West Ham United are now confident they can get a deal for an “explosive” midfielder over the line, having identified him as a key target, according to a report.

West Ham closing in on El Hadji Malick Diouf

With long-serving left-back Aaron Cresswell departing upon the expiration of his contract, one of Graham Potter’s main tasks this summer will be to bring in a new left-back, and the deal for Slavia Prague’s El Hadji Malick Diouf is now edging closer to completion.

Should the medical go smoothly, the Slavia Prague defender is set to become the Hammers’ first signing of the summer, but he is unlikely to be the last, given that Mohammed Kudus’ departure has left a major gap in the squad.

With Tottenham Hotspur shelling out £55m on Kudus, the Irons should have ample funds to bring in a new attacking midfielder, and they are now eyeing an ambitious move for Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott, who could be available for around £40m this summer.

That is according to a report from The Guardian, which states West Ham are optimistic and believe that a deal will be possible, although there could be competition for the Englishman’s signature from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig.

Related West Ham may get Kudus revenge with £35m Spurs target tempted by Irons move

The Hammers have opened negotiations to sign a “phenomenal” player.

Posts 1 ByDominic Lund Jul 13, 2025

The 22-year-old has been identified as a key target for the Hammers, as Potter is looking to freshen up his squad with younger players this summer, having been forced to work with the oldest squad in the Premier League last season.

"Explosive" Elliott could be coup for West Ham

Back in June, the Liverpool ace made it clear he may have to think about leaving the Reds this summer, given that he has never really managed to solidify his place as a regular starter.

As such, a move to the London Stadium could make perfect sense, and the maestro’s performances at international level showcase what he could be capable of if Potter were to give him a consistent run in the starting XI.

The London-born midfielder scored five goals for England U21s en-route to their U21 European Championships triumph back in June, maintaining a fantastic record in front of goal over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Non-penalty goals

0.66 (99th percentile)

Assists

0.33 (86th percentile)

Progressive passes

8.80 (98th percentile)

As such, Elliott, who has been lauded as “explosive” by Arne Slot, could be a fantastic addition to the West Ham squad, and it is promising news that they believe he may be tempted by a move to the London Stadium.

England 22 for 0 (Duckett 13*, Lawrence 9*) trail Sri Lanka 236 (de Silva 74, Rathnayake 72, Woakes 3-32) by 214 runsDhananjaya de Silva justified his own decision to bat first with a gutsy 74 from 84 balls, while Milan Rathnayake followed his captain’s lead with a startlingly composed knock of 72 from 135 balls, the highest by a debutant at No.9 in Test history. Unfortunately for Sri Lanka, however, even those exceptional efforts couldn’t quite atone for a dreadful top-order collapse that had handed England control of the first Test by stumps on day one at Emirates Old Trafford.By the time Vishwa Fernando was last man out, run out for 13 from 61 balls in an innings that echoed his famous tail-end defiance in partnership with Kusal Perera at Durban in 2019, Sri Lanka had been bowled out for 236 in gloomy half-light that had caused England to rely exclusively on spin bowling for the final hour of their bowling stint – an early challenge for Ollie Pope’s tactical acumen on his first day as Ben Stokes’ captaincy stand-in.And, even though that total was seemingly below-par on a hard and dry surface that Pope anticipated would stay true for the first half of the match at least, it was riches compared to what had been anticipated after the first half-hour of the contest. At that point, Sri Lanka’s innings had been in tatters at 6 for 3 after seven overs, with all three wickets falling in the space of ten deliveries to Gus Atkinson and Chris Woakes.Related

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• Pope vows to lean on Stokes as he begins stand-in captaincy reign

• Lawrence accepts his top billing even as middle-order wait goes on

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• Jayasuriya: 'Karunaratne is a strong-minded player. He can do something major on this tour'

