The match was frequently interrupted by rain with the chase eventually trimmed to 27 overs
AAP25-Oct-2021Shaun Marsh struck an unbeaten half-century to guide Western Australia to a six-wicket win over South Australia in a rain-affected one-day clash at the WACA Ground.In a match with four rain delays, WA were originally set a victory target of 199 off 35 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system, before that was revised down to 165 off 27 overs.WA slipped to 4 for 74, but Marsh (80 no off 63 balls) and D’Arcy Short (35 no off 27 balls) got the home side over the line with an unbeaten 93-run stand. Marsh cracked 11 fours and a six in his classy knock.The game was still delicately poised with three overs to go and WA needing 29 runs for victory, but South Australia unravelled from that point. Brendan Doggett bowled a delivery so wide that it didn’t even hit the pitch, with WA peeling 12 runs off his wayward over.Wes Agar fared even worse straight after, bowling two no-balls and a wide to start the over. Short made him pay, thumping a six off one of the free hits, before Marsh cracked two boundaries later in the over to secure victory with eight balls to spare. Agar’s over, which consisted of only four legal deliveries, ended up costing 19 runs.Earlier, the Redbacks compiled a total of 6 for 193 off 35 during an innings that was disrupted three times by rain. Opener Jake Weatherald top-scored for the visitors with 60 off 81 balls, while Daniel Worrall (31no off 25 balls) and Nathan McAndrew (21no off 15 balls) combined for an unbeaten 55-run partnership to boost South Australia’s score.Dangerman Travis Head, who had posted scores of 163 and 230 in his two previous one-day knocks this season, was out for 28 when he edged Lance Morris behind.The Redbacks were struggling at 3 for 48 in the ninth over, but the second rain delay allowed them to regroup and stop the wobbles. Matt Kelly dismissed Weatherald and Ryan Gibson in consecutive balls later in the innings. Kelly’s hat-trick ball was a cracker, with Worrall almost edging it behind.WA allrounder Cameron Green, who is vying for an Ashes berth, returned figures of 1 for 38 off seven overs.
Rodri’s absence was always going to knock Manchester City off-kilter, but Newcastle United knew that Saturday’s Premier League fixture was still going to be one of the toughest of the campaign.
But Newcastle played with assurance and gusto and claimed a hard-fought draw, rallying after falling behind in the first half to restore parity through Anthony Gordon’s penalty and cranking up late pressure that unfortunately came to nought.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe
Eddie Howe will be delighted with many of the performances on show at St. James’ Park, with the goalscorer doing extremely well in the absence of the injured Alexander Isak.
Anthony Gordon proves his worth vs Man City
Isak was ruled out with a toe injury to compound his frustrating start to the season, but Gordon is a dynamic forward and moonlit in a focal striking role on occasion, so he was tasked with the occasion against the indomitable champions today.
He certainly didn’t produce the greatest performance in the world, but Gordon did well against titanic opposition, winning and converting the second-half penalty to make it 11 points from six contests – only three behind Pep Guardiola’s side.
A real menace of a player, the England international has now won seven penalties in the Premier League since the start of last season, the most in the division – Raheem Sterling is second with three.
He also completed two key passes and won four duels, as per Sofascore, but his spot kick was the sole shot of his afternoon and you can’t help but think Isak, fit and available, might have offered that predatory sense that could have won the hosts the game.
Of course, with Rodri out of action, Bruno Guimaraes was able to showcase his quality and dominate from the centre of the park. He was Howe’s real hero.
Bruno Guimaraes was Howe's real hero
Guimaraes was at fault for Fulham’s third goal at Craven Cottage last weekend to condemn the Toon to their first defeat of the campaign, but he made amends today with a fine display against a City side that needed to bounce back after drawing with Arsenal one week ago.
Bruno Guimaraes against Manchester City
The Shields Gazette were gushing in their review of the Brazilian’s performance, handing him an 8/10 match rating and writing: ‘Imposed himself well against a strong City midfield. Had some good moments on the ball and played Gordon through. A good response to a difficult match late time out at Fulham.’
City might have been missing Rodri but let’s not forget that they still boast some of the best midfielders in the world. Mateo Kovacic and Rico Lewis were strong and City actually won 55% of the game’s ground duels.
