Amad Diallo hilariously called for a VAR check as Manchester United named Noussair Mazraoui as their Player of the Month for November.

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• Mazraoui was picked as PotM for November
• Amad seemingly did not agree with the choice
• Sent in a cheeky reply on social media

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Devils named the Moroccan their best player for November following a four-day fan-driven online poll. The summer recruit garnered an impressive 55% of the vote, comfortably outpacing competitors Amad, who secured 23%, and Andre Onana, who received 21%.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  This recognition marks Mazraoui's first monthly award since joining United. Amad claimed the award in August, while Onana was recognised in September. Despite their strong cases, Mazraoui’s recent performances, including under interim coach Ruud van Nistelrooy, solidified his position as November’s standout player.

• WHAT AMAD SAID

  Following the announcement, Amad took to social media in good spirits, posting a humorous GIF calling for a VAR check on the decision.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Ahead of the Arsenal showdown, new United head coach Amorim was effusive in his praise for Mazraoui, labelling him a "top player" who excels in all aspects of the game.

  "He understands the game," the Portuguese said. "He knows how to attack, he's very technical, he's very good defensively, and he's very good one-on-one. A top player. He's a modern player. I think he's the future of our team.

  "When you think about him, you think, 'we need more players like Nous that can control the tempo'; they are really, really good and comfortable with the ball. They understand the game, so Nous, I'm really happy with him."

Chris Silverwood assumes responsibility with Joe Root and Eoin Morgan alongside him

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Apr-2021Ed Smith is to leave the ECB with almost immediate effect after his role was made redundant.Smith, who was appointed as national selector three years ago to the day, has been squeezed out after a restructure of the selection process by Ashley Giles, the managing director of England’s men’s cricket.Under the new structure, the head coach, Chris Silverwood, will have responsibility for squad selections. He and the team captains, Joe Root in Test cricket and Eoin Morgan in the limited-overs formats, will then decide on the final XI together.How Silverwood can combine his role as coach and selector remains to be seen. England’s relentless schedule provides him with little time to watch county or pathway cricket, though the ECB have previously said he may not need to be with the senior sides at all times.He will, however, have some assistance. James Taylor keeps his job, though its title will change from ‘England selector’ to ‘head scout’, while Mo Bobat, the performance director, will also provide input. Information from performance analysis and scouting is likely to become more important.”I would like to personally thank Ed for his contribution to the England men’s teams over the past three years,” Giles said. “Ed’s input has helped deliver successes for all our England Teams, and he has worked with commitment and professionalism throughout his time as National Selector. I wish him well in his future endeavours.”The new structure also makes lines of accountability much clearer, with Chris Silverwood, as Head Coach, taking ultimate responsibility for picking England senior men’s squads.”On the face of things, Smith is the victim of a restructuring that no longer has the necessity for his role. It may be relevant, however, that the relationship between Smith and some within the England set-up has been on the wane for some time. Some felt he attempted to interfere in team (rather than squad) selection, which has traditionally been the preserve of the captain and coach. Several players were understood to have taken a personal dislike to him.It may be that the turning point for Smith’s tenure came in the Barbados Test of January 2019 when Stuart Broad was left out for Sam Curran and England lost heavily. Some felt Smith has exerted a surprising amount of pressure over the final selection.Related

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There have been successes under Smith’s watch. Jos Buttler’s return to the Test team has, in general, been well received, while his willingness to back young players such as Curran and Dom Bess has refreshed the England side. Negatives include picking Jason Roy as an opener for the Ashes, asking Ollie Pope to bat at No. 4 in his first incarnation in the team and the apparent shunning of Moeen Ali.”It has been a huge privilege to work with great people trying to help England cricket and I am excited about watching England’s continued development,” Smith said. “I’ve been very lucky to work with James Taylor, and I’m delighted that he will remain part of the new structure. My thanks to the dedicated team of scouts and to all the coaches, data analysts, medics and members of the ECB Pathway, who are available every day of the year at all hours to help England’s decision-makers.”England’s two captains, Joe and Eoin, have already completed remarkable achievements in an England shirt. England has two men dedicated to playing cricket in a way that makes the country proud. The role of National Selector has been enjoyable and rewarding, and that is significantly due to my interaction with all of the England players.”At such a high point for England cricket, I wish Ashley Giles, the coaches and all support staff good fortune over the coming months. I know how hard Ashley and his team work for England cricket. In particular, I’d like to wish Chris Silverwood good luck and every success going forward.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Vasco sofreu uma dura derrota na noite desta quinta-feira, pela Série B. Em um confronto direto na luta pelo acesso, o time carioca foi superado pelo Guarani, por 1 a 0, no Brinco de Ouro, pela 33ª rodada. No fim da partida, o goleiro Rafael Martins defendeu o pênalti cobrado por Germán Cano. Não bastasse essa frustração, no lance seguinte, Pablo marcou e decretou a vitória do Bugre.

