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Sheffield Wednesday look to be nearing towards a number of new signings, having now confirmed the shock swoop of former Blades defender Max Lowe recently, as they aim to soften the blow of Will Vaulks' exit.

The central midfield warrior has now officially left Hillsborough behind for pastures new at Oxford United, joining the newly promoted side U's over sticking it out in South Yorkshire, which will sting from Wednesday's perspective.

The former Rotherham United man made 37 appearances for Danny Rohl's men last campaign, as they pulled off an almighty relegation escape, with worries now getting the better of the Owls that other stalwarts will exit further down the line.

Any concern about Callum Paterson joining Vaulks out of the door has been quashed for now, with Wednesday's retained list confirming a new deal had been activated for the long-standing servant, who can star under Rohl next campaign.

Callum Paterson's numbers for Wednesday

The 29-year-old is now very much part of the furniture in South Yorkshire, having amassed 155 appearances for the Owls since joining in 2020, proving himself to be a dependable and versatile squad member in the process.

Yet, last campaign was, arguably, the rockiest patch of his lengthy Hillsborough stay to date, which saw him go missing for large portions of the season, with only 25 games tallied up in the end in the league.

Therefore, there must have been a real concern he would be just allowed to leave this summer like Vaulks, but he did prove his worth towards the business end of the gruelling campaign, as Wednesday bravely battled to stave off the Championship drop-zone.

Paterson would feature in some capacity, often being utilised as a late substitute, in all of Wednesday's unbeaten six-game run to close out the dramatic season, managing to win 100% of his duels in his team's final home win against West Bromwich Albion, despite only being on the pitch for 14 minutes.

Endearing himself to the hardened Wednesday masses by excelling in their promotion story of the 2022/23 season too, with ten goal contributions managed, it would have been a sad end to his time with the Owls if he did abruptly exit like Vaulks.

It would've been even more of a bitter pill to swallow, losing the 29-year-old for potentially nothing, when you consider his transfer value – according to Football Transfers – hasn't been dented that much despite his lack of game-time.

Paterson's transfer value in 2024

Paterson's valuation is still sitting at a pretty hefty £1.1m, even after finding himself on the periphery at points last campaign under Rohl, which actually sees him come in as being more of a valued asset than Barry Bannan currently, in the German manager's tight-knit camp.

The Scottish attacking midfielder is worth a lesser £1m in contrast, even whilst donning the captain's armband for the Owls last season, which further reinforces the fact that keeping the 29-year-old was the correct call, instead of letting him leave.

Year

Transfer value

2024

£1.1m

2023

£1.5m

2022

£675k

2021

£3m

2020

£506k

Never seeing his value fall below £500k since joining from Cardiff City in 2020, it would have been a disaster to lose Paterson for nothing, with his price tag now double that.

Vaulks, in contrast, would walk away from South Yorkshire with an estimated lesser value of £591k next to his name compared to Paterson's £1.1m, with Rohl's men now waiting to see if they regret letting the Welshman go down the line, or whether it was the swift decision they had to make at the time.

Dread over Paterson's future will, no doubt, become a pain at the end of the next campaign, despite it being solved for the time being, as his contract nears close to its expiry date once more.

Ihiewke upgrade: Sheffield Wednesday eyeing up perfect Valery partner

Sheffield Wednesday could add yet another new recruit to their defence alongside Yan Valery.

ByKelan Sarson Jun 11, 2024

The summer transfer window officially opened for business earlier this month and Celtic are yet to complete their signing ahead of next season.

Brendan Rodgers won two trophies – the Scottish Premiership title and the SFA Cup – in his first campaign back at Parkhead and may now be targeting more silverware next term.

The Northern Irish head coach has already been linked with an interest in Bournemouth goalkeeper Mark Travers, Coventry star Callum O’Hare, and Dundee dynamo Luke McCowan, among many others.

Instead of bringing in a fresh, new, player to bolster their squad, Celtic could go and bring back a former player to enjoy a second spell in Glasgow.

Celtic's potential chance to re-sign former star

The Daily Record recently reported that central defender Carl Starfelt has been ‘touted’ with a shock return to the club, as his new manager, Claudio Giraldez, does not see him as a key option ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

They cite a report from Spanish outlet La Voz Degalicia, which reveals that Celta Vigo are set to hand Jose Fontan, who had been out on loan this year, a chance to impress in pre-season.

