'We were a bunch of school kids when it came to today's fielding' – Mathews

Niroshan Dickwella agreed with his captain, saying Sri Lanka made too many mistakes in the field to defend a total of 244

Andrew Fidel Fernando01-Aug-2018Angelo Mathews put it bluntly: “We were a bunch of school kids when it came to today’s fielding.” Niroshan Dickwella said basically the same thing, but with a little more subtlety, drawing attention to the many “mistakes” that led to Sri Lanka’s 10th straight loss to South Africa, and their second loss in this series.Sri Lanka had begun shakily with the bat, losing two wickets in the second over – bowled by Lungi Ngidi. They had failed to accelerate through the late overs, with wickets having fallen regularly, and ended up with only 244 on the board. Then in the field, they shelled two straightforward chances in the early overs, both off the bowling off Kasun Rajitha, and the reprieved Hashim Amla (4) and Quinton de Kock (24) put on a 91-run opening stand to reinforce South Africa’s advantage. More shoddy fielding was to follow, as well as poor bowling at various times in the innings.”We made mistakes throughout the game,” Dickwella said. “If we want to win a match, we can’t make so many mistakes. Maybe you can make two or three mistakes and fix those things within the game itself and win the match. But if you make mistakes through the match, it’s hard to win.”Dickwella’s own batting though, was less ridden with mistakes, especially compared with how his team-mates played, and as such he hit 69 off 78 balls to give Sri Lanka’s top-order effort a little bit of credibility. Dickwella has been struglling for runs through this tour, recording scores of 18, 9, 5, 7* and 2 across the two Tests and first ODI. His success on Wednesday was due to a change of approach, or rather a reversion to the way he used to play, before coaches had asked him to change his technique. As is often the case with Dickwella, more than half his runs came behind square.”I was working with the batting coach Thilan Samaraweera and coach Chandika Hathurusingha, and I did some changes in my batting and I was worried about those things,” he said. “Then we had one-to-one meetings, and I said I’m going to play like how I used to play, and not think about my technique. I’m going to work on my technique in the nets, but I’m going to play my normal game like I used to play when I started my career. That’s what I did when I went to the middle today. It worked out for me.”Part of that “normal game” for Dickwella, is to attack more or less relentlessly in the early overs. In this match, he hit three audacious boundaries off the opposition’s best bowler, Kagiso Rabada, to set his innings off at a canter. He started by socking Rabada over mid off for four in the third over, before twice backing away to scythe him through the off side – one of those shots was a ramp shot that flew just over slip. Soon enough, Dickwella was on 21 off 18 balls, and seemed more comfortable at the crease than he had all through this tour, even as Sri Lanka lost wickets at the other end. Dickwella’s 67-run partnership with Mathews would be the best stand of Sri Lanka’s innings.”If I go to a negative mindset after we lost two wickets, definitely I’m going to get out,” Dickwella said. “I didn’t think about the wickets. It was not my mistake to lose those wickets, so if I think about those things, and bat as a reaction to that, it’s not going to help me. I spoke to my partners, and we wanted to build a partnership. Then Angelo Mathews came and it really helped me because he is the senior player and he always talks to me. He always advises me how to play and how to take the calculated risk. That helped me.”

Barcelona 'distance themselves' from Mason Greenwood transfer as Man Utd learn potential suitors 'still have concerns' over criminal case that led to English forward's Old Trafford exit

Potential Mason Greenwood suitors reportedly have "concerns" over his past criminal case, with Barcelona "distancing themselves" from the forward.

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Greenwood linked with permanent Man Utd exitBarca 'distance themselves' from forwardClubs concerned over past criminal caseGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

According to ESPN, Manchester United's recruitment team are looking at transfer deals around Europe and the topic of Greenwood's future has come up. The report says finding potential suitors, with Barca and Atletico Madrid previously linked, for the English forward is proving difficult. It has been just over a year since Greenwood saw charges of attempted rape, assault and coercive and controlling behaviour dropped, with United sending him out on loan to Getafe in September after concluding their own investigation into his conduct away from the pitch.

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ESPN state that a permanent Red Devils exit for Greenwood is the "most likely outcome", despite new minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe not ruling out a return for the 22-year-old. The Report adds United are expected to ask for approximately £40 million ($51m) for the one-cap England international, whose contract at Old Trafford expires in 2025.

DID YOU KNOW?

