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West Ham United and head of recruitment Rob Newman by extension have made a surprise deadline day move for rival Tottenham Hotspur defender Matt Doherty.

The Lowdown: Hammers keep busy…

The Hammers and manager David Moyes are keeping busy on this deadline day with reports suggesting they’re closing in on a move for Southampton defender Jan Bednarek.

This comes after West Ham’s plentiful transfer business already this summer, including a club record deal for Brazil international Lucas Paqueta from Lyon.

Alongside the South American, Alphonse Areola, Nayef Aguerd, Flynn Downes, Gianluca Scamacca, Maxwel Cornet, Thilo Kehrer and Emerson have all put pen to paper on moves to Rush Green with reports suggesting they are hunting for even more.

The Latest: West Ham make Doherty move…

Indeed, according to reports, Premier League rival full-back Doherty is now on the agenda of West Ham.

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Jack Rosser, formerly of The Evening Standard, claims the Irons have made contact over the Republic of Ireland international.

He explained:

“West Ham’s loan move for Jan Bednarek is close with Craig Dawson set to join Wolves.

West Ham also looking at trying to do a right-back today and have asked Tottenham about a loan for Matt Doherty, seems unlikely at the moment though.”

The Verdict: Keep pushing?

Doherty was revered for his climb back into Antonio Conte’s plans last season, even being hailed as ‘superb’ by teammate and defender Ben Davies.

The 30-year-old attracted real praise for some of his 2021/22 performances before a season-ending injury, leaving little wonder West Ham have taken an interest.

Depending on developments, Doherty could actually be a great right-back candidate for Moyes at minimal cost, considering he has fallen behind Emerson Royal in the pecking order at N17.

Derby County have been dealt an injury blow ahead of their League One clash against Charlton Athletic on Saturday after Liam Rosenior confirmed that James Chester will not be involved.

The Lowdown: Chester’s setback

The 33-year-old was released by Championship side Stoke City earlier in the summer, with the Rams quick to snap him up and add the free agent to their defensive ranks on a one-year deal.

The defender enjoyed some promising performances throughout pre-season, but has consistently been affected by an achilles injury which saw him miss last weekend’s curtain-raiser vs Oxford United, and it sounds like the boss will have to be without his new summer signing once again.

The Latest: Rosenior’s injury update

Speaking during his pre-match interview with RamsTV, Rosenior revealed that Chester will not be part of the match-day squad against Charlton, but gave a more promising update on David McGoldrick.

As quoted by Derby’s official website, he said:

“James Chester and David McGoldrick are back on course. Didzy is doing really well in terms of his recovery. He is ahead of schedule which makes me happy but I’m not going to rush them both. As much as you want to win every game and have them involved, I want us to put us in the strongest position in March.

“James Chester is a no for Saturday, Didzy is touch and go but I won’t risk him unless it’s 100% right for him and us.”

The Verdict: Massive loss

Rosenior has been busy in the transfer market this summer, making a real statement of intent by signing the likes of Conor Hourihane and James Collins, but Chester, hailed a ‘fantastic athlete’ by former Wales manager Chris Coleman, not coming into contention for the Addicks fixture will come as a hammer blow.

The 38-year-old will want all of his new additions at his disposal so that the team can start gelling as quickly as possible to get on the front foot, but this is now a setback in his plans.

The interim manager will now be hoping that his side can build on last weekend’s 1-0 victory over Oxford by putting in another solid display without Chester at The Valley.

Tottenham Hotspur kick off their 2022/23 Premier League campaign this afternoon with a home clash against Southampton.

After a gruelling pre-season period which saw the north London club take on the likes of Sevilla, Rangers and AS Roma, the Lilywhites are back in competitive action under Antonio Conte.

While the Spurs starting XI could be rather intriguing given the number of new signings that the club have made throughout the summer transfer window, one newcomer who we think should be given his Premier League debut today is Clement Lenglet.

