R Ashwin trained with the team on Thursday, but Capitals will wait take a call on his availability

Alagappan Muthu24-Sep-20205:41

Where should Dhoni and Iyer bat for their teams?

Big pictureEven when he wasn’t playing, wasn’t anywhere near the Indian team for major parts of the last 12 months, the focus was forever on MS Dhoni. Why should it change now that he’s back?There is raging debate over the Chennai Super Kings captain pushing himself down the order, and while he isn’t the type to respond to them, here is a stat that is worth remembering. In the IPL, any time Dhoni bats at No. 5 or above, his team has a win percentage of at least 57. When he comes in at No. 6 and below, that figure drops to 37 or worse.The Delhi Capitals may well be happy that all the focus is on their opposition. They have a strong core of young Indian batsmen who are learning all the time and a strike bowler who basically rejects the concept of pressure. Maybe, just maybe, that’s enough to secure what will be only their third victory over the Super Kings since 2013.In the news Ambati Rayudu (hamstring) and Dwayne Bravo (knee) are recovering from injuries and won’t be available for selection. Capitals said they wanted to wait and see how R Ashwin and his injured shoulder pull up in training on Thursday before making a call on his playing the game tomorrow.Likely XIsChennai Super Kings: 1 Shane Watson, 2 Faf du Plessis, 3 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 4 Sam Curran, 5 Kedar Jadhav, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 8 Deepak Chahar, 9 Shardul Thakur/Karn Sharma, 10 Piyush Chawla, 11 Lungi Ngidi/Imran TahirDelhi Capitals: 1 Prithvi Shaw, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Shimron Hetmyer, 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Axar Patel, 8 R Ashwin/Amit Mishra, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Anrich Norje, 11 Mohit SharmaStrategy punt Since IPL 2018, Rishabh Pant has an average over 40 and a strike rate above 150. Only four other men are in the same bracket and he hits harder (166) than every single one of them. Even AB de Villiers (164). But if Lungi Ngidi keeps his spot and ups his game, the threat can be managed. His head-to-head against Pant in the IPL goes six balls, seven runs and two dismissals. Although Shane Watson hasn’t quite come off yet, it can be frightening when he does. Since IPL 2018, he has a strike rate of 185 and hits a boundary every 3.8 balls – and that’s between overs seven and 15, when fielding restrictions are relaxed. So the Capitals will need a plan, which might well revolve around Axar Patel (38 balls, 42 runs, five dismissals) or Amit Mishra (68 balls, 79 runs, six dismissals) Stats that matter Among players with a minimum of 100 runs in the IPL since 2019, Sam Curran’s strike rate of 194 is second-best, only behind Andre Russell. The IPL’s greatest ever bowler, Lasith Malinga, picked up at least two wickets for eight matches straight in 2012. No one’s beaten that streak just yet, but Kagiso Rabada has already matched it. He really has been that good in the IPL. Dhoni needs two sixes to get his tally up to 300 in T20 cricket. The average score in Dubai over the last one-and-a-half years of T20 cricket is 153. Fast bowlers take twice as many wickets as spinners (four per game vs two per game), but spinners have been better at keeping the runs down (6.7 vs 7.7)ALSO SEE: CSK vs DC live score 25th September, 2020

Will Jacks, Jamie Overton guide Surrey to victory over Sussex

Matt Roller16-Sep-2020Surrey won their fifth game on the bounce to confirm their place in the T20 Blast quarter-finals for the first time since 2017, gunning down a 166-run target with five balls to spare as Will Jacks and Jamie Overton’s batting form continued at The Oval.Jacks set the tone at the top of the order with a belligerent 65, hitting each of Sussex’s three-pronged spin attack for six down the ground. He was particularly brutal against Delray Rawlins, giving himself room to unfurl rasping cut shots either side of point in the ninth over, and had broken the back of the run chase by the time he was bowled by Will Beer in the 12th.A tall opening batsman in the Kevin Pietersen mould, Jacks started the Blast slowly but has now scored 198 runs in his last five innings at a strike rate of 160.97; he has dovetailed brilliantly with Hashim Amla at the top of the order, and is beginning to look like the accomplished T20 player that many have been expecting to emerge.Overton, meanwhile, finished the game with an enterprising cameo of 40 not out off 22 balls, which included a towering six over midwicket in the 19th over and a deft paddle sweep off David Wiese to seal the win. He played the senior role in a 47-run partnership with Jamie Smith that ensured a recovery following a mini-wobble in the middle overs, and has now made 99 runs off 51 balls across his last three innings.Overton left Somerset suddenly after being omitted from their Blast side earlier in the competition, having initially planned to stay at the club until the end of the season. While his Test ambitions and desire to take the new ball in four-day cricket were the main reasons behind his move up the M3, Overton has cited his intentions to bat further up the order in all formats, and has done so impressively since his loan switch.

