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The 26 finalists include the back-to-back Ballon d'Or winner, NWSL stalwart, but none of the USWNT's "Triple Espresso" attacking trio

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• Aitana Bonmati, Marta, Barbra Banda FIFPRO World 11 nominees
• Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mal Swanson not shortlisted
• Final team set to be announced on Dec. 9

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Most of the biggest names in women's soccer have been included among the nominees for this year's FIFPRO Women's World 11. It is voted upon annually by the best players in the game. Dating back to 2015, the award celebrates footballing excellence on the global level.

  The 2024 awards will mark the ninth edition, and will be revealed Dec. 9. A record 28,000 players from 70 countries have voted for the 2024 Men’s World 11 and Women’s World 11.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The nominees are determined by position. Among the forwards are Banda, England's Alessia Russo, and Barcelona breakout star Salma Paralluelo. Midfielders include Bonmati, the USWNT's Lindsey Horan and Alexia Putellas, who impressed in her return after recovering from a serious knee injury.

  U.S. center back Naomi Girma is on the list, less than two months after being omitted from the Ballon d'Or shortlist.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The USWNT's "Triple Espresso" of Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson did not make the final list of nominees. Horan and Girma are the only Americans to make the list.

• THE FIFPRO WOMEN'S WORLD 11 SHORTLIST IN FULL

  Goalkeepers: Mackenzie Arnold, Mary Earps, Christiane Endler

  Defenders: Selma Bacha, Ona Batlle, Millie Bright, Lucy Bronze, Olga Carmona, Jess Carter, Naomi Girma, Alex Greenwood

  Midfielders: Aitana Bonmati, Debinha, Ingrid Engen, Lindsey Horan, Alexia Putellas, Ella Toone, Keira Walsh

  Forwards: Athenea, Barbra Banda, Linda Caicedo, Tabitha Chawinga, Lauren James, Marta, Salma Paralluelo, Alessia Russo

Visiting captain, speaking from isolation on arrival in New Zealand, throws vote of confidence behind Sarel Erwee in Keegan Petersen’s absence

Firdose Moonda10-Feb-2022South Africa are gearing up for a second successive series that’s been billed as a battle of the bowlers – this one’s against New Zealand, comprising two Tests in Christchurch. After coming out on top against the best Indian pace attack to ever travel to South Africa, Dean Elgar believes his batting line-up is prepared.”With respect, New Zealand’s attack are a little bit down on pace compared to the Indian attack,” Elgar said from the team’s Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) facility. “In saying that, they execute their skills perfectly in their conditions.”And this time, New Zealand’s quicks will be operating on the surface with a reputation for being the quickest in the country. Hagley Oval, where both matches will be played, “is known for its pace and bounce” Elgar reiterated.New Zealand last played a Test there a month ago, against Bangladesh, and bowled them out for 126 and 278 to win by an innings and 117 runs. Trent Boult’s first-innings 5 for 43 set the tone but he won’t be part of the first Test against South Africa as he awaits the birth of his first child. Instead, New Zealand will rely on Tim Southee, Neil Wagner and Matt Henry, all of whom South Africa know well, and Kyle Jamieson, who has yet to play a match against South Africa.On their end, South Africa have stacked their squad with six seam bowlers, with Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen likely to start, and Duanne Olivier, Lutho Sipamla and Glenton Stuurman in reserve. Elgar expects the sparks to fly from one attack to the other. “We know they are going to come out all guns blazing and so are we,” he said. “The rivalry is pretty deep. They play cricket pretty similarly to us. They are extremely proud, extremely passionate and their bowlers are quality. We are aware of their ability. We respect that. And it’s going to be a great test for us to match ourselves and compare ourselves with a team that’s playing at their peak.”South Africa have never lost a Test series to New Zealand and have won their last six, including victories in New Zealand in 2012 and 2017. But they have also never played a Test at Hagley Oval, and on their last two tours competed in Dunedin, Wellington and Hamilton. In 2017, Kehsav Maharaj was the leading wicket-taker and South Africa won the series thanks to him and a 160-run seventh-wicket stand between Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock in Wellington.Apart from Elgar and Bavuma, the rest of South Africa’s top seven is completely different to the one that did duty in 2017 and different too to the players who did duty against India. Keegan Petersen, the new No. 3 and leading run-scorer against India, was ruled out of the tour after he contracted Covid-19 and, though he is likely to reclaim his spot, it gives South Africa an opportunity to try one of the reserves. Sarel Erwee, a regular opener is the frontrunner, with Zubayr Hamza and wicketkeeper-batter Ryan Rickelton also in the squad. Elgar made no mention of Rickelton, who has scored three hundreds and a 90 in his last five first-class innings, and gave his vote to Erwee.”We’ve got Sarel Erwee – he has been with us for quite a few tours now – and he is the favourite,” Elgar said. “We also have Zubayr Hamza, who has come with a lot of South Africa A runs under his belt. It’s those two options for us at the moment. Sarel has been with us for the longest period of time. He is a great team guy and from a respect point of view, and pecking order, a guy like Sarel is ahead of Zubayr. That’s my opinion.”South Africa will finalise their team composition once they get out of quarantine and to the venue where the Tests will be played. They are currently training at the high-performance centre at Lincoln University as they complete their 10-day isolation. “We are allowed to leave the hotel to go and train as a group but once we return back to the MIQ, we are straight back into our rooms. There’s still no mingling between the players,” Elgar said. “We do have the luxury to go and use the gym. We’ve got allocated times and we’ve got a training schedule we are allowed to fulfil as a group. It’s very strict.”While Elgar said the regulations have been difficult for the squad, so much so that he has lost track of which day of the week it is, he said South Africa have been “treated well with regards to what we asked for”, and they are looking forward to freedom early next week.By then, the IPL auction will have taken place and some of the players’ lives could have changed forever. “Some guys might have a life-changing auction go their way and I will be the first guy to come up and congratulate them. Beers on them,” Elgar said. “If a player is to pick up a big deal, we are still going to pull him in line because he’s got to play for us. First and foremost, playing Test cricket for your country is the ultimate.”

