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da betway： Rangers have just under a week remaining to wrap up any late transfer deals they wish to complete, as they eye a deal for a £2m attacker.

da 888casino： Pressure is arguably already on Rangers manager Philippe Clement as the club faces another season without Champions League football, with the Scottish side instead having to settle for the Europa League. The Gers are also expected to challenge Celtic for the league title as well as the cup competitions, but they already find themselves two points behind their rivals.

Related Contact made: Rangers in talks to sign young defender seen as future star

Rangers could be about to add to their promising crop of players.

Posts ByBrett Worthington Aug 23, 2024 Rangers transfer news

Celtic were comfortably in control last season in terms of the league, so it is no surprise to see that Rangers have been busy in the transfer market this summer, as they eye a big improvement. Not only has Clement been busy bringing new players to the club, ones he hopes can improve the club’s performances and results, but Rangers have also been busy letting players leave.

Rangers' summer signings

Signed from

Mohamed Diomande

Nordsjaelland

Robin Propper

Twente FC

Hamza Igamane

FAR Rabat

Vaclav Cerny

VfL Wolfsburg

Jefte

Fluminense

Connor Barron

Aberdeen

Liam Kelly

Motherwell

Clinton Nsiala

AC Milan U20

It came to light this week that striker Cyriel Dessers was very close to leaving Ibrox, as Rangers and Atlanta United were in discussions over a deal that would have seen the player swap Scotland for the MLS, but in the end, the deal broke down, as Dessers was against the idea.

Apart from the news about Dessers, it has been more about which players Rangers are potentially interested in signing before Friday’s transfer deadline. Fiorentina winger Josip Brekalo is said to be on the Ibrox transfer radar, with the player expected to leave the Serie A side in this transfer window after falling out of favour. The Gers are also said to be eyeing a move to sign young Dundee sensation Sebastian Lochhead, but they are not the only top-flight side chasing his signature.

Meanwhile, it has also been reported by the reliable Fabrizio Romano that the Scottish side have seen a loan bid worth €750k plus Rangers then having the option to buy Kaiky for €7 million, bringing a total package to £6.5 million rejected by Spanish side Almeria.

Clearly, Rangers are still in the market for new players, and they now have their eye on another attacking player.

Rangers eyeing Norwich City’s Abu Kamara

According to Football Scotland, relayed by Ibrox News, Rangers are interested in signing Norwich City winger Abu Kamara. The report states that the 21-year-old could be available for as little as £2 million, but the problem the Scottish side faces is that they would need to sell players first before buying Kamara.

It goes on to add that personal terms for Rangers to sign Kamara would not be an issue, who has now requested to leave the Championship side after not breaking into the first team after his impressive stint at Portsmouth last season.

Kamara has come through the academy at Carrow Road and has impressed with the club’s academy throughout the years. Last season, the young attacker got the opportunity to join Portsmouth on loan, and he took his chance, as he netted eight goals and recorded 10 assists in 46 League One games.

He has since come back to Norwich and played in every game for the club this season, scoring in the EFL Cup, but Kamara is said to want to leave the club in what remains of this transfer window. While at Portsmouth last season, assistant manager Jon Harley heaped huge praise on the winger, labelling him “outstanding” as he played a big role in the club’s promotion campaign.

The board also confirmed the ODIs will be played in Ahmedabad, followed by the T20Is in Kolkata

