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da apostebet： West Ham United are entering the new season with a clear need to reinvigorate their squad after a turbulent campaign that saw them finish 14th in the Premier League with 43 points.

da stake casino： The club replaced Julen Lopetegui in January with former Chelsea boss Graham Potter, who signed a two-and-a-half-year contract and is now tasked with building a squad capable of competing at a higher level.

The Hammers have already undergone significant changes this summer.

Star midfielder Mohamed Kudus was sold to Spurs for £55m, leaving a gap in creativity and attacking threat, while Lucas Paquetá, now cleared of all betting allegations, will be keen to repay the club’s support alongside talisman Jarrod Bowen.

West Ham bid for their new Bowen

West Ham are reportedly pursuing a dynamic winger whose flair and vision make him a potential answer to the team’s attacking needs.

Known for his precise dribbling and natural eye for goal, they have been praised for their ability to create chances both for himself and teammates.

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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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The player in question is Takefusa Kubo, the Japan international currently at Real Sociedad.

Kubo joined Real Sociedad permanently in July 2022 following a series of loans, having already impressed during his initial spell at the club.

Now, according to reports in Spain, Kubo has formally requested a transfer, citing dissatisfaction with Sociedad’s current sporting direction under president Jokin Aperribay.

Kubo has publicly criticised the club’s lack of investment and reinforcements, asserting that the team is not sufficiently competitive to challenge for Champions League qualification. Despite his discontent, Sociedad’s manager Sergio Francisco still regards Kubo as a key part of the team, underlining the challenge West Ham could face in finalising a deal.

Reports suggest that West Ham are not alone in their pursuit. Other Premier League clubs, including Spurs, Everton, and Bournemouth, are believed to have made offers of £34m.

Named the club’s Player of the Season in 2022/23, Kubo’s contract runs until June 2029, and unless a club triggers his release clause – believed to be just over £50m, – Sociedad may feel little pressure to sell.

How Kubo compares to Bowen

In terms of statistics, Kubo has proven himself a highly productive winger.

In the 2024/25 La Liga season, he played 36 matches, scored five goals, and contributed 45 created chances.

He completed 75 take-ons, registered 14 shots on target, and recorded 129 touches in the opposition box, ranking in the 86th percentile for crosses with 3.32 per 90 minutes.

His ability to progress the ball and involve himself in the attacking build-up has consistently drawn plaudits from analysts and pundits alike.

West Ham’s potential acquisition of Kubo invites natural comparisons to Bowen, the club’s talismanic left-footed winger.

Bowen is renowned for his pace, movement, technical proficiency, and finishing ability.

Predominantly deployed on the right flank, he regularly cuts inside onto his stronger left foot to shoot or link up with teammates.

According to FBref, during his standout 2022/23 season, Kubo averaged 4.32 progressive carries per 90 minutes, compared to Bowen’s 2.69.

His progressive passes per 90 reached 2.99 versus Bowen’s 1.55, and he averaged 86.3 metres of progressive passing distance per 90, substantially higher than Bowen’s 54.5.

Pass completion rates were similarly competitive, with Kubo at 71% and Bowen at 68.9%.

Kubo also excels in offensive creation. His shot-creating actions per 90 minutes stood at 3.55, compared to Bowen’s 2.42, while his successful take-ons per 90 were 1.81 against Bowen’s 1.01.

Carries per 90 (31.0 vs. 19.9) and touches in the attacking third (27.2 vs. 17.0) further underscore Kubo’s ability to dominate and influence play in the final third.

These metrics illustrate a player capable of a “dangerous 1v1 threat” in the words of data analyst, Ben Mattinson, but also consistently generating opportunities and driving attacks forward – qualities that mirror Bowen’s influence but with a slightly different stylistic nuance.

The two share more than just statistical comparisons; both are left-footed wingers who thrive in spaces between the opposition full-back and centre-back, using pace and intelligent movement to destabilise defences.

Kubo brings a level of unpredictability and technical finesse, while Bowen combines raw speed and goal-scoring instinct.

Integrating Kubo into the West Ham squad could offer Potter a more multidimensional attacking unit, providing options for both direct goal threats and intricate build-up play.