The first blow was landed by Atkinson, who had limited Dimuth Karunaratne to a solitary scoring stroke in his first 17 deliveries, only for the batter to fluff his first shot in anger, a swish across the line to a well-directed lifter. Four balls later, Nishan Madushka’s early discipline also deserted him as Woakes served up a juicy outswinger that he could only scuff straight to Joe Root at first slip, who clung on in the heel of his palms.And with the final ball of the same over, Woakes had his second courtesy of a ghastly misjudgement from Angelo Mathews. The hero of the 2014 series win was gone for a five-ball duck, burning a review in the process as he offered no stroke to an inducker that was shown to be hitting the top of middle.Kusal and Chandimal showed some gumption in a limited counterattack, with the first five boundaries of the innings all coming in the space of 12 balls, four of them to Kusal off Matthew Potts, whose wide angle into the stumps offered the chance to free the hands through the off-side, and who would finish as the attack’s weakest link with 48 runs from his nine overs.But, after limping to drinks on 37 for 3, there was another challenge waiting for the second hour. Wood tore into his opening spell with typical gusto, and struck with his seventh ball – a gruesomely quick lifter to Kusal that crashed into his left thumb and looped to Harry Brook at second slip. Much like the snorter that broke Kevin Sinclair’s wrist in the West Indies series, Kusal left the crease wringing his hand, and looking in urgent need of an ice-pack at the very least.Out came de Silva to shore up the listing innings, but with lunch approaching, his measured stand of 32 in seven overs with Chandimal was undone in cruel and unusual fashion. Shoaib Bashir entered the attack for an exploratory pre-lunch spell, and struck in his second over with an unplayable daisycutter, reminiscent of Nasser Hussain’s viral moment against Carl Hooper in Trinidad in 1998. Though Chandimal gambled on the review, hoping against hope that he’d been struck outside the line, Bashir’s sheepish appeal and celebration could have told him everything he needed to know.That would, however, be the nadir of Sri Lanka’s innings. De Silva himself grew into his role either side of the lunch break, farming the strike well in between a diet of eight well-struck boundaries, each of them showcasing his sharp footwork and delicate balance, not to mention his pre-toss faith in the surface’s true nature.Though there would be some more guileless dismissals to come – with both Kamindu Mendis and Prabath Jayasuriya snicking off with uncertain footwork after Woakes and Atkinson had varied their lines and lengths – Rathnayake would not prove quite so gullible in his shot selection.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Despite channelling a bashful schoolboy while being presented with his Test cap by Kumar Sangakkara before the start of play, Sri Lanka’s debutant was more than man enough to withstand England’s eager attempts to dislodge him. His first role was to act as de Silva’s doughty sidekick, which he did to superb effect, picking off the first of his four fours in an eighth-wicket stand of 63.And then, when disaster had seemingly struck just before tea, with de Silva fencing a Bashir offbreak to Lawrence at leg slip to leave his team on 176 for 8, Rathnayake took up the cudgels for his team with impressive results. Despite boasting a previous best of 59 in 52 previous first-class innings, he picked the perfect moments to cut loose, first with a lusty swing over long-on to reach his half-century, and then a sweet drill over long-off to move along to a new career-high.England did at one stage attempt to bring Wood back into the attack to break up his burgeoning 50-run stand with Vishwa, but with his jumper halfway over his shoulders, the umpires stepped in to insist that the light was too poor for the pace bowlers. And though it took a while, Bashir eventually did the needful, tempting Rathnayake into one lofted launch too many, as Woakes back-pedalled at mid-off to end his fun.With half-an-hour to the close, Sri Lanka also turned instantly to slow bowling as the reply got underway, with two spinners sharing the new ball in a men’s Test in England for only the second time since 1970. With Lawrence opening the batting in place of Zak Crawley, he and Ben Duckett showed the probable riches still on offer in the surface, in clattering along to 22 for 0 in four overs.Prior to the start of play, both sides lined up on the outfield for a tribute to the late Graham Thorpe, who died on August 4, aged 55. England will be wearing black armbands throughout the match in memory of an England great who averaged 44.66 in a 100-Test career, and went on to play a key role as a batting mentor to many of the current team, including Pope, Root and Stokes.

