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West Ham are interested in signing Sevilla and Morocco striker Youssef En-Nesyri in the January transfer window, according to a new report from Fichajes.

The Lowdown: Potential January reinforcements

The Hammers are enjoying an excellent season so far but squad additions in the winter could help take them to another level. David Moyes’ side will hope to continue challenging for a top-four finish, but that could be a struggle without changes to the current squad.

An exciting new report has emerged regarding El-Nesyri, who scored an impressive 18 goals in La Liga last season and a further six in the Champions League and has been given the nickname ‘Hurricane Youssef’.

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The Latest: En-Nesyri linked with West Ham move

According to Fichajes, West Ham are eyeing up a move for the 24-year-old, who could be available for €50m (£42m), which would almost break the club’s record transfer fee set by £45m man Sebastien Haller.

Daniel Kretinsky’s investment in the Hammers means that funds could be available to snap up the Moroccan, who has scored 11 goals in 39 caps for his country and was the subject of an unsuccessful €35m (£29.5m) bid from the east London club during the summer transfer window.

The Verdict: Perfect mid-season addition

This is the kind of signing which would feel like a statement of intent by West Ham at a time when they are looking to complete with the most successful teams in the country.

En-Nesyri is a proven striker who has delivered in La Liga for a number of seasons now and he could provide strong competition for Michail Antonio in attack, something which is sorely lacking at the moment.

With both domestic and Europa League commitments for the Hammers over the winter and into the New Year, it could also allow Moyes to shuffle his pack more regularly. It’s hard to feel that a move for En-Nesyri wouldn’t make perfect sense.

In other news, some West Ham fans are excited about another transfer rumour. Read more here.

It may have been pouring with rain at full-time at Old Trafford on Sunday evening but for Liverpool, all they could see was sunshine and rainbows.

This was a blisteringly good performance from Jurgen Klopp’s men as they completely demolished one of their biggest rivals on their own patch.

The Reds struck five unanswered goals past Manchester United as a devastating hat-trick from Mohamed Salah really put the gloss on what is proving to be a fine season for the Egyptian.

There have been cries in recent weeks that he is the best player on the planet and despite United’s woeful defending on Sunday, he was still mesmerising in the opposition’s penalty area.

None of his goals were of the pure ingenuity we saw versus against Manchester City and Watford but he was still a class apart.

However, we want to focus on the player who provided the goal that sealed his match ball; Jordan Henderson.

The midfielder’s future in Merseyside appeared to be in doubt at the beginning of the campaign but after penning new terms at Anfield, he is continuing to deliver consistent performances on a regular basis for the Reds.

It was a timely performance from the England international who with Thiago Alcantara injured and Curtis Jones only regaining his fitness, was one of the stars of the show for Klopp.

His ball for Salah’s third and final goal was stupendous. He took the ball in midfield and then sprayed a quite delightful pass in behind that left Liverpool’s most important player to prod the ball home.

It was a piece of play that rolled back the years to a former Liverpool captain, one that goes by the name of Steven Gerrard.

Henderson might not like those comparisons but on the biggest of stages, he handled the pressure just as Stevie G did on so many occasions.

He ran the game in the middle of the park and put in a near-perfect display that will undoubtedly have sent the supporters home happy.

As well as providing that delicious ball in behind for Salah to add the club’s fifth, the 31-year-old completed 128 passes at a success rate of 96%.

That is a mind-boggling number, especially when you consider that he made more passes over the 90 minutes than Fred, Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba put together.

His touch count of 144 was also more than McTominay and Fred combined, exacerbating just how good he was this weekend.

What made Henderson’s impact even better were the three key passes that he provided for his teammates.

Incredibly, the experienced midfielder only conceded possession on six occasions. Given how many times he picked up the ball, that is a phenomenal tally, one that proved just how composed he was in the middle of the park.

Liverpool’s attackers will deservedly grab the headlines in tomorrow’s newspapers but Henderson deserves praise too. He laid the platform with a delicate display from the base of Klopp’s XI.