Financially, a deal for Kubo would represent a significant investment, but it could also pay dividends if the winger reaches or surpasses Bowen’s level of consistency.

With Premier League defences increasingly prioritising compactness, a player of Kubo’s ability could prove invaluable, particularly in unlocking tightly packed back lines.

West Ham’s reported interest in Kubo signals their ambition to sustain and potentially elevate their attacking output.

With Bowen already setting the benchmark on the flanks, Kubo’s arrival could introduce a complementary skill set that reinforces the club’s creative identity while adding depth, versatility, and dynamism to the squad.

Should negotiations succeed, the Premier League could witness a fascinating new chapter in West Ham’s offensive evolution.

Related Most exciting player since Payet: West Ham now want to sign £20m "menace"

West Ham are looking to sign an attacker this summer

Posts ByJoe Nuttall Aug 14, 2025

Ashish Nehra, the GT coach, was penalised for “conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game” during the rain-interrupted MI vs GT game at Wankhede Stadium

ESPNcricinfo staff07-May-20252:07

Abhinav Mukund: ‘GT have got a very good back room in place’

Hardik Pandya and his team-mates (first XI plus the impact sub Karn Sharma) have all been hit with fines for Mumbai Indians’ (MI) slow over-rate in their loss against Gujarat Titans (GT) at home on Tuesday night. For the winners, head coach Ashish Nehra has been penalised for “conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game”.In the stop-start second half of the IPL 2025 game between MI and GT, when rain took the players off and brought them back in a few times, MI had to bring an additional fielder into the 30-yard circle for the final over – the 19th – of the chase as is the in-game penalty norm in the IPL. GT needed 15 runs to get off that Deepak Chahar over and got over the line off the last ball.Hardik was fined INR 24 lakh, since this was the second time MI had committed the offence under his captaincy this season. His team-mates were each fined either INR 6 lakh or 25% of their respective match fees, whichever is lesser.Nehra, meanwhile, was at his animated best in the dying minutes of the game, when it looked like he wanted the umpires to restart the game after the latest rain interruption. He was fined 25% of his match fee and also handed one demerit point for breaching Article 2.20 of the IPL code of conduct, though the IPL didn’t state what exactly his offence was.This is the second time a coach has been penalised with a demerit point for a breach of the IPL’s code. Munaf Patel, the Delhi Capitals (DC) bowling coach, was similarly penalised after their Super Over win against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Delhi on April 16.Hardik has a lot of compatriots for company: Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Axar Patel, Sanju Samson, Rajat Patidar and Riyan Parag.

Nottinghamshire struck two early blows against Warwickshire before rain wiped out the bulk of the opening day of their Rothesay County Championship Division One match at Edgbaston. Play started on time but just 9.2 overs were possible before the rain arrived with the home side on 34 for 2 having been put in.Having chosen to bowl, Nottinghamshire removed both opening batters in the first five overs. Rob Yates fell to the second ball of the match and Alex Davies to the 27th, Brett Hutton inflicting the damage with similar deliveries, rapid in-duckers which trapped the batter half-forward to win an lbw decision.Hamza Shaikh and Sam Hain, the latter looking in excellent nick, avoided further mishap before the rain arrived.It was a frustrating day for both teams who are keen to build on the momentum of a strong start to the season, each having secured a win and a draw from their first two games. Both have made one change to their team. Olly Hannon-Dalby, having recovered from a quad injury, returns in place of Tazeem Ali for Warwickshire. Nottinghamshire’s switch is in the pace attack where Josh Tongue replaces the injured Dillon Pennington.

