carefree knock of 31 leading his former team-mate, Stuart Broad, to question his game awareness during a stint on Australian radio. In addition to four ducks, Zak Crawley’s 76 was England’s only other score of note, until Jofra Archer joined Root in a free-wheeling last-wicket stand of 70 in 9.4 overs.That shortcoming had been set in stark relief by the close of the second day, with Australia strongly placed on 378 for 6, a lead of 44, thanks to double-figure contributions from each of the eight batters so far used. No-one could go past Jake Weatherald’s 72, but after a brace of 60s from Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, and 45 from Cameron Green, Alex Carey remained unbeaten at the close on 46.England’s standards were challenged throughout a tough day, with Australia rattling along at more than five runs an over, while Will Jacks’ anonymity with the ball has already placed a huge burden on their four-man seam attack. They did manage to claim three wickets in the floodlit final session, including two in an over from a hard-toiling Brydon Carse. However, they also let slip four of those chances – including a particularly culpable drop from Carse at short cover off Michael Neser.Related

• Australia wait to count cost of crazy floodlit passage

• Live Report – Smith seals win after Neser's five sinks England

• Zak Crawley settles the nerves as he bounces back from Perth pair

• Starc stands out as the lone ranger with rest of the awesome foursome missing

• Root lifts weight of the world with an ironic shrug

“It’s clear we weren’t our best at that phase of the game,” Root told TNT Sports at the close. “But the way that we dragged things back, by managing to take those wickets in a cluster, it shows what the nature of this game can be like, especially with the pink ball.”In the wake of their first-Test defeat, England’s decision not to play in a three-day floodlit match in Canberra came in for some criticism. While the nature of the contest arguably vindicated that move from a batting and bowling point of view, the chance to replicate a fielding session under the floodlights was perhaps an opportunity lost for the visitors.Root, however, insisted England had worked hard on their fielding drills in their practice sessions at the Gabba.”It is different to a white ball,” he said. “We get a lot of exposure to [floodlit cricket] in ODI cricket and T20 cricket, but it is slightly different. But you still back yourself. We practice really hard for the five days leading into it. We made sure we got our work done. Unfortunately, it’s just one of those days where a few didn’t quite stick to hand. We’ve got to make sure we stay confident, we stay up and, when we get those chances later on in the fixture, we’re ready to take them.Marnus Labuschagne raised his second fifty of the series•Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

“We’ve obviously got some more work to do tomorrow, but we’re certainly well and truly in this game. More than anything we’ve got to come out with a huge amount of energy and positivity. We know our best cricket can turn a game very quickly, so we’ll turn up tomorrow with that right attitude. We know that, if we’re anywhere near our best, then very quickly this game can turn in our favour.”First things first, Root acknowledged, England must claim Australia’s final four wickets in the daylight hours.”If we get things right in the morning, and go about things as a team in the correct fashion, then we can put ourselves in a really strong position on a wicket which looks like it’s plating,” Root said. “It looks like there might be a few cracks to work with later on in the game. But clearly, we’ve got to look at tomorrow morning first and foremost, and get things right there.”However, the focus is already turning to England’s crucial second innings – which will begin not only with memories of Root’s resilience on the first day, but of how Australia themselves have gone about hunting down England’s score with aggression allied to sensible shot selection. The contrast with England’s approach, particularly against Mitchell Starc who struck in the first over of a new spell on three occasions in his first-innings 6 for 75, was telling.”When we get out there with the bat, the quality that we have and the talent that’s in that dressing room can go out there and express themselves in the right way on that surface to go and get a big score, which could be very tricky batting last on that surface.””I’ve got quite a clear plan how I score my runs,” he added. “I’ve just got to back myself and understand that, if I do that for long periods of time and make good decisions, I’ll be successful.”Labuschagne, whose partnerships with Weatherald and Smith were key to Australia’s strong position, acknowledged that his dismissal for 65 – just as the floodlights were kicking in – was ill-timed, but his proactive 78-ball innings had still been an ideal template for the conditions.”I would like to be a bit more resilient … getting out on the stroke of the changeover between day and night was not ideal,” he said. “But you’ve just got to keep telling yourself as the batter, it’s just one ball at a time. If you’re thinking too far ahead, you start reading into a ball that might have bounced more off a crack or hit you. You’ve got to stay in the moment as much as you can.”If you’re bowling good balls in the channel at the Gabba, it’s tough to score with the extra bounce. But it was a nice wicket. Obviously, it’s a little bit cracky here and there, but the majority of the times the balls hit the wicket, it was really nice.”The two guys at the top just grabbed that momentum of the game early, and we were almost able to piggyback their momentum, and continue to put pressure on.”

