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Ipswich Town are one of two clubs considering a move to sign an out-of-favour international ace in the January transfer window, according to a report.

Ipswich heavy spending yet to pay off

Off the back of consecutive promotions from League One to the Premier League, Ipswich were one of the busiest sides in the transfer window as they looked to bolster their squad.

After securing the future of manager Kieran McKenna amid interest from sides across the top flight, they invested heavily in their squad as they look to avoid a drop straight back to the Championship.

Related McKenna must drop Szmodics to unleash 23 y/o Ipswich sensation

The Tractor Boys will be aiming to claim their first victory of the season this weekend.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Sep 14, 2024

Omari Hutchinson led the spending, as the Tractor Boys turned his loan move into a permanent one for a fee just shy of £20m, while they also plundered the Championship to sign Arijanet Muric, Jacob Greaves, Jack Clarke, Dara O’Shea and Sammie Szmodics.

Ipswich Town’s new signings summer 2024

Player

Fee (as per Transfermarkt)

Omari Hutchinson

€23.5m

Jacob Greaves

€21.5m

Liam Delap

€17.85m

Jack Clarke

€17.7m

Dara O’Shea

€14.2m

Sammie Szmodics

€10.6m

Arijanet Muric

€9.55m

Chiedoze Ogbene

€9.5m

Conor Townsend

€590k

Jens Cajuste

Loan

Kalvin Phillips

Loan

Ben Johnson

Free

Meanwhile, Manchester City pair Liam Delap and Kalvin Phillips were also signed, with the latter joining the East Anglian outfit on loan while Delap signed a long-term deal at Portman Road.

Despite this transfer activity, there are still holes in the Ipswich squad and McKenna is still waiting for his first Premier League win as a manager, with defeats against Liverpool and Manchester City followed up by draws against Fulham and Brighton, leaving the East Anglian side narrowly above the relegation zone and with just two points to their name after four Premier League outings.

As a result, further transfer activity is expected in January, and now a potential target has emerged.

Ipswich keen on £200k-a-week defender

That comes as The Sun have revealed that McKenna’s side are eyeing up a surprise move to sign Chelsea outcast Ben Chilwell in January as he looks for a way out of Stamford Bridge.

The England international was publicly made an outcast by Enzo Maresca over the summer, with the Blues boss explaining:

“When you train every day and not get any minutes it is not good for them or for me and I need to make a decision.”

“Probably it is better to leave and go and get minutes. The transfer window is open so we will see what will happen.”

However, Chilwell was unable to find a move away and, as a result, has been reintegrated into the first team, being named among Chelsea’s Premier League squad for the first half of the season.

But clearly not wanted by Chelsea and with both Marc Cucurella and summer signing Renato Veiga ahead of him in the pecking order, an exit is likely with the Blues keen to be rid of his £200,000 a week wages.

The Sun report that Ipswich are on “red alert” over a potential January move, in what would likely be a loan move given the wage demands of the England international.

His arrival could allow some rotation for current fullback Leif Davis, who excelled in the Championship but has seen his defensive ability exploited in the opening stages of the Premier League season. Meanwhile, in Chilwell Ipswich would be getting a player dubbed “fantastic” by former boss Frank Lampard, and one with a point to prove.

“I thought Ben Chilwell was fantastic in his contribution in all senses. He gets his goal, he gets an assist and he was always ready to join in. He’s Premier League ready, we know that having played in this league as well as he has for Leicester and he looked like he’d played for us for a long time”, Lampard explained during his first stint with the club.

It could well be a move that suits all parties, and strengthens Ipswich’s chances of survival.

With just two weeks until the transfer window slams shut, West Ham United are reportedly battling to sign a midfield reinforcement up against Premier League rivals and Saturday evening's victors Aston Villa.

West Ham transfer news

It's quite fitting that the Hammers squared off against Aston Villa to open their Premier League campaign, given that they've been doing battle all summer in negotiations for Jhon Duran. The young forward posed with a Hammers sign on Instagram Live earlier in the window, only to score the winner on Saturday as the Villans took all three points from the London Stadium.