Minutes played
90′
Touches
64
Accurate passes
35/43
Key passes
1
Dribbles (completed)
4 (4)
Tackles
3
Interceptions
2
Clearances
1
Total duels (won)
17 (9)
Most of Newcastle’s success in combative situations seemed to have come from Guimaraes, who, as you can see, won a ridiculous amount of duels and stood like an iron wall against City’s attempted onslaughts that never really materialised. There was also silk to match the steel as he successfully completed all four of his attempted dribbles.
Newcastle will look at forthcoming Premier League fixtures against Everton and Brighton & Hove Albion with sights set on victory, but this was an excellent performance against the best team in the country, with signs aplenty that the Magpies are starting to click into gear.
Newcastle wanted ace for £12.5m in 2019, now he's outshining Isak & Gordon
This was a big missed opportunity for the Magpies…
Wrexham have freed up space in their squad for January arrivals, with attacking duo Billy Waters and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson being allowed to move on.
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Waters and Bodvarsson allowed to leaveMarriott back as another striking optionDeals to be done in winter transfer windowFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?
The Red Dragons have never shied away from the fact that they would like to get more firepower onto their books during the winter window. They have welcomed Jack Marriott back from injury, Steven Fletcher has five goals through his last seven appearances, while Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer are proven performers in the English Football League.
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Further competition may, however, be sought early in 2025. If Phil Parkinson decides to bring in another forward, then a couple of berths have opened up in his ranks. Waters has left North Wales by mutual consent, having joined Wrexham from Barrow in March 2023 and taken in eight appearances for the club – with loan spells sanctioned at Doncaster and Halifax.
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Iceland international Bodvarsson was signed on a short-term deal in October, with those terms coming to a close. The experienced frontman, who went goalless through seven appearances for Wrexham, will be remaining in League One as he has linked up with Burton Albion.
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WHAT NEXT?
Parkinson has previously admitted that Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are making “resources” available for additions, which means that there could be more movement at SToK Racecourse before the end of the month.
Crystal Palace are thought to be eyeing up an immediate move to sign a free agent who has scored 67 goals during his career to date.
Crystal Palace make eight summer signings for Glasner
After an impressive finish to the previous Premier League campaign under Oliver Glasner, the Eagles, and by extension chairman Steve Parish and sporting director Dougie Freedman, backed the manager ahead of his first full season.
Crystal Palace summer signings
From
Fee (Transfermarkt)
Eddie Nketiah
Arsenal
€29.70m
Maxence Lacroix
Wolfsburg
€18m
Ismaila Sarr
Marseille
€15m
Chadi Riad
Real Betis
€15m
Daichi Kamada
Lazio
Free transfer
Louie Moulden
Wolves
Free transfer
Trevoh Chalobah
Chelsea
Loan transfer
Matt Turner
Nottingham Forest
Loan transfer
Crystal Palace fees received
To
Fee (Transfermarkt)
Michael Olise
Bayern Munich
€53m
Joachim Andersen
Fulham
€29.5m
Sam Johnstone
Wolves
€11.9m
Jordan Ayew
Leicester City
€5.9m
Scott Banks
FC St. Pauli
€400,000
As can be seen, Palace brought in eight new players but did make a healthy profit after cashing in on the likes of Michael Olise and Joachim Andersen. Of the new arrivals, much will be expected of Eddie Nketiah and Ismaila Sarr to replace the goals and creativity following Olise and Jordan Ayew’s exits.
Nketiah is already off the mark in Palace colours, scoring his first for the club against QPR in the Carabao Cup, with Glasner saying after the game on the forward: “You can trust that we did our homework before signing him. When you watch Eddie play at Arsenal, he played as a nine he was very involved in the game.
“He’s not a pivot, like in basketball, who is waiting for the ball. He’s so, so smart in finding the space. He can play as a nine, as this 10, and when we switched three days ago to a 4-4-2 against Leicester, he can play around the striker. He has such a good feeling (for the game). Sometimes, he needs to stay in the pocket and then make the run in behind.”
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Crystal Palace star ready to prove people wrong
ByConnor Holden Sep 19, 2024
Palace have been linked with making further additions in the final third, though, with Real Sociedad’s Sheraldo Becker a target for January. Reports have claimed that a £10m deal is being worked on ahead of the New Year as the club look to get things in place.
