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West Ham and GSB faced a lot of backlash when Grady Diangana was sold to West Brom in 2019 but it now appears as if the board made the right call with the young winger.

After starring in pre-season ahead of the 2019/20 campaign it appeared as if Diangana would get a chance to shine in West Ham’s first team before he completed a surprise move to Championship side West Brom in a deal worth £18m.

Club legend and former captain Mark Noble spoke out about his disappointment with the decision to let the exciting young winger go, writing:

“As captain of this football club, I’m gutted, angry and sad that Grady has left, great kid with a great future!”

Diangana would play a key role in the Baggies’ promotion to the top flight in the 2019/20 season, contributing eight goals and seven assists in 30 appearances, which will have no doubt infuriated plenty of people inside West Ham, not least Noble himself.

However, the youngster struggled to adapt to the demands of the Premier League and managed just one goal and no assists in 20 top-flight appearances the following season, as West Brom were immediately relegated back to the second tier.

He followed that up with another disappointing season in the Championship, registering just two goals and one assist in 41 appearances for the Baggies, which suggests that he might never be good enough for the Premier League.

Although he has started this campaign in much more impressive form, with one goal and three assists in eight Championship fixtures thus far, it is difficult to suggest that West Brom got their money’s worth when they signed him for £18m, and West Ham’s subsequent winger addition of Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma might have been better business.

Indeed, that has clearly been seen in Bowen who is now a member of the England team after scoring 18 times and registering 13 assists in all competitions last term.

Therefore, while it was a big risk for GSB to take in selling such a highly-regarded prospect, especially considering their strained relationship with West Ham fans, it appears as if they certainly made the right call with Diangana.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte will be without midfielder Oliver Skipp as he prepares to face Chelsea this afternoon.

The Lowdown: Spurs start brightly…

Spurs have started this 2022/2023 Premier League campaign very brightly as they seek to build upon a fantastic end to last season.

Conte guided the Lilywhites to a top four finish and subsequent Champions League qualification, prompting club owners ENIC to invest their complete faith in the Italian and grant a £150 million equity increase.

Sporting director Fabio Paratici has put these funds to good use, completing six major summer signings in the form of Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet and Djed Spence.

A 4-1 opening weekend victory against Southampton followed as the north Londoners kickstarted their ambitious campaign with a convincing win.

The Latest: Skipp unavailable…

In full preparation for their London derby clash against rivals Chelsea today, aiming to maintain the momentum of their Saints thrashing, Conte has been dealt a blow in the form of midfielder Skipp’s availability.

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As relayed by the BBC, Tottenham will be without the 21-year-old for their trip to Stamford Bridge due to a foot injury.

The Verdict: Setback for Conte?

A midfield double pivot of Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg seems to be the most likely solution for Conte in the absence of Skipp and we’re sure the 53-year-old can’t wait to have his starlet back in action.

As per WhoScored, the Englishman averaged a higher pass accuracy than any Spurs regular in the top flight last season and can instil a real degree of composure when allowed.

It’s little wonder Spurs pundits like John Wenham have called him a ‘valuable asset’, not least for his ability but also his potential to be even greater.

Indeed, the sooner Skipp can be called upon again, the sooner he can build upon his exciting start to life as a first-team player in N17.

Arsenal have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of their opening Premier League fixture of the new season against Crystal Palace tonight.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to reports by the Daily Mail, who sent Chris Sutton to speak to Kieran Tierney about the upcoming campaign.

Other reports had claimed that the 25-year-old was one of four Gunners players set to miss out on this fixture, with a number of weeks left in his rehabilitation.

However, when asked about his knee injury, the Scottish defender replied: “I’m ready. I’m good to go.”

Arteta will be thrilled

Whilst the absences of Takehiro Tomiyasu, Fabio Viera and Emile Smith-Rowe will be felt heavily, the return of a player like Tierney can only be seen as a boost for the Gunners.

Arsenal’s season was derailed after he suffered his injury, so to start the new campaign with him available will be a big boost in their bid to break into the top four by the end of 2022/23.

He missed the final ten matches of the previous Premier League campaign, and during this time the Gunners won five and lost five. In the 13 top-flight games before that, when Tierney played every minute, they won ten and only lost two (to Man City and Liverpool).

Therefore, the difference is abundantly clear when he is missing.

Having only featured 22 times in the league last season, Tierney’s presence is also heavily felt due to his personality. Branded a “great leader” by former Celtic striker Scott McDonald, it is clear to see how Mikel Arteta’s side crumbled in his absence during the spring.

Although the £75k-per-week defender has had a tumultuous, injury-hit career at the Emirates Stadium, perhaps this season could be the one where his fitness can match the form he has shown whenever he has played.