I was never a regular starter? This year yes, previous years?? I have aspirations to take the new ball! More of a role with the bat in all forms, I don’t see myself as just a bowler!

— Jamie Overton (@JamieOverton) September 15, 2020

He had not batted above No. 9 since 2016 in a T20 at Somerset, but has been used at No. 6, No. 5 and No. 7 so far this season for Surrey. He went unused with the ball tonight, with stand-in captain Rory Burns seemingly wary of giving Sussex pace to work with in the first innings, but still managed to display his match-winning ability.”I’ve always seen myself as an allrounder,” Overton said. “At Somerset, I couldn’t really show that potential. I’ve come here and been able to showcase what I can actually do. Coming into a new team and showing what I can do with the bat has been the main thing.”Surrey have been buoyed by his arrival – and that of Amla after he missed the start of their season due to travel restrictions – and after going more than a year without a win in all formats, they have suddenly strung together an impressive run. Tonight’s win came without Gareth Batty (hamstring) and Laurie Evans (ineligible against his parent club), and they could yet be boosted by the possible return of Jason Roy from England duty.After being asked to bat first, Sussex rarely looked like getting away from Surrey, until a late flurry of 44 runs in the final three overs took them to a total that appeared competitive on a central strip that meant vast square boundaries.The returning Phil Salt lasted only four balls on his return from the England ODI bubble, as he was trapped lbw to Jacks’ first delivery, and when pinch-hitter Aaron Thomason chipped a catch to mid-on after being rushed by a Reece Topley short ball, Sussex had lost two inside the first three overs.But with a long batting line-up – Ravi Bopara came in at No. 7 – they built steadily through the middle to set things up. Luke Wright, their leading run-scorer in the competition, was the glue to hold the innings together with 45, while Rawlins hit two towering sixes in an otherwise bitty middle-order cameo.In amongst that was Liam Plunkett’s first bowl in professional cricket since January, and his first on English soil in just short of a year. Perhaps inevitably, it came as England grew increasingly desperate of a middle-overs breakthrough against Australia, and his spell of 1 for 22 included the usual array of back-of-a-length balls, plus a searing yorker to clean up Calum MacLeod.

One. Two. THREE IN A ROW!

What a cameo from @RaviBopara, who hit 24 off just nine balls. #SharkAttack pic.twitter.com/UYAEKZMfRc

— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) September 16, 2020

As is his wont, David Wiese took 15 balls to get set, before skipping down to heave Topley over long-on, but it was Bopara whose innings was particularly crucial. Surrey had decided that hitting a hard length and making batsmen hit to the long square boundaries was the way to go, and Gus Atkinson stuck with the plan: he banged three balls in halfway down in a row to Bopara, who responded by pulling three sixes over midwicket.With Wiese and George Garton adding boundaries in the last over, Sussex had 165 and the second-highest total at The Oval this year – for 90 minutes or so, at least. In the chase, the absence of Tymal Mills – after injuring his back in the defeat against Essex on Monday – was keenly felt. They remain well-placed to qualify, but Friday’s fixture at home to Middlesex has become something of a must-win.

Despite being in a clear rush to part ways with Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea seem to be conducting the recruitment process at a leisurely pace.

The Blues finished the season sixth in the Premier League, but instead of playing in the Europa League, they’ve dropped down into the Conference League after Manchester United’s FA Cup triumph.

Therefore, the new manager may have a slightly better chance of discovering his full squad next season, but who’ll be in charge remains to be heard.

Enzo Maresca, Roberto De Zerbi, and even Thomas Frank have been linked, but it’s Kieran McKenna who could just be the best option for Todd Boehly’s rebuild.

