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Reliable journalists Nizaar Kinsella and Adam Newson have shared a ‘shock’ West Ham United transfer update involving Chelsea defender Emerson Palmieri.

The Lowdown: Hammers eye deal…

Reports in the last 48 hours suggested that West Ham have been confident over sealing a move for Italy international.

Football Insider, for example, shared news of advanced talks to sign Emerson after the east Londoners submitted a £13million bid – they were apparently even hoping to complete a deal this week.

This comes amid the Premier League side’s search for an alternative left-back to Aaron Cresswell, who is reaching his twilight years, with Moyes seemingly on the look out for a successor.

The Latest: Journalists share ‘shock’ Emerson update…

Taking to social media, journalists Kinsella and Newson have shared a ‘shock’ development on the chase.

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It is claimed that a deal for the 28-year-old is currently off due to issues with personal terms.

“Emerson Palmieri’s deal to West Ham is off. It is a bit of a shock as a fee of £13m + £2m in add-ons was close to being agreed with Chelsea.” said Kinsella of The Evening Standard (via Twitter).

Meanwhile, Newson, a Chelsea correspondent for football.london, has followed on with further detail saying it was down to a difference in salary and personal terms.

He explained:

“Emerson Palmieri is now unlikely to join West Ham United this summer. A deal worth around £15m including add-ons was close to being agreed between the two clubs, but the defender’s salary demands were a problem.”

The Verdict: Blow for Moyes?

Called ‘unbelievable’ by Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel last year, despite his lack of game time at Stamford Bridge, Emerson could’ve been a brilliant option for Moyes.

The former Roma star has plenty of experience on the biggest stages, particularly with Italy at international level where he was named in Roberto Mancini’s squad for Euro 2020.

It appears West Ham will now have to turn to other options such as Arsenal ace Ainsley Maitland-Niles, recently linked by ExWHUemployee.

Leeds United have been dealt a big injury blow ahead of their upcoming Premier League meeting with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Yorkshire Evening Post, Jesse Marsch revealed that, after picking up a hamstring injury in the 1-1 pre-season friendly draw with Crystal Palace last month, the 23-year-old winger now looks set to remain sidelined for the Whites opening game of the new season against Wolves this weekend.

Regarding the current condition of the Colombia international after the 6-2 win over Cagliari on Sunday, the 48-year-old manager said: “Sinisterra is probably a week from being on the pitch.”

A blow for Marsch

Considering the fact that Leeds only joined Leeds in what was a £21m deal at the start of July, the fact that the former Feyenoord forward looks set to miss the Whites’ Premier League curtain raiser against Wolves this Saturday is sure to come as a blow to the American manager.

Indeed, with Leeds having lost the services of Raphinha in the summer transfer window, it is clear to see that the £22.5m-rated attacker was signed as something of a replacement for the Brazilian.

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Considering just how impressive the 23-year-old looked in the Netherlands last season, he appears to be an apt successor to Raphinha’s throne at Elland Road.

Over his 30 Eredivisie appearances in 2021/22, the five-cap international was in sensational form, scoring 12 goals, providing seven assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.6 shots, making 2.0 key passes and completing 3.6 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the winger average a rather breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.51, not only ranking him as Feyenoord’s second-best performer in the league but also as the joint fourth-best player in the Dutch top flight as a whole.

As such, it is clear to see that Sinisterra’s likely unavailability for the visit of Wolves this weekend will come as a big blow to Marsch and his side, with the American coach undoubtedly hoping the Whites can get off to the perfect start in the 2022/23 Premier League campaign – something the winger’s absence casts serious doubts upon.

West Ham have been handed a huge boost in their chances of signing Chelsea forward Armando Broja.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, who wrote on Twitter: “West Ham have submitted two bids in the last 24 hours. Proposal around €35 million for Armando Broja, Chelsea have not decided yet as there are many clubs interested.”

The second bid was for Lille midfielder Amadou Onana, and it seems that David Moyes is looking to complete his transfer business early this summer.

Supporters will be delighted

After a respectable breakthrough season in the Premier League, the Albania international will be looking to build on the six league goals that he scored whilst on loan at Southampton.

Fortunately for him, he has all the attributes to continue striking fear into defenders. His 6 foot 3 frame makes him a huge aerial presence, whilst his blistering speed makes him something of a physical anomaly.

