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West Ham United have made a move in a bid to bring Bamba Dieng to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by French media outlet RMC Sport (via the Daily Mail), who claim that both West Ham and Crystal Palace have made an approach to Olympique de Marseille regarding a deal to sign the centre-forward this month.

The report goes on to state that the Ligue 1 side are now in a position where they have to sell in order to balance their books, and could let the 21-year-old leave the club for a fee of just €10m (£8m) in the current market.

The next Drogba

With a new centre-forward very much being a priority for David Moyes over the remainder of the January transfer window, the news that Dieng looks as if he will be available for such a small fee this winter is sure to have intrigued the 58-year-old Hammers manager.

And, it is clear to see why the Scot would be interested in a deal to sign the Senegal international this month, not only because West Ham’s only current senior centre-forward is Michail Antonio, but also because the 21-year-old is clearly a player who boasts a remarkable amount of potential for the future.

Indeed, over his 14 Ligue 1 outings this season – only seven of which have come as starts – the £7.2m-rated hitman has already scored four goals and created one big chance for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.5 shots per game and finding the back of the net every 136 minutes of football played.

These returns have led to the player who Jorge Sampaoli dubbed “explosive” receiving some extremely high praise, none less so than from El Hadji Diouf, who stated of Dieng: “He’s a striker, a Didier Drogba. All he can do is score goals. He is a young person with a future. All I have to say is keep his head on his shoulders, keep working. He is an attacker who ends up in the box.”

As such, it would appear as if a move for the 21-year-old would be a very wise move for Moyes to make in the coming days, as, should Dieng continue his current rate of development following a switch to the London Stadium, the Hammers could very well have the next Drogba on their hands.

In other news: Moyes could form a deadly front three as WHU plot late Jan offer for £15m “greyhound”

Celtic appear to be edging closer to the signing of Daizen Maeda in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Dan Orlowitz, with the Japan Times journalist and J League insider stating in a post on Twitter that the Yokohama F. Marinos centre-forward’s proposed move to Celtic appears to be all but done, with the 24-year-old looking set to join the Bhoys on an initial loan deal with a €2m (£1.7m) purchase option to be exercised this summer.

In his post, Orlowitz said: “Multiple Japanese outlets reporting in the last 30 minutes that Daizen Maeda is expected to join Celtic on loan with a €2m purchase option to be exercised this summer. Based on [the] variety of sources I’d say this is done.”

Postecoglou will be buzzing

Considering just how impressive Maeda was in Japan this season, in addition to the fact that Ange Postecoglou is rather short of strength in depth up top, the news that the club’s deal to sign the striker looks to be all but complete is sure to have left the 56-year-old buzzing.

Indeed, over his 36 J League appearances this term, the £990k-rated forward scored a highly impressive 23 goals, provided three assists and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.6 shots and making 0.9 key passes per game.

These returns saw the Japan international earn an excellent seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.09, ranking him as his club’s joint sixth-best performer in the league, as well as the joint top scorer in the division.

And, with all three of Kyogo Furuhashi, Albian Ajeti and Giorgos Giakoumakis suffering from various injuries this season, it would very much appear as if Postecoglou could use an extra body in attack ahead of the restart of the Premiership season next month.

As such, the news that the Maeda deal is close to completion will undoubtedly come as a major boost to the 56-year-old Bhoys manager, who will certainly be hoping to deploy the 24-year-old when Hibernian visit Parkhead on January 17.

In other news: Forget Jota: Ange can land the next Eriksen with Celtic swoop for £12.5m-rated machine

A number of Manchester United supporters have praised Edinson Cavani after it was claimed he would stay put at the club beyond the January transfer window.

The Red Devils are suffering a tough time of things at the moment, with poor results and performances on the pitch and Ralf Rangnick’s squad seemingly an unhappy bunch off it. The Mirror made a shocking claim last week that as many as 17 players are seeking to leave the club, with the Uruguay striker named as one of them.

The hope is that United enjoy an upturn in fortunes soon, starting with victory at home to Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round on Monday night.