يختتم منتخب السعودية مشواره في دور المجموعات ببطولة كأس العرب 2025 بمواجهة قوية أمام نظيره المغرب، بالمواجهة التي تجمع بينهما اليوم الإثنين.

وتقام المباراة بين السعودية والمغرب، على أرضية ملعب لوسيل في الدوحة، ضمن مباريات الجولة الثالثة ببطولة كأس العرب، المقامة في قطر.

وتمثل المواجهة اختبارًا حاسمًا لكلا المنتخبين في سباق التأهل، خاصة في ظل القيمة الفنية الكبيرة لكليهما على مستوى الكرة العربية.​

وتضم المجموعة الثانية لكأس العرب، منتخبات المغرب والسعودية وعمان وجزر القمر.

طالع.. المنتخبات المتأهلة إلى دور الـ8 من كأس العرب 2025 (محدث باستمرار)

ونجح المغرب في جمع 4 نقاط من أول مباراتين من الفوز في الجولة الأولى على جزر القمر بنتيجة 3-1، ثم تعادل مع عمان، ليحتل المركز الثاني في المجموعة خلف السعودية قبل مواجهة المنتخبين المرتقبة.​​

وحسم منتخب السعودية تأهله مبكرًا إلى الدور ربع النهائي بتحقيقه انتصارين متتاليين أمام عمان، ثم جزر القمر، ليتصدر المجموعة الثانية برصيد 6 نقاط كاملة. موعد مباراة السعودية والمغرب اليوم في كأس العرب

ومن المقرر أن تُقام مباراة السعودية والمغرب يوم الإثنين 8 ديسمبر 2025، على استاد لوسيل، في تمام الساعة الثامنة مساءً بتوقيت مكة المكرمة والدوحة، والسابعة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة. القنوات الناقلة لـ مباراة السعودية والمغرب اليوم في كأس العرب

وتُنقل مباراة السعودية والمغرب في كأس العرب 2025 عبر قنوات بي إن سبورت إكسترا 1، وأبو ظبي الرياضية 1، وقناة الكأس بالإضافة إلى ذلك، ستنقل المباراة قناة دبي الرياضية 2، وقناة الشارقة الرياضية، وقناة إم بي سي مصر 2. معلقو مباراة السعودية والمغرب في كأس العرب

وتذاع المباراة عبر قناة بي إن سبورتس إكسترا 1 بتعليق علي سعيد الكعبي، وأبو ظبي الرياضية 1 بصوت المعلق فارس عوض، وقناة الكأس بتعليق خليل البلوشي، وقناة إم بي سي مصر 2، بصوت مدحت شلبي.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

MatériaMais Notícias

Endrick jogará apenas mais uma partida pelo Palmeiras antes de se transferir ao Real Madrid. A despedida da joia será nesta quinta-feira (30), contra o San Lorenzo, no Allianz Parque, pela sexta e última rodada da fase de grupos da Copa Libertadores.

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Líder! Aposte R$ 100 e receba R$ 154 caso o Verdão vença o San Lorenzo pela Libertadores

Apesar de se apresentar à Seleção Brasileira apenas no dia 3 de junho, segunda-feira, para a disputada da Copa América, Endrick não estará à disposição de Abel Ferreira para o duelo contra o Criciúma, no sábado (2).

Isso porque o atacante recebeu o terceiro cartão amarelo contra o Athletico, o último antes da paralisação do Brasileirão em razão da enchentes no Rio Grande do Sul, e cumpre suspensão automática.