Libby ton in vain as Smith’s 130* sees Worcestershire fall by four wickets

ECB Reporters Network16-Aug-2024Warwickshire will visit Glamorgan in the Metro Bank One Day semi-finals on Sunday after a dazzling maiden List A century from Kai Smith powered them to four-wicket victory over Worcestershire at Edgbaston.Warwickshire were in deep trouble when, chasing 286, they hit 77 for 5, but Smith, whose previous List A best was 44, smashed an unbeaten 130 from 104 balls. A sixth-wicket stand of 181 in 163 balls between Smith and Will Rhodes (75) saw the Bears to 288 for 6 with six balls to spare.It was devastating turnaround for injury-ravaged Worcestershire who had totalled 286 for 9 thanks to a stylish century from Jake Libby. Already the national leading run-scorer in this year’s Metro Bank One Day Cup, the captain struck 112 from 115 balls to build on a platform set by Ed Pollock’s 54.Early wickets then put Worcestershire in command but 19-year-old Smith played with freedom, fluency and not a trace of nerves to book his side a semi-final in south Wales.Put in on a used pitch, Worcestershire openers Pollock and Gareth Roderick added 38 in ten overs before two wickets fell in five balls. Roderick was lbw to Rae and Rob Jones edged his second ball behind to reward Ed Barnard for an excellent opening spell.Pollock advanced to a 54-ball half-century against his former team-mates but added only four more before slicing a drive at Jake Lintott to point. Adam Hose, freed from Hundred duty, soon spliced Michael Booth to extra cover but Libby reached his sixth half-century of this year’s tournament (from 67 balls) and celebrated with six over mid-wicket off Barnard.Jake Libby hits through the off side•Getty ImagesThe captain received important support from Ethan Brookes and Tom Taylor in stands of 61 in ten overs and 28 in 18 as the pitch flattened out in the sunshine. Fateh Singh and Tom Hinley also cleared the ropes to lift Worcestershire to a strong total.They also started strongly with the ball, taking two wickets in the first five overs as Theo Wylie skied Harry Darley to mid off and Zen Malik off-stump was trimmed by an inswinger from Taylor.Barnard and Rhodes took the score to 50 before two big wickets fell in the 14th over. Barnard flicked Jack Home straight to midwicket. Three balls later, Michael Burgess was run out by a direct hit from Brookes.When Benjamin edged a cut at Brookes, Warwickshire were 77 for 5 but Rhodes and Smith were unfazed. While the former captain anchored the fightback, Smith raced to a maiden List A half-century and then onward to a scintillating ton off 89.The sixth-wicket pair had put their side in control by the time Rhodes was brilliantly caught by a sprawling Brookes from a skier. That left the Bears needing 29 from four overs and Smith and Lintott closed the game out nervelessly, Smith striking Taylor for six and four from successive balls to seal victory.

Sri Lanka two down chasing 483 after Root becomes fourth man to score twin tons at Lord’s

Alan Gardner31-Aug-2024

For the second time in three days at Lord’s, it was all about Joe Root. England’s batting bellwether continued a bumper Test match by producing twin tons for the first time in his storied career, his 34th century in the format setting new records for his country – and setting his team on their way towards what would be a series-sealing win.England began the day in a position of comfort, 256 runs ahead with nine wickets standing, and Root allowed an expectant crowd to drink in the experience of a Lord’s Saturday. If there was data on champagne corks popped, Root would probably set have another benchmark. As it was, his innings of 103 was garlanded by several entries in the record books: his seventh Test hundred the most by an individual at Lord’s, as he surpassed Graham Gooch as the leading run-scorer on the ground. Alastair Cook’s overall England run-scoring records is now less than 100 runs away.This effort, coming from 111 balls, was also his fastest in the format. He reached the mark, in the company of the No. 10, Olly Stone, by swatting Lahiru Kumara’s bouncer in front of deep point, amid a rising crescendo of “Roooooooot!” rolling around the ground. The next-highest score by one of his team-mates was Harry Brook’s 37 off 36 balls.Related

