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Manchester United have felt like a team in transition for over a decade, and while the interminable wait for a 21st top-flight title rages on, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS cohort have sown the seeds of hope at Old Trafford.

It certainly hasn't been plain sailing for Erik ten Hag since he was anointed as first-team manager two years ago, but for all the rebuke, the hardship, Man United have won a trophy in each of the Dutchman's two terms – the Carabao Cup in 2022/23 and the FA Cup last season.

Bruising injury issues precluded any chance of competing against the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool in a fight for the Premier League title, and while the Red Devils were disjointed and unacceptable in their performances for much of the season, Ten Hag had a point when consistently pointing toward his club's medical room.

The defence was often the point of concern, and now that Raphael Varane's £350k-per-week contract has expired, INEOS are essaying to bolster their backline with an exciting addition.

Man Utd transfer news

As per Fabrizio Romano, Bayern Munich's Matthijs De Ligt has given Man United the green light ahead of a potential summer transfer, with efforts being made over the past week to bring him to the club.

De Ligt is currently performing for the Netherlands at Euro 2024 which will naturally slow down negotiations, though there is a willingness from all parties to get the deal done.

Bayern are hoping to collect a fee of €40m (£34m) for the 24-year-old's sale, who is now set to try his hand in the Premier League after a prodigious start to life on the major stage with Ajax – under the tutelage of none other than Ten Hag.

Why Man Utd are interested in Matthijs De Ligt

There is something of a theme at Man United concerning Ten Hag's preference to target former stars, tried and tested under his wing previously, though this has worked out to varying degrees of success.

Lisandro Martinez might have endured a luckless 2023/24 campaign for the Red Devils, beset by injuries, but the Argentinian centre-back is a high-quality player. Antony, purchased from Ajax for £86m shortly after Ten Hag's arrival, hasn't quite had the desired effect, scoring just once in the league last term.

But De Ligt is a brilliant player and would be nothing other than a coup for the Premier League side, described as a "monster" by Bundesliga commentator Kevin Hatchard.

Signing for Bayern from Juventus two years ago for a fee of £68m, the 6 foot 2 titan has featured 73 times, scored five goals and won the Bundesliga 2022/23 Bundesliga title, but his efforts last year were ruined by injury, limiting him to just 16 starting appearances in the top flight.

Still, he more than managed to showcase his skills. As per FBref, De Ligt ranked among the top 12% of central defenders in the Bundesliga last season for goals scored, the top 2% for pass completion, the top 7% for progressive passes, the top 18% for passes attempted and the top 20% for aerial duels won per 90.

Had he found better fortune on the fitness front, the former prodigy might have been able to provide Thomas Tuchel's outfit with a greater chance of retaining their league title and staving off Bayer Leverkusen, but it wasn't to be.

Why De Ligt could be a significant signing

De Ligt is an elite-level defender, having been praised in the past as a "real phenomenon" by retired Italian footballer Sergio Brio.

His rousing leadership, steely defensive skills and modern-day tailored passing range make him the perfect player to join Man United and lift the club closer toward the forefront of the Premier League.

Earning £260k per week in Munich, the 45-cap Netherlands star would not come cheap but the aforementioned Varane's recent departure mitigates the issue of funding the acquisition.

Partnering him alongside Martinez, there's no telling how slick and stylish the Old Trafford rearguard could look down the line, and it might even be a deal to convince Bruno Fernandes to remain at the club.

Fernandes. Manchester United's Magnifico. The Portugal international has been quite the talisman since signing from Sporting Lisbon for an initial fee of £47m in January 2020, under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, posting 79 goals and 66 assists over 233 fixtures and playing an instrumental role in the trophy-winning success of the past few years.

He ranks among the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 4% for passes attempted and the top 2% for progressive passes per 90. In a few words: he's cut from the finest cloth.

However, the 29-year-old is about to enter the penultimate year of his contract and has been at the centre of rumours regarding interest from the Saudi Pro League of late, and United must now show their commitment toward returning to the very top of the European game to retain the services of an irreplaceable leader and playmaker.

Let's not forget, United might have won silverware but this has cloaked over a dismal overall campaign that saw an eighth-place finish in the Premier League (with just 60 points) and a bottom-place finish in their Champions League group phase.

