Middlesbrough are now lining up a move for a striker who was recorded as the world’s fastest player in 2024, according to a report.

Boro in play-off contention

Middlesbrough have been in poor form as of late, losing three of their last four Championship matches, but they remain in a good position to finish inside the play-off positions, sitting outside the top six on goal difference alone.

However, the loss of Emmanuel Latte Lath could be a real blow for Boro, with the forward completing a move to Atlanta United near the end of the January transfer window.

Michael Carrick moved swiftly to replace Latte Lath by bringing in Kelechi Iheanacho on loan from Sevilla, but there is no guarantee the former Manchester City man will stay beyond the end of the season. Upon completing a move to the Riverside Stadium, Iheanacho said: “I’m very excited to be here. It’s a wonderful place. I’m happy to be here,”

“It’s good to get out, to feel in a different environment. Sevilla is a great club. I’ve loved my experience there. It’s a great team, and I’ll be delighted to return there.”

As such, Middlesbrough may be tasked with bringing in a replacement in the summer, and they have now identified a potential target, with Football League World reporting they are lining up a swoop for Peterborough United’s Ricky Jade-Jones.

Jade-Jones is set to be available on a free transfer at the end of the season, upon the end of his contract, although compensation will be due, given that he is under the age of 24.

Jade-Jones impressing in League One

The Peterborough forward has certainly earned himself a move to the second tier with his performances this season, having netted 14 goals in 38 appearances in all competitions, regularly finding the back of the net despite the Posh underperforming in League One.

Not only does the 22-year-old have a keen eye for goal, but his pace could also be a major asset for Boro, should he move to the Riverside this summer, having been named as the “fastest recorded player” in 2024.

Latte Lath was also praised for his “explosive pace” during his time with Boro, so there are indications Jade-Jones could be a like-for-like replacement in that regard, and his displays for a struggling third-tier side suggest he is ready to make the step-up to the Championship.

Of course, Carrick’s side will be aiming to be promoted to the Premier League this season, so they may have to reconsider the move if they achieve their goal, and they could even pursue a permanent deal for Iheanacho, depending on the Nigerian’s performances.

MatériaMais Notícias

Pela tarde, John Textor fez uma brincadeira em uma rede social sobre a possibilidade de Neymar jogar no Botafogo. Horas depois, à noite, o Glorioso foi derrotado por 3 a 0 pelo América-MG, se complicou na Copa do Brasil e Luís Castro ressaltou a “necessidade de se reforçar”, trazendo à tona a qualidade da equipe que entrou em campo no Independência.

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+ Jorge Braga deixa de responder por decisões do Botafogo na Ferj; Thairo Arruda assume

É claro, vale ressaltar, que o resultado negativo em Belo Horizonte nada tem a ver com a postagem de Textor, mas expõe diferentes ‘realidades’ que o Botafogo vem encarando. Enquanto o norte-americano visa grandes astros do futebol mundial, Luís Castro questiona e reclama de questões mínimas na estrutura do clube.

Por exemplo, o português afirmou, na última sexta-feira, que o gramado do Espaço Lonier, CT do clube, é “bom para estacionar carros”. Um dia antes, John Textor afirmou, em entrevista ao LANCE!, que havia iniciado conversas com tentativa de contratar James Rodríguez, estrela colombiana.

São dois mundos que não se encontram – apesar de não terem relação direta. Ao mesmo tempo que John Textor vende uma ideia ao mundo de que quer uma estrela ao Botafogo, Luís Castro afirma que o clube não teria estrutura suficiente para recebê-la, caso tudo caminhasse para um acerto.

O treinador voltou a falar sobre questões estruturais após a derrota para o América-MG. Entre lesionados e questões burocráticas, o Alvinegro teve dez desfalques para a partida. O comandante clamou por contratações.

