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West Ham, in out of the ordinary fashion, have actually been one of the busier Premier League sides so far this window as they look to try and salvage anything from this increasingly doomed season.

Their crushing 2-1 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night has left them even more stranded in the bottom three with Nuno Espírito Santo’s future looking very uncertain.

Nevertheless, it’s never over until the fat lady sings, and West Ham’s business so far this month suggests they’re desperate to rescue their campaign.

The first order of business was to complete a surprise double-striker deal for Pablo Felipe and Taty Castellanos, who arrived from Gil Vicente and Lazio respectively for a combined fee of around £47 million.

It remains to be seen whether the centre-forward duo will be enough to keep West Ham afloat with seven points now separating them from safety, but the Hammers apparently aren’t done there.

According to some insiders, West Ham also want to splash the cash on a centre-back, a winger and a new goalkeeper in addition to the two new strikers they’ve already brought in.

Between the sticks, only one name has dominated the headlines — Al-Nassr’s Bento.

The Brazilian, who’s made just one Saudi Pro League appearance all season, is firmly behind Saudi international keeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi in the pecking order.

This has alerted interested clubs to the prospect of tempting the 26-year-old away from the Middle East this month, and West Ham are chief among them.

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Posts ByDominic Lund

According to Fabrizio Romano and other reliable media sources, West Ham are currently in talks over a deal for Bento, and a bid has already been made for the ex-Athletico Paranese star.

Romano didn’t go into too much detail in regard to the ins and outs of this offer, but Sky Italia reporter Gianluca Di Marzio has lifted the lid on some key aspects of West Ham’s bid.

Bento holds Tuesday exit talks as West Ham submit loan bid

Di Marzio writes that West Ham’s offer for Bento is a loan-to-buy worth around £4 million, and Bento held exit talks with Al-Nassr yesterday underlining his desire to leave this month.

However, it is also believed that the Irons are by no means the only club in the race for his signature.

Di Marzio also reports that Genoa have made an identical offer for the South American, and as things stand, the keeper actually prefers a move to Serie A over the Premier League.

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Because of this, West Ham are currently behind Daniele De Rossi’s side in pursuit of Bento, who wants a switch to Italy to showcase his very best ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

His situation at Al-Nassr is very intriguing when you factor in how he was basically undroppable in his debut campaign.

Bento played all but one of Al-Nassr’s games in all competitions last season, starting a seismic 49 matches and featuring over 4,410 minutes.

Still pretty young in goalkeeping years, Bento left Brazil in 2024 with huge potential, but it now appears West Ham have a fight on their hands to sign the £102,000-per-week ace before deadline day.

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Posts ByDominic Lund

Aston Villa are now preparing a contract offer to sign a “revelation”, who is available for a bargain fee this month.

Villa remain title contenders after Nottingham Forest triumph

Villa are still just six points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, following a 3-1 triumph against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, but despite his side’s top form, Unai Emery has hinted there could be some new additions to the squad, if the right deal is on the table.

Emery said: “We are alert. We signed Alysson and we are trying to understand how we can improve our squad, but of course intelligently, and as well, with the financial rules.

“But we are a team and my mentality is: always be alert in case we can improve something in the squad, to do it. We must be ready for different options we can have in the transfer window.”

Signing a new forward appears to be of particular interest, with the likes of Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush and Borussia Dortmund’s Julian Brandt recently being named as potential targets.

However, according to a report from Caught Offside, Aston Villa are also keen on strengthening at the opposite end of the pitch, and they are preparing a long-term contract for Celta Vigo’s Oscar Mingueza, who they are looking to sign on a deal until 2030.

Mingueza will be available for the bargain fee of just €8m – €10m (£7m – £9m) this month, with the Spanish club willing to sanction a departure for a low price, given that his contract is set to expire at the end of the season.

There is no shortage of interest from the Premier League, with West Ham United and Newcastle United also named as potential suitors, and the defender’s versatility is of great appeal, as he is capable of playing at right-back, centre-back and in a back three.

