أعلن الجهاز الفني لفريق الكرة الأول بنادي الزمالك بقيادة البرتغالي جوزيه جوميز عن قائمة لاعبيه التي ستخوض مباراة مودرن فيوتشر.

مباراة الزمالك ومودرن فيوتشر تقام غدًا الخميس على ملعب استاد المقاولون العرب، في إطار مباريات الجولة الرابعة والعشرين من عمر الدوري المصري الممتاز “النيل”.

مروان عطية: مبروك لـ الزمالك.. السوبر الإفريقي لا يشغلنا وهدفنا الفوز على الترجي

وتقام مباراة الزمالك وفيوتشر على ملعب استاد المقاولون العرب بدلًا من استاد القاهرة بعد طلب الاتحاد الافريقي لكرة القدم استلام الملعب قبل مباراة الأهلي والترجي التونسي بـ72 ساعة.

وتشهد قائمة الزمالك استبعاد كل من، أحمد حمدي بعد الإعلان عن إصابته في الرباط الصليبي وأحمد فتوح للراحة، وانضمام ناصر ماهر وعبد الله السعيد.

ويخوض الزمالك مباراته أمام فيوتشر بعد الفوز ببطولة الكونفدرالية الإفريقية مساء الأحد الماضي على حساب نهضة بركان المغربي.

ويطمح الزمالك في المضي قدمًا نحو تحسين وضعه في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري الممتاز، إذ يحتل المركز الثالث عشر في سلم الترتيب بعد أن خاض 15 مباراة فقط من أصل 23 جولة.

ويملك الزمالك 24 نقطة حصدها من 7 انتصارات و3 تعادلات فيما نال 5 هزائم، وسجل 23 هدفًا واستقبلت شباكه 15 هدفًا.

آما مودرن فيوتشر فيحتل المركز التاسع في جدول ترتيب بطولة الدوري المصري برصيد 30 نقطة حصدها من 21 مباراة. قائمة الزمالك لمباراة مودرن فيوتشر 

حراسة المرمى: محمد عواد – محمد صبحي – عمر عبد العزيز. 

خط الدفاع: عمر جابر – حمزة المثلوثي – حسام عبد المجيد – ياسر حمد.

خط الوسط: نبيل عماد دونجا – محمد أشرف “روقا” – محمد شحاتة – سيد عبد الله “نيمار” – سيف جعفر – ناصر ماهر – عبد الله السعيد – إبراهيما نداي – يوسف أوباما – مصطفى شلبي – أحمد مصطفى “زيزو”. 

خط  الهجوم: سيف الجزيري – ناصر منسي – سامسون أكينيولا.

In the dying moments of the fourth day, Sri Lanka lost a wicket to a fast bowler minutes before it was deemed too dark for the quicks to operate and two in an over to a spinner before it became the last over of the day

Sidharth Monga in Delhi05-Dec-2017As Sri Lanka faced the uphill task of batting out close to four sessions for a draw against India, they also became victims of a practice in Test cricket that has drawn the ire of many an observer. The natural light at Feroz Shah Kotla had been dodgy all day, with floodlights coming on even before the start of play. But in the dying minutes of the day, they lost a wicket to a fast bowler minutes before it was deemed too dark for the quicks to operate and two in an over to a spinner before it became the last over of the day.The umpires go by their light metres, and take the players off once the reading drops to a level that had become the precedent earlier in the match. However, it has often been observed – and not limited to this Test – that a wicket often brings action from the umpires.”At the moment I am just wondering if it is a coincidence that we lose a wicket to seam bowler and then all of a sudden the light is too bad for seam bowling, and then we lose two wickets to a spinner and then all of a sudden we come off,” Sri Lanka coach Nic Pothas said. “It is a bit of a coincidence, I would have thought.”Asked to elaborate on that comment, Pothas said: “It can be pretty frustrating. We are in India, playing against a very very good cricket team. Momentum is a big thing in sport. Luck plays a big part in sport. Sometimes you just want a little bit of a rub of the green.”As I said I am sure the light metre is absolutely spot on. I have no doubt about it. For me it is too much of a coincidence that we lose a wicket to seam and suddenly it is too dark for seamers, and then we lose two wickets to spinners and suddenly it is too dark and we are off? Can it deteriorate so quick? I am not an expert. I don’t know.”Then, after a pause, he said: “It obviously can.”Pothas, though, said he was happy to leave the decision making to the umpires. Asked if he had discussed this matter with the officials, he said: “No there is nothing to discuss. The officials make a decision. There is a light metre there, they have a number. There is nothing to discuss. I back their decision.”