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jan-2022

The BCCI has confirmed that the venues for the limited-overs series at home against West Indies will be Ahmedabad and Kolkata, and has also advanced the third ODI from February 12 to 11, to avoid a clash with the IPL auction slated for February 12-13. As reported by ESPNcricinfo on January 20, the board had planned to keep the venues to two instead of the original six, to limit any chance of the Covid-19 pandemic affecting the series.The BCCI said the move was “to mitigate biosecurity risks by cutting down on travel and movement of the teams, match officials, broadcasters, and other stakeholders.”The tour will begin with three ODIs, which will all take place in Ahmedabad, and the teams will then move to Kolkata for three T20Is. The ODIs are scheduled on February 6, 9 and 11. The opening T20I will now take place on February 16 instead of 15, and the remaining two T20Is will go ahead on February 18 and 20, as originally planned.As reported by ESPNcricinfo earlier, the BCCI had mooted the change of dates, and was waiting to make an official decision after discussions with Cricket West Indies.Last September, while unveiling India’s home calendar for 2021-22, the BCCI had named Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Kolkata as the venues for the ODIs, with the original dates being February 6, 9 and 12. The T20Is were to be played in Cuttack, Visakhapatnam and Thiruvananthapuram, on February 15, 18 and 20.Apart from avoiding a clash with the IPL auctions, the change in schedule is a precautionary step by the BCCI, taken in response to the growing number of positive cases in India, which is currently experiencing a third wave of the pandemic, with the Omicron variant dominant across the country. Though the impact of this wave has been less severe than the preceding Delta wave, the high degree of transmissiblity of Omicron has led to stringent curbs on movement and public activities, particularly in big cities.

India’s convincing win came despite a whole day’s play lost to rain and more showers expected on the final day

Sidharth Monga30-Dec-20216:41

Polite Enquiries: Will an actual fishing trip stop Kohli fishing outside off?

India began the year by defending Sydney with their lives and then breaching Fortress Gabba. At 12.50pm on the final day of Test cricket in the year, they finished conquering Centurion, South Africa’s best venue, consigning them to only their third defeat in 27 Tests there. India’s complete and deep attack provided a resolute South African batting no respite and kept coming at them until the pitch yielded or the batters made a mistake, beating them by 113 runs despite a whole day’s play lost to rain and more showers expected on the final day.South Africa began the day needing 211 runs with six wickets in hand, but the only realistic tussle was between India and time. Forecast suggested rain could interrupt the final session, and led by a cussed Dean Elgar, South Africa would have wanted to last till then and then take it from there.Elgar played one of his typical nuggety knocks, but eventually Jasprit Bumrah and the conditions proved to be too good for him. In the 10th over of the day, even as runs came quickly as India hunted wickets, Bumrah bowled an unplayable delivery to Elgar. On the surface it was not spectacular, but it was a rare kind of ball, one you can’t intend to bowl.Mohammed Shami finished with eight wickets in the match•AFP/Getty Images

Bowling around the wicket, Bumrah pitched short of a length, seam upright, but the ball hit a crack and cut back in. For a moment it seemed Elgar had that movement covered, but then the ball kept swinging further in. You have seen this swing after the ball bounces in England, but it happens on the way to the wicketkeeper not in the short flight from the pitch of the ball to striking the batter. Elgar tried to cover the movement, but ended up missing the ball, and was trapped lbw.Now the next plan for South Africa was going to be a Quinton de Kock counterattack. This was a low-percentage approach, but the only sensible one given the amount of time left in the day. The ball was more than 50 overs old, and the ask was a further 175 runs. The pitch might have slowed down a little, but it wasn’t such that de Kock could block out for a draw. Not against this attack.So de Kock tried the counterattack, but one particular shot kept getting him in trouble: the dab, which also got him out in the first innings. Despite racing away to a quick 20, de Kock still didn’t get any loose balls. India were into their second string now – that of Mohammed Siraj and R Ashwin – but there was nothing available to hit. Two balls after being beaten on that late-cut, de Kock finally chopped Siraj on to make it 161 for 6.With lunch not far away, Virat Kohli asked Mohammed Shami for one more effort, and his seamer delivered the allrounder, Wiaan Mulder. This ball was a thing of minimalistic beauty. The seam of the 60-over-old ball bolt upright, it landed on a length, just outside off, making the batter play the angle, and then left him ever so slightly, taking an edge so thin that the seam remained proud and upright till the time the ball landed in the wicketkeeper’s gloves.South Africa survived till lunch, but post the interval, the end was swift, taking only two overs and bringing two bonus wickets for Ashwin.

da betobet： Wolverhampton Wanderers are still chasing several new signings ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League season starting next week.

da fezbet： Gary O’Neil may have bolstered his squad with four new arrivals, but if he wishes to lead the Old Gold into the top half of the table, a few more high-quality signings are required.