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Posts ByEmilio Galantini "Revelation" Mingueza could challenge for Cash's starting spot

Matty Cash has been a reliable option for Emery this season, with the right-back impressing from an attacking point of view, amassing three goals and two assists in 19 Premier League outings, and most recently setting up John McGinn’s opening goal against Forest.

Subscribe to the newsletter for smart transfer analysis For deeper context on targets like Oscar Mingueza and what a bargain signing means for squad building, subscribe to the newsletter for in-depth transfer analysis, tactical fit and financial perspective that helps make sense of possible moves.

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The Celta vigo defender is able to make an impact going forward too, chipping in with four goals and six assists in La Liga last term, during which time he was lauded as a “revelation” by journalist Zach Lowy.

The former Barcelona man has also displayed his defensive attributes as of late, making a number of important contributions as his side triumphed 4-1 against Valencia last time out.

Oscar Mingueza’s key statistics vs Valencia

Number completed

Tackles

4

Clearances

4

Duels won

6

Having averaged a SofaScore match rating of 7.05, Mingueza is Celta Vigo’s third-best performing player in La Liga this season, and he could be a smart addition for Villa for around just £9m, given their well-documented FFP issues.

Tottenham Hotspur are set to lose the player who scored the winner in the Europa League final last year, as Brennan Johnson inches closer towards the exit door.

Crystal Palace are reportedly confident that they will have him in the building for their clash with Newcastle United on Sunday, after they agreed a £35m fee with Spurs for the Wales international.

The £47.5m signing from Nottingham Forest is set to move on from North London after a return of 27 goals in 106 games, as shown in the graphic above, and the most memorable of those 27 strikes has to be his winner against Manchester United in the Europa League final.

Johnson, though, has only managed two goals and no assists in 16 Premier League appearances for Thomas Frank, per Sofascore, which may be why the Danish coach is willing to sanction this departure.

Spurs preparing offer for Premier League attacker

Spurs will need to be in the market for a replacement for the Welsh attacker, with his move to Palace days or hours away from completion, and they are reportedly looking at a Premier League forward.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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According to talkSPORT, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to sign Manchester City winger Savinho in the January transfer window.

The report claims that the Lilywhites are preparing a fresh offer to bring the Brazil international to North London, after they failed to get a transfer over the line in the summer.

Manchester City rejected their attempts to sign Savinho in the summer in a deal that could have been worth around £69m, but this update states that Spurs hope Antoine Semenyo’s rumoured move to The Etihad will convince them to part ways with the Brazilian.

It adds that the left-footed star was keen on a move to Tottenham ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, which suggests that he would be open to a transfer this month.

Why Savinho would be an upgrade on Johnson for Spurs

If Spurs can get a deal over the line for the City attacker in the coming days or weeks, Frank could have an upgrade on Johnson at his disposal on the right flank.

Savinho does not offer the same threat as a goalscorer, with just five goals since the start of last season (Sofascore), but his all-round play on the flank suggests that he can contribute more to the team’s overall performance than Johnson was doing.

The chart above illustrates the gulf in quality between their performances at Premier League level in the 2024/25 campaign, as it shows that the Brazil international is significantly better in possession, particularly as a passer and a creator.

Savinho has registered 13 assists in all competitions since the start of last season, after recording ten in the 2023/24 campaign for Girona, and has the potential to be one of the most creative wide players in the entire division.

Most PL assists in 24/25

Player

Assists

Mo Salah

18

Jacob Murphy

12

Bukayo Saka

11

Bruno Fernandes

11

Morgan Rogers

11

Mikkel Damsgaard

11

Anthony Elanga

11

Savinho

10

Heung-min Son

10

Jarrod Bowen

10

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, the left-footed wing wizard was one of the top creators in the Premier League last term, despite the fact that he only started 21 top-flight matches for the Cityzens.