Premier League

38

18

6

14

Champions League

6

1

1

4

FA Cup

6

4

2

0

Carabao Cup

2

1

0

1

TOTAL

52

24

9

19

De Ligt might not have enjoyed the most auspicious of campaigns in Bavaria but he is a wonderful player and would surely serve as an upgrade on Varane, with years yet to ply his trade formidably in the Premier League.

Fernandes is the fulcrum of all that flows freely toward the final third at Man United, and losing him would simply be detrimental. INEOS must prove that they mean business; there needs to be an exodus at the Theatre this summer, but the Portuguese cannot get lost among the outgoing flotsam.

He's better than De Ligt: Man Utd make bid to sign amazing defender

Manchester United are rightfully looking to strengthen their backline this summer.

2 ByMatt Dawson Jul 4, 2024

Sporting CP have confirmed that Manchester United want to pay Ruben Amorim's €10m (£8m/$11m) release clause to appoint him as their new manager.

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Amorim poised to replace Erik ten HagDutchman sacked earlier this weekSporting issue statementFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPWHAT HAPPENED?

Sporting CP have issued a statement confirming that United will pay the €10m release clause in Amorim's contract as they bid to appoint him as the replacement for the sacked Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman was relieved of his duties earlier this week and the club have moved quickly as they attempt to secure a successor.

AdvertisementWHAT SPORTING SAID

Sporting's statement read: "Manchester United FC expressed an interest in hiring coach Rúben Amorim, with the Board of Directors of Sporting SAD referring to the terms and conditions set out in the employment contract in force between the Company and the coach, specifically the respective termination clause and the amount of Euro 10,000,000.00; 2. Manchester United FC expressed an interest in paying Sporting SAD the amount of the aforementioned clause."

AFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

United are hoping to finalise the appointment of Amorim ahead of Sunday's Premier League showdown with high-flying Chelsea at Old Trafford. Ruud van Nistelrooy will take interim charge of their Carabao Cup tie against Leicester on Wednesday.

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WHAT NEXT FOR AMORIM?

Though he was tight-lipped when previously asked about the United job, Amorim is expected to provide a clearer update on his future after Sporting's League Cup quarter-final with Nacional on Tuesday night.

The Australian was part of the ICC Elite Panel since 2012

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-2021Bruce Oxenford, 60, has decided to retire from all formats of the game, thereby bringing an end to a 15-year international umpiring career.The last of his 62 Tests was the recently-concluded Australia vs India match in Brisbane. He will, however, continue to officiate in domestic fixtures in Australia.Oxenford, who was inducted into the ICC’s International Panel of umpires in 2007-08, was promoted to the Elite Panel in 2012. He pioneered the use of the arm shield as protective gear for umpires in international cricket.”I had a wonderful time as a match official and will miss the camaraderie that comes with being a part of such a professional group,” he said in a statement. “I shall particularly miss seeing and interacting with the magnificent people who are part of the support structure of our game around the world.”Oxenford is one of six Australians, after Daryl Harper, Darelll Hair, Simon Taufel, Rod Tucker and Steve Davies, to stand in at least 50 Tests. Overall, only 16 umpires have officiated in 50 or more Tests. He stood in three 50-over men’s World Cups and three T20 World Cups, apart from officiating in two global women’s tournaments.”I look back with pride at my international career as an umpire,” he said. “It is still hard to believe that I officiated in close to 200 international matches. Such a long career was not really something that I had hoped for before commencing on this journey.”Most importantly, I want to thank my wife Jo, son James and daughter Kristen for all their love and support over the years. It would not have been possible for me to have such a long career without their sacrifices and for this I am eternally grateful.”During his playing days, he featured in eight first-class matches for Queensland as a lower-order batsman and legspinner.

Incoming Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim insisted he isn't at Pep Guardiola's level despite leading Sporting CP to a 4-1 win over Manchester City.

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Amorim's side shine in his final home gameVictor Gyokeres hat-trick stuns Man CityMan Utd welcome new boss on November 11Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Amorim enjoyed a fairytale final home game in charge of Sporting CP as a Victor Gyokeres hat-trick helped the Portuguese side defeat Man City 4-1 in the Champions League. The game will have left Man United supporters extremely excited ahead of Amorim's switch to Old Trafford next week, but the 39-year-old tried to downplay expectations after the win.

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Amorim is trying to revive a United side that currently lies 13th in the Premier League and is struggling in Europe as well. He's performed heroics at Sporting but as Erik ten Hag will attest, United presents an entirely different challenge. However, there's no doubt that Tuesday's result over one of the favourites to win the Champions League will give him plenty of confidence – even if he tried to stay modest at full-time.

