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He will provide overseas replacement cover when Sam Billings and Colin Munro leave in January

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2022Sam Hain, the Warwickshire batter who was born in Hong Kong and grew up in Australia, has signed as a replacement player for Brisbane Heat.Hain represented Queensland and Australia youth teams, including at the 2012 Under-19 World Cup, before forging a career in the UK which has seen him represent England Lions.He will train with Heat throughout the BBL season and then fill one of the vacancies when Sam Billings and Colin Munro depart for other leagues in early January.Related

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Hain has an impressive T20 record with an average of 36 and strike-rate of 131.47 while in List A cricket has the second-highest average of someone to have played at least 50 innings.”It’s been a few years since I have been back to Queensland, so I’ve enjoyed re-visiting a lot of the places I remember from growing up,” he said. “It’s been great to catch up with so many of the guys I played with in the Queensland teams and the Gold Coast Dolphins since I have got out here.””I’m so excited to be able to play in the BBL. It’s been a big goal of mine for a few years now and it is a massive thrill be able to be a part of things with Brisbane this summer.”Wade Seccombe, the current Heat and Queensland coach, was in charge of the Queensland U-19 side that Hain was part of in 2011-12.”Sam was a very talented young player and I know a lot of us at QC were sorry to see him go when he made his call to pursue his options in England,” he said. “It will be a great fit to have him back in the group. His playing experience is excellent, especially as a white ball player who knows how to control an innings and make good decisions in the middle.”

Following a relatively quiet January transfer window, Fulham could be forced to bid farewell to one star player amid growing contract doubts and a queue of clubs reportedly waiting to land his signature.

Fulham transfer news

There’s leaving it late and then there’s Fulham signing their first arrival of 2025 after the January transfer window, welcoming free agent Willian back to the club for his second stint at Craven Cottage, where the Brazilian will look to repeat his previous impact in West London.

Speaking to the club website for the first time since putting pen to paper, Willian expressed his delight at returning to Craven Cottage, saying: “I’m really happy to be back here. I think it’s a great opportunity again to play for this Club, and I’m fully motivated to get on the pitch and do things well for this Club.

“I’m completely happy, my family’s happy. We are happy to be back, and I think we can do good things until the end of the season, so I can’t wait to start with my teammates and do good things inside the pitch.”

Fulham tried to sign "brilliant" ace who was in West London on deadline day

It was too little too late…

ByTom Cunningham Feb 6, 2025

As one winger arrives, however, another is on course for the exit door. According to reports in Spain, three La Liga clubs have now made contact to sign Adama Traore, who is yet to sign a new Fulham contract despite his current deal coming to an end this summer.

The Cottagers have the option to extend the Spaniard’s deal for another year but that option is yet to be triggered, casting doubts over his future as Villarreal, Sevilla and Valencia form a queue to land his signature.

Of course, a lot can change in a matter of months and Traore could yet stay put but that doubt will only increase as time goes on and there’s no denying that he has become quite the asset under Marco Silva.

"Fantastic" Traore is a unique threat

The Premier League has seen a number of unique assets over the years, from absurdly tall forwards to even more absurd long throw-in takers. Now, Fulham have a unique asset of their own in Traore.

There isn’t a single player in English football – perhaps even in Europe – who shares the same driving power as the winger who has the perfect combination of incredible strength and unstoppable pace. It’s something which can change a game in an instant and something that the Cottagers should look to keep hold of.

Dubbed “fantastic” by Silva earlier this season, Traore should have no reason to depart either. Those in West London are better placed than ever under their manager and could yet cause an upset by challenging for a European place before the end of the campaign, using Traore’s freak athleticism.

So, whilst La Liga may well be forming a queue, they may be forced to wait even longer if Fulham manage to extend their winger’s contract and put to rest any increasing doubt over his immediate future.

West Brom are now one of four sides reportedly chasing a late move to sign a new forward before the transfer window shuts on Monday night, according to a report.