Conte must unleash Lenglet

After making 158 appearances for Barcelona, in which he scored seven goals and provided three assists, the defender joined Spurs on a season-long loan deal in July.

To highlight his defensive talent, across 105 La Liga appearances for the La Liga giants since the start of the 2018/19 season, the centre-back has totalled 119 successful tackles, 381 successful pressures, 137 blocks, 79 interceptions and 296 clearances.

To compare that with current Spurs defender Davinson Sanchez from the same period of time, the Colombian has won 102 tackles, 285 successful pressures, 141 blocks and 466 clearances.

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This suggests that the Frenchman could be better at physically taking the ball off his opponents with pressures and tackles rather than waiting for the ball to come to him.

Bearing in mind how only seven Premier League clubs took more shots at goal last season than Southampton (483), it’s safe to say that today’s opponents could offer a good test for Lenglet in his first league match of the campaign, assuming he is selected against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

Hailed as a “world-class” player by France manager Didier Deschamps, Lenglet certainly appears to have what it takes to make an impact on this Spurs team and bully Southampton’s attacking players.

If Conte is thinking about handing out any club debuts in his starting XI today, putting Lenglet in from the outset could be a good way of seeing if the Frenchman has what it takes to settle into the rhythm of the Premier League and perform at a high level in England’s top flight.

If Lenglet does start and Spurs manage to secure a win and keep a clean sheet, this would not only be a great start to the season for the club but also for the 27-year-old loanee.

Based on the aforementioned figures and the threat that today’s visitors can pose, the newcomer could be a better option than Sanchez to select alongside Cristian Romero, a likely starter given that he was Spurs’ best-performing centre-back last season according to WhoScored.

Rangers are ‘in negotiations’ for Besiktas left-back Ridvan Yilmaz and the 21-year-old is keen on a move to Ibrox, according to journalist Fraser Fletcher.

The Lowdown: Experienced youngster

The defender has already made 62 appearances for the Turkish giants; an impressive figure for a youngster who came through the academy.

Of this total, 27 appearances came in the Super Lig last season, with the player adding three goals and four assist to his name.

He even featured twice in the Champions League, with minutes against Ajax and Sporting CP.

The Latest: Fletcher’s claim

Fletcher has shared the latest news linking Yilmaz with a move to Ibrox.

Taking to Twitter, the journalist claimed:

“Rangers are in negotiations for left back, Ridvan Yilmaz. The capped Turkish international is the in final year of his contract and keen to move to Rangers.

“The clubs are still apart in fee and Rangers are awaiting Besiktas new proposal, reports of agreed proposal incorrect.”

The Verdict: Good signing

The 21-year-old was Besiktas’ joint-second top assister for the 2021/22 league campaign, while he also averaged 1.6 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 0.8 dribbles per game (via WhoScored), showing an impressive well-rounded skill-set.

With Giovanni van Bronckhorst on the lookout for another option at left-back after Calvin Bassey’s departure, the youngster could prove to be a strong long-term option for the Light Blues.

If Rangers can get the Turkish outfit to reduce their demands for the player, this could be a good signing for the club.

Celtic have cashed in on a significant number of players over recent years, some of whom have made moves to English clubs.

The likes of Kieran Tierney, Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer, among others, have all joined Premier League clubs in recent years and seen the Hoops pick up hefty sums in terms of transfer fees.

One other player who waved goodbye to Parkhead to join a team south of the border is Virgil van Dijk.

After making 115 appearances for the Bhoys across all competitions, in which he found the net 15 times and delivered seven assists in addition to winning two Premiership titles and one Scottish League Cup, the defender was sold to Southampton in 2015 for a fee of £13m.

Now that several years have passed since the Dutchman left Glasgow, the current transfer window could give Hoops boss Ange Postecoglou the chance to unearth what could be his own version of Van Dijk.

Last month, it was reported that Celtic were in talks with German club Schalke 04 over a potential swoop for their young centre-back Malick Thiaw.