– Eu acho que todos nós estamos de acordo de que precisamos nos reforçar. Nem que seja com os jogadores que estão fora por lesão. Hoje jogamos com equipe do ano passado, da Série B, com Sampaio e Patrick de Paula. Claro que para uma Série A normalmente não se joga só com os atletas do campeonato anterior. Claro que reforços têm que vir. Se olharmos, também nos falta o Erison, o Lucas Fernandes, o Piazon, o Victor Cuesta, para sermos mais fortes – disse.

+ Seedorf no Botafogo: há dez anos, o craque holandês era anunciado pelo Glorioso

James não foi o primeiro. John Textor já teve diferentes “sonho de consumo”: Edinson Cavani foi o primeiro, ainda na primeira janela, mas não andou. Eran Zahavi foi o mais duradouro, com uma negociação que durou mais de quatro meses.

A questão dos desfalques, importante ressaltar, não pode servir como um ‘trampolim’ para justificar completamente uma atuação de pouca imposição e criatividade do Botafogo. O Alvinegro foi dominado e poderia ter saído com um placar ainda mais elástico de Belo Horizonte.

A questão são o tom dos discursos que vêm dos diferentes locais. John Textor e Luís Castro não falam a mesma língua – pelo menos não publicamente.

The Colombian musician was seen with the San Diego FC trio following his sold-out concert at Pechanga Arena during his San Diego stop

The music sensation posed with the three San Diego starsPlayers present J Balvin with customized No. 25 SDFC kitSDFC face St. Louis CITY next in MLSGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

Following his energetic performance at Pechanga Arena as part of his 2025 North American tour, J Balvin welcomed San Diego FC stars Christopher McVey, Tomas Angel, and Pablo Sisniega backstage. The trio posed with the reggaeton superstar and even presented him with a personalized San Diego FC jersey featuring his name and the number 25. Balvin, a known soccer fan, spent time discussing both music and soccer with the players.

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San Diego FC have actively sought to establish cultural relevance within Southern California's diverse community since joining MLS as an expansion team in 2025. The club's outreach to global entertainment figures like J Balvin reflects the broader strategy of modern sports franchises to build fan connections through music, fashion, and cultural touchpoints beyond the pitch.

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J Balvin will continue his North American tour with upcoming stops in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Houston. San Diego FC, on the other hand, return to action with a match against St. Louis CITY SC. They currently sit fourth on the Western Conference table with 17 points after 11 league games, thanks to a recent 5-0 win over FC Dallas.

West Ham United are now keen on signing a “superstar” striker, having identified him as their top target for the summer transfer window, according to a report.

West Ham's striker issues

The Hammers never seem to have much luck when it comes to signing strikers, with some big-name signings such as Sebastien Haller and Gianluca Scamacca failing to adapt to life in the Premier League.

Niclas Fullkrug was also brought in last summer, but the German struggled to replicate his form in the Bundesliga prior to picking up a hamstring injury, while Michail Antonio is set to be ruled out for the foreseeable future due to a car crash.

Jarrod Bowen is always a reliable source of goals, once again getting on the scoresheet in the 1-0 victory against Arsenal yesterday, but Graham Potter is keen to bring in an out-and-out striker in the summer transfer window.

West Ham player "in talks" to leave with February transfer expected

He’s keen on a new challenge.

ByEmilio Galantini Feb 22, 2025

Talks have been opened with Corinthians forward Yuri Alberto, but the 23-year-old may just be a back-up option, as The Guardian have now revealed West Ham’s top striker target is Lille’s Jonathan David.

David is set to be available on a free transfer in the summer, upon the expiration of his Lille contract, and he is attracting the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs, with Inter Milan and Juventus also keen.

The report claims the Canadian now looks certain to leave Lille at the end of the season, but it remains to be seen whether the Hammers will be able to meet his high wage demands.

"Superstar" David destined for the top

The 25-year-old has been lauded as a “superstar” by Canada teammate Jonathan Osorio, and he has a very impressive goal record over the course of a number of years in Ligue 1, arriving in 2020 after impressing in Belgium with Gent.