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With Sri Lanka asked to chase a target of 483, Root was at it again in the field – his two catches at first slip to remove Nishan Madushka and Pathum Nissanka making him the fourth man to take 200 in Tests. Rahul Dravid, the record-holder with 210, is very much in his sights.That Sri Lanka finished the day only two down was in part due to an early finish brought about by bad light. A world-record target looked a long way off for a team short on batting confidence, though Dimuth Karunaratne survived being given out lbw to his third ball – a poor decision from Paul Reiffel overturned – to negotiate 90 minutes in the gloom after tea. He walked off in the company of “lightwatcher” Prabath Jayasuriya after England had been instructed to bowl their spinners for a second time, with Ollie Pope preferring to preserve the condition of the ball for Sunday.Madushka was the first wicket to fall, edging Gus Atkinson to slip to continue a difficult first tour of England – having been replaced behind the stumps by Dinesh Chandimal on the third morning, he also dropped two catches in the field (although one still resulted in the dismissal of Ben Duckett, as Angelo Mathews snaffled the rebound). Nissanka survived on 2 when the faintest of under-edges to leg slip off Shoaib Bashir went undetected, only to be dismissed by a snorter in Olly Stone’s first over as the light briefly improved enough to allow a return to pace.Bad light forced an early finish on day 3•AFP/Getty Images

England left the field at just after 5pm, content that there is plenty of time left for them to take the eight wickets required for a 2-0 lead in the series. Kamindu Mendis had held out the hope on the second evening that Sri Lanka could find a way back into the game if they could get England out for “under 150-175” – they gamely chipped out five wickets by that stage but couldn’t prevent a Root march carrying the hosts to 251 and a seemingly impregnable position.Root’s reliability had allowed England to negotiate the morning session with few alarms, and the game continued to revolve around him after the interval. A nudge down the ground off Jayasuriya took him to fifty from 65 balls, and he began to push the tempo with three fours – two hauled through wide long-on, one delicately reverse-swept – in four balls.Sri Lanka kept at it, Jayasuriya removing Jamie Smith lbw despite a review from the batter, before Chris Woakes flat-batted Milan Rathnayake to cover. Atkinson’s dismissal, meanwhile, came in complete contrast to the elegant simplicity that characterised his maiden hundred in the first innings: caught behind the keeper at long-stop when top-edging a reverse-pull at Asitha Fernando. Matt Potts then gloved the same bowler behind but Stone hung in to get Root to his milestone.Getty Images

Stone was caught at fine leg in the same over, and although England’s approach had seemed to have a declaration in mind, they batted on. Root eventually gave Kumara a third wicket, top-edging a tired heave to deep-backward square leg, with tea taken early at the close of the innings.England’s batting effort was uneven, Root aside, reflective of their strong grip on the game. Three wickets went down during the morning session, including that of Pope, England’s stand-in captain, who made his highest score while deputising for Ben Stokes but again fell in perplexing fashion, slashing an Asitha bouncer straight to deep backward point for 17, shortly after Sri Lanka had put four men back for the ploy.The hosts resumed on 25 for 1, after Dan Lawrence’s dismissal on the second evening, and Ben Duckett was the first to depart, thanks to an accidental piece of choreography between slip and gully. Rathnayake pitched the ball up from round the wicket, tempting the drive – and while Madushka could not hold on diving to his right, he managed to scoop the chance back towards Mathews for a regulation catch.At the other end, Pope was looking to quell some of the noise around his batting. He moved into double-figures for the first time in the series with a clip off his legs, then survived a review for lbw against Rathnayake, with ball-tracking showing the ball would have cleared the stumps. But he did not last much longer, as Asitha targeted him from round the wicket.The first of Root’s four boundaries was a thick outside edge between slip and gully, but he was otherwise serene in progressing towards a third consecutive 50-plus score. Jayasuriya was picked off on the sweep and twice down the ground, though Root was initially happy to tick along at a strike rate in the 70s, allowing Brook and then Smith to play the aggressor.Brook’s intent during a half-century stand seemed to suggest that England were already thinking about the declaration. Brook was badly dropped on 9, Madushka making a mess of a skied slog-sweep at midwicket, then launched Jayasuriya’s next delivery into the Tavern Stand to rub in the pain. Sri Lanka’s spinner bore the brunt of the attack, but he had the satisfaction of removing Brook when another attempt to haul him leg side was safely held by Madushka in front of the rope.

Chelsea are the champions of the world.

On Sunday, in an outcome simply no one saw coming, the Blues demolished Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the Club World Cup Final.

The game was all over by half-time, with Cole Palmer scoring two near-identical goals just eight minutes apart at MetLife Stadium, before João Pedro rubber-stamped the victory with an impudent dink over Gianluigi Donnarumma on the cusp of the interval.