Chelsea travel to face Bournemouth on September 17th in a game that they'll view as must win. Their new, expensively assembled squad will have eyes on at least Champions League qualification – beating lower Premier League sides should be fairly standard.

Of course, having so many new players – especially young ones – means a lack of experience in the squad. That's particularly noticeable up front, where Raheem Sterling is really their only forward player with plenty of Premier League success.

So what is his personal record against Bournemouth, then? We at Football FanCast have had a dip into the data to have a look and see what we can expect from him when the Blues face the Cherries.

What is Raheem Sterling's goals record vs Bournemouth?

Sterling has faced Bournemouth for every year they've been a Premier League side – and has only missed one fixture since. That came in 2016 during the Cherries' first top-flight season as he missed the second fixture through a groin injury.

His history with them actually starts a little before that, though. There were six minutes in an FA Cup game for Liverpool back in 2014, and a start for the Reds in the EFL Cup the following year. The latter brought his first goals against Bournemouth – a brace in a 3-1 win.

And when he was played, Sterling has shone. His very first Premier League game against Bournemouth saw him bag a hat trick and started a run of six consecutive meetings where he scored.

As a result, Sterling's record against Bournemouth is fantastic. He's faced them 14 times across his career, scoring 11 times. This is his third-best record against any opponent, with only Watford and Norwich struggling more.

What is Raheem Sterling's assists record vs Bournemouth?

Sterling hasn't picked up assists against Bournemouth at quite the same rate. Still, he has several to his name, particularly after the season just finished.

In all, there have been four. The first came in 2016 for Manchester City and another followed in 2018. He's already matched that total with Chelsea, though, as Sterling assisted in both fixtures in the last campaign.

Four assists in 14 games, then. Along with 11 goals, it's an incredible record from the England star.

How many goal contributions does Raheem Sterling have vs Bournemouth?

It's 11 goals and four assists across 14 fixtures in all competitions. He's contributed for three different clubs, too, with two goals for Liverpool, nine goals and two assists for Man City, and another two assists for Chelsea.

In other words, Bournemouth really struggle to handle Sterling – no matter who he's playing for. He finds a way to contribute against them and has been doing so for around a decade now.

What is Raheem Sterling's head-to-head record vs Bournemouth?

Sterling has played for Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea, so you'd imagine his record is pretty fantastic against a team like Bournemouth. But it's actually even better than you'd think.

In 14 meetings, Sterling has never lost to Bournemouth. He's also never drawn with them – in other words, his side has won on literally every occasion. It's difficult to boast a better record than that and we can't imagine many players in the Premier League could match that against any opponent.

14 wins in 14 games across three competitions, for three different clubs. It feels safe to expect another when Chelsea visit Bournemouth this season.

Who has Raheem Sterling scored the most goals against?

Sterling hasn't scored against anyone more than the 11 he has against Bournemouth. But given they came in 14 games, it's not actually his most notable opponent.

That would be Watford. Sterling also has 11 goals against them but they came in just 10 matches. The fact he's also managed two assists in that span just makes it even more remarkable and few players boast a record that good against anyone.

In terms of just overall goal contributions, though, Bournemouth have suffered the most. Sterling's 11 goals and four assists combined for 15 contributions in 14 games. That's the most of any opponent in his career and you can likely expect more to come.