Perhaps with more creative players surrounding him, he really can catapult his goalscoring numbers.

The forward ranked in the 86th percentile for aerials won per 90 last season among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, which instantly outlines him as a huge threat from any decent deliveries.

With West Ham already boasting the fifth-best record in the Premier League from set pieces last season, the addition of Broja would only bolster their goalscoring options.

Furthermore, with the open play delivery of Aaron Cresswell, who averaged one key pass and 1.1 accurate crosses per game last term, the 20-year-old is sure to feast on the tantalising deliveries of the English left-back.

Albania’s assistant manager Sergio Porrini was full of praise for Broja, claiming that “his greatest qualities are in progression, especially the ball and chain…in the spaces, he is devastating!”

The 20-year-old could be Moyes’ answer to finding an alternative to the ageing Michail Antonio, with a willingness to run channels but the physicality to win knockdowns and link the play.

West Ham supporters must be buzzing to see the club being linked with such a high-quality forward with almost his whole career still ahead of him.

AND, in other news: Moyes plotting “unbelievable” West Ham move for £49k-p/w machine, he’d be Evra 2.0

Rangers are one of several sides said to be interested in signing Oscar Gloukh this summer and it seems as if Giovanni van Bronckhorst has now been given the green light to try and bring him to Ibrox.

What’s the word?

The 18-year-old has been linked with Rangers in recent days after catching the eye at the U19 European Championships this summer and his father has now suggested that it is likely that he will depart Maccabi Tel-Aviv.

He said: “I feel he is more ready than a couple of years ago to make the move to a big league. I see him as a player who can cope in Europe. I’m not saying he will have an easy life. He will have to compete with a lot of players for his place. (But) if it’s possible to leave, he will leave.”

Imagine him and Colak

The report claims that the teenage sensation has been likened to Mesut Ozil and considering his impressive goal against England in the final last week it is easy to see why.

Gloukh received the ball on the edge of the box and turned his man with a delicate touch, before taking the ball onto his right foot to beat the defender, finding the top corner with a powerful finish.

Reports have suggested that he could cost as much as £8m this summer and while it is unusual to see Rangers spending as much as that on such a young player, they arguably need to shell out some transfer fees if they are to compete with their Scottish rivals next season considering their transfer business thus far.

The club should have benefitted financially from the run to the Europa League final and Gloukh could be a great investment if he lives up to his “wonderkid” status.

Rangers look to be close to their first summer signing in Antonio Colak and the striker could be one to benefit from Gloukh’s signing should both arrive at Ibrox ahead of next season.

If the attacking-midfielder does perform a similar role to Ozil, he will offer Rangers should real creativity in the final third with intricate passing and dribbling ability, which will surely create a lot of chances for the forwards in van Bronckhorst’s attack.

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Therefore, Rangers should definitely look at bringing Gloukh in this summer, as he clearly has a lot of potential and could combine well with Colak at Ibrox for the next few seasons.

And, in other news… Wilson can repeat Kent masterclass at Rangers in swoop for “stunning” £3.1k-p/w gem

Manchester City have been backed by Juventus to make a move for their defender Matthijs de Ligt this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Getting down to business

The Blues aren’t wasting any time in completing their transfer business, having already secured Erling Haaland up top and now close to securing Kalvin Phillips in midfield, but the one area of the pitch where the movement has been pretty quiet is in defence.

The 22-year-old is the only name who has made the headlines when it comes to a potential Etihad switch, with Pep Guardiola’s side previously understood to have been battling it out with Premier League rivals Manchester United for his signature, and another link to the former Ajax captain has now surfaced.

The Latest: Juventus ‘confident’ of City interest

In a new article published by Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), it’s claimed that Juventus are ‘confident’ that City will attempt to sign De Ligt this transfer window.

The source states that the reason for this is because Guardiola has ‘never hidden his admiration’ for the centre-back, and that if Nathan Ake were to leave the club this summer, this could create ‘space to include’ the 6 foot 2 ace at the back.

The Verdict: Not a transfer priority

Whether Ake is to stay in Manchester or not, De Ligt isn’t someone who City should be making a priority to sign at this moment in time, given his sizeable price tag.

The 38-cap international, who was once hailed a ‘complete’ player by his former Ajax teammate Dusan Tadic, is believed to have a whopping €120m (£103m) release clause in his contract at Juventus.