West Brom transfer latest

So far, Championship play-off hopefuls West Brom have enjoyed a quiet January transfer window for the most part. Tony Mowbray’s side have signed Isaac Price to bolster their midfield, while they also moved to land Will Lankshear on loan from Tottenham in a bid to add more firepower in attack, with only Blackburn Rovers, Burnley and Bristol City having scored fewer goals than the Baggies in the top half of the Championship.

Currently on the cusp of a play-off spot, they will be hoping that Lankshear’s arrival can help rejuvenate their attack and ensure that they have a fighting chance of promotion back to the Premier League, with the highly rated forward having been wanted by clubs across England’s second tier.

“We have felt since the summer that we would need to prioritise the addition of another striker in this window”, West Brom sporting director Andrew Nestor explained.

“We are pleased now to have brought in Will, who we have been watching for some time and has been among our top targets for reinforcement in this area.”

However, there is still scope for further additions for Albion, and now one report has tipped them to attempt another audacious loan move to land a Premier League forward for the remainder of the campaign.

West Brom in race for "unstoppable" forward

That is according to reliable journalist Alan Nixon, related by Football League World, who claim that West Brom are one of four clubs “eyeing up a loan move” for Chelsea forward Marc Guiu in the final stages of the transfer window.

Guiu only arrived from Barcelona in the summer, penning a five-year deal worth £50,000 a week.

Related 2025 winter transfer window: Every done deal from the Championship

Every winter transfer from the second tier can be found here.

Posts ByStephan Georgiou Feb 3, 2025

However, he has struggled to nail down a spot in Enzo Maresca’s squad for the Premier League, and has seen his opportunities largely come in second-string competitions.

In those, he has excelled, with the Spaniard having found the net six times in six UEFA Conference League games. He was hailed by one former Barcelona coach for being “unstoppable” and a “classic 9” before his Camp Nou exit after he found the net on his Barcelona debut.

Marc Guiu for Chelsea 24/25 (all comps)

Appearances

12

Starts

7

Goals

6

Assists

0

Minutes per goal/assist

90

“He is a pure centre forward, a classic ‘9’, a specialist in the area who lives from his physical power. His best virtue is his aerial play. Marc is also very quick and powerful, he is unstoppable with space”, Ivan Carrasco explained.

He has also drawn praise during his time at Stamford Bridge, with Joe Cole likening the 19-year-old to Luis Suarez.

“I liken him to [former Barcelona, Liverpool and Uruguay striker] Luis Suarez”, Cole told listeners on TNT Sports.

“I’m not saying he’s Suarez right now, but he has that instinct and bravery.”

As per the reporter, “Middlesbrough, Burnley, West Brom and Leeds are all jostling for position” in the race to sign the Spaniard on loan should Chelsea greenlight his temporary exit, despite the Baggies having just added Lankshear to their ranks.

Having lost top goalscorer Josh Maja for much of the remainder of the campaign though, Mowbray may well be keen to add another forward to try and guarantee goals should either player struggle to adapt to England’s second-tier.

Looking to repeat their transfer genius of the past, Brighton & Hove Albion have now reportedly opened talks to sign another South American youngster ahead of European giants Real Madrid.

Brighton transfer news

As arguably one of, if not the best, ran club in the Premier League, Brighton relish the transfer window and they could yet prove exactly why once again this month. For any side looking to become an established top flight side, those at The Amex have created the blueprint to follow by creating stars, selling them for huge profit and then welcoming replacements capable of enjoying a similar rise.

As a result, they once again find themselves on course for a top half finish in what would be a fantastic first season under Fabian Hurzeler – the youngest manager in Premier League history at just 31 years old.

Now, having previously welcomed Alexis Mac Allister, Moises Caicedo and Julio Enciso, the Seagulls look set to make a return to the South American market to land another young star.

According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Brighton have opened talks to sign Vitor Reis from Palmeiras in a deal that could cost as much as £25m. Despite interest from Real Madrid, Arsenal and Chelsea, the Sussex side look set to act early enough to secure another impressive coup.

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Fabian Hürzeler is keen to strengthen his defence this winter.

