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Hundred star linked with moves to South Coast after performances with Brave

Matt Roller01-Sep-2021Ross Whiteley has turned down a new contract with Worcestershire and will leave the club when his current deal ends at the end of the season.Whiteley, 32, joined the club from Derbyshire in 2013 and signed a three-year contract extension in August 2018. He was a key part of the side that won the T20 Blast in 2018 and reached the final the following summer but has been phased out of the Championship side and declined the club’s offer of a white-ball-only deal.Whiteley represented Southern Brave in the Hundred, making 44 not out off 19 balls to set up their win in the final, and ESPNcricinfo understands that Hampshire and Sussex – the two counties associated with the Brave – are the front-runners to sign him, though a number of teams had registered their interest.Hampshire have reached Finals Day for the first time since 2017 this season but have lacked a reliable finisher in their T20 side in recent years, while Sussex are openly in the market for new signings after the recent departures of Phil Salt, Chris Jordan and Stiaan van Zyl – they have already confirmed deals for Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Steven Finn. Whiteley is understood to have made a decision on his future and an announcement is expected later this week.Worcestershire confirmed in a club statement that Whiteley “was offered a new white-ball contract but has decided to pursue a different career path”. Paul Pridgeon, the chair of their cricket steering group, said: “Ross has decided to take his career forward in a different direction and is moving to pastures new. We thank him for his contributions and wish him well in the future”.Whiteley is the latest member of their T20 side to leave the club after Riki Wessels’ contract was terminated by mutual consent in July*. They struggled for batting firepower in this year’s Blast – Moeen Ali was their only batter to end the tournament with a strike rate above 140 – and missed out on the quarter-finals.Alex Milton, the wicketkeeper-batter, will also leave the club at the end of the season. Milton made a century on his Championship debut in 2018 but has struggled for first-team opportunities with Ben Cox established as first-choice keeper and was not offered a new contract.1000 BST – A previous version of this article said that Wessels was a member of the side that won the Blast in 2018. He joined the club ahead of the 2019 season.

GOAL's key takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including Weah and Adams sparking wins for their clubs

Timothy Weah didn't start Saturday's marquee Serie A clash between Juventus and AC Milan, but he sure as hell finished it. Weah scored the second Juve goal to bury Milan, leading the Old Lady to a 2-0 win in a game that will have long-term ramifications.

Both are fighting for a top four spot but, with the win, Juve now have a massive advantage over Milan, who are now back to the drawing board.

Borussia Dortmund are also back to the drawing board after yet another defeat. Gio Reyna's status remains a mystery, both in the team and in the transfer market. With less than two weeks left in the January transfer window, the board room at Dortmund has a lot of work to do.

The big winner of the weekend, though, might just be Tyler Adams, who put in one of his best performances of the season in a huge Bournemouth win. He's healthy now and getting closer to his best. And when he's playing at this level, you could easily argue that he's right there among the Premier League's best in that defensive midfield position.

A weekend full of ups and downs, to be sure. GOAL looks at key takeaways from Americans Abroad.

AFPWeah provides spark as Juventus topple Milan

The pregame talk centered around the absence of one USMNT winger, Christian Pulisic. In the end, it was the one that generally starts oppsoite him for the USMNT that made all the difference in Saturday's marquee Serie A clash.

After coming off the bench at halftime, Weah was the difference-maker that Juventus needed. He scored the Old Lady's second, following a goal from Samuel Mbangula, putting the game away and earning three crucial points for Juve. Weah's goal was the perfect mix of technique and smarts.

His run was perfect, leaving him one-on-one with Fikayo Tomori. The American then toyed with the Milan centerback, turning him all over before slotting past Mike Maignan.

Weah was phenomenal as he provided the spark Juve needed. So, too, was his USMNT and Juventus teammate Weston McKennie, who started at right-back and did all of the things he'd been doing at left-back and in the midfield.

On the other side, Yunus Musah was one of Milan's better players, putting in a decent shift originally in that right-wing spot vacated by Pulisic before shifting as subs were made.

Overall, it was Juve's day. With the win, they're up to fourth in Serie A, at least for the moment. Milan, meanwhile, are now in eighth with a lot of work to do. Weah's goal was a key moment in the match, and one look at the table shows it may be a key goal in both of these teams' seasons, too.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportAdams runs the midfield in huge win

The game was 13 minutes old, and Tyler Adams made sure the tone was set, if it hadn't been already. Bournemouth were already up 1-0 , but the foot wasn't coming off the gas. The American smashed into Newcastle star Bruno Guimares, letting the opposition know that there would be no letting up. That message carried through, as Bournemouth smashed Newcastle 4-1 with Adams a key figure in midfield throughout.

As always, Adams brought steel to the center of the park. He won three tackles, had two interceptions and committed three fouls, making his presence felt throughout the 90 minutes. That wasn't all, though, as he also provided an assist, setting up Justn Kluivert's hat-trick goal to seal it in the 92nd minute.

It's gone a bit under the radar but, since making his return from injury, Adams has arguably played the best soccer of his career. He leads the Premier League in tackles per 90 and interceptions per 90, showing just how vital he is as a No. 6. Any team in the world can use a defensive midfielder that can win the ball and, right now, Bournemouth are the team lucky enough to have him.