Australia Under-19 run-machine made 66 off 73 on first-class debut for Victoria

AAP09-Feb-2025First-class debutant Harry Dixon has blasted three huge sixes on his way to a brisk half-century that helped Victoria to a narrow first-innings lead over Tasmania in their Sheffield Shield clash.Dixon was the star with the bat on day two in Hobart, belting 66 from 73 deliveries in an impressive knock that included seven fours.The 19-year-old arrived at the crease with Victoria in some trouble at 80 for 4, but put on 88 for the fifth wicket with Tom Rogers (33).Victoria seamer Sam Elliott (30 not out) stepped up to lift Victoria past the hosts’ first innings tally as they were bowled out for 258, with a lead of 22 runs.Right-arm quicks Kieran Elliott (4-55) and Gabe Bell (3-33) were Tasmania’s main wicket-takers, with Elliott taking career best figures .In reply, Tasmania erased the deficit for the loss of just one wicket as they reached 43 for 1 by stumps, with a lead of 21.Jake Weatherald (26 not out) and Tim Ward (13 not out) will resume at the crease on day three at Bellerive Oval.Peter Siddle struck an early blow for Victoria when he trapped Nivethan Radhakrishnan lbw for one. It completed a disappointing match with the bat for the inexperienced opener, who was brilliantly run out by Campbell Kellaway for 14 in Tasmania’s first innings.Dixon was the second debutant to post a half-century in the match after fellow teenager Aidan O’Connor top-scored with 53 in Tasmania’s first dig.The match is important to Victoria’s chances of reaching next month’s Shield final and crucial to Tasmania’s chances of keeping their season alive.Victoria sit second on the table with 28.06 points, behind leaders South Australia (36.93), while Tasmania (18.65) are last with just one win from six matches.

Hosts already hit by two positive tests, although two more rounds of testing reveal no new cases

Firdose Moonda26-Nov-2020The risk of matches being cancelled if a squad returns too many cases of Covid-19 remains real as the South African summer gets underway on Friday.The hosts have already been hit with two positive tests and have since been tested twice more, including a final round on Thursday morning. Their third test run revealed no new cases.Asked what would happen if the pre-match tests showed a significant number of cases, CSA’s chief medical officer, Dr Shuaib Manjra explained it could impact the schedule.”There probably won’t be a game. If you’ve got lots of positives you’ve got a quarantine context,” he said. “We cannot bring in a player from the outside without testing them at least twice before we bring them into this space. If a large group of people test positive we wouldn’t have adequate opportunity to bridge people into the bio-bubble. But we’ve got a squad of 24 so hopefully we can put a team together.”ALSO READ: Chaos swirls off field as South Africa welcome England for 2020 rematchThis is South Africa’s first experience of operating in a bio-secure environment as a national team (although several players have just returned from 11 weeks of doing it in the IPL) and will become their new-normal for the next six months. In a country where healthcare resources are challenged and where, as of this week, overall Coronavirus case numbers are going up, South African cricket will have to learn to box clever in the environment and with the welfare of their players, making this the most complicated season yet.Ahead of this series, the 24 players were tested before entering their base and one returned a positive result. He was kept out of the bubble and quarantined at a different venue. Two other players who were deemed to have come in close contact with the player were isolated and have since tested negative. A second player then tested positive a few days later, having already been in the bubble, and had to be removed. Both players will be retested and if negative, will rejoin the squad on Saturday, ending a tough period for both of them.”The players were devastated on receiving the news that they had tested positive for Covid,” Manjra said. “He (the first player) has taken quite a bit of strain in the sense that he’s been isolated in a hotel all alone and not participating in training.”There’s going to be a lag period in him coming to the squad and getting back to fitness because of injury concerns. If you’ve been in a hotel room for 10 days we can’t simply throw you onto the park. We’ve got to give at least another seven days to return to match fitness in order to consider him for any of the games. It takes a mental toll on him and all the others.”Manja described the period around testing as “stressful,” and the tests themselves as “uncomfortable,” but unavoidable. “Players don’t like the Covid test. We had a guy here doing the test on Monday and the players complained, so we had to try and get somebody else. Some of them are over enthusiastic, and not only get into your nose but into your sinuses and into your brain as well,” Manjra said. “It’s an uncomfortable test, but it’s very short.”And it will have to happen continuously as the summer goes on. Testing will be done again between the T20s and ODIs “to ensure the integrity of the bubble is maintained,” and before each Test match. South Africa have five scheduled for the summer.