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However, one player who seems to remain highly popular among many of the United faithful is Cavani, with the Uruguayan proving to be an excellent signing, scoring 19 goals in 50 appearances for the club thus far.

There has been speculation over a potential January exit but it now looks as though he will stay put, with journalist Fabrizio Romano sharing some comments from Ralf Rangnick via Twitter.

The interim manager said: “I spoke with Edinson Cavani almost half an hour. He told me he will definitely stay at Man United this January. I can rely on him to give his very best and to be a role model for young players.”

Man United fans hail Cavani news

These United fans took to Twitter to share their positive thoughts at the news that Cavani is committed to staying at Old Trafford for another few months at least.

“Can’t love this guy enough”

Credit: @Mitul__Mistry

“If only the rest of the squad was like this fella”

Credit: @DJMurph79322365

“Happy Monday”

Credit: @J_Oxborough

“More reason to love Edi!”

Credit: @IqieNaim

“Some good news for once”

Credit: @_All_United

“I AM IN LOVE, I CAN’T DENY”

Credit: @JIM365_

In other news, some United fans have reacted to a managerial update. Read more here.

Antonio Conte could be on the verge of making one of his first mistakes at Tottenham Hotspur after a recent claim emerged about central defender Joe Rodon.

What’s the word?

The 24-year-old Wales international has barely featured under the Italian since his arrival last month, featuring for only 54 minutes against NS Mura in the Europa Conference League, in what was just his fourth start of the season overall.

He was signed from Swansea City a year ago for around £11m and could now look to force an exit this January, in a bid to earn some more minutes on the pitch.

According to Football Insider, the 6 foot 4 colossus is “100 per cent” keen to secure an exit next month. Meanwhile, Spurs are seemingly on the lookout for defensive reinforcements, having been linked to the likes of Inter Milan’s Stefan de Vrij and Alessandro Bastoni, as well as AC Milan’s Alessio Romagnoli.

Now, Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge, who is generally clued up on things behind the scenes at Hotspur Way, has delivered his verdict to GIVEMESPORT. He said:

“As it stands right now, I just get this feeling that Antonio Conte doesn’t think he’s at the level Tottenham need.”

Bad call?

This is a worrying claim as it almost certainly highlights the fact that the 52-year-old isn’t a fan of the Jose Mourinho addition, not at least because of his one start under him and that lasted less than an hour.

It is interesting that Conte will not turn to him despite their mini injury crisis that has seen star centre-back Cristian Romero ruled out for a couple of months heading into the start of 2022.

Rodon features regularly for his country and excelled at Euro 2020 alongside fellow Lilywhites defender Ben Davies, who the Italian has deployed in his back three regularly.

Indeed, the Welshman has played nearly as many times for Rob Page’s Dragons (12) as he has Spurs (16) in 2021.

But it’s a little perplexing as he clearly has a lot to offer and is a more natural centre-back than his compatriot and perhaps an even more reliable option than someone like Davinson Sanchez, who has been regularly lambasted as a “liability” during his time in N17.

Valued at £18m by CIES Football Observatory, Rodon has delivered fine performances for Wales, leading to praise such as “flawless” and him being a “special player” by journalist Ian Mitchelmore.

Meanwhile, in the past, he has been likened to two Premier League greats by Sky Sports’ Andy Hinchcliffe. “You look at Rio Ferdinand and John Terry and there are elements of both in Rodon’s game,” he claimed.

He’s also a player that the Lilywhites faithful have also been very keen to see and some feel that he should be in the starting XI more often, especially with Romero out injured – as seen in reactions relayed by This is Futbol earlier this month, once after the aforementioned Football Insider report and again after he was snubbed from a matchday squad.

They will not be thrilled by this latest update, so with the writing seemingly on the wall for Rodon, Conte could well be about to drop his biggest blunder yet in north London.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Conte: Spurs could form frightening duo with “fearless” £18m-rated beast…

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Rangers side have been touted as a potential destination for a top-flight central midfielder at the end of the season.