His assertion that he will be available for tonight will be music to the ears of Arteta, who now sees his tactical options increase exponentially. They have an inspirational player back, and hopefully the 25-year-old can help to get them off to the perfect start to the new campaign.

Southampton journalist Jacob Tanswell has shared an update regarding the current fitness situation of James Ward-Prowse.

What’s the news?

In a recent tweet prior to the Saints’ 0-0 pre-season draw against Austria Klagenfurt, The Athletic journalist shed some light on the matter.

He said: “No James Ward-Prowse again for #SaintsFC this evening as he sits out through injury. Coaches felt it was best not to take the risk. Understand the injury isn’t too bad and he is likely to start training in the coming days, either tomorrow or when the team return home.”

Last season once again showed just how vital Ward-Prowse is to Southampton on the pitch. With 36 Premier League appearances to his name and more minutes played than anyone else in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad, the Englishman also ended the campaign with more goal contributions (15) than any of his team-mates.

In fact, the 27-year-old also topped the list for the number of shots at goal (51), shot-creating actions (113) and progressive passes (135) at the south coast club.

His overall performances in the league earned him a solid season rating of 7.01/10, making him the highest-rated player at Southampton according to WhoScored.

Now that this update has emerged regarding the Saints captain and his current fitness situation, it will surely be great news for Hasenhuttl and Southampton fans to hear that the injury is not serious.

Bearing in mind how the Saints will begin the upcoming Premier League season with a tough away fixture against Tottenham Hotspur, having Ward-Prowse fit and ready to play could be crucial for them in potentially getting their campaign off to a positive start.

Before that, Southampton still have two pre-season friendlies left to play at St Mary’s against Watford and Villarreal.

If the England international can get some minutes under his belt in either of those two matches, this should put him and the rest of the team in a good place to attack their opening league game of the season in north London.

Moving forward, the best thing that everyone at Southampton can hope for is that Ward-Prowse overcomes his current injury issue and gets up to speed in terms of his fitness ahead of the upcoming Premier League campaign.

AND in other news – “Southampton have…”: Teasing summer claim should leave Saints supporters excited

Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson has been reacting to the club’s reported interest in Ben Foster.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with Foster

The Whites are looking at bringing in an experienced goalkeeper this summer to provide backup to Illan Meslier and Kristoffer Klaesson. The former will remain first-choice heading into Jesse Marsch’s first full season at Elland Road.

Leeds have reportedly held in-house talks about signing Foster, who will officially become a free agent in a matter of days when his Watford contract expires.

The Latest: Robinson reacts

Robinson, who contributes as a pundit for Sky Sports, was talking to MOT Leeds News regarding Leeds’ goalkeeping situation.

He once again urged the club to land an experienced shot-stopper and said that he has ‘heard’ the links with Foster, saying that it would be an ‘outstanding signing’.

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The former Whites netminder stated:

“I said 18 months ago about Joe Hart and we’ve seen how well he’s done at Celtic. They should have signed someone of that quality.

“Illan Meslier has been excellent and I think he’s the out-and-out number one simply because he’s got no competition.

“Next season, if he gets injured or suspended, they’ve got no quality number two. And if he has a dip in form – which will happen at some point – the manager’s got no choice to stick with him and ride it out because he hasn’t got a good enough number two to put in.

“They have to go for a quality one.

“If you look around the Premier League, the other teams have quality goalkeepers. Everyone carries a top-quality number two who can do the job.

“I heard a link with Ben Foster and I think that would be an outstanding signing if they were able to pull it off.

“He’s somebody with experience who Meslier can learn from.

“But he’s also equally as good to step in and play should Meslier not be able to or wasn’t in form. It’s an area they have to address this window.”

The Verdict: Smart signing?

If Leeds want someone with plenty of experience and knowledge of the Premier League, then Foster is their man. The 39-year-old made 29 league appearances for Watford last season, taking his top-flight tally to 390.

Foster has the record for the most saves of any goalkeeper in Premier League history, so he looks like the ideal backup option who’s available to sign.

It also wouldn’t cost Leeds a penny when it comes to a transfer fee, potentially making this move even more appealing for Andrea Radrizzani and the 49ers Enterprises.

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Arnaud Kalimuendo to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

That’s according to a report by Tutto Mercato Web (via Sport Witness), who claim that Victor Orta is making strong moves for the Paris Saint-Germain centre-forward this summer, with the Ligue 1 champions believed to be willing to part with the 20-year-old for a figure in the region of €20m (£17m).

An earlier claim made by Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna suggested that the Spanish director of football has even gone as far as to make a bid offer for the France U21 international, although the French reporter claimed that it would actually take an offer of €22m (£19m) in order for PSG to part ways with the young striker in the current market.