Posts ByDominic Lund Jan 3, 2025

Just 18 years old, Reis could yet prove to be an Enciso repeat, given that the midfielder also arrived at a young age and from his home country of Paraguay in the summer of 2022.

A central defender rather than a midfielder on this occasion, Brighton may have found their eventual replacement for ageing captain Lewis Dunk for years to come.

Brighton can land "heir to Thiago Silva" in Reis

At just 18 years old, Reis has found himself at the centre of some impressive praise, including from Ben Mattinson. The analyst even went as far as claiming that the defender is “Brazil’s heir to Thiago Silva” before describing his aerial ability as “strong” and dubbing the teenager a player with “ice-cold composure” back in October.

Real Madrid’s interest should paint quite the picture of just how highly Reis is rated across European football and, therefore, the significance of Brighton’s potential January swoop.

For the young central defender himself, meanwhile, Brighton represents an intelligent move. It’s a move that Mac Allister made – a player on course to become a Premier League champion at Liverpool these days.

It’s also a move that Caicedo completed before becoming one of the most expensive midfielders in football history by joining Chelsea in 2023. Now, it’s a path that Reis could follow to become the latest young South American to sign on the dotted line at The Amex.

وجه أشرف نصار رئيس نادي البنك الأهلي، الشكر إلى طارق مصطفى المدير الفني للفريق، كما أعرب عن سعادته بالمركز الذي وصل إليه في بطولة الدوري المصري.

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي البنك الأهلي مع الزمالك مساء اليوم على أرضية استاد القاهرة الدولي، ضمن مباريات الجولة الرابعة من عمر منافسات المرحلة النهائية لبطولة الدوري.

وقال أشرف نصار في تصريحات عبر إذاعة الراديو “ميجا إف إم”: “نحن نطمح في المنافسة على أي بطولة، وحاليا لدينا هدف أكبر وهو التواجد في المربع الذهبي والتأهل لمنافسات كأس الكونفدرالية في الفترة القادمة”.

طالع أيضاً.. البنك الأهلي يرد على أنباء انتقال لاعبه لـ الزمالك

وتابع: “نحن نسعى لهدف أكبر ثاني وهو المنافسة على التتويج بلقب كأس عاصمة مصر”.

وأضاف: “بداية الموسم كانت صعبة وكان لدينا لاعبيين جدد منضمة حديثاً، لكننا نجحنا في العمل على عمل ترابط ومنافسة بين اللاعبين، ووصلنا لمركز جيد في بطولة الدوري”.

وأفاد: “نحن نعيش دائماً أياما صعبة مع الفريق للوصول لمكانة جيدة في الدوري، وأشكر طارق مصطفى المدير الفني على المجهود الذي قدمه مع البنك الاهلي في الفترة الماضية”.

ما رأيك إذا قرر طارق مصطفى الرحيل إلى الزمالك: أجاب: “أنا لا أُجبر أحداً على شئ ولن أكون عائقا أمامه إذا كان يريد الرحيل، خاصةً إذا كان يرى أن ذلك في صالحه”.

Josh Sargent has sought to clarify his future at Norwich, with USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino offering no advice when it comes to transfers.

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Reputation enhanced in the ChampionshipSummer move being speculated onContact with national coach ahead of World CupFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 25-year-old striker has cemented his status as one of the most fearsome forwards in the Championship. He has, despite nursing more injuries this season, registered 13 goals in the 2024-25 campaign. Those efforts may not be enough to earn Norwich a play-off spot and another shot at promotion, however.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Sargent is, however, seeing a step up into the Premier League speculated on. He is also said to be interesting teams in the Bundesliga and MLS. Canaries fans were concerned by recent comments from their top marksman in which he claimed to have a “decision” to make this summer.

WHAT JOSH SARGENT SAID

Sargent has now addressed that statement, saying in the : “I'm pretty sure in the first half of that interview I said, 'I have a contract here at Norwich'. I'm very happy. My family's very happy here. It was in no way saying that I'm definitely gone at the end of the season. I'm very happy with the manager of the team. I was just trying to say there will be options. But that's not to say that I'm definitely leaving.

