West Ham United are apparently already in talks to sell a “quality” player, as he expresses his desire to quit the London Stadium behind closed doors.

Graham Potter looking to "entertain" West Ham supporters

The Graham Potter era is in full swing after Julen Lopetegui’s unceremonious departure, with performances improving overall since the Englishman’s arrival.

Stan Collymore explains why £100m forward could choose to join West Ham

The pundit thinks a London Stadium move is possible.

2 ByEmilio Galantini Feb 12, 2025

West Ham drew at Aston Villa in the Premier League and beat an in-form Fulham side 3-2 at home, with Potter’s side arguably unlucky not to at least share the spoils with Chelsea in their 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge most recently.

While the Hammers lie 16th in the table, with plenty of work still to do before they can comfortably remove their names from the candidacy list for relegation, there are positive signs since Potter put pen to paper on his West Ham contract.

Brentford (home)

February 15th

Arsenal (away)

February 22nd

Leicester City (home)

February 27th

Newcastle United (home)

March 10th

Everton (away)

March 15th

One of the former Brighton boss’ top priorities is the introduction of “entertaining” football, as he revealed in an interview with the club’s official website.

“I think if you ask most supporters, they would say they want to be entertained, and I think that’s the case at West Ham with all the Club’s history and tradition. With all of that, and with my experiences, that’s something we’ll be looking to do,” said Potter on his objectives at West Ham.

“Enjoyment is important, and I think if the players are enjoying themselves, that can help transmit enjoyment to the terraces. You have to look like you want to play football, because at the end of the day we’re in a fantastically privileged position. That’s something I’ve believed in through my entire career.

“I think football’s about balance though, and I don’t think you can talk about attacking football if you’re not stable at the back or defensively sound. So, we need to make sure we’re doing that.

“Ultimately, you have to look at the players and think about how you can get the best out of them, and play to their strengths. Nobody’s perfect, so we have to cover each other, work as a team and work as a unit.”

Of course, not all of his current squad will be along for the ride, and that appears to be the case with Argentine midfielder Guido Rodriguez.

Guido Rodriguez expresses his desire to leave West Ham

According to news outlet Orgullo Biri, Rodriguez has expressed his desire to leave West Ham and return to Real Betis – just one season after his free transfer from the La Liga side.

Interestingly, they add that Betis have already started talks to bring the 30-year-old back to Spain, with West Ham setting an asking price of around £2.5 million.

Betis have set their sights on signing Rodriguez to bolster their midfield, and they could hand the South American an opportunity to go back to a more successful ground after what has been a regrettable stay at the east London club.

Lopetegui demoted Rodriguez before his West Ham dismissal, so the player has failed to impress two managers.

Rodriguez has been called a “top quality” player by Terry Gibson, but he hasn’t exactly displayed it on many occasions this season, unfortunately for him.

“No pre-season camp, no proper training session, fast bowlers highly under-cooked,” a Delhi cricket official says

PTI27-Dec-2022

File photo: Ishant Sharma has a side strain and missed Delhi’s last game too•BCCI

Delhi are without their five premier quick bowlers – including Ishant Sharma and Navdeep Saini – mainly because of injuries, and, with Nitish Rana omitted, could well start as underdogs at Feroz Shah Kotla when they host Tamil Nadu in a Ranji Trophy Elite Group B game starting Tuesday.Ishant, the senior in the fast-bowling group, has a side strain. Saini, who was in Bangladesh first with the India A side and then the senior side, has picked up an abdominal strain and is recovering at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. Mayank Yadav, who made his first-class debut earlier this month, has torn his hamstring. Simarjeet Singh, Delhi’s highest wicket-taker this season with five strikes, has a heel injury. And Pradeep Sangwan, the team captain last season, was dropped at the start of the current season.As a result, the fast bowlers picked for the game against Tamil Nadu were left-arm quick Kuldip Yadav, the not-too-experienced Harshit Rana, and Pranshu Vijayran, the allrounder who made his debut in the previous game, who have all played one first-class game each.”We don’t have our main bowlers and that is definitely an issue but we would like to control the sessions,” Abhay Sharma, the Delhi coach, said. “The youngsters who get opportunities should make full use of it.”To make things worse, Delhi’s campaign is in a shambles. They lost their opening game of the season to Maharashtra in Pune, and then conceded the first-innings lead to Assam in Guwahati in a drawn game. They currently lie in seventh place on the eight-team Group B table with one point from two games.Dhruv Shorey’s unbeaten 252 against Assam has been one of the rare bright spots in Delhi’s season so far•PTI