The Chronicle have namedropped the Gers and Celtic as clubs who could land Newcastle United gem Sean Longstaff on a pre-contract deal in January, although it is unclear whether this is pure speculation or based around interest from the two Scottish giants.

Get it done

If this is a deal the club are lining up, van Bronckhorst must sanction the move and ensure that Ross Wilson is able to get it over the line in the coming weeks heading into January. His contract situation at St. James’ Park provides them with the perfect opportunity to pick up a bargain and it could be a shrewd deal for Rangers.

He is out of contract next summer and the Gers could land a pre-contract agreement with him in January, which would then allow him to join without the club paying a single penny in transfer fees at the end of the campaign.

Transfermarkt value him at £13.5m, suggesting that Rangers could save a huge amount of cash by signing him on a free. Therefore, it could be a fantastic swoop for the Scottish outfit from a financial viewpoint and could free up funds for Wilson to invest in other areas of the club.

In terms of his ability on the pitch, he has earned some high praise. Former Manchester United and England midfielder Michael Carrick previously lauded his attributes. The current Old Trafford coach said:

“Sean is a fantastic ­talent and doing well at the ­moment. He hasn’t played a awful lot of games yet, but the ­future is bright for him.

“I don’t like ­comparing his playing style to mine. It is not fair on Sean. He is ­carving his own career out. He has his own traits and strengths. I ­always enjoy seeing young ­players getting a chance.”

The £23k-per-week gem has made 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game in the Premier League this season, scoring once in 11 matches. This shows that he has the tenacity and strength to win the ball back consistently in the English top-flight, which is a quality he could bring to Ibrox.

At the age of 24, he also has plenty of room left to grow and develop as a player over the years. Therefore, he could be a superb signing for the here and now and the future, which is why the Rangers boss must sanction a deal for the Newcastle midfielder in January ahead of him arriving next summer.

AND in other news, Meeting expected: Report delivers Rangers transfer update that could leave fans gutted…

Wolves remain interested in signing towering Lille centre-back Sven Botman in the January transfer window, according to a fresh report.

The Lowdown: Botman a past Wolves target

Wanderers have been linked with the Dutchman in the recent past as Bruno Lage eyes up January and summer reinforcements. The 21-year-old may still be a very young player but he is already a hugely important figure for Lille, making 12 starts in Ligue 1 so far this season.

It looks as though Botman could still be on the move next month, though, with an encouraging update provided from a Wolves perspective.

The Latest: Interest in defender remains

According to Tuttomercatoweb, Wanderers and Roma are both interested in acquiring Botman’s signature and they continue to track the 21-year-old, with AC Milan and Newcastle also now joining the race for his services.

However, the Lille defender’s current deal with the reigning French champions doesn’t expire until the summer of 2025, so a hefty free may be required to prise him away.

The Verdict: Fantastic potential signing

While centre-backs Max Kilman, Conor Coady and Romain Saiss have all impressed for Wolves this season, the opportunity to sign Botman should not be dismissed. The monstrous defender has averaged 2.3 successful headers and 4.6 clearances per game in the league in 2021/22, with only Saiss (2.6) averaging more aerial duels won among those in Lage’s squad.

The Moroccan is also the only Wanderers player to outdo Botman in terms of clearances (5.2), highlighting how good a signing the Dutchman could be in making competition for places even stronger at Molineux.

In other news, some Wolves fans have fumed over a transfer update. Read more here.

Taking to Twitter, Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas has now broken a ‘boost’ for Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte ahead of Leeds United as Ryan Sessegnon returns from injury.

The Lowdown: Sessegnon sidelined…

September’s torrid international break, which Spurs fans will certainly believe to be the worst in recent memory, saw a plethora of Lilywhites stars return from their duties with various problems.

Indeed, the likes of Steven Bergwijn, Oliver Skipp, Son Heung-min and Sessegnon picked up knocks before their trip back to Hotspur Way.

Meanwhile, South American trio Cristian Romero, Giovani Lo Celso and Davinson Sanchez had to spend a 10-day training camp in Croatia due to quarantine rules before returning to London (Evening Standard).