“It's a decision that me and my family are going to have to make. Obviously, the team has to agree to me even leaving in the first place. So as of now, I'm very happy here. With that interview, I didn't try to come off in a bad way. It's become home for my family, and the fans are amazing to me all the time. I have nothing but good things to say about this place. I think it came off a bit in the wrong way. I didn't want to upset anybody like that.”

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

Sargent is hoping to earn a place in the United States’ plans for a home World Cup in 2026. Playing at the highest level will aid that cause, but he added when asked if national team coach Pochettino has nudged him in a certain direction: “I haven't had any discussions with him about that, to be honest.

“When he first came in, we had a good talk. He just asked how things were going at Norwich, and I said good. They're always keeping in touch and always watching the game. In terms of going to another club in my future, he hasn't said anything about that.”

Manchester City’s academy has produced some fantastic players over the years. Some of those are members of Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad.

Of course, Phil Foden is the most prominent of those, and he has become one of the best players in the Premier League, having been named the PFA Player of the Year last season. The likes of Rico Lewis and James McAtee are also playing for City’s first-team, with Lewis especially a key player.

However, Cityzens academy graduates also go on to have good careers away from the club. Morgan Rogers is a prime example of this, and he is thriving under Unai Emery at Aston Villa. However, perhaps the best City academy star who is now shining at another club is Cole Palmer.

Palmer’s City career

Palmer’s rise over the last 18 months or so has been absolutely phenomenal. At present, there is arguably “no better player in the Premier League”, according to pundit Jamie Carragher, while he is also now an important player for England, scoring in the Euro 2024 final against Spain.

He did not really get the chance to show what he could do during his time at the Etihad Stadium. After graduating from the academy of the club for at under-18s and under-23s level, the 22-year-old managed just 41 appearances for the club in total.

Palmer scored six times and grabbed two assists, including a strike in the UEFA Super Cup and the Community Shield against Arsenal.

He left the club to join Chelsea in September 2023 for a fee of £42.5m, and the attacker has been simply sensational at Stamford Bridge. Palmer has scored 32 goals and grabbed 20 assists in just 59 games for the Blues so far.

Last season, he managed 33 goals and assists in as many Premier League games, and won the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

Guardiola admitted that he wanted Palmer to stay at the club last season, but could not convince the talented winger to remain at the club. He was full of praise for the City academy graduate, calling him “an incredible threat” before the FA Cup semi-final between City and Chelsea last term.

Looking back on it, selling Palmer certainly seems like a blunder by City. However, given the attacking talent City have, the likes of Foden for example, it might not be too costly. There was another former player who they may regret selling more, especially given the issues in the side this season.

The former player City may regret selling

The player in question here is Spanish right-back Pedro Porro. The 25-year-old joined the Cityzens in 2019 for a fee in the region of £5.5m from Girona. However, he never played for the club and made a move to Sporting after a loan spell at Real Valladolid.

He spent a year on loan in Portugal before joining the club permanently, costing just £7.2m, and thrived in Lisbon. In 98 games for the club, he scored 12 goals and grabbed 20 assists. Tottenham Hotspur signed him in the 2023 winter window, on a loan deal with an obligation to buy him for £39m.

The Spaniard has dazzled for the Lilywhites so far, playing 68 times for the club. He has scored nine goals and grabbed 12 assists, with one of the goals coming away to the Cityzens, in Spurs’ recent 4-1 thrashing of the Premier League champions.

City could certainly have done with Porro this season. They are having issues at right-back, with Kyle Walker looking a shadow of his former self. In fact, as the stats from Squawka show, the Spaniard is bettering the City number two in several key metrics.

That includes the number of chances created per 90 minutes, with 1.7 compared to one, and the number of duels won per game, with 3.9 to Walker’s 3.3. As football statistician Statman Dave described him, Porro is a “complete” player.