Greenwood has not played for United since January 2022, when he was suspended after being arrested on suspicion of rape and sexual assault. After those charges were dropped he trained alone away from United for a lengthy period before joining Getafe on a season-long loan. The youngster has scored eight goals in 26 games so far for the La Liga outfit, sparking links with Barcelona, but claim the reigning Spanish champions have "distanced themselves" from a deal.

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WHAT NEXT?

Greenwood could feature for Getafe in their home clash against high-flying Girona in La Liga on Saturday. After the international break, Jose Bordalas' side, who are 12th in the table, host Sevilla on March 30.

Mesmo com um turno, Botafogo de 2020 já é o segundo que mais empatou no Brasileirão na década

MatériaMais Notícias

O Campeonato Brasileiro do Botafogo é marcado por poucas derrotas e poucas vitórias. O Alvinegro somou onze empates em 19 partidas e, pulando ponto a ponto por rodada, não consegue se afastar da zona de rebaixamento. Em crise dentro e fora de campo, a equipe de 2020 carrega uma estatística pesada: é a segunda com mais igualdades no Brasileirão na atual década.

Sim, o Botafogo em 2020, mesmo jogando apenas um turno do Campeonato Brasileiro, já tem a segunda maior quantidade de empates que outras equipes do Alvinegro entre o período de 2011 a 2020 contando toda a competição, com 38 rodadas.

A edição que o Botafogo mais empatou neste período foi na temporada passada, com 12 igualdades. O Botafogo de 2020, portanto, está a um resultado de igualar o recorde.

A transformação do Botafogo é gritante ainda mais pensando que a equipe, no ano passado, foi que a menos empatou no Campeonato Brasileiro: apenas quatro vezes sob os comandos de Eduardo Barroca e Alberto Valentim. Da que menos tinha igualdades no placar, o Alvinegro virou o “rei dos empates” em 2020.

De qualquer forma, o Botafogo precisa deixar a estigma do empate para trás se quiser uma classificação na Copa do Brasil. Com a desvantagem de 1 a 0 sobre o Cuiabá, o Alvinegro joga a classificação para as quartas de final do torneio na próxima terça-feira, na Arena Pantanal, e precisa vencer por dois gols de diferença para garantir a vaga.

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OS EMPATES DO BOTAFOGO NA DÉCADA:

2020 – 11 (um turno)
2019 – 4
2018 – 12
2017 – 11
2016 – 8
2014 – 7
2013 – 10
2012 – 10
2011 – 8