Many people have said he should not be in the team, let alone captain, but Darren Sammy was at centre of everything West Indies did in the World Twenty20 final

Jarrod Kimber in Colombo07-Oct-2012People love to abuse, mock or belittle Darren Sammy. He is, after all, West Indies’ non-playing captain.Most people don’t think he should be in the side, and even those who do don’t think he should be leading it. He’s a punchline or a punching bag. His medium pace is very gentle and his wild slogging is rarely effective. In his World Twenty20 winning side he is only more naturally talented than Johnson Charles, Denesh Ramdin and Samuel Badree.Michael Holding, most cricket fans on twitter, and anywhere West Indies cricket gathers there are people that don’t want Sammy as captain of the side. Most of those people don’t want him in the side at all. He’s not good enough, he brings nothing to the side, Chris Gayle could do a better job and he’s taking the spot of someone better, is what they say. They say it a lot.Sammy has heard all of this. He’s just a nice guy. You could imagine him at a friend’s party, being holed up in the corner by someone who is telling him he should step down because he isn’t good enough. Every day he plays for West Indies, he simply does his best. Sometimes it is not good enough, but you can see how much he tries, see how much he wants it, and see that he is trying to build something for the islands and cricket team he loves.Tonight this barely-talented, slow-bowling guy who isn’t that good is the captain of the World Twenty20 champions.His innings was as far from pretty. He barely kept out yorkers, hit crazily across the line, mistimed almost everything and bludgeoned a couple of boundaries in the last over. He heaved West Indies to a score that Sri Lanka could not challenge. This was a captain’s innings.Off the field, Sammy has strolled around his tournament with a grin, always happy to chat, always smiling and never looking like a man under pressure. He is known as the “the unofficial nicest man in cricket”. Every press conference he has pushed unity of his many nations. He has done everything he can to keep his often-fractured team together. He is using this tournament to build something special. Something for the future. Something the people of the West Indies can be proud of.With the ball, he came on at a time when Sri Lanka had thrust Angelo Mathews up the order. Mathews can score quickly, Mathews can get your run-rate back on track, Mathews is a big-game player, and Mathews is a closer. Sammy brought up his fine leg, knowing Mathews would be tempted. Sammy tried an offcutter and Mathews fell straight into his trap, missing the ball as it moved further away from him off the pitch. Mathews was no longer the match-winner. In his next over Sammy let one run through and collected the wicket of the last recognised batsman. This was clever and gutsy bowling from a leader.Just having West Indies enter a tournament with a realistic chance of winning was a victory for Sammy. West Indies have not been travelling the world blazing all the teams they pass. They’ve played well at times against England, Australia, India and New Zealand. People have often talked up a West Indies renaissance before, but in the cold hard light of an international tournament it has fallen apart. To win this tournament you need luck, skill and timing.In the field Sammy used his bowlers brilliantly. His use of Badree was different than normal, but perfect for the situation. He got through cheap overs from Gayle and Marlon Samuels to give himself flexibility. He used Sunil Narine as a strike weapon and someone who could be kept as a saver. And he had Sri Lanka batting the exact way he needed them to bat. Nothing ever got away from him and, even when Kulasakera was hitting out, he just brought back Narine to finish it all and not let his players get nervous. His captaincy was directly responsible for Sri Lanka’s failure.West Indies were lucky to even make the semi-finals. New Zealand should have beaten them in their regular innings, but Narine was just too good and sent them to the Super Over. Then in the Super Over someone made a huge mistake. It was the only time West Indies truly looked like a team who wasn’t sure who their leader was. Samuels bowling the Super Over was just wrong, and was only undone by Samuels batting in the Super Over. A mistake like that, and the lack of cohesiveness out on the field while it happened, could have been enough for previous West Indies sides to lose their focus and play limply in the semi-final and fade away.Instead they played their most perfect game and smashed Australia in every way.Every single player on this team has a role. This is not a team of flashy show-offs who do solo missions. It is a talented team with a captain who trusts and manages his players the best way he can. In the final, they did not panic when they couldn’t score, they simply waited for their time. They did not panic when they couldn’t break through, they simply worked very hard. That is a team, and this team has a leader.In the final of the World T20, Sammy ended with 2 for 6 off two overs, 26 off 15 balls and a trophy. It doesn’t sound like non-playing.Sammy is the man no one wanted as a player. Sammy is the man who no one wanted as a captain. And Sammy is the captain who has given his team their first major ICC trophy since 1979.