Com o revés, o Cruz-Maltino fica com 47 pontos, distante do G4, já os paulistas chegam a 52, a dois do Goiás. O próximo compromisso do Vasco será no domingo, às 16h, no clássico diante do Botafogo. O Bugre, por sua vez, também atua no domingo, porém às 18h15, contra o Vila Nova (GO), no Estádio OBA. Ambas as partidas serão válidas pela 34ª rodada da Série B.

Confira a classificação da Série B

BUGRE PERIGOSO
No início da partida, Rodrigo Andrade deu um carrinho imprudente no zagueiro Leandro Castan e recebeu amarelo do árbitro Leandro Pedro Vuaden. Em seguida, os donos da casa assustaram o gol de Lucão em uma jogada rápida pela esquerda. Júlio César cruzou paraJúnior Todinho, que dominou e emendou uma bicicleta. O arqueiro vascaíno fez uma ótima defesa logo aos 4.

Em outra jogada pela esquerda, Bidu chutou de fora da área, mas Lucão defendeu em dois tempos e por pouco não se complicou. Do lado dos visitantes, Nene tentou uma arrancada e tocou para Marquinhos Gabriel. O meia deixou a bola passar, mas Riquelme chutou fraco para uma defesa tranquila deRafael Martins.

PRESSÃO CRUZ-MALTINA
No fim do primeiro tempo, o Vasco teve duas boas chances de abrir o placar. Bruno Gomes iniciou a jogada, e Marquinhos Gabriel encontrou Riquelme na área. O lateral finalizou e acertou a trave. No lance seguinte, Andrey arriscou de fora de área e a bola tirou tinta da trave bugrina. Na defesa, o Cruz-Maltino quase se complicou na saída de bola, mas Régis não conseguiu finalizar.

NO TRAVESSÃO
Na volta do intervalo, o Bugre chegou em uma rápida jogada de contra-ataque, e Bruno Sávio ficou na cara do gol, mas foi bloqueado por Riquelme, que salvou o Vasco. O alviverde pressionou na área, a defesa cruz-maltina não conseguiu afastar, e Bruno Silva chutou para Lucão espalmar. Em mais uma chegada perigosa, Rodrigo Andrade chutou da entrada da área e carimbou o travessão vascaíno.

LUCÃO SALVA
No único lance em que Cano teve a oportunidade de finalizar, o centroavante recebeu na área e chutou em cima do goleiro Rafael Martins. Na etapa final, o Guarani levou perigo e o goleiro vascaíno apareceu bem na partida. Depois do cruzamento, Pablo finalizou e o arqueiro salvou. Em outro chute, dessa vez deAllan Victor, mais uma ótima defesa do cruz-maltino.

CANO PERDE PÊNALTI
Em um lance na área, Bidu tocou a mão na bola e o árbitroLeandro Pedro Vuaden teve que consultar o VAR. O juiz analisou o vídeo e assinalou o pênalti no momento decisivo da partida. No entanto, o goleiro Rafael Martins brilhou e defendeu o pênalti cobrado por Germán Cano.

GOL DECISIVO
Logo em seguida, em rápida jogada de contra-ataque, Riquelme não afastou a bola, que sobrou para Pablo. O atacante foi em direção ao gol e bateu sem chances para Lucão. Abatido, o Vasco não conseguiu mais reagir, e a equipe bugrina conquistou um resultado importante para sequência da Série B.