Sutherland: Sanctions for 'causing damage to the game', not tampering

How can Darren Lehmann escape charges given the apparent relaying of messages to Cameron Bancroft?
It is understood and it has been verified by others that on the walkie-talkie he said… you guys probably saw it, the first time anyone knew about it was when it came up on the vision screen. He saw that and he radioed down and he said: ‘what the f*** is going on?’ He said to Peter Handscomb ‘find out what the f*** is going on’. Beyond that, I would like to just touch on he brought everyone into the room when the next break was. He basically went through everyone and went ‘what is going on?’ There are other parts of the investigation that asked lots of questions to try and understand that. But in Darren’s defence, these were findings that Iain Roy had.How could he not know given the culture around the team, and is he culpable on a wider level?
I’ve got no doubt that he feels some sort of personal responsibility for that. We all do. This is a terrible situation. There are three guys going home that have been offered sanctions that are life-changing. There is a feeling of guilt and questions obviously being asked of lots of people as to why or how that might have happened. That’s part of the purpose of later discussion and review. We’ll clearly take on board whatever comes out of such investigations.But further to that I think it’s really important that to say this process is about culture and performance and all of that but it’s also about the standing of the Australian cricket team and how they engage with the Australian public. There is a rebuild that needs to happen to reinstate the faith and the confidence and I guess the pride that the Australian public had and should have in the Australian cricket team.How much scrutiny will Lehmann face during the culture review?
The review will be deep and far-ranging. We’re committed to doing something about it. We cannot have this happen again. It’s just unquestionable and so obvious. If there are things that allow little things to turn into little things to turn into big things that allow this to happen, then you’ve got to go back to the core and find out what the little things are and address them. That is what we’ll be doing.How much did David Warner’s history contribute to receiving the harshest penalty?
It’s certainly not history, though in terms of code of conduct he does have a rap sheet that is longer. So there’s an element of that. But I think that you don’t need to look any further than the specific comments or findings. There were lots of things in there that ultimately come to a judgement around that. He’s the vice-captain, Steven Smith’s the captain. He might not have been as integrally involved, but at the same time the captain has a responsibility and could have done something about it.What about allegations from South Africa about the use of sandpaper [the bandage on Warner’s left hand] in Port Elizabeth?
Again, the focus of Iain’s investigation was very much about the incident in Cape Town and what happened. If there’s an element of truth to those allegations then they’re obviously of severe concern. If there was more to that or more understanding then there would be action taken, and further investigation.Will you investigate?
Not at this stage. But from our perspective, if there are credible allegations, and there is evidence to come to light, we have powers under our code of conduct to investigate that or any other matter.Will they get contracts for 2018-19?
No contracts next year, they won’t be offered contracts. There’s no impact on pre-existing contracts. At the same time as we go forward, for Steve and David, there’ll be no Cricket Australia contract for the year.They have been banned by the IPL – did you have the authority to reject NOCs? And what of county cricket?
Under the code, we didn’t have any clear authority over domestic matches played overseas. It was talked about but we ascertained based on the legal advice that we didn’t have that clear authority. I understood the IPL has made a call recently, someone told me about that. It sounds like IPL have made a decision, and I think again it [county cricket] is a matter for the ECB. As I understand it Bancroft has got something going with Somerset, but what happens with that is up to them.Would you be happy if they did play county cricket?
On balance, what we’ve done is we’ve dealt with the matters within our control. We have made an assessment and I think we all know here that there are extreme views around this in terms of what the penalties are. And not only extreme, one end to the other, but up and down the line as well. What we have done is try to over a number of meetings, the directors have gone into great detail to consider all of the evidence at hand and try to find the right balance for the circumstances. It was a really significant offence, it’s done immeasurable damage to the game and the reputation to the game in Australia and perhaps more broadly. And we believe in difficult circumstances we’ve found a landing spot that is fair after offering a proper process of investigation.Were bigger bans contemplated?
I can assure you there were considerations and views around the table that were all over the place. Higher sanctions for all three players, lower sanctions for all three players and it is one of those things that needs to be carefully considered. You need to talk openly and share views on balance but working with the timelines that we had and proper process, we’ve landed at something that we believe is appropriate, commensurate with the offence, but at the same time allows an opportunity for these people who are good people who have made bad mistakes, the opportunity to rehabilitate themselves and come back and play the great game.Can Smith captain Australia again?
His ban is for captaincy is 24 months. It’s not before 24 months. All I’d say is that he’s got a very steep hill to climb to rebuild the confidence and faith of the Australian public. Ultimately, the public and the Board who approve the captains of the Australian teams are the ones who will decide that or not. I think he’s got that opportunity. I know speaking to him today before he left, he actually said with a smile on his face when we were talking about the community service and working at club cricket, he said with a smile on his face ‘I’ll be doing that anyway’, which I think says a lot about him.Has Warner got a steeper path than Smith?
Everyone’s different, Cameron Bancroft’s different as well. They have different relationships with different people. But irrespective of that, I think when you boil it down everyone will have different perspectives, but when you have a look at it I think Smith and Warner both 12 months suspensions, it’s fair. Steve is the captain, David the vice-captain, they play different roles, they’re guilty of different things in our view, based on the investigation. People will have different views but the Board was dealing with the evidence they had in front of them.Was the harsh penalty for ball-tampering or outrage?
They haven’t been charged by Cricket Australia for ball tampering. It’s something that’s important to remind people that the code is worth reading, those four dot points, that’s what they’ve been charged for. That’s the significance. It relates to contrary to the spirit of the game, it relates to denigrating the game or having an impact on the reputation and image of the game, causing damage to the game, all of those things have quite clearly happened in a short space of time as a result of those actions. That’s what the report is for and the sanctions are on that basis.How much more damage could there be done if the matter goes to a hearing?
All we can do is uphold the code to our best judgement and take into considerations the evidence we have. It’s about the spirit of cricket it’s about the good of the game, it’s not about individuals or thinking about those sorts of consequences, we’ve got to make those judgements on what’s best for the game and quite rightly as a course of natural justice under our code, players have the right to accept or reject the charges or the sanctions or both, and if they do to take that to appeal. That’s a good, proper legal process and that’s why it’s written that way.Given Warner has got in strife before, were you worried he might transgress again?
David has got a rap sheet but I actually had a lot of confidence that he was going well. And I think over the last couple of years, certainly at least prior to Durban, he had a pretty clean sheet and he was performing well and he was leading well. He had just come off the Twenty20 successful series and was doing well. So I guess based on prior things you can say that, but at the same time I am as surprised as anyone about all this. Putting aside individuals, I am surprised that Australian cricketers have let this happen to them, allowed this to happen, and allowed it to happen to the team and the game.”Regarding culture. Smith said before Cape Town he was not in a great headspace. He was talking about batting, but still. Under umbrella of culture, are you looking at that part of it?
Yeah, I think it is performance, culture and the pressure of the tour. You guys know what it is like when you see the players first hand, you have good days and bad days and it is a difficult situation. This is a tough tour, South Africa is a tough environment to play because of the combative nature of Australian-South Africa cricket with the crowds and everything else that you have to deal with. It sort of goes with the territory and you expect that. It can still get to you, we still understand that.And that’s part of performing better or being better, but it is also about having the mechanisms around the players to help support them and put them in a position of not only performing, but dealing with the pressures and ensuring the right cultures to ensure that little things don’t turn into big things that turn into monumental things.What is Warner’s future like given apparent breakdown of his relationship with the rest of the team?
I don’t know about the details but the intention of the charges, the sanctions that we have offered is that they are commensurate with what we believe are terrible actions that have damaged the game, but allow all three players, if they so wish and are motivated to, to come back and play for Australia.