Since taking their battle to the pitch, the two clubs could now be set to run into each other in the transfer market once more before the window slams shut at the end of the month. The two busiest Premier League clubs on the transfer front, West Ham have more than played their part, signing the likes of Crysencio Summerville, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Max Kilman.

Their next race looks set to take them to Turkey. According to Takvim, West Ham are set to battle Aston Villa in the race to sign Ernest Muci, who Besiktas value at €14m (£12m). Earlier reports even suggested that Villa were negotiating a deal which would see Lucas Digne head to Besiktas in a player-plus-cash deal.

Now, however, West Ham's emergence could complicate things, with those at the London Stadium eyeing up the chance to win the race for the 23-year-old attacking midfielder.

West Ham could make Bowen unplayable with bid for £21m "goal machine"

This move would complete the Hammers’ summer spending with a flourish…

By
Angus Sinclair

Aug 17, 2024

It's no real surprise that Muci has attracted such admirers, given how impressive he was at Legia Warsaw in the first half of the campaign and the glimpses of quality that he has shown since joining Besiktas in the winter transfer window.

"Superb" Muci would unleash Fullkrug

If West Ham want to help new arrival Niclas Fullkrug hit the ground running then signing an attacking midfielder in the form of Muci is certainly the way to do it. The 23-year-old, for both Legia Warsaw and Besiktas, managed 13 goals and a further two assists in an output that would naturally boost the Hammers' offensive numbers around him.

On his way to Besiktas, Muci earned plenty of praise, including from Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig, who described the start of his last campaign as "superb".

Of course, the added incentive of beating Aston Villa in the race for Muci's signature wouldn't go amiss, either. The Besiktas man is one to watch in the final two weeks of the summer transfer window, as two big spenders potentially go head-to-head in a battle to secure his arrival.

The board faces prospect of being stripped of status as the game’s governing body next week

Firdose Moonda23-Apr-2021Cricket South Africa (CSA) is on the verge of being stripped of its status as the game’s official cricketing body, as the Sports Minister prepares to intervene in the ongoing crisis – potentially as soon as next week – by “defunding” and “derecognising” the body. Such a move, which the minister Nathi Mthethwa warned of in a letter to the interim board and Members’ Council, will have seismic implications for the game in the country, not least for the immediate futures of the national teams.In the four-page letter, Mthethwa outlined his reasons for acting, and concluded: “In the circumstances, I have decided to invoke my powers under the Act [which allows ministerial intervention in a sporting body] and I hereby notify you that I have done so…. by de-funding and de-recognising CSA, and I will cause this to be published in the Government Gazette in due course at the earliest opportunity.”There is some wriggle room in the publishing of such an order in the Gazette. Government Gazettes are published every Friday, which effectively gives the Members’ Council one week in which to agree to the sticking point in this crisis – the new memorandum of incorporation which will include the framework for a majority independent board.The interim board called it a “sad day” for the country, and specifically for its cricketers. It also made it clear that it was down to the Members’ Council to salvage the situation. Forewarning the impact of such an act, the interim board chairperson Stavros Nicolau said in a press conference on Thursday, “We are in a situation where a minister is in a position to trigger measures he has and powers he has at his disposal in term of the Act. The consequences of those would be dire for cricket – financial, economic, developmental and sporting consequences. It would plunge cricket into crisis.”The basis of the ongoing disruption lies in the reluctance of the Members’ Council to agree to a majority independent board ,even though it had done so as far back as 2012 in the aftermath of that year’s bonus scandal – ostensibly because they want cricket to be run only by people involved in cricket structures, rather than by business people from the outside. CSA have been embroiled in administrative issues for the last 18 months and have rotated through three different acting CEOs following the suspension and subsequent dismissal of Thabang Moroe for misconduct.The interim board added in a statement: “It is deeply disappointing that a self-interested vocal minority voted against change while three members chose to abstain. These actions have now brought the game to its knees and will cause the greatest crisis since readmission.”Related

CSA warns of '1000 job losses' if board is derecognised by South Africa government