It looks as though he is going for the youth-based approach, especially with regard to the club’s new transfer target…

Wolves eyeing up Ligue 1 defender

According to French outlet L'Equipe, the Molineux side have tabled two bids for Nantes defender, Bastien Meupiyou, the latest one standing at around €4m (£3.4m), although these have both been rejected.

The report claims that Nantes have set a price tag of at least €10m (£8.5m) in order to sell one of their most promising players, despite the fact he has a year left on his current contract.

Summer signings made by Wolves so far

Player

Club signed from

Tommy Doyle

Manchester City

Pedro Lima

Sport Recife

Rodrigo Gomes

SC Braga

Jorgen Strand Larsen

Celta Vigo (loan)

Via Transfermarkt

If he isn’t keen on signing a new deal, the youngster will likely leave France for pastures new. Could O’Neil take advantage of this and bring him to England in the coming weeks?

It wouldn’t be the first time they have signed a talented defender from France…

Why Bastien Meupiyou could be Wolves’ next Ait Nouri

Prior to the 2020/21 season, the Old Gold signed Rayan Ait-Nouri on a season-long loan deal from Angers in France. A year later, after 24 appearances, the club signed him on a permanent deal for a fee in the region of £9.5m.

Fast-forward three years and this outlay has proven to be a bargain. The left-back is now attracting interest from the likes of Manchester City as Wolves set a price tag of around £60m in order for any club to secure his services.

Meupiyou could follow in Ait-Nouri’s footsteps if he also makes the move from Ligue 1, forging his way into the first team and shining for the club over the next few years.

The 18-year-old may have played only one senior match for Nantes, but it is clear his ceiling for development and progression is almost limitless.

The defender has made 36 appearances for the various youth teams at the French side, but it is evident that exposure to senior football on a regular basis is best for his continued growth.

He did play seven matches for France at the U17 World Championships last year, finishing the tournament with an 86% pass success rate, keeping four clean sheets, winning 5.6 total duels per game – a success rate of 63% – and committing just 0.1 fouls per game, showcasing his stunning defensive qualities.

Lauded as an “amazingly talented CB” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig in February 2023, Meupiyou has impressed significantly since then, hence the interest from the Premier League this summer.

Will he renew his current deal with Nate? Or is moving to the Midlands an attractive proposition for someone who looks like they will go right to the very top?

Ait-Nouri has exceeded all expectations at the club. Could Meupiyou follow suit?

Related Dream Kilman replacement: Wolves make contact with £5m-rated "phenomenon"

Gary O’Neil is showing interest in a Championship defender…

Posts ByRoss Kilvington Aug 3, 2024

Chelsea are willing to make a near-£50 million bid for one player who Joe Cole said made history, as Enzo Maresca's side scour the market for squad upgrades ahead of the Italian's debut campaign.

Chelsea undergoing busy summer transfer window

Having already sealed the signings of Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer from Fulham and Omari Kelleyman in a £19 million move from Aston Villa, alongside Brazilian starlet Estevao Willian, it has already been a quick start to this summer window for Chelsea.

Todd Boehly now willing to make significant Chelsea bid for £85 million PSG star

The Ligue 1 champions are demanding a premium.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 26, 2024

Todd Boehly is expected to make multiple attacking signings on top of this, with Chelsea in advanced talks over a deal for Barcelona forward Marc Guiu.

They've missed out on a move for Michael Olise, who has chosen to join Bayern Munich instead, but the Blues have wasted no time in identifying alternatives to the 22-year-old.

One of them is Atalanta star Ademola Lookman, coming after an excellent campaign under Gian Piero Gasperini. There have been reports that Chelsea are prepared to bid for Lookman, and now another report explains how much they could offer for the Nigerian.

Chelsea prepared to bid nearly £50 million for Lookman

Calciomercato explains that Chelsea are willing to offer nearly £50 million to sign Lookman, but are not alone, with Liverpool and Man United also in the chase.

The 26-year-old, who can operate as a second striker, racked up 17 goals and 10 assists across 45 appearances in all competitions for the Serie A side last season.