Carioca B1: Rio São Paulo anuncia troca de treinador

MatériaMais Notícias

Após os últimos resultados na Taça Santos Dumont, a diretoria do Rio São Paulo decidiu mudar o comandando técnico da equipe, demitindo treinador Palinha. Em contra partida, os dirigentes agiram rápido e anunciaram a chegada do experiência Júnior Gomes.

O treinador que vinha fazendo uma ótima campanha comando o Gonçalense, chega com a certeza que a equipe do Campinho tem tudo para brigar na parte principal da tabela.
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“Eu vejo um clube com uma estrutura que muitos da B1 não tem. Vejo um grupo muito bem montado, um grupo rápido. E pelo que vi, penso que esse time vai brigar na parte de cima da tabela, chego com esse pensamento, não pode ser diferente. Estou muito feliz em chegar nessa família, agora espero implantar a minha metodologia, que os jogadores entendam e a gente consiga avançar na competição”, disse Júnior Gomes.

Junior Gomes já está concentrado e assume o comando na quinta-feira. Nesta quarta-feira, o time enfrenta o Audax, em Miguel Pereira, pela 8ª rodada da Taça Santos Dumont, eserá comandando pelo auxiliar Jorge Perreco.

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Man United: Reporter “would be surprised” if Frimpong arrives

Manchester United have already brought in a few big names, but their transfer business may not be done just yet.

Transfer insider Dean Jones has given his opinion on the Red Devils' pursuit of a Bundesliga pair and how it could pan out.

Will Manchester United make any other signings this summer?

Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund are the three high-profile additions to this United squad ahead of the new season. Now, with the end of the transfer window looming, Erik ten Hag is looking to make another addition or two.

The defensive third is where the Dutchman is targeting acquisitions for the Red Devils, with two names having been linked prominently.

Benjamin Pavard is one name put forward, with the versatile Bayern Munich man seemingly pushing for an exit from the Allianz Arena and reportedly close to joining Inter.

After Frenchman Raphael Varane scored the only goal of the game against Wolves on the opening day, international teammate Pavard was quick to leave a comment on a celebratory Instagram post, prompting many to speculate about his desire to move to pastures new.

Pavard has the ability to play both centrally and as a right-back, and it is the latter position that the other rumoured player occupies. Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong, formerly of Celtic, is someone who Ten Hag admires, as reported by Football Insider.

It may well be a case of signing one or the other – if Jones’ update is anything to go by.

What has Dean Jones said about Pavard and Frimpong?

Transfer insider Jones has given an update on Manchester United’s transfer targets – particularly Jeremie Frimpong – when speaking to GIVEMESPORT.

He said: "With Manchester United going for Benjamin Pavard, he can play on the right-hand side of defence and centrally too, so I would be surprised if they were to go for Frimpong at the same time.

“I don't think Frimpong is imminent or anything like that, and I'd actually be pretty surprised if United were going to pursue that right now.

“Further down the road, perhaps, because I know he is a player that they've definitely had interest in.