SA captains apologise to stakeholders as CSA faces sanction

SA sports minister to intervene after CSA fails to agree on MOI

The men’s national team is not in action until June, when they are due to play in the West Indies in a series rescheduled from last year. The women’s team have no major assignments until the Commonwealth Games and the World Cup next year. It is unlikely any such act will have an immediate impact on South Africa’s players currently taking part in the IPL.Mtethwa also wrote that the ICC will be informed “of my decision and provide them with my reasons for doing so”.That will likely open up a new phase of involvement from the global governing body who, so far, have observed the situation rather than take any direct action. Government intervention in running cricket has usually drawn sanction from the ICC but, with such prominent members, it has not always been so straightforward.In a statement reported earlier this week, the ICC said it “encourages Members to work with governments to resolve issues. Not all government intervention is problematic and for the ICC to get involved it requires a formal complaint from our Members that it is unwanted. Should that happen we will evaluate the situation based on the facts provided and plan an appropriate course of action.”

يخوض فريق الكرة الأول بنادي الزمالك، مواجهة أخيرة بدور المجموعات من بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية، مساء غد الأحد، ضد إنيمبا النيجيري.

ويستضيف الزمالك نظيره إنيمبا، على ملعب ستاد القاهرة الدولي، في الجولة السادسة والأخيرة من مواجهات المجموعة الرابعة لبطولة الكونفدرالية. موعد مباراة الزمالك وإنيمبا في الكونفدرالية

وتلعب المباراة، في تمام الساعة السادسة مساءً غد الأحد بتوقيت القاهرة، السابعة بتوقيت السعودية.

الزمالك كان قد حسم التأهل منذ الجولة الخامسة، بعدما وصل إلي النقطة 11 متصدرًا ترتيب المجموعة من بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية.

وبذلك، تأهل فريق الزمالك إلي دور ربع النهائي (دور الـ8) من بطولة الكونفدرالية، في المركز الأول من المسابقة القارية، بعيدًا عن نتائج الجولة الأخيرة التي تقام غدًا.

ويتواجد الزمالك في المجموعة الرابعة من الكونفدرالية، بجانب أندية المصري وبلاك بولز الموزمبيقي وإنيمبا النيجيري.

ويسعى الزمالك إلى تحقيق الفوز لمواصلة مشواره الجيد في البطولة الإفريقية، حيث حقق 3 انتصارات وتعادل في مواجهتين.

طالع | ترتيب مجموعة الزمالك في الكونفدرالية بعد نهاية الجولة الخامسة

وعلى الجانب الآخر، يدخل فريق إنيمبا بكامل قوته من أجل انتزاع بطاقة التأهل الثانية من المجموعة، حيث ينافس هو وفريق المصري عليها.

فوز إنيمبا على الزمالك مع خسارة أو تعادل المصري أمام بلاك بولز في نفس الجولة، يعني تأهل الفريق النيجيري مع الفارس الأبيض.

ويقود مباراة الزمالك وأنيمبا النيجيري، طاقم تحكيم جابوني، حيث يتولى بيير جيسلان أتشو مهمة حكم الساحة، ويعاونه الجابوني بوريس مارليز ديتسوجا، والكاميروني كارين أتيزامبونج فوكو، مساعدين، وتانجوي باتريس ميبيامي حكمًا رابعًا.

“It hasn’t been positive on trying to find a window but we are working hard,” says CSA’s director of cricket

Firdose Moonda15-Feb-2021Relations between Cricket South Africa (CSA) and Cricket Australia (CA) remain “strained,” as South Africa seek to move on from the indefinite postponement of a three-Test series that was due to take place on the Highveld in March.Related

South Africa 'have a number of tours against India' in the works, says Graeme Smith

Tour postponement: CSA lodges official complaint against Cricket Australia with ICC