This is said to push Starfelt further down the pecking order in Giraldez’s mind and could push him towards an exit from the LaLiga outfit, opening a door to a return to Parkhead.

However, it remains to be seen whether or not the Hoops have a genuine interest in bringing the Sweden international back to the club, or how much Celta Vigo would demand for his services.

If they could agree a deal to snap him back up, though, then Rodgers could land a perfect partner for Cameron Carter-Vickers at the back, based on their previous partnership.

Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt's brilliant partnership

The towering pairing played alongside each other for Ange Postecoglou in both the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns as the first-choice partnership for the Scottish giants.

In their first season together, Celtic kept 18 clean sheets in Starfelt’s 34 starts and 17 shutouts in Carter-Vickers’ 33 starts in the Premiership.

This shows that they were both regular starters in the division and formed a solid defence that averaged more than one clean sheet every other game, to help the Hoops win the title.

22/23 Premiership

Carl Starfelt

Cameron Carter-Vickers

Appearances

28

29

Pass accuracy

92%

92%

Ground duel success rate

60%

59%

Aerial duel success rate

70%

74%

Clearances per game

4.2

2.9

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, they remained key players for the Bhoys during the 2022/23 campaign and proved themselves to be dominant performers in the top-flight.

Starfelt, who was hailed as “pivotal” by John Hartson, and Carter-Vickers both dominated opposition attackers by winning the majority of their duels on the deck and in the air, which illustrates how difficult they were for forwards to compete against.

These statistics suggest that the £18k-per-week star, who won 66% of his duels in LaLiga last season, would be the perfect partner to come in and play alongside the USA international next term, as they have already proven themselves to be a fantastic pairing for Celtic at that level.

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However, it remains to be seen how viable a move for the Swedish colossus is and it may not be one for the fans to get their hopes up on yet.

A club chief appears to have confirmed negotiations are "happening" to sign a £125,000-per-week player from Aston Villa this summer.

Unai Emery eyeing future Premier League title at Villa

Manager Unai Emery has won over the hearts of Villa supporters since he took over from Steven Gerrard in late 2022, and has now guided them to their first Champions League qualification since the 1980s.

£18k-p/w Aston Villa target Monchi really wants has bargain release clause

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Ben Browning

May 16, 2024

The Midlands giants are officially set for fourth and a spot in the Champions League group stage next season, coming after a fantastic full debut campaign for Emery in the Villa Park dugout.

Club chief Monchi and NSWE are set to back Emery in the summer transfer market as well, according to reports, with Villarreal star Alex Baena attracting Villa interest heading into the summer window – which opens for business on 14th June.

Aston Villa's last ten league games
Aston Villa 3-3 Liverpool
Brighton 1-0 Aston Villa
Aston Villa 2-2 Chelsea
Aston Villa 3-1 Bournemouth
Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa
Aston Villa 3-3 Brentford
Man City 4-1 Aston Villa
Aston Villa 2-0 Wolves
West Ham 1-1 Aston Villa
Aston Villa 0-4 Tottenham

It's an exciting time to be a supporter of Villa, but Emery is by no means settling on a place in Europe. The Spaniard, as he admitted to the press on Friday, wants to take them to the next level and eventually challenge for a Premier League title.

"It is a dream," said Emery on Villa's next ambitions.

"It is very difficult. When we were at the beginning of the season playing two matches against City and Arsenal, we won both matches. We were there.

"Those teams are amazing with consistency. I want to get better and I have my dreams and I believe in my dreams. Of course, my objectives are to win the Premier League or the Champions League. The party on Tuesday was fantastic. I was really happy with the players and coaches. I know how important it is to be there [in the Champions League] and compete in it.

"Through the Premier League, to get it is very difficult. To get it is fantastic. Now, after the next challenge, it is about preparing for the new season."

As the Villa team grows, though, certain players will have to be moved on – as is the nature of the beautiful game. Some exits will be bittersweet, but one man who the club will be keen to fully offload is £17 million signing Philippe Coutinho.

Vasco Da Gama talks "happening" to sign Coutinho from Aston Villa

The £125,000-per-week Brazilian's transfer from Barcelona simply hasn't worked out as planned, and he's spent this season on loan at Qatar Stars League club Al-Duhail.