“Building resilience is not about removing distractions. It’s how you deal with those distractions, which will always be there.”Dr Shuaib Manjra, CSA’s chief medical officer

During the period in which they are in the bubble, players will have to continue to operate in small groups, whether at training or socially. “In the event that somebody tests positive we isolate a small group of people rather than the entire contact or non-contact group. That has a role to play in the dynamic of the team in terms of training, dining and socialising,” Manjra said.Those limitations, the administrative crises at CSA and the controversy over the way South African cricket has handled the Black Lives Movement have all made for an imperfect build up to the series but, Manjra believes, helped them become closer as a squad.”Preparing without distractions is an ideal situation, but in the real world you always have distractions. One of the things that allowed our team to build resilience is much of the kind work we’re doing in the background with the squad,” he said. “There’s a lot of opportunity during lockdown for the players to interact with each other and get to know each other, and play out some of the dynamics we’ve been speaking about.”For us it’s not only about symbolism but about living particular experiences and sharing them — demonstrating what we believe in. The lockdown has a positive effect in those terms. Building resilience is not about removing distractions. It’s how you deal with those distractions, which will always be there.”Eoin Morgan, the England captain, was understanding of the challenges of keeping the sport’s bio-secure environments safe.”During the summer we did a magnificent job in not having any cases at all,” Morgan said. “We felt in a very privileged position, not to have to worry about the virus in our bubble, but this has presented different challenges.”South Africa have had two cases. One was off site, one was on the site, at the hotel, which presented a different challenge. To us, very similarly in the summer, if we had a case, we needed to be able to demonstrate that we could contain it to make every team, and every player within that bubble secure and safe, and South Africa seem to have done that so far.”Morgan also acknowledged the importance of the series being played at such a difficult time amid the pandemic, describing the role it could play in providing some relief and entertainment as “huge”.”As a sportsman, there are very few times you play sport or contribute to things when people actually really need it,” he said. “I went through this experience myself towards the back end of our first lockdown period when sport just started to be reintegrated into people’s TVs at home, and the smile it put on my face and the community that I live in was outstanding.”Given the circumstances, how bad they still are, particularly at home, it’s important for us to go out there and hopefully put on a bit of a show. Because it’s certainly a lot of different challenges at this moment in time but certainly sport can help relieve that a little bit.”

Casemiro’s wife Anna Mariana has hit back at critics of the Manchester United midfielder by reminding them of his stunning trophy collection.

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Brazilian midfielder struggled vs RedsMistakes contributed to two goalsReplaced by Ten Hag at half-timeGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The Brazil international endured a Premier League outing to forget when the Red Devils played host to arch-rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford. Mistakes from Casemiro, as he gave the ball away in dangerous areas of the field, contributed to Luis Diaz firing Liverpool two goals in front before half-time.

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Erik ten Hag had seen enough at the interval to know that something had to be done, with Casemiro hauled off as youngster Toby Collyer was sent on in his place. Disgruntled supporters had turned on Casemiro prior to his withdrawal, with jeers ringing out around the so-called ‘Theatre of Dreams’.

DID YOU KNOW?

Unsurprisingly, criticism of the South America was not reserved to those in the stands. Casemiro came under fire on social media, as fans mocked his error-strewn performance, but the 32-year-old’s partner has pointed out that his CV includes three La Liga titles, five Champions League crowns and a few Club World Cup triumphs – while also helping United to Carabao Cup and FA Cup honours.

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WHAT NEXT?

Plenty have claimed that Casemiro is now “finished” as an elite performer, with some suggesting that a player who was linked with a move to Saudi Arabia during the summer transfer window should retire. Anna Mariana is, however, backing her husband to silence those that have been quick to write him off as a spent force.

كشف أحمد سالم، المتحدث الرسمي لنادي الزمالك، عن العديد من التحديات التي تواجه القلعة البيضاء، أبرزها إيقاف أزمة القيد المحتملة بسبب مستحقات اللاعب السابق أتشيمبونج، وتطورات قضية اللاعب الجابوني آرون بوبيندزا.

وقال سالم، في تصريحات عبر القناة “الأولى” المصرية: “قلنا أنه متوقع في الأسبوع الأول من أكتوبر أن يتعرض الزمالك لإيقاف القيد بسبب مستحقات اللاعب السابق أتشيمبونج، وهذا أمر لن يكون غريب لو حدث رسميًا، ومجلس الإدارة على استعداد تام لهذا القرار”.