Australia set to tour Bangladesh later this year for T20Is, not Tests

Cricket South Africa rejected formal Australia offer to host Test series

Cricket South Africa 'disappointed' at Cricket Australia's tour cancellation

With no international teams available to play in that prime summer window, CSA’s director of cricket Graeme Smith announced that South Africa will play domestic four-day cricket over that period and will soon announce a busy winter program to tide the men’s national team over to next summer. There is no indication of when the Australia series will be rescheduled.”The relationship is definitely strained at this stage,” Smith said, in a virtual press engagement on Monday morning. “There is an effort from our side to engage and set up a meeting at board level. Engagement needs to happen to improve things between South Africa and Australia.”Smith reiterated that South Africa would like to play Australia “in this calendar cycle,” but conceded it is becoming increasingly tough to find a window. “We’ve had some engagement with the operations side of Cricket Australia and it hasn’t been positive on trying to find a window but we are working hard,” he said.Last week, as reported by ESPNcricinfo, CSA wrote to both the ICC and CA to express their dismay at the tour being postponed and to warn that smaller nations are being sidelined by the Big Three. Smith added that the Coronavirus pandemic is making it more difficult for less wealthy nations to secure financially-rewarding visits from England, India and Australia.”Covid-19 has amplified the haves and the have-nots. The FTP is going to be challenging with potentially eight ICC tournaments in eight years, an extended IPL and a lot of the calendar dominated by England, India and Australia. It makes it extremely challenging for the rest of the member nations,” he said.

“I don’t think world cricket wants three nations competing against each other in 10 years time. How does that benefit the game?”CSA’s director of cricket Graeme Smith

“The game needs leadership. It needs to understand the complexities. I don’t think world cricket wants three nations competing against each other in 10 years time. How does that benefit the game? It doesn’t. That will amplify the leagues and leagues will get bigger and the rest of the nations will have little to no content. It has been fast-tracked because of Covid. These issues are becoming more relevant and amplified and the ICC have found themselves a little bit off guard with these issues.”In the absence of a formal complaint, CSA have no recourse against CA and have to make do with a leaner summer calendar and less money. Apart from the costs they incurred in attempting to set-up a biosecure environment for the Australia tour, CSA will also not make R40 million (US$2.7 million) in television revenue until the series takes place. Additionally, they have also spent extra money in setting up biobubbles for domestic competitions including the one-day cup and the T20 tournament, which starts on Thursday. “I don’t have a figure but it’s a lot more than what we have paid in the past,” Smith said.All nationally contracted players will be available for the T20 tournament, adding some heft to a usually low-key affair. They are also required to play in the four-day competition and CSA are in talks with pay-television provider to have some matches televised before South Africa host Pakistan for three ODIs and four T20s in April.The Pakistan series is likely to clash with the early part of the IPL, and CSA is yet to confirm if they will release their top players and play a second-string side against Pakistan or keep the contracted players at home.Smith – “There is an FTP schedule but some of these windows were worked out ages ago”•OfficialCSA/Twitter”We haven’t made a definitive decision on that yet. We’ve just announced those fixtures. We are still waiting on dates for the IPL so internal engagement needs to happen with management and selectors and we need to get into a discussion over how we are going to move forward with the IPL,” Smith said. “My opinion is that we need to invest in South African cricket and it needs to come first but we have made a commitment to release our players over the years to IPL. It’s something we will need to robustly debate.”South Africa are facing a West Indies-style conundrum now where they know it is more lucrative for players to participate in leagues like the IPL but they also need to keep as many players involved with the national set-up as possible to build consistency in a time of transition.Since Mark Boucher took over in December 2019, South Africa have won only two out of eight trophies and have failed to make gains on the World Test Championship or limited-overs’ leagues. They’ve also had long breaks in play because of the pandemic, something Smith hopes will change in the winter.”We need to get our players playing,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of growth to happen in the men’s game. Players need to step up. We’ve got to improve and we’ve got to get the team playing. That’s my ultimate goal.”Potential fixtures could include rescheduling a white-ball tour to Sri Lanka, which was postponed last May, or a visit to the Caribbean, which was due to take place last July. South Africa are also looking at a visit to India before the T20 World Cup. The FTP, as it currently stands, has India visiting South Africa in the 2021-22 summer, an away trip to New Zealand and a home series against Bangladesh but all these fixtures are subject to what Covid-19 restrictions are in place and to securing player safety, which has made planning the cricket calendar more complicated than ever.”There is an FTP schedule but some of these windows were worked out ages ago and there is an opportunity for members to manoeuvre, to add tours or to make up for lost tours,” Smith said. “These details take a bit more time, especially with every nation trying to fill the gaps caused by Covid-19. It’s a bit of a bunfight out there.”