Speaking to Globo Esporte, as translated and shared by Sport Witness, Vasco Da Gama president Pedrinho appears to have confirmed talks are happening to sign Coutinho from Villa – offering the club a chance to sell him in a permanent deal, with talks appearing to have been held either with the president himself or the ownership. Vasco Da Gama are part-owned by 777 Partners.

“It [negotiations with Coutinho] is happening," said Pedrinho.

"With whom? With whom is it happening? [Journalist replies that it’s with Vasco SAF].

"And is it still with Vasco SAF or with me? Suddenly it was with me before it was with Vasco SAF. Back then it may have been with Josh [Wander, 777 Partners], now it may be with me. And it may have been rumoured that it’s with Vasco SAF.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers have a lot to sort out over the next few months. Gary O'Neil deserves all the plaudits for his work at Molineux but a successful campaign fizzled out in the late stages and now it is imperative to move for signings capable of taking the team further next year.

Talks have already been held regarding the signing of Southampton's Che Adams, who is out of contract in one month, while Manchester City and Newcastle United are leading the charge to sign Wolves star Pedro Neto, who is valued at £60m.

Much to do, but O'Neil has proved his credentials and given that the club are already lining up replacements for Neto, should he leave, there's plenty of cause for optimism.

Wolves lining up Neto replacement

According to Spanish outlets AS and Grada1 – via Sport Witness – Wolves are set to tussle with Aston Villa and West Ham United for the signing of Viktor Tsygankov, who has been a key part of Girona's stunning season, qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in their 94-year history (awaiting UEFA clearance due to shared ownership with Manchester City).

The Ukrainian is understood to have a market price of €28m (£24m) and is calmly evaluating his options ahead of the official opening of the transfer window.

How Viktor Tsygankov would fit in at Wolves

Tsykangov, who is 26 years old, has enjoyed something of a nomadic career but has showcased his quality throughout, with analyst Ben Mattinson calling him “seriously talented” at the start of the season and questioning how he is still performing under the radar.

23/24

Girona

29

25

6

6

22/23

Girona

19

17

3

6

22/23

Dynamo Kyiv

13

13

6

5

21/22

Dynamo Kyiv

18

17

11

3

20/21

Dynamo Kyiv

20

15

12

8

19/20

Dynamo Kyiv

27

21

14

5

The in-demand talent has been effective wherever he has played over the past five years, and while he has not been as potent in front of goal for Girona, he's hardly flattering to deceive with his performances, key to the top-four finish in La Liga and hailed for his "outrageous" skills by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Indeed, as per Sofascore, the right winger has created 11 big chances and completed 83% of his passes in the Spanish top flight this season, averaging one tackle and 3.5 ball recoveries per outing.

Neto, in comparison, chalked up nine assists and created seven big chances in the Premier League, only starting 18 matches during his injury-disrupted season, though it's easy to see that Tsygankov has the core qualities that could make him an excellent replacement.

As per FBref, Tsygankov ranks among the top 19% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists and the top 9% for clearances per 90, denoting his impressive mix of creative and industrious defensive attributes.

The £23k-per-week ace would be a worthy successor to a dynamic winger like Neto in this regard, who has been praised for his "absolutely incredible" technical ability by his manager but has also averaged four ball recoveries and 3.5 successful duels per game in the Premier League this term, highlighting his energy and tenacity.

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If O'Neil's Portuguese maverick is sold, Wolves will have a bit of a war chest to bolster the squad across a number of areas, and Tsygankov would be the perfect man to take his place on the flank.