However, with the ability to sign free agents outside the transfer window, Palace appear to have their eye on an international attacker.
Crystal Palace eye move for free agent Yusuf Yazici
According to HITC, free agent Yusuf Yazici is still hopeful of sealing a move to the Premier League, with Crystal Palace one of the clubs considering making an offer.
Alongside the Eagles, Aston Villa and Bournemouth are also weighing up moves for the 27-year-old, who left Lille in the summer and is yet to find a new club.
Yazici, a Turkey international, came through the books at Trabzonspor and was with Lille for five years. He went out on loan to CSKA Moscow and back to Trabzonspor during his time with the French side and has racked up 67 goals for club and country during his career.
Primarily an attacking midfielder who can also play on the right wing and as a centre-forward, Yazici was even hailed by former Arsenal star Mesut Ozil back in 2018, who said: “Yusuf Yazici is an amazing No 10. We have a lot of similarities; his left foot, his position, his passing, and calmness on the ball.”
One Arsenal player is now said to be weighing up his options and considering a January exit from the Emirates, despite manager Mikel Arteta persuading him to remain during the summer window.
Players who Arsenal sold or loaned out in the summer
Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, midfielder Mohamed Elneny, defender Cedric Soares, Portugal international Fabio Vieira, 24-year-old Albert Sambi Lokonga, left-back Nuno Tavares, winger Reiss Nelson and shot-stopper Karl Hein all departed the club over the summer, either on loan or permanently, and that's not even including sporting director Edu Gaspar's most headline-grabbing exit deals.
£120k-per-week Arsenal ace now top target for club in out-of-window deal
He’s the main priority on their agenda.
1 ByEmilio Galantini Sep 7, 2024
Striker Eddie Nketiah called time on his Arsenal career by making a £30 million move across London to Crystal Palace, as the forward looks to establish himself at Selhurst Park and hopefully work his way into the England set-up in time for the 2026 World Cup.
Before Nketiah's farewell, another Hale End academy graduate in midfielder Emile Smith Rowe signed for Fulham in what was a club-record potential £34 million deal for the Whites. The attacking duo will now be handed much more Premier League game time away from Arsenal, and it will be interesting to see where these moves will take their careers.
Arsenal's next five Premier League games
Date
Tottenham (away)
September 15
Man City (away)
September 22
Leicester City (home)
September 28
Southampton (home)
October 5
Bournemouth (away)
October 19
Out-of-favour defender Kieran Tierney is also a rumoured top target for Istanbul Basaksehir, and with the Turkish transfer window open until September 13, the Scotsman could still make a move away for more guaranteed minutes – despite being surprisingly named in Arteta's Champions League squad.
Another player who was tipped to leave over the course of the window was Poland international defender Jakub Kiwior. The 24-year-old, who signed from Spezia in January 2023, made 20 top flight appearances under Arteta last term – scoring a goal and bagging three assists from left-back and featuring as a centre-half on occasion.
The ex-Serie A starlet put in some convincing displays at left-back, giving both Takehiro Tomiyasu and Oleksandr Zinchenko competition for the role, but Kiwior is by no means a guaranteed starter – especially after Riccardo Calafiori's arrival in the summer.
There were reports that Kiwior could've left after Calafiori joined Arsenal, but it is believed Arteta persuaded the player to stay in sit-down talks over his immediate future.
Kiwior considering January exit from Arsenal
That is according to The Boot Room, who also claim that Kiwior is considering a January exit from Arsenal.
Arteta and co convinced the Pole to remain until winter, but if he decides he wants to leave mid-season, TBR claim the north Londoners are ready to give the green-light for him to find a new home.
Kiwior, on £58,000-a-week, has interest from across the Premier League if he does opt to quit Arsenal, and a return to Italy may also be an option, as AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, Roma and Bologna all made approaches in the summer.
“He has great potential,” said Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski in September 2022 when asked about his international team-mate.
"During the warm-up of the game with the Netherlands, I thought: ‘Who is this guy?’ Then, during the match, I saw that he is extraordinary.”
After waiting all summer, the Premier League is finally back, and later on tonight, Tottenham Hotspur will kickstart their campaign to break into the Champions League places.