This isn’t a sum that the hierarchy should be coughing up for someone who they don’t consider a serious transfer target in comparison to the level of interest they held in their new signings, but this could definitely be a deal to watch in the future if his contract situation lowers the price tag.

Leeds United and Newcastle are both keen on signing Burnley defender Nathan Collins this summer, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Whites working on second signing

Andrea Radrizzani, the 49ers Enterprises and Victor Orta have already made their first marquee signing under Jesse Marsch, with Brenden Aaronson penning a five-year deal on Thursday.

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Aaronson has cost in the region of £25m and is the club’s first permanent senior midfield signing since Adam Forshaw back in 2018.

The Whites are now working on sealing a second signing ‘in the next few weeks’, according to Graham Smyth, and it appears as if Collins is on the radar at Elland Road.

The Latest: Collins interest

According to FI, both Leeds and Newcastle are plotting moves for Collins following Burnley’s relegation to the Championship.

Whites chiefs view the 21-year-old as a player with ‘huge’ potential after he made 22 appearances last season following a £12m move from Stoke City.

The Verdict: Needed?

You could argue that centre-back is an area where Leeds are well-stocked at this moment in time, so bolstering other areas of the squad could be wise before looking at a move for Collins.

Marsch has five centre-back options and is also able to call upon Luke Ayling for cover if required. The Leeds boss is still fairly light at full-back, in midfield and in attack, so perhaps looking to strengthen those areas first could be a shrewd move.

However, it appears as if they are now keen on Collins, so this could be one to watch closely over the coming weeks as Leeds look to get a head start on their summer business.

In other news: Phillips partner: Leeds now want ‘extraordinary’ int’l for free; Orta’s already spoke with agent

Crystal Palace midfielder Luka Milivojevic is reportedly considering a departure from Selhurst Park this summer with former employers Olympiacos interested in re-signing the Serbian.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Inside Futbol, who claim that the 31-year-old could leave south London with game time under Patrick Vieira this term limited.

Milivojevic has made just 14 Premier League appearances this season, nine of which have been starts, with a place in the XI against Aston Villa last weekend his first in the top-flight since February.

The Serbian had been a kingpin in the Palace side under Roy Hodgson, but new manager Vieira hasn’t taken a shine to the 31-year-old who will undoubtedly be keen to play more frequently next term, which looks like it will be away from Selhurst Park.

Palace fans will be gutted

Although it will be the best outcome for Milivojevic, Palace fans will certainly be sad to see an excellent servant leave.

Since his move from Olympiacos in January 2017, the midfielder has gone on to make 176 appearances for the Eagles, scoring 28 goals and registering six assists.

Moreover, the Serbia international is still regarded as the club’s captain, taking the armband this season whenever he has started.

However, a departure for the 31-year-old would surely be a mini-disaster as it would leave the Palace midfield incredibly light and would certainly require Vieira to dip into the transfer market to sign at least one quality central midfielder.

With Conor Gallagher set to return to Chelsea upon the conclusion of his loan deal whilst James McArthur and Cheikhou Kouyate’s contracts are set to expire, only 27-year-old Will Hughes will be left.

The French manager has already demonstrated how he wants to integrate fresh, young talent into what was an ageing Palace squad with the likes of Michael Olise, Odsonne Edouard and Gallagher all joining last summer.

Now, it appears as though the same sort of makeover will occur in the midfielder, with Miliojevic a victim of that.

Despite limited playing time this season, the Serbian will be regarded highly at Selhurst Park and supporters will be gutted to see him leave.

AND in other news: Imagine him and Olise: CPFC must swoop for £13.5m-rated wizard, Vieira would adore him

Manchester United are a club famed for their production of young talent, boasting a remarkable history in that regard which stretches back to the lauded Class of ’92 and, of course, the Busby Babes.

In more recent times, the likes of Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay are just two of those to have bridged the gap from youth prospect to senior star, with it seemingly engrained in the fabric of the club to try and promote from within.

New manager Erik ten Hag is certainly familiar with that approach, having assembled a hugely impressive young side at his former club Ajax, managing to combine that focus on youth with both domestic success and strong showings in Europe.

While it is still early days in the Dutchman’s tenure, the 52-year-old has already showcased a willingness to give a chance to those in the youth setup, notably handing minutes to teenage starlet Alejandro Garnacho, as well as giving striker Charlie McNeill his first taste of senior action in the recent defeat to Real Sociedad.