وتابع: “هناك أولويات بشأن القرارات المتعلقة برفع القيد، وننظر للأهمية الأولية لأن هناك دفعات للاعبين الحاليين في بداية الموسم”.

طالع أيضًا | مدير التعاقدات بـ ريدنج الإنجليزي: الزمالك معروف عالميًا.. وقرار عدم التعاقد مع إيجاريا “صحيح”

وأضاف: “تطورات أزمة بوبيندزا؟ واضح أن هناك لبسًا في موضوع بوبيندزا، لأن البعض يقول لماذا لم يشتكي الزمالك اللاعب من البداية، الوضع القانوني للاعب، هو عندما يتم إصدار بطاقة أخرى لناد آخر، هنا يبدأ دور الزمالك القانوني، فور علم النادي بأن اللاعب سيستقبل بطاقة مؤقتة من أجل المشاركة مع فريقه الجديد، سيبدأ الإجراء القانوني من قبل القلعة البيضاء، والذي سيكون خلال الأيام القليلة القادمة”.

وأردف: “ملف التعاقدات الجديدة ما زال مفتوحًا، قد تكون هناك تدعيمات جديدة، أو قد تؤجل لـ يناير، الأمور مفتوحة وغير محسومة حتى الآن”.

واختتم: “هل الزمالك اختار شعار أكبر قلعة رياضية في مصر؟ حتى الآن لا يوجد قرار نهائي، لكن التريند ممكن تستفيد منه تسويقيًا، الآن لو قلت لأي أحد أكبر قلعة رياضية في مصر، سيربط هذا الشعار بنادي الزمالك، وأعتقد في وجود هاني شكري عضو مجلس الإدارة، ممكن يستغل الزخم حول هذا الشعار ويسوق على أساسه”.

Former Australia captain feels opponents don’t go ‘hard’ at the Indians anymore

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Apr-2020Did Australia go “a lot softer” on India during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2018-19 at home? Michael Clarke believes so, and feels the IPL, where players from around the world earn big bucks, made Tim Paine’s men “too scared” to sledge Virat Kohli and Co in the series the visitors won 2-1.”Everybody knows how powerful India are in regards to the financial part of the game, whether that be internationally or domestically in regards to the IPL,” Clarke said on the radio programme. “So, I feel, Australian cricket, and probably every other team, over a little period went the opposite – actually sucked up to India. They were too scared to sledge Kohli or sledge the Indian players because they had to go and play with them in April.”And they wanted… if Kohli is the captain in the IPL, Rohit Sharma is the captain in the IPL, you know, name a list of ten players, they are bidding for these Australian players to get into their IPL team. So the players are like, ‘well, I’m not going to sledge Kohli, I want him to pick me for [Royal Challengers] Bangalore, so I can make, you know, a million US (dollars) for my six weeks’. And I sort of feel that was where Australia went through that little phase of our cricket, became a lot softer or not as hard as what we’re accustomed to seeing.”For India, the victory was historic as they became the first Asian side to ever win a Test series in Australia. For Australia, the loss came on the back of the 2018 ball-tampering scandal that forced Cricket Australia to ban Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, and carry out an internal review of their team culture. Consequently there was added pressure on Paine’s men to put up their best behaviour against India.According to Clarke, there was also a cricketing reason for Australia not “winding up” Kohli, who he rated has one of the top batsmen he had played with or against. “I feel some players think by winding him up, he might try and play that big shot early out of aggression or frustration,” Clarke said. “But yeah, I sort of feel Kohli is one of those players that you are better off saying nothing to and just allow him to hopefully be a little bit sleepy at the start of his innings and make a mistake.”Interestingly, what Clarke called a non-aggressive approach by the Australians keeping the IPL in mind, Kohli has said was down to respect, which the IPL had helped foster between players from different countries over the years.”IPL has done a lot in terms of respecting each other,” Kohli told Kevin Pietersen during an Instagram interaction last week when asked by the former England captain about on-field sledging. “I would never ever be able to do it [sledging] with AB [de Villiers]. There is a friendship that lasts much longer than all these things.”

Live updates as AB de Villiers, Temba Bavuma and Reeza Hendricks’ teams fight it out – all in one match

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-2020