One of Australia’s most familiar cricket curators, Kevin Mitchell Jr, will retire after this year’s Ashes Test in November.

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-2017One of Australia’s most familiar cricket curators, Kevin Mitchell Jr, will retire after this year’s Ashes Test in November.Mitchell’s departure marks the second retirement of an Australian Test curator this winter, after Tom Parker announced in June that he was stepping down after 20 years of preparing the SCG’s pitches.Mitchell has been in charge of the Gabba playing surface for 27 years, having started as assistant curator under his father and predecessor, Kevin Mitchell Sr, in 1984.”In the ’80s we had the really good West Indies teams touring with the likes of Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards and the big four fast bowlers and that was an eye-opener for me, I thought what a great place to work,” Mitchell told the . “Then in 1995 we won our first Sheffield Shield final and that was really game-changing for Queensland cricket.”The Gabba pitch has typically been regarded as one of the best in Australia, offering seam movement and spin, but also opportunities for big totals. The ground has been nicknamed the “Gabbatoir” for Australia’s dominance in Test cricket at the venue in recent decades: the last team to beat Australia in a Gabba Test was West Indies in 1988. Only two of the past 13 Tests at the ground have been drawn.”Kevvie Mitchell has meant so much to the Gabba and his work on the playing surface has really been instrumental in a lot of our success as a venue,” Gabba manager Blair Conaghan said.”It’s been a fantastic journey for him, from the days when it included the old greyhound track to its transformation into the more modern facility it is today and to consistently deliver over such a long period of time is an incredible achievement.”

The PCB’s new Board of Governors (BoG) has picked the Prime Minister of Pakistan’s direct nominee Najam Sethi as board chairman for the next three years. Sethi was unanimously elected from within the 10-member BoG as no other member of the BoG filed nomination papers for the post.Sethi’s chances of taking over as chairman were very high after he was named on the PCB’s BoG on July 8 by the then Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif – who was later disqualified by the country’s Supreme Court – as one of two direct nominees along with Ariff Ejaz, a prominent corporate figure. According to the PCB constitution, the chairman has to be elected from among those persons on the BoG.

Members present at the BoG meeting where Sethi was elected

Najam Sethi, Ariff Ejaz, Muzamil Hussain (WAPDA), Nauman Dar (HBL), Miftah Ismail (Sui Southern Gas), Mansoor Masood Khan (UBL), Murad Ismail (Quetta), Muhammad Numan Butt (Sialkot), Nadeem Ahmed (Lahore), Amjad Ali Khan (IPC, non-voting member). The FATA representative was not present at the meeting.

The previous three-year tenure ended when chairman Shaharyar Khan resigned, aged 83, citing personal and health reasons. Ejaz will be his replacement on the BoG, with representatives from the Lahore regions, Quetta, Sialkot, FATA, Peshawar, Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Among the other four members, Water and Power Development Authority and United Bank Limited will retain their seats while Habib Bank Limited and Sui Southern Gas Company Limited have replaced Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited and National Bank of Pakistan.”I want to thank the new board of governors who have elected me unanimously today,” Sethi said, after being elected. “It’s a big responsibility on me and with their cooperation we will move forward. Secondly, I want to thank Shaharyar Khan also. It was a very good journey along with him. Lots of people thought there will be a gulf between us, but it never happened and he was a gracious and wonderful man to work with.”There are challenges but the main target is to make domestic cricket much stronger and keep tapping into the talent. The other major issue is that our all hard work will go in vain if we are not able to bring international cricket back to the country. Moreover, I am disappointed with [Pakistan’s progress in] women’s cricket. There are few good ideas and we will look to implement some reforms. We have done a lot of work and doing much more to make this possible .. lots of people are disappointed and I request them to show some patience. There are security issues. One day we decide that a team will come and then something happens. Over the next 2-3 months you will hear some good announcements.”This is Sethi’s second term in charge after the long battle over the leadership of the PCB between Zaka Ashraf and Sethi, which ended in May 2014; there had been multiple leadership changes in the PCB, after Ashraf became the first elected PCB chairman in May 2013.The Islamabad High Court termed those elections “dubious”, and Sethi was put in charge by the government. Ashraf and Sethi were then alternately reappointed and sacked from the post several times, before Sethi eventually filed a written statement before the court that he will not contest elections for the chairman’s post.Sethi, however, remained on the PCB’s BoG and head of the Executive Committee (ExCo) to control cricket affairs in Pakistan. In that period, Sethi was involved in the day-to-day functioning of the PCB and became an influential board member with signing authority. Although the PCB did not reveal the ExCo’s functions, it is understood that the committee holds significant influence in the board.Apart from the ExCo, five other committees – cricket, domestic, HR, Audit, Game Development – were formed with the previous BoG members dissolved with immediate effect. The new committees will be formed with newly inducted members on the Board in due course though Sethi confirmed that the ExCo would disband once and for all during his term as chairman.The entire national coaching staff will remain in charge, he said, with physiotherapist Shaun Hayes the only member whose contract will not be renewed. He will be released with the PCB paying him his salary for the remaining three months of his current contract. The national selection committee led by Inzamam ul Haq will stay in place along with National Cricket Academy director Mudassar Nazar.Sethi, 69, a former caretaker chief minister of Punjab, comes from a journalism background. He has also been a driving force behind the Pakistan Super League.

