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A "wonderful" West Ham United player is reportedly "ready to leave" after being left unhappy with the club's latest offer of a new contract.

West Ham contract news

In the last few weeks, David Moyes and the Hammers board have been attempting, and often succeeding to tie down their most important senior and young stars with new deals. Star winger Jarrod Bowen, who recently put pen to paper on a contract extension till 2030, has committed his long-term future at the London Stadium and looks set to remain for many years to come.

The England international was reportedly attracting interest from the likes of Liverpool, so this will come as a huge boost for West Ham, a fact not lost on Moyes who recently heralded the news.

“We’re delighted Jarrod has agreed a new deal. It’s a brilliant piece of business from the club to tie him down to a new long-term contract,” he said to the West Ham website.

“His goal in Prague will live long in the memory for everyone connected to West Ham – it’s given him a platform to go from strength to strength and we’re really reaping the benefits, he’s getting better and better. He’s a fantastic boy and an outstanding professional – I’m sure his positive progress will continue over the course of his new contract.”

The Irons also tied down promising young teenager Dan Rigge, coming as more brilliant news, but the same cannot be said for midfielder Tomas Soucek. The Czech Republic midfielder could apparently be sold in January if talks over an extension don't take a positive turn, with Football Insider recently claiming that discussions have stalled over the last year.

Ben Johnson contract update

Midfielders Pablo Fornals and Conor Coventry also look likely to leave upon the expiry of their contracts next summer. Now, according to West Ham insider Claret & Hugh, young defender Ben Johnson can be added to the list of 2024 departees.

They claim that the Englishman is "ready to leave" east London after being left unhappy over West Ham's latest new contract offer. Johnson, despite "wanting to stay", will apparently quit the club along with Coventry. He's likely to remain until the summer unless West Ham sign another full-back in January.

Plays the ball off the ground often

Likes to play long balls

Likes to cross

The 23-year-old, who's started just one EFL Cup match this season, has been praised for his contribution in past seasons by former West Ham coach and ex-England international Stuart Pearce.

"The most important thing about Ben is whenever you pass him or meet him first thing in the morning, he's got a smile on his face. He takes in all the knowledge you can pass on to him," said Pearce.

"He's a wonderful professional to deal with and work with. We're very proud to have him out of our academy system as well, which is a real plus for us, especially with the connection to this club with the academy.

"I think he's just developing and getting better and better, and like with all young players, the more game time they have, the better they'll get, so I am delighted for the boy."

Liverpool are still smarting from what happened away to Tottenham over the weekend, and a fresh injury blow has sent the Reds' weekend from bad to worse.

What happened to Liverpool with VAR?

The Reds suffered one of the cruelest defeats in Premier League history on Saturday evening, in what was a crunch clash with a similarly in-form Spurs side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Liverpool ended up playing with nine men for a chunk of proceedings, following a somewhat harsh red card for Curtis Jones and a soft sending-off for Diogo Jota, and it was Joel Matip's last-gasp own goal that consigned his side to a 2-1 defeat in north London.

The worst part of the entire match was Luis Diaz's disallowed goal during the first half, however, with the Colombian finding the net but being adjudged to have been in an offside position. It turns out that he was in fact onside, but those in charge of VAR inexplicably failed to tell referee Simon Hooper that that was the case.

It was an incident that has left anyone of a Liverpool persuasion fuming, and on Sunday night, the club released an official statement, saying: "That such failings have already been categorised as 'significant human error' is also unacceptable. Any and all outcomes should be established only by the review and with full transparency."

Away from the VAR farce, the Reds have now also been handed an injury blow, following a new update that has emerged.

Which Liverpool player is now injured?

Taking to X, Dutch journalist Rik Elfrink claimed that Cody Gakpo could now be missing for Liverpool for "several weeks", having limped off after scoring the equaliser against Spurs:

"Cody Gakpo is expected to be out for several weeks at Liverpool. If all goes well, a few weeks. The Dutch matches in October do not seem feasible for the former PSV player at the moment."