How many goals does Raheem Sterling have in September?

September has been a very good month for Sterling. He's bagged 21 goals in the month since the start of his career, for all three clubs and England.

His first came all the way back in 2014 as he scored against West Ham for Liverpool. Since then, he's picked up at least one September goal every single year – most years he finds multiple.

Of course, Sterling struggled in front of goal for Chelsea last season. He did manage to find one September goal, though, as he scored against RB Salzburg in the UEFA Champions League. The forward would only score once more for the Blues until January.

How many goals does Sterling have for Chelsea?

Unfortunately few, given his £50m price-tag. Sterling has just nine goals since moving to Chelsea, with three of those coming in the Champions League last season against RB Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb and Borussia Dortmund.

In the Premier League, things arguably look even worse than 'six goals all season' sounds. Sterling scored three times in August last year but wouldn't find another league goal until January and then didn't score again until May.

But it's the nature of the goals that's worrying. The August three came as a brace against relegated Leicester City and a single strike against relegated Southampton. All three post-New Year were in two fixtures against Nottingham Forest.

So Sterling only actually scored against three Premier League teams last season, two of which were relegated and the other battled relegation.

What is Raheem Sterling's Premier League goal record?

Sterling hasn't been the most prolific goalscorer in the Premier League but his longevity has him high on the all-time scorers list. In total, the forward has 115 Premier League goals.

That's two more than Ian Wright and good enough for 22nd all-time in the competition. In fact, Sterling only needs to match his small haul of last season in order to move into the top 20. He'll hope to do better than that, of course, but it just goes to show how long the player has been going for.

As for assists, Sterling is now 23rd on the all-time Premier League list with 59. Mohamed Salah knocked him down a spot with his assist against Chelsea on the opening day – so Sterling could move back up there quickly.

In fact, the seven players above Sterling – Salah aside – are all out of the Premier League now. There's potential for him to shoot up the rankings at quite a pace if he finds his creative boots this season.

What is Chelsea's record against Bournemouth?

Chelsea vs Bournemouth isn't exactly the most common fixture in football. It's only happened on 19 occasions, with the vast majority since 2015. Before that, there were a couple of League Cup meetings in 1994, two Division two games in 1988 and one fixture in the short-lived Full Members' Cup in 1989.

Of course, the Premier League history since 2015 is the most relevant stuff here – and Chelsea do have the better record there. But not by as much as you'd likely think.

There have been 12 Premier League meetings and Chelsea have won seven of them. Bournemouth have four wins of their own, however, with one game finishing in a draw.

Notably, the two wins last season were Chelsea's first after failing to win either of the previous three. It's also interesting to note that the two biggest wins in the history of this fixture are for Bournemouth – 4-0 at home in 2019 and 3-0 away in 2018 (Chelsea do also have a 3-0 win at home in 2016, though).

This certainly isn't one that always goes Chelsea's way, then. But with Raheem Sterling and his perfect record in the squad, perhaps they've found a way around that.

When is Chelsea vs Bournemouth?

Bournemouth host Chelsea on Sunday, September 17th at 14:00 UK time. It's a game that will give everyone a good idea of where these two teams stand this season.

Bournemouth, of course, go into this one with few expectations. A defeat is pretty much expected after losing both fixtures last season and another here would essentially confirm them as a lower-table Premier League side.

Chelsea are a little different. Their enormous overhaul over the last couple of transfer windows makes their entire squad one big question mark. No one knows what to expect – with a near-£1bn spend, you'd expect a title challenge but few would put them in that bracket. A top-four finish feels like a must but their squad far from guarantees that.

And after finishing 12th last season, should they simply count a higher finish as progress? Or would that be a gigantic underperformance?

It's really unclear but this game with Bournemouth could give us an idea. Lose and you're looking at midtable again. Win with conviction and perhaps Chelsea could threaten at the top of the Premier League table – if they find consistency.

