Journalist Santi Aouna has shared a promising update on West Ham United and their attempts to sign Montpellier striker Elye Wahi.

Who will West Ham sign?

The east Londoners are moving for transfer targets with around a fortnight left of the summer window, coming after they sealed deals for both Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse.

Alvarez wears the number 19 shirt at West Ham following his £35 million move from Ajax, while Ward-Prowse's arrival gifts David Moyes some real set piece threat and top flight experience.

However, following the departures of some high-profile names like England star Declan Rice and Italy striker Gianluca Scamacca, West Ham need to bolster their ranks with more quality.

Lucas Paqueta, after just one year at the London Stadium, could also leave for last season's treble-winners Man City – with the Brazilian already agreeing personal terms.

Journalist Dean Jones, commenting on West Ham's transfer business and links to Chelsea midfielder Trevoh Chalobah, has tipped the club to make as many as five new signings this month.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

"It feels like a good opportunity West Ham could take advantage of," said Jones to GiveMeSport.

"I think he [Chalobah] could actually survive at Chelsea, just about, but I also think he has bigger aspirations than that, and I’ve heard he has been open to listening to new opportunities.

"We’re looking at a massive month ahead for the Hammers, they will sign five players and have to find a way to make this all add up so they have a much stronger squad."

Scamacca's departure in particular leaves Moyes with few striking options and reports have even suggested that Michail Antonio could make a move to Saudi Arabia.

In light of this, West Ham have been linked with a plethora of strikers to fill the void left by Scamacca, a list which has included prestigious names like Eintracht Frankfurt star Randal Kolo Muani and Arsenal's Folarin Balogun.

Wahi has also been mentioned by sections of the press, with Foot Mercato's Aouna now providing an update on their links to the Frenchman.

Taking to X, the reporter claims West Ham are "in talks" to sign the in-form striker, who is "attracted" by the look of their project.

Nothing else is added beyond that point, but it the Hammers have apparently opened a dialogue with Montpellier over potentially signing their star man.

How good is Elye Wahi?

The young forward racked up 19 goals and five assists in 33 French top flight appearances last season, potentially turning West Ham's head in their chase for a Scamacca replacement.

Wahi has also been praised by members of the press, like journalist Andrés Onrubia Ramos, who called the player a "real beast" who should "explode".

"Elye Wahi (2003). If he manages to polish the definition, we are facing a striker who is going to exceed ten goals per season," said Ramos on X.

"A real beast in space that, in addition, associatively also leaves interesting things. It should definitely explode."

The attacker is a promising one to have burst onto the scene over these last 12 months, and reports claim he is a man in demand this summer.

Tom Curran became the third England bowler in recent years to miss out on a maiden Test wicket because of a no-ball – but it was because of over-ambition rather than carelessness