“Beautiful palette”

Considering the sheer amount of potential Kalimuendo quite clearly possesses, in addition to the signing of a new centre-forward reported to be one of Orta’s priority targets in the summer transfer window, it is easy to see why the Spaniard is believed to have made contact with PSG regarding a deal for the 20-year-old.

Indeed, over his 34 Ligue 1 appearances while on loan at RC Lens in 2021/22, the £17m-rated forward was in spectacular form, scoring 12 goals and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.8 shots, making 0.6 key passes and completing 0.8 dribbles per game.

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Furthermore, according to FBref data, the £6.6k-per-week forward also ranks in the top 28% of centre-forwards in Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90, in addition to the top 1% for pass completion, the top 19% for progressive carries and the top 11% for progressive passes received over the last 365 days.

These metrics saw the French youth international come in for a considerable amount of praise last season, none more so than from Lens head coach Franck Haise, who stated of Kalimuendo earlier this year:

“He is already the prototype striker of the present. From 18 to 20, he not only showed that he held his place in Ligue 1, but he continued to score in a team which evolves in the first part of the classification.

“He is an attacker for the future because he feels the blows and is clever in the finish. He is able to keep his back to the goal, attack the depth, to de-zone to create spaces for the others. He is already a beautiful palette that will be enriched.”

As such, with the PSG starlet evidently being a player who knows how to find the back of the net, boasts the potential to flourish into an exceptional top-tier striker and is available for an extremely reasonable £19m this summer, a move for the 20-year-old would appear an extremely smart one for Orta to make in the coming weeks.

AND in other news: Victor Orta now working on fourth summer signing, Leeds supporters will be buzzing

An update has emerged regarding Rangers youngster Josh McPake and his future at Ibrox ahead of the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Journalist Jacque Talbot has revealed that the winger is being eyed up by a number of teams south of the border after a loan spell in the fourth tier of English football.

The reporter tweeted: “Understand Rangers youngster Josh McPake is the subject of interest from several League Two sides. Carlisle United and Hartlepool United are keen on the attacker, who’s just finished his loan spell at Tranmere Rovers.”

Ross Wilson will be delighted

Rangers’ sporting director Ross Wilson will be left delighted by this claim, as it suggests that he will be able to cash in on the attacker in the coming months.

The youngster has spent the last two seasons on loan in League Two but failed to show that he has the potential to come back and make an impact in the first-team at Rangers.

In the 2020/21 campaign, he scored four goals and failed to provide a single assist in 23 outings for Harrogate Town. He also lost 56% of his duels as he struggled to deal with the physicality of the game, although that was to be expected as it was the then-teenager’s first experience of regular senior football.

However, he did not use that season to improve, as he left a lot to be desired again in 2021/22. In 14 League Two appearances for Tranmere, he managed one goal and zero assists whilst losing 62% of his individual battles.

These statistics indicate that McPake regressed after a year of experience in the English fourth tier, and this is a worry in relation to his future at Ibrox. He has not shown that he is on the right path in his development and there is little to suggest that he is a player who Gio van Bronckhorst will want to call upon any time soon.

Therefore, now is the right time – whilst his stock is seemingly high amongst League Two clubs – to cash in on him whilst the Gers still can.

At the age of 20, clubs may want to take a punt on him in case he is able to improve over time, but his statistics in his career so far are less than encouraging with respect to the chances of him making the first-team in Glasgow.

Wilson will now be delighted to learn of the interest in McPake’s services, as he can rake in a fee for the underperforming youngster and use the money to bring in another young prospect or invest it in another area of the club.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Lundstram: Wilson must land Rangers deal for “fabulous” £28k-p/w maestro…

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United and their pursuit of Raphinha heading into the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that PIF are plotting a swoop for the Leeds United forward and will need to battle it out with an elite European club to land his signature.

Speaking on the Wondergoal Podcast (12:45), Romano said: “A player they (PIF) love is Raphinha from Leeds. We know that Barcelona are leading the race to sign to him, but Newcastle are exploring the possibilities for a long time.

“They know this is going to be more than complicated because Barcelona are already in advanced talks with the player’s side. It depends if Leeds will get relegated or not (as) it will be important to understand if the clause will be activated or not.”

Imagine him & Allan Saint-Maximin

PIF must work hard to win the race for Raphinha, as he would be an exciting addition to Newcastle’s squad for next season.

Premier League defenders will be trembling at the thought of playing against the Toon if Saint-Maximin and the Brazilian are both lining up on the wings for the Magpies, as they both have the technical ability to cause huge problems in the final third.