Lookman also ended Bayer Leverkusen's incredible unbeaten run last season in dramatic style, bagging a hat-trick against Xabi Alonso's side as Atalanta beat Leverkusen 3-0 in the Europa League final.

“Honestly, this is why you play football,” said former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch on TNT Sports.

“Somebody like Lookman, who’s been around, a footballing nomad at times, somebody who’s been Sunday League, to Charlton, to Fulham on loan, Leicester, Leipzig, he’s gone around the houses to get to the moment where he’s found a home today and scored a hat-trick in a European final. It’s an amazing story. Those fans will never forget the name of Ademola Lookman. It’s absolutely sensational.

"It’s really emotional for him. Obviously his family, I’m sure. It was a footballing masterclass from Gasperini. They were brilliant as a team, but I’m so pleased for Lookman.”

Meanwhile, fellow TNT pundit Joe Cole claimed he made history with his Europa League final heroics.

“For Lookman, a kid from Wandsworth, who played in the cages, playing street football, going around the houses, not finding a place where he’s at home, he’s found a home here,” Cole said.

“They will love him forever. His name will be etched into the club’s history. This is what the moments are all about. A kid, who couldn’t find a club, couldn’t find a home, super talented, he’s gone and done it. Fair play to him and his family. Enjoy the moment.”

Sussex captain laments talent drain from South Coast as side aims for Finals Day glory

Matt Roller17-Sep-2021Luke Wright has called upon Sussex’s hierarchy to ensure that players are offered extensions before entering the last year of their contracts and said that the loss of Phil Salt and Chris Jordan “hurts me to my core”.Salt and Jordan will play their final games for the club on T20 Finals Day in Birmingham on Saturday ahead of their departures to Lancashire and Surrey respectively, joining Danny Briggs, Laurie Evans, Chris Nash, Luke Wells and Michael Burgess on the list of first-team players to have left Sussex in recent seasons.And while the club have put together an impressive T20 side which has reached the quarter-finals of the Blast for four seasons in a row under Wright’s stewardship, they have implemented a youth policy for their four-day side which has seen results fall off a cliff, sitting bottom of Division Three of the County Championship ahead of next week’s final round.”I’m hugely disappointed to see those lads leave,” Wright said on Friday. “Any time you get lads going into their last year [of their contract], it’s going to be difficult – they are high-quality cricketers and there are always going to be counties that want them. Add in the Hundred now – whether it’s playing a part or not, who knows – but I’m sad to see them go.Related

• Luke Wright looks the right fit as England selector after career on T20 front lines

• Ross Whiteley to leave Worcestershire after declining white-ball contract

• Chris Jordan, Phil Salt to leave Sussex for Surrey, Lancashire at end of season

“It’s something from the club’s point of view that we need to look at because we can’t be losing our best players all the time. Myself and Ravi [Bopara] are getting older and that’s the challenge they’ve got – our recruitment process has got to be really strong and it’s something that probably hasn’t been as good as it should be at this moment in time.”Wright admitted he was sceptical as to whether the Hundred was the only influence in Salt and Jordan’s departures and instead called upon the club’s management to ensure key players were offered attractive deals in order to keep them at the club – including Jofra Archer, who is centrally contracted by the ECB but whose Sussex deal runs out at the end of next season.”It’s got to be a fear, hasn’t it?” he said. “If the so-called smaller counties are losing their best players all the time then obviously it’s a worry, but we’ve had these issues before. When the first and second division [of the Championship started], everyone thought the smaller counties might go and lose all their players, and we’ve always been able to keep them.Luke Wright will captain Sussex on T20 Finals Day•Alex Davidson/Getty Images