The 20-year-old joined Schalke’s youth squad in 2015 and has since made 142 appearances for the club across their senior and youth teams, chipping in with 14 goals and providing five assists along the way.

In his 31 league appearances last season, the youngster made more interceptions (55) and won more tackles (45) than any other player at the Gelsenkirchen club. He also ended the campaign with a higher average of clearances per game (3.4) than any of his teammates.

This shows that, in addition to being a very capable defender, the Schalke centre-back can also be a threat in front of goal, just as Van Dijk was during his days at Parkhead.

It also backs up why the £5.9k-per-week titan was touted to have a “big future ahead” of him by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Bearing in mind how successful Van Dijk has gone on to be with Liverpool, the prospect of Postecoglou having his own version of the 30-year-old in his ranks with Thiaw is something that the Parkhead club should definitely try to make a reality this summer.

AND in other news: “Told..”: Journalist drops transfer update that Celtic supporters will love

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s interest in Burnley’s Nick Pope during the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie has revealed that Dan Ashworth is now eyeing up a deal for the England international.

The reporter has confirmed that the shot-stopper is set to depart Turf Moor after the Magpies’ win against them on the final day consigned them to the Championship.

He tweeted: “Newcastle keen on England goalkeeper Nick Pope, who is likely to leave Burnley following their relegation…”

It has been reported that the Clarets will demand a fee in the region of £40m for their number one, amid interest from other Premier League clubs.

Eddie Howe would love him

Toon head coach Eddie Howe would love to have Pope at St James’ Park, as the 30-year-old is a proven top-flight performer who would come in and put real pressure on Martin Dubravka.

At this moment in time, the Slovakia international does not have genuine competition for his place, as Karl Darlow has shown that he is not good enough to step into the number one position.

In eight top-flight appearances last season, the Englishman averaged a dismal SofaScore rating of 6.47 as he conceded 1.9 goals per game, made one error directly leading to a goal and gave away one penalty.

Meanwhile, Pope averaged a much better rating of 6.99 in 36 matches. He let in 1.3 goals per game and did not give away a single penalty, although he did make one error leading to a goal, in 28 more matches than Darlow.

West Ham captain Declan Rice previously lauded the shot-stopper, telling BBC Sport: “I think Pope is a top goalkeeper, I know from training with him at England.

“I should have told the lads before the game to put it hard and low, anything up top he’s probably one of the best in the world at saving them. He’s a top keeper and a great lad as well.”

In four Premier League seasons, the 30-year-old has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.96 – breaking into the England setup in the process – as he has proven his ability to perform to a high level on a consistent basis.

Howe would know exactly what he is getting from Pope and that is a reliable pair of hands between the posts. The 30-year-old is a player who has shown that he has the quality to contest for the number one shirt at St James’ Park, unlike Darlow, and that is why the Magpies head coach would love him.

AND in other news, NUFC in the mix to sign “frightening” £528k-p/w “freak of nature”, Howe would love him…

Wolves are reportedly interested in making a move for St Pauli goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Ruddy moves on

Bruno Lage is sure to have a busy summer ahead of him, as he looks to bolster his squad options ahead of what will hopefully be a successful 2022/23 season.

John Ruddy will leave Wanderers when his current expires at the end of next month, meaning a replacement in his squad role will have to be found.

Now, a new claim has emerged regarding the hunt for a Jose Sa deputy.

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The Latest: Vasilj link emerges

According to a recruitment source speaking to Football Insider, Wolves are one of three clubs eyeing up a move for Vasilj in the coming months.

Celtic and West Brom are also battling for his signature. The trio will send officials to watch the 6 foot 4 giant in action for his country in this month’s Nations League games, with the 26-year-old winning five caps for Bosnia to date.

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The Verdict: Perfect Ruddy replacement?

Vasilj would be an ideal replacement for Ruddy but the only stumbling block could be whether or not he is happy to be on the substitutes’ bench most weeks.