Getty Images SportReyna in limbo?

On the same day that news broke that Borussia Dortmund are holding out for more money on a potential Gio Reyna sale, the man himself was glued to the bench until the final moments of a 2-0 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt.

Mixed messaging, to say the least. On one hand, Reyna is an asset worth more than whatever AC Milan is reportedly offering. On the other, that asset isn't helpful enough to try and turn around an eventual defeat. How do you make sense of that?

Making matters more confusing is the fact that Reyna did come off the bench to make a difference midweek when he scored in Dortmund's 4-2 defeat at Holstein Kiel. It's not that Dortmund are thriving and head coach Nuri Sahin is worried about breaking up a good thing. Yet Reyna still isn't getting a chance to maybe turn it around.

There's a Champions League game midweek, and maybe that'll offer a different look at how the club values Reyna. Maybe that'll be the game in which he gets more of a chance to do something on the field. If not, it'll be harder to justify Dortmund's handling of this situation, as Reyna remains in limbo as too expensive to sell but not valued enough to play the minutes he needs.

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AFPInjury concern for PSV's Tillman

PSV lost just their third Eredivisie game of the season, opening up the title race at the top of the Netherlands' top flight. Saturday's loss will sting, but what stung more was the pre-game news.

Prior to PSV's 3-2 upset loss at PEC Zwolle, it was announced that Malik Tillman would be left out due to an ankle injury. The club indicated the injury may be serious and could leave Tillman out for some time. That's bad news for PSV and Tillman, whose status for the USMNT's CONCACAF Nations League games could be under threat.

Tillman has been fantastic for PSV this season. He's scored seven Eredivisie goals to go with one more in the Cup and three more in the Champions League. He's such a key part of everything PSV does.

As for the game, Ricardo Pepi was a 64th minute sub but couldn't change the result. The man who often starts in front of him, Luuk de Jong, struggled, missing a key penalty that could have changed the result. Richy Ledezma started at right-back, while MLS product Esmir Bajrakterovic came in as a late sub.

Overall, it was a bad day for PSV, who suddenly have a title fight on their hands.

Aston Villa fans would have been dreaming of watching their team topple the might of Bayern Munich when filtering into Villa Park last night, imagining their side upsetting the odds and stifling the free-flowing Bavarian giants by picking up an unbelievable second win in the Champions League.

Those wild dreams would become a reality as Unai Emery’s men managed to get over the line come full-time and shock Vincent Kompany’s Bayern 1-0, courtesy of yet another strike off the bench from devastating impact substitute Jhon Duran.

It was a determined team effort in the end that ensured Villa would upset the Bundesliga titans, with the game showing off Emery’s men at their best defensively, as much as it also reinforced their dangerous nature to be clinical when needed.

Top performers from Villa's win over Bayern

Touching on the shut-out Villa managed to pull off, Emiliano Martinez would have walked off the pitch at the end overjoyed with his individual showing against the visitors from Germany, having kept a clean sheet even when being regularly tested by the likes of Harry Kane and Serge Gnabry.

The South American shot-stopper would tally up a staggering seven saves in total, with Birmingham Live journalist John Townley after the game rewarding his efforts with a faultless 10/10 match rating.

In attack, Villa also impressed, even if Ollie Watkins would exit the field of play without a goal next to his name, as Duran delivered the goods once more in the England international’s place.

Only needing one shot on target to leave his mark on proceedings, the Colombian’s name will now be etched into Villa folklore forever more, after catching an onrushing Manuel Neuer napping with a clever finish to win the tie.

That means the explosive 20-year-old is averaging a goal every 48 minutes for his side so far this season, with this strike against Bayern the pick of the bunch from his five goals to date.

The home side’s defence got called into question after a shaky display against Ipswich Town before this clash under the lights, with Martinez undoubtedly helped in his mission to keep a clean sheet by the likes of Pau Torres also shining at the back, who was as important as both the World Cup winner and Duran on the night to help the famous win be secured.

Torres' performance in numbers

Emery stuck by the same back four that wobbled away at Portman Road and was vindicated for not going overboard with changes, as the Spanish centre-back stood out amongst a strong defensive effort.

The standout Villa number 14 even had his moment in the spotlight in the first half, when he thought he had opened the scoring after tapping home an opportunity that fell kindly to him, only for VAR to cruelly intervene and judge Jacob Ramsey to be offside in the build-up.

Stat

Torres

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

1

Touches

55

Accurate passes

36/42 (86%)

Total duels won

4/5

Clearances

4

Blocked shots

3

Tackles

4

He did have a role to play in Duran’s unbelievable winner though, with his ball finding the Colombian in space to then beat Neuer, to make up for the offside decision going against his side.

Moreover, Torres – as can be seen glancing at the table above – was key in Villa keeping Bayern at bay, with four out of four ground duels won on the night, alongside completing 86% of his passes as an option at the back unafraid to make things happen as well as thwarting Kompany’s men.