Have Delhi been hurt by poor planning?
Rana, an IPL star with Kolkata Knight Riders, had an average of just over 40 for the last two Ranji seasons [2019-20 and 2021-22, with Covid-19 preventing the 2020-21 season from taking place], and was left out this season.While DDCA members have largely been happy with that development, the feeling being that Rana is more focused on white-ball cricket, they haven’t been too pleased with the perceived lack of foresight on the part of the selection committee led by Gagan Khoda.”You had no pre-season camp, no proper training session, and fast bowlers were highly under-cooked,” a senior DDCA official said. “There was no planning, no vision, and what has now happened is exactly what was supposed to happen without systems in place. Some of the pacers were unfit before the season.”Tamil Nadu aren’t doing much better this season, and have just three points from two games and are only one spot above Delhi on the table. Delhi will, therefore, hope Dhruv Shorey (443 runs in four innings, with a 252 not out against Assam) continues to lead the batting charge, and the likes of Himmat Singh and captain Yash Dhull lift their games against Tamil Nadu.

Don Goodman has given Wrexham a warning after a third successive promotion secured a place in the Championship for the first time in 43 years.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Goodman believes Wrexham's target should be to survive
• American owners have overseen remarkable rise
• He believes Jamie Vardy would be 'Hollywood' signing

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Wrexham have been unstoppable since they were promoted from the National League in 2022, becoming the first club ever in England's top five tiers to win three successive promotions but former Wolves and Sunderland striker Goodman believes the Championship may be too big a step as Wrexham look to continue on the same trajectory. The primary ambition for owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney next season should be to survive, Goodman told BoyleSports, who offer the latest Football odds.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Next season will be an intriguing one in the Championship, as big spenders Wrexham and Birmingham will both look to make an impact after commanding promotion campaigns from League One. Both sides are likely to face more obstacles in the second tier, with a big step up in terms of quality, playing style and wealth – with many former Premier League clubs to compete with, some of which will be receiving parachute payments.

• WHAT GOODMAN SAID

  Goodman said: "Everything about Wrexham reminds me of Derby County when it comes to style of play and how they've gone about promotion. They scored lots of set pieces and only averaged the 15th most amount of possession in League One last year. Nevertheless, Derby showed that 20 set-piece goals, an honest work ethic and a solid defence can keep you in the Championship, and I would suggest that a similar objective should be Wrexham's port-of-call.

  "They should look to get off to a good start and reach a points tally where, halfway through the season, you know you will survive, and you can try and kick on in January. But, for the life of me, I cannot see Wrexham finishing anywhere near the top of the Championship next season with the greatest of respect.

  "I was wrong about Wrexham (last season), I'll hold my hands up. Hats off to them, I thought a top-half finish would be a good target and the gap between League Two and League One would be too much. They got off to a good start and kept the momentum going before digging deep to get over the line.

  "Wrexham and Phil Parkinson have a track record of signing big-name strikers who have previously performed and scored goals in the Premier League. None in the calibre of Jamie Vardy, but those players have bought into the project and have been attracted by the glitz and glamour.

  "Jamie Vardy and Wrexham could be a match made in heaven. It would be a Hollywood signing. He scored eight goals and registered three assists in a truly awful Premier League team, which is not something to be sniffed at. He still knows where the back of the net is.

  "The only question is whether Wrexham can attract and entice Jamie Vardy."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  The Red Dragons will kick off their Championship campaign in August aiming to make further history. Should they challenge for a fourth promotion, that would surely go beyond even their ambitious owners' wildest dreams when they bought the club for £2million in 2021. This weekend, they have been enjoying another promotion celebration in Las Vegas, where they managed to get themselves trapped in a lift for an hour.

Manchester United have tabled an offer which would double the salary of one of Barcelona’s talents, according to a fresh report, and the Red Devils have already received a reply.