WHAT AMORIM SAID

"He's so much better than me at the moment," Amorim said, in reference to Guardiola. "But I believe a lot in my new club. We will start from a low level, and we will improve the team, the club."

The Portuguese coach is also aware that his next job will be a bigger challenge to the one in Lisbon.

"When I'm at the next club, the approach will have to be different. Not much is taken from here because we will have to play differently in the future," he added. "Both are historic clubs. It will certainly be a different game."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR AMORIM?

Amorim will oversee Sporting's trip to Braga on November 10 before taking over at United a day later. His first game in charge of the Red Devils will be at Ipswich Town on November 24.

Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli are now considering signing a Tottenham superstar in what would be a pretty ambitious summer swoop, coming after a key departure from the Middle East.

Players who could still leave Tottenham before deadline day

Ryan Sessegnon, Japhet Tanganga, Eric Dier and Ivan Perisic were the first players to depart Spurs this summer, with their contracts expiring late last month. They were soon followed by former club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele after the club agreed to terminate his deal a year early.

"Huge" £150,000-per-week forward now holds talks to join Ange at Tottenham

His representatives have reached out to Spurs.

2 ByEmilio Galantini Jul 17, 2024

Ndombele has since joined OGC Nice in Ligue 1, making a return to his homeland on a free deal. Sessegnon is yet to find a new club since leaving Tottenham, while Perisic and Dier remain at Hadjuk Split and Bayern Munich respectively after they both agreed to join their sides on loan in January.

Tanganga also returned to Millwall on a permanent deal after spending last season on a temporary stint at The Den. Wales international Joe Rodon's exit is the only departure which has made Daniel Levy any immediate money back, having re-joined Leeds United in a £10 million move with Archie Gray going in the other direction.

Son Heung-min

7.30

James Maddison

7.17

Pedro Porro

7.05

Cristian Romero

7.04

Dejan Kulusevski

7.03

Ratings via WhoScored

Midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has joined Marseille on an initial loan deal, but while it'll start as being a temporary move, the Ligue 1 side are obligated to buy him for around £17 million at the end of next season – with Spurs therefore in line for a windfall next year.

So, plenty of senior players have quit N17, and there could be even more. As first reported by reliable club insider Paul O'Keefe, Girona are in talks with Spurs over signing Bryan Gil, coming after the Spaniard's lack of chances under Ange Postecoglou last season.

Tottenham have also been keen to use Giovani Lo Celso in a swap deal for Jacob Ramsey, putting the Argentine's future into doubt, while AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund are chasing a deal for Emerson Royal.

According to recent reports, Spurs are also willing to entertain bids for Richarlison amid interest from Saudi Arabia, so there could be a few more outgoings on the horizon before deadline day on August 30.

Al-Ahli considering bid for Tottenham superstar Son Heung-min

Few would put superstar player Son Heung-min up for sale, despite his age (32) and contract expiring in under 12 months. The South Korea legend finished last season as Postecoglou's top scorer in all competitions, with 17 goals and 10 assists.

The £190,000-per-week forward is far too crucial to sell this summer, and efforts must be made to tie Son down with a new contract. While it is unlikely that Levy and co will entertain offers, that hasn't stopped Saudi side Al-Ahli from eyeing an ambitious move.

Indeed, according to journalist Rudy Galetti, Al-Ahli are considering a bid to sign Son from Tottenham this summer, as they look to replace Allan Saint-Maximin – who left for Turkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce on a season-long loan.

It is unclear just how much the north Londoners would even consider selling for, but it could need to be a serious marquee figure.

All the eight teams look like they have plugged most of the major holes in their line-ups

Hemant Brar18-Feb-20213:25

Mumbai spot on, yet again?