FICHA TÉCNICA
GUARANI 1 X 0 VASCO

Data/Hora: 04/11/2021, às 19h (de Brasília)
Local: Brinco de Ouro da Princesa, Campinas (SP)
Árbitro: Leandro Pedro Vuaden (RS)
Assistentes: Jorge Eduardo Bernardi (RS) e José Eduardo Calza (RS)
VAR: Jean Pierre Goncalves Lima (RS)
Público:4.666 torcedores/Renda:R$ 141.630,00
Cartões Amarelos: Rodrigo Andrade, Pablo e Índio (GUA) / Riquelme e
Jhon Sánchez (VAS)
Cartões Vermelhos: –

Gol: Pablo (43’/2T) (1-0)

GUARANI (Técnico: Daniel Cerqueira – Daniel Paulista estava suspenso)
Rafael Martins, Diogo Mateus (Mateus Ludke (7’/2T), Ronaldo Alves, Thales e Bidu; Bruno Silva, Rodrigo Andrade (Índio 32’/2T) e Régis (Andrigo 32’/2T); Júlio César (Pablo 32’/2T),Júnior Todinho (Allan Victor 35’/1T) e Bruno Sávio.

VASCO (Técnico: Fernando Diniz)
Lucão; Zeca (Léo Matos 26’/2T), Ricardo Graça (Daniel Amorim 45’/2T), Leandro Castan e Riquelme (MT 45’/2T); Andrey (Jhon Sánchez 12’/2T), Bruno Gomes, Marquinhos Gabriel; Morato (Gabriel Pec 26’/2T), Nene e Cano.

كشفت تقارير صحفية، عن مطالب نادي بيراميدز النهائية للتخلي عن الدولي المصري إبراهيم عادل، المطلوب في خيتافي الإسباني خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية الجارية.

خيتافي كان قريبًا للغاية من ضم إبراهيم عادل في الصيف الماضي، لكن بيراميدز تمسك بالنجم المصري، ليعود من جديد نادي العاصمة الإسبانية للاهتمام باللاعب.

طالع أيضًا.. آس: هؤلاء لن يتركوا محمد صلاح يذهب إلى السعودية

إذاعة “ريليفو” الإسبانية، أكدت الجمعة الماضية، أن خيتافي قدم عرضًا لـ بيراميدز للحصول على اللاعب معارًا حتى نهاية الموسم مقابل 150 ألف يورو.

الصحفي البلجيكي ساشا تافوليري، كشف عن رغبة نادي جينت البلجيكي في استعارة اللاعب، وهو ما رفضه بيراميدز تمامًا، حيث لا ينوي النادي المصري إعارة لاعبه.

وكشفت التقارير، عن طلب بيراميدز 3 ملايين يورو للتخلي عن إبراهيم عادل، ولا ينوي الموافقة على أي عرض أقل من ذلك ماديًا، أو إعارته لأي مكان.

ويحاول خيتافي حتى الساعات الأخيرة من الميركاتو، أن يلبي طلبات بيراميدز أو التوصل لحل يرضي جميع الأطراف، في ظل رغبة اللاعب بالانضمام إلى فريق العاصمة مدريد.

جدير بالذكر، أن إبراهيم عادل في الصيف الماضي سافر إلى العاصمة الإسبانية مدريد، وضغط على بيراميدز من أجل الموافقة على رحيله، لكن النادي المصري رفض وقرر الاحتفاظ باللاعب.

Aston Villa are set for an exciting 2024/25 season as they get ready to return to the Champions League.

Indeed, it will be the first time they have played in the competition since its rebranding from the European Cup. Their previous two campaigns came in 1981/82, a season they lifted the trophy, and 1982/83, where they were eliminated in the quarter-finals.

The start to the Premier League season has been mixed for Unai Emery’s side. The Villans won their first game, away to West Ham United. They ran out 2-1 victors, thanks to goals from Amadou Onana on debut and a late winner from Jhon Duran.

Gameweek two for the Villans saw them lose 2-0 against Arsenal, in what was the first game at Villa Park this term. Second-half goals from Leandro Trossard and Thomas Partey helped Mikel Arteta’s side to all three points. Despite the result, the hosts performed well and created some good opportunities against one of the Premier League’s toughest opponents.

With a big term coming up, Villa may well look to add to their eight signings so far and bring in another fresh face to wear that famous claret and blue shirt as they prepare for a return amongst Europe’s elite.