Jermaine Blackwood played the innings of the match to set up West Indies’ win in the first Test against England, but he might not have been in the side had Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer not opted out of the tour.West Indies captain Jason Holder admitted he was “not sure” if Blackwood would have been picked, with the Jamaican having not started a Test since 2017. But he said the batsman, whose 95 took West Indies most of the way towards their 200-run target at the Ageas Bowl, was the “kind of guy you want to step on to a field with”, and praised his team-oriented approach.Blackwood has an excellent record against England, averaging 55.00 from seven Tests, and was selected for the touring party after leading the way in West Indies’ domestic first-class competition. However, his path to a recall was smoothed by the absence of Bravo and Hetmyer, who joined Keemo Paul in declining to travel to the UK over concerns about Covid-19.ALSO READ: Gollapudi: Blackwood writes history in his own way“Not sure, he had an outstanding first-class competition,” Holder said of Blackwood’s case to play. “I’m not going to get into selection but his case was pretty strong to get back into the team, he scored a double-hundred this year in a first-class game. Unfortunately for me I haven’t been able to see him bat but his numbers speak for themselves. He’s no slouch with the bat at this level either in comparison to our players that we’ve got, he’s averaging above 30 and he’s done well for us. I just hope he can kick on and make a few more hundreds.”Five more runs would have given Blackwood only his second Test century (his first came against England in 2015), but he said after the game that personal milestones were a secondary concern and he was just aiming to implement a plan to spend more time at the crease than previously.”I wasn’t thinking about the hundred at no point in time, I was just looking to get the score going and to get the team across the line,” he told Sky Sports.”Once I can go out there and I bat time, bat over 200 balls an innings, even 180, for sure I think I will score runs. I think all the hard work is paying off so far, so once I can go out there and just be my natural self and then just mix it with a bit of patience. I think that will certainly boost me for the next game and right through my career.”Jermaine Blackwood impressed with his second-innings 95•Getty Images

Asked about Blackwood’s desire to put the team first, Holder said he was the sort of player who wants to “carry everybody on his shoulders”.”Jermaine Blackwood, man. If I had 12 Jermaine Blackwoods, those are the kind of guys you want to step on to a cricket field with. These are team guys, through thick and thin. I’ve played lots of cricket with and lots of cricket against [him], we played all our youth cricket together and played a youth World Cup together, so I know the player.”That’s why when things happen like how they did in the first innings, yeah you’re disappointed, but you can’t put a player like that into his shell. So it’s more about trying to manage him and help him try to understand the different passages of play, where he can be a little bit more collective, where he needs to settle and hang in for a bit before going on the attack again. He is an attacking player, but it’s giving him that confidence and support.”He’s a humble team man, I know when he crosses the line he’ll give it his all. I’m not surprised by the comment he made because he is a team man. Sometimes he feels as though he can carry everybody on his shoulders. He’s that confident of a player.”Blackwood eventually fell driving to mid-off, in much the same manner as he had done in the first innings, when he managed just 12 off 22 balls. Holder was reluctant to curb the attacking style of his No. 6, but urged him to “give yourself a good chance” second time around.”After his first-innings dismissal I said nothing to it. He knew what he had done. And he knew that he’s a better player than what he did in the first innings, so there was no need to talk to him. I thought he was a very crucial guy for us in this run chase. Him and probably John Campbell – these guys when they get going score relatively quickly, and can really swing the tide for us, when they form partnerships, but obviously we lost John [retired hurt] up front.”I just said to Jermaine, give yourself a chance. Give yourself a good chance – see a few balls and then play your game. If you see a ball in your arc and you feel you can put the ball away, put it away, because that’s the way he plays. I don’t like to get into players’ heads and congesting their brains with too much information. They’re all responsible enough, they all know themselves well enough. We’re all just here to help one another. Lots of these guys in the dressing room help me in significant ways.”I don’t need to speak to Jermaine seeing how he got out in the first innings. He knew what he had done wrong – for him it’s just to go and give himself a chance and play the game he knows.”

It's been a Premier League season of mixed fortunes for Tottenham Hotspur this year, as despite starting the campaign with a genuinely impressive ten-game unbeaten streak, they are currently facing the prospect of a fifth defeat on the bounce.

However, with the sale of Harry Kane, a new manager in Ange Postecoglou, and still a real chance of qualifying for the Europa League, it would be fair to say that the Lilywhites have had more positives than negatives this year.

For example, one of the club's breakout stars this season, Destiny Udogie, has seen his valuation balloon due to his brilliant performances and is currently worth substantially more than Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Destiny Udogie's career

Udogie began his senior career with Italian outfit Hellas Verona in the 2020/21 season before joining Udinese on loan the following season, a move that was made permanent in July 2022.

However, just a month later, Spurs signed the young left-back for around £21m in what talent scout Jacek Kulig called a "masterclass signing" for Fabio Paratici and co, before letting him spend another campaign with the Serie A side to develop.