Savinho has only started four times in the division this season, registering one assist, and Spurs could provide him with an opportunity to play more regular football, to allow his creativity and quality in possession to shine through once again.

Early on last season, the winger “sent (Riccardo) Calafiori for a hotdog”, per U23 scout Antonio Mango, in the build up to a beautiful assist for Erling Haaland against Arsenal.

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Unfortunately, the clip of Haaland’s goal cuts out the part where he skipped past Calafiori by the touchline, but you can see his sublime through ball in the post below.

This shows that he is capable of game-changing moments against top-quality opponents in the Premier League, and he did not only deliver assists against the lesser sides in a dominant City side last season.

Overall, the Brazilian winger’s all-round game, creativity, and scope to improve further at the age of 21 suggest that he would arrive as an upgrade on Johnson on the wing for Spurs if they can get a deal over the line this month.

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Posts 1 ByAngus Sinclair

Karnataka‘s quest of defending the Vijay Hazare Trophy took a body blow as Jharkhand outclassed them by 47 runs. MS Dhoni, who promoted himself to No. 3, made just 1 but Jharkhand were driven forward by contributions from Ishank Jaggi (50), Saurabh Tiwary (43) and Kumar Deobrat (47*). But vital strikes from J Suchith, the left-arm spinner who finished with 4 for 35, meant Jharkhand were restricted to 216 for 8.Karnataka’s chase hit rough waters very quickly as they were reduced to 52 for 3 by the 12th over. KL Rahul held one end up, with his 41-run stand with Karun Nair briefly resisting Jharkhand. But Rahul’s dismissal for an 84-ball 42 resulted in lower-order meltdown. An injury to Stuart Binny didn’t help matters either as he walked out to bat at No. 10. Karnataka were eventually bowled out for 169 in 45 overs with Suchith being the last to fall for 34. The left-arm spinners – Sonu Singh and Shahbaz Nadeem – picked up three wickets apiece as Jharkhand registered their fourth win in five matches to put themselves in a good position to qualify for the knockouts.Gujarat derailed Haryana‘s campaign with a 28-run win that was powered by Rush Kalaria, the left-arm seamer, who picked up four wickets. Haryana somewhat justified their decision to bowl first by striking regularly, but Gujarat managed to pull away and post 259, with knocks from Parthiv Patel (45) and Rujul Bhatt (55). Amit Mishra, the Haryana captain, picked up three wickets, while Harshal Patel and Ashish Hooda had two wickets apiece.Haryana stumbled in their chase to lose half the side inside 100 runs, with RP Singh accounting for the the accomplished Jayant Yadav and Rohit Sharma. Kalaria then sliced through the lower order as Haryana were bowled out for 231 off the penultimate ball of the match. Poonish Mehta’s 57 lower down the order proved to be scant consolation for Haryana, who have now lost three out of their five matches.Karn Sharma delivered an all-round performance to help Railways beat Jammu & Kashmir by 43 runs in a low-scoring game to keep their hopes alive of making it through to the knockouts. Karn, the captain, top-scored with 60 in Railways’ 200 all out, with Waseem Raza, the left-arm spinner, taking 4 for 31. Ian Dev Singh waged a lone battle for J&K with an 83-ball 60 even as the batting collapsed around him. J&K were bowled out for 157 in 43.5 overs, completing their fourth successive loss in the tournament.