Andy Robertson cut a forlorn figure as he conducted an obligatory post-match interview as Scotland captain last weekend. The Tartan Army had failed to muster enough quality to make history and become the first Scotland team ever to reach the knockout phase of the European Championships.

Robertson has endured an injury-hit 2023/24 campaign off the back of Liverpool's disastrous 2022/23 campaign, where Jurgen Klopp's side missed out on Champions League qualification and suffered a rather staggering collapse in the Premier League.

Aged 30, 'Robbo' may well have seen his last chance, his golden chance, to make history with his nation fly by, and his state of mind was reflected during a disconsolate discussion following Hungary's last-gasp interview.

He has, however, enjoyed an illustrious career with Liverpool; signed from Hull City for just £10m back in 2017, the left-back was one of the staples of Klopp's tenure, having now completed 297 appearances, notched 76 goal contributions and won the clean sweep of silverware.

Starting just 18 Premier League matches last season, however, there's a chance that new Liverpool head coach Arne Slot will seek a long-term successor at some point, with an exciting target already being lined up.

Liverpool lining up Robertson heir

According to journalist Abdel Hamed, Rayan Ait-Nouri is set to leave Wolverhampton Wanderers this summer and Liverpool are considered to be the frontrunners. Hamed, who interviewed the full-back earlier this year, has also claimed that Chelsea and Manchester City are also attentive to the situation.

Despite signing a new contract at Anfield in 2023, Kostas Tsimikas, aged 28, could leave this summer after failing to ever really cement a regular starting berth on Merseyside, potentially opening up the opportunity to land Ait-Nouri.

The Wolves defender impressed in the Premier League last season. He would not come cheap, with the Old Gold placing a £60m price tag on his name.

How Rayan Ait-Nouri would fit in at Liverpool

Slot has been welcomed to Liverpool given his front-footed, purposeful press and emphasis on sharp technical skill and fluidity. The Dutchman has drawn comparisons to his Liverpool predecessor, which played a part in FSG opting to appoint him, though Slot has actually proclaimed himself to be "a control freak" like Pep Guardiola.

Liverpool supporters can expect stylistic remnants of the past era in Slot's brand but he will change certain things, with overlapping full-backs and inversions into midfield something discernible during his days with Feyenoord.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has already demonstrated an aptitude in completing such a transition, maximising his superlative passing range in the middle of the park, but Robertson might struggle to replicate it, performing a more traditional, wide-placed role.

Ait-Nouri, however, has the kind of athletic and dynamic approach that could see him thrive. As per FBref, he ranks among the top 20% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 14% for pass completion, the top 2% for successful take-ons and the top 13% for tackles per 90.

This signifies a broad skill set, demonstrating his breakneck quality, successfully taking on opponents and leaving them in his wake.

It's no wonder that the £10k-per-week ace has been described as "one of the Premier League’s best players in 2024" by to Sky Sky Sports' Dougie Critchley, completing 87% of his passes in the English top flight while averaging 1.6 dribbles, 4.1 ball recoveries and 6.3 successful duels per game, as per Sofascore.

He could also prove to forge a deadly partnership down the left flank with Luis Diaz, who has been linked with a move away in recent weeks but is presently considered a core member of Slot's first team.

How Ait-Nouri could thrive with Luis Diaz

Diaz is on Barcelona's radar but is unlikely to move to Camp Nou given the La Liga outfit's financial struggles. Contracted until 2027, the Colombian has a €75m (£63m) price tag and this makes his departure unlikely.

Fleet-footed and indefatigable, Diaz lacks end product but he plays an important role at Liverpool and this could be magnified under Slot, whose system is reliant on turbo-charged wide success.

