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Plenty of highs, and lows, from the latest edition of the IPL

Mathew Varghese, Sampath Bandarupalli, Illustration by Kshiraja K30-May-2022ESPNcricinfo Ltd

West Ham boss Nuno Espírito Santo has reportedly made his feelings about recruitment crystal clear to the board ahead of January, with the Portuguese adamant that they need to strengthen multiple areas of the squad.

West Ham told by Nuno to make three signings in January

Second bottom after conceding more Premier League goals than any other side so far, losing six of their first eight matches, West Ham are staring relegation in the face if they don’t improve quickly.

Nuno is yet to win his first game as manager since taking over from Graham Potter in September, and they looked completely bereft of ideas in their last outing against Brentford at the London Stadium.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

West Ham fielded a much-changed line-up to face the Bees, which included a host of men playing out of position, and Nuno’s team selection for the 2-0 defeat certainly raised plenty of eyebrows.

They were second best all over the pitch and barely threatened the away side at all, barring a decent attempt from winger Jarrod Bowen, with the January window looking more and more like Nuno’s potential lifeline.

According to reports this week, Nuno has urged West Ham chairman David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady to sign a defender, midfielder and forward in the winter (GiveMeSport) as three key positions to address.

Defensively, Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo had a nightmare against Brentford. While Igor Julio has impressed in training lately and could be recalled to the West Ham squad to face Leeds, especially after Konstantinos Mavropanos’ injury, the need for another option is evident.

In midfield, Nuno is believed to want a box-to-box engine room technician who can inject some pace, with internal talks held over a potential move for Chelsea star Andrey Santos among others (GiveMeSport).

Out of all West Ham’s glaring weaknesses, you don’t need an expert to tell you that they’re sorely lacking a reliable number nine who they can rely on as a consistent goalscoring threat.

Niclas Füllkrug’s injury nightmare since joining from Borussia Dortmund threatens to add the German to a long list of failed West Ham striker signings, and it is believed they’re already moving for alternatives.

West Ham have reportedly spoken to Real Madrid about signing Endrick on loan, while journalist Alan Nixon reported earlier this week that the east Londoners are considering ex-Brentford star Ivan Toney on a temporary deal too.

While their goalkeeping department demands the least attention, it is now being reported that West Ham have a chance to sign yet another big-name on loan.

West Ham offered Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen on loan

That man is Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen.

The Catalans captain has barely featured since Hansi Flick took charge in 2024, having suffered various injury problems, but ter Stegen is expected to be back around December — on the eve of the next transfer window.

With Joan Garcia now seizing the number one spot, Barça have told their club legend that he’s free to leave in January for more game time, informing ter Stegen’s camp that they should start looking for a new landing spot.

According to TBR Football and journalist Graeme Bailey, West Ham are one of the clubs who’ve been offered a chance to sign ter Stegen on loan, with intermediaries reaching out over a potential deal.

The 33-year-old is a serial winner. Boasting a Champions League winner’s medal and six La Liga titles from his time at the Camp Nou, ter Stegen would bring a champion’s mentality to Rush Green – something which has been severely lacking in the squad for quite some time.

However, given his £280,000-per-week wages, and the fact West Ham need to prioritise outfield positions, an agreement could well be out of the Hammers’ reach.

Tottenham are already making some progress on their transfer plans heading into 2026, with ‘very advanced’ discussions being held on the player side.

Tottenham make plans to sign new attacker

Spurs are believed to be ramping up their pursuit of attacking reinforcements ahead of the January transfer window, with Thomas Frank desperate to address the creative issues plaguing his side right now.

The Lilywhites were once again unconvincing against Newcastle on Tuesday, despite nicking a 2-2 draw courtesy of captain Cristian Romero’s brace.

Romero’s diving header and overhead kick in added time were Spurs’ only shots on target the entire game, so it remains clear that the north Londoners could do with that extra injection of quality going forward.

FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa has reportedly emerged as one of the club’s primary targets, with Spurs ‘intent’ on signing the 21-year-old, according to some reports.

The Spain international has impressed again this season with six goals and one assist in 11 league games for Porto, while his overall record stands at 37 goals in 62 appearances since joining the Portuguese giants from Atlético Madrid last year.