In Sa, Wolves have a fantastic goalkeeper who isn’t going to be dislodged any time soon, so it could be domestic cup appearances at best for Vlasilj.

His experience speaks for itself, though – he made 33 appearances in the Bundesliga II last season and has kept 47 career clean sheets in 160 total games. He could be an ideal squad option for Lage if a back-up role is what he desires.

In other news, Wolves are reportedly in the running to sign one striker. Find out who it is here.

Sunderland will either be celebrating with tears of joy or wallowing in tears of sadness by the end of the day as they face the daunting prospect of a play-off final.

The Black Cats are up against Wycombe in the League One showpiece clash at Wembley this afternoon as they battle for a place in next season’s Championship.

Alex Neil’s men made their way through to the decider by beating Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals, drawing the second leg 1-1.

Will the Black Cats boss make any changes to his starting XI from that match? We are suggesting that he makes at least one by unleashing Jay Matete from the start, as he can win promotion for the club.

Matete must start for Sunderland

Corry Evans struggled in the middle of the park against Wednesday, and his experience may be of more use off the bench if Neil needs to bring on a calm head to see out the game in the second half.

Against the Owls, the ex-Blackburn man failed to impress. As per SofaScore, he lost five of his seven individual battles and was unsuccessful in two of his three tackles as he was dribbled past twice. He also completed just 69% of his passes – including one of his seven long passes – and did not create a single chance.

Meanwhile, Matete is a machine in midfield and will be able to slot into the team and break up Wycombe’s play throughout the match. In League One this season, he has made three tackles and interceptions per game and won 58% of his duels in total, showing that he is a strong presence in the team.

Journalist Josh Bunting previously heaped praise on him, tweeting: “Jay Matete again for me Sunderland’s best performer this afternoon, broke the play up when he needed to and drove forward trying to get the Black Cats on the front foot, he’s been a real master stroke of a signing, that run that he got the shot away from was superb #SAFC”

These quotes, and the aforementioned statistics, show that Kristjaan Speakman played a blinder by bringing the 21-year-old in from Fleetwood in January.

That deal can now win Sunderland promotion, as starting him at Wembley today can seal the win for the Black Cats against Gareth Ainsworth’s outfit.

Matete has shown that he has the bite required to compete in big games, and Neil will need that drive and strength to break up Wycombe attacks before attacking the space and allowing his side to dominate the game, which is why the youngster’s presence could make the difference today.

AND in other news, “He’s trained..”: Huge Sunderland injury update emerges that’ll leave supporters buzzing…

Thousands crammed into the parade route along Marine Drive and in Wankhede Stadium as fans got to see a World Cup again

S Sudarshanan05-Jul-20242:11

Scenes from India’s victorious homecoming

Rohit Sharma held the mic and the near-full Wankhede Stadium erupted in cheers. It was perhaps the much-awaited moment of the day. He started to speak but they wouldn’t allow him to. He tried again. Nah, not happening.The cricket faithful in Mumbai waited for what felt like eternity. Those from far off suburbs had thronged Marine Drive from as early as morning. Fans were to be allowed free entry into the Wankhede only from 4pm on first-come-first-serve basis, but the long queues made them throw the gates open more than half an hour before that. The heavens opened up just as they rushed in to grab their spots, leaving pairs of footwear strewn behind.Related

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But none of that mattered at around 8:55pm. Not their parched throats. Not the lack of water or food. Nor the couple of brief spells of showers in the evening. Their energy levels when the victorious Indian squad made their way down the steps of the dressing room were just as high – if not higher than – as what they were when they had made their way in.The traffic on Marine Drive had come to a standstill since the afternoon, thanks to the hordes of people that thronged it despite it being a working day. Rohan and Savtya, both in their early 20s and clad in India’s 2023 World Cup jersey and 2016 T20 jersey respectively, had left their homes in Karjat – about 75kms to the south-east of Mumbai – at around noon. They were drenched in sweat and barely had their vocal cords intact when they boarded a train back home close to midnight. Through the five-hour wait, those at the venue grooved to popular numbers, interspersed with chants of ” (Mumbai’s king, Rohit Sharma)”, “India, India!”, “Sachiiinnn, Sachin!” The evening seemed endless, but not if you were among the 30,000-plus at the venue.