So, how could a McKenna Chelsea side look, and are there any particular signings who would prove to be useful under the Ipswich boss?

Chelsea looking to sign creative midfielder

According to reports from the Express, Chelsea are interested in signing Georgiy Sudakov.

The midfielder currently plays for Shakhtar Donetsk, where he’s regarded as one of their most important players.

It’s reported that Chelsea have held talks regarding the prospect of signing the Ukrainian; however, a huge fee is expected to be demanded by his club.

Furthermore, the Blues will face competition from a handful of Premier League teams, including Tottenham Hotspur, which may make any potential deal slightly more difficult.

Why Sudakov would thrive under McKenna

Despite starring for Shakhtar all season, Sudakov’s attention will now turn towards the European Championship this summer, where he will look to lead Ukraine to glory.

At just 21 years old, the talented midfielder has already taken on plenty of responsibility at the Ukrainian champions, even without wearing the armband.

Across all competitions this season, the number ten has made 34 appearances, scoring ten goals and providing six assists, operating as an attacking midfielder in 31 of those outings.

This means that if Chelsea do decide to sign Sudakov, their long-term plan is to either deploy Cole Palmer on the right wing or make the target backup to their top goalscorer and assist maker in a central role.

Touches

61.7

55.7

Successful dribbles

1

1.5

Key passes

1.7

2.1

Shots

1.7

3.2

Balls recovered

4.2

3.1

Duels won

3.7

3

Fouls won

1.8

0.8

Nevertheless, as you can see from Sudakov’s average statistics in the Champions League this season, he can hold his own against the very best in an average side.

It’s instantly clear that he’s a technical genius who has the ability to create, notably making 1.7 key passes a match, but he also has the work rate off the ball to make a difference, recovering a high number of balls.

The above profile is arguably very similar to Conor Chaplin of Ipswich Town, who starred in the number-ten role under McKenna, scoring 13 goals and providing eight assists in the Championship.

The 38-year-old coach likes to give his attacking midfielder the positional freedom to impact the game via instinct, and given the Ukraine international has “superb vision” and is “highly technical and creative," as per football scout Jacek Kulig, he’d thrive in a McKenna 4-2-3-1 setup.

Sudakov has also proven that he’s extremely dangerous when operating in tight spaces, boasting 3.6 dribbles per game in the Ukrainian top flight – far more than Palmer's 1.5 – and given that he would operate in central zones within McKenna’s back three in-possession system, all of his strengths would flourish.

Analyst Ben Mattinson once suggested that should the Shakhtar star be surrounded by more outlets around him – something he'd no doubt find at Chelsea and with McKenna – his "output will skyrocket."

As a result, this is a signing that makes a lot of sense for all parties.

Chelsea in talks for “incredible” Poch heir who’d make Enzo world-class

The Chelsea manager target went unbeaten against Kieran McKenna this season.

ByTom Lever May 24, 2024

A homegrown £198,000-per-week player could now be tempted to make a move back to Arsenal this summer, and it is believed the Gunners are equally interested in this potential move.

Edu and Arteta target four key Arsenal signings this summer

The consensus at Arsenal this summer is that they will be in the market for a new goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and forward at least (Simon Collings), as manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu Gaspar plot ways to evolve the squad further.

£100,000-per-week Arsenal ace set to quit as Premier League side open talks

An official offer is being prepared.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 6, 2024

Defensively, a new full-back who'd come in as a natural alternative to the likes of Ben White, Jakub Kiwior and Takehiro Tomiyasu is possible. Arsenal are thought to have a real interest in Fenerbahce star Ferdi Kadioglu for the role, but they're also plotting potential moves for centre-backs.

Edu is believed to have his eyes on Crystal Palace stalwart Marc Guehi, who may well depart Selhurst Park this summer amid the growing clamor for his signature. In midfield, Arsenal could need a replacement for Thomas Partey, with the Ghanaian expected to leave after a season of very limited opportunities (Fabrizio Romano).

Going forward, Arsenal are almost certain to sign a prolific new striker, despite the fine form of Kai Havertz in a makeshift number 10 role, as has been widely reported for quite some time now.