George Dobell in Melbourne26-Dec-20172:10

‘A rollercoaster of emotions’ – Warner’s relief and Curran’s pain

Tom Curran revealed that he had checked his foot position with the umpire the ball before his maiden Test wicket was ruled out because of a no-ball.Curran, on Test debut, celebrated wildly when he thought he had dismissed David Warner caught at mid-on for 99. But no sooner had Warner started trudging off the field than TV replays showed that Curran had over-stepped and a no-ball was called. Warner returned to complete his century and Curran finished the day wicketless.That left Curran as the third England bowler to miss out on a maiden Test wicket because of a no-ball in the past four years. The incident invited reminders of the Adelaide Test four years ago when Ben Stokes was denied the wicket of Brad Haddin when replays showed he had overstepped. Mark Wood also saw his celebrations cut short when he transgressed against New Zealand in 2015.But Curran could not be accused of carelessness – he had checked his foot position with the umpire the previous delivery only to over-calculate in his ambition to get as close to the line as possible after hearing the advice.”It’s been a mixed day,” Curran said. “It was great to make my debut, so it’s a very proud day. I asked the umpire how my foot was the ball before that and he said it was ‘half-and-half’ so I moved a little bit forward. I am gutted. It was horrible. The worst feeling I’ve had. But looking at the positives, I get to get my first wicket twice.”ESPNcricinfo LtdCelebrating Warner’s reprieve became the most jovial moment of an attritional day for the packed MCG crowd. Warner took the chance to deride Curran at the end of the over before Jonny Bairstow and Jimmy Anderson chimed in on behalf of Curran.It was the second time in 12 months that Warner had been dismissed off a no-ball on his way to a century at the MCG. In the 2016 Boxing Day Test against Pakistan, Warner was bowled by Wahab Riaz on 81 before replays showed the left-armer had crossed the line.Anderson suggested “adrenalin” may have responsible for Curran’s overstepping. Anderson claimed his 100th Test wicket against Australia and drew level with Courtney Walsh with 519 Test dismissals on the first day. Now only four men – and one seam bowler in Glenn McGrath – have taken more.”I was gutted for Tom,” Anderson said. “It was hard to watch, really. We saw the elation in his face and then watched it drain from his face a few seconds later when the big screen came up. It’s one of things you learn the hard way, on Boxing Day at the MCG.”Anderson claimed England do try to ensure they don’t bowl no-balls in the nets – though that hasn’t always been the case on this tour – and said umpires tend to warn bowlers if they are getting close to going over the line.”The umpires do work hard to let you know when you’re pushing the line,” he said. “The third umpires are in their ear telling them when you’re over. If it gets called, then you’re more likely to definitely come back. It’s difficult, you want to be behind the line as much as possible, but with the adrenalin, and Tom wanting to impress in his first Test match, he just put a bit of extra effort.”In the nets we have an umpire standing there more often than not, telling us where we’re standing on the crease. In game situations it’s difficult for a bowler. There’s adrenalin, you’re trying to bowl quicker, and you can push it. But no-balls happen in cricket, they have done for 100-odd years, and now he has experienced something like that he’ll really try hard to stay behind the line.”Getty ImagesAnderson admitted England “didn’t start very well” but felt they “dragged it back really well”. He had particular encouragement for Stuart Broad who he conceded had not bowled well in Perth.”Being brutally honest, I think Stuart’s really disappointed with the way he bowled in the last game,” Anderson said. “Being a senior player, you want to help the team in big series. Unfortunately for Broady, it’s not gone his way this trip so far. But having seen him practise this week, he still has the hunger. He’s worked on his run-up and his action to try and get back to his best. I thought he bowled brilliantly.”I don’t think we started very well. We didn’t adjust to the conditions of the pitch quick enough and when you bowl to someone like Warner on pitches like that, he’s going to hurt you. We regrouped at lunch and dragged it back really well. But there’s just no pace in the pitch.”It’s hard but I think days like today, in a slightly strange way, I get satisfaction out of knowing I’ve put in a good shift. I’ve put in everything today, I couldn’t have thought about how I could get wickets any more. I enjoy putting that stint in knowing that you’ve done a good day’s work.”

When you are getting hammered all over and missing a talismanic bowler who has been both your stock bowler and your spearhead, there are no easy decisions