Sessegnon, the last player to finally recover from this nightmare period, is reportedly back in contention as Sky reporter Thomas shares a social media update.

The Latest: Conte gifted Sessegnon ‘boost’…

As per the journalist, Conte is set to see the defender return to full training following his hamstring injury – and he could even be available to face Leeds United.

“Ryan Sessegnon will return to full training this week from the hamstring problem suffered in September and could be available for Leeds clash on Sunday,” he explained.

Sharing his piece, which describes the 21-year-old’s return as a ‘selection boost’, Thomas details that Sessegnon’s comeback could come of use to Conte given his preferred 3-4-3 formation – coming as just ‘the sort of player’ who could become ‘rejuvenated’ in the Italian’s system (Twitter).

The Verdict: Crunch time for Sessegnon…

Under former bosses Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo, combination of injury issues and loan spells out of the club haven’t really handed Sessegnon a chance to cement his place in the Spurs team.

However, if Conte can be the man to full implement the Englishman, it’s safe to say Tottenham can have a more-than ideal rotational option to Sergio Reguilon and, potentially, one of the strongest left-back rosters in the Premier League.

Lauded as an ‘outstanding player’ with the potential to become worth around £50 million (Noel Whelan, Football Insider), former Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic’s praise for the ‘special’ starlet highlights his quality.

It is no coincidence that Nuno was a ‘big fan’ of the left-wing back, as reliably reported by Alasdair Gold (via Spurs Web), and these next few months could well be a crunch time in his Spurs career.

Time will tell whether he goes on to become a favourite, but the quality is certainly there for him to do so.

In other news: ‘I understand’, ‘In recent weeks’…Alasdair Gold shares exciting development out of Hotspur Way, find out more here.

India will live to fight another day in the Champions Trophy after rain prevented a result at Centurion, where Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey had led a strong Australian batting effort

The Bulletin by Brydon Coverdale28-Sep-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outMichael Hussey found some form with 67•Getty Images

India and Australia will have their Champions Trophy fortunes decided on Wednesday after a washout in the match between the two sides in Centurion on Monday, when Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey led a strong Australian batting effort. Australia reached 234 for 4 before the deluge that had appeared imminent for more than an hour finally arrived and set in.It meant the only winner was Pakistan, who are now assured of a semi-final spot. The fate of Australia and India now rests with the final two group matches, both on Wednesday. For India to progress they must thrash West Indies and lift their net run-rate while also hoping Australia lose to Pakistan; any win or no-result for Australia in their remaining match and they are through.Australia were the frontrunners when the match was abandoned. There was no centurion at Centurion but a string of half-centuries from Ponting, Hussey and Tim Paine, as well as a late flurry from Cameron White set them on a comfortable course. As the players toiled against the backdrop of lightning, White lifted the tempo with an unbeaten 35, including a monstrous six over midwicket off Amit Mishra.However, it was Ponting and Hussey who controlled the middle of the innings as they kept the scoreboard ticking over with little drama. Hussey was typically unobtrusive in compiling 67 from 65 deliveries, driving through gaps and haring through for single after single. There had been a reverse sweep early in his innings but he’d taken few risks until he lofted a wide ball from Ishant Sharma, who bowled poorly, straight to Sachin Tendulkar at long off.Ponting was more classical, if slower to score his 65 runs, until he was caught short by a magnificent direct hit from the deep from Gautam Gambhir. Until that moment, Ponting had looked set for a century as he settled into a rhythm with quick singles and the odd cracking cut or drive, as well as one brilliant, high lofted drive for six off a good-length Praveen Kumar delivery.Ponting was the anchor, combining in an 88-run stand with Hussey and an 84-run partnership with Paine, while India’s bowlers battled to make inroads into the top order. Paine was the aggressor early and took plenty of risks. He walked down the pitch to Ishant and turned him over midwicket for four, also pulling him for six as Ishant’s first over cost 16 and his first three overs leaked 30.The risk-reward strategy continued against Harbhajan Singh, whose first ball to Paine was paddle-swept for four from on the stumps and later in the same over Paine reverse-swept another boundary to bring up his half-century. However, Paine’s luck expired on 56, when he top-edged another paddle-sweep off Mishra to midwicket.Mishra and Ashish Nehra were the most impressive bowlers in an Indian effort that lacked bite. There was sharp turn for Mishra but not a great deal of assistance for the fast bowlers, although India could also have used a sharper fielding effort – Paine should’ve been run out on 6 and on 31 his edge off Mishra flew between MS Dhoni and Rahul Dravid at first slip.After India lost the toss, Nehra gave them the perfect start when he consigned Shane Watson to his third consecutive one-day international duck. Nehra found some extra bounce that surprised Watson, whose top-edged pull lobbed to Harbhajan at midwicket.There wasn’t much more joy for India, although the washout was a reasonable outcome for them given Australia’s solid batting. However, India need to find some spark to hammer a West Indies side that has fought well in this tournament, and they must also hope for a Pakistan win against Ponting’s men. Australia’s fate is in their own hands.