Dominic Solanke has been plagued by ankle problems since the start of 2025/2026, undergoing surgery in early October and remaining sidelined, with Mathys Tel, Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani arguably failing to set the world alight.

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Kolo Muani’s also suffered injury issues which have limited his availability, but the Frenchman did put in a stunning shift against parent club PSG in the Champions League last week.

He bagged a brace and an assist during the 5-3 defeat as Spurs’ shining light, though he needs more support with Richarlison proving inconsistent and Mathys Tel still pretty raw.

That being said, with Solanke nearing a return, Tottenham are reportedly more likely to sign a wide forward than a central striker in January.

Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo and Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye are both rumoured targets to bolster Tottenham’s attack, with the former’s contract containing a £65 million release clause which will be active in early January.

However, Man City are just as keen on Semenyo as Spurs, meaning Frank’s side could face an uphill battle against the Premier League title contenders.

A potential alternative to Semenyo, according to Sky Sports Switzerland’s Sacha Tavolieri, comes in the form of RB Leipzig sensation Yan Diomande.

Tottenham in 'very advanced' discussions with Diomande's camp

As per the reporter, Tottenham are in ‘very advanced’ discussions with Diomande’s representatives — positioning themselves alongside Liverpool as frontrunners in the race for his signature.

Spurs have monitored the Ivorian for months, and Tavolieri says that both the north Londoners and Arne Slot’s side are pressing in negotiations with the 19-year-old’s camp, though no club has yet made formal contact with Leipzig.

Diomande joined Leipzig for £17.5 million from Spanish side Leganes last summer and has quickly impressed, with the Bundesliga side now slapping a reported £88 million price tag on his head to ward off suitors.

The left-winger has scored four goals and racked up four assists in 14 appearances across all competitions this season, establishing himself as a star regular in Ole Werner’s attacking setup.

The promising talent only made his first senior club appearance in March and has enjoyed a meteoric rise since then, with Leipzig now poised to demand a fee which could eclipse their record sale of Josko Gvardiol to City for £79 million.

Barcelona have also expressed rumoured interest but haven’t opened negotiations with his agents, putting Liverpool and Tottenham in the driving seat.

Both Premier League clubs are even considering a January move, according to some reports (Foot Africa), though Leipzig are fully aware of the growing interest and haven’t yet held talks with any club.

For Frank, the signing of Diomande could be a risky one, as he’s only burst on the scene very recently and may cost serious money.

Southampton return to action in the Championship this weekend as they prepare to travel to Charlton on Saturday, and they appear no closer to appointing a permanent successor to Will Still.

TalkSPORT recently claimed that Sport Republic are ‘seriously considering’ appointing current interim manager Tonda Eckert on a permanent basis, after his first two matches in the dugout.

The 32-year-old head coach is set to lead the team out for a third game against Charlton this weekend, and another win would do his chances of landing the role no harm.

Why Southampton should not appoint Tonda Eckert

Eckert deserves credit for providing the team with an instant boost after Still’s departure, as he masterminded a 2-1 win over QPR and a 3-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship.

However, it may not be the right time to appoint him as the permanent head coach because of his lack of experience in first-team management in his career so far.

Eckert had only ever been an assistant manager before his move to join the U21s as their head coach this summer, and he managed nine Premier League 2 matches before his two senior games as the current interim, per Transfermarkt.

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This means that Southampton have no evidence available to judge what an Eckert team will look like in 15, 20, or 30 games, or if he has the first-team coaching ability to lead a promotion push.

Earlier this month, Michael Carrick was named as a reported contender for the job, and hiring the former Middlesbrough boss could end the Eckert experiment at St. Mary’s.

Why Southampton should hire Michael Carrick

Unlike the German interim, Carrick would arrive on the south coast with bundles of Championship experience as a manager, which may be what the Saints need right now.

The former Manchester United midfielder, who was hailed as an “insanely talented coach” by former Boro player Lukas Engel, has been out of work since moving on from Middlesbrough at the end of last season.

Carrick also has the specific experience of taking over a team in a similar position to the one that Southampton are in now and leading them to a play-off finish, as that is what he did with Boro in the 2022/23 campaign.