“Only the lads themselves will know the reason why they’re leaving. Chris Jordan’s not gone to Hampshire [where Southern Brave are based], he’s gone to Surrey, but it’s something I’m sure the ECB and the PCA are going to look at to make sure that there is enough independence between the Hundred teams and the hosting counties. Is that a factor? Who knows.”All we can know from our side as a club is that we don’t want to be letting our best players go into their last year. It’s a challenge but it’s absolutely not impossible to keep your best players. We’ve got to work hard on trying to replace them as best we can going forward.”We don’t really see him [Archer] much anyway, but obviously we don’t want to lose him – just like we don’t want to lose any of our best players. I hate seeing any of our best players leave and it hurts me to my core to see them go. I was brought up at Sussex with a strong team that was competing in days like tomorrow all the time, winning trophies and Championships, and that’s certainly where I’d still like to see the club. Sussex have helped get Jof to where he is and we certainly hope he stays with us but ultimately that’s down to him.”Sussex have already made two signings ahead of next season in Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Steven Finn, and are expected to recruit further players with Stuart Meaker (retired) off the books and a handful of others out of contract. They appear to have missed out on the signing of Ross Whiteley, who looks set to move to Hampshire instead, and Wright encouraged the club to bring in some experienced players to help the young players in the Championship side in their development.”Are we happy with where we are right now? No, of course not,” he said. “It’s been a really tough season, which I suppose it was always going to be for that young squad. It’s the way that the club have gone – they want to go really young at the moment in four-day cricket, but that’s a process that’s going to be a hard road at some times.”I feel for some of those young lads. I couldn’t imagine playing when I started my career without having senior players around me, so for those guys it is tough and they are having some lessons – they had a tough loss at Grace Road this week. On the flip side, there is some real talent which is really exciting – it’s just making sure we can package it right and I’m sure that’s what the people above me are trying to do.”Sussex will welcome Bopara and David Wiese back into their squad for Finals Day after their involvement in the Caribbean Premier League but are without Rashid Khan who is in the UAE ahead of the IPL. Jack Carson replaces him in the squad, while Ollie Robinson has not been made available after a busy summer with England.Vitality Blast Finals Day 2021 is supporting the players’ charity: the Professional Cricketers’ Trust. Saturday 18 September will see a day of fundraising and awareness for the Trust on one of the biggest days of the domestic calendar at Edgbaston. Visit bit.ly/DonateFinalsDay to find out more and donate.

Worcestershire were celebrating their first victory of the season in the LV= Insurance County Championship after overpowering Derbyshire by an innings and 23 runs at New Road. Derbyshire resumed on 112 for 6 and lost their last four wickets in just 8.2 overs as they were dismissed for 128.Dillon Pennington completed the first five-wicket haul of his career and finished with figures of 14-4-32-5. It enabled him to enjoy a career-best performance for the second day running after his 4 for 44 in Derbyshire innings.He ended with match figures of 33.4-8-76-9 as Worcestershire claimed 23 points to reignite their hopes of finishing in the top two. They dominated the game in all departments with solid batting contributions down the order in topping 400, disciplined bowling and excellent catching behind the wicket.It was the perfect response to heavy defeats away to Durham and Nottinghamshire.Derbyshire remain rock bottom after a third heavy setback in the last four matches, a 310 run setback and two innings defeats. They paid the penalty for dropped catches on the opening day, including Jack Haynes who went onto make 97.Their young and promising bowling attack bowled too many four balls while the batting, with the exception of Matt Critchley and Wayne Madsen, crumbled.Worcestershire captain Joe Leach picked up the prized wicket of Madsen who had resumed on 43. He had looked set to complete his 11th 50-plus score in 19 innings against Worcestershire. But Madsen added only two more before edging a fine delivery and was caught by keeper Ben Cox.Pennington opened the attack from the New Road End and in the next over he accounted for new batsman Ben Aitchison before he had scored. Pennington found the thinnest of edges but it was sufficient to provide Cox with another straightforward catch.The game quickly came to a conclusion with Sam Conners playing on to Pennington and Dustin Melton edging Alzarri Joseph to Daryl Mitchell at slip.

Nothing in football is certain but it does seem probable that Mohamed Salah will serve at the front of Liverpool's new era under Arne Slot's leadership next season.

The esteemed Egyptian has been one of Europe's most deadly forwards over the past seven years, and while he's entering the final year of his contract on Merseyside and remains of a vested interest to the Saudi Pro League, the 31-year-old, as per David Ornstein, is expected to stay for "at least another campaign", with his "contract to be addressed in due course".