Ryan Sidebottom has earned a recall to England’s squad for the fourth Test at Headingley, while Jonathan Trott was also called up

Andrew Miller04-Aug-2009Ryan Sidebottom is back in the frame for the Ashes•Getty Images

Ryan Sidebottom has earned a recall to England’s squad for the fourth Test at Headingley, while Warwickshire’s in-form batsman, Jonathan Trott, has been drafted in as batting cover for the struggling Andrew Flintoff, as England seek to bounce back from a chastening final day at Edgbaston.Having begun the day with an outside chance of forcing victory in the third Test, England’s attack was instead left looking toothless by Australia’s middle order, in particular Michael Clarke and Marcus North, whose fifth-wicket stand of 185 saved the match with ease.What is more, England finished the game with serious concerns about the fitness and form of two of their bowlers – Flintoff, whose dodgy right knee restricted him to just 11 overs in the day and left his participation at Headingley in serious doubt, and Stuart Broad, whose hit-the-deck style caused Australia few problems for the third match running.Sidebottom’s inclusion on his former home ground is a clear indication that England intend to use swing as their preferred route to Ashes success. Trott’s inclusion, meanwhile, is a sure sign that the selectors are anxious about the fitness of Flintoff, as they seek extra batting cover in the event of having to rejig the balance of their side. Trott is currently averaging 99.75 in first-class cricket, but has not featured in an England squad since playing two Twenty20s against West Indies in 2007.”Both players have been in good form for their counties in recent weeks and as selectors we are delighted that competition for places in the side is so strong,” said the national selector, Geoff Miller. “Jonathan Trott has also performed really well for Warwickshire this season and his place in the squad is fully deserved. His inclusion will provide us with the option of playing six batsmen if we feel this is appropriate.”We will continue to closely monitor Andrew Flintoff’s fitness in the build-up-up to Headingley. His right knee will be reassessed by our medical staff over the next forty-eight hours and no final decision on his availability will be taken until closer to the start of the Test match.”Sidebottom’s inclusion in the squad was telegraphed by an ECB request to his county side Nottinghamshire, who have been asked to omit him from their team for tomorrow’s County Championship fixture at Horsham.Though he has not played a Test for England since the tour of the Caribbean in February, when he struggled with an Achilles injury and managed just one wicket in 59 overs on tour, Sidebottom’s accuracy and ability as a left-armer to bend the ball back into the right-hander has long been prized by the England selectors.He was England’s Player of the Year in 2008 after a remarkable return to the side after six years on the sidelines, in which he claimed 53 wickets in 12 months, including a haul of 24 in three Tests in a series-winning display in New Zealand. His comeback fixture took place in May 2007 at Headingley, where he learnt his trade with Yorkshire for six seasons from 1997, and he marked the occasion with eight wickets to set up an innings victory over West Indies.Lateral movement has been England’s key to success in an Ashes series in which they lead 1-0 despite being outbatted by six centuries to one in the three Tests to date. Australia’s batting has crumbled on the two occasions when England have moved the ball consistently through the air – in the decisive first innings at Lord’s, when they were shot out for 215, and then again on the second morning at Edgbaston, when they lost 7 for 77 in the session. Aside from those two occasions, Australia have amassed 1455 runs for the loss of 21 wickets.”When a wicket’s flat, it’s flat, and it’s very hard to kind of conjure something out of nothing,” said England’s captain, Andrew Strauss. “It’s something we’ve got to keep working on, because all around the world these days a lot of the wickets are like that. We’ve got to keep working on our plan Bs, what we can do as variations. It’s always a big challenge when there’s not much happening on the pitch.”That’s where Sidebottom’s innate ability comes into the equation, having prised out five wickets on a typically flat deck at Taunton last week. Although Broad contributed some very useful runs at No. 8, and was praised by his captain for producing his best spell of the series on the final afternoon at Edgbaston, he has so far managed six wickets at 57.50, and it’s becoming increasingly clear that England cannot afford to include two hit-the-deck bowlers against this current Australian batting line-up, especially if one of them, Flintoff, is less than fully fit.Strauss nevertheless remains “optimistic” that Flintoff will be fit for Headingley. “There is obviously some soreness there but I don’t think there’s anything that has deteriorated massively over the course of the game,” he said. “He needs to rest up well because back-to-back Tests are hard for any bowlers and we’ll see how he is on Thursday. We want to play our best team in every game we play but we’ve got to be conscious that if he’s not fit enough to do his job then he won’t play.”Steve Harmison remains on standby as Flintoff’s like-for-like replacement, having played through the pain of blistered feet to wrap up Durham’s sixth Championship win of the series against Sussex yesterday. His second-innings figures of 3 for 68 took his season tally to 53 wickets at 19.37, and underlined his stated “desperation” to play a part in the Ashes.”In choosing our squad for this Test match, we decided to omit a second spinner as Headingley is not usually a ground where two spinners are required and therefore Monty Panesar misses out on selection this time,” said Miller. “We will need to carefully assess the pitch and the overhead conditions at Headingley before finalising our eleven for this Test and the inclusion of Stephen Harmison and Ryan Sidebottom will give us different types of pace bowling options.”Squad 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Ravi Bopara, 4 Ian Bell, 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Matt Prior (wk), 7 Andrew Flintoff, 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 11 Graham Onions, 12 Steve Harmison, 13 Ryan Sidebottom, 14 Jonathan Trott.