Looking back on the deal to sell Porro to Sporting in the first place, it might be one City regret more than the decision to let Palmer go. Whilst they have plenty of competition in those attacking areas, the Cityzens are short of numbers defensively, and given Walker’s performances this season, could have done with reinforcements.

Guardiola may well wish he had Porro available to him now because his fellow Spaniard could have been incredibly useful to help fix what has been a poor season so far.

Man City must finally sell £100k-p/w star who was once Pep’s "best signing"

The Man City ace has been poor this season.

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 27, 2024

New Zealand allrounder Amelia Kerr rode on her impressive performances in the recently concluded ODI series against India, climbing five places up to No. 17 among batters, while also rising four spots to sit at the same position among bowlers. The 21-year-old also broke into the top five in the allrounders’ charts, where she is now placed at No. 4 after gaining two places.Kerr finished the five-match series with 353 runs – the highest among both sides – at an average of 117.66, including three half-centuries and a hundred. That apart, she took seven wickets, particularly dominating with an all-round show in the fourth ODI in Queenstown, where she first cracked an unbeaten 68 from 33 balls before grabbing 3 for 30 with the ball. All three of Kerr’s wickets in the match had come in the 18th over of India’s chase.

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She followed it up with 66 in the fifth ODI, although in a losing cause – New Zealand’s only defeat in the series.India’s Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma were among the others who made notable gains. While Harmanpreet got back in form with 63 in the final match and thus climbed up a place to be ranked No. 20 among batters, Deepti’s ten wickets – the most by a bowler in the series – helped her up one place to No. 12 among bowlers.All three rankings continue to be led by the Australian trio of Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen and Ellyse Perry, who sit atop among batters, bowlers and allrounders, respectively.

West Bromwich Albion fans will want their team to come back from the international break playing some more attacking football considering the amount of blanks that have been fired this season in the Championship.

At the Hawthorns, the Baggies have remarkably only scored two goals all campaign, with their last three clashes on their home turf resulting in bore 0-0 draws.

That is the case despite Josh Maja still being a goal machine for Carlos Corberan’s men, who clearly loves finding the back of the net more on his travels.

Maja's form this season

Maja has scored over half of West Brom’s goals in the tricky division by registering nine strikes, which is a large chunk of the Baggies’ 16 goals so far.

Seven of those came during the first seven games, as Maja started afresh after an injury derailed first season at the club saw him start just one clash in the second tier.

There will be a worry in the air that when the former Sunderland man isn’t in the right place at the right time, the goals do dry up, with Karlan Grant and Alex Mowatt joint in the goalscoring charts as runner ups to Maja with just three goals apiece.

Therefore, this January could well be a good time for Corberan to add some more flair players to his ranks to raise the entertainment levels, which might well see a bold move for an EFL superstar take place.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

West Brom must sign EFL forward

West Brom were linked with a switch for Peterborough United ace Kwame Poku around this time last year, with TEAMTalk speculating that Sunderland were also queuing up to try and win the Posh attacker alongside an Ipswich Town side thick in the promotion race.

The transfer speculation linking Poku with a move away from Cambridgeshire is only intensifying ahead of the 2025 January window, with the Tractor Boys reportedly interested again in his services having been excited by his electric output in League One.

Games played

15

Goals scored

10

Assists

5

Scoring frequency

131 mins

Shots*

2.7

Big chances missed

1

Big chances created

5

Ball recoveries*

4.1

Total duels won*

5.7

Poku has amassed an astounding ten goals and five assists from 15 league games for Darren Ferguson’s men this season, with the tenacious attacker twisting and turning third-tier defences for fun, whilst also getting stuck in for his promotion-chasing outfit with 5.7 duels won per clash.

His goal total for the campaign so far was heavily pushed up last match when the 23-year-old scored his first ever career hat-trick, as Posh downed their arch rivals Cambridge United 6-1 in a barnstrorming affair.

Away from his regular goalscoring heroics, the Posh star boasts high-chance creation numbers, meaning he could be an ideal teammate for Maja to gain even more goalscoring opportunities next year.