It's set to be a tricky opening fixture for Ange Postecoglou's side, as an away game against one of the newly promoted sides, Leicester City in this case, can always be a bit of a banana skin.
However, the Australian has had a reasonably productive preseason on the pitch and a brilliant one off it, so he should be confident going into the match.
The North Londoners have signed several exciting youngsters this summer, such as Archie Gray, Yang Min-Hyeok and Wilson Odobert. Still, the best addition of all is undoubtedly Dominic Solanke, although, with the window open for another couple of weeks, Daniel Levy and Co could go out there and bring in a dream teammate for the Englishman.
Solanke's move to Tottenham Hotspur
The North Londoners completed the £65m signing of Solanke over a week ago now, and while he wasn't able to make an appearance for the team during preseason, there is an expectation that he'll make his debut against the Foxes tonight.
He might not have been the first name on the wishlist of many fans at the start of the summer, but it is apparent that Postecoglou wanted him, and based on his form for Bournemouth last season, it's not hard to see why.
In 42 appearances for the Cherries, the 26-year-old scored a mammoth 21 goals and provided four assists for good measure, meaning he averaged a goal involvement once every 1.68 games.
Solanke vs Spurs' most productive players in 23/24
Player
Solanke
Son
Richarlison
Johnson
Appearances
42
36
31
34
Goals
21
17
12
5
Assists
4
10
4
10
Goal Involvements per Match
0.59
0.75
0.51
0.44
All Stats via Transfermarkt
This impressive output would have made him the top goalscorer in the Lilywhites squad last season and the second most productive player overall, producing just two fewer goal involvements than Son Heung-min, and there is no shame in that.
In all, while he's cost Tottenham a significant amount of money, he could help fire the team up the league this season, especially if Levy and Co can finally secure one of the club's long-term targets in the coming weeks.
Why Eberechi Eze would be a dream teammate for Solanke
Yes, the target in question is Crystal Palace talisman Eberechi Eze, who has been touted for a move to several clubs, including Tottenham, all summer.
Eberechi Eze celebrates for Crystal Palace
Links between the Lilywhites and the Palace ace were already around last year, but they really took off before and during the Euros this summer, with reports suggesting that an offer of £60m would be enough to activate a release clause in the player's contract.
However, recent reports have claimed that said release clause is no longer valid, meaning we don't know just how much the Eagles would demand for their star player.
That said, with the North Londoners being named the wealthiest club in London earlier this year, they should go all out and flex their financial muscle before the window slams shut by bringing the former Queens Park Rangers star to N17, as he'd be incredible alongside Solanke.
There are a couple of reasons why he'd be so great with the talented centre-forward, and the first is rather simple: his output.
Eze's 23/24
Appearances
31
Goals
11
Assists
6
Goal Involvements per Match
0.54
All Stats via Transfermarkt
For example, in just 31 appearances last season, the £100k-per-week "wizard", as Declan Rice dubbed him, scored 11 goals and provided six assists, equating to a goal involvement every 1.82 games.
Just imagine how dangerous the former Cherries poacher would be with such an effective teammate beside him, someone capable of pulling defenders away with their goal threat or talented enough to play a pinpoint pass into his path to bury himself.
This brings us to the second reason that the pair could form a dangerous partnership: the Eagles ace's positional versatility.
Across his career to date, the 26-year-old has started games all over the pitch, but more often than not, he's playing in midfield or out on the left, meaning he could fit into the Spurs lineup in a couple of ways and therefore have more of a chance to form a true understanding with the former Liverpool striker.
Spurs-Eze-Postecoglou
Moreover, his ability to shift from the middle of the park to wide and attacking positions could also help free up more space for Solanke to exploit, thus providing him with far more chances to score.
Ultimately, while it seems like a deal that might just be beyond Tottenham now, if Levy and Co really wanted to give Postecoglou the best chance of succeeding this season, then going all out to sign Eze in the coming weeks would be a brilliant way to do so.
Bye-Bye Bissouma: Spurs keeping tabs on £34m "monster" upgrade
The experienced ace would be an interesting signing.