Aston Villa target Premier League striker

One of the players whom the Villans have been linked with in recent days is Everton and England international striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The striker’s future has been up in the air all summer, and he could still depart the club this summer.

According to a report from Caught Offside, the 27-year-old striker has been one of the players ‘discussed internally’ by those at Villa Park. The report suggests that the Englishman might become available, and is out of the Toffees plans for this season and beyond.

The Everton number nine has come close to departing Goodison Park this summer already, with Newcastle United pulling out of a £40m deal. According to Sky Sports, the Magpies thought that was too high of a price for Calvert-Lewin given he has just 12 months left on his current deal.

Thus, the door for a move to Villa Park could be open, and the Midlands side could launch a bid before Friday’s deadline. However, it is not clear at this stage if he would still cost £40m so close to Deadline Day, or if the Villans could sign him cheaper.

Why Calvert-Lewin would be a good signing

Although the past few seasons have not been easy for the Toffees forward, he has still proven that he knows where the back of the net is. The England international scored seven goals and grabbed two assists in 32 games last term, although that tally is some way off his best top-flight season.

In the 2020/21 campaign, the Sheffield-born striker played 33 games in the Premier League, getting on the scoresheet 16 times and getting one assist. It was a season in which he came joint-fifth in the Golden Boot race.

2020/21 Premier League Golden Boot race

Player

Games

Goals

Harry Kane

35

23

Mohamed Salah

37

22

Bruno Fernandes

37

18

Son Heung-min

37

17

Patrick Bamford

38

17

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

33

16

Stats from Transfermarkt

He is a tall centre-forward, standing at around 6 foot 2, and is superb in the air as well as in the penalty box, as his goalscoring numbers show. According to FBref, he won an average of 5.68 aerial duels in the Premier League last season, with a 48.8% win rate. As Football talent scout Jacek Kulig called him, the 27-year-old is a "monster", notably when the ball is off the ground.

That ranks him in the top 3% and 13% amongst English top-flight strikers respectively, and also ranks him highest in the Villa squad last term for aerial duels won each game. He is far clear of second place for that metric, who is Duran with 3.77, as per FBref.

If the Villans do sign Calvert-Lewin this summer, it would be a repeat of their signing of Onana earlier in the window. Like the Englishman, they signed the midfielder from Everton, with the Belgian costing them £50m.

That has already proven to be a superb move from the Toffees, with the midfielder scoring a header on his debut for Emery’s side. He also played well against Arsenal last Saturday, with his performance against the Gunners earning him a 7/10 rating from 90min journalist Tom Gott.

Alongside the dynamic Morgan Rogers, he consistently got the better of Arsenal's midfield and has proven himself to be a menace from set-piece situations already.

Thus, if the signing of Calvert-Lewin is anywhere near as successful as Onana’s move to the Midlands has been so far, it could be a superb piece of business from Emery’s side. He is likely only going to cost up to £40m but could be less than that given the late stage of the window.

It could certainly be an astute pickup from the Villans, who would be adding a player with experience and a proven Premier League record to their squad, even if the past few seasons have been a struggle. Perhaps Villa Park could be the place Calvert-Lewin can get his career properly back on track.

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Posts ByDan Emery Aug 26, 2024

Ipswich Town's transfer policy this window continues to focus in on snapping up the best of the best from the Championship, with Jack Clarke and Dara O'Shea signing on the dotted line recently from Sunderland and Burnley, respectively.

That approach more than paid off when the Tractor Boys stunned Manchester City early on at the Etihad last weekend, before Pep Guardiola's men eventually swept Kieran McKenna's men aside courtesy of Erling Haaland and Co, as former Blackburn Rovers man Sammie Szmodics scored a shock opener for the Suffolk underdogs in the 4-1 loss.

Another top new recruit from the EFL looks to be on the Premier League club's agenda now, who could further strengthen the attacking ranks at Portman Road.

Ipswich close in on deal for EFL attacker

As per TalkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, Ipswich are closing in on a deal for Luton Town winger Chiedozie Ogbene, with Crook revealing that a switch is 'likely to get done' before the window slams shut on Friday evening.

Ipswich-based website TWTD has further added fuel to the fire, stating that a move would involve the Irishman leaving the Hatters behind for the Tractor Boys for a bumper fee of £8m, as Ipswich show their muscle once more with major incomings through the door.