Bukayo Saka

20

Leandro Trossard

17

Kai Havertz

14

Martin Odegaard

11

Gabriel Jesus

8

Arteta will also need a new goalkeeping stand-in to replace Aaron Ramsdale, so there is quite a bit to do at the Emirates this summer. The England international appears set to leave in the next few months, as reported by reliable journalists like Charles Watts, coming after the former Bournemouth shot-stopper lost his place to David Raya last term.

"It’s a matter of when Ramsdale leaves, not if," said Watts recently.

“The key thing for Arsenal is getting value for money. I saw an initial fee of £15 million mentioned in reports last week and that is quite frankly ridiculous. Arsenal signed Ramsdale for nearly £30m two years ago and he has developed into a far better keeper since then.

“He’s still young, he’s homegrown, an established England international and has a long-term contract. Yes, interested clubs will know that Arsenal’s stance in any negotiations will be weakened somewhat given he is now clearly behind David Raya in the pecking order, but that shouldn’t mean the club should basically give him away."

If or when Ramsdale departs, Arsenal will not only require a new back-up keeper, but also one who could fill their homegrown quota like the 25-year-old.

Arsenal could re-sign Wojciech Szczesny who'd be tempted

Juventus keeper Wojciech Szczesny could be a very interesting candidate, and it is believed that Arsenal are keen on the possibility of a reunion.

Szczesny is thought to be tempted by a move back to England as Arsenal target him, according to HITC, with the £198,000-per-week ace likely to be granted an exit from Turin given their domino of keepers.

The Pole actually does count as a homegrown player, so Arteta could fully replace Ramsdale with a move for the former Gunner.

Messi and Callender were pivotal as Miami clinched the MLS regular season title

Lionel Messi's superb brace, his 31st and 32nd goal-contributions of the campaign, helped Inter Miami clinch the 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield Wednesday night with a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Columbus Crew.

The Argentine bagged the opening goal of the match in the 45th minute, and four minutes into first half stoppage-time, he scored another, this time a sensational free kick to hand them a 2-0 lead.

Just 20 seconds into the second half, though, the Crew earned a goal back through winger Diego Rossi. However, the Herons responded immediately.

Less than 60 seconds after the Crew's second-half opener, Luis Suarez scored Miami's third, capitalizing off an error from Crew and USMNT goalkeeper Patrick Schulte. With a 3-1 lead, the Herons seemed poised to cruise to the final whistle, but it was anything but comfortable.

In the 61st minute, the Crew earned a penalty kick, with Cucho Hernandez scoring to bring them within one. Two minutes later, though, Columbus defender Rudy Camacho saw red after earning his second yellow card of the match.

Advantage, Miami – or so they thought.

In the 82nd minute of the contest, the Crew were handed another gift, with Miami defender Ian Fray committing a handball offense in the box. Hernandez had a chance to draw level, but U.S. international Drake Callender stepped up with a massive save to deny the Colombian from the spot.

With that, the Herons clinched the 2024 regular season title, in what may have been the most chaotic, lively and unexpected match of the campaign.

Columbus fans will feel enraged over decisions throughout the match, notably a studs-up tackle offense from Sergio Busquets in the first half that went to VAR, but after a lengthy review, was deemed a non-foul – much to the dismay of all in attendance at Lower.Com Field.

Meanwhile, for the Herons, both Federico Redondo and Marcelo Weigandt picked up yellow card accumulation suspensions and will miss Saturday's match against Toronto FC.

They likely won't care, though. The Herons are the 2024 regular season MLS champions and Messi, along with Callender, are the heroes of South Beach.

The win marked career trophy no. 46 for the Messi, and Inter Miami's second since he joined the club in 2023. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has led them to the league's best record on the back of his 17 goals and 15 assists this season.

GOAL rates Inter Miami's players from Lower.Com Field.

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• Goalkeeper & Defense

  Drake Callender (9/10):

  In the biggest moment of the season, and one of the biggest saves of his career, he denied Hernandez – and with that, won the Shield.

  Jordi Alba (8/10):

  Outstanding assist on Messi's second and a brilliant evening on the flank.

  Ian Fray (5/10):

  Really poor under pressure. Unnecessary slide, handing Crew a PK opportunity. Should be thankful for Callender behind him.

  Noah Allen (5/10):

  Committed the first foul offense on the Crew's second goal that Hernandez scored. Was under pressure all evening and struggled with it.