Fast bowler ruled out of remainder of winter itinerary after procedure in London

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Dec-2021Jofra Archer will play no part in England’s tours to the Caribbean in January and March after undergoing a second operation on his injured right elbow.Archer has not played international cricket since March due to a stress fracture in that elbow and underwent surgery in May after an attempted comeback for Sussex.Further scans revealed he had suffered a recurrence of the injury, with the ECB confirming in August that it would rule him out of the T20 World Cup and the Ashes.He underwent a second operation in London on December 11 to “address the long-standing stress fracture of his right elbow,” the ECB said on Tuesday.”A return to cricket will be determined in time,” the statement added, “but Jofra will not be available for any of England’s remaining winter series.”Archer was not retained by his IPL franchise, Rajasthan Royals, ahead of the upcoming mega-auction and it remains to be seen if he will be fit enough to play any part in the 2022 edition.Archer had previously written in his newspaper column that he was hoping to be fit in time to play in the three-Test series against West Indies in March and his latest setback means he will not play international cricket between March 2021 and June 2022.While his latest procedure may cast doubt on his future as an all-format fast bowler, Archer himself stressed he needed to be “patient” when speaking to Australia’s Channel 7 during the first Ashes Test, days before his latest surgery.”Everything is moving forward quite nicely,” he had said. “It’s just a matter of waiting a little bit more and being a little bit more patient because I’m almost at the end of the road.”Either way, his absence has already been keenly felt by England across formats, following their elimination at the semi-final stage of last month’s T20 World Cup, and their struggles in the opening two Tests of the ongoing Ashes series.England’s initial strategy for winning the Ashes in Australia for the first time in 2010-11 had centred around a battery of 90mph bowlers, Archer foremost among them, alongside Mark Wood and Warwickshire’s Olly Stone, who was ruled out before the series began with a stress fracture of the back.With only Wood still available, and rested for this week’s second Test in Adelaide, England are already 2-0 down with three Tests to play, and could be on course to suffer their third whitewash in Australia in four tours of the country.Archer exploded onto the international stage from the moment he qualified to represent England in the spring of 2019, playing a pivotal role in the World Cup triumph with 20 wickets in 23.05 across the 11 matches before holding his nerve in the decisive Super Over in the final against New Zealand at Lord’s.He then announced his arrival in Test cricket in unforgettable style a month later, also at Lord’s, where he touched speeds of 96mph in an explosive performance that included a blow to Steve Smith’s helmet that caused Australia’s star batter to retire hurt in the format’s first concussion substitution, with Marnus Labuschagne taking his place.However, Archer bowled 44 overs in that fixture, and concerns about his workload in Test cricket were exacerbated three months later on England’s tour of New Zealand, where he sent down a further 42 overs in an innings defeat at Mount Maunganui.He then broke down on the morning of England’s New Year Test against South Africa in Cape Town later that same winter, with the first flaring-up of his elbow problem.He recovered to feature in four of England’s six Tests against West Indies and Pakistan in the bio-secure home summer of 2020 – missing the second match against West Indies after a breach of the teams’ strict bio-secure Covid protocols – and appeared to be back to his best by the winter, when he was named MVP at the 2020 IPL in the United Arab Emirates, with 20 wickets for Rajasthan at 18.25, conceding 6.55 runs per over.However, his problems resurfaced on England’s tour of India the following spring, in which he played two of the four Tests and required a cortisone injection to make it through the subsequent five-match T20I campaign.”I just want to get this injury sorted once and for all and that’s why I’m not looking that far ahead or at dates for a return to action,” he wrote at the time of his first elbow operation in May. “Because if I don’t get this right, I won’t play any cricket. Period.”