Man Utd and INEOS target youth

Since the arrival of INEOS at Old Trafford, Manchester United have made a point of targeting younger players in a bid to rejuvenate their squad.

Ruben Amorim’s side signed Ayden Heaven from Premier League rivals Arsenal in January, as well as shelling out to sign Patrick Dorgu from Lecce in a deal worth up to £30m in their only major business of the transfer window.

Club move to sign £350k-p/w Man Utd star who INEOS will let go immediately

It would be a massive call with no way to replace him at Old Trafford.

By
Ben Browning

Feb 10, 2025

Meanwhile, they are also already exploring a move to sign Sporting CP teenager Geovany Quenda, with The Athletic reporting that a deal is expected to cost in excess of £30m this summer and the Red Devils already doing the groundwork to ensure that they land their man.

It is part of a new plan to spot talent before they explode into stars, with Sunderland’s Chris Rigg and Southampton’s Tyler Dibling also among those of interest to the Red Devils.

Now, it has emerged that they made a massive offer to lure a young star out of Barcelona, even offering to double his salary in the process.

Man Utd table bid for Barcelona talent Lopez

That comes as a report in Spain claims that both Manchester United and Aston Villa were ready to shell out up to €70m (£58m) to sign Barcelona talent Fermin Lopez in the January transfer window.

The Spanish international, who was a part of Spain’s Olympic winning side over the summer, has struggled for game time at Camp Nou since the arrival of Hansi Flick. He has made 15 appearances in La Liga but has started just five times.

Fermin Lopez at Barcelona this season (All comps)
Appearances	25
Starts	9
Goals	5
Assists	5
Minutes per goal involvement	104

Despite this, he renewed his contract in Catalonia in October, penning a new deal through until 2029 worth £64,000 a week. But just months on from that, both Premier League clubs showed strong interest, and were reportedly “willing to invest around 70 million euros [£58m] to secure his services”.

It is added that they were also offering “financial proposals that practically double his current salary at the Barcelona club”, making a move financially attractive.

Lopez quickly shut down any interest, the report adds. It is claimed that the youngster “did not hesitate to reject both offers”, telling his entourage that “his only objective was to establish himself in the Barcelona first team.”

Lopez’s love of Barcelona is nothing new; in a 2023 interview, he revealed his desire to spend his career at Camp Nou, telling the media: “I want to stay at Barça forever. Man, I would like to be in the first team, to continue here. I hope I can always be here, but hey, you never know. It is the best club in the world and every year the best come. You never know.”

However, as has often been shown, Barcelona are not always able to make it work financially, and with their continued financial struggles, a deal for Fermin down the line could prove too good to turn down, especially given his limited game time under Hansi Flick.

وجه قائد منتخب البرتغال، كريستيانو رونالدو رسالة مؤثرة إلى لامين يامال، جناح برشلونة ومنتخب إسبانيا، بعد خسارة لاروخا في نهائي دوري الأمم الأوروبية.

وخطف رونالدو الأضواء، ليس فقط بتتويجه باللقب مع منتخب بلاده، بل أيضًا بكلماته الرقيقة تجاه الموهبة الإسبانية الصاعدة، مؤكدًا أن المستقبل لا يزال أمامه.

اقرأ أيضًا.. برونو فرنانديز يختار أهم لاعب في البرتغال أمام إسبانيا ويصرح: وضعنا الكرز على الكعكة

👏 Mensaje de Cristiano Ronaldo a Lamine Yamal: “Va a ganar muchos títulos. Es un fenómeno. Tiene una carrera muy larga y seguramente va a ganar la Nations League muchas veces”

🇪🇸 Y defiende a De la Fuente: “Vuestro entrenador es un fenómeno”

📽️ @martinezferran pic.twitter.com/lAo7WLPA0m — Mundo Deportivo (@mundodeportivo) June 8, 2025

وقال كريستيانو في تصريحاته عقب التتويج نقلتها صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الكتالونية: “يامال سيُتوج بالعديد من الألقاب، سواء على الصعيد الجماعي أو الفردي”.

وتابع: “لا يزال في السابعة عشرة فقط، أكرر هو شاب لديه مستقبل وتوقعات هائلة للتطور، إنه ظاهرة، لكن علينا أن نتركه يعيش حياته بهدوء، هذا ما أطلبه، أمامه مسيرة طويلة جدًا، ولا شك أنه سيفوز بلقب دوري الأمم الأوروبية عدة مرات”.

