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.
Glasgow Rangers have made seven summer signings under Michael Beale, however, the summer overhaul could now see a few players departing the Ibrox side during the transfer window and Glen Kamara appears to be attracting interest.
Will Glen Kamara be a Rangers' player next season?
Transfer insider Dean Jones told GIVEMESPORT that “it does look like he will finally leave” amid the growing interest in Kamara from teams such as Southampton, Sheffield United, Stade Rennais and OGC Nice.
With the Gers reportedly slapping a £5m price tag on him ahead of any potential departure, according to Christopher Jack of The Herald, Beale stands to make millions on the midfielder who arrived at the Light Blues for a fee of just £50k back in January 2019, turning an impressive profit on the player.
According to Turkish outlet Sozcu, Besiktas are in the chase for the 27-year-old midfielder and the report claims that Kamara has asked to travel to Istanbul in order to thrash out a deal with the club.
Judging by the sheer volume of clubs who are interested in him, it certainly appears that he will finally depart the Gers after four and a half seasons at Ibrox.
What happened to Glen Kamara at Rangers?
The former Arsenal youngster was seen as one of Steven Gerrard’s finest signings when he arrived for the aforementioned £50k four and a half years ago from Dundee, adding some steel into the midfield at a bargain price.
After 18 months of bedding into the side, he became a key member of the team that went on to secure the 2020/21 Premiership title in record-breaking fashion, going the entire season unbeaten and conceding just 13 goals in 38 matches.
Although Kamara was impressive domestically, he took his game to the next level when appearing in Europe, and during the 2021/22 campaign, he was excellent in the stunning run to the Europa League final, ranking in the top ten across the squad for accurate passes per game, interceptions per game and key passes per game.
His form was already slipping domestically towards the end of that season, however, with Rangers Review journalist Joshua Barrie having dubbed him as “terrible” and he struggled again during 2022/23.
He made just 11 Premiership starts all season, falling out of favour with Giovanni van Bronckhorst and then the returning Beale, whilst his Champions League performances were a major disappointment given how solid he had been on the road to Seville.
Kamara was the worst player in the squad in Europe’s premier club competition with regard to overall Sofascore rating (5.9) and also ranked 15th for accurate passes per game, seventh for interceptions per game and key passes per game, clearly proving he was out of his depth at this level.
Glen Kamara
The £21k-per-week liability must now make the move away from Ibrox in order to get a fresh start to his career elsewhere. The talent is certainly there, displaying it across his first three years at the club, however, he doesn’t quite fit Beale’s tactical system.
Generating £5m for the midfielder would allow Beale to pursue other targets and significantly boost his squad for the challenges ahead next term.
Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun has issued Mikel Arteta "an ultimatum" regarding his future at the club, claims journalist Paul Brown.
Arsenal transfer news – what's going on with Folarin Balogun?
After an unbelievable season with Ligue 1 side Stade Reims last year, Arsenal have a decision to make regarding the future of the exciting American prospect.
The New York-born player has made it clear to the wider footballing world that after getting a taste for regular first-team football in France, he doesn't want to go back to being a backup option, nor does he want to spend another year on loan – he either wants the number nine spot in North London, or he wants to leave, permanently.
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While there was an assumption that this was how he felt after his comments about feeling "appreciated" upon switching his national allegiance to the US, it was made crystal clear after he spoke to reporters following a USMNT game.
"What I can say is that I definitely won't go out on loan again."
With Arteta favouring Gabriel Jesus as the team's main number nine, a sale of the player is now probably the most likely outcome, and with the price tag reported to be only £35m by football.london, there are plenty of suitors.
According to FootballTransfers, West Ham United have made the signing of the American star a 'priority' this summer as they look to solve their goal-scoring problems.
Outside the Premier League, Leipzig are said to be keen on the player, as are Champions League runners-up Inter Milan and cross-city rivals AC Milan.
Adding to all the drama, Balogun recently Tweeted “It is time!” alongside an egg timer emoji before then deleting the post from social media.
What has journalist Paul Brown said about Folarin Balogun's situation?
Brown made it clear that a decision must be made regarding Balogun this summer and that decision has almost been forced upon the club by the player himself as he is desperate to be the main man somewhere.
Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "He did kind of issue them with a bit of an ultimatum by saying that he does not want to go out on loan again next season. So, it was kind of a play me or sell me really statement from Balogun, as he has thrown the gauntlet down to Arteta, and it'll be interesting to see what he does."
How good was Folarin Balogun last season?