Chennai Super KingsAuction buys: K Gowtham (INR 9.25 crore), Moeen Ali (INR 7 crore), Cheteshwar Pujara (INR 50 lakh), K Bhagath Varma (INR 20 lakh), C Hari Nishaanth (INR 20 lakh), M Harisankar Reddy (INR 20 lakh)Full squad: MS Dhoni (capt), Ambati Rayudu, C Hari Nishanth, Cheteshwar Pujara, Deepak Chahar, Dwayne Bravo, Faf du Plessis, Harisankar Reddy, Imran Tahir, Josh Hazlewood, K Bhagath Varma, K Gowtham, Karn Sharma, KM Asif, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Santner, Moeen Ali, Narayan Jagadeesan, R Sai Kishore, Ravindra Jadeja, Robin Uthappa, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sam Curran, Shardul Thakur, Suresh RainaGaps filled: Moeen Ali and K Gowtham could be the batting allrounders they needed. If IPL 2021 happens in India, Cheteshwar Pujara could come in handy on slow Chennai pitches.Gaps left: They could have done with a back-up for Faf du Plessis.Purse left: INR 2.55 croreDelhi CapitalsAuction buys: Tom Curran (INR 5.25 crore), Steven Smith (INR 2.2 crore), Sam Billings (INR 2 crore), Umesh Yadav (INR 1 crore), Ripal Patel (INR 20 lakh), Vishnu Vinod (INR 20 lakh), Lukman Meriwala (INR 20 lakh), M Siddharth (INR 20 lakh)Full squad: Shreyas Iyer (capt), Ajinkya Rahane, Amit Mishra, Anrich Nortje, Avesh Khan, Axar Patel, Chris Woakes, Ishant Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Lalit Yadav, Lukman Meriwala, Manimaran Siddharth, Marcus Stoinis, Praveen Dubey, Prithvi Shaw, R Ashwin, Ripal Patel, Rishabh Pant, Sam Billings, Shikhar Dhawan, Shimron Hetmyer, Steven Smith, Tom Curran, Umesh Yadav, Vishnu VinodGaps filled: An Indian back-up wicketkeeper for Rishabh Pant in the form of Vishnu Vinod, plus Sam Billings as an overseas wicketkeeper-batsman.Gaps left: An overseas batting-allrounder as back-up for Marcus Stoinis.Purse left: INR 3.65 croreESPNcricinfo LtdKolkata Knight RidersAuction buys: Shakib Al Hasan (INR 3.2 crore), Harbhajan Singh (INR 2 crore), Ben Cutting (INR 75 lakh), Karun Nair (INR 50 lakh), Pawan Negi (INR 50 lakh), Sheldon Jackson (INR 20 lakh), Venkatesh Iyer (INR 20 lakh), Vaibhav Arora (INR 20 lakh)Full squad: Eoin Morgan (capt), Andre Russell, Ben Cutting, Dinesh Karthik, Harbhajan Singh, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Karun Nair, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Nitish Rana, Pat Cummins, Pawan Negi, Prasidh Krishna, Rahul Tripathi, Rinku Singh, Sandeep Warrier, Shakib Al Hasan, Sheldon Jackson, Shivam Mavi, Shubman Gill, Sunil Narine, Tim Seifert, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravathi, Venkatesh IyerGaps filled: Ben Cutting, or even Shakib Al Hasan, as a back-up overseas allrounder for Andre Russell. Shakib and Harbhajan Singh can also be handy in case Sunil Narine needs to be subbed.Gaps left: An experienced Indian seamer.Purse left: INR 3.20 croreMumbai IndiansAuction buys: Nathan Coulter Nile (INR 5 crore), Adam Milne (INR 3.2 crore), Piyush Chawla (INR 2.4 crore), James Neesham (INR 50 lakh), Yudhvir Charak (INR 20 lakh), Marco Jansen (INR 20 lakh), Arjun Tendulkar (INR 20 lakh)Full squad: Rohit Sharma (capt), Adam Milne, Aditya Tare, Anmolpreet Singh, Anukul Roy, Arjun Tendulkar, Chris Lynn, Dhawal Kulkarni, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, James Neesham, Jasprit Bumrah, Jayant Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Marco Jansen, Mohsin Khan, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Piyush Chawla, Quinton de Kock, Rahul Chahar, Saurabh Tiwary, Suryakumar Yadav, Trent Boult, Yudhvir Singh CharakGaps filled: They needed a couple of overseas quicks, which they got in the form of Nathan Coulter-Nile and Adam Milne. Piyush Chawala strengthens the wristspin department.Gaps left None, really.Purse left: INR 3.65 croreESPNcricinfo