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Em sua despedida do Palmeiras, Endrick busca encerrar um jejum incômodo. O jogador não marca desde o dia 9 de maio, quando balançou as redes na vitória por 5 a 0 diante do Liverpool, do Uruguai, pela Libertadores.

➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

Na atual temporada, o camisa participou de 21 partidas pela equipe paulista, sendo 20 delas como titular, marcou quatro gols e distribuiu duas assistências. Maior venda da história do Palmeiras, Endrick se apresenta ao Real Madrid após completar 18 anos, o que irá ocorrer durante a Copa América.

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RELEMBRE VALORES DA NEGOCIAÇÃO

Em dezembro de 2022, o Real Madrid acertou a compra de Endrick por 60 milhões de euros (R$ 337 milhões, na cotação da época), valor da multa rescisória do jogador.

Deste montante, 35 milhões de euros são fixos, com pagamento parcelado, e 25 milhões em bônus por metas. Além disso, a equipe espanhola concordou em bancar as taxas envolvidas na negociação: 12 milhões de euros. A somatória dos impostos com a multa rescisória (60 + 12) resulta nos 72 milhões de euros finais da transação.

Tudo sobre

EndrickFutebol NacionalLibertadoresPalmeirasSTARPLUS

India are looking at Rana for the No. 8 spot in ODIs, and backing Washington for his adaptability, said Gambhir

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Dec-2025India coach Gautam Gambhir sees big things ahead in Yashasvi Jaiswal’s career after the opener made his first ODI century on Saturday.Jaiswal is a regular in India’s Test team but has only played four ODIs. He got his chance against South Africa, with regular opener and captain Shubman Gill out injured.”In [the] one-day format, you need to know the template you want to play,” Gambhir said after India beat South Africa by nine wickets. “When you come into white-ball cricket from red-ball cricket, you think you have to bat aggressively. But you don’t need to bat aggressively in one-day cricket, because you can split it into 30 overs and 20 overs.Related

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“If you play 30 overs like one-day cricket – and the quality that Jaiswal has, if he can bat till 30 overs – there is no doubt he will be close to a hundred. Even after that, you have 20 overs left, which you can look at as a T20 match. It is only about finding a template. This was just Jaiswal’s fourth game. The moment he figures out which tempo he needs to bat in one-day cricket, the sky is the limit.”Jaiswal batted through the innings: first in the company of Rohit Sharma, with whom he put on 155 runs, and then with Virat Kohli, with whom his second-wicket, unconquered partnership of 116 ushered India to victory. Earlier in the series, another non-regular member of the ODI squad, Ruturaj Gaikwad, stepped up to score a hundred as well. He scored it from No. 4, even though he is a specialist top-order batter.Ruturaj Gaikwad got to his maiden hundred in the second ODI•BCCI”Someone like Rutu, who’s batted out of position… He’s a quality player, we all know. We wanted to give him an opportunity in this series because of the kind of form he was in with India A. And he actually grabbed that opportunity with both hands, getting a hundred in the second game. And when we were under pressure actually – we were 40 for 2 – and then getting that kind of a hundred was proper quality.”Both players are likely to slip out of contention though, with Gill already fit to start India’s T20I series against South Africa, and Shreyas Iyer recovering well from his spleen injury.”Look, we try and give [new players] opportunities wherever we can. Because we still want a reasonable group… probably around 20-25 players in that group before the World Cup.”But once your captain and vice-captain [Iyer in ODIs] is back, obviously they are your starters. But yes, what they [Jaiswal and Gaikwad] had to do [with their opportunities], they have done that. And hopefully whenever it is possible, we will try and give them opportunities.”And more importantly, I think they need to keep themselves motivated because they should be ready whenever they get that opportunity. “Harshit Rana has been earmarked as India’s No. 8•BCCIIndia have been trying to gain depth in their ODI XI, so that they can score at a high tempo through the innings, and are looking at Harshit Rana as an option to lengthen their batting line-up.”That’s one of the reasons why we are trying to probably develop someone like Harshit, who can actually bat at 8 and contribute with a bat at No. 8. That’s how we need to find the balance, because come South Africa in two years’ time, we would be needing three proper seamers as well.”And if he can continue to develop as a bowling allrounder, it’s going to give us a massive boost. Because obviously with Jasprit Bumrah coming back, and what we saw of Arshdeep [Singh], Prasidh [Krishna] and Harshit in this series, [it] was incredible.”All these three guys do not have a lot of experience under their belts, especially in the 50-over format… They’ve hardly played less than 15 ODIs, all these three bowlers, but they’ve done a fabulous job. So I feel that if we can develop someone like Harshit at No. 8, who can contribute with the bat, I think it is going to give us the right balance as well… Let’s see. I think it’s still a long way.”India have also been using Washington Sundar in various roles in both red- and white-ball cricket. Gambhir touched on that: “I’ve always believed in white-ball cricket, batting orders are very overrated. Except the opening combination, I think it is very, very overrated. Yes, [in] Test cricket obviously you’ve got to have a fixed batting order. But again, you’re talking about someone who’s got a hundred at Manchester, you’ve got someone who’s got a fifty at Oval, who averages what, 40-plus in Test cricket.”And sometimes, you’ve got to look at the balance as well. I know it’s tough on someone like Washi, but then I think he’s done an incredible job – whether he’s batted at No. 3, he’s batted at No. 5, he’s batted at No. 7, 8. And that’s the kind of character he is, and that’s the kind of character we want in that dressing room, who are willing to do everything for the team with a smile on his face, which me as a batter knows how tough it is.”We’ve asked him to bat in Manchester at No. 5, he got a 100. We asked him the next game to bat at No. 8, he got a 50. And at Eden Gardens, he contributed at No. 3. Again, he contributed at No. 8 in Guwahati. So I feel we need characters like that, who are willing to put everything for the team. And I’m sure he’s going to continue doing that and we’ve got to keep developing him, because he’s got a massive future ahead for Indian cricket.”