Whilst Leeds are struggling at the wrong end of the table, the 25-year-old attacker has been a shining light at Elland Road throughout the campaign.

As you can see from these statistics, via SofaScore, Raphinha – who joined the Yorkshire club for £20m – has been in electric form at the top end of the pitch, both in terms of scoring and creating goals.

He only has three assists to his name, in spite of him creating nine ‘big chances’, and his team’s failure to finish off the opportunities that he is creating could tempt him to make the switch to St James’ Park. Raphinha’s statistics prove that he is a quality player at Premier League level, and Leeds are not making the most of his creative talents.

The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland previously dubbed him “magic”, and the Brazil wizard’s 1.9 dribbles per game to go along with his chance creation figures would suggest that such praise is deserved.

Meanwhile, Saint-Maximin has completed a whopping 4.4 dribbles and 1.5 key passes per game in the current top-flight campaign. This shows that he has been a constant threat with the ball at his feet and that Eddie Howe would have a frightening wide duo if he can play him and Raphinha in the same team next season.

AND in other news, Howe can land the next Shearer as Newcastle “prepares” £59m bid for 68-goal “diamond”…

The Bangladesh opener, who has hit a major dip in form, has turned to the former national team coach for help

Mohammad Isam30-Jul-2019Tamim Iqbal should focus on being more patient after negotiating the tough initial periods, according to Jamie Siddons, the Bangladesh coach between 2007 and 2011 who is credited in Bangladesh cricket circles for having helped the likes of Shakib Al Hasan, Muhsfiqur Rahim and Tamim become quality international batsmen.Tamim, the mainstay at the top of the Bangladesh batting circles, has endured a dip in form in recent times. At the 2019 World Cup, he averaged just 29.37, and has been dismissed for 0 and 19 in the two ODIs in Sri Lanka. Tamim has also been bowled out six times in a row now, making it eight for the year.Tamim had said after Bangladesh’s first three matches in the World Cup that he was feeling the pressure, especially after having a lean run at the 2015 World Cup, where he scored just 154 runs in six innings. Most recently, he has usually started well, but then failed to kick on.Tamim recently got in touch with Siddons, currently head coach at South Australia, for help.”From what I have seen of him in the Sri Lanka series, Tamim looks comfortable until he gets out,” Siddons told ESPNcricinfo. “He got a great yorker in the first game (from Lasith Malinga) and then the shot he got out to in the second game, he just didn’t need to play. He is trying to force balls that he doesn’t need to. He is ticking the score along okay. He probably is getting a bit impatient.

I would probably straighten up his front foot a little, but he looks like the great player that he isJamie Siddons on Tamim Iqbal

“Teams are bowling well to him and limiting his boundaries. He needs to be a little bit more patient to let the game unfold a bit more. He should look to bat 50 overs, not try to score all the runs in the first 20.”Siddons hasn’t spotted a major deficiency in Tamim’s batting, but did say a slight technical tweak might help. “Tamim is technically fine. I would probably straighten up his front foot a little, but he looks like the great player that he is,” Siddons said. “He has made some amazing innings for Bangladesh. He will keep doing the same. I watched nearly every ball from the Sri Lanka series because he sent me the footage to see what I thought…”He needed to get through the first ten overs, and there would have been less movement in the ball. He would have been able to build an innings. He would then be able to play outside his off stump to good-length balls. Most bowlers bowled short to him in the World Cup too.”Siddons feels that Tamim is putting too much pressure on himself, the high expectations from himself weighing him down.”I think the expectations about Tamim, Shakib and Mushfiq is that they are the dominant players in the team. His expectations would have been just as high as the public,” Siddons said. “From my point of view, Tamim is as disappointed as anyone. I just think it is coincidental that he has had couple of bad World Cups.”But opening the batting is a tough position to bat in. The ball is moving around more than it does in the middle order. It is a tough position to hold down, and he has done it so well for a long time for Bangladesh. I just think he has had a bit of bad luck with a few play-ons and couple of good balls. All of a sudden your World Cup is in a bit of a spiral.”Tamim has endured such dips in form in the past, and has successfully bounced back each time. He will need a spot of luck to go his way, but more than that, he needs to be patient. Bangladesh need their premier opener to be back at his best, after all.

Which of these young players who have impressed in this IPL season will be playing for India by the 2019 World Cup?

ESPNcricinfo staff09-May-2017Several young players who have not played ODI cricket for India have caught the eye during this IPL season. Some have been consistent throughout, while others have produced moments of brilliance. Some are new names, while others have been impressing in the IPL for a few seasons now. But which of these players will kick on and become part of the Indian XI for the next World Cup. Swipe right for those you think will and left for those you think will not go beyond the IPL.