Starring last season for Luton in the top-flight, even as Rob Edwards' men fell straight back down to the Championship, Ogbene could seriously strengthen McKenna's men in their brave fight against the drop, with both flanks a terrifying prospect if the Hatters number seven was to join as Clarke attempts to strike fear into Premier League defences down the left.

What Ogbene could offer Ipswich

The 27-year-old target might not even have a concrete starting spot on the opposing right flank when signed, with Omari Hutchinson no doubt wanting to make that spot his own after a big move from Stamford Bridge, but Ogbene was effective last campaign for Edwards' side from off the bench.

The £15k-per-week ace – as per Capology – would only start 20 of the 30 games that came his way in the Premier League last season for his current employers, bagging four goals and picking up one assist in the process, leading to Ipswich's keen interest in the Republic of Ireland international emerging.

Position played

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

RM

40

4

7

RW

35

1

6

SS

12

3

1

CF

12

3

1

LW

7

0

0

AM

3

0

2

LM

1

1

0

Shining equally as bright for Rotherham, before Luton came knocking, Ogbene's versatility will also be another major plus as to why McKenna wants to add him to his camp for the long and gruelling top-flight season ahead, knowing he can slot his new recruit into the starting line-up in a whole multitude of different positions.

It's unlikely that Ogbene will line up down the left flank, however, with Clarke the obvious choice now for the former Manchester United coach to persist with in this position, having torn the Championship to shreds over the past few seasons.

The former Leeds United man will now get another well-deserved shot at the top-flight with Ipswich, after only making four appearances here as a youngster when on the books at Tottenham Hotspur, with his time at Sunderland breathing life back into his once-stuttering career.

Bagging 15 goals last campaign for the Black Cats, with 51 overall goal contributions managed from 114 appearances in total at the Stadium of Light, the 23-year-old will want to play his part in keeping Ipswich up against all the odds by twisting and turning Premier League defences for fun.

Showing that he can also slalom forward as a tricky menace last campaign, Ogbene – who has even been described as being "spectacular" by his former national team manager Stephen Kenny in the past – will also take the opportunity to play up a division again in his stride, as Ipswich's final bits of business come into motion.

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ByKelan Sarson Aug 25, 2024

In ten days' time, the transfer window will have slammed shut, and while fans have understandably shifted their focus back to the Premier League, some clubs still have quite a bit of work to do in the market, including Arsenal.

At the moment, Riccardo Calafiori has been the only new face added to the Gunners' first team this summer, and while Mikel Merino's move is supposedly right around the corner, we've been hearing that all month.

However, there is good news, as recent reports linked the club with one of the most exciting attackers in Europe last season, someone who could be the ideal Leandro Trossard rival and someone who has won comparisons to Bukayo Saka to boot.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are one of several sides interested in Atalanta star Ademola Lookman this summer.

Alongside the Gunners, the report claims that Premier League hopefuls Liverpool are also keen to sign the former Everton ace before the window slams shut next week.

A potential price is not mentioned in the story, but a report from earlier this summer revealed that the Nigerian international could be available for €60m, which converts to around £51m.

It could be a complicated transfer to get done due to the interest from the Reds, but given his form last season and the fact he's been compared to Saka, it is one worth pursuing, especially as he could provide excellent competition for Trossard.

How Lookman compares to Saka and Trossard

Okay, so before we look at how Lookman stacks up to Trossard and how he could challenge him for a place on the left, let's examine this comparison to Saka and where it comes from.

It primarily stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League over the last 365 days, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for everyone, and from there, they have concluded that the Englishman is the sixth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Nigerian.

You can better understand how they came to this conclusion by looking at some of the underlying metrics in which they rank very closely, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots, passing accuracy, goal-creating actions and interceptions, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.68

0.65

Shots

3.18

3.14

Passing Accuracy

75.8%

75.6%

Goal-Creating Actions

0.67

0.65

Interceptions

0.43

0.46

It's not just in the underlying numbers that the two attackers are alike, though, as in the aftermath of the Nigerian's masterclass performance in the Europa League final last season, former professional Owen Hargreaves said that "he reminds me of (Bukayo) Saka in the way he sets people, gets them off balance, and he's always got a picture in the way he wants to finish."