“But with this Pavard deal on the back burner and Aaron Wan-Bissaka set to stay longer now, it [Frimpong] doesn't feel like one that needs to happen."

What is the latest Man United transfer news?

A third target for the Red Devils could arrive in the middle of the park. The man in question is Sofyan Amrabat, the Morocco international who starred at the World Cup and has since had a number of Europe’s elite lining up to sign him.

This makes up the majority of the news when it comes to incomings at Old Trafford, but there are also United players who could be leaving the club before the transfer window slams shut on 1st September.

One of those men is none other than former captain Harry Maguire. West Ham United seemed nailed on to land the centre-back only for his move to the capital to fall through – with Ten Hag claiming that he wanted to retain the services of the former Leicester City man.

Aston Villa: Emery Could Now Sign "Incredible" £130k-p/w Mings Upgrade

Aston Villa are reportedly eyeing a move for Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte, as Unai Emery and Monchi eye further blockbuster signings at Villa Park.

The duo have already broken the club’s record transfer fee through the £51.9m capture of Moussa Diaby, as well as spending big on Pau Torres earlier in the summer.

Despite making strong reinforcements, the Villans aren’t expected to stop their spends yet, with a marquee move for Laporte reportedly an option.

What’s the latest on Aymeric Laporte to Aston Villa?

As reported by the Mirror, City could cash in on the Spaniard following the signing of centre-back Josko Gvardiol.

Villa are mentioned as one of the clubs that have been ‘monitoring’ the movements of the 29-year-old, who is said in the report to be available for just £30m this summer.

Valued by FootballTransfers at €42.3m (£36m), Monchi could pull off another masterclass in snatching the £130k-per-week defender for a cut-price.

How good is Aymeric Laporte?

Having once been lauded as “incredible” and previously named the “best left central defender in the world” by his manager Pep Guardiola, it’s clear to see just what Villa could gain in signing Laporte.

It also showcases the level of talent on show at the Etihad, with the Spaniard unable to worm his way back into the Spaniard’s plans due to the continuous revelation of defensive quality in Manchester.

Last term, the France-born gem made just 12 appearances in the Premier League for City down to the success of Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake and Ruben Dias in Guardiola’s favoured back three.

While the strengths of Laporte’s game are unquestionable, the dynamic centre-back is no longer considered part of the manager’s immediate plans, leaving him as a promising acquisition for another club to capture.

Villa underwent a revival of defensive stability following Emery’s arrival last season, with the central partnership of Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings proving to be a stellar combination when called upon.

tyrone-mings-aston-villa-unai-emery-ollie-watkins

As learned by the reported target of the claret and blue, football can be cruel and despite the finding of form last campaign, the duo could be axed from being the first-choice pairing, should another centre-back arrive.

With Torres already obtained, integrating Laporte would surely be bad news for Mings, who at 30-years-old could have his position compromised simply down to the baseline quality of the Spain international.

Despite being away from regular game time, when on the field, the 29-year-old remains one of the top-performing centre-backs in Europe for his progressive play.

As per FBref, the Spaniard ranked in the top 1% of centre-backs in Europe down to his average of 7.00 progressive passes per 90, showcasing just how much of a ball-playing whiz he is in the right system.

To put such numbers into perspective, Mings averaged 3.17 progressive passes per 90 in the Premier League last season, as well as recording 0.57 progressive carries to Laporte’s 2.72 per 90, highlighting the opposing outlet that the City man could offer.

While such ball-playing skills are becoming an increasingly noticeable – and desired – attribute in defenders, the 29-year-old titan also prevailed as a high-performing player with the usual defensive duties in comparison to the Englishman.

Averaging 1.00 tackles to Mings’ 0.43 per 90, as well as winning 2.18 aerials per 90 to his 1.74, the City marvel could back Emery into a difficult decision that could see him drop the 30-year-old should the dynamic centre-back arrive.

It would be a ruthless call but one that could help Villa transition onto another new level this season, given the evidence above.

Fechado com o Cruzeiro, Rafael agradece oportunidade no Sport

MatériaMais Notícias

A segunda-feira é de despedida no Sport. Revelado pelo Leão, o lateral Rafael utilizou a rede social para mandar mensagem ao torcedor rubro-negro e agradecer o carinho que recebeu durante a passagem meteórica pela Ilha do Retiro.