It's a good thing too. With Jurgen Klopp's reign now over, it may prove detrimental to lose his long-time talisman at the same time. He petered out at the end of the 2023/24 campaign but Salah still scored 25 goals and supplied 14 assists in all competitions.

Still, there will come a point when Salah no longer plies his trade on Anfield's turf, and so it makes sense that FSG are prudently moving to sign a new wide forward this summer.

Liverpool lining up Salah successor

According to Leeds Live, Liverpool have pulled out of the race to sign Leeds United winger despite emerging as the early frontrunners, leaving Chelsea in the clear to secure a swoop for the dynamic Dutchman.

Why is this relevant? Well, according to the report, Liverpool's decision to end their interest has seen the focus shift their 'priorities' toward Crystal Palace's Michael Olise, who has a £60m release clause in his contract and is one of the Premier League's most coveted players after an extraordinarily good season.

The right winger, aged 22, is also being chased by the Blues and Manchester United, but Liverpool are the only mentioned suitors to boast Champions League football, with the on-pitch and financial benefits leaving Slot and FSG in a promising position.

Michael Olise's season in numbers

Few Premier League players can boast seasons better than that of Olise, who managed to emerge as one of the standout stars despite his year being punctuated by injuries that limited him to just 14 starts.

Nonetheless. Olise managed to transcend the exciting exploits of the previous season – scoring only twice but supplying 11 assists across 37 Premier League fixtures – to foster and hone his talents and leave the division's biggest names giddy with dreams of his signature.

As per Sofascore, the £100k-per-week winger scored ten goals and supplied six assists from his 19 total appearances, creating nine big chances and averaging 1.9 key passes, 2.1 dribbles and 5.7 won duels per game to underscore his versatility.

Moreover, he ranks among the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for interceptions and clearances per 90, as per FBref, emphasising the rounded game that would serve Liverpool and Slot tremendously.

As Palace went from strength to strength under Oliver Glasner's tutelage in 2024, so too did Olise deepen the argument that, yes, he is one of the Premier League's superlative forwards, a credit to Selhurst Park and a future world-beater at the apex of the game.

Pundit Micah Richards claimed this season that he "is going to be world-class… he's going to be a superstar". Olise is the real deal and he would be the perfect player to eventually replace Salah, though it would be wonderful if Slot could wield the phenoms in tandem next year.

How Olise could replace Salah

Olise doesn't appear to have the same level of inborn goalscoring quality as Salah, but then, with ten goals in just 14 Premier League starts this season, it's hard to argue against his ability to lift the crowd from their seats with consistency and quality.

However, Olise did massively outperform his xG (expected goals) in England's top divisions this term, with an expected strike return of 5.69, as per Understat.

2023/24

32

18

21.94 (+3.94)

0.77

2022/23

38

19

23.34 (+4.34)

0.64

2021/22

35

23

24.36 (+1.36)

0.80

2020/21

37

22

20.25 (-1.75)

0.59

2019/20

34

19

20.66 (+1.66)

0.64

Salah, conversely, has actually underperformed his xG across four of the past five Premier League campaigns, though is still universally accepted as one of football's elite finishers. Why is this?

Well, Salah might be an adept shooter but the real locus of his power derives from his flawless positioning, always alert, always hungry. He ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for touches in the attacking penalty area and the top 2% for shots taken per 90, records FBref.

The Egyptian is a born goalscorer. It is the heart and soul of his skill set. Olise, however, might have reaped brilliant goalscoring rewards this year but he is not the same type of player, instead bringing an inventive and vibrant approach to his football.

But that's okay. Slot loves wingers. They are so important to the functionality of his build-up structure and game-winning execution. Simply trying to replace Salah with someone who can offer consistently matchable shooting success would be built on a house of cards, but Olise would offer an evolved, more appropriate skill set to spearhead a new chapter, led by a new head coach.

The caveat to a potential deal is of course the France U21 international's weary fitness record, with sidelined players of elite-level pedigree something that Liverpool fans have been frustrated by in excess over these past several years, but if Olise manages to weave past this Achilles heel, he would shape into one of Europe's leading forward's.