Footage has emerged of Lucas Paqueta picking up a yellow card amid the West Ham United player now being under investigation for allegedly betting, leaving his rumoured summer transfer in jeopardy.

What's the latest Lucas Paqueta news?

It's no secret that gambling is an issue within the world of football and that appears to include Premier League footballers, too.

Most notably, Brentford striker Ivan Toney is currently serving an eight-month ban for breaching FA betting rules – admitting to and being found guilty of 232 charges.

Nottingham Forest defender Harry Toffolo was also charged by FA over 375 alleged betting breaches during the summer.

Paqueta of West Ham is the latest player currently being investigated by the FA for allegedly breaching betting rules – although the Brazilian denies placing any bets himself (via Sky Sports News).

Of course, this comes at just about the worst time possible, as the player was thought to be closing in on an £80m deal to join Manchester City, but that move is now in danger of breaking down.

Is Paquets joining Man City?

The midfielder is 25 years old and has spent one season in England after joining West Ham from Lyon last season in a club-record £51m deal.

And while it looked like his career was about to go to the next step, it could now be in danger – although a move to City could still happen.

Indeed, speaking on the Sky Sports News Transfer Show, journalist Dharmesh Sheth explained: "The deal is on hold, but it's not off – and it could be resurrected if this issue is cleared up and cleared up quickly.

"We heard from David Moyes, who said they have rejected a bid from Manchester City. West Ham value him at £85m or possibly even more.

"There is a release clause in his contract which kicks off next summer, which means West Ham can charge whatever they want. He has four years left on his contract with the option of an extra year.

He added: "We are told that Paqueta is focused completely on playing for West Ham and he's been training as normal today ahead of playing Chelsea on Sunday."

This latest development has certainly thrown a spanner in the works for Man City's transfer plans, and it will be interesting to see how they proceed in the coming days and weeks.

On the betting charges, footage has now emerged from his display last for the Hammers against Bournemouth last weekend as he picked up a needless yellow card in the dying embers of the game.

According to Globo (via Daily Mail), back in March, betting accounts linked to those close to the Brazilian were opened with Betway (West Ham's front-of-shirt sponsor) – with the 'maximum' amount allowed then deposited into those accounts.

Bets were then placed on Paqueta to be booked in West Ham's 1-1 home draw with Aston Villa in the Premier League that month. The player was indeed booked, as you can see in the footage below.

For the time being, Paqueta has denied placing bets himself and will now seek advice from his legal team as the FA's investigation gets underway. In fact, according to the Daily Mail, those discussions are likely to have already started.

The 16-year old debutant turned heads in Sharjah, routing Ireland for 100 in 31.4 overs with figures of 4 for 24

The Report by Peter Della Penna in Sharjah05-Dec-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJust over 24 hours before the first ball was bowled in this series, Ireland captain William Porterfield told the gathered media in Sharjah that Rashid Khan had been the key to their previous series but that he’s just one of several spinners in Afghanistan’s arsenal, and it would be unwise to focus only on him.Aside from the Rashid threat, Ireland were well acquainted with the wiles of Mohammad Nabi, someone who had been decorating his mantle with a number of Man-of-the-Match awards against them. But little could have prepared Porterfield for the introduction they got from 16-year old offspinner Mujeeb Zadran.By the time Rashid had tossed the ball for the first time, Ireland were reduced to 30 for 5 in pursuit of 239 after Mujeeb’s unorthodox bowling action left them completely befuddled. A few hours later, Ireland had subsided for their fifth-lowest ODI total, completing yet another rout by Afghanistan in a year where they have also recorded wins over Ireland by 10 wickets in a T20I and by an innings margin in the Intercontinental Cup. An opponent that was once Afghanistan’s equal is now on the verge of becoming their bunny.Taking the new ball, it was only the mercifulness of Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai that helped spare Ireland the ignominy of the teenager bagging a five-for in his opening spell on debut. After taking the new ball, Mujeeb had figures of 7-2-12-4 when Stanikzai took him out of the attack.Mujeeb’s strangling of Ireland began in his second over, when he trapped Paul Stirling on the crease. His following over saw Andy Balbirnie castled prodding forward. Seeing the folly of a conservative approach, Gary Wilson tried to sweep Mujeeb but went too far across the crease and was bowled behind his legs. Kevin O’Brien decided to go out in a blaze of glory, but his slog only produced a stiff breeze and a fourth wicket for Mujeeb. Brought back on later, for three intermittent overs, his spell finished with a series of inside edges teasingly missing the stumps, as he narrowly missed an elusive five-for on debut.On another night, it would have been another Zadran who grabbed deserved headlines for a sharp bowling spell. Mujeeb benefitted from the discipline of fast bowler Dawlat Zadran, who opened with three maidens at the other end. An inside-edged four by Niall O’Brien broke the string of dots at the start of his fourth over, but by the end of it Niall had been foxed into chipping a leading edge to midwicket.Afghanistan gets into celebration mode after Mujeeb Zadran bowls Gary Wilson for his third wicket on ODI debut•Peter Della Penna