Matches

16

30

Wins

4

18

Draws

5

4

Losses

7

8

Points

17

58

Points per game

1.06

1.93

League position

18th

4th

As you can see in the table above, the 4-2-3-1 tactician took over with Middlesbrough after they had a dismal start to the season, in 18th place, and led them to fourth and the play-offs.

Southampton are currently 17th after 15 matches, with 18 points on the board, which means that Carrick would arrive in an incredibly similar situation at St. Mary’s. This could make him the ideal candidate for the job, as he has very specific experience for the job that is required.

Some supporters may see that he finished 10th and eighth in his last two seasons with Boro, but the underlying numbers behind those two campaigns suggest that he was let down by his squad.

League finish

8th

10th

xPTS (Expected league finish)

73 (5th)

71 (6th)

xG

69.5

67.4

xGA

55.0

56.4

xGD

+14.5

+11.3

As you can see in the table above, Boro ranked inside the top six for xPTS in both of those seasons, suggesting that their performances were of a play-off calibre, but the players did not make the most of those performances to pick up the results needed.

This is why Southampton should not be put off by Carrick’s ‘failure’ to get Boro in the play-offs in the last two seasons, and is further evidence that he could be a major upgrade on the inexperienced Eckert.

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Therefore, the out-of-work English manager could be the perfect hire for Southampton for the position that they currently find themselves in, as he has the coaching ability and experience to drive the team back up the table to fight for the play-offs.

Manchester United’s 1-0 defeat to 10-man Everton in the Premier League on Monday night highlights the job Ruben Amorim still has on his hands at Old Trafford.

Kiernan Drewsbury-Hall’s effort in the first half was enough to secure all three points for David Moyes’ men, which will no doubt leave the Red Devils boss scratching his head.

His men spent 77 minutes with a one-man advantage, but none of his first-team squad could pop up with the goods to extend their unbeaten run in England’s top-flight.

Despite spending £200m on a new attacking trio over the summer, the Red Devils looked largely toothless in front of goal, as seen by their tally of 100% big chances missed.

However, the manager will desperately want added reinforcements in the upcoming January window to aid him in his quest for success during his time at Old Trafford.

United’s hunt for added attacking signings in January

Over the last couple of weeks, Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo has been identified as just one player whom United are targeting for the January transfer window.

The Ghanaian international has been in remarkable form during the early stages of 2025/26, with the winger already netting six goals and three assists in just 11 appearances for the Cherries.

However, Amorim’s men aren’t alone in the pursuit of the 25-year-old, with Arsenal and Liverpool just two other top-flight clubs seeking a £65m move for his signature.

He’s not the only player on the Red Devils’ shortlist, with Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior a player who INEOS are potentially considering a move for in the coming months.

According to The Mirror, the Brazilian international could leave the LaLiga giants in the coming months, with the forward having just 19 months left on his current deal – leading to keen interest from the Red Devils.

It also states his recent bust-up with senior members at the Bernabeu could see them cash in on his services to avoid losing him for nothing in the near future.

How Vinicius Junior compares to Bryan Mbeumo

As part of their £200m spending spree in the summer, United forked out a reported £71m on the services of forward Bryan Mbeumo from fellow Premier League side Brentford.

The Cameroonian generated huge excitement within the Red Devils fanbase after netting 20 times in the league last season, with the 26-year-old already making an excellent start to life at Old Trafford.

He’s already netted five goals in his first 12 league outings for the club, with such a tally currently making him the top goalscorer within Amorim’s squad.

However, his showing against Everton yesterday was one to forget, with the attacker struggling to provide the goods amid the absence of Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha.

Mbeumo was only able to register a single effort on target whilst also failing to complete any of his three attempted dribbles – further highlighting his lack of impact in the final third.

There’s no doubt he’s been a shrewd addition to date, but ultimately, he hasn’t been able to get near the levels produced by Vinicius during his opening matches in LaLiga.

When comparing the pair’s respective stats this campaign, the Brazilian has massively outperformed Mbeumo – showcasing why he’d be a better addition for the Red Devils.

Vinicius, who’s been dubbed the “best in the world” by Thierry Henry, has racked up more combined goals and assists this season – subsequently handing Amorim a more threatening option in front of goal.

He’s also registered more key passes and more passes into the final third per 90, with such numbers allowing those around him to be on the end of more chances in attacking areas.