Chelsea's Jadon Sancho has reportedly returned to training after missing out on the Blues' 1-1 draw against Arsenal due to illness.

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• Sancho returns to training with Chelsea
• Missed the Blues' Arsenal clash due to illness
• Chelsea set to take on Leicester City next

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Sancho joined Chelsea on a loan with an obligation to buy from Manchester United in the summer after his falling out with former Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag last season. Sancho started well with the Blues, scoring in each of his first three outings for the club. However, his form has since dropped off and the Englishman has not appeared since October 20 due to a combination of illness and being ineligable to play against parent club Manchester United.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Standard have now reported that Sancho has returned to training with Chelsea this week as Maresca's squad prepares for their Premier League clash against Leicester City while they await the return of the players who have departed for their specific international duties.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Maresca has led Chelsea to a strong start to the 2024–25 season; they now sit third in the Premier League standings, four points behind second-place Manchester City and tied with fourth-place Arsenal. The Italian has been dealing with a number of injury issues, though, chief among them being the withdrawal of star man Cole Palmer from England duty during the international break.

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  Maresca will now look to lead Chelsea out against his former side Leicester City as he returns to the Foxes' home ground for the first time since leaving in the summer. The two sides will clash at King Power Stadium on Saturday, November 23.

Lasith Malinga talks about why he wants to do the best he can for Sri Lanka, and whether he has become predictable as a bowler

Interview by Andrew Fernando02-Nov-2012Did you ever feel you had something special back when you were playing tennis-ball cricket on the beach?
I knew that I could bowl well with the tennis ball, but at that time I hadn’t even touched a leather ball. I had no idea that I had the ability to be good enough to play for Sri Lanka. That’s something that makes me very happy, to see how far I’ve come.Champaka Ramanayake took an interest in you early on. How different would your life have been if he hadn’t seen you?
I met him about ten months after I first started playing leather-ball cricket. Since that day, he has done a lot for me. He has been around the A team, club cricket and the national team, and he has helped me in all those capacities. I knew nothing when I started playing with the leather ball – how to control the ball, how to reverse swing it, how to vary the speeds. Under Champaka sir, I was able to learn all that. I didn’t get a lot of opportunity to play school cricket, so the person that helped me get into the national team was Champaka sir.He hadn’t seen someone like me before. He didn’t say anything major. Just, “Bowl as fast as you can, as straight as you can.” He didn’t try to tell me where my arm should be or anything like that. Even today, he says the same thing to me. He never tried to change who I was, and that’s why I’ve been able to come as far as I have.There were a lot of other coaches who really helped me – Anusha Samaranayake, Prabath Nissanka, Rumesh Ratnayake. I am incredibly grateful to them.You practised bowling yorkers by placing two shoes on the crease and trying to hit them. How did you come up with that?
I used to watch Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram on TV and thought that the yorker was a great ball to bowl. We have a saying that it is better to learn from watching than from hearing. I thought I must learn the thing that I love to watch. The yorker was successful for me, so I thought I would make it even better, and I imagined that a batsman was at the crease and tried to hit his feet.Reverse swing came naturally to you with your action. Are you disappointed that you no longer play Tests, where reverse swing is more effective than in other formats?
Definitely I am sad about that. I came into the national team as a Test cricketer. I learnt a lot from playing Tests – how to bowl with the new ball, how to get the better of a batsman once the ball had become old, and it showed me how to always look for wickets. It makes me sad that I can’t play Tests anymore because of my injury. I only played 30 Tests, but what I learnt in those matches has helped me get a lot of ODI and T20 wickets.It was only in my 29th Test that I learnt to reverse the ball in both directions. In that match I took seven wickets, against India in Galle. After that series I wasn’t able to play any more Tests because of my knee injury. I always ask why that happened to me.