Gakpo took his goal at Spurs brilliantly on Saturday, but as soon as he looked in pain after finding the net, it was clear that he was in serious discomfort, having been down injured shortly before scoring as well.

In truth, the fact that the Dutchman was seen in a knee brace after the game means that several weeks on the sidelines could actually be deemed semi-good news for Jurgen Klopp, considering there is the risk that he could be out for months of action instead. However, there is no question that Gakpo will be a big miss, with his manager saying he is someone who "eats football", in terms of his dedication and intelligence as a player.

The 24-year-old has often been trusted as Liverpool's first-choice option down the middle of the attack, linking with others in Roberto Firmino-esque fashion, and that ability to knit things together will make him a big loss in the coming weeks, even though the likes of Darwin Nunez and Jota bring different attributes to the team.

Hopefully, Gakpo is only out of action until the October international break has finished later this month, but that could be wishful thinking, following this latest update on his fitness.

Jeevantha Kulatunga and Tharindu Mendis, working as coaches with SLC, were suspended after being seen in conversation with alleged fixers in Al Jazeera’s documentary

Andrew Fidel Fernando28-May-2018Two of the three former Sri Lankan players seen in conversation with alleged fixers in Al Jazeera’s documentary on cricket corruption are coaches presently working for Sri Lanka Cricket. They have been suspended since the documentary’s release, SLC said.Jeevantha Kulatunga, 44, who had played two T20 internationals for Sri Lanka and had also coached the national women’s team until 2014, was working as a provincial coach in the Western Province. Tharindu Mendis is a coach for the Gampaha district, in addition to being a former first-class cricketer.Both were seen talking to an alleged fixer, as well as the Al Jazeera journalist posing as a prospective bettor. Mendis was seen during the investigation into pitch fixing; Kulatunga in another part of the documentary when those in the room were allegedly speaking about fixing actual games. “Playing cricket for us is like brushing our teeth in the morning,” Kulatunga is shown to be saying at one point. “But playing according to your plan is the easiest thing because there’s no pressure for us.”SLC said its first move after coming to know of these allegations was to suspend those in its employ. “The names we learned about as a result of this documentary – we suspended them immediately,” SLC vice-president Mohan de Silva said. “It’s our duty to protect the game, and we want to reiterate that we have a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption. We will look at our processes and improve them to ensure there is no leeway.”Al Jazeera’s documentary also implicated a third former player, Dilhara Lokuhettige, who was shown to be in the room with Kulatunga when fixing was allegedly discussed. As Lokuhettige lives in Australia and holds no positions within SLC, the board can take no action against him, board CEO Ashley de Silva said.The assistant manager at the Galle Stadium, who is also implicated in Al Jazeera’s allegations, has been suspended as well.

The Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians are about to make a shocking bit of history.

The two longtime foes were both founding members of the American League in 1901, and have shared a division since 1969. The Guardians and Tigers have played more than 2,300 times. Neither team has faced an opponent more often. Yet, somehow, they have never played each other in the postseason. That's remarkable.

That will obviously change this weekend as the AL Central-winning Guardians will host the Tigers in the AL division series beginning on Saturday.

Cleveland won the season series between the two teams 7-6, but they haven't played since July 25. The Tigers have been on a roll since, as they went 17-11 in August and 17-8 in September to snag the American League's final wild card spot. They swept the AL West-winning Houston Astros in the wild card round and enter the ALDS against their longtime rivals on a roll.

The first ever postseason series between the franchises should be a fun one. It will open on Saturday in Cleveland at 1:08 p.m. ET.

Enzo Maresca handed new Chelsea signing Joao Pedro made his debut today as the west Londoners booked their place in the Club World Cup semi-finals.

Fulham weigh up surprise move for £50m Chelsea man who's frustrating the club

The Blues want to sell.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jul 4, 2025

The Brazil international, who brought an end to his £50,000-per-week contract at Brighton, cost Chelsea an initial £55 million to sign, plus a potential £5 million in add-ons.

Making his first appearance for Chelsea, Pedro replaced fellow summer arrival Liam Delap just past the 50-minute mark against Palmeiras to help his new team into the next round of the CWC.