Pep Guardiola compared his Manchester City star playmaker Rayan Cherki to Lionel Messi after the Frenchman pulled off an audacious rabona in his side's 3-0 win over Sunderland. Cherki produced his second assist of the game to set up Phil Foden with an outrageous piece of skill and Guardiola, who coached Messi for four years at Barcelona, claimed the Argentine had never produced a moment like it.

• Classy Cherki assist crowns big City win

  Cherki helped City open the scoring against a stubborn Sunderland by laying the ball off to Ruben Dias to score a thumping goal from long range. Josko Gvardiol's header doubled the Cityzens' advantage but Cherki stole the show with his cheeky cross for Foden. Cherki now leads the assists chart in the Premier League, setting up five goals in his debut campaign following his £30m ($40m) move from Lyon last summer.

  Guardiola praised his player and brought up Messi's name although he also urged Cherki to follow one key lesson from the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner.

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• Guardiola: Cherki 'an exceptional player'

  Guardiola told a press conference: "Rayan is an exceptional player, he is so young, he has a huge personality, he proved it against Fulham in the toughest moments. He had the ball at 5-4 and every time gave us an extra pass, he is not scared and has self-confidence. In the final third he had something special. What I admire the most about Rayan is not the skills. 

  "I never saw Messi play a cross like he has done. Messi is the best player to play the game but I never saw these kind of crosses. Crosses are fine, right or left or which part of your feet, it doesn't matter. If it is effective it is fine but I like the simplicity because I learned from Messi that I never make a mistake with the simple things. 

  "The simple things he does perfectly then he dribbles past four or five players. I want players to do the simple things well and after that you have special talent and he can do whatever he wants but if he doesn't work now it will be a problem. He will be in trouble."

• Cherki 'so proud' after helping City beat Black Cats

  Cherki told: "Really proud. We worked many weeks for that, we played very well. Defended and attacked really well. Very proud. I worked for that, I know my quality, my quality is my technique, when I play with Phil [Foden], Erling [Haaland], Omar [Marmoush], it's very important to give the good balls for them. Phil is a great player, he works for the team, runs for the team."