Dawlat came off the field straight after the wicket, having seemingly tweaked his shoulder during the celebrations. But he returned later to bounce out George Dockrell, caught brilliantly at square leg by wicketkeeper Shafiqullah. Rashid and Nabi eventually got to share in the spoils as well.It was a far cry from the confidence Ireland had displayed in the field, having sent Afghanistan in to bat and restricting them to 238 for 9. Boyd Rankin, who had been injured for Ireland’s last tour against Afghanistan in Greater Noida, showed his value to the attack with 4 for 44.Brought on near the end of the Powerplay, after Porterfield had opted to open with spinner George Dockrell at one end opposite usual new-ball seamer Tim Murtagh, Rankin chipped away at Afghanistan. After Murtagh made the initial breakthrough, Rankin’s height and bounce produced a flat-footed swish from Ihsanullah to make it 22 for 2 in the eighth over.A rigid 105-run stand between Rahmat Shah (50) and Nasir Jamal (53) followed as both batsmen took on allrounder Simi Singh in the 25th over, bashing him out of the attack with a six apiece. It took the return of Murtagh to break the stand, teasing Jamal into driving to long-on. Rankin then had Rahmat feathering a rising delivery through to O’Brien and four balls later the tall fast bowler from Bready teamed with Dockrell to run Nabi out for a duck. He then ended his next over getting Stanikzai to chop on.With Afghanistan at 132 for 6 and with Rankin in a good rhythm, it looked like Irish eyes might be smiling on Sharjah. But first Gulbadin Naib and Rashid, and then later Shafiqullah wrested momentum back for Afghanistan. Rashid coolly scored a 49-ball 48 to relax the pressure initially before Shafiqullah clubbed three sixes in the 47th, 48th and 49th to deflate Ireland heading into the innings break.However, it was Mujeeb who popped Ireland’s balloon altogether. A year that started with one teenage spinning phenom setting the world alight for Afghanistan is now set to end with another riding shotgun.

MatériaMais Notícias

Tido como uma das revelações do futebol tupiniquim nos últimos anos, o goleiro Ivan, da Ponte Preta, já coleciona convocações para a Seleção Brasileira.

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Diante do reconhecimento de Tite, o arqueiro viu o seu nome ganhar força na Europa, mais precisamente no Benfica-POR, que recentemente acertou com Jorge Jesus.

Apesar das especulações, o camisa 1 da Macaca deixou claro que nunca teve nada de oficial e também não teve contato com o treinador do time português.

‘Não tive nenhum contato com Jorge Jesus, mas tenho visto as notícias que saem. Claro que fico feliz, é um cara que entende do assunto, então você sendo reconhecido, sendo citado nas conversas dele, significa que estou no caminho certo, fazendo as coisas bem feitas aqui na Ponte. Não teve nada de oficial. Meu foco é na Ponte, meu foco é na Seleção. Deixo esse extracampo para a diretoria da Ponte e também para os meus empresários’, disse na coletiva.