Therefore, Liverpool must pull no punches in their quest to sign the perfect Salah successor. Fit and firing indefinitely, there are few more exciting than Olise.

Liverpool enquire over Bellingham 2.0 who's “destined for elite football”

Arne Slot could turn this talented teenager into a real world-beater.

ByAngus Sinclair Jun 7, 2024

West Ham United are now looking to sign a “sensational” £35m midfielder who’s won the Premier League title two times, amid growing uncertainty surrounding his future…

West Ham eyeing new midfielder amid Paqueta uncertainty

West Ham star Lucas Paqueta recently admitted that he wanted to return to Brazil during the summer transfer window, saying: “Maybe I shouldn’t even be saying this, but I had some conversations with Filipe (Luís), who is a friend, in addition to the work he’s doing at Flamengo,”

“I really expressed my desire to return and also showed it to my agents.”

Ultimately, the attacking midfielder ended up staying put, however, and he has since gone on to put in some impressive performances in the Premier League, scoring three goals, most recently finding the back of the net in the 3-1 victory against Newcastle United.

That said, the Hammers won’t be particularly reassured by the fact one of their key players was angling for a move, and they have now set their sights on a new attacking midfielder, who could be brought in next summer.

That is according to the print edition of the Sunday Mirror (via West Ham Zone), with a report stating West Ham want to be kept informed about Harvey Elliott’s situation, having failed to make an impact since arriving at Aston Villa on loan from Liverpool.

Villa have an obligation to pay £35m for Elliott if he plays ten matches this season, but he hasn’t been getting a look-in as of late, which means Liverpool may recall the Englishman during the January transfer window.

The 22-year-old, who is represented by the same agency as Niclas Fullkrug, is viewed as a target for the summer, rather than this winter, but the Hammers may have to fend off rival interest, with RB Leipzig also named as potential suitors.

"Sensational" Elliott could reignite career at the London Stadium

The attacking midfielder’s move to Villa simply hasn’t worked out, but he is still very young, and there are plenty of signs he could be an exciting acquisition for West Ham, having impressed at times during his spell with Liverpool.

West Ham and Tottenham get Ivan Toney response after holding discussions

The Al-Ahli striker is fielding enquiries ahead of January.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 29, 2025

The London-born midfielder made 149 appearances for the Reds, amassing 15 goals and 20 assists and playing a role in his side winning two Premier League titles, while the 28-cap England U21 star has also caught the eye at international level.

As such, West Ham should continue to monitor Elliott’s situation as the season goes on, ahead of potentially launching a move next summer, with the former Fulham man in need of a move to a club where game is guaranteed, if he is going to fulfill his potential.

Usually one for few words and fewer expressions, Varun looked to be in a state of contentment on Sunday, even affording a smile

Hemant Brar07-Oct-20243:12

Takeaways: Mayank and Varun too hot to handle for Bangladesh

Varun Chakravarthy comes across as a man of few words and fewer emotions. At pre- or post-match chats in the IPL, the broadcasters have to work hard to extract words from him. In a world where many bowlers have signature celebrations – think Imran Tahir’s run to the boundary, Kevin Sinclair’s somersault, or Tabraiz Shamsi’s shoe-call – Varun’s is hard to recall.But after his 3 for 31 against Bangladesh in the first T20I in Gwalior, Varun confessed to being emotional. Representing India after three years, he said: “It feels like a rebirth.”Those who have worked with Varun closely say he is “intense and takes things very seriously”. The world saw a glimpse of it in June. After being left out of India’s T20I squad for the five-match series in Zimbabwe, he took to Instagram to share his frustration: “I wish I had a paid PR agency!!!!!!”Related

• T20I series takeaways: India now a team of allrounders and fearless cricketers

• New-look India blow away Bangladesh to take 1-0 lead

• Varun Chakravarthy: 'It feels like a rebirth'