So, a statement success stateside this summer for Enzo Maresca’s side but, in less than five weeks’ time, the Blues will begin their Premier League campaign against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge, and you can bet your bottom dollar they’ll be busy in the transfer market between now and then.

Chelsea's search for a centre-forward

Already this summer, Chelsea have spent big on not one but two strikers.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

First, Liam Delap arrived from Ipswich for a reported fee of £30m, with the Englishman scoring his first goal for the club against Espérance Sportive de Tunis during the group stages of the tournament.

However, by the end, he had been usurped in the pecking order by João Pedro, arriving from Brighton for £60m, on target twice against his former club Fluminense in the Club World Cup semi-finals, not a bad way to mark your full-debut, before netting in the final too.

Now though, according to a report by TBR Football, Chelsea are ‘in contact’ with the representatives of Benjamin Šeško, who is looking to move to the Premier League this summer, while Liverpool, Newcastle United and Manchester United are all mentioned as being interested too.

How Benjamin Šeško would improve Chelsea

Earlier this summer, the Slovenian’s most likely destination appeared to be Arsenal, but the Gunners are now ‘in the process of completing a deal’ to sign Viktor Gyökeres instead, as reported by David Ornstein and Mario Cortegana of The Athletic.

So, could Šeško, who is valued at around £78m, still end up in London, only now wearing blue and donning a Champions of the World patch on his chest?

Well, still only 22 years old, Šeško’s performances for Leipzig have certainly caught the eye.

Writer Andreas Andersen labels him “clinical”, praising his “incredible athleticism” and asserting he possesses “everything to become world-class”.

Meantime, Brandon Liss of Total Football Analysis believes that he is an ‘exciting young talent’ who boasts exceptional ‘pace and physicality’, while he’s also been labelled as “the new Haaland” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Now though, the question remains. Is he a bigger talent than Pedro? Let’s find out.

Appearances

31

27

Minutes

1,528

1,953

Goals

14

10

Assists

2

6

Shots

1.9

1.6

Shots on target %

62%

60.61%

Non-penalty goals

0.5

0.3

Chances created

0.7

1.3

Take-on success %

54.93%

38.16%

Touches

38.1

48.8

As the table outlines, Šeško is much more of a clinical finisher and a natural goal-scorer than Pedro, scoring more goals and mustering more shots, a higher proportion of which find the target.

In total, Šeško scored 21 times across all competitions last season, including four in the Champions League, while the most Pedro has ever enjoyed in a single campaign is 20, reaching that tally for Brighton in 2023/24.

So, despite having already signed Delap and Pedro, while Nicolas Jackson, Christopher Nkunku and Marc Guiu remain on their books, you wouldn’t put it past Chelsea to splurge their Club World Cup winners on Šeško, would you?

As good as Palmer: Chelsea may have found their new Drogba at the CWC

Chelsea were brilliant as they thrashed PSG to win the Club World Cup.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 14, 2025

Wolverhampton Wanderers have overtaken AC Milan in the race for a “marauding” £13m defender, and they are now leading the race for his signature, according to a report.

Matheus Cunha was a divisive figure during his time at Molineux, but nobody can deny the Brazilian has bags of ability, amassing 21 goal contributions in 33 outings to help lead Wolves to Premier League safety last season.

As a result, Vitor Pereira may find it tricky to replace the 26-year-old, but the manager should have ample funds to bring in another forward, having raised £62.5m from selling Cunha to Manchester United, and the Old Gold are now closing in on a new signing.

Jhon Arias is not the only player on the shortlist, however, and there have been suggestions that Crystal Palace’s Jesurun Rak-Sakyi is viewed as more of a direct replacement for Cunha, with the 22-year-old set to be available for just £10m.

Bringing in a new forward is an important task on Pereira’s to-do list, but the manager also needs to bring a new right-back, given that Nelson Semedo’s time at Molienux appears to be coming to an end, having failed to agree a new contract.

There has now been a new update on Wolves’ pursuit of Almeria right-back Marc Pubill, with a report from Spain revealing they have overtaken AC Milan in the race for the defender’s signature, meaning Pereira’s side are leading the race.