LtdPunjab KingsAuction buys: Jhye Richardson (INR 14 crore), Riley Meredith (INR 8 crore), Shahrukh Khan (INR 5.25 crore), Moises Henriques (INR 4.2 crore), Dawid Malan (INR 1.5 crore), Fabian Allen (INR 75 lakh), Jalaj Saxena (INR 30 lakh), Saurabh Kumar (INR 20 lakh), Utkarsh Singh (INR 20 lakh)Full squad: KL Rahul (capt), Arshdeep Singh, Chris Gayle, Chris Jordan, Darshan Nalkande, Dawid Malan, Deepak Hooda, Fabian Allen, Harpreet Brar, Ishan Porel, Jalaj Saxena, Jhye Richardson, Mandeep Singh, Mayank Agarwal, Mohammed Shami, Moises Henriques, Murugan Ashwin, Nicholas Pooran, Prabhsimran Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Riley Meredith, Sarfaraz Khan, Saurabh Kumar, Shahrukh Khan, Utkarsh SinghGaps filled: Moises Henriques, Jalaj Saxena and Fabian Allen are all in, giving them a bunch of allrounders to choose from.Gaps left: An experienced Indian seamer as a back-up for Mohammed Shami.Purse left INR 18.80 crore.Rajasthan RoyalsAuction buys: Chris Morris (INR 16.25 crore), Shivam Dube (INR 4.4 crore), Chetan Sakariya (INR 1.2 crore), Mustafizur Rahman (INR 1 crore), Liam Livingstone (INR 75 lakh), Akash Singh (INR 20 lakh), KC Cariappa (INR 20 lakh), Kuldip Yadav (INR 20 lakh)Full squad: Sanju Samson (capt), Akash Singh, Andrew Tye, Anuj Rawat, Ben Stokes, Chetan Sakariya, Chris Morris, David Miller, Jaydev Unadkat, Jofra Archer, Jos Buttler, Kartik Tyagi, KC Cariappa, Kuldip Yadav, Liam Livingstone, Mahipal Lomror, Manan Vohra, Mayank Markande, Mustafizur Rahman, Rahul Tewatia, Riyan Parag, Shivam Dube, Shreyas Gopal, Yashasvi JaiswalGaps filled: With Jofra Archer being the No. 1 man with the new ball, the Royals needed someone to take care of the death bowling. Mustafizur Rahman and Chris Morris are perfect for that role.Gaps left: None too major, but a big-name top-order batsman, someone like Alex Hales, to replace Steven Smith was an option.Purse left: INR 13.65 croreESPNcricinfo LtdRoyal Challengers BangaloreAuction buys: Kyle Jamieson (INR 15 crore), Glenn Maxwell (INR 14.25 crore), Daniel Christian (INR 4.8 crore), Sachin Baby (INR 20 lakh), Rajat Patidar (INR 20 lakh), Mohammed Azharuddeen (INR 20 lakh), Suyash Prabhudesai (INR 20 lakh), KS Bharat (INR 20 lakh)Full squad: Virat Kohli (capt), AB de Villiers, Adam Zampa, Daniel Christian, Daniel Sams, Devdutt Padikkal, Glenn Maxwell, Harshal Patel, Joshua Philippe, Kane Richardson, KS Bharat, Kyle Jamieson, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Pavan Deshpande, Rajat Patidar, Sachin Baby, Shahbaz Ahmed, Suyash Prabhudessai, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra ChahalGaps filled: Picking Glenn Maxwell means their middle order no longer depends only on Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, while Kyle Jamieson plugs a big gap when it comes to a fast-bowling allrounder.Gaps left An Indian middle-order batsman.Purse left: INR 0.35 crore.Sunrisers HyderabadAuction buys: Kedar Jadhav (INR 2 crore), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (INR 1.5 crore), J Suchith (INR 30 lakh)Full squad: David Warner (capt), Abdul Samad, Abhishek Sharma, Basil Thampi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jagadeesha Suchith, Jason Holder, Jonny Bairstow, Kane Williamson, Kedar Jadhav, Khaleel Ahmed, Manish Pandey, Mitchell Marsh, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Priyam Garg, Rashid Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Shahbaz Nadeem, Shreevats Goswami, Siddarth Kaul, T Natarajan, Vijay Shankar, Virat Singh, Wriddhiman SahaGaps filled: Kedar Jadhav can provide stability to the middle order. The prospect of Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan bowling together is a mouth-watering one.Gaps left: An overseas fast bowler.Purse left: INR 6.95 crore.