Maresca’s side beat Palmeiras 2-1 in their quarter-final tie at Lincoln Financial Field in the early hours of this morning, local time, with Chelsea now earning a total of around £55 million from their participation in the tournament so far – which has effectively paid for Pedro.

Chelsea’s best performers in the Premier League last season	Average match rating
Cole Palmer	7.33
Moises Caicedo	7.02
Enzo Fernández	6.95
Nicolas Jackson	6.88
Noni Madueke	6.82
via WhoScored

If Chelsea go on to win the whole thing, they could end up banking around £90 million (The Mirror), and Pedro is poised to play a key role after being registered on time to be named in their updated CWC squad.

What Joao Pedro is "already" doing in Chelsea training

Speaking on talkSPORT earlier this week, pundit Troy Deeney shared that the 23-year-old has been making quite an impression in training – with Pedro looking to establish himself as a key first-teamer.

Deeney has also tipped the former Watford frontman for stardom, despite his young age, explaining exactly why Pedro is one to watch at Stamford Bridge.

“Joao brings an intensity – he is obviously an exceptional football player,” Deeney said.

“The social media clips Chelsea have put out in training show him throwing his weight around already.

“He’s all or nothing. I think the misconception of him is that he’s a troublemaker. He’s absolutely not that at all. He’s passionate, energetic and he wants to win. He wants to play every minute of every game.

“But I think at Chelsea now you’re going to see the real Joao Pedro, one that enjoys competition and one that believes he should be starting for Brazil.”

Deeney even goes on to tip Pedro for a move to Barcelona or Real Madrid, if he can impress in the next two years.

“I’ve seen this player since he was 18 years old and the mentality has not changed one bit.

“It’s always been, ‘I want to be the best and I want to be the new R9’. Whether he can be that is for everyone to decide. In the short term, it’s all about how he gets there. He’s only 23 years of age.

“I think the business Chelsea have done this summer has been exceptional so far. When you look at the Brazilian national team, it’s not as strong as the teams we’ve seen over the years. I think he’ll look at it and say I can do that [become first-choice striker].

“I’m sure the eight-year contract is more for Chelsea spreading it out over PSR, but if he does well for two years there, Real Madrid and Barcelona will come knocking and Chelsea are a model for buying young, and potentially selling on for a lot more than they paid.”

da apostebet： Everton are back in action this afternoon, as the Blues welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Goodison Park on match day 11 of the 2023/24 Premier League season.

da wazamba： It has been a week of highs for Sean Dyche’s side, who secured a 1-0 away win against West Ham United last time out in the league, with their form added to midweek in knocking Burnley out of the Carabao Cup thanks to a 3-0 victory at Goodison.

An even bigger challenge awaits this afternoon in the form of Roberto De Zerbi’s Seagulls, who will be desperate to win after hitting a sticky patch of form.

Everton team news vs Brighton

Having won three of their previous five fixtures, Everton will be hopeful to continue their impressive run, and prolong Brighton’s woes in the league.

After an electrifying start to the campaign, De Zerbi’s side are without a win in their last four Premier League games, giving Dyche added motivation to keep his squad pushing up the table.

With reference to team news, there are no new injuries to report, with the only change in the squad expected to be the return of Ashley Young following his one-match suspension.

Dyche also relayed in his pre-match press conference that Seamus Coleman is edging closer to fitness after his horrific knee injury sustained six months ago, while Dele and Andre Gomes remain a distance away from being match fit.

Following the comprehensive win against Burnley on Wednesday night, Dyche may opt to make some changes, with one name a must-pick for the starting XI after being benched against the Clarets.

The stats that suggest Abdoulaye Doucoure must start against Brighton

Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure started on the bench in midweek, giving Arnaut Danjuma a chance to show his worth away from the Premier League.

While the Villarreal loanee provides an encouraging threat in the final third, he is almost certainly in line to be restored to the bench this afternoon to allow the 30-year-old to reclaim his spot.

Danjuma played 68 minutes against Burnley and failed to register a single effort on goal, to go along with 17 touches and one key pass, as he was unable to make a significant impact on the match, which is why he could be instantly ditched.