So then, with the right-footed dynamo's similarities to the Gunners' superstar seven clear, how does his output from last season measure up to Trossard's? Due to his ability to play on the left, he may well be fighting with the Belgian for a place in the lineup should he make the move to North London.

The good news is that it would be a close fight, as in 45 appearances last season, the “blistering” ace, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, scored 17 goals and provided ten assists, equating to a goal involvement once every 1.66 games.

In contrast, the former Brighton & Hove Albion dynamo scored 17 goals and provided two assists in 46 appearances, equating to a still impressive but notably worse average of a goal involvement every 2.42 games.

Some may argue that the Premier League is a more challenging league than Serie A, but even if that were true and the Atalanta star saw his output reduce somewhat in England, it would still be close to, or better than the Belgian's.

Ultimately, Arsenal need to bring in another attacker this summer, and following his incredible campaign last season and the flattering comparisons to Saka, Lookman may be the perfect player to sign before the window slams shut, especially as he could help push Trossard to be even better.

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ByEmilio Galantini Aug 21, 2024

West Ham United are ready to sell another player alongside defender Kurt Zouma, according to a new update.

West Ham’s busy transfer window

Ahead of Julen Lopetegui’s first season in charge, the Hammers and technical director Tim Steidten have been working extremely hard behind the scenes in the transfer market.

In recent days, the Hammers’ incoming list has doubled from three to six after moves for Crysencio Summerville, Niclas Fullkrug and Guido Rodriguez were announced. Rodriguez was the latest arrival, with Steidten buzzing at the Argetine's arrival. "This is a massive moment for West Ham United in bringing a player of Guido’s pedigree to the club. He is a player I have admired for a long time, and we couldn’t be happier to have completed the deal to bring him to east London. "Guido is a defensive midfielder whose intelligence in and out of possession is a real strength to his game. He is also a proven winner, having won the World Cup, Copa América and Finalissima with Argentina, so to have secured his services is a big statement of intent."

There have also been plenty of players who have left the London Stadium, and more could be on the way in and out before the deadline.

Free agent and experienced centre-back Mats Hummels has an offer on the table from West Ham, whereas a bid worth around £25m has reportedly been submitted for AS Roma striker Tammy Abraham, a figure above the Italian side’s asking price. Unfortunately, Abraham appears to prefer a move to AC Milan over a return to England with West Ham.

Regarding further departures, Lopetegui has told centre-back Zouma to find a new club, according to recent reports, with the Frenchman attracting interest from Saudi Arabia.

It isn’t just Zouma who could be leaving, though, with Football Insider sharing a new transfer update on Danny Ings’ future at West Ham.

West Ham plan to accept Ings offer

They state that West Ham plan to accept an offer for Ings in the final weeks of the window, should the fee help them secure another new striker signing.

The update states that one problem in regards to moving on Ings could be his salary. According to Capology, the forward picks up around £125,000-a-week with the Irons and is under contract for a further 12 months.

The 32-year-old made the move to West Ham from Aston Villa in January 2023 and has gone on to make 52 appearances under former manager David Moyes.

However, Ings has managed to score on just four occasions in a West Ham shirt, his worst record for a club in his career. He managed a better goal-per-game ratio with Villa, Burnley, Liverpool and Southampton, so a move away could make sense for all involved.

Doing that could then allow West Ham, Lopetegui and Steidten to target another striker to rival Fullkrug and Michail Antonio, making this one to watch over the coming weeks.

India and Sunrisers Hyderabad left-arm pacer T Natarajan has undergone surgery on his knee for the injury that put him out of the ongoing IPL 2021.Natarajan had injured his knee first during India’s tour of Australia at the turn of the year, and subsequently missed games at home against England too. He played the first two games of IPL 2021 for the Sunrisers, but was then ruled out.Related

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Natarajan made his international debut across all three formats in Australia, but the knee injury meant he had to undergo rehabilitation upon returning and missed the first three T20Is of a five-match series against England, playing in the last two matches before joining the Sunrisers for the start of the IPL. Sunrisers captain David Warner had initially said Natarajan would not leave the IPL bubble because of quarantine requirements. However, the bowler’s exit from the tournament was confirmed last week.