The Old Gold have been pushing hard to secure a deal for Pubill, and a deal for the Almeria ace would not break the bank, with the Spanish club thought to be holding out for a fee of €15m (£13m).

"Marauding" Pubill could be exciting addition for Wolves

Semedo has been a dependable option for Wolves across a number of Premier League seasons, making over 30 appearances in four of his last five campaigns, but the Portuguese defender is seemingly seeking pastures new.

As such, it would make sense to bring in a like-for-like replacement for the full-back, who picked up four league assists last season, and Pubill is also capable of pushing further up the pitch, with scout Ben Mattinson describing him as “marauding”.

Not only that, but Mattinson also believes the 22-year-old was one of the two best right-backs at the recent U21 Euros, alongside Newcastle United’s Tino Livramento, indicating that he has a lot of potential.

The Spaniard could be a solid long-term replacement for Semedo, but Wolves will also be hoping their former captain has a change of heart and opts to stay at Molineux, having been a dependable option for a number of years.

The SPFL fixtures are out, meaning Celtic supporters can start looking forward to the new season as Brendan Rodgers’ side go about defending their crown.

The Hoops will begin their Premiership title defence at Parkhead on Sunday 3 August, before a Scottish Cup Final rematch a week later for Rodgers’ Bhoys, seeking revenge following that penalty shootout defeat at Hampden.

With an Old Firm derby at Ibrox on 31 August, as well as a season-defining Champions League play-off, their opponents in that tie will be confirmed on 4 August, there’s plenty for Celtic supporters to look forward to on the park.

Off the pitch, they’re making a splash in the transfer window.

Celtic seeking midfield reinforcements

Before pre-season begins against Glasgow neighbours Queen’s Park at Lesser Hampden on Friday week, focus remains on transfers, with Rodgers looking to bolster every area of his squad.

So far, Kieran Tierney has re-joined Celtic, while Ross Doohan has arrived to be the new third-choice goalkeeper, replacing Scott Bain, with Callum Osmand and Benjamin Nygren expected to be through the door soon.

Now, according to a report by Africa Foot, Celtic are interested in signing Moussa Baradji, facing competition from Sunderland, who have been promoted back to the Premier League.

The 24-year-old defensive midfielder currently plays for Yverdon-Sport, who finished bottom of this season’s Swiss Super League, thereby relegated, hence why Baradji is expected to be on the move again this summer, just one year after arriving from Legnago Salus in Serie C.

Baradji is valued at €3m (around £2.5m), described as a versatile midfielder by Drissa Traoré of Africa Foot, who adds that Galatasaray are amongst a number of European heavyweights vying for his signature.

Now though, could he be on his way to Glasgow?

How Baradji could replicate Victor Wanyama's Celtic career

Similar to Baradji, Victor Wanyama was not a known quantity when he joined Celtic from Beerschot in 2011, costing a reported fee of £900k, having made only 54 senior appearances for De Mannekes.

Nevertheless, just two years later, he was sold to Southampton for £12.5m, a Scottish record fee at the time, having impressed during his 91 appearances in hoops, most notably starring during the famous 2-1 victory over Barcelona in the Champions League, heading home the night’s opening goal.

That night, according to Ewan Murray of the Guardian, up against Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi and others, the Kenyan was the best player on the pitch, with then-manager Neil Lennon labelling him “world class”.

After three seasons by the South Coast, Wanyama would join Tottenham, a key figure in Mauricio Pochettino’s successful Spurs side.

He was then not quite so impactful at Club de Foot Montréal, spending a large period of his four-year stay in Quebec injured or not contributing much, before returning to Scottish football in March, linking up with Lennon again at Dunfermline Athletic.

So, could Baradji be the new Wanyama? Let’s assess his statistics from this season.

Appearances

27

111th

Minutes

2,104

77th

Goals

4

51st

Shots

45

29th

Fouls

41

13th

Interceptions

24

71st

Tackles

72

12th

Average SofaScore rating

7.14

37th

As the table outlines, Baradji is something of an all-rounder, as Wanyama was, ranking pretty highly when it comes to shots, fouls and tackles, made all the more impressive considering his team finished rock-bottom of the Swiss top-flight.