In playing behind the striker, Doucoure has shown how vital he is to the Toffees this term, showcasing his playmaking and goal scoring qualities, as well as his ability to eliminate danger in midfield.

With three Premier League goals so far, the Mali international is Dyche’s joint-top scorer, level with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, highlighting his proficiency in front of goal.

The former Watford ace also averages an impressive 1.6 key passes per game this term, as well as portraying his combative side with 1.7 tackles averaged in the midfield, via WhoScored.

Abdoulaye Doucoure 2023/24 Premier League

Statistic

Average

Pass completion %

82.4%

Goals

3

Key passes per game

1.6

Tackles per game

1.7

Shots per game

1.8

Figures via WhoScored

These statistics suggest that Doucoure has the potential to break down the Seagulls with his attacking prowess, as a scorer and a creator, in a way that Danjuma was unable to against Burnley.

Considering the threat that Brighton can exert when at their best, Dyche must restore the Malian to the starting XI, as the Dutch forward continues to find his feet in England.

Once lauded as Everton’s “catalyst” by the manager, Doucoure will hope to cap off an already memorable week with a result this afternoon, after signing a contract extension to 2025 on Friday.

After suffering the heartbreak of Premier League relegation, Leeds United were forced to bid farewell to a number of players in the summer transfer window, giving new manager Daniel Farke an immediate headache at the start of his tenure.

The former Norwich boss recruited well, however, alongside new owners the 49ers Enterprises, and the Whites are now in the race for automatic promotion alongside Ipswich Town and Leicester City.

Farke's attention may soon turn towards the January transfer window and keeping hold of the new stars that have emerged this season at Elland Road. The last thing he'll want is to do is lose players once again in what would be a major dent in his side's Championship promotion push. And reports suggest that the manager is set to get his wish when it comes to keeping one particular player, too.

Leeds United transfer news

Whilst exits took place during the summer, they did at least give Farke the opportunity to discover new options at Elland Road, whether through the market or the academy. And that includes Archie Gray, who has emerged as one of Leeds' standout stars this season. The teenager has taken his opportunity incredibly well and has quickly become an important part of Farke's side – so much so that the Whites may face a battle to keep hold of him.

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Good news for Leeds fans…

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According to Football Insider, Leeds and the 49ers are set to reject offers for Gray during the January transfer window and are adamant that he'll be staying at the club amid reported interest from Liverpool, Everton and Crystal Palace. The midfielder's current deal runs out in 2025, which hands Leeds a fairly urgent task when it comes to securing his future in Yorkshire, and talks are thought to be in the works over a new contract.

"Fantastic" Gray has become key for Farke

Gray's stats this season show just how important he's been for Leeds. The 17-year-old has started plenty of Championship games throughout the current campaign, whether that be in midfield or at right-back, proving his versatility. Still so young, Gray is only likely to get even better, which is exciting for those at Elland Road.

Farke is certainly a fan too, speaking about Gray's ability to fill in at right-back, saying:

"For Archie, it's definitely not a bad choice at times. We don't play him there just to develop him, it's more we've got the feeling for this game, we need a player there who is capable to handle the pace and the speed and the mobility of the opponent's wingers.

"Also to play a bit more like an inverted full-back, a bit more like a traditional midfield player, Archie would have been the right choice. Thank God he repaid my trust and played some really good games there. He was fantastic in the last home game, solid last away game and he was crucial, especially in the second half."

MLS side LAFC are in advanced talks to sign AC Milan star Olivier Giroud on a free transfer this summer.

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Giroud linked with MLS moveAC Milan man in talks with LAFCOut of contract in summerWHAT HAPPENED?

The 37-year-old forward could link up with ex-international teammate Hugo Lloris in Hollywood, with the 2022 MLS champions looking to bolster their attack, according to The Athletic. Despite his age, Giroud is still scoring at a prolific rate in Europe, with 12 goals and eight assists across 26 matches in Serie A this season.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowAdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

LAFC have made the past two MLS Cup championship games, winning in 2022 and falling just short in 2023. With Giroud in their ranks, alongside reigning Golden Boot-winner Denis Bouanga, their attack would be one of the most prolific across the league.

