All posts by h716a5.icu

One of the biggest components of Wolves’ successful migration from Championship life to the Premier League was Matt Doherty.

The Irishman was a huge presence in their team, dominating the right-hand side of the pitch with swashbuckling and dominating performances from wing-back.

Doherty had a hand in nine goals during the Old Gold’s first campaign back in the top flight in 2018/19, putting in all-action performances on a regular basis.

There were even calls for him to be included in the PFA Team of the Year that season, and a place in it would have been well deserved. He missed out on that accolade but he did eventually earn a major move, joining Tottenham last summer.

His replacement was the mega-money Nelson Semedo, a player who is vibrant and energetic in the final third but a tad shaky from a defensive point of view.

Wolves have signed plenty of full-backs in the last 12 months with Marcal, Ki-Jana Hoever and Rayan Ait-Nouri all walking through the door at Molineux. However, that hasn’t deterred Bruno Lage from considering further options in that third of the pitch.

One player with whom the club has been linked is Czech Republic’s Lukas Masopust. The right-sided player caught the eye for his country as they reached the quarter-finals of the European Championship and Slavia Prague have now reportedly offered him to Wolves.

If they did land the 26-cap international, he could be their new Doherty. Like the Irishman, Masopust is capable of playing on the right of midfield or further back in more defensive areas.

The 28-year-old has featured at right-wing back, right back and in a holding role throughout his career.

He rampages forward and is used to terrorising defenders. After a headline-making performance in the Prague derby last season, Sparta’s Lukas Julis said: “Masopust made fools of us.”

It’s easy to see why that’s the case. He is one of the most progressive players in his position, ranking incredibly highly in some vital areas.

Over the last year, Masopust ranks in the 95th percentile for progressive carrying distance among players in the same position. Furthermore, he ranks in the 87th percentile for carries into the final third.

He also set up seven goals last season, demonstrating exactly why he could be Wolves’ new Doherty in terms of providing a consistent threat from the right flank.

Creating chances was one of the Irishman’s biggest qualities and that’s an area where Masopust clearly thrives as well.

AND in other news, Wolves in negotiations to sign “outstanding” 67-cap gem, he’s a perfect Neves heir…

Roy Torrens, Ireland’s manager, has called his side that won the ICC World Cup Qualifier tournament in South Africa on Sunday as the best to represent the country

Cricinfo staff20-Apr-2009Roy Torrens, Ireland’s manager, has called his side that won the ICC World Cup Qualifier tournament in South Africa on Sunday as the best to represent the country.”They are even better than the side that shocked Pakistan and Bangladesh at the last World Cup,” said Torrens, a former Ireland player who has been manager since 2004. Ireland lived up to their favourites billing all through the tournament, waltzing through the preliminary league phase with five wins in five and topping the tables in the Super Eights before mauling Canada by nine wickets in the final.An indication of how seriously Ireland were treating this tournament, and the chance to re-affirm their status as the leading Associate nation, was that players were banned from drinking alcohol and carbonated drinks throughout the event. They were even subjected to daily breathalyser tests to make sure the ban was followed. “Not one player failed a test,” Torrens told AFP. “All they drank from the start of the tournament until after the final was still water and it obviously worked wonders.”ICC president David Morgan also congratulated Ireland on their strong show. “Ireland showed in 2007 [World Cup] how it is possible for the top Associate teams to spring surprises at that level,” he said, “and I know that having won the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier they will be out to demonstrate that the last time was not a fluke.”He also lauded efforts of the other three teams which qualified for the 2011 World Cup. “The main goal the teams had beforehand was qualification and so it was also a great tournament for Canada, Kenya and the Netherlands.”Afghanistan missed out on making the World Cup but grabbed the headlines with a sixth-place finish that gained them ODI status. “Perhaps the great success story of this event was through the exploits of the Afghanistan players and for them to win ODI status is a remarkable achievement for one of the ICC’s newer members,” Morgan said. “The ICC will be doing everything possible to make sure the game is brought forward in that part of the world.”