AND in other news, Signed for £0, now worth £7.2m: Klopp has struck gold on “unbelievable” LFC beast…

The Olympic Stadium in East London has emerged as a potential venue for floodlit Twenty20 cricket

Andrew Miller22-Oct-2009The Olympic Stadium in East London has emerged as a potential venue for floodlit Twenty20 cricket, after the London Development Agency (LDA) claimed it had been in talks with the ECB, and two first-class counties, in a bid to firm up a “legacy” for the 80,000-seater venue once the 2012 games have finished.In a statement, the LDA said it had “engaged with two professional cricket clubs and the national governing body of the sport to explore opportunities for professional cricket (particularly Twenty20 cricket) to be played in the legacy stadium post-2012 and proposes to identify areas within the legacy park where cricket nets and recreational cricket can be played.”The organisers of the 2012 Olympics are determined that the stadium should not be rendered obsolete after the games, and a number of other sports – including London football clubs, rugby league and union, and athletics – have all been approached. However, the exponential growth of Twenty20 cricket, coupled with the current inadequate venue sizes that currently exist around the country, makes the cricket option an especially convenient fit.Lord’s is currently the largest venue in the country, but even it boasts less than half the capacity of the Olympic Stadium, and Middlesex, who play their home games there but lease the ground from the MCC, are excited by the possibilities that have been tabled.”I think it’s a fantastic notion, an absolutely brilliant idea,” Vinny Codrington, Middlesex’s chief executive, told Cricinfo. “We understand that two counties have been approached, but we are not one of those. However, now that it has been mooted, we might well go back to them and propose it ourselves. We can’t play all our matches at Lord’s for a variety of reasons, and a stadium of that size would be a real asset to cricket.”Codrington’s comments follow on from those of the MCC chief executive, Keith Bradshaw, who told told the Observer in July that cricket at the Olympic Stadium would be a “huge strategic advantage”. However, Bradshaw subsequently clarified those remarks in an MCC statement, and vowed that Lord’s would “hit the competition head on” if a rival venue came into existence in London.”There is a difference between considering an idea inevitable and lending support to it,” he said. “I believe Lord’s is the best place to watch cricket in the country and I intend to keep it that way irrespective of whether another London ground emerges or not. Lord’s may be the biggest ground in the country but MCC is determined to retain its intimate, traditional character even if capacity is increased through development. We are a ground and not a stadium, and no one here wants that to change.”When contacted by Cricinfo, the ECB denied any knowledge of the proposal, while Essex is also keeping tight-lipped. However, with an untapped Asian market on the doorstep of the stadium, particularly the vast Bangladeshi community in nearby Tower Hamlets, there are clear economic reasons to bring cricket to the East End.One London club, however, has already ruled itself out of further discussions. “We were contacted by the Olympic authorities six months ago, asking if the county would be interested,” Paul Sheldon, Surrey’s chief executive, said. “However we declined, saying that The Oval’s facilities were good enough and that such an arrangement would not make financial sense. “The response from Kent, on the other hand, was positive. “We haven’t been approached but we’d be happy to look at imaginative proposals if they were put forward,” Paul Millman, Kent’s chief executive, told Cricinfo. “Kent has a large catchment area that extends into London, and there is a huge opportunity at present to build on the success and interest in Twenty20 cricket.”Millman added that Kent’s immediate priority was to push the development of the St Lawrence Ground at Canterbury, as well as Tunbridge Wells and Beckenham which have proved popular for Twenty20 matches in recent seasons. However, he said that the prospect of hosting ‘London derbies’ at the Olympic Stadium, against the likes of Middlesex, Essex and Surrey, would be an avenue of particular interest.What is more, the shape of the stadium is perfectly suited to cricket, which – like athletics – requires an oval-shaped playing surface, unlike football and rugby, which are better suited to rectangular arrangements. The Melbourne Cricket Ground proved how versatile such venues can be when it was refitted for the 2006 Commonwealth Games. In November 2005, the outfield was stripped to lay down a new running track. Four weeks later, the turf had been re-laid ahead of the Boxing Day Test against South Africa; and in March 2006, it was stripped back once more for athletics to take centre stage.With the LDA increasingly taken by the notion, the chances of the plans getting the go-ahead are beginning to look more favourable. “Given that the public purse has paid half a billion pounds for the Olympic Stadium, it makes perfect sense to examine every possible sporting use in legacy mode alongside the athletics,” said the shadow sports and culture minister, Hugh Robertson, back in July.And more recently, Somerset’s chief executive, Andy Nash, delivered a scathing assessment of English cricket’s awareness of the possibilities of Twenty20 cricket, following his county’s early exit from the ongoing Champions League. “I think back to Twenty20 finals day and it was like watching Des O’Connor,” he declared. “It was very flat and very uninspiring. When you go to India and sit in a stadium that is full, the contrast between that and the way we offer up T20 cricket could not be more stark.”