In his final campaign with Le Zebrette, the talented youngster scored three goals and provided four assists in 34 games, primarily playing as a left-sided midfielder but making one appearance on the left of the defence.

Upon his arrival in England, fans weren't entirely sure what to expect, but it didn't take long for them to realise that the Lilywhites had a special player on their hands.

In December, former professional and popular pundit Micah Richards described the young Italian and his fellow full-back Pedro Porro as "excellent" and "outstanding" for their impressive attacking output and ability to help out in defence.

Unfortunately, the 21-year-old is set to miss the end of the campaign through a hamstring injury, but he could still end the season with an award.

He has been nominated for the Premier League's Young Player of the Year award, and with two goals and three assists to his name from 30 appearances in his debut season, it would be hard to argue that he doesn't deserve the nomination.

Appearances

30

Goals

2

Assist

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.16

Overall, the youngster's first year in England has been brilliant, so it's not surprising that his valuation has soared, proving "one of Paratici's finer pieces of work" – in the words of journalist Dean Jones.

Destiny Udogie's valuation in 2024

According to the CIES Football Observatory, Udogie is now worth €80m – £68m – making him the joint-most valuable player in Tottenham's entire squad and the joint-fifth most valuable in the entire Premier League.

€80m (£68m)

Dejan Kulusevski

€80m (£68m)

Destiny Udogie

€60m (£51m)

Pedro Porro

€60m (£51m)

Cristian Romero

€60m (£51m)

Brennan Johnson

It might seem like a lot of money for a player who has just completed his first campaign in the division, but the hefty valuation likely stems from several things: his age, his contract, which is set to run until June 2030, and his status as a player with sky-high potential.

All this also combines to make him a whopping four times more valuable than Arsenal left-back Zinchenko, whom the CIES price at €20m, which is around £17m, or £51m less than the Lilywhites star.

Now, it was only last season that the Ukrainian international was considered an integral part of the Gunners team that almost won the league, but a season on, he is clearly behind the likes of Jakub Kiwior and Takehiro Tomiyasu in the pecking order, starting just 56% of Premier League games this term and only three of the last 12 games.

Moreover, the former Manchester City ace has a poor track record with injuries and has missed 28 games in the two seasons he's been in north London, which, as things stand, doesn't seem to be a problem with Tottenham's star left-back.

Ultimately, both Udogie and Zinchenko are capable left-backs and Premier League quality players, but the Ukrainian has had a bad 12 months, whereas the Italian is clearly on the up and up, so it would be fair to say the club played a blinder when they signed him two years ago.

Spurs struck gold on "special" ace who's as valuable as Trossard & White

The incredibly talented attacker has a bright future ahead of him.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 9, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

O sigilo continua a ser o caminho para Tite organizar a Seleção Brasileira a cada jogo na Copa América. Nesta quarta-feira, a dois dias da equipe medir forças com o Chile, pelas quartas de final da competição, o treinador optou por só permitir que a CBF TV liberasse imagens do período de aquecimento do elenco. E a novidade foi o retorno a campo de Renan Lodi.

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Em fase de recuperação de um trauma na bacia que sofreu no decorrer do empate em 1 a 1 com o Equador, o lateral-esquerdo correu em torno do gramado. Além disto, realizou uma atividade à parte sob supervisão do preparador físico Fábio Mahseredjian.

As imagens divulgadas pela CBF TV (não é permitida a presença de imprensa nos treinos por conta dos protocolos de Covid-19) não chegaram a indicar qual time deve ir a campo no duelo no Nilton Santos. A parte fechada para a imprensa será dedicada a treinamento de movimentação defensiva e aprimoramento de lances de bola aérea.

A tendência é que o técnico Tite leve força máxima para o duelo com os chilenos. A única dúvida continua a ser em relação a qual será a formação na linha de frente.

Everton Ribeiro pode completar o meio de campo, liberando Neymar para atuar mais avançado, ou o camisa 10 pode completar o meio. Brasil e Chile se enfrentam nesta sexta-feira, às 21h, no Nilton Santos.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for another attacker this summer, but could face competition from Premier League rivals Arsenal for his signature, it has been reported.

Reds stepping into the unknown

This summer promises to be one of significant change on Merseyside for owners FSG. Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has already confirmed his departure after almost a decade at the helm, while Michael Edwards is returning to the club as CEO after leaving two years ago.