Manchester United are reportedly considering the option of pursuing a loan deal for Paris Saint-Germain's out-of-favour Randal Kolo Muani in January.

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Man Utd consider loan move for Kolo MuaniRed Devils can't make signings in JanuaryKolo Muani not in Luis Enrique's PSG plansFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Manchester United have struggled so far this season as their issues saw Erik ten Hag get sacked and replaced by Ruben Amorim earlier this month. The Red Devils are now attempting to bolster their forward line for the Portuguese coach despite their reported economic issues meaning they won't be able to make major signings in January.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

As per Fussball.News, Manchester United are therefore looking at Paris Saint-Germain striker Kolo Muani as a potential option to sign on loan. The French striker has not had the best of times at Parc des Princes since his €95 million (£79.3m/$100m) to the Ligue 1 side from Eintracht Frankfurt. PSG boss Luis Enrique does not see the 25-year-old in his plans for the season and there Les Parisiens may be open to the loan move.

DID YOU KNOW?

Kolo Muani was questioned by Telefoot this week about his potential departure links, and the Frenchman responded: "No, I've never thought about it.

"You have to keep the mentality. It's up to me to keep working so that the coach trusts me. That's part of my story. I've always had to work hard, things have never been easy for me. You can't let up. If you let up, it's over, then you'll go under."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR KOLO MUANI?

The Frenchman had been a part of Didier Deschamps' France squad this month, and will now return to the Paris Saint-Germain camp as they prepare for their Ligue 1 clash against Toulouse on Friday, November 22.

Julen Lopetegui and his new West Ham United side are preparing for the 2024/25 Premier League season, looking to bolster their squad in the attempt to reclaim a European qualification spot, after finishing ninth last season.

New signings already include Wolves defender Max Kilman, who has worked previously under Lopetegui, and highly-rated Brazilian star, Luis Guilherme.

But the transfer activity doesn't look set to stop there, with rumours circulating around multiple more incomings for the Hammers, with a striker, right-back and another centre-back all on the supposed wishlist.

West Ham transfer news

According to a report from Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb, West Ham are interested in KAA Gent central defender, Jordan Torunarigha. Crystal Palace are also after him according to the report, while Leeds United have also been mentioned.

The reports suggest Gent are looking to collect around €5m for Torunarigha, which is around £4m. Leeds have already tabled a bid of nearly half the asking price, which was turned down in May, and now Gent are said to be waiting for their asking price to be met.

Torunarigha made 44 appearances in all competitions for Gent last season, scoring one goal, providing two assists, and contributing to 11 clean sheets in his 3,295 minutes of football.

A potential Torunarigha and Kilman partnership

Kilman made 44 appearances for Wolves in all competitions last season, scoring two goals, providing one assist, and contributing to eight clean sheets. He was also Wolves captain for his first entire season, having taken the armband multiple times towards the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

The 27-year-old brings that leadership with him to West Ham, which could work well alongside Torunarigha. The main concern would be the fact that the pair are both left-footed, and along with Nayef Aguerd, you would have three left-footers challenging for spots.

But Gift Orban, Torunarigha's former Gent teammate, has dubbed him "one of the best in the game" at the moment, so there would be confidence in making the two left-footed defenders work alongside each other.

Stats (per 90 mins)

Torunarigha

Kilman

Aguerd

Passes Attempted

62.70

60.76

59.89

Progressive Passes

5.00

3.08

3.34

Progressive Carries

1.51

0.58

0.44

Tackles

2.46

1.24

1.19

Interceptions

1.77

1.03

0.71

Blocks

1.34

1.68

1.59

Aerials Won

2.07

2.26

2.62

As you can see, Torunarigha adds that ability on the ball that Lopetegui is looking for, comfortable looking to play out from the back, as seen from his passes attempted numbers. He is also willing to make those line-breaking passes, averaging five progressive passes per 90.

The 26-year-old also shows the aggression needed to make defensive actions, doubling both Kilman and Aguerd for tackles made per 90, and also making more interceptions than both. Whilst he slightly loses out on blocks and aerials per 90, those metrics still remain close, showing his all-round competence to complete a variety of defensive actions.

Aguerd only betters Torunarigha and Kilman in Aerial duels won per 90, and therefore a partnership of the two could provide West Ham with the most balance and ball playing qualities that Lopetegui desires.