The Glamorgan opener, Dan Cherry, is to be released by the club at the end of the current season. Cherry, 27, made his debut in 1998 and hit the headlines with a score of 226 against Middlesex in 2005, the highest score by an uncapped player in the club’s history.However, he fell away after that and managed a total of just three centuries in 40 matches, at an average of 26.05. “It’s always disappointing when a decision is made not to renew a player’s contract,” said Glamorgan’s chief executive Mike Fatkin. “Dan has always been a loyal, wholehearted, hard-working cricketer.”The decision will have been influenced, at least in part, by the crop of young cricketers coming through the ranks at Sophia Gardens, and two of them – the Under-19 stars Ben Wright and James Harris – have been made available to Glamorgan for the remainder of the season.After their outstanding performances with bat and ball in the two Tests against Pakistan, both were initially included for the five-match one-day international series. But Glamorgan has since suffered a spate of , and asked the England & Wales Cricket Board to release the players for county action.”We’re particularly delighted that the ECB has released James and grateful that they have taken on board our concerns about the number of injuries to the seam bowlers on the staff,” said Fatkin. “David and Adam Harrison have long-term injury problems to add to those sustained more recently by Andrew Davies, Simon Jones and Huw Waters.”

Roger Twose left Warwickshire to play international cricket for New Zealand © Getty Images

Three overseas players are targeting a future in New Zealand after pledging their future to the country. Grant Elliott and Kruger van Wyk, from South Africa, and Alun Evans formally of Glamorgan, have committed to undertake the residency qualification so they are no longer overseas players.Under new terms in New Zealand domestic cricket none of the player pool money set aside for major associations can be spent on overseas cricketers. The players must either gain residency or be paid from outside the pool.Under ICC rules a player must have spent at least 183 days in the country for three years before they qualify. However Richard Reid, the Canterbury chief executive, told the that players were not trying to work around the payment rules.”This is a guy [van Wyk], and Grant Elliott at Wellington is another, who are like a lot of South Africans looking to move their lives here.”The agreement we have with the CPA [New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association] is that we will look favourably at these guys who have committed to New Zealand.””From Canterbury’s point of view, we needed a wicketkeeper. Michael Papps wants to open the batting for New Zealand and asking him to keep wickets for 120 overs a game wasn’t going to help him achieve that.”Evans, 31, has never been able to nail down a regular spot in the Glamorgan side and would now have to play as an overseas player if he returned to county cricket.Roger Twose is the most notable player to switch his allegiance to New Zealand after he left Warwickshire and made his international debut in 1995. He formed a useful career, playing 16 Test and 87 one-day internationals.New Zealand domestic cricket has attracted a number of overseas players including Matthew Maynard, who is now an England coach, and in more recent years Ben Smith, Jonathan Trott and Min Patel.

Scotland v Australians – Match abandoned

Adam Gilchrist signs autographs for the fans at a very wet Edinburgh © Getty Images

Scotland’s most anticipated match since the 1999 World Cup was abandoned with no play possible due to persistent rain.Play was scheduled to begin at 3.45pm in what would have been a 20-over contest, but the wet weather resumed almost as soon as the announcement was made to the capacity crowd of 4,500. Within minutes it became clear they would not be able to start. The match had been sold out for months, and organisers said they could have shifted the tickets three times over.Ricky Ponting was looking forward to the match and the carnival atmosphere. “The last two weeks have been physically and mentally tough,” he said, “so to have a few days away would have been great for us.””We won’t lose anything financially, the biggest loss for us was not having the game played and the exposure on TV,” Roddy Smith, Cricket Scotland’s chief executive, told the . “The loss for us was the missed opportunity to play against Australia.” He hoped that matches with next summer’s tourists Pakistan and Sri Lanka could be organised.The game was to be the first cricket broadcast for six years, and the first Scottish match outside the World Cup to be televised live. Australia have one further warm-up game, against Northamptonshire on Saturday, before the crucial fourth Test starts on August 25.