There is significant speculation about on-the-pitch stars too, with midfield likely to be an area that sees more major rebuilding in the upcoming transfer window, while both Thiago Alcantara and Joel Matip are set to leave as free agents as things stand.

The major question mark surrounds Mohammed Salah though. Subject of intense speculation last summer, he was the no.1 target of the Saudi Pro League's spending spree and Liverpool knocked back a £150m bid for his services from Al-Ittihad, where he would have linked up with Fabinho once more.

It could be different 12 months on though. He will be 32 ahead of the new season and down to the final 12 months of his contract, so should a similar offer come in for the Egyptian it could well be too good to turn down for the Reds, despite his continued importance to their side, with Salah having managed 15 goals and 9 assists in just 22 Premier League outings.

Were the Merseyside outfit to cash in on their superstar, they may have already identified a possible replacement.

Liverpool and Arsenal 'concrete options' for talented forward

That man is none other than Donyell Malen, who has reportedly caught the eye of both his former club and Liverpool with his performances this season.

Capable of operating across the front three but most comfortable on the right, Malen has grabbed 11 goals and three assists in 23 Bundesliga appearances, and at 25 years of age, may have his best years ahead of him.

Now he could be on the market. As per Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, Malen 'wants to leave' this summer and Dortmund could cash in, valuing the attacker at between €40m-€50m (£34m-£43m) in a new transfer update.

Both Liverpool and Arsenal appear to be some of the clubs who are battling it out for his signature, with the pair now 'more concrete options' than Premier League rivals Manchester United.

The forward has received high praise from former Dortmund midfielder and Germany's World Cup hero Mario Gotze, who said via the Bundesliga's official website:

"Donyell is extremely fast and very dangerous. If he has a chance, it's usually a goal, too. He's still young, but has really good abilities."

Donyell Malen vs Mo Salah 23/24

Salah

Malen

Appearances

22

23

Non-penalty goals

11

11

Assists

9

1

Shots on target (per 90)

1.39

1.73

Shot creating actions (per 90)

4.61

3.70

Progressive carries

3.76

3.69

With Darwin Nunez continuing to improve at Anfield and Luis Diaz showing signs of his pre-injury form, Malen could be just what a new incoming Reds manager needs to complete his attacking line-up, should Salah depart.

Melbourne Stars won the season’s first Melbourne derby in comprehensive fashion after their legspinning duo of Sandeep Lamichhane and Adam Zampa prompted a collapse that read 5 for 8 by the time it finished.Coming at 2 for 117, just when Melbourne Renegades had set up for a strong finish and had the well-set Shaun Marsh at the crease, it helped restrict Renegades to 142. Marcus Stoinis made an unbeaten 68 and Glenn Maxwell an unbeaten 40 to see the Stars through with eight wickets in hand and open up a two-point lead at the top of the table with their fifth win in six matches.In second place, Sydney Sixers have eight points in six matches. The loss – their sixth this season – means that defending champions Renegades continue to be the only team without a point on the board.Finch and Marsh see off early troubleSam Harper was certainly adventurous after Stars put Renegades in, but his innings only lasted eight balls as he ended up mistiming a rising delivery from Nathan Coulter-Nile to mid-on in the second over. This brought Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh together and the pair went about the Powerplay without taking too many risks.Dale Steyn and Daniel Worrall tied their respective ends up even as Coulter-Nile had a bad outing, but neither Finch nor Marsh looked particularly perturbed by the relatively sedate scoring rate. Going at just about seven an over in the eighth over, Finch lined up Adam Zampa in his first over and slog-swept him for six to get Renegades past 50. But minutes later, he got too far away from a googly pitched outside off, and Zampa was past his slog sweep to get off stump. The 42-run stand had still brought some stability on a slowish surface though.The spinnersMarsh and Beau Webster managed to move things forward without being particularly belligerent. The odd boundaries were on offer even though the spinners were tight through the middle overs. Lamichhane didn’t have the brightest start to his spell, while at the other end Zampa was stringing the dot balls together efficiently.The pair put on 62 in the seven overs they batted together until a stunning bit of work by Ben Dunk at long-on completely turned the game in the 15th over. Running to his left in chase of a Marsh pull shot against Lamichhane, Dunk jumped to hold on with two hands, managed to take two steps to keep himself on his feet, and managed to hurl a backhand to Coulter-Nile who was converging from deep midwicket just before his third step over the boundary line.Two balls later, Lamichhane got a floaty legbreak to dip and spin past Dan Christian outside off and get his foot marginally off the ground. The touch-and-go stumping call went Stars’ way and suddenly Renegades had lost their two of their most experienced batsmen in three balls.Zampa lured Webster into a cut with a tantalisingly slow ball outside off and beat him next over, only to follow up with a slider that also looked good for the cut. Only it snuck through rapidly and took his middle stump instead. Lamichhane helped himself to another one and Steyn closed things out at 142, which appeared at least 20 below par.A burst and then a trickleStars’ openers made it look at least 40 under par with the way they began the chase. Tom Cooper was handed the first over and Stoinis hit him for three boundaries to start things off. Nic Maddinson started his innings with an elegant square drive against Kane Richardson next over, then followed up with not-so-elegant boundaries off the next two balls. Christian dropped Stoinis at midwicket off Richard Gleeson in the third over, and the seamer’s average season looked to stretch even further as he conceded 13 off his opening over. Stars had raced to 41 in their first three overs.Finch persisted with Renegades’ best bowler this season, Richardson, and in his third over he managed to get Maddinson to slice one up for backward point. The legspin of Boyce then helped slow things down, and a promoted Dunk looked largely uncomfortable and hit no boundaries before finding mid-off with a leading edge off Gleeson.But the drought wouldn’t last. In the 12th over, Glenn Maxwell slapped Gleeson in front of square for the first boundary since the fifth over. He repeated it two balls later, and the momentum was back. By the time he reverse-whipped left-arm spinner Tom Andrews for six at the backward point boundary, the required rate was nearly down at run-a-ball. The last 18 runs were scored without any boundaries, but Stars still won with seven balls to spare.