Bayern would have entered into this contest high off the confidence of putting nine past Dinamo Zagreb in their last match in Europe’s elite competition, only for the German giants to be humbled by Torres and Co, who was handed out a top 9/10 rating after the game by Townley.

Labelled by Townley as being Torres’ ‘best performance of the season so far’, the Spaniard will hope he can put in more stellar displays when back in Premier League action.

For now, however, Emery’s men will be giddy off the buzz of this result, as the Villa Park masses now crave more top European nights to come.

Villa wanted "monster" star when Grealish left, now he's outshining Rogers

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Craig Miles takes five before Rob Yates, Dom Sibley drive Warwickshire into lead

George Dobell28-Sep-2021Warwickshire went a long way towards confirming their status as the strongest first-class team in the country with a dominant first-day performance against Lancashire at Lord’s.Having bowled out Lancashire for just 78 – their third lowest first-class against this opposition in first-class history – Warwickshire surpassed that total without losing a wicket. By stumps, they had a lead of 42 with all 10 wickets in hand. Coincidentally, the score at the close on the first day was identical to that in the Leeds Test between England and India in August.It probably bears reiterating that this match isn’t a final. The County Championship campaign ended last week; this is a standalone match for an entirely separate trophy.But there is a danger such a fixture could muddy the waters when it comes to judging the finest first-class team in the land. The Bob Willis Trophy was an excellent solution to the unique problems confronting the game in 2020 and a fine tribute to a great of the English game. But now? It feels like a weekend guest who has stayed until Tuesday. A schedule creaking with the volume of games really doesn’t require such a match and, judging by the size of the crowd – 928 was the official figure – there isn’t much appetite for it. It seems most unlikely it will be played next year.Related

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So perhaps it will aid clarity if Warwickshire, who clinched the Championship title last week, go on to underline their success. Certainly, they have ended the first day in an overwhelmingly strong position having reduced Lancashire to 12 for 6 at one point. While Luke Wood led something of a counterattack with an unbeaten innings of 46, the fact is only four men in the Lancashire side scored more than one and only Wood scored more than 17.Some will look at the scorecard and presume this was some sort of horror track. And it’s true, there was some surprisingly steep bounce from just back of a good length which would have made any sensible batter a little hesitant to prod forward. It may be relevant, too, that only once this year has a team reached 300 in a Championship innings at Lord’s, and even then, the total was a modest 313. This is a tricky place to bat, no doubt.But it would be disingenuous to blame the wicket for all these dismissals. Luke Wells, for example, missed a straight one; Dane Vilas was hit on the boot by a full ball; Alex Davies was athletically caught-and-bowled by Craig Miles after an inside edge saw the ball balloon off his pad and Josh Bohannon pulled a long-hop to midwicket. You couldn’t blame the pitch for any of that.It would be wrong not to credit this Warwickshire attack for another outstanding performance, too. In Miles and Liam Norwell, Warwickshire have a lively and skilful pair of opening bowlers – both wooed from Gloucestershire – who have played important roles in their season’s success. Norwell, blessed with sharp pace and an action which tends to angle the ball at the batter but has the ability to move the odd one away – surpassed 50 first-class wickets in the season with another impressive display, while Miles claimed his third first-class five-for of the season.He bowled very nicely, too. Operating from the Nursey End, he maintained an admirably full and straight line and length and worked on the basis that if the ball didn’t move, the stumps were in play, and if it went down the slope, the slips would be. While the caught-and-bowled was, he admitted, somewhat fortunate, he also gained two leg-before dismissals and one clean bowled.Warwickshire may have been especially delighted to see the bright start made by Manraj Johal. If there’s one cloud on the horizon of their Championship success, it is in the relative scarcity of home-grown players and home-grown players of colour, in particular, in their first team. We all know the challenges cricket is facing in this area. In a city such as Birmingham, in particular, the game needs to do more to reflect its local community.In Johal, at least, it appears Warwickshire have a player who could have a bright future. Bowling at a lively pace – around 80mph, you would think – the 19-year-old jagged the ball around on a helpful surface, trapping Tom Bailey with one that nipped back at him sharply before Jack Blatherwick fenced at one outside off stump. He’ll bowl to tougher batters on tougher surfaces, no doubt, but Johal looks to have the basic ingredients to carve out a career at this level. It has been, to date, an impressive first-class debut.Rob Yates made a fluent half-century in Warwickshire’s reply•PA Photos/Getty ImagesPerhaps the pitch had eased a little by the time Warwickshire began their reply, but Rob Yates hit five of his first 18 balls for four and with Dom Sibley looking more confident and fluent than he has for some months – he timed his first ball through the covers for two and shortly afterwards drove a boundary through point – Warwickshire soon passed the Lancashire total. With better weather expected on day two – the first was curtailed by recurring showers – Warwickshire have an excellent opportunity to bat Lancashire out of the match. Their lead means that even if it ends in a draw, they will lift the trophy.Lancashire did themselves few favours in the field. Sibley was missed on 29, when Davies was unable to cling on to an outside edge, while Yates was dropped at second slip by Rob Jones. Wood was the unfortunate bowler on both occasions. Lancashire may also have been unfortunate not to win a leg-before decision against Yates when he had 47, with Bailey the unlucky bowler.”When the scoreboard looks like that, you can’t blame it on being unfortunate,” Mark Chilton, the Lancashire assistant coach, told ESPNcricinfo afterwards. “There was a bit of life in the pitch early on and Warwickshire’s bowlers extracted it very well. They put us under pressure and we weren’t able to react. It was a tough toss to lose, but I don’t think we covered ourselves in glory.”We couldn’t get the same life out of the pitch – maybe due to the heavy roller – and we were a bit ordinary with the ball before tea. But the captain had a few stern words at tea and we were much better afterwards. Then we dropped a couple of catches.”Given the lateness of the season and the early starts, Lancashire will have an opportunity to claw their way back into the game on the second morning. But Mark Robinson, who is returning to this ground for the first time since he oversaw England’s women winning the World Cup here in 2017, will be much the happier of the head coaches at this stage.