Wanyama was particularly strong in the tackle, notably ranking as the tenth-best midfielder in the 2014/15 Premier League season for tackles per game (2.9). Thus, there are certainly similarities here.

Patrick Juillar of Sport 365 further describes him as a “box-to-box midfielder” who has just enjoyed an “outstanding” campaign, so if Celtic can secure his services, he could offer a big return on investment.

Celtic have made an approach to beat Premier League club to sign £2.5m ace

He is wanted by a host of teams.

ByHenry Jackson Jun 25, 2025

أعرب أحمد حسام ميدو، نجم الزمالك السابق، عن تفاؤله بمسيرة الفريق الأبيض في الدوري المصري الممتاز هذا الموسم، مشيرًا إلى أن كتيبة البرتغالي يانيك فيريرا، أصبحت على أعتاب خطوة مهمة نحو التتويج باللقب.

وكتب ميدو عبر حسابه الرسمي على منصة “إكس”: “الزمالك عنده 3 ماتشات الشهر ده لو فاز بيهم هيكون بطل للدوري بنسبة 60%”.

وأضاف: “بس لازم الـ3 ماتشات دول يتاخدوا خطوة خطوة ويتم التحضير ليهم زي بعض وبنفس مستوى التركيز”.

وأكد: “مرة ثانية زي ما أكدت قبل بداية الدوري، الزمالك عنده فريق متوازن أفضل من الأهلي وبيراميدز، ناقص الزمالك الاستمرارية والاهتمام بكل المباريات الصغيرة قبل الكبيرة، وأنا متفائل خير إن شاء الله السنة دي الدوري في ميت عقبة”.

طالع أيضًا | شوبير: عبد الله السعيد حدوتة.. ولاعب الأهلي السابق وجد نفسه في الزمالك

وكان الزمالك قد حقق فوزًا مهمًا على المصري البورسعيدي بثلاثية نظيفة على استاد برج العرب، ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة، ليرفع رصيده إلى 13 نقطة في صدارة ترتيب الدوري، فيما تجمد رصيد المصري عند 11 نقطة في المركز الثاني.

ويتأهب الزمالك لخوض ثلاث مباريات حاسمة خلال سبتمبر أمام الإسماعيلي والجونة، قبل أن يصطدم بالأهلي في قمة الدوري يوم 29 سبتمبر.

#الزمالك عنده ٣ ماتشات الشهر ده لو فاز بيهم هيكون بطل للدوري بنسبة ٦٠٪ بس لازم ال ٣ ماتشات دول يتاخدوا خطوه خطوه ويتم التحضير ليهم زي بعض وبنفس مستوى التركيز.. مره ثانية زي ما أكدت قبل بداية الدوري #الزمالك عنده فريق متوازن أفضل من #الاهلي و #بيراميدز ناقص الزمالك الاستمرارية…

— Mido (@midoahm) September 14, 2025

The tournament will run from December 26 to February 2 and comprise 64 games – 32 men’s and women’s double-headers

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-2024Defending champions Auckland Aces will face 2021-22 and 2022-23 winners Northern Districts in the opening fixture of the men’s Super Smash 2024-25 which begins on Boxing Day at Seddon Park in Hamilton. Earlier in the day, Northern Brave will take on Auckland Hearts at the same venue to kickstart the women’s Super Smash.The defending women’s champions Wellington Blaze will begin their hunt for a ninth Super Smash title when they face Northern Brave on New Year’s Day in Hamilton.Last year’s men’s finalists Canterbury Kings will begin their campaign on the second day of the competition in Alexandra against Otago Volts while last season’s women’s finalists Central Hinds will play their opening game against Otago Sparks on December 31.The tournament, which will run from December 26 to February 2 will be played across ten venues in New Zealand and comprise of 64 games – 32 men’s and women’s double-headers.For the first time in the combined history of the competition, the final will be played at a pre-determined venue. The Basin Reserve, in Wellington, will play host to both the men’s and women’s elimination final on February 1 followed by the two finals on Sunday, February 2.”The Super Smash keeps on growing in popularity and it’s really exciting to see it continue to be so accessible to kiwis across the country,” NZC CEO Scott Weenink said. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase our game to fans both new and old, while building the profiles of our domestic teams and our rising stars.”It’s fast becoming New Zealand’s favourite summer domestic competition, and with over 1.3 million kiwis tuning in on TV alone last year, we hope to see it reach new heights this summer.”The tournament will run in tandem with New Zealand men’s white-ball series against Sri Lanka which comprises of T20Is and ODIs and will run from December to January 11. The New Zealand women’s players are expected to be part of the entire tournament.