It is an excitement unknown in one-day cricket but still loved by the traditionalist: the sight of a team fighting the odds trying to salvage a hard-earned draw

John Ward at Chester-le-Street25-Apr-2009
ScorecardHard toil: Graham Onions was the outstanding performer on the final day, but his five wickets weren’t quite enough to hand Durham a win•PA PhotosIt is an excitement unknown in one-day cricket but still loved by the traditionalist: the sight of a team fighting the odds trying to salvage a hard-earned draw. Yorkshire, regaining their pride after a dismal third day against Durham, fought their way through the tense final day to achieve this, despite the superb bowling of Graham Onions.At the start of the day Yorkshire, needing another 391, but that was never an option and Yorkshire’s mindset was clear from the start they battened down for the draw. The Durham bowlers were able to find little swing or seam movement and only the noble Onions really impressed, as the others, Steve Harmison included, were a little below par for a team eagerly pressing for victory in their opening Championship match. Onions was undaunted by the hard work – of which he had plenty throughout the day in taking 5 for 56 off 28 overs – and produced several fine deliveries, one of which moved in and bowled the experienced Jacques Rudolph for 16, after he and Joe Sayers had made a very solid start to the day.This brought in Michael Vaughan, whose chief preoccupation seemed to be to play for the needs of his team ahead of his own England ambitions. He subdued his natural attacking flair and concentrated on occupying the crease for as long as possible. When he finally reached double figures, with a typically handsome back-foot cover drive for four, he had faced 45 balls. Only 57 runs were scored in the pre-lunch session but, most importantly for Yorkshire, only one wicket had fallen.Briefly the scoring rate quickened after lunch, but this was mainly due to some loose bowling, and when Harmison went round the wicket and Durham tightened up, the rate again dropped below two an over. Sayers faced 112 balls for his gallant 30, before Onions slanted a ball across him, producing an involuntary nudge to the keeper. In his next over Vaughan fell for 20 to a similar dismissal, fishing fatally at a ball just outside his off stump to further dent his hopes of a Test recall when the squad is named next week.With two crucial wickets falling in quick succession, this was the critical moment of the day. Could Yorkshire rebuild – or was this the vital match-winning breakthrough for Durham? Yorkshire it was who grasped the moment. Anthony McGrath and Andrew Gale stood in the breach, presenting the broadest of Yorkshire bats and taking runs only as they offered themselves. They added a solid 44 before Gale tried to cut a ball from Liam Plunkett, brought on late, that was too close to him and was caught at first slip.After tea the light worsened rapidly. It was a sickening moment for McGrath, on 26 and fighting for his side’s survival, when a superb delivery from Onions out of the gloom found the edge of his bat and was brilliantly caught low to his left by Michael Di Venuto at second slip. Immediately the umpires took the players off the field and, with a bit of rain, nine crucial overs were lost.Gerard Brophy has a reputation for inconsistency in a crisis, and lived up to it on this occasion. Having played quite responsibly for 27, he then threw his wicket away with a needless hook that presented long leg with a straight-forward catch. Durham, with 17 overs to go, were still in with a good chance now with four more wickets to take.Tim Bresnan and Adil Rashid, two who have done well in tight situations before, stood firm until Bresnan had a rush of blood to the head, swung at a ball from Onions just outside his off stump and was given out caught at the wicket. He was the sixth Yorkshire batsman in the innings to reach 20 while failing to pass 30. The mantle of saviour passed to Rashid. Harmison cut his pace somewhat but was not accurate enough to force the batsman to play often enough and with Steve Patterson, another youngster hanging in with determination, Yorkshire managed to salvage a respectable draw in a tense finish.Perhaps, though, it is a fault of modern county cricket that such a finish should be possible. Fifty years ago, when players often bowled more overs in three days than they now do in four, top-class spin bowlers would expect to bowl a team out almost every time on crumbling pitches. Today, pitches rarely crumble and spinners are rarely top-class unless from overseas. The game has lost something, but we can be grateful that the exciting draw is still a possibility.

Wes Hall, the former West Indies fast bowler, has said he is “astonished and saddened” at the board’s remarks over a recent press conference he addressed