Tottenham Hotspur deciding to sign Clement Lenglet on a permanent basis from Barcelona could enable Ange Postecoglou to make two more defensive additions due to the Frenchman being 'good value' for money, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Although, he does state the names of two potential top-end signings Spurs could make.

Will Clement Lenglet join Tottenham Hotspur permanently?

According to Sport via Sport Witness, Barcelona are willing to accept a low fee for Lenglet as they try to get his £145k-a-week pay packet off the books this summer and an offer of €5 million (£4.29 million) from Tottenham has been floated by the outlet.

Nevertheless, Mundo Deportivo transcribed by Sport Witness claim that Lenglet is training by himself at the Catalan giants. However, any deal to take the 28-year-old back to north London is 'not even close', which contradicts information from other publications.

Barcelona boss Xavi doesn't see a place for Lenglet in his plans and he will be left out of their tour of the USA and instead train back home with staff at the club.

Last term, Lenglet turned out on 35 occasions for Tottenham in all competitions, registering one goal and two assists in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Spurs are also mulling over alternative defensive targets this off-season and Fulham star Tosin Adarabioyo is on the radar at Hotspur Way as a potential addition, according to The Evening Standard.

Bayer Leverkusen central defender Edmond Tapsoba and Wolfsburg youngster Micky van de Ven are two other names that have been heavily linked with a move to the Lilywhites in the last few weeks, as reported by various sources.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Jones thinks that Spurs signing Lenglet would be a financially prudent deal that could enable Postecoglou to add two more defenders to his player pool this summer, as well as naming who the two top-end signings could be.

Jones stated: “I wonder if Lenglet would be a third centre-back. Because of the terms of that one, I think it'd be such a good value signing that Tottenham could potentially be able to sign three defensive-minded players if he was one of them.

“Adarabioyo is one they’re looking at. He’s reasonably cheap as well. Van de Ven or Tapsoba is going to be the top-end signing.”

Who else could Tottenham Hotspur bring in this window?

Spurs have made positive inroads in the transfer market so far under Postecoglou's leadership and have confirmed the signings of James Maddison, Manor Solomon and Guglielmo Vicario, alongside finalizing permanent deals for Dejan Kulusevski and Pedro Porro, as per Transfermarkt.

In a surprise twist, FootballTransfers have claimed that Tottenham could look to make a surprise move for Brentford strike Ivan Toney in the January window as a potential replacement for Harry Kane, who faces an uncertain future in N17.

The Sun report that Tottenham are keen on striking a deal for Crystal Palace defender Joachim Andersen, though the Eagle are likely to demand around £50 million for the Denmark international.

Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher has emerged as a shock target for Tottenham this summer amid competition from Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Crystal Palace for his signature, according to talkSPORT.

In the next few weeks, more arrivals will be expected at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Postecoglou prepares for the new season by stamping his authority on his new side.

Newcastle United are preparing to extend upon their impressive progression seen at St James' Park over the last 12 months and Eddie Howe will be working hard to develop the best approach to their European challenge.

After finishing fourth in the Premier League last season, the Magpies have qualified for the Champions League for the first time in over two decades and the former Bournemouth boss will be hoping he can not only maintain their high standards set domestically, but compete comfortably on the European stage too.

Newcastle have already completed the signing of former AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali and ex-Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes, but Financial Fair Play restrictions mean they have had to part ways with Allan Saint-Maximin to bolster transfer funds to continue their pursuit to bolster key areas of the squad.

What's the latest on Tino Livramento?

The Tynesiders have been in a back-and-forth with Southampton to sign their young full-back Valentino Livramento this summer, however, they had their second bid rejected less than a week ago.

Saints value their player at £50m this summer, as they battle with Premier League sides to keep hold of their prized assets after being relegated to the Championship at the end of last season.

talkSPORT reported last week that Newcastle had offered £30m in their second attempt to secure Livramento's signature, but have failed to meet the demands set with Southampton unwilling to budge on their valuation.

As a result, Newcastle could now look to another target to fulfil their desire to snap up the services of another full-back this summer, with Galatasaray's Sacha Boey named as a potential alternative, according to Turkish news outlet Aksam.