A heroes' homecoming for India's champions #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/BHh3reDj1G

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 4, 2024

The open-top bus parade from Nariman Point to Wankhede began only after 7:30pm, a delay of over two and a half hours. The 1.5km journey, took close to 90 minutes with players soaking themselves every bit in the adulation from their fans. Rohit perhaps knew this feeling. He was part of the bus parade in 2007, when India had won the inaugural T20 World Cup. He alluded to the desperation of the fans for a world title being a bit more than the players.Hardik Pandya was jeered in almost every game at the venue in IPL 2024, when he captained Mumbai Indians for the first time. But first when Hardik held the trophy aloft after the players entered the turf, and then when Rohit mentioned the last over of the Bridgetown game bowled by Hardik, the decibel levels were second to none. Hardik had, after all, played a telling role in the T20 World Cup 2024 – 144 runs at a strike rate of 151.57 and 11 wickets at an average of 17.36.Virat Kohli, who was part of the 2011 World Cup win at this venue, broke into a dance in front of the MCA Pavilion when the group there played the famous Nashik Dhol. He had company in local boy Suryakumar Yadav and Axar Patel and pulled Rohit in, before the other players joined. It was an evening he wouldn’t forget in a hurry, he later said. The crowd broke into a thunderous applause as soon as he praised Jasprit Bumrah for turning the tide against South Africa.Grand homecoming: Rohit Sharma, trophy in hand, soaks in the atmosphere of the open-top bus parade•AFP/Getty ImagesIndia’s win in the T20 World Cup ended a wait of 11, 13 or 17 years, depending on whether their last ICC title – the Champions Trophy in 2013, their last World Cup win in 2011 or their previous World T20 title – is the starting point. It is a long span. They came within touching distance last year in the ODI World Cup, finishing runners-up. That only made the players, and fans no less, hungrier. Which reflected in the ceremony and celebration held five days after they won the final.Hurricane Beryl delayed India’s departure from Barbados, and they landed in New Delhi in the wee hours of Thursday after a 16-hour non-stop charter flight – AIC24WC (Air India Champions 24 World Cup). There they were greeted by enthusiastic fans despite heavy security, after which they met Prime Minister Narendra Modi for breakfast. Their flight to Mumbai for the victory parade and the felicitation was delayed by close to two hours. And then heavy traffic meant they had to take a detour to get to Nariman Point.None of it diminished their spirits. Much like the Mumbaikars’, who braved rain and traffic to be there for their stars. Mumbai Police had to issue warnings of overcrowding. Announcements were made at Churchgate station in the evening, asking people to refrain from heading towards Marine Drive or Wankhede Stadium. On a weekday evening, Mumbai left no stone unturned to show their affection towards the world champions.”I am going to miss this… what I saw in the streets tonight,” Rahul Dravid, India’s head coach, said, his voice cracking because of a sore throat. Mumbai’s gathering was perhaps just the right balm. On their first day in India as two-time T20 world champions, Rohit and co. couldn’t have asked for more.