Cricinfo staff07-Nov-2008
Wes Hall: “As I said at the press conference in Antigua, Sir Allen Stanford is very rich, but he’s not a benevolent fund, and you have to obey the rules” © Cricinfo Ltd
Wes Hall, the former West Indies fast bowler, has said he is “astonished and saddened” at the board’s remarks over a recent press conference he addressed. Hall denied saying that the Stanford 20/20 board, of which he is a member, “was frustrated over the use of Stanford funding by the WICB”, a comment which was termed as “reckless, baseless and grossly inaccurate” by the WICB.”In more than 50 years involved in West Indies cricket, I have never known the WICB deliver such a fierce tirade against anyone,” Hall was quoted as saying in the . “West Indies cricket has been my life. To have such condemnation wrongly directed at me by the WICB is torrentially tasteless.”Hall said a tape recording of the conference confirmed he did not mention the WICB in his statement, made at a press conference last week. “Stanford gave money as part of its development plan directly to the 20 individual territorial boards that participated in the regional 20/20 tournament, some of which are not even members of the WICB, and not to the WICB,” he said. Hall explained he was misquoted by a Jamaican daily, which said “the Stanford board was a bit frustrated because we give them (WICB) the money and they put it on fixed deposit and spent in on non-cricketing things”.”The ‘them’ was a reference to the relevant territorial boards, not to the WICB,” he said. “The only money that the WICB has received from Stanford is US$2 million annual licence fee for sanctioning the regional Stanford 20/20. There is also the proposed US$3.5 million annually for the Stanford Super Series over the next three years.”In a statement, the WICB “regretted that its former chairman [Hall] was associated with such a gross misrepresentation of the facts which are that the Stanford Group has been woefully short on its promise to facilitate cricket development in the Caribbean”.”Everyone knows that one board initially put the Stanford money on a fixed deposit account and spent only $37 for a case of Gatorade and that another used it for purposes other than intended,” Hall said. “If the WICB doesn’t know that, it shows how out of touch it is.”Because of a lack of accountability by some boards, representatives of all territorial boards were assembled in St Croix last March to review the status of their funding.” Hall explained. He said each board participating in the Stanford 20/20 tournament had initially received US$100,000 to prepare their players and upgrade facilities, and were later given $15,000 a month as part of the Stanford 20/20 development programme.”The system was changed so that each board had to submit its bills to be paid directly by Stanford 20/20,” he said. “As I said at the press conference in Antigua, Sir Allen Stanford is very rich, but he’s not a benevolent fund, and you have to obey the rules.”

Many Liverpool fans have flocked to a tweet from Jude Bellingham following England’s 4-0 win over Andorra on Sunday. 

The 18-year-old started the game alongside two Reds players in midfield, with Jordan Henderson in the middle of a three and Trent Alexander-Arnold trialled on the right.

How did Bellingham perform on Sunday?

As per Squawka, the teenager recorded a pass accuracy of 96%, won seven duels and created three chances over the course of his 62 minutes on the pitch. Andorra ought to be considered minnows given their world ranking of 156, but Bellingham’s performance attracted rave reviews nonetheless.

“Only Andorra but Bellingham’s class is clear,” The Times’ Chief Football Writer Henry Winter tweeted, while fellow sports journalist Harry Roy gushed: “The more I watch Jude Bellingham play, the more I understand why Birmingham retired his shirt number when he left. The kid is generational.”

Could Liverpool lure him to Anfield?

The 18-year-old still has the best part of four years to run on his Borussia Dortmund contract and has seen his Transfermarkt value rise to £49.5m.

Bellingham has previously revealed that Anfield icon Steven Gerrard is one of his footballing ‘heroes’, and that ‘all I wanted’ was one of his number 8 shirts (via Bundesliga.com), while the Reds were tentatively linked with the teenager during the summer.

Liverpool fans flock to Bellingham’s tweet

In response to Bellingham’s post-match tweet, a number of Liverpool fans implored the 18-year-old to follow Jurgen Klopp in swapping Dortmund for Merseyside.

“Come to Liverpool and rescue Gerrard’s #8 kit bro”

Credit: @The_Gerrard_Era

“Come join Liverpool lad and be like your idol”

Credit: @lfcnjck

“Come to Liverpool pal”

Credit: @theKloppEnd_

“Well played, now to come Liverpool Jude”

Credit: @AshLFC_

“See you at Liverpool soon”

Credit: @Lfcqueen29

“Anfield waiting for you”

Credit: @afqsfdn

In other news, Kieran Maguire issues his verdict on a potential Michael Edwards replacement.