Manchester United are reportedly keeping a close eye on a pair of German superstars as they look to catapult themselves back up towards the top of English football and challenge for the Premier League again.

Manchester United's summer business under scrutiny

Despite spending significant sums over the summer, Erik ten Hag is under massive pressure and Manchester United are 14th in the Premier League, having scored just five goals in their seven games so far. It comes in the wake of a summer in which the club once again backed the Dutch manager, shelling out £180m on five new players headlined by the arrivals of Manuel Ugarte from PSG and Leny Yoro from Lille.

Despite the heavy spending, United’s CEO Omar Berrada has suggested that the Red Devils won’t be able to challenge for the title until 2028.

“It’s not a 10-year plan. The fans would run out of patience if it was a 10-year plan. But it’s certainly a three-year plan to get there”, he revealed.

“To think that we’re going to be playing football as good as Manchester City played against Real Madrid last season by next year is not sensible. And if we give people false expectations, then they will get disappointed. So the key thing is our trajectory, so that people can see that we’re making progress.

“I think it’s the club’s 150-year anniversary in 2028… if our trajectory is leading to a very good place in that sort of timeframe then we’d be very happy with that.”

Despite the realistic rather than optimistic goal, the club will still be aiming to recruit the best talent in world football to Old Trafford, and now are reportedly monitoring a potentially massive double deal.

Manchester United plot De Ligt & Mazraoui repeat

That comes as Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg has revealed that Manchester United are once again looking to snatch unwanted stars from Bayern Munich. This summer, the Red Devils shelled out around 60m euros to bring Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui to Old Trafford from Bavaria, and are now looking to repeat the trick for two of their former title-winning teammates.

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That comes in the shape of Leroy Sané, who is out of contract at the end of the season as things stand, as well as out-of-favour midfielder Leon Goretzka, who has featured just once in the Bundesliga under Vincent Kompany this season and was publicly dubbed unwanted over the summer.

The report claims that the club are “monitoring” the duo, and that Goretzka is an “interesting candidate” for a potential winter move, while former City winger Sané is free to enter negotiations over a free transfer in the same window.

It is added that both are keen to stay at Bayern as things stand, but with Goretzka unfavoured by Kompany and Sané likely to have to take a pay cut to do so, that could change quickly.

When fit, the Germany winger has been a key man for Bayern, with Jamal Musiala dubbing him “one of the best wingers in the world” earlier in the year. Even if both he and Goretzka were to come cheaply, their wages would be another stumbling block, with the pair taking home a combined £612k per week at the Allianz Arena.

With both earning around £300,000 a week, it would put them among Manchester United’s highest earners were they to be paid the same in the northwest.

Manchester United’s highest earners

Player

Wage per week

Casemiro

£350,000

Bruno Fernandes

£300,000

Marcus Rashford

£300,000

Mason Mount

£250,000

Antony

£200,000

There is the added complication of European football, with United not currently on course to be playing Conference League football next season, let alone the Champions League football that the pair have become accustomed to.

Pulling off a deal for either would be a major coup, but given the recent history of big signings at Old Trafford, it would be another suggestion that nothing new has been learned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co.

Birmingham City are being backed to create a series that will rival 'Welcome to Wrexham' thanks to the 'wide appeal' of minority owner Tom Brady.

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Tom Brady now part of Birmingham storyClub tipped to follow in Wrexham's footstepsNFL legend would be a big drawFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Wrexham and Birmingham are rivals on the pitch this season in League One and could also be battling it out on the television front soon. The Blues are being backed to create a docu-series that could rival Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's famous 'Welcome to Wrexham' show that has been such a hit. NFL legend Tom Brady is a minority owner at Birmingham and his wide appeal could make for popular viewing, according to football finance expert Dr. Rob Wilson.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALWHAT HAS BEEN SAID

Wilson told Slingo: "The broader media market has an appetite for these at home. We've probably talked about it with Luke Littler doing an ‘at home’ docu-series because Wrexham’s series has worked really well on that basis because they've had a story to tell. Burnley and Sunderland have done similar and you would say that Birmingham has a story. It's a big historical football club, Tom Brady being involved.  It's got a wider appeal than just the club. But then you would say that for lots of other clubs. So it's about the value they could gain through that sort of series and whether it's material to the football club.  It was material and has been material to Wrexham. I don't think you'd get the same benefit for Birmingham City – having said that an extra few million and an extra few million eyeballs on your football team is never a bad thing."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Brady has already boasted that his club's "dreams are bigger" than Wrexham's after watching Birmingham down the Welsh side in League One earlier this season. The Midlands club are certainly in good shape currently and will be hoping to play Championship football next season. Brady's club sit top of League One, two points clear of Wycombe and eight ahead of Wrexham, with two games in hand on both sides.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT

Wrexham are also bidding for promotion this season but have work to do to secure an automatic promotion spot, with only the top two teams going straight up. The Welsh side take on Crawley next in League One, while Birmingham face Rotherham.