West Bromwich Albion have been dealt a potential blow in their bid to keep Sam Johnstone at The Hawthorns.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Joseph Chapman, with the Birmingham Live journalist revealing in a recent Q&A that, should Albion fail to secure promotion to the Premier League this season, it is almost certain the 28-year-old will not put pen to paper on a new deal with the club.

In his comments, Chapman said: “I do ask Val, about whether it’s made any movements yet, and the answer has always been that we’re very relaxed, that it’s going on in the background and that the talks are still there. No reason to be concerned at this moment, but it’s a situation that Albion shouldn’t have let themselves get into, that they’ve let him go into the final year of his contract.

“I know the offers for him in the summer weren’t good enough, but it’s made this situation tricky because he himself wants to play in the Premier League, I thought he’d get that move in the summer and was surprised when he didn’t.

“He’ll be the first choice pick without fail. I don’t envisage a January exit unless there’s some offer which blows Albion away. If Albion are a Premier League team this time next year, then the likelihood is that Sam Johnstone will have signed a new contract. The longer the wait goes on, he’s lining his ducks in a row, there will be those question marks.

“Will he still be in the Championship next season if Albion are? I think that’s a pretty definitive no.”

Fans would be gutted

While failure to secure an immediate return to the Premier League this season would be hugely disappointing for both Valerien Ismael and fans of the club alike, the further prospect of losing Johnstone – especially on a free transfer – at the end of the current campaign would undoubtedly leave The Hawthorns faithful gutted.

While Johnstone has not quite been in the best form of his life so far this season, averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.79 over his seven Championship appearances, the goalkeeper proved last term that he is undeniably a top-flight level player.

Indeed, despite the Baggies’ relegation, the £7.2m-rated shot-stopper impressed over his 37 Premier League appearances, keeping six clean sheets and making a remarkable 4.5 saves per game. These returns saw the man who Micah Richards dubbed an “exceptional” goalkeeper earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as Albion’s second-best performer in the top flight.

As such, should Ismael’s side indeed fail to achieve promotion this season – something which Chapman clearly believes will see the £28k-per-week man leave the club – not only will the Frenchman have failed in what will undoubtedly have been his main objective upon taking over at West Brom, he will also more than likely be waving goodbye to one of his most important players in Johnstone.

In other news: Journalist reveals why “complete” 27 y/o failed to secure WBA move, he would’ve been a huge coup

Raphinha is too big for Leeds United and will be looking for a fresh challenge, according to his former coach Vitor Campelos.

The Lowdown: Raphinha linked with exit

The Brazilian’s reputation has never been greater than at this moment, following an electric start to his Brazil career, with two goals and assists apiece coming his way in his first three caps.

Raphinha has been linked with leaving Leeds a number of times in recent weeks, with his agent even specifically mentioning summer interest from Liverpool.

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The Latest: Coach makes worrying prediction

The winger’s former coach at Vitoria Guimaraes B, Campelos, told Record [via Sport Witness] in an eight-word verdict that Raphinha will be keen to leave Elland Rad in the near future:

“Leeds will already be too small for him.”

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The Verdict: Inevitable conclusion?

Sad though it may be, there does seem to be a feeling of inevitability about Raphinha moving on at some point soon, given his potential as a player.

Leeds are a top club in their own right, but they are not guaranteeing the winger Champions League football, which is a level he will surely want to try given he has now established himself as a star on the international stage.