Sidharth Monga in Delhi02-Dec-2017When you are getting hammered all over and missing a talismanic bowler who has been both your stock bowler and your spearhead, there are no easy decisions. Sri Lanka had a big one to make coming into the Delhi Test: do they pick an extra batsman and give a debut to Roshen Silva or play an extra bowler in Vishwa Fernando?In the first two Tests, they had picked the extra seam-bowling allrounder, but the indications leading into the Test were clear: they wanted batting cover. A difficult decision to play Silva was made, but Sri Lanka bowling coach Rumesh Ratnayake admitted it was a defensive move and ended up overworking their bowlers.”We had to decide whether to go with the extra bowler or with an extra batsman,” Ratnayake said. “Since we hadn’t done well in our batting we wanted to make a better statement establishing a better score. If we were going to bat the first day we had to have those seven batsmen. That was the decision we had to take. It certainly taxes the opening bowlers because they are the ones who bowled the most in the last game also. Even today, I would say, they are heavily taxed.”Rangana Herath’s absence didn’t help nor did an absence of flexible plans. Lakshan Sandakan, the left-arm wristspinner replacing Herath took too long to start using hid wrong’un, which got him two wickets in the final session. Ratnayake was left wishing he had done that earlier. The major blame, though, laid at the doorsteps on the batsmen. Sri Lanka have now failed to score 300 in the first innings in all their five Tests against India this year.”We’ve been talking about that too, and the top five know they have to deliver,” Ratnayake said. “It’s just that when [they do so] is the issue, and we had to take that decision because we went with six-five combination [in the earlier Tests]. We thought that we should try something different and go with seven-four. Hope it works.”The big problem for Sri Lanka is that Angelo Mathews doesn’t bowl anymore. There is some good news, though, that his return to ODI bowling – he bowled 17 overs in the five-match series against India – is likely to continue even though he missed the UAE tour because of a fresh injury.”If he is chosen for the ODIs… he is practising to bowl in ODIs,” Ratnayake said. “Because he has got a very acute injury – it’s not only the thighs now, it’s gone to the calves – we are very cautious of what he does and how he does things. He is managed carefully. Yesterday he bowled six overs in the nets and he looked good.”If Sri Lanka had won the toss and decided to bat, Mathews would have continued his bowling work in the nets at some point. However, the bowling comeback – at the moment at least – is restricted to shorter versions. As is the solution to their selection conundrum of playing the extra batsman or bowler.

Southampton boss Russell Martin looks set to court a highly-rated defender to replace Tino Livramento at St Mary's Stadium before the transfer window closes, according to reports.

What's the latest Southampton news?

Saints have slowly edged themselves into the transfer window and are now looking to put the finishing touches to their squad before the close of play following the additions of Shea Charles, Joe Lumley, Ryan Manning and Flynn Downes on loan from West Ham United, as per Transfermarkt.

Big-name departures have also been a feature for Southampton over the course of the last couple of months due to their relegation to the Sky Bet Championship as James Ward-Prowse, Romeo Lavia and Mohammed Salisu – alongside Livramento – have left the South Coast club in favour of seeking a new challenge elsewhere.

Everton were said to be keen on Southampton striker Che Adams; however, talkSPORT claim on X that the Toffees have been unable to agree fee for the Scotland international, stating: "BREAKING: EFC are in talks with Udinese over a move for Brazilian striker Beto. The goal-shy Toffees have also tabled two bids for SaintsFC’s Che Adams, but have so far been unable to agree a deal. – talkSPORT sources understand."

If Adams were to go, Southampton did have designs on submitting a bid for Swansea City striker Joel Piroe as a potential replacement; nevertheless, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has since reported that the Dutchman is on his way to Leeds United to undergo a medical ahead of a switch to Elland Road.

As per BBC Sport, Swansea City defender Nathan Wood has been the subject of a rejected offer from an unnamed club and Jacks boss Michael Duff has refused to confirm the source of the proposal, as he stated: "I think there's a bid that got rejected. It's a sign of having good players. If no-one was bidding for any of the players, we'd be useless. We think we've got some good players, Woody's another one of those."

Who else could Southampton sign?

According to Football Insider, Southampton have enquired about signing West Ham United defender Ben Johnson as boss Martin seeks to fill the void left by Livramento at right-back.

Johnson has previously rejected a contract extension at the Hammers and features near the top of Southampton's wanted list for the remainder of the window amid uncertainty over his future at the London Stadium.

The 23-year-old, who was labelled as a "really important" player by West Ham boss David Moyes back in 2021, featured 29 times in all competitions for his current employers last term, registering a solitary assist in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Compared to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions, Johnson has fared well regarding the art of successful aerial duels, winning an average of 1.75 per 90 minutes across the last 365 days, putting him in the 91st percentile for this metric, according to FBRef.