Glamorgan 407 (Cooke 136, Lloyd 65, Carlson 54) and 205 for 4 (Selman 69, Root 56) lead Northamptonshire 364 (Rossington 76, Berg 69) by 248 runs ByNick Selman found his LV= Insurance County Championship form with a half-century as Glamorgan piled on the runs to set up an intriguing final day at Wantage Road.Opener Selman had experienced a wretched opening five innings of the season, with a run of 4, 0, 0, 11 and 17 before he terminated his poor form with a solid 69.His efforts, along with Billy Root’s 56, helped Glamorgan reach close on 205 for four, 248 ahead, although an increasingly flat pitch is likely to stand in the way of victory over Northamptonshire.Earlier, Gareth Berg and debutant Wayne Parnell both scored half-centuries to give Northants a first-innings deficit of 43 – having been 56 for five.Related
Chris Cooke's second century of the season sets Glamorgan off to strong start
Adam Rossington's gutsy 76 helps Northamptonshire creep away from big first-innings deficit
Middlesex seamers combine for stunning rout as Surrey lose their London pride
Adam Rossington and Saif Zaib had rebuilt phenomenally on the second day, but Berg and Parnell’s eighth-wicket stand of 108 pulled the match towards parity.The experienced pair scored freely despite an early new ball, as they chalked up previously unlikely batting points for passing 300 and 350.Parnell reached his half-century first, from 81 balls, thanks to a wonderfully caressed cover drive, before the experienced duo touched gloves on a three-figure stand.Berg was forced to wait to follow his partner to the milestone as he dropped twice in the same over by James Weighell, off his own bowling, before Parnell departed – the South African all-rounder yorked by Weighell for 54.Berg did eventually get to fifty in 83 balls as he and Nathan Buck added 34 together.Northants’ innings ended when Buck was snaffled at backward point, with Weighell managing to get his fingers underneath a dipping ball, and Ben Sanderson was castled – leaving Berg unbeaten on 69.As with the first-innings, Glamorgan’s openers David Lloyd and Selman moved past 50 together without an ounce of fuss.Selman was dropped on 15 by Rossington, who damaged a finger on his left hand in the process and was forced to off the field for the remainder of the day.Ricardo Vasconcelos kept and captained in Rossington’s place and almost immediately was called upon as Buck found Lloyd’s outside edge.Buck struck again in his following over, to keep up the flurry of wickets trend which has shaped the match so far, as Andy Balbirnie mistimed a pull to the short legside boundary.Selman, having past 50 in 124 balls, departed for 69 when he flicked Berg down the leg side to give Vasconcelos a second grab with the gloves.Root, having begun the season with a century against Yorkshire, past his half-century in 103 balls before he was also caught behind, for 56 off Sanderson.
Manchester United duo Kobbie Mainoo and Lisandro Martinez are set to miss the Red Devils' important clash against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium.
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Manchester United win 4-0 against EvertonMainoo & Martinez suspended for Arsenal clashPicked up fifth yellow card of PL season Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?
Ruben Amorim's work at Manchester United is starting to reflect on the field as Manchester United ran riot at Old Trafford as they played host to Everton. Braces from Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee helped the new-look Red Devils cruise to a 4-0 win. However, in what was a scrappy physical game, Amorim saw two key players, Mainoo and Martinez receive yellow cards.
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The yellow cards to Mainoo and Martinez were their fifth each this season in the Premier League which has now warranted a one-game suspension for the duo and they will now miss the crucial clash against Arsenal as the Red Devils look to push on and catch up with the top half of the standings.
GettyDID YOU KNOW?
The suspension is a big blow for Amorim as Martinez has been crucial to his tactical system thus far this season. Meanwhile, Mainoo was only making his first appearance for the Red Devils under Amorim and may not be as sorely missed by the Portuguese coach.
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WHAT NEXT FOR AMORIM?
The Manchester United boss will now have to work out how to set up his side when Manchester United face Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, December 4.