How Vinicius & Mbeumo compare in 2025/26

Statistics (per 90)

Vinicius

Mbeumo

Games played

13

12

Goals & assists

9

6

Progressive carries

8.9

2.8

Progressive passes

4.8

2.7

Pass accuracy

80%

73%

Key passes

2.9

1.7

Passes into final third

1.9

1.5

Take-on success

38%

33%

Carries into final third

2.9

1.9

Stats via FBref

The Brazilian’s all-round dominance over Mbeumo is further highlighted in his higher take-on success and greater tally of carries into the final third per 90, which showcases his ability to go alone when needed.

A player of Vini Jr’s quality would cost a small fortune in today’s market, with such a move likely to break the club’s current transfer record of £89m paid for Paul Pogba.

However, it would be a deal worth every penny, with the winger having all of the tools to take the United frontline to the next level for many years to come under Amorim’s guidance.

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For the first time in quite a while, there are reasons for West Ham United fans to be optimistic.

Nuno Espírito Santo appears to have found a system that not only gets the best out of his players but has already delivered two Premier League wins in a row.

Moreover, some of the stars who were looking a little lacklustre earlier in the season are now starting to pick up some form.

One of those is Lucas Paqueta, although there is a former West Ham player sold by former Sporting Director Tim Steidten who is still outperforming the Brazilian.

The latest on Lucas Paqueta

It would be fair to say that last season was not Paqueta’s finest for West Ham.

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After all, in 36 appearances across all competitions, the former Lyon star was only able to chalk up a rather underwhelming tally of five goals and no assists.

It looked like it would be much of the same for a period at the start of this season, as aside from a thunderous effort against Chelsea and a penalty against Nottingham Forest, the 28-year-old looked like he was simply coasting through games.

Then, just to make the situation worse, stories emerged of him wanting to leave the club as soon as the winter window.

However, the Paqueta-born dynamo quickly responded by posting a picture of himself and his family at the London Stadium, which, given the timing, certainly felt like a statement.

With all that said, this could still be his last season, with transfers expert Fabrizio Romano making it clear that a departure in the summer is still very much on the cards.

If this really is to be his last season in Claret and Blue, at least the mercurial midfielder is starting to show his best again, scoring a goal against Newcastle United and playing well against Burnley last week.

Yet, even with this uptick, Paqueta is being outperformed by another midfielder sold by West Ham last year.

The former West Ham star outperforming Paqueta

There has been plenty of player churn at West Ham in recent years, but one of the most talented to leave was undoubtedly Pablo Fornals.

The 29-year-old joined the Hammers from Villarreal in the summer of 2019, and over the following four and a half years made 203 appearances, in which he scored 23 goals, provided 19 assists and won the Conference League.

However, by the 23/24 season, he was more of a bit-part player, and so when Real Betis came knocking in the January window, the Hammers were happy to let him leave for around £6.8m.

Since then, the Spaniard has already made 69 appearances for the Seville outfit and even started in the Conference League Final against Chelsea last year.

However, this season has been his best in a very long time, to the extent that he’s been called up to the Spanish national team for the first time in four years.

It’s a thoroughly deserved call-up, as in 16 appearances, totalling 1131 minutes this season, he has scored twice and provided four assists, which is an average of a goal involvement every 2.66 games, or every 188.5 minutes.

For comparison’s sake, Paqueta’s tally of four goals in 12 appearances, totalling 1051 minutes, comes out to a worse average of a goal involvement every three games, or every 262.75 minutes.

The comparison is even more weighted in the Spaniard’s favour when examining their underlying numbers.

For example, the “unbelievable” midfielder, as dubbed by journalist Karl Matchett, comes out on top in most crucial metrics, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, passing accuracy, key passes and shot-creating actions.

Fornals vs Paqueta

Statistics

Fornals

Paqueta

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.26

0.20

Progressive Passes

8.45

6.70

Progressive Carries

1.64

0.57

Passing Accuracy

84.3%

75.1%

Key Passes

1.91

1.32

Passes into the Final Third

7.27

4.25

Live Passes

60.5

48.0

Shot-Creating Actions

4.71

2.35

Goal-Creating Actions

0.63

0.09

All Stats via FBref for the 25/26 League Season

Overall, while he might not be as good a player as Paqueta, Fornals is certainly outperforming him this season, and is someone Nuno would surely love to have in his squad.