GOAL takes a look at five of MLS' biggest outgoing transfers this January, and how they will affect their respective teams heading into 2025

The 2025 MLS season is now just weeks away, and teams are preparing for the upcoming campaign quickly. Clubs are bolstering their rosters ahead of a blockbuster season that awaits all parties, while a 30th team in San Diego FC is being introduced as the latest expansion side. It's set to be the biggest – and most expensive – season ever for teams across the league.

Massive multi-million dollar signings like Miguel Almiron, Kevin Denkey and Brandon Vazquez have all entered the league, all of whom commanded a transfer fee of at least $10 million, while Denkey broke the league record when he joined FC Cincinnati at $16.2 million. However, the league has also seen a massive amount of talent depart, as both clubs and players search for new opportunities.

Austin FC star Sebastian Driussi departed for his native Argentina, while Inter Miami's Paraguayan star Diego Gomez hopped across the pond to join the ranks of Premier League side Brighton. Joining Velasco in South America was also Orlando City superstar Facundo Torres, who moved to Brazilian side Palmeiras in a stunning transfer that changed everything for the Florida club.

South of the Border, LAFC star Mateusz Bogusz was lured to Liga MX by giants Cruz Azul, who bring the Poland international in ahead of a CONCACAF Champions Cup push. In the boldest internal move of the window, Sporting Kansas City became the first MLS team to utilize the rule that was implemented by the league this offseason, paying the LA Galaxy for MLS Cup-winning striker Dejan Joveljic.

Meanwhile, the Columbus Crew's Cucho Hernandez may be the largest outgoing transfer story this offseason, with the Colombian potentially being lured to Spain after reports surfaced of Real Betis chasing his signature on deadline day.

However, there are five outbound transfers that could be defining moves for their front offices in 2025. If the clubs can adapt and succeed, the decisions will be justified. If not, some could face serious consequences. GOAL examines.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games now(C)Getty ImagesDiego Gomez, Inter Miami

The transfer:

Gomez joined English side Brighton for a reported $15M fee in January

How it will impact Miami:

The lose a key part of their attacking trio that found so much success in 2024, with Gomez alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. Primarily playing off the left, the Paraguay international scored three goals and recorded seven assists in 19 starts for the club en route to their 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield victory.

Where Gomez found success was linking through interplay with the midfield, and often drawing defenders away from Suarez as the central attacker. Without his influence, there's no proven creative body off the left of the Uruguayan to influence that playstyle, so it could see

Has the club replaced him?

Miami has made a handful of offseason moves already this offseason, but no true heir to Gomez has been brought in yet. Rumors of an attempted push for Neymar emerged although they were shot down by manager Javier Mascherano. The have, however, been busy in the transfer market, bringing in eight players this offseason to bolster their roster. Notably, in the attacking department, MLS veteran Fafa Picault was added, as was Argentine Tadeo Allende.

AdvertisementGettyFacundo Torres, Orlando City

The transfer:

Torres left Orlando City, joining Brazilian side Palmeiras for a reported fee of $14M.

How it will impact Orlando:

Orlando's attack, and essentially the positive momentum with the club, was all because of Torres. His exit changes the upward direction they were on, and their entire attacking game plan. In 2024, the Uruguay international scored 14 goals and recorded six assists across the regular season, and added two more strikes in the postseason. Their leading scorer and star player, he will leave a major hole in both wide areas and central attacking lanes come the 2025 season.

Without him, it remains to be seen how Oscar Pareja will line up his attack, with two strikers potentially being an option.

Has the club replaced him?

Orlando has had a rather quiet transfer window, however, they have brought in a new U22 initiative player in Nicolas Rodriguez, and are rumored to be on the verge of adding Croatian winger Marco Pasalic — who is the most likely Torres replacement.

Getty Images SportSebastian Driussi, Austin FC

The transfer:

Driussi left Austin, returning to Argentina to sign for River Plate in a reported $10M fee, with an 8.5 percent sell-on clause.

How it will impact Austin:

Austin really struggled in 2024 — and Driussi underwhelmed consistently, despite showing his talent in moments every single week. All in all, it was a good move for them to move on from the Argentine, despite such an initial hefty investment in him.