All of this attention and speculation has come about as a result of a fantastic season for the American last year.
In just 37 Ligue 1 appearances for Reims, Balogun scored a seriously impressive 21 goals and assisted another three, giving him a goal contribution on average every one-and-a-half games.
According to WhoScored, he averaged a rating of 6.90 across those 37 matches, making it perhaps unsurprising that Arteta referred to him as "special" earlier this year.
The underlying numbers back up the Spaniard's assessment as well.
According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, he sits in the top 7% for non-penalty expected goals, 9% for total shots, and 19% for touches in the opposition's penalty area.
It certainly looks like the US national team have a world-class talent on their hands, and whichever team takes him off of Arsenal's hands could have a bright future spearheaded by the American.
Wolverhampton Wanderers could make an 'interesting' move for Atletico Madrid midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia this summer as part of an 'overhaul in their midfield' under Julen Lopetegui, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.
What's the latest transfer news involving Geoffrey Kondogbia?
As per AS via Sport Witness, Wolves courted Kondogbia in the January transfer window and have now decided to return to try and secure his signature this summer.
Old Gold boss Lopetegui is seemingly keen to strengthen his engine room in the off-season and Kondogbia has been identified as someone who 'fits' the bill at Molineux. It is believed that Atletico Madrid expect to accumulate between €5-6 million (£4.2-5.1 million) for the £113k-a-week ace.
According to RMC Sport via Get French Football News, Lyon are also targeting a move for Kondogbia as they look to acquire a defensive midfielder at the Groupama Stadium.
Nevertheless, Lyon will not compete in continental competition next term, which may put a spanner in the works for the French giants in their attempts to land the Central African Republic international.
Football scout and agent Berk Bekgoz recently spoke about the latest state of play involving Kondogbia's future on the Taktik Mania YouTube channel, which translated to:
"Geoffrey Kondogbia will meet with Wolverhampton this week. If an agreement could not be reached, the player's manager made an appointment with Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş. He will come to Istanbul and the meeting will be held."
Speaking to Football FanCast, transfer insider Jones believes that Kondogbia would be an 'interesting' addition at Molineux this summer.
Jones told FFC: "It's an interesting name to be thrown in there. I think that obviously Wolves are looking at a bit of an overhaul in their midfield this summer and so they need some new spirit in there and I think that that could potentially be a name that fits."
Would Geoffrey Kondogbia be a good signing for Wolverhampton Wanderers?
Kondogbia is an experienced figure – hailed a "monster" – who has starred at the elite level for the likes of Inter Milan, Sevilla and Valencia in the past and would be a potential bargain for Lopetegui as he looks to reshape his midfield at the Old Gold.
As per Transfermarkt, the 30-year-old enforcer made 27 appearances in all competitions for Atletico Madrid in 2022/23, registering two goals in the process.
Geoffery Kondogbia plays for Atletico Madrid in La Liga alongsideAntoine Griezmann.
WhoScored also takes into account that Kondogbia was strong in the tackle in La Liga and successfully won around 1.9 challenges per match for his side in the Spanish top-flight.
According to FBRef, the Nemours-born midfielder excelled in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions concerning interceptions, nipping in to steal the ball 2.41 times per 90 minutes across the last 365 days, putting him in the first percentile for this metric.
Looking forward, bringing in Kondogbia may be a wise move from Wolves as they eye consolidation in 2023/24 following a close shave with relegation.
Wolverhampton Wanderers will aim to make improvements this summer, despite expected financial constraints following the revelation of the clubs’ Financial Fair Play (FFP) woes.
Julen Lopetegui will wish to bolster his squad this transfer window, which is something he could do in stylish fashion as Wolves’ latest link has emerged as a hot talent.
What’s the latest on Manu Kone to Wolves?
As reported by the Daily Mail yesterday, Wolves are showing interest in Borussia Monchengladbach whizz Manu Kone.
The 22-year-old machine has gathered interest from both Liverpool and Aston Villa for his performances in the Bundesliga, with him being valued at £35m as per the report.
Contracted to Die Borussen until 2025, it’s expected that the club will hold out for a good fee for their star.
What could Manu Kone offer to Wolves?
With Ruben Neves almost certain to depart this summer, Lopetegui must find midfield reinforcements to live up to the absence of the Molineux skipper.
Once hailed as “majestic” by talent scout Antonio Mango, the Frenchman could certainly be the man to fill the vacancy left by Neves’ pending departure.