The quick put his consistency at a level this demanding down to diligence and perseverance
Firdose Moonda28-Jan-2021South Africa’s bowlers did not have as much success as they might have wanted on the third morning in Karachi as Pakistan’s tail plundered 70 runs in 12.2 overs, but one of them reached a special, personal milestone. Kagiso Rabada became the third-fastest and fourth-youngest bowler to take 200 Test wickets.Only Waqar Younis (7725) and Dale Steyn (7848) needed fewer deliveries than Rabada (8154) to reach the landmark, while only Waqar, Kapil Dev, and Harbhajan Singh were younger than Rabada’s 25 years and 248 days. Of all of them, Rabada has the best strike rate of 40.8.”It’s a massive feat to be included among a list of such names. When you start playing you don’t ever think you will be on such a list and have such statistics,” Rabada said.He put his consistency at a level this demanding down to diligence and perseverance. “I don’t think there is a magic answer. It’s just hard work and spending time on your craft and seeing where you can get better and analysing it. It hasn’t all been easy.”You find yourself trying to perfect something that might seem so simple but it’s constant repetition and hours and hours of work. It’s being relentless with that and trying to see how much better you can get and finding ways. It’s hard and relentless work.”Rabada’s strike rate is the best among bowlers with minimum 200 test wickets•ESPNcricinfo LtdWhile Rabada has played alongside Steyn, he is yet to share trade secrets with Waqar, who is part of the opposition camp, as bowling coach.Asked if he sought tips from Waqar, Rabada indicated there may be time to pick his brain after the series. “We practised at the same ground but I think it would be a bit concerning if he was coaching me and not the Pakistan team,” Rabada said. “He was a wonderful bowler and someone that I have watched a lot in my spare time, when I am trying to learn about the game, and I would love to chat to him once this is over.”
“It’s been hard work, like any Test match, especially in the subcontinent where you have to be a lot more patient. It tests you mentally, it tests you physically. I just got reminded of how Test cricket can impact you.”Kagiso Rabada
That may be too late to seek advice on how to generate reverse swing in Pakistan but Rabada and Waqar may want to reflect on the difference in conditions in Pakistan over the span of their careers. Rabada’s national coach, Mark Boucher, remembers Pakistan being flat and conditions being ripe for reverse swing in the time of Waqar, while Rabada is experiencing it as spinner-friendly with variable bounce and “not a lot of demons but enough to be concerned about for batsmen”. He however expects spin to play a role on the final two days, when South Africa’s two left-armers, Keshav Maharaj and George Linde, will be key to their attempts to defend a total.South Africa are effectively 29 for 4 and will need to bat well if they are to challenge Pakistan. But Rabada thinks they can still do enough to win the Test match. “That’s what we believe. That’s what we have to believe. Aiden (Markram) and Rassie (van der Dussen) batted extremely well and in the subcontinent wickets can fall in clusters. We are constantly tested and now we are going to get tested again tomorrow. We are up for the challenge. That’s why we practice so hard – for times like these. Hopefully we can get the team in a good position and get some runs on the board so we can set a target.”As things stand, the match is delicately poised after a see-saw first three days, marking an interesting return to the longest format for Rabada. He has not played Test cricket since appearing for South Africa against England in Port Elizabeth last January. In that time he has been part of the IPL and T20I series against England, and he acknowledged that red-ball matches are a complex assessment of a players skills.”Test cricket never gets old and it never gets any easier. You are constantly challenged,” he said. “It’s my first time playing Pakistan. That’s quite amazing. It’s the only place I haven’t played at and I’m glad I could get the opportunity to play here. It’s been hard work, like any Test match, especially in the subcontinent where you have to be a lot more patient. It tests you mentally, it tests you physically. I just got reminded of how Test cricket can impact you.”
There were some concerns in June that West Ham United were without coin this summer, but technical director Tim Steidten and new head coach Julen Lopetegui has since dispelled that notion by getting active in the transfer market.
18-year-old winger Luis Guilherme has been signed from Palmeiras for £25.5m, while Wolverhampton Wanderers captain Max Kilman has joined the London Stadium fold in a £40m deal. Landing a new centre-forward remains a pressing concern, though a bid has been submitted to sign Aston Villa's Jhon Duran and talks are ongoing.
Wolves captain Max Kilman celebrates
Harking back to that defensive point, Kilman's arrival might not actually be enough. Both Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd flattered to deceive last season and both centre-backs could be sold. Lopetegui would be wise to welcome another star to partner Kilman.
West Ham transfer news
According to French outlet Nice-Matin – via Sport Witness – West Ham are still in the lead to sign OGC Nice's Jean-Clair Todibo this summer despite seeing a €35m (£30m) offer knocked back already.