  "It's difficult when the team come to defend with 10 players in the box, it's complicated. For Ruben [Dias] it's a first time and a last because the goal was unbelievable. We want to win all the games. We don't want to concede goals. Important for us to defend well because then we attack better. We are very proud to give the pleasure to the fans. We will work all week for the next game."

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• Goal AR
  

  City have Arsenal in their sights

  City are just two points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, having trailed the Gunners by five points just two weeks ago following their defeat at Newcastle. City can put Mikel Arteta's side under more pressure when they visit Crystal Palace on Sunday although first they will play Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday, looking to respond after their 2-0 loss at home to Bayer Leverkusen in their last European fixture.

  "It is better to be closer to the top of the league but from my experience it is consistency," Guardiola said on the title race. "Consistency comes from the way you play, not from the results or being two points in front or four behind. it is how you perform and how much you grow. Today has been one of the best performances of the year. We had good momentum for the second half. 

  "Wolves [on the opening day of the season] the first half was good and the second half we suffered. We were not consistent and we talked a lot about the reason why. We did really good things against Fulham in the first half and stopped doing it in the second half. It's not about specific movement defensively or offensively. 

  "Today against a team who had have top results so far we gave away one chance but apart from that it was a good performance. With the Premier League I have the feeling that Arsenal are going to drop few points and if we want to be there we have to win games and games and games come from the way you perform, not just a lucky action."

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has issued a defiant rallying cry ahead of his side’s crunch Champions League clash with Manchester City, insisting that the mood in the camp has shifted from anger to determination following the chaotic weekend defeat to Celta Vigo. The coach insists his side are "eager" to recover their form amid reports he could be sacked if they fail to win.

Madrid struggling ahead of Champions League tie

The atmosphere at the Santiago Bernabeu has been feverish since Sunday evening. What should have been a routine La Liga fixture descended into a nightmare for Los Blancos, ending in a 2-0 defeat, a serious injury to defensive leader Eder Militao, and three red cards. The result has left the Spanish champions trailing in the title race and placed immense scrutiny on the shoulders of their young coach.

However, facing the media at Valdebebas on Tuesday, Alonso refused to buckle under the pressure. Instead, the Basque tactician presented a figure of calm authority, dismissing suggestions of internal division and framing the visit of Guardiola’s side not as a daunting obstacle, but as the perfect opportunity for immediate redemption.

AdvertisementAFPAlonso insists Madrid remain unified

The disciplinary meltdown against Celta Vigo, where Fran Garcia, Alvaro Carreras, and Endrick were all dismissed, raised immediate questions about the discipline and cohesion within the squad. Facing the press ahead of the European tie, Alonso was pressed on whether he was disappointed with the players' conduct or if the result had caused fractures within the group.

"We're all in this together," the manager stated. "Without any cracks. With the conviction that this is an opportunity. We need to have the energy to connect with the Bernabeu."

The manager's comments come at a critical juncture for the club. With Eder Militao having joined Dani Carvajal and David Alaba on the sidelines after sustaining an injury in the first half on Sunday, the need for collective unity has never been higher. Alonso is looking to the famous European atmosphere to help bridge the gap caused by the current personnel crisis, especially amid reports that he may be dismissed if they crumble on home soil on Wednesday.

Madrid prepared to turn situation around

Addressing the erratic nature of the sport, Alonso offered a philosophical perspective on the current crisis. He acknowledged the difficult emotions following the weekend's result but reminded the press that the narrative of a football season is never static and can pivot on a single result.

"This is a team, we're all in this together. When you're the Real Madrid coach, you're prepared for anything. We're really eager to turn things around, which is understandable. Our only focus is on City. In football, for better or for worse, things can turn around quickly," he added. 

"We're mentally prepared to face what lies ahead. Everyone is convinced we can win tomorrow. It's a big day. It will have a Champions League night atmosphere. The fans know what kind of match we're in for, against a team that recently won the Champions League."