Initially signed from Zenit St. Petersburg in 2021, Driussi was the face of the club from its founding. Moving on from him is a defining moment for the club, but it's also a sign of progress. On the pitch, meanwhile, things are really going to change. In his attacking midfield role, he was both a creator and goal-scorer, and the immediately lose that as a result of him leaving. What they gain, though, is more freedom in their attack — and no longer do they have a lone obligation to move the ball forward through just one individual.

Has the club replaced him?

Austin has been one of MLS' most ambitious teams this offseason, breaking their personal transfer record two separate times. First, they signed U.S. international Brandon Vazquez from CF Monterrey in Liga MX for a reported fee of $10M, then followed it up by adding winger Myroto Uzuni from La Liga side Granada in a $12.3M move. In addition, they brought in midfielder Nicolas Dubersarsky for $3M as a U22 initiative player.

They've been ambitious, now, it's time to see if it will pay off.

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ImagnMateusz Bogusz, LAFC

The transfer:

Poland international and LAFC forward Mateusz Bogusz left the club to sign for Liga MX side Cruz Azul.

How it will impact LAFC:

The will be banking their entire season on Olivier Giroud now. After the Frenchman signed for the club in the summer of 2024, he and Bogusz were the lone forwards on the roster, but now, it will be entirely on the former AC Milan star.

Bogusz had a career year in 2024, being one of MLS' best attackers with 15 goals and seven assists during the regular season. He added three more goal contributions in the postseason as well, taking his total up to 25 total across the entire MLS campaign. Those will be really difficult numbers for Steve Cherundolo's side to make up this season, meaning the importance of finding a way to get Giroud to succeed is at an all-time high.

The Poland international was versatile, playing in wide roles, too, meaning regardless of how good Giroud does — the versatility of Bogusz cannot be replicated by the 38-year-old.

Has the club replaced him?

LAFC have not yet made a big splash in the transfer market, but the club has consistently shown how ambitious they are, meaning expectations are they will act sooner rather than later.

It’s safe to say Julen Lopetegui’s start to life as West Ham United manager hasn’t gone as he would have expected, winning just three of his first ten matches in all competitions.

The Spaniard was appointed during the off-season, replacing former boss David Moyes after the club’s hierarchy decided against offering the Scotsman a new deal at the London Stadium.

After the Europa Conference League triumph back in the 2022/23 season, it gave the supporters a taste of continental success, something which they’ve often been starved of for many decades.

However, after such a feat, there’s been a demand by the fans and the hierarchy to constantly be competing at that level, but up to now, Lopetegui has struggled to match the expectations, even leading to questions about his long-term future.

The 58-year-old is already a man under pressure, with various managers already on the Hammers’ shortlist should he find himself out of the job in the coming months.

Such pressure is to be expected, especially when taking into consideration the huge window they endured over the summer, which injected added excitement and quality into the first-team squad.

West Ham’s summer transfer window in 2024

During the recent transfer window, West Ham spent upwards of £100m on a plethora of new additions to give the new boss the best possible chance of being a success during his debut campaign at the helm.

All areas of the squad received significant investment, allowing Lopetegui to create a new era after his appointment and the departure of Moyes just a couple of months prior.

The defensive department saw the arrivals of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo as the hierarchy looked to recruit players who would drastically improve the options at the back.

Whilst there’s no denying the trio’s quality, they’re yet to produce their best football in the Premier League, with the Irons conceding 15 times in eight matches – currently boasting the fourth-worst defensive record in the division.

As for the midfield, Guido Rodriguez and Carlos Soler both brought huge excitement given their experience at the very top level of European football, but like the defensive trio, they’ve been unable to make a huge impact at the London Stadium.

Argentine star Rodriguez was even hooked before half-time in the home defeat against Chelsea, an indication of how disappointing he’s been since swapping Spain for England during the off-season.

Crysencio Summerville was a man in demand during the transfer window, understandably so after registering a total of 31 goal contributions in the Championship for Leeds United last season.

The Hammers forked out £25m for his services, beating a whole host of sides for his signature, but up to now the Dutchman has only started one Premier League game so far – a disappointing return for such a promising talent.

However, one other player has struggled even more than Summerville, looking to be a huge waste of money just a couple of months after his move to East London.

Niclas Füllkrug’s time at West Ham

After registering a total of 15 goals and 11 assists for Borussia Dortmund last season, West Ham decided to make a £27.5m move for German striker Niclas Füllkrug in an attempt to inject more firepower in attacking areas.

Given his recent goalscoring record, it was a move that excited many around the club, but it’s safe to say, a couple of months on, the deal has been a complete disaster with the Bundesliga side robbing Lopetegui’s men dry.

The 31-year-old has yet to start a league outing, managing just three substitute appearances – featuring for a total of just 63 minutes in the Premier League.

Games played

4

Cost per game

£6.8m

Minutes played

137

Cost per minute

£200k

Shots taken

4

Expected Goals (xG)

0.25

Cost per shot

£6.8m

He’s been constantly struggling with an Achilles issue that has seen him miss the last six matches in all competitions, resulting in Fullkrug returning to his homeland to gain further treatment on his ongoing issue.

The move has led to questions being asked internally about technical director Tim Steidten’s spending this summer, with the 45-year-old influential in a deal for his compatriot.