Clearly, Johnson is in need of regular first-team football to keep his career trajectory moving in the right direction and a move to the South Coast may help the London-born defender to realise these aspirations.

Newcastle United have dipped into the market this summer to bolster their squad during the summer transfer window.

Who have Newcastle signed this summer?

The Magpies have snapped up three frontline first-team options to improve Eddie Howe’s options in defence and midfield before next month’s deadline.

Central midfielder Sandro Tonali has joined from Italian giants AC Milan, right-back Tino Livramento has arrived from Southampton, and Harvey Barnes has added to the attacking arsenal on a permanent move from Leicester City.

Read the latest Newcastle transfer news HERE…

That does not appear to be the end of the club’s business before next month’s deadline, though, as Dan Ashworth and Howe are reportedly eyeing up a central defender, alongside a move for Chelsea's Lewis Hall.

The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope recently claimed that Newcastle are looking at a host of players in that position; including Nice star Jean-Clair Todibo.

How good is Jean-Clair Todibo?

Newcastle played a masterclass last summer by bringing Sven Botman in from Ligue 1 side Lille and Howe could repeat that trick by dipping back into the French market to sign the ex-Barcelona ace.

The former Ajax titan was named in pundit Jamie Carragher’s Team of the Year after he won 67% of his duels and averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.99 across 36 league clashes.

This came after the left-footed brute made 25 Ligue 1 appearances for Lille during the 2021/22 campaign and came out on top in 66% of his battles. He used his physical ability to dominate attackers in England and that is a blueprint that the Magpies target could copy.

Todibo enjoyed an impressive 2022/23 campaign with Nice and his performances suggest that he has the potential to follow the Dutch international in making a smooth transition to Premier League football.

He averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.94 across 34 league appearances and showcased his physical strength with a duel success rate of 65%.

This shows that the central defender is capable of dominating opposition forwards on a regular basis by utilising his physicality to win possession back for his side, as Botman did for the Magpies.

The 23-year-old enforcer showcased his ability to cut out opposition attacks in order to win possession back for his side on a regular basis. He made 3.4 tackles and interceptions per game for Nice, which is 0.7 more per outing than any Newcastle central defender managed in the Premier League.

Todibo, who was once described as being "solid as a rock" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has, therefore, shown impressive physicality and defensive awareness at the top level in France.

This suggests that the talented battler, who has been valued at up to €50m (£43m), has the ability to follow in Botman’s footsteps to enjoy a successful transition to life in England.

Therefore, Howe must target a swoop to sign the Ligue 1 ace before next month’s deadline in order to bolster his defensive options whilst possibly landing a player who could emulate the current Newcastle star’s impressive displays.

At the age of 31, right-sided Toon defender Fabian Schar is at the opposite end of his career to Todibo and the pair could compete for a starting spot before the Frenchman eventually takes over the role on a permanent basis as the Switzerland international’s powers wane with age.

Transfer expert Dean Jones is rather excited after hearing of a "blinding" signing Everton have been linked with making.

How old is Everton target Hugo Ekitike?

The Frenchman, who is still only 21 years of age, spent last season on loan at PSG before joining permanently, and he did well on the whole, despite having to play a supporting role behind the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar in the attacking pecking order.

Ekitike still managed to chip in with seven goal contributions (three goals and four assists) in Ligue 1 in 2023/24, having netted 10 times in the league for Reims the previous season.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

Everton have been linked with a move for the young striker a number of times in recent weeks, and while a recent update suggested he isn't interested in heading to Goodison Park, the Blues won't give up without a fight.

Will Everton sign Hugo Ekitike?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones discussed what an exciting signing Ekitike would be for Everton this summer, should be manage to snap him up:

"Ekitike could be a blinding deal and from a player perspective, the hunger and motivation to play and score goals will be huge. It will have been difficult to resist the lure of PSG but imagine what he’s learned from playing back-up to Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar!