West Ham United also have their eyes on a potential David Moyes replacement who's won nine major trophies across his career, with the Hammers head coach's new contract still up in the air as things stand.

Moyes set for crucial next few games to determine West Ham future

The Scotsman has been under pressure in recent weeks after a winless start to 2024, but back-to-back league wins have put Moyes in a slightly stronger position heading into their Europa League last-16 clash against Freiburg this evening.

West Ham considering "maniac" title-winner to replace David Moyes

The Hammers could be on the lookout for a new boss this summer.

ByEmilio Galantini Mar 7, 2024

The Bundesliga side host West Ham in Germany on Thursday evening, and if Moyes' side can clinch victory, then it would put them in a very strong position as they eye a quarter-final place and another potentially impressive run in Europe.

Moyes pointed towards his strong record abroad this week to plead his case, with West Ham winning the Conference League last season and qualifying for Europe in each of his full campaigns as head coach.

Everton 1-3 West Ham

West Ham 4-2 Brentford

Nottingham Forest 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-6 Arsenal

West Ham 1-1 Bournemouth

"Our European stats are impressive, I have to say. I think for West Ham to be a European club in the first place was incredible," said Moyes on West Ham's European record.

"I remember it greatly the game we qualified [against Southampton in May 2021], and the celebration because we were going on a European tour.

"We've been on it now for three years, and we've played over 30 games in the three years in Europe, which has given you an idea of what we've had to do so it’s a good stat and we want to keep it going and we want to build on it.

"I didn't know (40% of all the games as a West Ham manager in charge in Europe) so I take it and hopefully we can keep it going."

After their first leg face-off with Freiburg, Moyes will oversee West Ham clashes against Burnley, Freiburg in the second leg, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Tottenham in crunch matches which could well determine whether the 60-year-old is there next season.

Reports suggest technical director Tim Steidten is eyeing alternatives to Moyes in case he does go, and one interesting name is Lille boss Paulo Fonseca.

West Ham eyeing Paulo Fonseca as possible Moyes replacement

According to GiveMeSport, Fonseca is on West Ham's radar as a potential Moyes replacement.

The Portuguese has won nine major trophies across spells in Ukraine and his homeland, namely with Shakhtar Donetsk, SC Braga and FC Porto. Interestingly, reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has pointed to his credentials as a "perfect" dressing room coach.

Fonseca's reputation for building positive relationships with his players, not to mention his resume of trophies, could be enticing from the perspective of a West Ham supporter.