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‘Agradeço o carinho de todos do Sport no período que estive defendendo as cores da equipe. Foram três anos de aprendizado, amadurecimento e de muita felicidade. Cheguei um menino, saio um ser humano formado e pronto para qualquer desafio. Deixo aqui meu até breve, cheio de carinho e gratidão, agradecendo por cada momento vivido. Sigo, de longe, na torcida pelo Leão e pelos amigos que fiz. Obrigado por tudo, Sport. Estará sempre no meu coração’, postou no Instagram.

Aos 18 anos, Rafael vai incorporar o elenco do Cruzeiro, que tem como meta voltar à elite do futebol nacional em 2021.

No Sport, Rafael, que é lateral de origem, jogou como ponta em alguns jogos e ganhou destaque. No total, ele disputou apenas oito jogos.

الأهلي يفوز على الجزيرة ويتأهل لنهائي كأس مصر لكرة السلة

نجح فريق كرة السلة الأول رجال بالنادي الأهلي في تحقيق فوز مثير على نظيره الجزيرة في كأس مصر موسم 2023-2024 بنتيجة 67-66.

مران الأهلي | كولر يشرح خطة مباراة الإسماعيلي.. وتدريبات بدنية

المباراة التي أقيمت على صالة وزارة الشباب والرياضة (زويل) بالسادس من أكتوبر، ضمن منافسات الدور نصف النهائي.

بتلك النتيجة يتأهل الأهلي إلى الدور النهائي منتظرًا الفائز من مواجهة الزمالك والاتحاد السكندري.

مواعيد مباريات الأهلي والزمالك في نصف نهائي دوري السوبر لكرة السلة

يذكر أن فريق كرة السلة بالنادي الأهلي قد تأهل للدور نصف النهائي بفوزه على حساب فريق طلائع الجيش.

وكان رجال سلة الأهلي قد تأهل للمرحلة الأخيرة لنهائيات بطولة إفريقيا للأندية «BAL» التي تقام رواندا.

West Ham Enter Talks For "Special" £40m Star As Bid Rejected

West Ham United have entered talks with Fulham over a move for central midfielder Joao Palhinha, and they are hoping to prise him away for a fee of around £40m, according to a report from talkSPORT.

What's the latest West Ham transfer news?

West Ham are moving swiftly to ensure they secure a suitable replacement for Declan Rice, with it being reported they have already tabled an offer of €35m (£30m) for Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat, although the Moroccan is keen to stay in Italy.

David Moyes is "pushing' to sign Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria, and there has now been a bid of €13m (£11.1m) submitted for the 26-year-old, with talks progressing between the two clubs, while Manchester United's Scott McTominay also remains an option.

A bid of around £20m is expected for Southampton's James Ward-Prowse, despite the Saints' desire to hold out for £40m, with the Hammers set to intensify their efforts to sign the England international over the next few days.

Earlier this month, club insider ExWHUemployee detailed that Palhinha is one of Moyes' priority targets for the summer window, and there has now been an update on West Ham's pursuit of the Fulham ace.

According to talkSPORT, the Hammers have now entered talks with the Cottagers over a move for the midfielder, with the hope of concluding a deal for a fee in the region of around £40m – although Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian says Fulham have now rejected a bid of that amount.

It has previously been reported that Fulham could look to hold out for as much as £90m, given that they have no pressing need to sell the Portugal international, as he remains contracted at Craven Cottage until the summer of 2027.

It remains to be seen whether the Irons are able to negotiate a lower fee, but it is clear they hold an active interest in the 28-year-old, and it will be interesting to see how talks develop in the coming days.

How good is Joao Palhinha?

The former Sporting CP man could have a number of offers on the table this summer, with several big Premier League clubs making their interest well-known, including Liverpool, with Sky Sports reporter Melissa Reddy recently naming him as a target for the Reds.

Tottenham have also been named as potential suitors for the central midfielder, so West Ham may have to fend off fierce competition from elsewhere if they are to win the race for his signature this summer.

Joao-Palhinha

Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim has claimed the Portuguese maestro is "very good without the ball and with the ball", while also lauding him as a "special player", and his performances in the Premier League last season were second to none in some areas.

Palhinha made 47 more tackles than any other player in the top flight in the 2022-23 campaign, while he also averaged 1.3 interceptions per game, the fourth-highest figure in his squad.

As such, the Fulham star could be a fantastic replacement for Rice, considering the England international also flourishes defensively, and he could be a real bargain if Irons chiefs can keep the price close to £40m in negotiations.

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