Lancashire seamer is back for his sixth Finals Day in seven years

Paul Edwards15-Jul-2022Superheroes and supervillains come in various forms and have various monikers. There is The Terminator and The Exterminator and probably many others, most of them attached to seriously dreadful films.Luke Wood’s performances for the three counties he has represented on Finals Day have often been rather heroic and he has been at Edgbaston for English cricket’s biggest hogfeast for five successive years from 2016 to 2020. So with due acknowledgement to Lancashire’s physio, Sam Byrne, residents in south-west Birmingham should know that coming on Saturday to a cricket ground near them will be…The Denominator.It is a wonderfully low-key name for one of the county game’s most high-voltage cricketers. Watch Wood steam in to bowl deliciously laser-guided bouncers at well-set openers and you might think that he has more in common with Ted Hughes’ hawk. His manners are also tearing off heads.On Saturday, though, Wood will discipline the formidable skills that have already earned him an England one-day call-up this season, although not yet an international appearance. (He might just as well have spent his week in the Netherlands going round the Rijksmuseum.) Wood will play in the morning semi-final, hoping that the first time a T20 Roses match takes place on Finals Day is also the prelude to Lancashire’s appearance in the evening.Supporters from Manchester and its surrounds know all too well that losing that opening game is like being thrown out of a party before the decent booze arrives. Wood has had similar experiences; he was in the Nottinghamshire team that seemed certain to beat Worcestershire in 2019, only to lose the game in a final over no-one quite believed.”Losing that game was hard but a lot of learnings came out of it,” Wood told ESPNcricinfo. “And it’s important to remember that it’s not always about the last ball and one player. It can also be about saving that one run in the field at a point in the game when you can’t know what the consequences of that will be.”Related

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Wood’s experience of five Finals Days – although he was simply a Nottinghamshire squad member for the first two – may be useful in helping the younger members of Lancashire’s team cope with English cricket’s longest day. For example, it is impossible, useless and probably debilitating to try to maintain anything like the same level of concentration throughout the day, even if victory in the first game affords you such an opportunity. Ian Bell was wont to play nine holes’ golf at his local course but Wood’s approach is a little more conventional.”If you want to go back to the hotel, you can, but most players stick around, have some food and watch the other game for a bit,” he said. “Not everyone will want to watch more cricket but you can always take things out of the second semi: how the pitch is deteriorating, for example, or how people are playing. There isn’t a massive turnaround between the semi-final and the final but it’s a long day if you’re there from the build-up to the first semi-final to the end of the final. You can only stay in the changing-rooms until you get chucked out.”There are, however, two new elements to Finals Day this year. The first is that the event is being tightly sandwiched between two rounds of County Championship matches. On Thursday evening Lancashire, Yorkshire and Somerset were all involved in tightly-contested four-day games. It is, as it were, rather more than 110 miles between the idyllic surroundings of Trafalgar Road, Southport, the venue for Lancashire and Somerset’s match, and Edgbaston. Hampshire had the slight advantage of having beating Gloucestershire quite early on Thursday.”We’ll go down to Edgbaston on Friday and have a training slot,” said Wood. “Some people will have played in the game at Southport, so if they feel they need to do some white-ball training, they will and if others need a break, they’ll probably get one. People will simply get what they need ahead of the big day on Saturday.”Wood (far left) celebrates winning the Blast with Worcestershire in 2018•Getty ImagesThe other problem is that a clash with England’s ODI series against India means Lancashire will be without Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone, two of six players who are unavailable for their respective counties on Saturday. Matt Parkinson and Phil Salt have been released to play but the schedule gives a clear impression that the Blast’s showpiece occasion has been devalued – something that cannot be said of the Hundred, which has been given a window for its own knockout stages in early September.The question of the England players is an interesting one,” Wood said. “I imagine that before Finals Day they’ll know the team for Sunday’s One-Day International at Emirates Old Trafford and I want the best for all the Lancashire players in the England team. But if they’re not playing for England, they’re certainly big players for us. So on the one hand, you want them back; on the other, you want them to play well for England.”It’s tough one because it doesn’t affect every county. The chief ones have been Yorkshire, Surrey and Lancashire this year, but at least it does show the depth of our squad. On the other hand, it’s a bit of a shame because supporters might say their team has lost big games because they didn’t have certain players available. We’ll never moan about not having players available, we’ll just put out the best team we can and try and win every game. But that may not be an outsider’s perspective on it. The fans may not be happy that you’re losing X, Y and Z but that’s the way it is.”