"But beyond Calvert-Lewin I still don’t see the source of many goals in this team, and this could change that."

In truth, it is hard to see Ekitike trading PSG for Everton at this point, especially as more playing time could come his way without Messi around now, but it is still encouraging that the Blues haven't given up hope.

If they could entice him to the club, he could be a wonderful addition to their attack, coming straight in as a key figure and providing stiff competition for Dominic Calvert Lewin. He could even be a stronger option than him in no time at all, should the Englishman continue to struggle with fitness issues moving forward.

At just 21, there is still so much more to come from Ekitike moving forward – football talent scout Jacek Kulig has described him as a "revelation" of a player – and he could bring the firepower that is so desperately needed at Goodison this season and beyond. Granted, he isn't yet the finished article, but to already be scoring and assisting for a club of PSG's stature says a lot about his ability.

West Ham United are one of the many clubs preparing for a deadline day full of thrills, as manager David Moyes considers his options to brace his squad for the campaign ahead.

After receiving £105m for the sale of Declan Rice, the Hammers have spent wisely so far, with pointers identifying another target that the east Londoners could chase before the window slams shut.

Who could West Ham sign on deadline day?

It’s speculated that Moyes is looking for another forward to assist Michail Antonio through the season, after sanctioning the sale of Gianluca Scamacca earlier in the summer.

A name identified is that of Youssef En-Nesyri, with the Daily Mail naming the Sevilla striker as an option for the Hammers to consider.

Elsewhere, it's thought the LaLiga outfit value the Moroccan at €40m (£35m), with his current contract running until 2025.

How good is Youssef En-Nesyri?

Once lauded as “incredible” by Moyes himself in a column for the Times during the 2022 World Cup, it’s clear that the Scot is an admirer of the 26-year-old poacher.

The forward scored 18 goals in all competitions for Sevilla last season, including four in the Europa League to assist his side to their win in the competition, scoring twice against Manchester United to make the headlines in England, via Transfermarkt.

Now, the Morocco international with 61 caps could be handed an opportunity to play in the Premier League at West Ham, with him having all the attributes to add further threat in the final third to Moyes’ side.

Previously hailed as a “clinical poacher” by analyst Cal Goodall, the Morocco striker could be the missing link to the Irons unleashing Lucas Paqueta’s true form, with the intricate forward having the ability to link well with the Brazilian.

Signing in east London last summer, Paqueta impressed in his first season in the Premier League, netting four goals and registering three assists in his debut campaign in England.

His numbers were encouraging, and if anything a signal of what could be to come, with him scoring nine and assisting six the year prior in Ligue 1 for Olympique Lyon.

In signing a forward of the quality of En-Nesyri, the Brazilian could find further sanctuary in the squad, by being able to exert his talents to a player ahead of him to elevate the options in front of goals.

As per FBref, Paqueta averaged 1.34 key passes per 90 last season, a figure that was a slight decline from his averages in France, where he recorded 1.37 key passes in 2021/22, and 1.74 key passes per 90 in 2020/21 in Ligue 1.

The Brazilian could hit his best numbers if paired with the club’s reported target, who was previously identified by scouting site Breaking the Lines as being a figure that ‘rarely stands still’.

The Moroccan was also described as having significant pace, with a playing style that encourages space to be created for ‘other forwards and midfielders’, a dynamic to his game that could particularly benefit the likes of Paqueta.

Moyes could finally add the striker he’s been yearning for since last season by making a late swoop for En-Nesyri on deadline day, in a signing that could bolster his attack and those already at the club.