Season

Appearances

Goals

2020-21

37

13

2021-22

38

15

2022-23

37

24

2023-24

34

19

2024-25

21

12

The Brooklyn-born forward also has 31 goals in 59 games for his national side, so it is little wonder he is attracting the attention of some big clubs, and it is promising news that West Ham are in the race for his signature.

Fullkrug has struggled in his debut season at the London Stadium, scoring just twice in the Premier League, but even if he finds his feet, the 32-year-old is not of an age to lead the line for the long-term future.

The same applies to Antonio, who is now arguably in the twilight years of his career, so a younger striker will be a necessary signing in the summer, and David fits the bill at 25-years-old.

Given the Lille star’s ability, it may be difficult for the Hammers to get a deal done this summer, especially considering they are very unlikely to have European football on offer, but if they are able to pull it off, he could be an excellent long-term addition to the squad.

في خطوة غير مسبوقة تهدف إلى تعزيز الشفافية وجذب الجماهير، أعلن الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا” عن تطبيق مجموعة من الابتكارات الثورية خلال بطولة كأس العالم للأندية المقبلة، المقرر إقامتها بصيغتها الموسعة للمرة الأولى.

وتنطلق البطولة في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية يوم 15 يونيو الجاري بافتتاح يجمع بين الأهلي وإنتر ميامي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. أكانجي يفتح النار على فيفا: لم نرغب في خوض كأس العالم للأندية

وكشف “فيفا” أن البطولة ستشهد استخدام كاميرات تُثبت على أجسام الحكام، وهي تقنية حصلت مؤخرًا على موافقة المجلس الدولي لكرة القدم “IFAB”، وستتيح لمتابعي المباريات رؤية القرارات من منظور الحكم ذاته، حيث تُعرض اللقطات عبر شبكة “DAZN” المالكة الحصرية لحقوق بث البطولة.

ولم يتوقف الأمر عند هذا الحد، إذ سيتمكن المشجعون داخل الملاعب وخارجها من مشاهدة مراجعات تقنية الفيديو “VAR” مباشرة على الشاشات، في خطوة تاريخية تهدف إلى القضاء على الجدل المصاحب للقرارات التحكيمية.

ومن المقرر أن يتم اعتماد هذه الميزة كذلك في الدوري الإسباني، بدءًا من موسم 2025-2026.

كما ستُستخدم تقنية التسلل شبه الآلي، والتي تعتمد على خوارزميات مطورة من قبل شركة “Hawk-Eye”، لتوفير قرارات دقيقة وفورية عبر تحليل بيانات الحركة بدقة متناهية.

ومن الابتكارات اللافتة أيضًا، اعتماد أجهزة لوحية رقمية لإدارة التبديلات بدلًا من الورق، ما يُسرع من الإجراءات ويوفر وضوحًا لكل فريق حول عدد التبديلات المتبقية.

وتعكس هذه التعديلات حرص “فيفا” على الارتقاء بتجربة المشاهد وتقديم نموذج جديد لكرة القدم المستقبلية، حيث تتكامل التقنية مع المتعة، في مشهد يُنتظر أن يُحدث نقلة نوعية في عالم كرة القدم.

Real Madrid have reportedly shortlisted Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen and Arsenal stopper David Raya ahead of the summer transfer window.

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• Real Madrid monitoring PL goalkeepers
• Raya & Verbruggen are being targeted
• Madrid could sell Andriy Lunin

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to Real Madrid are stepping up preparations for the summer transfer window, with a clear focus on strengthening their goalkeeping department for the long term. Thibaut Courtois remains the undisputed first-choice goalkeeper at the Bernabéu, but the club is mindful of the need to secure a reliable heir as they look to the future. With potential changes looming, Real Madrid are preparing to test the waters with concrete interest in Raya & Verbruggen. They are already poised to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold for nothing from Liverpool.

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  Of the two names, 22-year-old Bart Verbruggen is believed to be the more attainable option. The Dutch international has risen through the ranks to become Brighton’s No.1 and has shown consistent performances in the Premier League.