Na Ponte Preta desde 2015, o contrato de Ivan com a equipe de Campinas vai até dezembro de 2023. De acordo com o site Transfermarket, o seu valor de mercado é 2 milhões de euros.

Heart of Midlothian have begun their 2023/24 campaign in impressive fashion. The Gorgie outfit have recorded a win and a draw in their opening two Premiership fixtures and have qualified for the League Cup quarter-finals.

The 4-3 aggregate victory over Rosenborg has been the most pleasing aspect so far however, going through to the playoff round where they take on Greek side PAOK this week.

Amid the glorious start to the season, could Naismith be close to losing his talisman?

Is Lawrence Shankland leaving Hearts?

The Scot has been in sensational form since moving to Tynecastle in the summer of 2022 from Belgian side Beerschot.

He netted 28 goals across all competitions during 2022/23, including three in Europe and has carried this momentum into the current campaign, scoring four goals over five matches to give Hearts a solid start.

This type of form was always going to pique interest from other clubs, and now it appears as though teams from Saudi Arabia and England have made enquiries regarding his availability.

The Jambos are in no rush to sell according to Edinburgh Evening News and would only let him depart the club should an offer arrive in the region of £3m-£4m along with some add-ons, representing a major profit considering they signed him for just £500k.

It would be a major blow for Naismith to lose a player who has shone during his spell in Edinburgh so far and who could be the difference between playing European group stage football or not.

If he does move on, the club may just have an ideal future heir for the 28-year-old waiting in the wings – Mackenzie Kirk.

Who is Mackenzie Kirk?

The son of former Hearts striker Andy Kirk, the youngster is aiming to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a regular in the first team.

He is making a solid start to these aspirations, netting 25 goals across just 35 matches for the B side since the start of the 2021/22 season and these are numbers which will surely keep getting better.

Under former manager Robbie Nielson, Kirk made his senior bow in April 2022 against Ross County, coming off the bench for a short cameo, and he received praise from his boss following the game.

“It was good for Mackenzie to come on,” Nielson said. “He’s had a wee injury, then he came back in and scored in the Youth Cup semi-final recently. He has been doing well and he is a natural finisher.

“There was only a couple of minutes to go on Saturday and Boycie had cramp. We were going to take him off so it was time to give the boy a chance. We put him on and, if there’s anybody at the club going to nick a goal, it’s Kirky. He’s that type of player.”

This certainly gave him the confidence boost he needed as Kirk went on to score 17 times for the B side in the Lowland league last season and has continued this rich vein of form into the current campaign, netting six in six.

Should Shankland depart Edinburgh for pastures new, Naismith should have no worries about giving Kirk a chance.

The 19-year-old has shown he is an out-and-out striker and if given the opportunity, could repay the manager handsomely.

Everton manager Sean Dyche continues to scour the transfer market for a new striker despite making several offensive acquisitions already this summer, and may have received a big boost for a key target.

After securing a place in this season's Premier League with a final-day victory over Bournemouth last term, the Toffees have been trying to combat their scoring woes – they finished the 2022/23 campaign as the division's second-lowest scorers – with their activity, signing Arnaut Danjuma and Youssef Chermiti already.

However, with Neal Maupay misfiring since his £15m move from Brighton & Hove Albion last year and Dominic Calvert-Lewin's fitness levels unreliable – absent for 30 matches over the past two years – Dyche has seemingly focussed his attention on Paris Saint-Germain's Hugo Ekitike in what could be a significant display of intent.

What's the latest Everton transfer news?

According to journalist Patrick Berger, the Toffees have received some pleasing news as they pursue Ekitike, with Borussia Dortmund pulling out of the race for the 21-year-old striker.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

French side Lens will give the Goodison Park side competition, but Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Everton have been working fervently to secure his signature on an initial loan deal with a €35m (£30m) purchase option, there's a concrete possibility they get this one over the line.