Azhar Ali, who had replaced Shehzad in the ODI squad, did not find a place in the T20 squad

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jan-2018

Opener Ahmed Shehzad, who had been dropped for the ODI leg of the New Zealand tour, has returned to Pakistan’s squad for the three-match T20 series. Azhar Ali, who had replaced Shehzad in the ODI squad, did not find a place in the T20 squad. The only other change from the ODI squad was the inclusion of batsman Umar Amin in place of Imam-ul-Haq.Shehzad’s recent form bodes well for Pakistan: he has scored 403 runs in seven innings in the ongoing Departmental One Day Cup at an average of 67.16 and strike rate of 100.24.With allrounder Imad Wasim yet to recover from the knee injury that had sidelined him from the ODI series, Mohammad Nawaz retained his place in the squad.”Imad Wasim was yet to recover from his knee injury, and was told to continue his rehabilitation at the NCA,” Inzamam ul Haq, the chief selector, said.Pakistan are presently two games into a five-match ODI series, with New Zealand prevailing in both contests via the DLS method. The first of the three T20s will be played on January 22 at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington, three days after the fifth ODI.Squad: Sarfraz Ahmed (capt &wk), Fakhar Zaman, Ahmed Shehzad, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Aamer Yamin, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Rumman Raees, Umar Amin

Crystal Palace have made a strong start to their Premier League campaign, defeating Sheffield United at Bramall Lane and despite tasting a narrow loss against Arsenal, followed that up with a respectable point at Brentford and a thrilling 3-2 victory over Wolves.

For their strong start to the season, the Eagles have soared up the league table without significantly strengthening in the transfer window compared to their rivals.

Who did Crystal Palace sign this summer?

Making four acquisitions for a combined cost of £32m, it's fair to say that the purse strings have been tight at Selhurst Park this summer having ended the window without a direct replacement for Wilfred Zaha.

Although Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze are more than capable of shouldering the weight of goal contributions in his absence, the lack of ambition shown in this window was underwhelming to say the least.

Palace brought in attacking midfielder Matheus Franca, box-to-box midfielder Jefferson Lerma, goalkeeper Dean Henderson and lastly, centre-back Rob Holding.

For all of his top-flight experience at Arsenal, it was the latter of those signings who raised the most eyebrows and that isn't surprising given his career has gone on a downward spiral recently.

How many games did Rob Holding play for Arsenal?

In his seven-year stay at Arsenal, Holding made 162 appearances and scored five goals but has never really shown the ability to become a regular starter for the Gunners.

He was frozen out for the majority of last season, until star defender William Saliba sustained an injury in April and the Englishman was entrusted into the starting XI, going on to make seven starts in the last month of the season.

Despite scoring a consolation in the 4-1 defeat against Manchester City, Holding has struggled to become the ball-playing defender that Mikel Arteta desires, ultimately leaving him surplus to requirements.

During the Gunner's London derby defeat against Tottenham in May, which was a result that handed Man City the initiative in the title race, Holding's reckless sending off for making two silly fouls cost his team in their biggest match of the season.

After the game, many pundits heavily criticised Holding as Jamie Redknapp made his thoughts known on Sky Sports.

He said: "'That's a silly thing, he's doing judo moves on the football field. Then he gets caught again, and it becomes an accumulation."

With Holding enduring a reckless end to his Arsenal career, a fresh start in the Premier League is what he needed and got, but it still begs the question as to why Palace didn't take up their interest in fellow Gunner Takehiro Tomiyasu, who would have been a huge upgrade on the Englishman.

How good is Takehiro Tomiyasu?

According to a Daily Mail report in late August, Palace were showing an interest in signing Tomiyasu but following the injury to Jurrien Timber, Arsenal were reluctant to sell the Japan international.

Since joining the club from Bologna two years ago, the £55k per-week "warrior" – as he was once lauded by former teammate Mitchell Dijks – has gone on to make 56 appearances under Arteta and during the 21/22 season, Tomiyasu made 20 Premier League starts. He was impressive during that spell, averaging an impressive 1.7 tackles per game, completing 60% of his dribbles and winning 55% of his duels, as per Sofascore.

However, after a promising debut season, his second term was hampered by separate knee and calf problems, making only 21 appearances in the top flight with the majority of those coming from the bench.