ولم يكتف رونالدو بذلك، بل دافع أيضًا عن مدرب إسبانيا، لويس دي لا فوينتي، الذي قرر استبدال يامال بين شوطي الوقت الإضافي، وقال: “مدربكم ظاهرة، هو أدرى مني، بما يحتاجه الفريق، فأنا لست مدربًا”.

وأتم: “لقد فاز بالفعل بعدة ألقاب مع إسبانيا، ماذا يمكنني أن أضيف؟ إذا اتخذ هذا القرار، فبالتأكيد لأنه رأى أنه الأفضل لتحسين أداء الفريق”.

Nottingham Forest chiefs are switching their attentions to the summer already, as they are now monitoring a “big-name” player in Italy, according to a recent report.

Nottingham Forest prepare for Ipswich in FA Cup

The Reds are back in action on Monday as they welcome Ipswich Town to the City Ground as they look to book their place in the final eight of the FA Cup. Forest are still firmly in the race for a top four finish this season, but with no win in their last three, their lead over the teams behind them has been shortened and a domestic cup may become their best route into Europe.

Nottingham Forest plotting summer move to sign "superb" £17m Serie A winner

He’s scored more goals than Hudson-Odoi this season…

1 ByTom Cunningham Mar 1, 2025

Nuno has said that he is going to need all his players between now and the end of the campaign if they are to achieve their goal of qualifying for continental competition. “We are going to need all of the players. Nobody should disconnect, and we try to make sure that everybody is involved.

“There’s no other way. Players must be patient, responsible, and respectful for who’s playing.”

But while the boss is focusing on his current squad, Forest’s recruitement chiefs are beginning to look ahead to the summer, as Tuttosport state that they are now plotting a move to sign Alexis Saelemaekers from AC Milan.

Newcastle United are also interested in signing the attacking midfielder, who is said to be valued at £17 million. Nuno’s side will expect to have an edge in the race if they secure Champions League football for next season.

Nottingham Forest monitoring "big-name" £35m ace

As well as looking in Serie A for Saelemaekers, Nottingham Forest are also keeping a close eye on Inter Milan midfielder Davide Frattesi, who looks set to leave the Italian champions, according to ESPN.

The report states that Forest look to be in the market for a new midfielder for next season, and Frattesi, who won Serie A last season, has emerged on their radar. The 25-year-old was signed for around £20 million, and it is believed that Inter are willing to let him leave San Siro for a fee of £35 million.

However, Forest are not alone in their pursuit, as it’s been reported that Tottenham Hotspur have already made a bid to Inter to sign Frattesi. The Italy international, who has been dubbed a “big-name” player in Simone Inzaghi’s squad, joined Inter first on loan from Sassuolo before joining on a permanent basis in July last year.

Apps

74

Starts

21

Goals

12

Assists

9

Since joining the Serie A champions, Frattesi has been a key player for Inzaghi, playing 42 times in all competitions last season. However, he only managed 11 starts in those games, and that has continued into this campaign, starting 10 of the 32 games he has played overall.

His lack of starts means Frattesi is also probably open to a move elsewhere, and Forest could represent a good opportunity, especially if they secure Champions League football. His potential arrival would see him compete with the likes of Elliot Anderson, Danilo, Nicolas Dominquez and Ryan Yates for a starting spot in that midfield two.

Chelsea returned to winning ways last night, ending their run of three straight defeats, beating Southampton 4-0 at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League.

The victory takes the Blues back up to fourth, taking advantage of Bournemouth’s defeat, sitting two points clear of defending champions Manchester City.

Goals from Marc Cucurella, Levi Colwill, Pedro Neto and Christopher Nkunku secured the win for Enzo Maresca’s men, ending their drought in convincing fashion.

The last few weeks have seen the club’s top four ambitions take a hit, but the victory in West London could allow for a mini-revival as the season edges towards its conclusion.

However, despite the huge win, numerous players failed to make a positive impression at the Bridge, putting their position in the starting eleven at risk over the next few matches.