  Sergio Busquets (3/10):

  Somehow not sent off, and somehow ends the match without a yellow. On another day, his poor decision making could have put his team in a deficit before anyone scored.

  Marcelo Weigandt (6/10):

  Operated on his flank well, but didn't make an impact. Removed in the 73rd.

Advertisement

• Inter Miami CF
  

  Midfield

  Federico Redondo (5/10):

  Did his job in going to ground to get Camacho sent off, but was otherwise ineffective. Earned a sloppy yellow and is suspended Saturday as a result of accumulation.

  Yannick Bright (6/10):

  Rock-solid in the middle of the pitch. Didn't put a foot wrong.

• USA Today Images
  

  Attack

  Diego Gomez (5/10):

  A quiet evening. Was offside on a potential opener, and was not as effective as the other two up front.

  Luis Suarez (8/10):

  Earned the foul for Messi's free kick and capitalized on the Schulte error for Miami's third. A perfect evening for the veteran, even if he did go to ground easy on the former.

  Lionel Messi (9/10):

  A brilliant opening goal and an even better free kick. A performance that may have installed him as the frontrunner for MLS MVP.

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• Inter Miami CF
  

  Subs & Manager

  David Ruiz (N/A):

  Subbed on with 20 minutes remaining, very few touches on the ball.

  Serhiy Kryvtsov (N/A):

  Brought on late to seal the result.

  Matias Rojas (N/A)

  Subbed on with 3 minutes to spare.

  Tata Martino (X/10):

  Hard to say Martino's tactics of a back-five on the evening were justified. A freak error from Schulte, a Messi free kick and a moment of brilliance from Callender secured the result. But in the end? Supporters' Shield winners. No room to complain, despite their defense being an absolute disaster.

Tottenham and chairman Daniel Levy are said to have already moved for one club's "vital" £34 million player, and it is believed they have a financial advantage over numerous other sides in the race for his signature.

Spurs targeting new centre-back for Postecoglou this summer

Despite already boasting three star senior central defenders in the form of Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Radu Dragusin, Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou is after a fourth as he plots to overhaul the current squad.

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The Australian has decided to sell him.

By
Emilio Galantini

May 21, 2024

Postecoglou has strongly hinted that Spurs are set for a real makeover when the transfer window reopens on June 14, with the Australian set to reinforce the heart of his backline further. He green-lit a £25 million deal for Dragusin just four months ago, but has publicly stated since then that Tottenham will be in the market for another centre-back.

“If you’re saying, ‘Is it an area we can strengthen?’, yes it’s an area we will probably look at”, said Postecoglou on signing another centre-back at Spurs.

“With all these things, it’s about trying to strengthen the group as much as anything else. If you think about when I first arrived, we had maybe six or seven centre-backs at the club. So it’s not just numbers. It’s more about the ability of those players to play the football we want and to fit in to what we’re trying to build here.

“I think it is an area of the park we will look to strengthen, but I think we’ll look to strengthen all areas of the park come the end of the season. That is planning that’s already underway, and other people are in charge of it at the moment.”

Tottenham have been linked with Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo, and more marquee options like Everton starlet Jarrad Branthwaite, to bolster their defence. However, a fruitful pool of talent for the club is over in Italy, where Fabio Paratici's network of contacts has come in handy over the last few years.

Spurs are rumoured to be in the chase for Bologna star Riccardo Calafiori, who has really impressed under Thiago Motta in Serie A and could come at a fairly affordable price. Elsewhere in the division, another attractive Italian centre-half may well be Torino's Alessandro Buongiorno.

Alessandro Buongiorno's best Serie A games for Torino over 2023/2024	Average match rating (via WhoScored)
Genoa 0-0 Torino	8.49
Lecce 0-1 Torino	8.47
Torino 3-0 Napoli	8.37
Salernitana 0-3 Torino	7.68
Torino 3-0 Atalanta	7.65

The Italian has been exceptional over the last eight months, and even finished 23/24 as Torino's best-performing player per 90 on average according to WhoScored.

Tottenham move already made for Buongiorno amid financial advantage

According to newspaper Tuttosport, Tottenham have "already moved" for Buongiorno pre-summer. While it isn't specified what Tutto mean by this, it presumably suggests some sort of approach or contact has been made to find out the costs of a potential deal.