“I used to watch Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram on TV and thought that the yorker was a great ball to bowl. I thought I must learn the thing that I love to watch”

You retired from Tests in the middle of an IPL, after you had been named in a Test squad to England. Why didn’t you announce your retirement earlier?
I picked up this injury in 2008, and that’s when I had a long time away from Tests. For three years, no one looked at me for Test selection, no one looked to see how I was bowling. But in 2010, when Murali was retiring, he talked to me and said, “Mali, this is my last match. Do you want to come and play another Test with me?” I respect Murali a lot, and no one can ever say a bad thing about him, so I thought, “Even if this is my last Test as well, even if I break my leg playing it, it doesn’t matter.” In three years I hadn’t even played a two-day match. But still, I was able to be the Man of the Match, by taking seven wickets and making 64 runs, and Murali got to take his 800th wicket.I only played that Test because he asked me. After 2008, I had given up any thoughts of playing Test cricket. The reason was that the knee injury I have is something only four or five other people in the world have – mostly Aussie Rules football players, no cricketers. My doctor told me it would never get better, and that I might have to give up cricket altogether. There was a small chance it would get better, but I would have to spend a long time away from the game. Luckily I got to the stage where I can bowl a few overs a day, but that’s why I had to give up Test cricket.When you played all three formats, which did you enjoy the most?
I loved playing Tests because you get the chance to bowl so much. In ODIs it’s only ten overs and in T20s it’s four, but in Tests you can bowl 20-25 overs a day. Because of that, in Tests you gain a lot of experience, and learn what to do in specific situations. How should you bowl with the new ball in the morning? How should you bowl in the afternoon when it’s hot? How to bowl at the end of the day? But I can’t do that anymore, and there’s no point dwelling on the past. I can only play well in whatever formats I can still play in.You don’t think you will ever play Tests again, then?
I’m 29 now. I think I will only have three or four more years to play. I think going back to Tests now would be very difficult. I’ve been away from Tests for one and a half or two years. I have 100 Test wickets now, and I feel like if I were to play again, I would want to get to at least 150 wickets. To do that I would have to play at least ten or 15 Tests, and I don’t think I can do that, given how bad my injury is. I think it’s much better for the team if a new bowler comes through and plays three or four years at a stretch than if I play for just a few.Malinga played the 2010 Galle Test because Murali asked him to•AFPYou’ve played in all four of Sri Lanka’s World Cup and World Twenty20 final defeats. How did you prepare for those matches?
I didn’t do anything different. I played under Mahela and Sanga and they gave me the freedom to be myself and bowl the way I thought was best. In the first three finals I was good, but in the last final I couldn’t bowl well. I think I was a big reason why we lost. I felt helpless and couldn’t do anything for the team. But I was glad I was able to take five wickets against England in the Super Eights and bowl a good Super Over against New Zealand. I’m very sad about the final, and what I couldn’t do there. But at least I’ve been able to play in four finals.Do you talk to Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara much about your game?
I don’t talk a lot about cricket with Kumar – not that I totally don’t, but not often. But I’m always talking about cricket with Mahela. We talk about how I should bowl when a batsman is playing in a certain way, what balls to bowl in certain conditions, and he has had a lot of input and influence on how I play. We talk cricket all the time.You’ve profited a lot from the IPL. Do you think you have ever compromised your international career for Sri Lanka because of it?
I have never done that. I only played in the IPL after I stopped playing Tests. I haven’t neglected any limited-overs matches for Sri Lanka because of the IPL. As long as I am playing cricket, I am always ready to play ODI and T20 cricket for Sri Lanka.You’ve said that because no one is looking out for you, you have to look out for yourself. Why do you feel that way?
As a cricketer, you have a shelf life. You sacrifice your education and any other line of work to play cricket. The best cricketers might play for ten or 15 years; others might have only five or six years at the top. You don’t know at what time you will be injured or at what time you will lose form, and how long you will stay in the team. I think in that short time that you have, you have to do the best for your team and do everything you want to. After you leave cricket, no one cares about you. I’ve seen that happen to former cricketers. I know that that will happen to me as well. So I just want to play as well as I can when I can do it, and one day be able to reflect on the number of wickets I’ve taken for my country, and the number of wins I’ve been able to deliver.In ODIs, how much has the “new ball from each end” rule affected your bowling towards the end of an innings?
It hasn’t just affected me, it has hurt a lot of Asian bowlers who rely on reverse swing. It’s much more difficult to take wickets at the death now. I really hope that that rule is reversed and that we get one ball per innings. There would be some kind of justice for bowlers if that happened.