Chelsea’s poor performers against Southampton

Cole Palmer has for so long been the star man for Chelsea, often being the man to get the side out of trouble – as seen by his tally of 20 combined goals and assists in the Premier League this campaign.

However, despite his impressive tallies, he’s been unable to register a single goal contribution in any of the last six league outings, struggling to match his early-season form.

The 22-year-old missed two big chances during the triumph, registering seven shots on goal, but was unable to find the back of the net with any of his efforts – showcasing his wasteful nature in the final third.

Moises Caicedo has been the go-to man at the base of the midfield during Maresca’s reign at the Bridge, but last night was an abnormally quiet showing from the Ecuadorian.

He failed to win any of the two tackles he entered, winning just 40% of his duels before receiving a booking for the ninth time in the league – just one away from a two-game suspension.

Despite the outings of the two aforementioned players, one other Blues talent was unable to impress, leading to criticism over his showings as a result.

The Chelsea player who needs to be benched by Maresca

Winger Jadon Sancho impressed during the first few weeks of his spell as a Chelsea player, registering an assist off the bench against Bournemouth – in what was his debut for the club.

However, over the last couple of weeks, he’s found form hard to come by in attacking areas, falling to register a single goal or assist in any of his last nine outings across all competitions.

Despite his struggles, Maresca opted with the 24-year-old for the clash against the Saints, but was unable to end his run, being withdrawn in the 68th minute as a result of his lack of impact.

The winger created two chances during the win, but was unable to register a single effort on goal, unable to shine against the side occupying the bottom of the table – an indication as to his recent decline in form.

Sancho, who was dubbed “horrendous” by one content creator, also only completed 50% of his attempted dribbles, also failing to find his teammates with any of his crosses.

=Sancho’s stats for Chelsea against Southampton

Statistics

Tally

Minutes played

68

Touches

43

Chances created

2

Shots taken

0

Dribbles completed

1/2 (50%)

Crosses completed

0/1 (0%)

Possession lost

7x

Stats via SofaScore

To make matters worse for the Manchester United loanee, he was replaced by youngster Tyrique George, with the teenager registering an assist for Cucurella’s strike in the closing stages.

As a result of his showing, Sancho was handed a 7/10 match rating by Football London journalist Bobby Vincent, the joint-lowest of any player who started the encounter.

Given his showing, Maresca should consider dropping the £100k-per-week earner, putting faith in the likes of George, with the youngster the future of the football club.

It’s sad to see his lack of form given his start to life at the Bridge, with the Italian needing to take him out of the firing line, making him work for a starting role after his lack of tangible impact.

Related Boehly has hit the jackpot on "special" Chelsea star worth more than Samu

This highly-valued Chelsea player could get even better over the coming years.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Feb 24, 2025

Leeds United took another step towards their ultimate goal of automatic promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking when they were held to a 1-1 draw by West Bromwich Albion.

Daniel Farke’s side played host to the Baggies at Elland Road on Saturday and failed to claim all three points, despite taking the lead through Junior Firpo.

The Whites are now three points ahead of Sheffield United in second place in the Championship and eight points clear of Burnley in third, with 11 matches left to be played.

This means that Farke and his team are in a fantastic position to ensure that they miss out on the lottery of the play-offs, going straight up to the top-flight instead of heading into the post-season matches.

Leeds are competing to land automatic promotion despite a disruptive summer that saw many key stars, including Crysencio Summerville, Archie Gray, Georginio Rutter, and Glen Kamara, move on from Elland Road.

Impressive recruitment has been at the heart of the team’s success and one summer signing, in particular, who has caught the eye this season has been Ao Tanaka.

Ao Tanaka's form for Leeds

The Whites reportedly paid a modest fee of £3.4m to sign the Japan international from German side Fortuna Dusseldorf in the summer transfer window to bolster their options in the middle of the park.

However, Tanaka was not brought in to immediately start in midfield for Farke. He was a substitute in his first four Championship appearances, as Ilia Gruev and Ethan Ampadu started together, and an injury to Ampadu against Coventry provided him with a chance to nail down a place as a regular starter.

The 26-year-old star has gone on to start 27 matches in the second tier to date and has established himself as the go-to option for Leeds in front of the back four.

Tanaka, who recently scored a big goal against Sheffield United in a promotion six-pointer, has offered an incredibly reliable presence in possession for the Whites.