How good is Hugo Ekitike?

There have been a deluge of reports claiming Everton are targetting a new centre-forward this summer, with BBC Sport recently summarising that Leicester City's Patson Daka and Southampton's Che Adams are on Everton Director of Football Kevin Thelwell's radar.

However, Daka has been underwhelming in the Premier League since arriving, scoring just nine goals from 53 matches, while Che Adams has never been the most prolific of forwards, albeit he is dynamic and boasts good link-up play.

Ekitike only scored four goals and supplied four assists for PSG last term but he only made 14 starts across all competitions, and the previous term, with Stade Reims, he landed ten goals and four assists from just 15 starts in Ligue 1.

Hailed as a "special, special player" by his former boss Oscar Garcia, Thelwell simply has to work tirelessly to obtain his services, bolstering the ranks with a first-class talent.

Standing at 6 foot 2, Ekitike could be the imposing talisman to serve as the heir to Dominic Calvert-Lewin's position as the Everton focal point; while the 26-year-old is prolific on his day, he indeed spends too much time sidelined and has been linked with a move away to Roma this summer.

He is no longer untouchable, despite plundering 60 goals from 209 outings for the Toffees, and given the certain similarities between the respective players, Ekitike could thrive in his stead.

Calvert-Lewin ranks among the top 8% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues for aerials won per 90, as per FBref, and is indeed heralded as a "monster" by talent scout Jacek Kulig in the past.

The £80k-per-week Ekitike needs to improve his aerial dominance, though he did win 1.5 and 1.1 aerials per game across his two campaigns with Reims, as per WhoScored, and Dyche could nurture this element of his game on Merseyside.

He also ranks among the top 5% of forwards for pass completion and the top 3% for assists per 90, and therefore, would be a dynamic, all-engulfing attacker to bolster Everton's frontline and then some over the next several years.

As Kulig has also already called him, Ekitike could be a "revelation" on Merseyside.

Journalist Pete O'Rourke has an update on West Ham United's striker search with some news on Bournemouth forward Dominic Solanke.

Who will West Ham sign?

After weeks of little business being done, possibly due to the drawn-out sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal, West Ham appear to finally be making ground on the transfer front.

Mexico international Edson Alvarez was confirmed as new West Ham signing earlier this week, but the former Ajax star certainly won't be the last, as reports suggest they're also close to signing Southampton's James Ward-Prowse.

Meanwhile, David Moyes is waiting for his side to agree terms with Man United defender Harry Maguire, coming after both the Irons and United agreed on a fee for the 30-year-old.

It could be a very busy last few weeks of the window for West Ham, transfer chief Tim Steidten and sporting director Mark Noble, not to mention David Sullivan.

Gianluca Scamacca, after just one season at the club, has also joined Atalanta and Moyes must now replace the Italian marksman with another striker.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

West Ham have been linked with a host of new forwards, including Arsenal's Folarin Balogun, and they will need to get this signing spot on if they're not to have a relegation battle repeat of last season.

Solanke, who starred for Bournemouth over 2022/2023, is rumoured to be on their radar as a "top target".

That is according to O'Rourke, who wrote a column for Football Insider on West Ham's transfer business this week.

He claims Solanke is among their priority names to potentially fill the void left by Scamacca, but there is a problem, as West Ham are currently unlikely to persuade Bournemouth into a deal as things stand.

There is little else on whether that might change, but signing a striker is one of both Steidten and Moyes' top priorities with the new campaign set to get underway this weekend.

Ironically, the Hammers travel to Bournemouth for their opening game tomorrow, with kick off at 3pm.

How good is Dominic Solanke?

The 25-year-old registered a brilliant 13 goal contributions in the top flight last season, standing out as one of the Cherries' best-performing players by average match rating according to WhoScored.