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Finally, looking ahead to the match itself, Alonso acknowledged the magnitude of the occasion. With the group stage entering a pivotal phase, a positive result is essential to keep Madrid's European ambitions on track.

The squad will now complete their final preparations before facing Erling Haaland and company on Wednesday night. With Militao out, Alonso will be forced to reshuffle his backline once again, but his message to the public is clear: the conviction remains, and the team is ready to fight.

"We're playing against a great team. Haaland is incredible, but if we play to our level we can win that game," Aurelien Tchouameni added. "If we don't play with maximum intensity, it will be very difficult to win matches. We have to understand that to win these matches we have to give our all. We didn't do it against Celta and we must do it tomorrow."

The Chicago White Sox welcomed the Arizona Diamondbacks to the South Side's Rate Field on Wednesday afternoon as they trudge through their disappointing 2025 season, and in the middle of the second inning pinch-hit Austin Slater for one of their best bats in Luis Robert Jr.

Was a trade on the horizon? It would certainly make sense given not only Robert's value on the market, but also MLB insider Bob Nightengale's recent report that the chances of him being shipped out are "just about 100%."

While it was ultimately relayed by the team that Robert was removed from the game due to hamstring tightness, that didn't stop fans from speculating about his departure from Chicago. Here's a look at some of the top reactions from White Sox faithful across X (formerly Twitter):

While Robert is batting just .185 this year, he's second on the White Sox with 31 RBI and has hit eight home runs. The 2025 MLB trade deadline is set for July 31 at 6:00 p.m. EST.

Tensions have quickly risen in Thursday afternoon's rubber match between the Cleveland Guardians and Toronto Blue Jays, with two of the game's stars being plunked by pitches within the game's first four innings.

In the top of the third, Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was struck by Guardians starter Tanner Bibee. He left the game with what the team is calling a "forearm contusion." X-rays have since came back negative for a fracture.

Then, just an inning later, Guerrero's teammate Kevin Gausman seemingly retaliated by beaning Cleveland third baseman Jose Ramirez with the first pitch of the frame. The slugger also left the game with a bruised forearm.

"And now with the first pitch Kevin Gausman hits Jose Ramirez," play-by-play announcer Dan Shulman said on the Sportsnet broadcast. "And that will tell you everything you need to know about how the Blue Jays feel about Guerrero getting hit."

Both benches were warned following the altercations. The Blue Jays took a 3-0 lead over the Guardians into the ninth inning.

Leeds United have now made contact over signing a midfield star who’s been likened to Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard, according to recent reports.

Daniel Farke Leeds "preparing" for January window

There’s no rest for the wicked and Leeds’ clash against Liverpool at Elland Road represents another tough test for Daniel Farke’s side, who have already squared off against Manchester City and Chelsea this week.

On paper, the visit of the reigning champions should be a daunting task, but Liverpool’s crown has been snatched this season and the Reds find themselves in the middle of a disastrous defence. Leeds, meanwhile, just ran Man City close and swept past Chelsea in shocking fashion. Those at Elland Road couldn’t be facing Liverpool at a better time.

Victory over Slot’s side could take the Whites five points clear of the dropzone if results go their way in a crucial step towards survival as the festive fixtures arrive thick and fast.

Meanwhile, as things progress on the pitch, the 49ers are already “planning” ahead for the January transfer window, according to Farke. The Leeds boss told reporters earlier this week: “I have not one second to think about what could happen, it also depends on injuries and how the players deliver in these upcoming games.

“I spoke in the summer about what he might have liked to sign and this has not gone away, in the background we are preparing but now is not the time to speak about it.”

Leeds now prioritising £35m move to sign South American defender ahead of Juventus

He’d be one of their most expensive arrivals.

By
Tom Cunningham

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On that front, names such as Nilson Angulo have emerged as reported targets. The impressive winger has been dubbed one of Europe’s standout wingers this season and would certainly inject some added spark to Farke’s frontline.

The same can be said for Jens Hjerto-Dahl. The midfielder has been likened to fellow Norway star Odegaard and now finds himself on the radar of those at Elland Road.