It would be a shock if Raphinha left in the January transfer window given the negotiating power afforded by his contract running for three more years, but a summer exit is looking more on the cards all the time.

In other news, one Leeds player has been urged to ignore interest from a big Premier League club. Find out who it is here.

Former Nottingham Forest star Nigel Jemson insists that the signing of Djed Spence is a good one for the club after his arrival on loan.

The 21-year-old has joined the club on loan from Middlesbrough and made his debut at the weekend against Huddersfield Town, as Forest earned their first win of the season.

Spence had made 70 appearances in total for Boro and was actually linked with a potential move to the Premier League prior to making the switch to Forest.

West Ham United had been touted to make a swoop for Spence, as had Everton, but he has instead moved to another Championship club.

Jemson believes that the deal is a good one for Forest as they look to climb the table in the next few weeks.

Indeed, Forest have sacked Chris Hughton after a dismal start to the season that saw them go seven games without a win, although they were victorious at the weekend.

Jemson said: “You are surprised, when he has been linked with Premier League clubs and when that doesn’t happen, he comes to Nottingham Forest. Yes, it’s a coup for us.

“Whether Middlesbrough wanted a big fee from the Premier League clubs to try to cash in and they weren’t prepared to pay it, I don’t know.”

Spurs are planning for life with Harry Kane despite an intense summer of speculation, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano this week…

What’s the word?

The Italian journalist delivered a fresh update on the England international’s current situation and the general feeling behind-the-scenes at Hotspur Way, with the January transfer window soon on the horizon.

Speaking on his ‘Here We Go’ podcast, Romano revealed:

“Tottenham are really planning with Harry Kane now.

“The atmosphere around Harry Kane is relaxed now. It’s not a fight like it was earlier in the summer.

“Let’s see what is going to happen next summer, but as of right now, the situation is really relaxed around Harry Kane, and for Manchester City, there is nothing going on with Kane now.”

Fans surely buzzing

For club and country in 2021/22, the 28-year-old talisman has been horribly out of sorts, having yet scored in the Premier League this term. The reasons for his poor form are somewhat explainable but they are not 100% fact.

Perhaps the failed move to defending champions Manchester City has played its part, or the fact that he barely had a pre-season following Euro 2020, or it could even boil down to Nuno Santo and his tactical system.

But he’s certainly not kicking up a fuss publicly and he did commit to the club in an announcement on social media after returning on the pitch earlier in the season.

However, this latest update should provide a major source of encouragement that the situation in the summer will not boil over into January, meaning Nuno and Spurs can continue business as usual heading into 2022.

It also means that Kane will, at least, see out the current campaign, in which he will undoubtedly turn his form around and that should please much of the Lilywhites faithful who will love the fact that their star man is here to stay.

The long-serving youth product has found the net at least 24 times in every season since 2014/15, so there is nothing to fear just yet.

It has also only been five league starts for Kane so far this term, whilst he has bagged six goals across European and domestic cup competitions.

If everything is good behind-the-scenes as Romano claims, then it’s surely a matter of time before the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium crowd see their leading man firing on all cylinders once again.

AND in other news, Spurs handed quadruple squad boost ahead of Newcastle clash…

Leeds United youngster Jack Jenkins has extended his stay with the Whites, signing a new deal that will keep him at Elland Road until 2024.

The Lowdown: Jenkins excites at Leeds

Kalvin Phillips may be Leeds’ undisputed main man in midfield for the first team, but Jenkins has similarly caught the eye for Under-23s.

The 19-year-old has made 24 appearances for the Whites’ youth team in total, including 22 in Premier League 2, registering five assists along the way.

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The Latest: Youngster rewarded with new deal

On Monday, Leeds’ official Twitter account confirmed that Jenkins had penned a new deal that will see him remain at the club until at least 2024.

The midfielder joins Whites duo Charlie Cresswell and Liam McCarron in agreeing new contracts.

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The Verdict: One for the future

It is important that Leeds build towards the future and Jenkins is someone who could become a key figure if his form at youth level translates to the senior game, highlighting the importance of tying him down.