Solanke bagged six goals and seven assists and contributed very well as Bournemouth secured survival with relative ease, having also attempted more shots at goal per 90 than any of his teammates (WhoScored).

O'Neil, speaking to the media last term, heaped praise on the former Liverpool man as an "absolutely massive" player for Bournemouth.

“It’s hard for Dom," said O'Neill when reflecting on the task of Solanke leading Bournemouth's attack.

“I feel for him at times, but that’s the nature of the league. We’re not going to dominate all of games all the time.

“Absolutely massive. I couldn’t ask for a better number nine to go and face the challenges that we’re faced with.”

South Africa’s defeat on turning tracks in India in 2015 ended a nine-year unbeaten run and they are burning for revenge

Firdose Moonda at Centurion16-Jan-2018

South Africa would take special satisfaction out of a series win against India, especially if it came at SuperSport Park, because of their recent history against them. South Africa lost 3-0 in India at the end of 2015, to end a nine-year unbeaten run on the road and lose their No. 1 ranking, and were particularly stung by the conditions they were presented with.All three matches (Bengaluru was rained out) were played on turning tracks; as a revenge of sorts, South Africa were gearing up to prepare spicy pitches. While Newlands seamed and bounced, SuperSport Park has not lived up to its billing but with South Africa close to victory, they already seem to be planning the celebrations.”It will be very satisfying. I think what happened in India, we left with a lot of scars. Us giving them that kind of treatment and beating them here in South Africa is definitely going to be satisfying for us,” Dean Elgar said.Elgar played in all four matches and was one of only three South Africans to rack up more than 100 runs in the series. That’s not saying much and Elgar was as hurt as the rest by the poor performances. He was also involved in a verbal battle with R Ashwin, who memorably told him “This is not Johannesburg,” on one occasion. In this series, Elgar and Virat Kohli have had some words: Kohli has been picked up on the stump mic having a lot to say to Elgar, both in Cape Town and at Centurion.While Elgar would not go into the details, he is “pretty sure,” some of the conversation here is left over from 2015 and, although it may sound nasty, he enjoys every syllable of it.”It’s a competition between players who are feisty and want to win. You are going to try and do anything to win for your side when you come up against tough opposition, and we definitely have now. Virat is very competitive and I’m also like that,” Elgar said “I think he wants the best for his team like anyone. I’m not going to delve into what happened in Cape Town, but it’s something that really gets me going, when someone is in my ear and trying to put me down. It’s a nice motivating factor to keep me going.”It motivated Elgar to 61 second-innings runs, the second-highest South African run-scorer. Elgar held firm when South Africa were 3 for 2 and then sunk an anchor so AB de Villiers could get going at the other end. He described these runs as tough runs, but typical of his style of batting.”Test cricket is 70% mental and 30% what you can do on the park. I was never gifted with the amount of talent but maybe I was gifted with something between the ears,” he said. “It was a bit of a mental battle, especially the way Cape Town went. Fortunately my experience at this level has helped me through those kind of battles.”With Elgar’s gritty half-century and AB de Villiers’ potentially game-changing 80, South Africa could have a winning second-innings total, but their lack of hundreds remains a question. So far, only Kohli has raised his bat to triple-figures, but while racking up big runs was a priority for South Africa last season, this time, they just want collectively to get enough to win.”We’re all cricketers that have scored big hundreds for SA before; it’s just the nature of the conditions we have been playing in,” Elgar said. “Virat’s knock was special, and maybe it was a little bit more conducive to Virat’s style of play where it was more unfamiliar to us. Those small nitty gritty 70s, 80s, all count as well. In a close series like this, those are the knocks that are going to come in handy.”Similarly, the bowlers are not looking for anything other than a team effort to carry them to a series win and, with four quicks in their arsenal, Elgar is in no doubt that victory will come tomorrow.”We are quite fortunate. We’ve got three quite tall fast bowlers that bowl 140-plus. I think that is working in our favour on a wicket that is becoming quite up and down,” he said.