It is further claimed that despite not wanting to sell their young talent, the Super Lig champions would part ways with their player for €25m (£22m) – less than half of the price tag Southampton have tied to Livramento.

Who is Sacha Boey?

The 22-year-old – hailed "tireless" by Turkish writer Çetin Cem Yılmaz – rose through the ranks of the Stade Rennais academy before making a permanent move to Galatasaray in 2021 and has also been a consistent feature in the France U21s so far.

Since making his move to the Turkish top-flight, Boey has been linked to Premier League clubs with Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool all previously credited with interest in the full-back over the last six months due to his outstanding performances.

Over 31 Super Lig appearances last season, the Galatasaray dynamo scored one goal, registered four assists and created eight big chances, as well as averaging 1.1 successful dribbles to outline his attacking attributes.

In making 2.1 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and winning a whopping 6.9 duels per game, it proves that he is also defensively solid.

Not only that, Boey was the fifth-highest ranking player in his squad last season with a SofaScore rating of 7.14, which only further demonstrates his impact and the revelation he has become over his short time in Turkey.

Whilst Livramento is a homegrown prospect, his recent return from a long-term ACL injury is cause for concern ahead of next season, with no clarity on whether he will be fit enough to play even in rotation, let alone first-team football, whereas Boey has a relatively clean recent injury history with just two games missed since December 2021.

With that being said, Boey could be a great alternative for Livramento if the club cannot meet Southampton's valuation this summer and would provide Howe with an all-action full-back who would be a worthy successor to Kieran Trippier in the future.

An update has emerged on Leicester City's search for further reinforcements ahead of their 2023/24 Championship campaign, which kicks off against Coventry City this weekend.

What's the latest Leicester City transfer news?

According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Foxes are keen on a deal to sign Chelsea central midfielder Cesare Casadei on loan this summer.

The reporter has stated that the club have requested to sign the Italy U21 international on a temporary basis, as the approach has been backed by manager Enzo Maresca.

However, Romano has claimed that the Premier League side would like to test him in the top-flight but Mauricio Pochettino has not made a final decision on the player's future as of yet.

"Understand Leicester City are insisting to sign Cesare Casadei on loan — new request has been made as Italian coach Enzo Maresca wants Cesare," he tweeted. "Chelsea original plan has always been for Premier League loan; Maresca can be key factor in this deal. No final decision yet."

How good is Cesare Casadei?

Leicester would be taking a gamble on how good the 20-year-old maestro is as he is an inexperienced player who is yet to prove himself on a consistent basis at a first-team level.

However, the 6 foot 1 dynamo's impressive academy form over the years suggests that the potential is there for him to be Youri Tielemans 2.0 for the Foxes if the talented youngster can enjoy a breakthrough year this season.

Casadei, who played 15 Championship matches on loan to Reading last term, joined Chelsea from Inter in 2022 and plundered five goals in 13 appearances for their U21 side during the 2022/23 campaign.

That came after he produced an eye-catching 17 goals and five assists across 40 matches for Inter's academy throughout the previous season.

​​​​​​​These statistics suggest that the potential is there for Casadei to offer a huge goal threat from a number eight position, as Tielemans did for Leicester during his time at the King Power.

The Belgian wizard scored 21 goals in 151 Premier League matches for the club and enjoyed two seasons with six top-flight strikes before his move to Aston Villa this summer.

No other Leicester midfielder managed more than two league goals last season and this suggests that Maresca is not blessed with a plethora of goalscoring options in that role.

Tielemans, whose most famous goal came in the 2021 FA Cup final against Chelsea, has left a significant hole in the team in that regard and Casadei could be the man to fill it.

The Blues youngster enjoyed a stunning U20 World Cup with Italy this summer and would arrive at the club full of confidence and ready to take the next step in his career.

He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.73, which is higher than any Foxes player managed last term in the Premier League, across seven matches as the exciting hotshot scored an outstanding seven goals and created 1.3 chances per game for his teammates.

Casadei also showcased his defensive capabilities with 2.3 tackles and interceptions per match for Italy, although Tielemans managed three per outing for Leicester last term and that could be an area for the Italian talent to develop.

The Chelsea prodigy, who Italy coordinator Maurizio Viscidi described as "unusual" due to his strength in the air, is a work in progress but his form for club and country at youth level suggests that the potential is there for him to be a superb signing for Leicester as a replacement for the now-Villa ace.

Arsenal have been dealt a sizeable blow in their preparations for the new Premier League season, with manager Mikel Arteta set to have to make do without centre-forward star, Gabriel Jesus in the early knockings of the campaign.

Following what has been a largely positive summer for the Gunners thus far – with the likes of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber having all been brought to the club – the loss of the Brazilian will be an unwanted headache for the former Manchester City assistant.

What's the latest on Gabriel Jesus' injury?