So then, enter Ait-Nouri. The Algeria international's buccaneering style is something to behold and would allow him to bounce off the 27-year-old winger, also demonstrating the tactical flexibility to drift inside when called upon, something that could see his innate goal threat be honed at Anfield.

Diaz, while somewhat wasteful in front of goal, ranks among the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and the top 12% for shot-creating actions per 90, so he could be the source of support needed for the left-back's success.

Robertson is clearly a high-class defender and he will feel that he can play an influential role in Slot's system over the next few years, but Liverpool might regret missing out on a talented star in Ait-Nouri this summer, for he could easily move to a Premier League rival if the pursuit is squandered.

Once hailed for his "phenomenal" start to life in England by The Athletic's Tim Spiers, Liverpool must now provide him with the platform to take the crucial next step in what hints toward becoming an illustrious career.

Liverpool in direct talks with star who'd be the biggest coup since Salah

FSG would make quite the statement by getting this one over the line.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jun 27, 2024

تستمر التكهنات حول مستقبل إبراهيما كوناتي لاعب فريق ليفربول الإنجليزي، وإمكانية انضمامه إلى ريال مدريد قبل غلق نافذة الانتقالات الصيفية.

ليفربول بدأ مومسمه بالفعل وافتتح الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز بفوز أمام بورنموث برباعية لهدفين، فيما يستعد ريال مدريد لمباراته الأولى بالدوري الإسباني غدًا الثلاثاء بمواجهة أوساسونا.

وأشارت صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية إلى أن كوناتي يظل مطروحًا بقوة على طاولة ريال مدريد، الذي يملك مساحة لصفقات إضافية خاصة في مركز الدفاع وخط الوسط.

ويملك ريال مدريد في الدفاع خمسة مدافعين لكن هناك علامات استفهام حول مستقبل أنطونيو روديجر وديفيد ألابا، وينتهي عقد كل منهما بنهاية الموسم الحالي.

وينتهي عقد كوناتي مع ليفربول في يونيو 2026، وريال مدريد يتابعه منذ فترة ويضع عينه عليه كخيار مستقبلي لتعزيز خط الدفاع.

في الوقت ذاته يتحرك ليفربول ويضع اعتبارًا لكافة الاحتمالات الواردة، حيث تعاقد مع جيوفاني ليوني من بارما، وأمامه خيار آخر بضم مارك جويهي من كريستال بالاس.

اقرأ أيضًا | كيركيز يمهد الطريق لرحيل لاعب ليفربول قبل غلق الميركاتو

ويفكر ريال مدريد في صفقة كوناتي التي قد تكلفه ما بين 20 إلى 25 مليون يورو، حيث لا يرغب في المبالغة بقيمة التعاقد خاصة وأن اللاعب سيصبح حرًا ويخشى ليفربول رحيله على طريقة ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد الذي انضم للنادي الملكي قبل شهر من نهاية عقده.

ولا يرغب ريال مدريد بالمغامرة بمبلغ كبير في صفقة كوناتي وينتظر حتى اللحظة الأخيرة، وليفربول يؤمن نفسه حال رحيل لاعبه.

وأتمت الصحيفة موضحة أن تحركات ريال مدريد وليفربول تُتيح المجال مفتوحًا لكوناتي، مع بقاء 17 يومًا على سوق الانتقالات لتعزيز صفوف الفريق.

It goes without saying that if West Bromwich Albion have any chance of getting Mikey Johnston back this summer on a permanent deal, they will go all out guns blazing in a bid to win his coveted signature.

The £6m-rated man took the Championship by storm for just half a season when joining from Glasgow giants Celtic in January, making the Baggies a terrifying prospect to contain for many second-tier defences, whilst other attackers in the side struggled to be as tricky donning a West Brom strip.

It arguably shone a light on how many underperformers there are up top for Carlos Corberan's men, who had been content with putting in largely sub-par performances before Johnston's eye-opening arrival, with Grady Diangana very much a guilty culprit in this regard.

Once purchased for a bumper £18m after being let go of by West Ham United, the Congolese attacker was the bright spark the Baggies were longing for once upon a time, before fading away into the background as of late, compared to exploits of the Bhoys loanee.