MatériaMais Notícias

Demorou mais do que a torcida gostaria, mas Valencia finalmente fez uma partida consistente pelo Botafogo. Neste domingo, na vitória sobre o Flamengo, do minuto inicial até os 35 minutos do segundo tempo, quando pediu para ser substituído, o chileno participou da maioria das jogadas da equipe, inclusive as dos gols. Jair Ventura ganhou um jogador para a Copa Libertadores, contra o Grêmio, na quarta-feira

-É importante. Num momento de lesões, o Leo (Valencia) estar performando. Tenho certeza que o Renato (Gaúcho) viu o jogo. Se tivermos a volta dos quatro lesionados, ganhamos opções e mexidas. É importante termos um grupo homogêneo. É importante entrar e dar conta do recado – celebra o treinador.

Inicialmente, Valencia foi escalado na faixa central. Mas fez jogadas pela esquerda, com Rodrigo Pimpão, e pela direita, participou do segundo gol de Roger. A versatilidade do meia é uma arma que Jair poderá utilizar na sequência da temporada.

-Testamos ele de algumas maneiras. Como externo, meia ligação, com aproximação, e ele fez bem com o Victor e com o Pimpão, depois com o Arnaldo e o Bruno (Silva). Ele é um cara muito físico, forte fisicamente. No final, até pediu pra sair. O que ele coreu foi um absurdo. Entrega, garra, determinação. Pode jogar como segundo atacante, externo pela esquerda e centralizado – entende Jair.

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