Despite this, the 33-cap titan has still been highly regarded by many during his time at north London with Martin Keown waxing lyrical about his performance against PSV in the Europa League last season, saying:

“Tomiyasu is probably Arsenal’s best out-and-out defender, in a one-on-one situation. Look at how dominant he is in the air. He’s a big boy actually. They have dealt with that problem [of Gakpo] really well,” he told BT Sport.

Keown's comments are supported by Tomiyasu's defensive and attacking metrics, ranking highly when compared against his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues for the former of those. He places in the top 10% for tackles per 90, top 19% for interceptions per 90 and top 1% for aerial duels won per 90, via FBref.

While his defensive capabilities shine through, his ability to progress the ball up the field is second to none, ranking in the top 8% for passes completed and the best 1% for progressive carries.

In a Crystal Palace team that has to do a lot of defending, Tomiyasu would excel at both winning possession back and being proactive with it, unlike Holding, who falls well below his former teammate for those aspects of his game.

During the last 365 days, Holding has only recorded one tackle per 90, 0.69 interceptions per 90 while falling lower for progressive passes than Tomiyasu (4.37/7.76) and progressive carries (0.54/2.00).

When being tasked to defend, the 27-year-old has fallen well short in the past year and will find it difficult to dislodge Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen, who are forming an indispensable partnership at the heart of the Eagles' defence. Indeed, the former has played so well over the last year that he's now in and around the England squad, even being touted at an eye-watering £50m during the summer window.

Although Holding and Tomiyasu predominantly play different positions across the back line, the defensive solidity and dependability that the Japan international would have brought to Selhurst Park is levels ahead of the declining Englishman. After all, the latter does present you with more versatility too, boasting the ability to play in the centre-back role and on both sides as a full-back.

MatériaMais Notícias

O desgaste pesou e Paulo Autuori promoveu cinco mudanças no time que empatou com o Santos em 0 a 0 neste domingo, no Estádio Nilton Santos, pelo Campeonato Brasileiro, em relação à equipe que venceu o Vasco na Copa do Brasil por 1 a 0, na última quarta-feira. Após a partida contra o Peixe, o treinador Paulo Autuori afirmou que o desempenho inconstante no jogo se deu pela quantidade das mexidas.

– Foi a primeira vez que essa equipe jogou junta. Tivemos um primeiro tempo interessante. No segundo tempo perdemos um pouco, o que é um normal. Davi e Rentería começaram pela primeira vez, tem que fazer esse tipo de coisa com coragem. Não temos um grupo tão grande em termos de quantidade. Se não tivermos confiança nos jogadores que vão entrar vamos sempre ficar receosos. Fizemos um jogo razoável, na segunda parte deixamos de ter um volume de jogo ofensivo – analisou.

O Botafogo é a equipe que mais empata no Brasileirão, ao lado do Grêmio. São sete igualdades. O Alvinegro é o segundo time na zona de rebaixamento, com 10 pontos conquistados.

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– Temos que fazer uma análise equilibrada. Entramos com objetivo de ganhar em todos os jogos. Deixamos algumas vitórias escapar no vitória e em outros jogos não fomos eficazes. Não tem nada a ver a performance da equipe com o que tem sido o Campeonato Brasileiro como um todo – afirmou o treinador.

Autuori também citou o fato de ter perdido jogadores no elenco no decorrer do Brasileirão. Ao todo, foram quatro jogadores que deixaram o Botafogo após o início da competição nacional.

– Nós perdemos ao logo do Campeonato quatro jogadores. Não vou colocar o Carli (saiu antes da competição), mas saíram Cícero, Ruan, Luiz Fernando e Danilo. E sem a possibilidade de contratar. De experiência na Série A tem o Gatito, Victor Luís e Marcelo um pouco no ano passado. Os demais vieram de fora ou da Série B ou vieram do sub-20 – pontuou.