Leeds make contact over signing Jens Hjerto-Dahl

As reported by TeamTalk, Leeds have now made contact to sign Hjerto-Dahl in 2026, but face competition from Rangers, Brighton & Hove Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Tromso midfielder has built up an impressive reputation in Norway for his ability as a goalscoring box-crasher – scoring five goals in 35 games in all competitions this season – and could now get the chance to do that in the Premier League.

Described as “powerful” by scout Kai Watson, Hjerto-Dahl was likened to Odegaard when he was linked with a move to Brighton earlier this month and Leeds should go all out to land his signature.

The towering star certainly fits the physical profile of what’s needed in the Premier League these days, but it remains to be seen if clubs act as early as January.

Farke must unleash "wonderkid" who'd be perfect for Nmecha's new Leeds role

Nuno Espirito Santo’s West Ham United side are showing signs of green shoots, but there is much work still to be done in the fight to stave off the threat of relegation from the Premier League.

West Ham’s inconsistencies have plunged them into the drop zone, but a glass-half-full mentality would tell you that Nuno has claimed eight points from four games and the squad’s understanding in this new system is tightening, deepening.

But this is also a precarious and anxiety-inducing position. Former technical director Tim Steidten left much to be desired on the recruitment front, and now additions are needed up top and across the backline.

West Ham need to sign a striker

Niklas Fullkrug’s £27m transfer from Borussia Dortmund to the London Stadium has not gone to plan. Injuries have been the German striker’s biggest inhibitor, but he has scored only three times across 29 matches, and a winter exit, ahead of the 2026 World Cup, looks on the cards.

The 32-year-old has indeed been slated for a January departure, probably back to his homeland, and that leaves West Ham in a sticky position, with Jarrod Bowen and Callum Wilson in need of support.

Help may arrive in the form of Santiago Gimenez, with Italian outlet Il Messaggero relaying that the Mexican forward is destined for a move to the Premier League, with the Irons one of the clubs who could put forward a bid of around €30m (equating to £26m).

Sunderland are also interested, and given that Milan would be open to selling the 24-year-old for around that price, the Londoners will need to be snappy in getting a deal done.

What Santiago Gimenez would bring to West Ham

Gimenez stands at 6 foot 1 and is a physical and imposing attacking profile. In this, he would be the perfect profile to replace Fullkrug, whose physicality and focal command in the box are among the finest in Europe.

After joining AC Milan from Feyenoord last winter, Gimenez made a positive start to life in Serie A, scoring five goals and supplying two assists across the latter half of the 2024/25 campaign, playing 14 times and starting only seven of those games.

However, he has petered out under Massimiliano Allegri’s wing this season, yet to score in the Italian top flight. Gimenez is still relatively young and has the athleticism to succeed in the Premier League, and he could be the perfect presence to dovetail into the front of Nuno’s system, having been hailed as a “machine” in the box by talent scout Jacek Kulig in the past.

His particular approach suggests he would be perfect for Nuno’s West Ham project, Chris Wood would bear testament to that, having been the spearhead of the Portuguese tactician’s incredible tenure at the Nottingham Forest helm, prolific and talismanic.

Wood is among the most physical and commanding strikers of recent years; certainly, his blend of clinical shooting, steely hold-up play and intelligent movement has allowed him to blossom into “one of the best in the Prem”, as claimed by reporter Jamie Martin.

And his time in Nuno’s system proved a match made in heaven for both. Now, Gimenez could make his mark as the new version, especially if given the trust and care that have been lacking throughout his year in Italy.

Under Espirito Santo’s stewardship, Wood enjoyed arguably the most productive spell of his career, scoring 20 goals from 36 Premier League matches as the Tricky Trees secured a place in Europe.

Sean Dyche

165

53 (0.32)

Nuno Santo

60

32 (0.53)

Garry Monk

48

30 (0.62)

Nigel Pearson

62

20 (0.32)

Kenny Jacket

19

11 (0.58)

Chris Hughton

29

11 (0.38)

Gimenez could play a similar role in this West Ham team, the catalyst for attacking change after a tough chapter in the club’s modern history.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 6, 2025