One young man who could well be the next academy asset to force his way into United’s first-team reckoning is 17-year-old Kobbie Mainoo, with the exciting midfielder having been training with Cristiano Ronaldo and the like ahead of that clash against the La Liga club.

While the Stockport-born gem was unable to secure a place in the matchday squad for that Europa League encounter at Old Trafford, it would seem that he is already creeping into the new manager’s thoughts, having sparkled at youth level in recent times.

The highly-rated menace was notably part of the United side which claimed FA Youth Cup glory for the first time since 2011 in May, with that previous batch of winners having included the likes of Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Ravel Morrison.

While it was young Garnacho stealing the headlines with his goalscoring exploits in attack – scoring twice in the showpiece triumph over Nottingham Forest –  it was Mainoo holding things together at the base of the midfield, with the pair tipped to be the “future” of the club by journalist Rhys Jones.

The “dominant” youngster – as previously lauded by Samuel Luckhurst – more recently impressed in the under-21s’ Papa John’s Trophy victory over Carlisle United, with the imposing midfielder showcasing his array of talent in what was a truly magnificent and confident performance.

Fresh from signing his first professional contract just a few months earlier, the teenager caught the eye at Brunton Park with his composed display in the middle of the park, so often breezing past the opposition in a manner which belied his tender years.

At a time when the Red Devils are somewhat smarting after missing out on summer target Frenkie de Jong, Ten Hag could well help to save the Glazers millions by turning to another progressive and forward-thinking midfield asset in Mainoo.

Also, which bowlers have the most caught-and-bowled dismissals in each format?

Steven Lynch06-Aug-2019What is the most runs in an Ashes Test by a player who finished on the losing side? asked Connor Davidson from Australia
The Ashes record is held by the England opener Herbert Sutcliffe, who scored 303 runs – 176 and 127 – in a seven-day Test in Melbourne in 1924-25. Next comes Paul Collingwood, with 228 (206 and 22 not out) for England in Adelaide in 2006-07. The record for Australia is 219, by Stan McCabe (187 not out and 32) in Sydney during the Bodyline series in 1932-33.In all Tests, the table is headed by Brian Lara, who amassed 351 runs – 221 and 130 – against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2001-02, but his side still ended up losing by ten wickets. Lara actually scored 688 runs in that three-match series, but West Indies still managed to lose it 3-0.When was the last time England’s openers in an Ashes Test both came from the same county? asked Jamie Richardson from England
Before the Surrey pair of Rory Burns and Jason Roy at Edgbaston in 2019, the last time England fielded openers from the same county in the Ashes was at The Oval in 1989,when Graham Gooch went in first with his Essex team-mate John Stephenson, who was winning his only cap.The last time it happened in any Test for England was against West Indies at The Oval in 1995, when Michael Atherton opened with his Lancashire colleague Jason Gallian. In the second innings of the previous Test, at Trent Bridge, Atherton opened with another Lancastrian, John Crawley.England’s new-ball pair bowled Ireland out at Lord’s, with no one else needed. How often has this happened in the fourth innings of a Test? asked Arshad Zaidi from Norway
Rather surprisingly, perhaps, England’s feat at Lord’s – when Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes demolished Ireland for 38 – was only the third time the opening pair bowled unchanged in the fourth innings of a match, and won it. The other two instances were both in the 19th century: in Cape Town in 1898-99, Schofield Haigh and Albert Trott bowled South Africa out for 35, while at Lord’s in 1888, the Australians Charles Turner and Jack Ferris knocked England over for 62, in 47 four-ball overs.Chris Woakes took six wickets and Stuart Broad four to wipe Ireland out in the second innings for 38, only the third time opening bowlers have taken all the wickets in the fourth innings of a Test•Getty ImagesHas a country ever changed all 11 players in successive Tests in the same series? asked Mohammad Makfi from India
This has only happened once mid-series, back in the 1884-85 Ashes. After England won the first Test in Adelaide, the Australian XI demanded a half-share of the gate money for the remaining matches. This was refused – they might have got a better reception if they’d won! – and an entirely new side was selected for the second match, in Melbourne: not surprisingly, England won by ten wickets to go two up (they eventually took the series 3-2). Most of the “strikers” returned for the third Test, which Australia won.Something similar happened in 2009, when West Indies’ side for the first Test against Bangladesh in St Vincent showed 11 changes from the one which had taken on England at Chester-le-Street two months previously, as a result of a dispute between the players and the board – but that wasn’t the same series.Which bowlers have the most caught-and-bowled dismissals in each format? asked Nilanjan Banerjee from India
In Test cricket there’s a tie at the top: Muttiah Muralitharan and Anil Kumble both took 35 return catches. They are well clear of Shane Warne and Daniel Vettori, who are next with 21. Murali also leads the way in one-day internationals, with 34, five ahead of New Zealand’s Chris Harris. And in T20Is, the Afghanistan offspinner Mohammad Nabi has seven caught-and-bowleds, one more than Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez.Use our feedback form or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Dane van Niekerk had talked up South Africa’s pace bowlers coming into this tournament. You couldn’t fault her assessment after their demolition job against West Indies