Given his injury issues and short cameos, Fullkrug is yet to find the back of the net in claret and blue, with the deal being made all the more painful when looking at the form of another one of the club’s targets from the summer.

West Ham's Fullkrug alternatives

The Hammers’ hunt for a striker took them all over Europe, leading to countless names being linked with a big-money transfer to the London Stadium.

Jhon Duran was just one name thrown into the mix, but after long-standing interest, the Colombian stayed at Aston Villa, scoring the winner for Unai Emery’s side against the Irons on the opening day of the new season.

One of the names mentioned was former Atlético Madrid striker Samuel Omorodion, with Spanish journalist Marcos Duran claiming that Lopetegui’s side lodged a £29m + £10m bid for the Spaniard – but it was rejected with other targets considered instead.

Despite being strongly linked with Chelsea over the same period, the 20-year-old joined Porto – a move that would allow the striker to find his goalscoring touch in front of goal – and he now possesses a release clause of a whopping £84m.

The “outrageous” talent, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has already registered seven goals in the 2024/25 campaign – demonstrating to Lopetegui and the rest of the Premier League what they could’ve had if they pursued a deal for his services.

One that got away

The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast's One That Got Away series.

Omorodion has also caught the eye for his nation, scoring four goals in just 45 minutes for Spain’s U21 side against Malta in the recent international break – taking his total tally to 11 goals this campaign – the same number as the entire West Ham squad has managed in the Premier League this season and more than Duran’s haul of seven.

Given the lack of impact from Fullkrug and the impressive form of Omorodion, it’s evident that the club made the wrong decision in pursuing a move for the German – putting the recent transfer activity into question.

Many thought the Hammers had won the transfer window after their business in the summer, but their shaky start to the new campaign will undoubtedly cast doubts over the deals conducted in recent months.

West Ham keen on signing "dangerous" Fullkrug upgrade

West Ham are interested in a “dangerous” striker to replace Fullkrug already

ByConnor Holden Oct 23, 2024

Australia’s 82-ball win is the biggest T20I victory between two full-member teams in terms of balls remaining

Karthik Krishnaswamy04-Nov-2021It was deja vu all over again for Bangladesh. If it was South Africa in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, it was Australia in Dubai on Thursday, and the punishment on this occasion was even more severe. Sent in to bat, Bangladesh were bowled out for 73, their fourth sub-100 total of the year in T20Is, and their second of the tournament.It was the result of some superb bowling – particularly from Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood early on and then from Adam Zampa, who polished off the lower order to pick up his maiden five-wicket haul in T20Is – but the batting was quite dire for most part too. There was a sense that Bangladesh simply sleepwalked their way to their doom, with a number of their top-order batters getting out to shots of imprecise intent, neither attacking nor defensive.Watch cricket live on ESPN+

Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the Men’s T20 World Cup live in the USA. Match highlights of Australia vs Bangladesh is available in English, and in Hindi (USA only).

Having started the day with a net run rate that was worse than South Africa’s by more than a run per over, Australia suddenly had a chance to leapfrog their nearest rivals in a tight semi-finals race. They began their chase knowing that they’d leapfrog South Africa’s NRR if they won in 8.1 overs or less. And their captain Aaron Finch brought to this task exactly the intent that was required. It was a slog a ball, virtually, and although there were a number of swings and misses, he also connected enough to slap his way to 40 off 20 balls. That innings set the tone as Australia romped home in 6.2 overs, leaving a massive 82 balls to spare.With that performance, Australia moved to second on the Group 1 table, equal on points with South Africa but with a superior net run rate – 1.031 to their 0.742. Both teams have a tricky final group game on Saturday; Australia take on West Indies, who may or may not still be in contention by then, and South Africa meet the group’s runaway leaders England.2:15

Nafees: Very painful for me to watch my team crumble

Starc, Hazlewood crash through top order
Starc began the match with three attempted yorkers aimed at the stumps. Mohammad Naim blocked the first one and inside-edged the second to fine leg for a single. The third angled across the right-handed Liton Das before swinging in late. Das pushed at it with an open face, looking for a single into the covers, and inside-edged into his stumps.That set the tone for Bangladesh’s top-order collapse, as two more wickets fell to strike-rotating attempts in the next two overs. Soumya Sarkar played on to Hazlewood while looking to steer him to third man, then Mushfiqur Rahim was lbw while looking to work Glenn Maxwell into the leg side. Bangladesh 10 for 3.The Adam Zampa show
By the time the powerplay ended, Bangladesh had lost another wicket, Hazlewood’s extra bounce cramping Naim into a miscued pull in the sixth over. Thereafter, it was all Zampa.He struck with his first ball, and the mode of dismissal – a wrong’un floated across the left-handed Afif Hossain and finding his edge – repeated itself two more times with slight differences in the variation out of the hand or the length. Zampa could have had a hat-trick too, had Matthew Wade clung on to another outside edge from a left-hander at the start of the 15th over, but the ball plopped out of his gloves and Taskin Ahmed survived. Not for long, though, as Zampa ended the innings with the fourth and sixth balls of the same over.Only three Bangladesh batters got into double figures – the opener Naim, the captain Mahmudullah, and Shamim Hossain, who provided the innings its only real moments of spark when he slog-swept Starc and Zampa for a four and a six soon upon arrival.Finch’s intent leads Australia home
Were Australia looking at their NRR target? The first over answered the question emphatically. Only four runs came off it, but Finch swung and missed at two balls outside off stump, and went hard at a pull that he failed to middle.The intent would soon find its reward. Sometimes it wasn’t quite off the middle of the bat – a four through extra-cover off Mustafizur Rahman in the second over, a miscued leg-side whip that just cleared a leaping Soumya Sarkar in the third – and sometimes it was – a flicked six off Mustafizur, a lofted drive over extra-cover off Taskin – and the runs simply kept coming. David Warner chipped in as well, with a trio of fours in the fourth over, and Australia were romping home with ease.Both Finch and Warner were bowled while attempting big slogs, but they’d done their respective jobs by then. Mitchell Marsh, recalled in place of Ashton Agar for this match, finished the job in the seventh over, clattering Taskin for a four over mid-off and swatting a short ball over the midwicket boundary to seal the deal on a near-perfect day for Australia.