“If I were to play Tests again, I would want to get to at least 150 wickets. To do that I would have to play at least ten or 15 Tests, and I don’t think I can do that”

Even in T20s, over the past 12 months you haven’t been able to bowl as well as you used to. You’ve having particular trouble with finding the yorker length. Why is that?
Yes, I haven’t been able to bowl my yorkers as well as I want in both international cricket and in the IPL, and I haven’t been able to get as many wickets. I think because I’ve been playing non-stop for so long, I’m physically drained. I’ve played in every match that I was fit for. I need to take some time out and re-energise, and I hope that I can return to where I was.Do you think you’ve become too predictable?
I guess batsmen know the deliveries I bowl, because they’ve analysed me on video, just like we do to other bowlers and batsmen. That is the nature of the game now. There are new rule changes as well, and I can only be successful if I adapt and handle pressure well. I think in future bowlers will be under more and more pressure.There are no new balls that I can learn; I know how to bowl everything. But in saying that, there are subtle changes I can make to some of the variations to make them more effective. I’m working with the coaches and with the team leadership on what I can change.How does it affect you when it is said that you are only motivated by money?
Some people look at me in a bad light and say those things, but I don’t think you can look at the wickets I’ve taken for Sri Lanka and be justified in saying that. They say I only play well for money, but I’ve set four world records playing for my country. If I was just playing for money, I should have achieved those things in the IPL. I’ve taken three hat-tricks for Sri Lanka. All those things I’ve done playing for Sri Lanka. I have taken 200 ODI wickets for Sri Lanka, and I’m the fastest Sri Lankan to have reached that milestone. In 30 Tests, I have taken 101 wickets. There again, I am the fastest Sri Lankan. If those people look at what I have done properly, they will be able to see what my motivation has been.What would you most like to achieve in the time you have left in the game?
I’m hoping to take 100 wickets in T20s, and if I can play long enough, to take 300 wickets in ODIs. Most of all, I just want to take my team to as many victories as possible for as long as I can.

West Ham United reportedly have an agreement in place with a club as they look to secure their fourth senior signing of the summer.

West Ham want more defenders after Kilman

The Irons haven’t wasted time in the transfer market, bringing in Brazilian winger Luis Guilherme from Palmeiras, experienced goalkeeper Wes Foderingham on a free transfer after his contract expired at Sheffield United and Max Kilman from Wolves in a £40m deal.

Kilman has reunited with Julen Lopetegui after their time together at Molineux and expressed his delight at signing for West Ham, saying via the club’s official website: “It’s an amazing feeling to be a West Ham United player.

“As soon as I was aware of the interest from the Club, it was an opportunity I was keen to pursue, so I couldn’t be more delighted to be here. I really enjoyed working with Julen during his time at Wolves – he’s a top-class coach and someone I learned a lot from, and I am confident I will continue to improve as a player under his management here.

“West Ham is a massive Club and I feel this is the natural next step forward in my career. Playing in front of a passionate fan-base, with 62,500 supporters packing out London Stadium every other week, is something I am incredibly excited about.”

However, the centre-back may not be the only addition at the back this summer, with a new left-back linked to rival Emerson Palmieri. Contact was made for Ryan Sessegnon, who is available on a free transfer after leaving Tottenham, whereas Jayden Oosterwolde of Fenerbahce and Lazio’s Luca Pellegrini have also been linked.

Deal close: West Ham in advanced talks to sign 27 y/o in permanent transfer

He could be the next to arrive at the London Stadium.

By
Charlie Smith

Jul 17, 2024

Another centre-back to partner Kilman also appears to be on the club’s wishlist, and it looks as if the Hammers have made a breakthrough in regards to one target.

West Ham reach agreement for Jean-Clair Todibo

According to journalist Santi Aouna, West Ham and Nice have reached an agreement for the signing of Jean-Clair Todibo. The Ligue 1 side have accepted a proposal which could see the Frenchman sign on loan with the option to make a deal permanent for €36m (£30m), however, the player seemingly has his eye on a move to Juventus.