West Ham targeting £21m titan who's an Aguerd & Kilman hybrid

West Ham looking to make another defensive reinforcement

1 ByConnor Holden Jul 28, 2024

Dawson leaves after six years at Bristol during which club won Royal London Cup and Championship promotion

Matt Roller01-Mar-2021Ian Harvey will become Gloucestershire’s interim head coach at the end of the month, when Richard Dawson leaves the club following his appointment as the ECB’s elite performance pathway coach.Harvey, the former Australia allrounder, played 168 times for Gloucestershire across formats between 1999 and 2006, and has been the club’s assistant coach since Dawson’s appointment as head coach ahead of the 2015 season.Dawson has worked regularly with England squads over the past two years, leading the England Lions’ tour to Australia in early 2020 and working with England’s spinners on a camp in Mumbai in late 2019 and during the Test series against West Indies last summer.During his tenure at Gloucestershire, Dawson oversaw the club’s triumph in the 2015 Royal London Cup, when they beat Surrey at Lord’s, and their promotion to Division One of the County Championship in 2019. While they have never gone past the semi-final stage, they have also been among the most consistent counties in the T20 Blast: only Nottinghamshire have won more games than them over the last six seasons.”It has been a huge privilege to have been the head coach of Gloucestershire since 2015,” Dawson said. “There were highs and lows on the pitch but winning the Royal London One-Day Cup in 2015 and gaining promotion to Division One of the County Championship in 2019 were highlights on the pitch, as was seeing a Gloucestershire player [James Bracey] breaking into the England set-up last year.”As a playing and coaching unit, we have faced a lot of challenges off the field, and I’m proud of the togetherness of this squad, who have been incredibly supportive of one another through good and bad times. I’m confident the group is in a strong place with a healthy mix of experience and youth to compete in all formats of the game.”Will Brown, the club’s chief executive, said: “Richard has been a fantastic coach to work with from the outset engendering a belief and excitement that has filtered into all areas of the club. His dedication to building a positive and winning culture has been evident throughout his time in Bristol and the impact he made will be felt long after he is gone.”Richard has taken huge pride in his role as head coach, working tirelessly to get the best out of himself and the players. His likeable easy-going personality, coupled with his commitment to Gloucestershire, garnered respect from the playing squad and meant he had a great rapport with the wider club staff.”Dawson will continue to oversee pre-season preparations until the end of the month, when Harvey will take over with the support of the club’s existing coaching staff, as well as Matt Windows (chairman of cricket) and David Graveney (an executive board member).A Gloucestershire statement said: “The club will now begin a review of its cricketing requirements in order to continue and grow ahead of a formal recruitment process later in the year.”The raft of coaching appointments announced by the ECB on Monday also had ramifications further down the M5, with Marcus Trescothick’s association with Somerset coming to an end after nearly three decades.Trescothick, who made his Somerset debut in 1993, retired at the end of the 2019 season to become Somerset’s assistant coach, and has now been appointed as the ECB’s elite batting coach. In a Somerset press release, he set his sights on returning as head coach in the future.”Although I’m leaving, I’m still going to be around the place to come in and see some of the batters that Somerset have,” Trescothick said. “Not being around the ground as much as I normally am is certainly going to be a bit different.”I want to further my career so that I can eventually become a head coach at a domestic county with the hope of moving into international cricket somewhere down the line. To do that I need to branch out and look at different environments in order to get a better understanding of certain things, and this will certainly give me the opportunity to do that. Hopefully, this might be the stepping stone for me to one day come back and look after the team here.”

Wrexham have reportedly been offered “a dozen to 20” players ahead of the January window, with it possible that an “international striker” will join.

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Red Dragons in the market for goalscorerHollywood co-owners making funds availableAmbition makes it easy to attract talentFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Dragons have made it known that they are in the market for more firepower. With Jack Marriott and Steven Fletcher nursing knocks, while Jon Dadi Bodvarsson is only working on a short-term contract, Phil Parkinson is looking to land another proven goalscorer.

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He has the likes of Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer at his disposal, with record signing Mo Faal waiting in the wings, but greater depth is being sought at SToK Racecourse. Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are prepared to make funds available at the start of 2025.

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Club director Shaun Harvey said at a recent Kick4life charity event in New York: “Rob and Ryan have always supported Phil’s ambition. We will be active in the transfer market during January, because we’re in a position of strength.”

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With that in mind, reports that a number of players have already been offered to the Welsh outfit. A lot of those “want to sign” and the club’s “pulling power” means that ambitious chairmen “could dip into the foreign market to sign an international striker”.