Juventus are also sniffing around, while Manchester United had been set to sign the titan but for the transfer to be scuppered by Nice and the Red Devils' shared INEOS ownership, with UEFA rules denying such a transaction.
West Ham are the only team to have made a concrete transfer offer, however, and while the Ligue 1 outfit are holding out for €40m (£34m), the Irons must now return with a second offer to complete their backline.
Why Jean-Clair Todibo would be perfect for West Ham
Kilman and Todibo would make a formidable and dynamic partnership, with the former aerially dominant and progressive on the ball and the Nice defender regarded for his rounded mastery, hailed as the "complete package" by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
Nice centre-back Jean-Claire Todibo.
To further illustrate this point: as per FBref, Todibo ranked among the top 12% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues last season for assists, the top 9% for shot-creating actions, the top 4% for passes attempted, the top 15% for progressive passes, the top 17% for progressive carries, the top 4% for successful take-ons and the top 17% for tackles per 90.
Lopetegui has already hinted that he's going to imprint a more possession-based style on the Hammers fold than that of his predecessor, David Moyes, who excelled in pragmaticism and counter-attacking, winning the Conference League and engineering the brightest period in West Ham's modern history.
Todibo would be perfect in that regard, ranking highly among the most active passers in Europe and proving to be combative and progressive besides. Journalist Antonio Mango hailed him as a “Rolls Royce of a CB" who's "very comfortable on the ball and likes to begin phrases of play.”
Last season, the 24-year-old started 30 matches in the French top flight, keeping 14 clean sheets, completing 90% of his passes, winning 59% of his duels and averaging 7.1 ball recoveries per game, as per Sofascore.
Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo
It's quite clear why he's such a touted target for some of Europe's finest teams, and if West Ham were to land him, he'd make a difference and then some, especially since he'd prove to be a monumental upgrade on club skipper Zouma.
Why Todibo would be an upgrade on Zouma
As per Nice-Matin (via Caught Offside), West Ham have been hoping to orchestrate a deal involving the Moroccan and Todibo, player-plus-cash, but have found the France defender's reluctance to move to London proving to be a stumbling block, with his sights set on Juventus instead.
Nonetheless, the Old Lady aren't in the soundest of financial situations and have already signed Douglas Luiz from Aston Villa in a £42.5m transfer this summer, requiring a player-plus-cash movement to see the move cross the line.
Kilman is the new prized possession on the left side of United's rearguard and it looks probable that Aguerd will leave regardless, and while that aforementioned proposal failed, Todibo could yet wind up in east London before the end of August.
A key factor being the promise that he would be able to saunter past Zouma into the regular starting berth alongside Kilman, with Todibo's compatriot failing to impress last term.
Kurt Zouma for West Ham
Journalist Jack Rosser criticised West Ham's "tired and hopeless" defence last season and singled out the "terrible" Zouma, who failed to live up to the expectations that come with the donning of the armband.
Uninspiring and languorous at times, Zouma does not fit the ball-playing mould that Lopetegui will demand, ranking among the bottom 4% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted and progressive passes per 90, and the bottom 35% for pass completion.
Jean-Clair Todibo vs Kurt Zouma 23/24 Stats Comparison
Stats
Todibo
Zouma
Goals
0
3
Assists
2
0
Pass completion
90%
84%
Dribble success
64% (0.5)
67% (0.1)
Duel success
59% (4.4)
54% (2.7)
Touches per game
95.0
44.8
Key passes per game
0.3
0.1
Ball recoveries per game
7.1
2.9
Tackles per game
1.9
0.7
Interceptions per game
1.3
0.9
Clearances per game
3.1
4.8
All stats via Sofascore
The table above shows the stark disparity between the 29-year-old's level of performance and Todibo's. Quite frankly, it's imperative that he is sold, lest West Ham stagnate next term or even regress.
Ultimately, Lopetegui knows what he's doing and will be able to make his system work with the likes of Aguerd and Zouma at the base. But after tasting the golden heights of European endeavours over these past few years, the Hammers fanbase wants to see ambition and effective action in the transfer market, translated into first-class performances on the field.
West Ham have hit gold on phenom who's worth even more than Watkins & Duran
Julen Lopetegui must relish the chance to wield this highly talented player.