Courtney Browne: back to the international fold© Getty Images

Ridley Jacobs has been left out of the West Indies squad for the ICC Champions Trophy in September. He was replaced by Courtney Browne, who won a place as a result of consistent performances in the regional competitions.Though a 14-member squad was announced, the captain was only named following a meeting of the West Indies Cricket Board. The Board met on August 11 to ratify the selectors’ recommendation, and gave another chance to Brian Lara to turn things round after a dismal spell in charge of the team. Ramnaresh Sarwan was reappointed as his deputy.Mervyn Dillon was also recalled, as the selectors felt that his presence would add experience to the bowling attack. Wavell Hinds was included after passing a fitness test conducted by a medical panel.Six players were left out from the 15-member squad that played in the recent NatWest tournament. Carlton Baugh, Tino Best, Ridley Jacobs, Ravi Rampaul, Darren Sammy and Devon Smith were those to miss out. While Best and Rampaul were forced out by injury, the rest were axed for their lack of performance.Squad
1 Chris Gayle, 2 Wavell Hinds, 3 Brian Lara, 4 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 6 Dwayne Smith, 7 Dwayne Bravo, 8 Ricardo Powell, 9 Courtney Browne (wk), 10 Sylvester Joseph, 11 Mervyn Dillon, 12 Corey Collymore, 13 Ian Bradshaw, 14 Jermaine Lawson.

A Derbyshire Scorpions XI will play an inaugural fixture under the new Twenty20 Cup rules at the County Ground, Derby against a Derbyshire Premier Cricket League XI.The match – beginning at 5.30pm on Friday May 16 – will be played in coloured clothing and with a white ball, and admission to the 20 over per side game will be free of charge to spectators. Refreshments will be available on the evening. This shortened variety of the game takes less than 3 hours from start to finish.The purpose of the fixture is twofold – to promote the relationship between the respective organisations, and to provide a flavour of the exciting new competition being introduced to spectators in 2003."This provides a great test for the professionals against the best of the recreational game in Derbyshire – and should give everyone a glimpse of the thrills and spills that Twenty20 is intended to provide. The game is designed to attract new supporters to cricket, and we hope that local people will support their Club and County," said Derbyshire CCC Chief Executive, John Smedley.In the Twenty20 Cup regional zones, Derbyshire Scorpions will play three away fixtures and two home against County opposition – the home games will be versus local rivals Nottinghamshire Outlaws on Thursday 19th June, and the Durham Dynamos on Monday June 23rd.Twenty20 Cup Ticket information

Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly today praised his fast bowlersfor the discipline they showed in the second Test but said somethingneeded to be done about their seeming inability to polish off thetail. “I think it is creating a bit of a problem for us. We will tryto do something about this (in the third Test) in Colombo,” he saidreferring to Muthiah Muralitharan’s blistering knock of 67 whichenabled Sri Lanka to fight back from 157 for nine to 221 in theirsecond innings.Ganguly rated his own match-winning knock of 98 as one of the betterones and said his prolonged poor run with the bat had been hurtinghim. “I think it is one of my better Test knocks because it helpedIndia win,” Ganguly said referring to his brilliant knock which toolIndia to a seven-wicket win in the second Test against Sri Lanka.Ganguly, who had gone without a half-century in the last 13 innings ina frustrating poor trot, finally got his act together and played abrilliant innings yesterday. “The lack of runs was very upsetting,especially since I am the captain,” he said. Ganguly’s scintillatingknock was blemished by two dropped catches but the Indian captain feltit was only justified as he has had a number of hard decisions in therecent past. “It’s all equal now.”Meanwhile, Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya refused to accept thatKandy was a jinxed venue for his team which has lost the last threematches on this ground. Every time they have squandered a 1-0 leadtaken in Galle. “We can’t complain about this venue. Just because weare not playing well, we can’t put the blame on the venue,” he said.Jayasuriya insisted that it was below-par performance by the batsmenthat let the team down. “This is bound to happen if the batsmen arenot performing. We got a lead of 42 runs in the first innings and thenthrew it away,” said the captain who himself failed to impress scoringthree and six in the two innings.He said the turning point of the match was when Sri Lanka lost fourwickets in the opening session on the third day and hoped that in thedeciding Test in Colombo, his team would come up with a performancesimilar to the one in the first Test in Galle. “We have to playpositive cricket in Colombo, like we did in Galle. The batsmen have abig responsibility,” he concluded.