At just 22 years old, the bustling midfielder was monstrous in the Bundesliga this campaign, as highlighted by his 2.5 tackles per game and 54% total duels won with an enormous average of 7.4 won per game, via Sofascore.
It’s clear to see why the youngster is wanted by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool for his defensive exploits in the engine room, however the Colombes-born gem has far more to his game than protecting the back line.
Having been likened to Brighton & Hove Albion star Moises Caicedo, Kone could replicate the passing ability of Neves in his assured nature in the centre of the pitch.
Manu-Kone
Also lauded as having a “swagger” about him by Mango, the 22-year-old maintained a passing accuracy of 87% in the Bundesliga this term as well as registering an average of 5.73 progressive passes per 90 via FBref.
As per FBref again, the Gladbach midfielder ranks highly in comparison to midfielders in Europe, positioned in the top 4% in Europe’s top five leagues in the past year for his rate of successful take ons, averaging 1.97 per 90, incomparable to Neves’ 0.57.
While the Portuguese stalwart offers more in the final third, the Wolves target offers an opposing skill set to the 26-year-old, flexing the ability to open the play from deep playing as a commanding defensive midfielder.
His ball-carrying abilities are second-to-none and present as another area that the young whizz could signify progression in Lopetegui’s set-up without Neves, with him averaging 2.04 progressive carries to the Wolves captain’s 0.83 per 90.
With Liverpool and Villa expected to have significantly bigger budgets than Wolves this summer, only time will tell if Lopetegui can source the pennies to lure the talent to Molineux, there is no denying the impact he could have should the Old Gold win the race for his signature.
The Spaniard could well have his perfect Neves successor if that turns out to be the case.
Manchester United appear to be in pole position to sign Adrien Rabiot this summer, with the Red Devils considered great favourites for his signature.
What’s the latest Man United transfer news?
Erik ten Hag seemingly wanted Rabiot at Old Trafford last summer ahead of his first season in charge. The United boss was reportedly on board with a transfer that would have been worth an initial £15m, however, a deal fell through and the midfielder remained at Juventus.
Rabiot was again linked with a move to Manchester prior to the New Year, and it seems as if he is still of interest to United officials after making 48 appearances for his current employers during the 2022/23 season, contributing to 17 goals.
Recent reports have suggested that a concrete offer has already been placed to the player, who is set to become a free agent in a matter of weeks when his Juventus contract officially expires.
Sport Witness have relayed a new update from Spanish outlet AS regarding Rabiot, citing Atletico Madrid’s interest in the player. However, they add that it is United who are the ‘great favourite’ to sign Rabiot at this moment in time in what appears to be a transfer boost for Ten Hag and co.
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Who is Adrien Rabiot?
Rabiot would provide Ten Hag with an experienced and versatile option in midfield, with the 28-year-old’s Transfermarkt valuation currently standing at €30m, so from a business perspective, a transfer appears to be a smart one.
He can play as a central, holding or left midfielder and was once labelled as a ‘complete player’ by legendary midfielder Andrea Pirlo, who said:
“He is a complete player, I have rarely seen someone so strong both physically and technically.
“He doesn’t even know the potential for improvement he can have, and we work on the mental side of things to make him understand that he is a champion. He is improving game after game.”
The Red Devils could lose a midfielder of their own this summer with Scott McTominay’s future up in the air, so Rabiot could be viewed as a solid addition after ending the campaign as Juventus' best-performing player, as per WhoScored.
He would bring a winning mentality to United’s squad alongside the likes of Raphael Varane and Casemiro who arrived from Real Madrid in recent years, with the midfielder winning an impressive 24 major honours during his career to date.
Rabiot has come off the back of a season where he has played plenty of football with Juventus, and who knows, his balance could make him a smart signing, possibly featuring alongside Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes next year.
The BCCI has doubled India players Test-match fees, with an eye on incentivising the format
ESPNcricinfo staff01-Oct-2016
India’s players will now get Rs 15 lakh per Test as match fees•BCCI
The BCCI has doubled the India players’ Test-match fees, with an eye on making the format more financially attractive. India’s players currently get INR 7 lakh (USD 10,500 approx) per Test; the board decided to increase that to INR 15 lakh (USD 22,500 approx) per game. The reserve players’ fees have reportedly also been doubled to Rs 7 lakh per game.”We have doubled the match fees as we think Test cricket has to be given priority,” BCCI president Anurag Thakur told . “We have had discussions to make Test cricket popular and lucrative among the new generation. If we need to keep the players’ interest in Tests alive, we’ll have to ensure that Test players are better paid. We can’t shy away from the trend [of being attracted to well-paying T20 leagues] that we are witnessing among new cricketers.”The decision was taken at an unscheduled working committee meeting in Mumbai on Friday, which preceded the BCCI’s special general meeting, where the board could not come to a decision with regard to implementing the recommendations of the Lodha Committee. It remains to be seen whether the Supreme Court will roll back this decision on the match fees, considering the Lodha Committee had asked the BCCI to put on hold any decision concerning 2016-17 till the recommendations on restructuring the board were in place.