Diangana's situation at West Brom

Once described as being an attacker who can make "defenders dizzy" by football journalist Dean Jones, Diangana, unfortunately, in the here and how is a forward player for the Baggies who blows hot and cold far too often.

The 26-year-old struggling to grab the bull by the horns in the Championship play-offs would have irritated those with West Brom connections watching on, especially in the second leg of the semi-finals away at Southampton, where the out-of-sorts forward would only amass 27 touches of the ball.

He ended up being hauled off in the second half by Corberan as the West Midlands outfit bowed out of the knockout format as 3-1 losers, as the likes of the ex-Hammers man – alongside fellow goal-shy attacking teammate Brandon Thomas-Asante – failed to ever spark into life.

This could trigger West Brom into offloading their inconsistent attacker soon, who is attracting interest from his former club no less according to a report by Africa Foot last month, alongside further interest coming from Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers in England.

Once stunning supporters at the Hawthorns with regular sublime strikes like the one above, Diangana's goal contributions last season sitting at 15 from 38 games felt somewhat underwhelming, especially when you consider only six of those came in 2024.

Johnston, on the other hand, was rather marvellous.

Johnston's time at West Brom

Entering the building at West Brom at the turn of the year and becoming an instant fan's favourite with electric attacking displays, the winger amassed nine goal contributions of his own from just 20 games.

Games played

20

Goals scored

7

Assists

2

Scoring frequency

168 mins

Shots*

1.3

Big chances created

4

Successful dribbles*

2.2

Setting the league alight by scoring every 168 minutes for his new loan side in the regular season as a full-throttle forward player, Diangana exiting this summer could free up space on the wage bill for the Baggies to go back in for Johnston, alongside adding more to the transfer kitty, to try win back the Republic of Ireland international for his hefty £6m price-tag.

Constantly a thorn in the side of the defences that had to be alert to his tricky feet in the second tier, West Brom supporters everywhere would be in dreamland if Johnston was to return, even if that did result in Diangana exiting.

Described by Corberan himself as being "special" last season, the 25-year-old could be an even more petrifying prospect for Championship defences next campaign when unleashed over a full 46-game schedule, as opposed to just experiencing the latter half of the season.

Progressive passes

4.44

3.34

Progressive carries

3.22

5.13

Successful take-ons

2.18

3.03

Touches in attacking penalty area

3.03

3.03

Progressive passes received

5.51

7.07

Looking at their head-to-head numbers as progressive players trying to drive the Baggies forward, as per FBRef, Johnston just about edges his Congolese counterpart, alongside amassing stronger numbers in terms of both their outputs recently, over Diangana who looked bereft of confidence in the play-off clash at St. Mary's.

The West Brom number 11's high wage will also be another sticking point as to why Corberan and Co might not be completely against the idea of parting ways, with the 5 foot 11 attacking midfielder banking £20.3k-per-week last season for his employers, as per Capology.

West Brom's wage bill in 2023/24

Away from Johnston's price-tag potentially denting the Baggies bank account, with West Brom chairman Shilen Patel stating that the club will have to be "resourceful" this summer, his wage is significantly lower than that of Diangana's.

The current Celtic man earns just £10k-per-week in contrast, with the ex-West Ham attacker earning double Johnston's salary as a result.

At this moment in time, Diangana's pay-packet actually puts him quite near the top of the highest earners at the Hawthorns, with many scratching their heads at the likes of Daryl Dike earning £32k-per-week meaning he is the club's top earner, despite regularly being in the treatment room.

Allowing many of those who had been on healthy salary to leave this summer already, with Adam Reach's exit revealed recently on the club's retained list after the experienced figure had been pocketing an extortionate £40k-per-week last campaign, there could be an argument that Diangana might well follow suit out of the door.

It would be a dour note to end on for the 26-year-old, who was beloved when first joining as a dynamic maverick who got supporters out of their seats frequently, but if West Brom can gain a similar style player with Johnston re-joining, the shock of a long-standing servant leaving won't be as hard to take.

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Aston Villa have won the race to sign an in-demand teenager, with a transfer already completed as we kick off the summer window.