It's also stated that Spurs' "spending power" will be key, and could hand them a financial advantage over the 24-year-old's plethora of other suitors abroad. Inter Milan, Napoli, Juventus and AC Milan are all interested in the centre-back, but they could have more trouble meeting his £34 million asking price.

Other reports have described Buongiorno as "vital" to the Torino cause, and his numbers suggest that he'd be worth a valuation of that amount.

قال سيد عبد الحفيظ لاعب ومدير الكرة السابق بالنادي الأهلي، إن هجوم جمهور المارد الأحمر على مجلس إدارة القلعة الحمراء لا يعتبر هجومًا ولكنه حزن بسبب التطلعات الكبيرة في التتويج بالبطولات.

“لم أهدد بالرحيل”.. محمد الشناوي يروي كواليس مشادته مع جماهير الأهلي عقب مباراة باتشوكا

وأضاف معلقًا على دخول محمد الشناوي في كلام مع الجماهير: “أنا من أنصار عدم الرد على الجمهور نهائيًا، ولكنه لم يسيء الأدب، هو محترم بمعنى الكلمة وكلمته مسموعة في غرفة خلع الملابس وقيادي ويجيد الحديث بشكل جيد، لكن في مثل هذه الأمور عليك أن تبتعد”.

وأردف في تصريحات تلفزيونية بفضائية “إم بي سي مصر2”: “الأهلي يحتاج لـ 3 أو 4 لاعبين لتدعيم الفريق، ونحتاج أن نرى أشرف داري لكي نقيمه”.

واستكمل: “داري لاعب دولي وصاحب خبرات كثيرة على المستوى الإفريقي، ووارد أن يكون بديلًا للراحل عن الفريق مؤخرًا محمد عبد المنعم في جزئية الخروج بالكرة من الخلف”.

واستطرد: “الأهلي يحتاج للتعاقد مع لاعب مركز 8 و9، وثنائي على الأطراف ذوي إمكانيات مختلفة”.

وأتم: “محمد رمضان مدير رياضي ومشرف على قطاعات كثيرة في النادي ولديه حجم عمل كثير جدًا، فترتيب العمل داخل النادي الأهلي يحتاج إلى مدير للكرة”.

In search of another attacking boost after already welcoming 18-year-old Luis Guilherme, West Ham United are now reportedly interested in signing a player whose quality they've already experienced first-hand.

West Ham transfer news

The Hammers didn't waste any time before getting their summer window started, welcoming Guilherme for a reported £26m. The Brazilian becomes Julen Lopetegui's first signing in what the boss will hope is a sign of things to come in the next few months. Reports certainly suggest that West Ham aren't done there, either, having also been linked with the likes of Youssef En-Nesyri and Chelsea's Raheem Sterling.

West Ham in contact to sign Serie A defender for Lopetegui

He’s been called a “complete” player as Lopetegui looks to strengthen his squad.

ByCharlie Smith Jun 11, 2024

Sterling would be a particularly interesting one. Whilst he didn't have his best season last time out in a struggling Chelsea side, his experience could quickly prove to be invaluable at the London Stadium and his ability at his best, if he reached that level again, would make him an instant standout for the Hammers. That said, it remains to be seen if Chelsea would sell to a London rival this summer.

Instead, West Ham have reportedly turned their attention towards a former Stamford Bridge star. According to Roma Corriere, West Ham are now interested in signing Tammy Abraham, who is valued at €30m (£25m) by AS Roma this summer. The former Chelsea striker has seen his time in Italy derailed by injuries and could now return to England with West Ham, Tottenham, Everton and Aston Villa all interested in his signature.

The Hammers should be well aware of his quality already too, having seen Abraham score twice in Chelsea's 3-0 victory over them in the 2020/21 season. Tormenting Angelo Ogbonna and Fabián Balbuena on that day, Abraham would certainly have some making up to do at the London Stadium.

With plenty of clubs interested, however, West Ham will have to waste no time if they want to welcome a crucial attacking boost this summer.

"Great" Abraham needs Premier League return

After fighting back from an ACL injury last season, Abraham finds himself at a crossroads at Roma and one that should lead back to the Premier League. There's no doubt that he has the quality for England's top tier, as he proved when handed an opportunity at Chelsea. Now, it is West Ham who should offer him a similar chance.