England have expressed a willingness to relocate the second Test to Antigua’s old venue, the Recreation Ground in St John’s, after the first day of the match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound was abandoned

Cricinfo staff13-Feb-2009
The outfield at North Sound is unfit, and England are willing to play at the Antigua Recreation Ground© Getty Images
England have expressed a willingness to relocate the second Test to Antigua’s old venue, the Recreation Ground in St John’s, after the first day of the match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound was abandoned after only 10 deliveries because of an unsuitable outfield.The managing director of England cricket, Hugh Morris, told Sky Sports that the team was willing to agree to a switch of venue at short notice, both for the sake of the thousands of England tourists who have booked holidays on the island, and for the sake of the team itself, which is desperate to bounce back from their 51 all out humiliation in Jamaica last week.”It’s critical that we play this match and we want to do that for ourselves after our defeat in Jamaica,” said Morris. “For the fans that have come over here it is really important that we get this game going. Giles Clarke [the ECB chairman] has put that proposal forward to the West Indies Cricket Board and the ICC and we are awaiting the result of that.”Officials from the WICB were understood to be inspecting the ARG, which hosted its last Test match in 2006 but was used by England for net practice in the lead-up to the second Test. The ground has become seriously run-down in the years since it was a prime Test venue, but England’s captain, Andrew Strauss, was happy to put up with the situation for the sake of a rescheduling.”It’s not in a great state but in terms of injuries or whatever it is fit to play on,” said Strauss. “We don’t know what state the wicket is in. It might not have been covered all night but I think it’s fit for bowlers to bowl on and batsmen to play on.”Morris revealed that England’s concerns about the outfield at North Sound had been raised in a letter to the ICC on the eve of the match. “We only came out here the day before yesterday for practice and to have a look and we were concerned about the pitch.”I wrote a letter to the ICC match referee and delivered it yesterday evening because we were clearly concerned at what we saw.”

An update has emerged on Newcastle’s new ownership in regards to how much they can spend without breaking Financial Fair Play rules… 

What’s the talk?

According to football finance expert Kieran Maguire, via The Daily Mail, Newcastle could have in excess of £200m to spend in the transfer market over the next three years without breaking FFP restrictions.

He has explained that the finances Mike Ashley has left allows them to spend £190m without running into issues with FFP, but also states that the new owners, PIF, could increase the commercial revenue and add to that £190m figure, taking it over £200m.

“For all that is wrong with Mike Ashley, I would love to be buying a club from him,” he said. “There is a lot of scope to increase the investment in Newcastle if any new owners choose to do so

“Mike Ashley himself is a toxic brand when it comes to sponsors and Newcastle have struggled to match the growth of other clubs.

‘There is a lot of scope for an increase in commercial and sponsorship revenue and from Saudi Arabia itself.”

Excitement

This report will surely leave Newcastle fans feeling excited about the upcoming transfer windows now that PIF have officially taken over control of the club. If Maguire’s figures prove to be accurate, the Magpies could be set to make a splash in the market in January and next summer.

Newcastle spent roughly £26m on transfers in the 2021 summer window, signing Joe Willock from fellow Premier League side Arsenal. The central midfielder was the only senior addition to the squad, having been on loan during the 2020/21 campaign, and he could be the sole recruit of the club’s last quiet window for some time to come.

After a disappointing few months of a lack of activity in the market, Newcastle fans may be desperate to see some money spent in January in order to help the side avoid relegation back down to the Championship. This is why they will be excited to see PIF spend £200m+ over the next few years.

Steve Bruce is reportedly set to be sacked by PIF, who are prepared to pay his £8m compensation fee. This means that it remains to be seen who will be given the opportunity to spend this £200m+ in the transfer market over the next few years.

Leicester City’s Brendan Rodgers and Rangers’ Steven Gerrard have both been mentioned, but until a deal is close to being finalised, or complete, there is little point in speculating how they could spend the money. On the flip side, the new owners could already have ideas in mind on who they want to add to the playing squad and then appoint a manager to suit their plans. Either way, it is an exciting time to be a Newcastle supporter!