  Madrid's plan would be to initially bring Verbruggen in as Courtois' understudy, with a long-term vision of him stepping into the starting role in the years to come. However, this could prove to be a sticking point in negotiations, as the young Dutchman may be hesitant to trade a starting position at Brighton for a place on the bench in Spain.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Another factor influencing Madrid’s interest in new goalkeeping talent is the situation surrounding Andriy Lunin. The 26-year-old Ukrainian has served loyally as Courtois' backup since arriving at the club, but with limited game time and growing ambition, he may seek a fresh challenge elsewhere.

  Real Madrid are said to be open to parting ways with Lunin this summer, provided a suitable offer comes in. If that happens, the club would be under increased pressure to secure a goalkeeper who can offer both immediate cover and future promise — a role Verbruggen may fit perfectly.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

  While Verbruggen remains a priority, Real Madrid are also keeping close tabs on Arsenal’s Raya. The 29-year-old Spaniard has solidified his place as the Gunners’ first-choice keeper under Mikel Arteta, following his move from Brentford. However, any attempt to prise Raya away from North London is expected to be significantly more complicated. With Arsenal likely to reject advances for their established No.1 and Raya himself enjoying a prominent role at the club, a deal could be difficult — if not impossible — to engineer in the short term.

South Africa were adamant that Simon Harmer’s catch in the slips off Marnus Labuschagne, which was ruled not out by the third umpire, had been cleanly taken. But they could at least sleep a little easier knowing it had not been hugely costly thanks to the persistence of Anrich Nortje.On 70, Labuschagne edged Marco Jansen low to Harmer at slip with the catch immediately being claimed. However, Labuschagne stood his ground and the decision went upstairs. After much rocking, rolling, and zooming, the TV umpire, Richard Kettleborough, ruled it hadn’t gone in cleanly.”All of us thought it was out,” Nortje said. “Simon was convinced it was straight. Think if you look at the front-on angles, to us it looks like the fingers are underneath it. Unfortunately, we didn’t get that one, think it would have been a big one at that stage. We are convinced it was out.”Related

• Cummins calls for third umpire catch changes

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• With Labuschagne as third seamer, there's a very un-Australian Australia at the SCG

Labuschagne was not able to build on the reprieve, edging a lifting delivery from Nortje from what became the final ball of the day, but believed that the replays showed some part of the ball had to be touching the ground.”Regardless of whether it’s caught or not, with the technology, there’s so many ones that people are adamant they have caught – and Simon said ‘I’ve caught that’ – and in the old rules of catching it, because you felt like your fingers are under it, absolutely, but with the new footage those are so scrutinised because you see so many angles,” Labuschagne said. “Especially that side-on angle, makes it look really bad, then the front-on angle actually looks pretty good.”If there’s no TV then I’m walking, that’s just how the game works. But with the amount of slow-motion footage of the ball, you see his fingers push and split open, according to the technicalities some of the ball is touching the grass, regardless of whether his fingers are under it or not.”He also supported the move to make the on-field soft signal, which in this case was out, largely redundant. It now only comes into play if the TV replay fails or is unavailable, rather than being a ruling that the third umpire has to find conclusive evidence to overturn.”The soft signal on-field doesn’t matter anymore, whereas before it did,” Labuschagne said. “If the umpire gave it out, then he would have [to find] conclusive evidence to overturn it, but now, Kets [Kettleborough] was up there to make the decision with no interference. That’s the best way to do it, because it’s so hard to tell if you are at square leg whether that’s carried or not. In the past, the soft signal has had so much weight.”Former ICC umpire Simon Taufel clarified the tweak to the soft-signal protocol but conceded South Africa could consider themselves unlucky in this instance.”The ICC did tweak its third-umpire protocols in this area last year, where the soft signal in this particular case with a fair catch would carry less weight, only if the TV replays were inconclusive or poor, or non-existent,” he said on . “So Richard really had a tough job with that one, particularly because the camber of the ground slopes away. Obviously, Richard felt that the ball hit the ground before getting into the hands. It’s a tough call… but I can understand why South Africa might feel a bit hard done by there.”In the end, Labuschagne’s thin edge from a rising delivery ended a testing string of deliveries from Nortje and left him cursing that he could not see through one more ball.”It always makes you very angry as a batter when you get out and everyone walks with you off the field,” Labuschagne said. “Really makes you think about that specific ball, but at the end of the day he bowled a really good set, four or five balls in the same spot, and then that one just kicked.”