Granted, he won’t necessarily be a first-team regular for a while – it may even be after Marcelo Bielsa eventually moves on – but long-term planning is essential.

Jenkins has one first-team appearance to his name, coming against Crawley Town in the FA Cup last season, and the hope is that it is the first of many.

In other news, Graham Smyth was disappointed with one Leeds player against West Ham. Find out who it is here.

Tottenham Hotspur got back to winning ways in the Premier League this weekend and that would have eased the pressure on under-fire boss Nuno Santo.

But a huge claim has since emerged that is sure to leave much of the Lilywhites faithful absolutely buzzing…

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Spurs are in a “strong position” on the 47-year-old head coach, whether he succeeds or not.

“The Athletic understands [Nuno’s] 2yr contract includes [a] clause allowing #THFC to release him after 1yr (next summer) without paying compensation if he does not secure a top6 finish,” the reliable journalist tweeted.

In the accompanying column, he goes onto explain how chairman Daniel Levy successfully inserted such a clause in the Portuguese’s contract, should their season not go to plan.

It’s believed that should Nuno fail to reach the top-six this season, Spurs would be able to sack him halfway through his two-year deal.

Smart decision

This is a win-win for Tottenham and it is an interesting development that will surely leave many around N17 happy.

Either Nuno leads them to European qualification, much to the delight of the fans as it’s a step in the right direction, or the club can part ways without having to fork out expensive compensation, as they had to with Jose Mourinho last time.

Some reports suggested that it cost Spurs around £15m to get rid of the ‘Special One’ back in April.

The north Londoners reignited their season on Sunday, defeating Aston Villa 2-1 at home, having suffered three straight heavy defeats. It was the first time they had scored more than once in the Premier League this term and the first time in weeks that they hadn’t conceded three goals in one game.

It hands life to Nuno, who was reportedly already under pressure after such poor form.

However, many have never been behind the appointment of the former Wolves boss – prior to his arrival, a ‘No to Nuno’ campaign was trending on Twitter, meaning there were more than enough accounts on social media making their voice heard, whilst this update from Ornstein has left many rather pleased.

As relayed by This is Futbol, one supporter claimed Levy was a “genius” for inserting such a clause, whilst another suggested it was “good news” for a Monday but these were just two among plenty of others.

On the above evidence, this behind-the-scenes update has come as positive news to many around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Nuno and his squad will be looking to build on the weekend’s victory when they return from international duty in just under two weeks time.

AND in other news, Nuno could save Levy millions by unleashing Spurs’ “bright” 20 y/o prodigy this season…

Everton beat Burnley 3-1 on Monday night to move into the Premier League’s top four, but some supporters weren’t happy with the performance of Lucas Digne. 

Ben Mee put the visitors in front after 53 minutes before Everton turned the game around with three goals in an incredible six-minute spell.

Former Burnley centre-back Michael Keane struck first before superb goals from Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray.

Digne ever-present but not quite hitting heights

Digne has played every Premier League minute thus far under Rafael Benitez.

Here, the Frenchman lined up as a left-wing back as the manager switched to a 3-4-3 formation from the start (via WhoScored).

He lost possession 23 times over the course of the match though, more than any of his team-mates (via SofaScore).

According to WhoScored, Digne is currently falling marginally short of his performance levels from last season. His average rating across the first four league games is 6.99, down on last term’s average of 7.08 over 30 games.

Here’s what Toffees fans made of Digne’s display.

These Everton fans want more from Digne

“Great win last night. 2 things that weren’t great, the 4 mile queue for the Goodison Chippy and Lucas Digne”

Credit: @ridroberts

“Digne’s form is not good at the moment and no one to take his place”

Credit: @RoyEFCPeo

“Is it me or is Lucas Digne not having a great season so far?”

Credit: @EFC_RI

“One for the “Digne doesn’t even approach Baines in quality” believers this”

Credit: @Will__EFC

“Digne’s been very disappointing”

Credit: @EFC_Wolfstein

“Think even Digne has lost confidence in his corners”

Credit: @_beanatron_

In other news, Noel Whelan has backed this potential Everton move.