AND in other news, PIF could pull off early blinder by making two swift moves, NUFC fans would love it…

Preview of the 2nd Test between Australia and South Africa at the MCG

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale24-Dec-2008Match facts
The MCG has been a happy venue for Matthew Hayden © Getty Images
December 26-30, 2008
Start time 10.30am (23.30GMT)Big PictureIt will be almost impossible for the Boxing Day Test to live up to the drama of South Africa’s win in Perth. So unexpected was their brilliant chase of 414 that it left both teams in a state of shock. The squads have had a few days to digest the outcome and for Australia the distaste of losing forced at least one player to be spat out. But it will take more than just personnel alterations for Ricky Ponting’s men to fight back in Melbourne. They face the challenge of turning a moderate attack into one capable of curbing South Africa’s powerful batting line-up, while their own batsmen try to click back into gear.South Africa have spent so long chasing Australia that it must be an odd feeling for them to know that they are potentially five days of good cricket from beating them in a series in Australia for the first time. An Australian victory would set up a thrilling decider in Sydney. The bookmakers still have Australia as warm favourites but the way South Africa played in Perth, it would be a brave punter to back against them.On a side note, a strange thing happened during the week. Two days after South Africa’s greatest Test victory they actually in the ICC’s Test rankings. The intricacies of the ranking system meant India’s series-clinching draw against England was enough to nudge them ahead of South Africa, although it will almost certainly be temporary. South Africa will regain second place unless they lose both remaining Tests and if they win them both they will take the top spot from Australia.Form guide (last five Tests, most recent first)Australia LWWLD
South Africa WWWLWWatch out forMatthew Hayden is having one of the leaner runs of his Test career but if he could pick the perfect place to try and bounce back it would be the MCG. Hayden has made centuries in the past three Boxing Day Tests and in six of the past seven. Since 2001 he has averaged 102.40 at the venue. To get anywhere near that he will need to rediscover his form quickly. His judgement has been muddled in recent months and a strong South African pace attack will not give him an easy ride. Hayden has declared his intentions to play on; this Test more than any other might help determine for how long.Jacques Kallis is out of form so rarely that opposition teams really need to keep him down while they have the chance. Australia couldn’t do that in Perth. He entered the game with one half-century from his past 11 Test innings and went on to raise a pair of fifties that helped South Africa to a historic win. Kallis made 63 and 57 and while he was rightly overshadowed by several of his batting colleagues, it is only a matter of time before Kallis again stamps his authority on a Test.Team newsDespite all the talk of potential personnel changes, Australia have made only one alteration to the side that lost in Perth. The offspinner Nathan Hauritz has taken the place of the axed Jason Krejza, with Peter Siddle holding his position ahead of Ben Hilfenhaus for his first Test at his home ground in Melbourne. A knee problem hampered Andrew Symonds in the field in Perth but the problem was not considered serious enough for him to be rested for the second Test.Australia 1 Matthew Hayden, 2 Simon Katich, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 Michael Clarke, 6 Andrew Symonds, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Brett Lee, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Nathan Hauritz, 11 Peter Siddle.South Africa have named the same side that earned the remarkable win at the WACA. The only question-mark was over the fitness of Ashwell Prince, whose cracked thumb kept him out of the Perth line-up. Prince was making good progress but was not considered quite ready for a return at the MCG and his replacement JP Duminy, who struck the winning runs on his Test debut, has proven a more than capable Test No. 6.South Africa 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Neil McKenzie, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 AB de Villiers, 6 JP Duminy, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Morne Morkel, 9 Paul Harris, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Makhaya Ntini.Pitch and conditionsThe MCG pitch is generally one of those surfaces that has something for everyone. It’ll offer some early seam movement, a bit of swing and some turn later in the match. After Hayden made a century there last year he called it the toughest surface he had batted on for two years. No batsman has made a century in the two Sheffield Shield games at Melbourne this season and spin has accounted for only two wickets in those matches. That statistic is slightly disingenuous though; Victoria’s primary slow bowler Bryce McGain is injured and only one spinner has been given a decent spell at the MCG this season.Stats and TriviaAustralia have won their past nine MCG Tests and have not lost there since 1998-99, when Dean Headley bowled England to a remarkable victory.Australia have not lost the first Test of a home summer since 1988-89, when West Indies went on to take the series 3-1.Jacques Kallis is 79 runs from becoming the first South African to score 10,000 Test runs. Quotes”It’s awesome to be involved in a series where we’re now coming from behind. A lot of the Boxing Day Test matches I’ve played in we’ve been in a very, very dominant position.”
“One victory doesn’t make a summer. There’s a huge amount of cricket for us to play.”

Pakistan’s ICL recruits have finally restarted a legal process to fight the bans imposed on them by the PCB from playing domestic and international cricket.