Firdose Moonda in Leicester02-Jul-20172:34

‘Couldn’t have asked for anything better’ – van Niekerk

Dane van Niekerk did not need to see West Indies reduced 16 for 5 to know she had the most destructive opening pair in the women’s game. She knew that weeks ago.Pre-tournament van Niekerk proudly called her attack “the best in the world.” She promised Shabnim Ismail and Marizanne Kapp would supply a formidable combination of speed and swing, the kind South African teams are known for. She warned opposition line-ups they would not know how to handle them. She didn’t say anything about herself.In fact, van Niekerk’s prediction was that the “spin to win” mantra of women’s cricket would be forced into a supporting role in English conditions. She spoke about needing to adjust lines and lengths, changing mindsets to become more containing and allowing the quicks to come to the fore.But glance at the scorecard of this match again, blink once or twice to make sure of what you are seeing, and you won’t be able to miss which figures stand out. Beyond the 48 West Indies totalled, the ten single-digit scores on their batting card, Ismail’s 2 for 16 and Kapp’s 4 for 14, there is van Niekerk’s match analysis: 3.2-3-0-4.She is the only bowler in the world, male or female, to take four wickets without conceding a run in internationals, and she admitted she was both stoked and stunned by the returns. “Not to sound naive, but the ball’s not coming out great. I don’t know what happened. I can’t tell you what happened. I can’t even tell you I bowled to a plan — I was just hoping to land it, to be honest,” she said afterwards. “I bowled so many full tosses in the nets, I was just thinking, ‘Don’t bowl a full toss’. I guess they just missed the balls. I can’t say I bowled to a plan. I’m going to lie if I said that I did. I’m just glad I pitched the ball.”Eye-catching as her numbers are, especially against the backdrop of the tough training she had the day before, let’s not be, in van Niekerk’s words, “naive” about the impact she had on the game. By the time she brought herself on, West Indies had already lost.They were defeated by South Africa’s opening pair who had just the right amount of grass on the pitch and just the right amount of warmth and moisture in the air to be at their very best. They made their opposition look worse that what they really were.”I looked at the dismissals and the way the ball moved and any batter in the world would probably struggle,” van Niekerk said. “Shubby was nipping them back, and Kappi was swinging the ball miles – we know when they are on song that is what happens. They’re going to trouble most of the best batters in the world.”West Indies will have to question their shot selection, which started off merely lacking in defence, and then degenerated into complete carelessness. By the time van Niekerk was brought on, the sweep and the hoick were being employed, as though even the batsmen wanted the innings over as quickly as possible. Though Hayley Mathews insisted the problem does not go any deeper than “lack of execution”, the side that strode to World T20 victory last year seem to be down on confidence.South Africa are the complete opposite. “It’s surreal. If I could script it, I couldn’t script it any better. We had our plans coming into the game and, umm, they worked,” van Niekerk said. “To the tee. Our opening bowlers are world-class.”Though they have yet to come up against three of the top four teams at this event – Australia, England and India – and had a washout against New Zealand, South Africa’s dominance over higher-ranked West Indies went some way to justifying van Niekerk’s claim about their potential. The real proof is still to come with the matches they have left in the pool stage, starting with England on Wednesday.South Africa know it and so they chose to prepare almost immediately. Instead of allowing themselves an afternoon off, they decided to use the time they had gained to train. Ayabonga Khaka, for one, wanted to bowl six complete overs before leaving Grace Road. “The last thing we want to do is sit in the changeroom, have a drink and put our feet up,” van Niekerk said.Really? “Well, we came here to win a World Cup. That’s our goal.”