It would be fair to say that the transfer window is shaping up to be one of Arsenal’s most dramatic for some time.

After weeks of little to no noticeable progress on the recruitment front, the Gunners burst into life a couple of weeks ago and have now announced the signing of backup goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and midfield metronome Martin Zubimendi.

Moreover, the links to Real Madrid superstar Rodrygo refuse to go away, and the club have reportedly been in talks with Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze.

However, perhaps the most exciting development of all concerns the saga surrounding Viktor Gyokeres, although it also appears that Arsenal are keen to land an international ace with whom the Swede would love to play.

Arsenal moving to sign brilliant Gyokeres partner

Following yet another campaign in which they came close but failed to win a trophy, it was clear that a new centre-forward had to be one of Arsenal’s primary targets this summer.

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For a long time, it looked like RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko was going to be that forward, but with the German outfit reportedly demanding at least €90m, which is about £78m, the Gunners turned to another of their options: Gyokeres.

It now looks like a deal for the Swedish goal machine is a matter of time, as personal terms have already been agreed, and the Sporting CP star has even agreed to forgo €2m of his salary to help move things along.

As if that wasn’t enough to get excited about, it now looks like the North Londoners are also making progress towards another attacking signing, an international who Gyokeres will surely love playing with: Noni Madueke.

Yes, according to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are incredibly interested in the Chelsea ace.

The Italian journalist reaffirms claims that the Gunners have an “agreement” with the Englishman, and that even though there is a difference in valuation between the two clubs, they’re now “set to make the first bid” for him “at any moment.”

In terms of price, it appears that the Blues value the former PSV Eindhoven gem at around £50m.

While it might not be the transfer some fans were hoping for, Madueke has the ability and potential to become something special for Arsenal, and a brilliant teammate for Gyokeres at that.

Why Gyokeres will love playing with Madueke

There are really two reasons why Gyokeres would love playing in a team with Madueke, and the most important is his style of play.

From looking at his heatmap for Sporting last season, and the areas in which he scores his goals, we can see that, at his best, the free-scoring Swede really is the archetypal penalty box poacher.

Therefore, if the Gunners are going to get the most out of him next season, they will need to get the ball to him when he’s in dangerous situations, and there are two ways of doing so in open play: passing it up the pitch and carrying it there.

While Martin Odegaard will be tasked with doing the former, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the Chelsea star is truly world-class at the latter.

Don’t just take our word for it, though, as FBref ranked him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues last season for progressive carries and carries into the penalty area, while also ranking him in the top 7% for total progressive carrying distance, all per 90.

Progressive Carries

6.82

Top 1%

Carries into Penalty Area

4.12

Top 1%

GCA (Defensive Action)

0.04

Top 4%

Touches (Att Pen)

8.15

Top 4%

Non-Penalty xG

0.43

Top 6%

Shots Total

3.54

Top 7%

Progressive Carrying Distance

154.28

Top 7%

Shots on Target

1.33

Top 8%

In other words, the tricky Englishman is a simply outrageous carrying “monster,” as dubbed by personal coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst, and could therefore be a key cog in the machine that feeds the former Coventry star chance after chance.

Moreover, the second reason the Swede could love playing with the “fearless” winger, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, is that his output wasn’t too bad at all last season.

Excluding the Club World Cup, the seven-capped international played 2449 minutes of football across all competitions, in which he scored 11 goals and provided five assists.

That means he averaged a goal involvement every 153.06 minutes, and suggests that in a better team, alongside a more effective striker, he could do much better.

Ultimately, Arsenal need to overhaul their attack this summer, and bringing in Gyokeres and Madueke is a fantastic way to start.

Talks open: Arsenal submit offer to sign "standout" 17 y/o after Zubimendi

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ByTom Cunningham Jul 7, 2025