Osman Samiuddin27-Jan-2009
Abdul Razzaq and Mohammad Yousuf could still represent Pakistan if the bans on ICL players are overturned © AFP
Pakistan’s ICL recruits have finally restarted a legal process to fight the bans imposed on them by the PCB from playing domestic and international cricket. A letter has been sent by the legal firm of retired judge Fakhruddin G Ebrahim to the PCB on behalf of the players. Currently, however, the communication is not “a legal notice”, a board official said.”No legal action is being taken just yet but we have received a letter from the firm,” the official told Cricinfo. “The letter asks us why we have banned them and under what rules.”The board has not responded yet, though it is understood the issue will be brought up at the ICC executive board meeting due to take place in Perth on January 31. Only after a clearer picture emerges from there will they respond to the queries.The move comes more than a year after a group of ICL players, led by Imran Farhat and Taufeeq Umar, first attempted to take the matter to court. They started the process towards the end of 2007 but it then petered out. The process has started again, said a prominent ICL player, because the environment is ripe for it.”We tried doing it in 2007 but Nasim Ashraf [the then PCB chairman] had too many connections in the government of the time,” the player told Cricinfo. “Whenever we did something or tried, it would come up against a dead end because Ashraf would use his friends in power to stop proceedings. So we decided to just wait it out till the government changed. Now it has and so has the administration and we feel, from the comments they have made, that we can progress this time.”The current board administration under Ijaz Butt has been far more ambiguous about the ban on the players than the one under Ashraf and seems far more willing to look for ways out of the situation. Pakistan has 19 players in the ICL – some of them, like Abdul Razzaq and Mohammad Yousuf, still good enough to play for the country.Javed Miandad, the PCB’s director-general, has openly called for the bans to be removed claiming they hurt Pakistan and are only in place to appease BCCI interests. Butt, however, has been vague and often confused over the stance. He insists it is up to the ICC to resolve the matter and that the PCB does not want to ban the players.”We don’t want our players to be banned because they have contracts with the ICL,” Butt said on a TV show two weeks ago. “But unfortunately we can’t do anything unless the ICC changes its stance on this issue.”The PCB has not directly banned the players, We have banned them under the ICC rules,” he said. “The rules state that no tournament can be held without the home board’s permission and, in the case of the ICL, the Indian board [BCCI] does not recognise it as it runs its own league, the IPL.”Board officials have been examining legal aspects of the case since before the letter was sent to fully brief Butt before he attends the Perth meeting. The letter has been sent on behalf of almost all of Pakistan’s 19 ICL players and Moin Khan, coach of the ICL’s Lahore Badshahs team, is believed to be handling the matter as a representative of sorts.

Via his Patreon account, reliable club insider ExWHUemployee has just dropped an exciting West Ham transfer update involving Jesse Lingard.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye Lingard…

The Manchester United midfielder has been a target for David Moyes since before the beginning of this summer transfer window and Claret & Hugh believe that the 28-year-old has been among the Irons; main transfer priorities along with a striker and a centre-back.

However, a recent claim by Sky Sports indicated that a move for Lingard was looking increasingly unlikely, with the player in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans.

Matheus Pereira was also taken off the table as an alternative target after his move to Saudi Arabian giants Al Hilal.

The Latest: ExWHUemployee drops exciting Lingard update…

As per ExWHUemployee, there is now some real hope for the Hammers after all when it comes to signing Lingard on from the Red Devils before August 31.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-gossip/” title=”West Ham latest gossip…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

It appears that the 28-year-old has pulled a U-turn on his West Ham stance and is ‘a lot more open’ to a London Stadium return. The player’s entourage are also said to be ‘making these feelings known’ to Manchester United, with Lingard’s future having not been assured.

West Ham are also expected to launch a bid for the attacker over these coming days and there is ‘renewed optimism’ that a deal could actually happen.

The Verdict: Very much needed…

It has been an arduous and at times painful summer for West Ham supporters given their lack of transfer business so far. Just over two weeks of the transfer window remain until the deadline and Moyes has still yet to see a major new outfield signing come through the door.

West Ham have only snapped up goalkeeper Alphonse Areola on a season-long loan deal from Paris-Saint Germain, so this update on Lingard should come as an exciting one for the Hammers faithful.

It provides fresh hope that Moyes could land one of his major targets after all and there could be many Irons supporters hoping that the ‘sensational’ player, as described by Nigel Winterburn (The Sun), finally signs on the dotted line.

In other news: ‘Wow’, ‘Staggering’, ‘Cannot write this’… many West Ham fans erupt as news confirmed, find out more here.