Appearances

89

Goals

26

Assists

5

Earning the praise of Frank Lampard during his time at Chelsea, the former manager told the club's official website: "I’m delighted with Tammy. He has a really great attitude in training, a desire to score goals and his all-round game was really good as well. Myself and the staff are working closely with him on little bits of his game where I think he can be even better and he’s been very receptive to that."

With the summer transfer window still in its early stages, all signs are pointing towards a busy few months for those at the London Stadium.

Leeds United are thought to be in talks with one club over selling a £57,000-a-week player this summer.

Leeds transfer plans in the Championship

The Whites are preparing for a second season in the Championship after missing out on immediate promotion back to the Premier League under Daniel Farke. The German will remain in charge at Elland Road for the 2024/25 campaign, but before then, a busy summer in the transfer market appears to be likely.

Related The Athletic report Leeds want to re-sign £30,000-a-week player

He scored at Elland Road last season.

Posts ByCharlie Smith Jun 14, 2024

Chairman Paraag Marathe recently admitted there will need to be some “trade-offs” as a result of their failure to rturn to the top flight at the first time of asking.

“We have the funds that we need to do what we need to do. The reality of being in the Championship is that Profitability and Sustainability (P&S) plays a role. We also inherited a challenging situation, so naturally there are going to be some trade-offs. But also, we have a really good team, and it is not just about outs, but ins.

"We're looking at scouting possibilities and players that we can bring in. We will have to make some trade-offs because of P&S but we have the investment commitment to do what we need to do.”

Some of the players who starred under Farke last season have been linked with exits, such as Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville and Wilfried Gnonto. However, the Whites will have decisions to make on a number of players returning from loan spells, such as Brenden Aaronson, who is set to play a part in Leeds’ promotion push next season after talks with Farke.

One who may not be in the plans, though, is centre-back Diego Llorente, who spent last season on loan with AS Roma.

Roma in talks with Leeds over Diego Llorente transfer

According to reports in Italy, relayed by Sport Witness, Roma are now in talks with Leeds to sign Llorente on a permanent transfer. A €5m (£4.2m) fee has been mooted for the £57,000-a-week defender, who is under contract until 2026.

Llorente was brought to Leeds by Marcelo Bielsa, who was full of praise for the defender following his first season at Elland Road.

“He has played well, he hasn’t had any bad games. He’s had a performance level that has improved every single time we have played. He started playing well and from there onwards he’s been playing better. He has been one of the high points of our season.”

However, after a promising debut campaign, things went downhill for Llorente in Yorkshire, who was sent to Roma midway through the 2022/23 season. He ended up making 59 appearances for Leeds in all competitions and has already turned out 54 times for the Italian giants, so a permanent move could make sense for all involved.

MatériaMais Notícias

OSuperior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva (STJD) puniu otécnico Enderson Moreira, do Botafogo, por duas partidas após discussão com a arbitragem no duelocontra o Confiança, válido pela 14ª rodada da Série B. A decisão do tribunal cabe recurso e a tendência é que o clube carioca tente reverter a situação.

+ Confira e simule a tabela da série B do Campeonato Brasileiro

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Para a partida do próximo domingo contra o Vila Nova (GO), às 11h, no Nilton Santos, o clube tentará umefeito suspensivo para garantir a presença de seu comandante à beira do campo. O duelo é válido pela vigésima rodada da competição, a primeira do returno.

+Quem fez gols, acertou passes, desarmou e mais: veja números do Botafogo após 1º turno do Brasileirão

O treinador foi punido de acordo comos artigos 250 e 258 do Código Brasileiro de Justiça Desportiva referentes à “conduta contrária à disciplina ou à ética desportiva”, ligada diretamente a um ato hostil. No entanto, a punição não foi pelo artigo 243-F, que trata de ofensas à arbitragem.Ele recebeu cartão vermelho na partida e já cumpriu um jogo de suspensão. com isso, resta outro jogo a ser pago no próximo domingo.

+Anderlecht acena com proposta, e Rafael Navarro pode deixar o Botafogo ainda este mês

O Botafogo atualmente está na oitava colocação na tabela e tenta encostar no G4 da competição. Com 29 pontos, a diferença para o CRB, quarto colocado, é de quatro pontos.