Leeds are a dominant team, averaging 60.9% possession per game in the Championship, and this means that their midfielders have to be comfortable with taking plenty of touches.

Passes attempted

74.87

Top 5%

Pass accuracy

89.8%

Top 2%

Progressive passes

7.40

Top 5%

Passes into the final third

7.03

Top 5%

Passes into the penalty area

1.38

Top 10%

As you can see in the table above, Tanaka ranks incredibly highly among midfielders in the division when it comes to completing passes and progressing play into the final third.

He is the midfield maestro for Farke and has been a joy to watch in the Championship this season, but he is not the first of his kind to play in a (potentially) promotion-winning side at this level for the Whites.

Marcelo Bielsa had his own Ao Tanaka

Former Leeds head coach Marcelo Bielsa, who won the second tier title in the 2019/20 campaign, had his own version of Ao Tanaka in the form of English metronome Adam Forshaw.

The ex-Whites man struggled with injuries throughout his time with the club and was restricted to seven appearances and six starts in the league that term, but he was exceptional in the games that he did play.

As you can see in the chart above, Forshaw’s use of the ball that season was incredibly similar to Tanaka’s this term, in terms of his progressive passing and his efficiency with the ball at his feet, whilst offering more than the Japanese star as a creative threat.

Forshaw, who averaged 1.23 passes into the penalty area per 90, provided Bielsa with a metronomic figure in the engine room, as he had the technical quality to constantly get on the ball and make things tick in a dominant side chasing promotion.

Unfortunately, his fitness issues ultimately hampered his time at Elland Road, as the midfielder, who was described as “valuable” by the Argentine tactician, went on to play just 34 Premier League games in the following three seasons.

He did show signs of promise in the top-flight, however, ranking in the top 15% of midfielders for passes into the final third per 90 (5.64) and in the top 16% for key passes per 90 (1.5), which shows that he offered quality as a progressive and creative passer in the Premier League.

This shows that he was Bielsa’s own version of Tanaka because he was another diminutive metronome who could be a terrier in midfield, buzzing around the pitch to dictate the tempo of games whilst also having the ability to progress play and find teammates in dangerous areas.

What happened to Adam Forshaw

His contract at Elland Road expired in the summer of 2023 and it was an awkward time for the out of contract players because Leeds had just been relegated and they did not appoint a permanent head coach until Farke arrived in July, after deals had expired.

CEO Angus Kinnear did not opt to extend Forshaw’s contract before appointing a new manager and that meant that he allowed the midfield star to walk away on a free transfer that summer.

Where Are They Now

That has turned out to be an excellent decision by Kinnear as Forshaw, despite the quality he displayed during his time under Bielsa at Elland Road, has bounced around the Championship in recent years.

He joined Norwich on a free transfer after his exit from Leeds and only made nine appearances in the first half of the season, before being allowed to join Plymouth Argyle on a free transfer.

The 33-year-old lasted a year with the Pilgrims, playing 30 times in all competitions, before he secured another free transfer to a Championship team in January of this season – joining Blackburn Rovers.

Forshaw has scored one goal in ten matches for Blackburn in the second tier so far, since his move at the start of the year, and may be hoping to finally settle down after three free transfers in the space of 18 months.

He's now more prolific than Piroe: Leeds must rue selling magnificent star

The former Leeds United star is now a free-scoring £8.3m-rated centre-forward.

ByDan Emery Mar 3, 2025

The fact that the English central midfielder has bounced around the Championship, without commanding any transfer fees, suggests that Leeds allowed him to move on at the right time and that they were right to not award him a new contract in the summer of 2023, despite his quality when available in the past for the Whites.

Shifting their focus towards the January transfer window, West Bromwich Albion are now reportedly racing to sign a 6 foot 5 rising star who’s scored four goals in his last five games.

West Brom transfer news

To say it’s been a chaotic couple of months for West Brom would be an understatement. After finding themselves in a unique run of draws, it was one point too many to keep hold of Carlos Corberan, who swapped the Midlands for Valencia.

A difficult man to replace even amid that run of frustrating draws, the Baggies then turned to a true veteran and a returning icon in Tony Mowbray, who picked up his second win in five games last time out against Sheffield Wednesday.