“Agreement found between Nice and West Ham for Jean-Clair Todibo. Loan with purchase option of 36M € + bonuses. The Aiglons push the player to ACCEPT the offer but the defender wants to join Juventus. JC gives priority to the sports project. Juve wants to make it their priority. Upcoming contacts between Juve and Nice.”

This is good news and bad news for the Irons, and although the clubs have reached an agreement, West Ham could find it tough to persuade Todibo to move to the Premier League.

We’ve seen that things can change, though, such as with Lille’s Leny Yoro who wanted to move to Real Madrid before deciding to join Man Utd, so who knows, there could still be hope for the Irons and a move for Todibo, dubbed a “complete package” by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig.

Bruno Fernandes has explained Alejandro Garnacho's muted celebration after scoring in Manchester United's 3-0 win against Leicester City.

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• Garnacho scores stunning effort
• Argentinian refuses to celebrate
• Fernandes makes 'lost faith' admission

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Argentinian added the cherry on top by scoring late on as United ran out 3-0 victors over Leicester. From just outside the area, Garnacho sent a sublime curling effort into the top corner to secure all three points in Ruud van Nistelrooy's final game in charge as interim boss.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Unfortunately, the Old Trafford faithful wasn't treated to an enthusiastic reaction from Garnacho. The 20-year-old looked like he was about to run towards the fans before turning away and walking back for the restart. It was a rather anti-climactic moment, with Fernandes now explaining why his team-mate didn't want to celebrate.

• WHAT FERNANDES SAID

  "Garnacho scored a banger but didn't celebrate like he should because he thinks he has lost faith from some fans," Fernandes, who scored United's opener, told BBC Sport. "I told him people will always moan but lots of people like you and enjoy what you do.

  "I told him to celebrate, it was something special. He is a special player, we have difference-makers. They are the ones who win us games. We want them to score every game but that isn't going to happen."

• TELL ME MORE

  Garnacho was confronted by a United supporter who told him to "work on your first touch" in the week. The incident, which went viral on social media, explains why Garnacho might feel like he's lost some attachment with the fans.

There is a template for a success from other left-arm spinners who have toured Australia

Andrew McGlashan01-Dec-2021The return of Ben Stokes to the England set-up is good news on many levels, but one person perhaps happier than most will be left-arm spinner Jack Leach.Leach, who famously combined with Stokes at the dramatic conclusion of the Headingley Test in 2019, did not play a Test in the last English season (he has not played at home since the 2019 Ashes) largely because of the difficulty in balancing the side in Stokes’ absence.England tried to find a solution by recalling Moeen Ali after the first Test against India but that still left Leach on the outer. Leach’s Test record is a more-than-creditable – 62 wickets at 29.98 from 16 games – he took 12 at 25.83 in the previous Ashes – 11 of which have come overseas.Putting Stokes straight back into the Test cauldron at the Gabba will be something of a gamble given the lack of preparation – albeit the rain has made that an issue for a lot of players – but Leach’s fortunes are closely intertwined with his presence.”Stokesy being back is a great boost for all of us, in terms of the balance it really helps things out and is probably good news for the spin department,” Leach said. “From the summer the feedback was that Stokesy not being in the side, having that all-round option in the top order, made it difficult for me to get into the side.”Related

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“Over the summer not playing I was thinking about this series so I feel like preparations have been ongoing and now it’s about getting out there and doing it.”Leach is confident he will have enough bowling under his belt despite the disrupted build-up that has so far limited England to 29 overs of play.The other dynamic at play in terms of Leach’s place in the team is the inclement weather and what that might mean for the Gabba wicket although Shane Warne for one would laugh at the notion of not playing a spinner.It is the bounce offered in Brisbane that can be as important as the turn – a factor that can extend to venues beyond the Gabba – and Leach has noted how Nathan Lyon has been able to forge an outstanding career.”For years I’ve watched Nathan Lyon and he’s very impressive, how he goes about his business,” he said. “How strong his stock ball is on wickets that don’t necessarily offer a lot spin-wise he’s found ways to extract bounce, dip and all the other things. There’s a lot of over-spin from him and those are the kind of things that I’ve been trying to add in but trying to stick to my strengths. You take little bits from everyone you play against.”A central plank of England’s victory in 2010-11 was the role of Graeme Swann whose overall return of 15 wickets at 39.80 may seem modest but he won the Test in Adelaide on the final day and conceded just 2.72 an over which meant the scoreboard rarely got away.Leach can also take some confidence from the role played by Ravindra Jadeja on India’s last two tours of Australia and further back that of Keshav Maharaj and Paul Harris for South Africa.”I don’t think he [Jadeja] did too much different to what he does in India,” Leach said. “That’s another nice thing to see. He’s taken what he does, is doing pretty similar things and having success. I also take a lot of confidence from bowling in England, against Australia in 2019.”Definitely looking at those left-armers who have had success is a good thing. Offspin is totally different, [it’s still] fingerspinner but different parts of the pitch bowling to right and left handers.”And while seamer-friendly conditions may not play in Leach’s favour – the second Test is with the pink ball under lights in Adelaide – he can more than see the silver lining.”I went for food with Broady and Anderson the other day and some guy came out afterwards and started saying ‘I just want to wish you the worst of luck at the Gabba’. Then he said ‘it’s going to be a green seamer’ and I was thinking, not sure that’s the best sledge to two of the greatest bowlers England have ever had so I think they were pretty pleased about that.”