It has been a simply outrageous few years for Ipswich Town and their fans.

Kieran McKenna has led the club from the depths of League One to the heights of the Premier League, and while it’s too early to say, their performances thus far suggest that they could stay up this season.

Moreover, the club went big in the summer and brought in several talented first-teamers to ensure that even if they do go down, coming back up should be much more straightforward.

However, while buying gifted players is certainly one way to help the club grow, the Tractor Boys will want to start producing more of their own talented prospects in the academy, as doing so in the past has made them a pretty penny, especially one gem who was once compared to Alan Shearer.

Notable Ipswich academy players

Okay, before we get to the star who earned the club a hefty sum of money, let’s start with another academy product who might’ve done the same had he not been released before making a first-team appearance: Nick Pope.

Yes, the English shot-stopper, who supported the Tractor Boys, was part of the club’s youth set-up as a teenager but moved to non-league outfit Bury Town at just 16 years old in July 2008 before moving to Charlton Athletic in 2011, where his professional career kicked off with several loan moves.

Nowadays, the Soham-born star has 201 Premier League appearances to his name between Burnley and Newcastle United and has represented the Three Lions on ten occasions – so it would be fair to say that releasing him was probably a minor mistake.

However, spotting young talents is an incredibly difficult thing to do, and for every player a club releases too soon, there is usually another gem they can cash in on, and in the Blues’ case, that gem was Connor Wickham.

Unlike Pope, the Hereford-born poacher made it into the senior side and became the club’s youngest-ever player when he debuted in April 2009 at 16 years and 11 days old.

Over the next few seasons, the tremendously exciting prospect would score 15 goals and provide four assists in 72 games and win the EFL’s Young Player of the Season and Championship Apprentice Award in 2011 before earning an £8m move to Sunderland that same summer, which was a record sale for Ipswich.

Now, while fans would probably have rather kept the up-and-coming striker at the time, the following years would show that the ownership was 100% correct in their decision to take the profit and run.

Wickham's post Ipswich career

Now, the most important thing to mention when discussing Wickham is that, unfortunately, his has been another career ravaged by injury, as in the 13 years following his departure from Portman Road, he has missed a staggering 170 games through problems with his hamstrings, ankles, calves, knees, thighs, groin and back.

Not only was the promising centre-forward beset by physical issues, he also had to deal with unfair expectations during his stint at the Stadium of Light, as during one of his very few hot streaks in 2014, Black Cats legend Niall Quinn made the frankly insane claim that the then 21-year-old could be “Sunderland’s Alan Shearer” – talk about setting someone up to fail.

During his time as a Sunderland player, the former Ipswich prospect was sent on loan to Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United, and when he was finally sold to Crystal Palace for just £7m in August 2015, he had 15 goals and three assists to his name in 91 appearances.

Ipswich Town

72

15

4

0.26

Sunderland

91

15

3

0.19

Crystal Palace

50

11

5

0.32

Sheffield Wednesday

30

11

3

0.46

Forest Green Rovers

20

9

0

0.45

Leeds United

5

0

1

0.20

Cardiff City

12

1

2

0.25

MK Dons

15

1

0

0.06

Charlton Athletic

4

1

1

0.50

Preston North End

2

0

0

0.00

The same poor form and poor luck followed him to Selhurst Park, and over his six years with the Eagles, he racked up 11 goals and five assists in 50 appearances while also spending another season on loan with Wednesday.

Following the expiration of his contract with Palace, Wickham has spent the last few years on short-term deals with Preston North End, MK Dons, Forest Green Rovers, Cardiff City and, most recently, Charlton, but as of July, he has been without a team.

Ultimately, Wickham has been extraordinarily unlucky with injuries throughout his career, and with that in mind, it would be hard to deny that Ipswich did very well to get £8m for him back in 2011, as had he stayed in Suffolk, they may well have struggled to get anything from him in the long run.

Ipswich hit gold selling a future European Champion for 1624% profit

Ipswich Town hit the jackpot with the Premier League veteran.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 25, 2024