With Blackburn Rovers up next, those at The Hawthorns will have the chance to move as many as five points clear of their opponents in the race to secure a play-off place, representing just how important tonight’s clash within the Championship’s top six is.

A place in the play-offs and then possibly the Premier League would certainly leave the Baggies in good stead to welcome reinforcements this summer too, including one young forward.

Special West Brom star is becoming Mowbray's answer to Matheus Pereira

Tony Mowbray will hope this West Bromwich Albion star can fire his new side to promotion.

ByKelan Sarson Feb 11, 2025

According to Football Insider, West Brom are now racing to sign Oliver Lynch after sending scouts to watch the 6’5 forward on loan from Luton Town at Hemel Hempstead.

The young striker has scored four goals in five games for the National League South side and doesn’t look like stopping anytime soon. With West Brom and a number of EFL clubs now reportedly interested in his signature, he will undoubtedly be one to watch as his impressive campaign continues on loan from the Hatters.

"Immense" Lynch is one for the future

At just 19 years old, Lynch is doing everything right in front of goal in the National League South and has deservedly earned the praise of Lee Allinson.

The Hemel Hempstead boss told reporters afer Lynch scored in a victory against Farnborough Town: “We do our due diligence on players and Lynchy was one I kept my eye on after I’d faced him with Hendon against Dulwich.

“I like him, he’s a handful and I thought he was immense today and him and Joe [Iaciofano] worked tirelessly to give people a moment’s rest. He also scored an unbelievable goal and could have had another one just before half-time as well.”

As for West Brom, they could certainly do with a permanent solution to their striker problem with Adam Armstrong only arriving on loan during the January transfer window. At such a young age, Lynch is exactly the type of rising star that The Hawthorns could enjoy for years to come.

There’s certainly plenty of competition for the forward’s signature, however, which makes promotion to the Premier League all the more important for West Brom this season.

Saurabh Kumar and Navdeep Saini are likely to be drafted into the Test squad as replacement players

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2022

UP’s Saurabh Kumar could be in line for his Test debut, in place of Ravindra Jadeja•Bangladesh Cricket Board

Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami are unlikely to recover in time to take part in the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, which starts on December 14 in Chattogram. Both players had missed the preceding ODI series with injuries. In their absence, India are likely to bring in Saurabh Kumar and Navdeep Saini as replacements. Both Saurabh and Saini are currently part of the India A side also on tour in Bangladesh.Jadeja is yet to recover fully from a knee surgery that he had done in September earlier this year, while Shami is nursing a shoulder injury. Shami had suffered the injury during a training session after he returned from Australia, where India lost the semi-final of the T20 World Cup last month.Saurabh, the Uttar Pradesh left-arm spinner, could be in line for his debut as a like-for-like replacement for Jadeja. He has been a consistent performer in the Ranji Trophy and in the ongoing unofficial Test series against Bangladesh A, he has emerged as the highest wicket-taker so far with ten strikes at an average of 15.30. Saurabh can also contribute with the bat lower down the order, as he showed during his 39-ball 55 in Sylhet on Thursday.Related

Rohit Sharma ruled out of first Test against Bangladesh

McDermott: 'Beating India 3-0 a massive goal for us'

Evolving Shreyas Iyer firmly staking his claim for ODI No. 4 spot

Rohit frustrated with India's mounting injury list

Injured Shami ruled out of ODIs against Bangladesh

Saini, if he is promoted into the senior side, will join Umesh Yadav, Shardul Thakur and Mohammed Siraj as India’s seam-bowling options for the series. Rohit Sharma, the captain, is in doubt for the Test-series opener after having injured his thumb during the second ODI in Mirpur on Wednesday. Rohit has since returned home to Mumbai to consult a specialist but the BCCI is yet to provide the latest update.After India conceded the ODI series 2-0, Rohit expressed his frustration at India’s mounting injury list. Deepak Chahar (hamstring strain) and Kuldeep Sen (stiff back) are also on that list.”I mean there are definitely a few injury concerns,” Rohit said. “We need to try and get to the bottom of it. I don’t know what exactly it is. Maybe they’re playing too much cricket. We need to try and monitor those guys, because it’s important to understand when they come for India, they need to be a 100%, in fact more than 100%.”