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San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. was off to a hot start in Sunday's Game 2 vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series.

Tatis started off by crushing a 387-foot home run in the first inning to put the Padres on the board early. In the third inning, he hit a double. He was later brought in for a run in the sixth inning.

The right fielder was shining defensively, too. He caught what appeared to be an uncatchable ball from Freddie Freeman in the fourth inning. As he stood in the outfield after pulling down the deep line drive, Dodgers fans began booing Tatis. Instead of letting their jeers bother him, Tatis fully embraced the boos, and he even egged them on to get louder and keep going.

He wanted the Dodgers fans to know the noise didn't bother him.

Tatis was one of the players Dodgers fans were most worried about facing. Before Sunday's game, Tatis was averaging .600/.692/1.000 through the first three Padres postseason games.

Kyle Mayers had helped Seattle Orcas put up 200 before their sloppy fielding and MINY’s powerful batting in the death overs finished the game

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jun-2025

Monank Patel picked things up after a slow start•Sportzpics for MLC

MI New York 203 for 3 (Monank 93, Bracewell 50, Raza 2-37) beat Seattle Orcas 200 for 5 (Mayers 88, Jahangir 43)MI New York finally got a ‘W’ against their name in MLC 2025 by the time all teams have played three of their ten league games. MI New York did it in style, although after a slow start in their chase of 201 against Seattle Orcas that gave them some tense moments in the last game played in Oakland this season. They managed just 38 for 1 in the powerplay and before his opening partner Monank Patel took off to end with 93 off 50 balls before allrounders Michael Bracewell and Kieron Pollard saw them home with an over to spare.Orcas opted to bat in search of their first win of the season and changed the batting order and the XI to change their fortunes. Kyle Mayers dropped down to No. 4 after bagging a duck in their last game and the move worked as he walked out when Orcas were 30 for 2 towards the end of the powerplay once captain David Warner and Aaron Jones fell cheaply. Mayers and Shayan Jahangir then struck a six every over for five overs in a row while Mayers also got a life when Tajinder Singh dropped a sitter on the off side. More sixes followed before Jahangir holed out for 43 off 34 that ended the third-wicket stand of 77 off 49 balls that took them past 100 in the 14th over.Mayers then lifted the run rate over eight an over with two sixes and a four off Naveen-ul-Haq in the 15th over that went for 18 and saw his half-century come off 31 balls. Mayers smoked a lot of his boundaries on the leg side and relied heavily on his back-foot strokes to muscle the ball away. He launched four more sixes in Naveen’s next over – three of them over long-on – before Trent Boult removed Mayers in the 19th over that went for just eight runs. But there was no respite for Naveen; he got the last over which saw Shimron Hetmyer smack two fours and two sixes before holing out on the last ball. Captain Heinrich Klaasen also chipped in with three sixes in his 27 off 11 as Orcas pummeled 120 runs in the last eight overs.MINY were also hardly looking great in the powerplay with edges and appeals before Quinton de Kock flicked a six in the third over off Obed McCoy. He was, however, trapped lbw as soon as Sikandar Raza came on, while Monank smashed his USA team-mate Jasdeep Singh for a six and four next over. Monank continued to pepper the boundaries while Bracewell moved along at run a ball to play second fiddle. MINY promoted Bracewell over Pooran as they expected the second half the innings to be better for batting, and even though the plan didn’t work exactly that way, runs did flow more easily as the chase progressed. With 90 required off 48, three fours came off Raza’s zippy offbreaks in the 13th over not long before Klaasen put down Bracewell. But Cameron Gannon held on to one to send Monank back for 93 when they needed 57 off the last five. Pooran scored just one run off his first four balls before launching a six which was followed by him losing his stumps against Raza, who celebrated wildly. The stage was set for Pollard with 49 needed off 22 and he started with two fours in his first three balls to stamp his arrival.Bracewell collected two fours and a six off Mayers next over that went for 19 and with 21 to get off 12, Pollard and Bracewell finished things off in the 19th over off McCoy. As many as four Orcas bowlers went for over 10 runs an over while Bracewell remained unbeaten on 50 off 35 and Pollard on 26 off 10.