Yasir Arafat travels the world to play T20. When he’s not trying to memorise the names of his team-mates, he enjoys playing football and watching boxing

Interview by Jack Wilson04-Sep-2012You fly around the world playing T20. It’s not a bad life, is it?
I’m certainly enjoying it at the moment. T20 is a great format to play and test yourself in, and I’ve had a bit of success in it too. I became the leading wicket-taker in the history of England’s T20 competition, and in New Zealand I bowled the Super Over in a victory for Otago.So you’ve played for nine different teams now. Ever have any difficulty remembering your new team-mates’ names?

For the first two weeks when I go to a new team, I do find it very difficult. It’s hard to get to know everyone, but once you do, it feels like you’ve been there forever. I came over to play for Lancashire this summer and they were a great bunch.Where’s the best place in the world to play cricket?
That’s a hard one. I’ve enjoyed playing all over the place but for the last 12 years I’ve always had special times in England. I won the Twenty20 Cup with Kent and that was a great period for me.Tell us about the most memorable match you’ve played in?
It would have to be my Test debut for Pakistan. We were playing India in Bangalore and I ended up with five wickets in the first innings.Do you regret you only played three Tests?
I don’t think you can look back and regret anything. I’d have liked to have played more, of course, but just to play Test cricket is incredible enough. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved.Your five wickets in six balls for Rawalpindi against Faisalabad equalled a world record. How do you feel to always be in cricket’s history books?
To be honest, at the time I didn’t even realise it was a record. The wickets were taken over the course of two innings, so I didn’t know about it until I read a newspaper, and I was like, “Whoa.” It’s a great memory to treasure for me and my family.You played a lot with Shoaib Akhtar. How did you go about avoiding him in the nets?
Luckily I didn’t have to face him at full tilt! He used to take it easy whenever he bowled in the nets. I played with him when I was with Pakistan, Rawalpindi and Khan Research Labs. He’s a great friend and a massively talented player. What he could do with the ball was incredible, and the pace he generated was out of this world.Which one batsman from the past would you have liked to have bowled to?
I’ve bowled to some amazing players in my time but I never got the chance to bowl to Brian Lara. He’s a pure genius and it would have been an incredible test to go up against him.Who’s your all-time hero outside of cricket?
I like my boxing, so I’d have to say Muhammad Ali. He was a great person and a great fighter. I have a lot of admiration for how he dealt with the media too.What’s the secret to bowling the perfect yorker?
The biggest key is a lot of practice. It’s not something you can suddenly just do consistently. The aim should be to fire it in at the base of the stumps, so keep focused on them as you run in. Yorkers are a lot easier to bowl with an old ball rather than a new one.What’s your favourite shot?
It’s hard to beat a nicely middled cut shot.Rather take a five-wicket haul or score a fifty?
Nothing beats taking wickets, so it’d have to be a five-wicket haul.Which cricketer in the world would you pay to watch?
I’ve seen a lot of him, and the one man that stands out in my mind is Chris Gayle. I played with him for the Barisal Burners in the Bangladesh Premier League and he’s incredible. He hits the ball absolutely miles, and he’s a top man too. I wouldn’t have many complaints if I had to pay money to watch him.Describe yourself in three words.
Quiet, relaxed, focused.Baths or showers?
Baths beat showers, that’s for sure. Except if they’re ice baths. They are not so nice.Where do you store your tomato ketchup – in the cupboard or in the fridge?
() In the fridge, seriously? It has to be in the cupboard.Tell us something we didn’t know about you.
That’s tricky. I love playing football – does that count? I’m a green belt in karate too. No one will know that.