Varun had last played for India in 2021, so it might seem he was nowhere in the picture. But this was India’s second-string squad, picked right after the T20 World Cup. A cycle had completed and the selectors were keen to try fresh faces. Many, including Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Tushar Deshpande, were rewarded for their stellar performances in IPL 2024.Varun had an equally compelling case. He was the second-highest wicket-taker in the IPL with 21 scalps in 15 games, playing a key role in Kolkata Knight Riders’ title run. In a tournament where the overall economy was 9.56, he was frugal at 8.04. A season before that, he had taken 20 wickets in 14 games at an economy of 8.14. His frustration, therefore, was understandable.Varun had made his T20I debut for India in 2021. After only three games, he was named in India’s squad for the 2021 T20 World Cup. It was probably a horses-for-courses selection: the World Cup was in the UAE, and Varun had done well there during IPL 2020 and 2021.Ravi Shastri, then India’s coach, said on air during Sunday’s match that he felt Varun was “a tad nervous”. In the three games at the World Cup, he could not take a single wicket. And after a poor IPL next year, he found himself in the wilderness.There were questions about his fitness, one-dimension-ness, and his mystery being unravelled. But Varun worked on himself. He tinkered with his run-up, tweaked his action, and improved his legbreak. In the last two IPL seasons, no one has taken more wickets than him.All that finally bore fruit when he was selected for the Bangladesh T20Is. Gautam Gambhir, KKR’s mentor last IPL and now India’s head coach, might have had a role in his selection. Either way, Varun did not let him down.Introduced in the fifth over, Varun started with a googly. He could have picked up the wicket of Towhid Hridoy with his second ball but debutant Reddy, running in from deep square leg, lost sight of the ball. Not only did he drop the catch but also let the ball go for four. Varun’s emotions were once again on display as he tried to cover his face with his hands.The next ball was too short and Hridoy pulled it behind square for another boundary. Adding more insult to the injury, Najmul Hossain Shanto reverse-swept the last ball of the over for a flat six. It could have been a fairy-tale comeback for Varun. Instead, his figures at that time read 1-0-15-0.Varun Chakravarthy celebrates the wicket of Towhid Hridoy•BCCI”The catch could have gone my way, but that’s how T20 cricket is played,” he said. “I felt even the reverse sweep was off a good ball, but it went for a six. So that’s how it is. It’s all mixed emotions.”Varun did not have to wait long, however. In his next over, Hridoy attempted another pull. This too was a short ball, but the 98.9kph speed meant it hurried the batter, resulting in an easy catch to long-on.By now, it was clear that the Bangladesh batters were not able to pick his variations. With another googly, he breached Jaker Ali’s defence. In his final over, he had Rishad Hossain top-edging a fast legbreak to deep midwicket to register his best figures in T20Is.”It has been a long three years,” Varun said of his comeback. “Whenever there was a series, I would keep thinking why my name was not there. That kind of motivated me, and I felt I should not leave it like this; I should go all out and try to make a comeback. So I started playing a lot of domestic games and started giving importance to those. All the matches I played was with full intensity. I never thought if it was a lower level or higher level.”During this time, Varun’s family was his biggest support. “They have been through this [with me]; they have been facing all my adverse emotions,” he said. “Other than that, everyone at the Tamil Nadu cricket board, my TNPL team Dindigul Dragons and the IPL team KKR backed me so that I could keep improving my skills.”I used to be a side-spin bowler, but now I have completely shifted to be an over-spin bowler. It is a minute technical aspect of spin bowling and took me more than two years to make the shift. Slowly, slowly I was testing it in the TNPL and then the IPL.”This performance, though, does not mean Varun has cemented his place in the side. Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav are India’s first-choice spinners. Apart from that, there is Ravi Bishnoi and Washington Sundar. But Varun sees this as a healthy competition.”There is good competition and there is good camaraderie also. One person who was cheering me today was Ravi Bishnoi. He was coming in and passing me messages, so I can’t ask for more. And it’s actually good to have such competition so that we keep pushing each other. Someone will be better than others at one point in time and he will definitely get the Cup for India. So this competition is very much needed.”While talking about Bishnoi, Varun briefly had a smile on his face. In his case, that was enough to show he was finally in a state of contentment.