“Indian team very, very disappointed they are not coming,” says president of Cricket Association for the Blind in India

PTI06-Dec-2022

Pakistan’s cricket team has been denied visas to travel to India for the ongoing T20 World Cup for the Blind. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) said that the team could not get clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs in India.”This unfortunate incident has left the Pakistan blind cricket team in the lurch,” the PBCC said. “It was highly likely that Pakistan and India would have locked horns in the final of ongoing World Cup and considering the current form of the Green Shirts, Pakistan had high chances to win the World Cup.”The PBCC said “it strongly condemns this discriminating act of India as sports should be above regional politics”.”Our counterpart in India pleaded with their government for Pakistan’s clearance but nothing was heard,” the statement said. “This discriminating act will have serious consequences on global blind cricket as we at the World Blind Cricket will take stern action against them and may not allow India to host future international events.””Indian team very, very disappointed they are not coming”
Mahantesh GK, the president of Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI), told ESPNcricinfo that the hosts were “very, very disappointed” about the Pakistan team not making it to the tournament. “I heard from our colleagues from Pakistan that they didn’t couldn’t get the visas; they had received this afternoon a call from the Indian High Commission saying that they wouldn’t be able to process the visas,” Mahantesh said. “It is very, very unfortunate because yesterday we had the inauguration [of the tournament]. Pakistan are one of the best teams and we were keen to play with them. The Indian team is very, very disappointed that they are not coming.”India’s blind cricket team at the inauguration of this year’s tournament•Getty Images

Mahantesh said CABI had approached the concerned ministries in the Indian government – the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Ministry of Home Affairs – regarding facilitating the visas.CABI had been optimistic about the Pakistan team travelling to India for the World Cup, Mahantesh said, because they had played it India in 2012 and 2017. “But today when I heard Pakistan team had not got the clearance, it was a bit shocking.”CABI will release an updated schedule for the tournament. Pakistan were originally scheduled to play against India on Wednesday and the game could yet be rescheduled to December 9 or December 11, subject to visa clearance.Apart from India, the remaining participating teams are Bangladesh, Australia, Sri Lanka, Nepal and South Africa. Pakistan had finished second in the previous T20 World Cup for the Blind. The current tournament is being played from December 5 to 17, in Faridabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Indore and Bengaluru, where the final will be held.

“If we are not in a good situation and if I play a rash shot, it will let the team down.”

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jan-2023

Ishan Kishan is known for his big shots. He loves them so much he went to hit boundaries with the very first balls he played in ODI and T20I cricket. But now, having been brought into India’s Test squad, he knows the importance of playing within himself and not succumbing to what he called “youngsters’ trait”.Speaking to team-mate Shubman Gill on the BCCI website, Kishan said, “I do think about [hitting] fours and sixes but there is a lot of difference in white-ball and red-ball cricket. In white-ball, if you walk out to bat at no. 6 there is no swing. But with the red ball, bowlers use the swing and you have to use your brain instead of showing your youngsters’ trait.”India will not have their first-choice wicketkeeper for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar series against Australia with Rishabh Pant in rehab following a serious car crash. So they face a choice between his longtime understudy Srikar Bharat, one of the safest hands behind the stumps in the country, and Kishan, among the most attacking batters they have, although he has recognised that he may need to temper his game to succeed in the longest format.”With experience, I know it is not about fours and sixes [in red-ball cricket] but about getting the team in a good situation,” Kishan said. “If the ball is in my zone and the field is up then I will try. But if the bowling is good, I will look to respect it.”I think the position where I bat – at No. 6 – in the longer format, it is very important [for me] to read the situation. If we are not in a good situation and if I play a rash shot, it will let the team down.”After the men’s T20 World Cup last year, Kishan toured New Zealand with the T20I squad and played just the one ODI in Bangladesh – where he cracked a double-hundred. He opened the batting in the T20Is at home against Sri Lanka but could not find a spot in the XI in the ODIs. Along the way, he also represented Jharkhand in the Ranji Trophy, where he hit a century against Kerala walking in at No. 6.Kishan said he liked playing against the red-ball and the challenges it brings along. “When I was playing white-ball cricket, my father used to say Tests are the real deal where the batter is challenged and their skill is put to test. It is a big deal to play Test cricket. When I got to know of my selection in India’s Test squad I was elated and called home [to give the news], because there are so many good players… Test cricket is considered to bring out your real skill and real game. I will try to win games for India if given a chance.”I love playing with the red ball. There is a bit of swing, there is sledging and lots of time [there is] no pressure to score runs. The situations are sometimes easy and sometimes tough. So I enjoy all those scenarios in Ranji Trophy.”