Touted as being a future “Premier League star” by Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony recently, it will be a struggle for the League One side to keep a firm grip on their Ghanaian forward this January, with his current deal in Cambridgeshire running out next summer.

Therefore, it wouldn’t be an unwise move for West Brom to go back in and test the waters, with Poku also suiting Corberan in the fact he can operate out wide or as a central attacking midfielder.

Either way, he should be providing Maja with a lot of chances, alongside also being that fresh star who can make West Brom more exciting on the eye, making him a statement January buy in the process.

West Brom star is now outperforming Maja after being sold by Ismael

This West Bromwich Albion star of old is shining bright at his current employers.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 14, 2024

There is no sugarcoating it: the last month or so has been an unmitigated disaster for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side managed to cope with their early run of tough fixtures relatively well this season, beating Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa away while picking up a point on the road to Manchester City.

However, in the last month, the Gunners lost to Bournemouth and Newcastle United and drew against Liverpool and Chelsea, leaving them in fourth place and nine points behind the Reds on top of the Premier League.

While their defence has been lacklustre, the North Londoners’ attack has been more worrying, making it all the more painful that a former player sold by Arteta in the summer has been as creative as Mohamed Salah and Cole Palmer in the league.

Arsenal's lack of creativity

So, before we get to the player in question, let’s examine Arsenal’s most creative players this season, starting with perhaps the one player who’s stood out for the right reasons: Bukayo Saka.

The Hale End icon has been doing his best to drag the Gunners through their current slump in form, and it shows in his statistics, as according to FBref, he’s currently leading the way for goal-creating actions in the Premier League, coming in with 12, or 1.32 per 90.

Unfortunately, the Englishman is the only player from Arteta’s squad to register such a significant number of goal-creating actions, as the next best is Thomas Partey, with five, or 0.46 per 90, and then after him is Gabriel Martinelli, with just two, or 0.26 per 90.

Now, this is obviously a dreadfully poor situation for the title hopefuls to find themselves in, but a couple of extenuating circumstances have undoubtedly played their part.

The first is that either through their own stupidity or harsh refereeing – take your pick – the North Londoners have found themselves down to ten men on multiple occasions this season, which will impact the quality of chances a side creates.

The second reason is that club captain and chief creator Martin Odegaard missed most of the campaign through injury, so now he’s back, we might start to see the side generate more opportunities in open play and from set pieces.

With that said, the bottom line is that Arsenal has not been good enough in attack this season, and to make things worse, one of their departures this summer has been in sensational form going forward.

The former Arsenal star lighting up the Premier League

Let’s get to the point: Emile Smith-Rowe is the former Arsenal star in scintillating form this season that Arteta may regret selling over the summer.

The Hale End graduate finally left North London over the summer after a couple of years in which he fell out of favour and joined West London outfit Fulham in a deal that could eventually see the Gunners earn around £34m.

Now, to make that much money on an academy player is undoubtedly great business, but based on his form for the Cottagers this season and the struggles of his former side, we can’t help but think that he’d be of real help to those at the Emirates.

Appearances

11

Minutes

805

Goals

3

Assists

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.45

Minutes per Goal Involvement

161′

For example, in his 11 appearances in the Premier League this season, the creative “monster”, as dubbed by Troy Deeney, has scored three goals and provided two assists, equating to an average of a goal involvement once every 2.2 games.

However, while that’s undoubtedly an excellent return so far, the really impressive statistic is the number of goal-creating actions he’s produced as, according to FBref, he is currently joint-third best in the league alongside Palmer and Salah on seven.

Yet, there is more. When broken down by how many minutes those three have played in the league this year, it’s the former Gunner who comes out on top, with 0.79 goal-creating actions per 90 to the Chelsea ace’s 0.66 and the Egyptian’s 0.65.

Ultimately, selling Smith Rowe was the right thing for his development and career, as shown by his form this season.

Still, we aren’t sure Arteta would have been so willing to let the Croydon-born sensation leave had he foreseen his own team’s creative struggles coming.

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