Aston Villa transfer rumours

It looks set to be a busy few months for Villa, NSWE and Monchi ahead of the 2024/25 season which includes Champions League football for Unai Emery and his side.

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Right now, there has been plenty of focus on outgoings, with the futures of Douglas Luiz and Jhon Duran up in the air. The Brazilian midfielder has been heavily linked with a move to Juventus, whereas Colombian forward Duran is attracting interest from Chelsea.

Villa also seem to be willing to cash in on centre-back Diego Carlos, with a marque arrival yet to materialise. That doesn’t mean Villa aren’t working hard behind the scenes, with a number of senior names mooted to be of interest to the Midlands club.

For example, recent reports have suggested that Villa have been in contact over a move to sign Everton midfielder Amadou Onana, whereas former loanee Ross Barkley appears to be on course to become the first official first-team arrival of the window, joining on a permanent deal this time around.

We say first-team as Villa have already added to their academy ranks, beating a number of clubs to a teenage defender.

Aston Villa sign teenage defender ahead of Chelsea

Aston Villa have won the race to sign Ethan Amundsen-Day, a Norwegian youth international defender. The 19-year-old has agreed a move to Villa Park after leaving FC Copenhagen, where his contract was expiring.

Premier League rivals Brentford Chelsea, Everton and Wolves were also keen on Amundsen-Day, as were La Liga side Sevilla, Ligue 1 outfit Lens and Italian clubs Atalanta and Monza, according to TBR.

To start with, Amundsen-Day will join Villa’s academy setup, looking to progress into the first-team picture. A move has now been officially announced by Villa, with academy boss Mark Harrison saying:

“We are delighted that Ethan is joining us. He is a player who has a great mentality and is technically very efficient. He will add more depth to our squads in preparation for the different competitions we will compete in at Under-21 level and we look forward to working with him over the next few seasons.”

Interestingly, as per The Birmingham World, Amundsen-Day has followed a similar path to Manchester City star Erling Haaland due to the fact they were both born in Leeds but grew up in Norway, and are now on the books of Champions League clubs in England – Villa will be hoping their new defender can also go on and become a superstar in years to come.

Enzo Maresca insisted that Chelsea do not have "many players" and went on to reveal the preferred position of each of his forwards.

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Article continues below

Article continues below

• Chelsea accused of having a bloated squad
• Too many forwards put Maresca in a dilemma
• The manager cleared the role assigned to each of them

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Chelsea have had another eventful summer, as 11 players were signed to reinforce the squad. Among the notable names are Pedro Neto, Jadon Sancho, and Joao Felix, all attacking players who will be gunning for a starting berth.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  This massive influx of talent in the attacking third has raised eyebrows as Maresca might find himself having a problem of plenty. However, the manager is not concerned and revealed that the strategy was to have at least two players in each attacking position.

• WHAT MARESCA SAID

  Speaking ahead of Chelsea's clash with West Ham, Maresca clarified: "As left-wingers, we have Jadon and Misha [Mudryk]. As right-wingers, we have Noni and Pedro. As attacking midfielders, we have Joao Felix and Cole. As a No9, we have Nicolas, Christo and Marc. We do not have so many players, we have two players for each position."

  He added: "Christo can play as a No.9 or as an attacking midfielder and a winger. Kiernan [Dewsbury-Hall] can play in the pocket and wide. Pedro was playing as a left-winger because Jadon wasn’t here and fit and, between Misha, Pedro and Jadon, I preferred Pedro for that one game… but that doesn’t mean always I will prefer Pedro. So the squad is quite clear in terms of positions. All of them have their position and we have two players in each position. But because they are versatile, good and can play in different positions, for sure we can move them. For example, Christo played the first game against Manchester City as a winger."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Chelsea fans witnessed Maresca making the most of the squad depth in their slender 1-0 win over Bournemouth. The manager started the match with Neto, Palmer, Madueke and Jackson but brought on Felix, Sancho and Nkunku in the second half to change the complexion of the match. And he stood vindicated as Sancho and Nkunku combined to score the winner late inside regulation time.