Arsenal are expected to table their opening "bid" in an attempt to sign West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice in June, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Is Declan Rice leaving West Ham?
The Premier League veteran has made 243 senior appearances at the London Stadium having worked his way up through the academy ranks with David Moyes’s side, but with his contract set to expire at the end of next season, the upcoming window is likely to present the 24-year-old with his final big opportunity to secure a big-money move, and he isn’t short of potential suitors being the E20 outfit’s overall top-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 7.04.
According to the Irons manager, the England international is set to bring in a “British transfer record” should he depart over the summer, and whilst his price tag hasn’t yet been specified by the club, Sky Sports have reported that they would sanction their skipper’s sale for £120m, or alternatively, £100m in cash plus a player going the opposite way as part of a swap deal amid interest from Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and indeed Mikel Arteta at the Emirates Stadium.
Are Arsenal signing Rice?
Taking to Twitter in the last 48 hours, Romano revealed that Arsenal are preparing an offer in an attempt to fend off other attention and sign Rice ahead of the start of the 2023/24 campaign. He wrote:
"Arsenal have not changed their plans for Declan Rice as top target: opening bid to be submitted in June, waiting for West Ham to clarify final price tag. #AFC Nothing is agreed or done, race remains open. Other clubs are also interested; so timing will be crucial."
West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice.
Arsenal are clearly serious about recruiting Rice in the summer if they are already in the process of readying a bid, and having been dubbed a defensive “midfield general” by talent scout Jacek Kulig and "world-class" by pundit Alan Smith, he would be an outstanding acquisition for Arteta in N7.
The World Cup participant has made 79 tackles since the start of the term which is higher than any other member of West Ham’s squad, via FBRef, not to mention that he also averages 1.7 interceptions per top-flight game so loves to get stuck in and regain possession for his team.
The Kingston upon Thames-born talent, who is even impactful in the final third having clocked up six league goal contributions (four goals and two assists) this season, would finally add excellent versatility to the manager’s squad with his ability to operate in five various positions over the grass, so this really is a deal that the board can’t give up on during negotiations over the summer.
Journalist Graeme Bailey has revealed that the representatives of Martin Odegaard have signalled that they want to have talks over a new Arsenal contract.
What's the latest contract news at Arsenal?
It seems as though Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar are keen to put plenty of important squad members on fresh new deals as soon as possible.
For instance, it was announced this week that goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale had committed his future to the club, while there is plenty of talk in the media about the likes of William Saliba and Bukayo Saka also penning new deals.
The latest name to add to that list appears to be club captain Odegaard – and it's good news for the Gunners, as it seems he's more than keen to stick around with a new deal.
Indeed, Bailey revealed as much while talking on 90min's Talking Transfers, explaining the latest development.
He said: "The main thing with this is, his people have signalled their intent to have the talks – which is the main thing, really.
"You know, it's that Football Manager thing, isn't it? When you engage with the agents and they're positive.
"He's not saying, 'No, I'll wait and I'll wait another 18 months.' He isn't saying that. He's happy to talk.
"So this will be a matter of when rather than if. Probably more to the end of the season but this will be a huge deal as well. This will be over £300,000 a week; he'll be one of the highest-paid players at the club."
How much will Martin Odegaard's new contract be worth?
At the moment, the former Real Madrid midfielder earns a reported £115k per week, with his current deal set to expire in the summer of 2025.
However, as Bailey reveals, he could potentially treble that and now earn over £300k per week. This makes sense to a degree, seeing as he has since established himself as club captain and helped the Gunners regain Champions League football.
What's more, Odegaard has been superb, winning the Premier League’s Player of the Month for November and December and has subsequently been nominated for the Premier League’s Player of the Season accolade.
Newcastle's Sven Botman competing with Arsenal's Martin Odegaard.
With all that being the case, if the 24-year-old is happy to commit his future to Arsenal, it sounds like one deal that could be wrapped up pretty soon – which would be a great boost going into a potentially busy summer.