Giroud helped France reach the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup finals, winning the former against Croatia, and falling just short against Lionel Messi and Argentina in Qatar.

However, nothing is set in stone at the moment, with the report claiming that the Rossoneri themselves could still look to extend Giroud's stay in Milan beyond the 2024 campaign. If he doesn't reach an agreement with LAFC, options in the Middle East are available – along with other European teams, too.

DID YOU KNOW?

Giroud has 56 goals in 129 caps for France – making him Les Bleus' all-time record scorer. Across his entire career he's netted 332 times for club and country since 2005.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR GIROUD?

Currently with the France national team during the international window, Giroud is lining up to participate in a pair of friendlies against Germany and Chile. At club level, he will return to the pitch with Milan on March 30 against Fiorentina.

Fakhar Zaman and KL Rahul became the new No. 2 and No. 3 respectively, while Babar Azam, Colin Munro and Glenn Maxwell slipped to occupy the spots right below the top three

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-2018Australia T20 captain Aaron Finch has jumped three places to vault to the top of ICC T20I rankings for batsmen, while Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman and India’s KL Rahul rose to the No. 2 and No. 3 spots respectively. Finch also became the first player ever to break the 900-point barrier in the T20I rankings but ended the series with a final tally of 891 points.The new top three in the ICC rankings for T20 batsmen•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Babar Azam, Colin Munro and Glenn Maxwell all slipped, occupying the three spots below Finch, Zaman and Rahul.Finch had a prolific run in the tri-series against Pakistan and hosts Zimbabwe, piling on 306 runs in five games at a strike rate of over 200, which included a world record 172 off 76 balls.Zaman moved up 44 places on the table and reached 842 points following his own incredible form in Zimbabwe, which featured a career-best 91 off 46 balls in the final that helped Pakistan seal a record chase against Australia in Harare.Rahul touched a career-high 854 points following the first match of the T20I series in England – which the visitors won 2-1 – where he scored a match-winning 101, but a dip in the next two games saw him finish with 812 points.D’Arcy Short, Finch’s opening partner, entered the top 10 rankings for the first time. He made 165 runs at an average of 41.25 in the tri-series, including a 53-ball 76 in the final. The others who garnered career-best rankings following the two series were Jason Roy (No. 15 with 641 points), Jos Buttler (No. 17 with 614 points) and Zimbabwe’s Solomon Mire, who rose a staggering 202 spots to 25th place on the table.Among the bowlers, legspinners Rashid Khan and Shadab Khan retained the top two positions but there were movements down the table. Andrew Tye rose 41 places to seventh spot and Adil Rashid moved up four places to ninth.

Dimuth Karunaratne will return to competitive cricket with two four-day matches for Sri Lanka A in the forthcoming tour of Bangladesh. He had fractured his index finger in early May, effectively ruling him out of the ongoing tour of the West Indies, but has now begun training, and will aim to have matches under his belt ahead of July’s home Tests against South Africa.Sri Lanka A are set to play three four-dayers in Bangladesh, but because the third of those matches clashes with the start of the first Test against South Africa, Karunaratne is expected to play only the first two. Nevertheless, he has been named captain of the Sri Lanka A side – which also features Dasun Shanaka, Lahiru Thirimanne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Lakshan Sandakan and Danushka Gunathilaka, all of whom have played Tests for Sri Lanka over the past year. Fast bowler Shehan Madushanka has also been named in the squad, after his recovery from injury.Sri Lanka A’s first two four-dayers will be played in Cox’s Bazar, before the teams move to Sylhet for the third match. A three-match one-day series is to follow in Sylhet, for which the selectors are expected to name a separate squad.Sri Lanka A squad: Dimuth Karunaratne (capt., first two four-dayers only), Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Lahiru Thirimanne, Ashan Priyanjan, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka, Shammu Ashan, Manoj Sarathchandra, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lakshan Sandakan, Nishan Peiris, Shehan Madushanka, Nisala Tharaka, Dilesh Gunaratne.