Sussex won their opening match in the LV= Insurance County Championship for the first time since 2015 after Oli Carter’s unbeaten 33 guided them to a two-wicket victory against Durham.Carter, the 21-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, fittingly hit the winning runs when he pulled Brydon Carse for the second of two fours in an over, having supervised what was at times a nervy run chase.Sussex began the final day at the 1st Central County Ground on 172 for 5 and requiring a further 59 runs and things initially went smoothly on a Hove pitch showing little sign of deterioration.Carter and nightwatcher Sean Hunt added 29 with Hunt taking boundaries in successive overs off Matthew Potts to ease the nerves.Potts was replaced by left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann after bowling just two overs but it was Carse, during a fine six-over spell, who made the breakthrough when he angled the ball across Hunt and wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson dived in front of slip to take a fine catch. Nonetheless, with 14 runs, Hunt had done his job.Durham sensed an opportunity and Kuhnemann took two wickets in four overs from the sea end to make them favourites, although neither of his victims – Fynn Hudson-Prentice or Nathan McAndrew – will be rushing to see replays of their dismissals.Hudson-Prentice got a top-edge sweeping and was caught at short fine leg and McAndrew, tied down by the accuracy of his compatriot, was stumped after coming down the pitch aiming to heave Kuhnemann over long on.Sussex were suddenly 208 for 8 and still 23 short of their target, Durham having taken 3 for 15 in 11 overs. But Carter found a reliable partner in Jack Carson, and they were helped when Kuhnemann fired two balls down the leg side in successive overs which were missed by Robinson and went for a total of seven wides.Durham brought back Carse in a final throw of the dice but Carter pulled his third and fifth deliveries through square to the boundary before being embraced by his partner.Sussex have only won once in each of their last three Championship campaigns so this will do wonders for their confidence, while Durham, who had a first-innings lead of 41, will reflect that poor second-innings batting cost them victory.Paul Farbrace, the Sussex head coach, said: “It was a bit nervy today but great to get over the line. The way our four seamers bowled on the third day, when they backed each other up, was outstanding and set the game up for us.”If there was a man of the match I’d give it to Oli Carter. The way he kept wicket in both innings and the way he batted in the first innings, when we were 91 for 4 and he put together a partnership with [Cheteshwar] Pujara, and then again today was outstanding. In both innings he played really calmly and particularly this morning showed a lot of composure. He deserved to be the bloke who got us over the line.”It’s a great lesson for our team because it has shown they can beat good opponents. Hopefully the confidence this result gives our players, to have played in a really tough game on a fantastic cricket pitch, gives us something to really build on going forward.”Carse said: “We’re obviously disappointed to be on the losing side but over the last four days the way we have gone about our business and the cricket we are trying to play has been really positive.”We came into today fully believing that we were going to win but maybe if we’d got 20 or 30 more runs in our second innings we could have won. Obviously that’s in hindsight.”