As confirmed by Arteta, the 26-year-old is set to be out of action for "a few weeks" after recently undergoing knee surgery, with the ex-City striker having seemingly been impacted by the same issue which kept him on the sidelines for much of the second half of the season.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

While not a "major" concern – in the words of the Gunners boss – it will be of real frustration to have to make do without the 59-cap international yet again, with Jesus having already missed 15 games during his debut season at the club last time out.

Who will replace Gabriel Jesus?

The question now will be as to just how Arteta will go about dealing with the loss of the 5 foot 9 sensation, with the Emirates outfit forced to fill the void of a player who scored 11 goals and contributed seven assists in just 26 league outings in 2022/23.

The obvious choice for the role would be Jesus' usual understudy, Eddie Nketiah, although the Englishman was hardly prolific when given an extended run in the side, having scored just four goals in 30 league games last season.

Equally, while exciting prospect Folarin Balogun – who scored 21 Ligue 1 goals last season while on loan at Reims – is currently part of the first-team squad, Arteta appeared to hint that the 22-year-old's future won't be impacted by the injury to Jesus, with a move away from the club looking likely.

Suitors appear to be lining up to land the United States international – who has been valued at around £50m by the Arsenal hierarchy – hence ensuring that the club may need to look elsewhere to find someone else to lead the line in Jesus' absence.

One perhaps left-field option could well be that of 19-year-old academy star, Khayon Edwards, with the teenage marksman having proven rather prolific in the youth set-up of late.

Who is Khayon Edwards?

The £5k-per-week starlet is yet to make a competitive senior appearance for the Gunners to date, although he was previously drafted into the first-team squad by Arteta last season after being named on the bench for two Europa League group stage ties.

That promotion had no doubt been deserved as the Hale End gem boasts a tally of 23 goals and nine assists in just 41 games for the U18s, while also making a promising start to life at a higher age group with five goals in 21 games for the U21 side.

Described as "deadly" in front of goal in the past by football.london's Kaya Kaynak, Arsenal's official website also states that the local lad is 'a hard-working, natural goalscorer with pace to burn'.

That work ethic could well make Edwards a dream replacement for Jesus through the middle, with the one-time Palmeiras ace also rather relentless when leading the line, ranking in the top 3% for tackles and the top 9% for interceptions made per 90 among his European peers.

Equally, much like the latter man is able to bring others into play – as he ranks in the top 6% for assists – Edwards also seems to possess that creative prowess, with the club's official website writing that: 'Khayon also showed he was able to play deeper as a No. 10, impressing with his link-up play.'

Those shared traits between the Englishman and the Brazilian would indicate that if handed the chance, young Edwards could certainly have a good crack at filling the shoes of the stricken Jesus.

Morne Morkel produced a searing opening burst to carve up Bangladesh’s top order and severely dent their chances of saving the first Test in Potchefstroom

The Report by Mohammad Isam01-Oct-2017
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAFPMorne Morkel produced a searing opening burst to carve up Bangladesh’s top order and severely dent their chances of saving the first Test in Potchefstroom. By tea on the fourth day, Bangladesh had been reduced to 49 for 3, leaving them still requiring an improbable 375 runs to get with four sessions left in the Test. They were saved from batting out some of that time, with the light deteriorating and rain forcing the covers to come on shortly after the break. It refused to let up, washing out the final session and forcing an early stumps.Morkel, however, walked off the field towards the end of the session, and it was later confirmed that he had suffered a side strain which could leave him unlikely to bowl further in the innings. He will be sent for scans on Monday morning.For as long as he was on the field, though, Morkel troubled Bangladesh, getting the new ball to prodigiously swing around. In his first over, he flattened Tamim Iqbal’s off stump by angling one in from wide of the crease. Two balls later, he found movement in the air and pinged the pad of Mominul Haque, who chose not to review the decision despite replays later showing that the ball would have comfortably missed leg stump.Bangladesh’s only consolation is that they still have Mushfiqur Rahim, one of their most experienced batsmen, at the crease, unbeaten on 16. But even that was down to South Africa’s own undoing: Morkel drew the Bangladesh captain forward and burst through the defences but replays indicated that he had oversteppedThree overs after that, Imrul Kayes was thrown a lifeline when Kagiso Rabada swung one across the left-hander and made him reach out to send an outside edge to Faf du Plessis, who put down a regulation catch at second slip. Kayes continued to stand on shaky ground, taking on short balls and getting away often despite timing his shots poorly. Along with Mushfiqur, the two just seemed to be getting a partnership going, but Maharaj broke through before the association could translate into a meaningful recovery.Maharaj had varied his lengths with the first two deliveries of the over, first getting a length ball to kick up off the rough and then drawing Kayes forward with a fuller one. The follow-up was on an in-between length that left Imrul in two minds as he withdrew his bat late to edge to Quinton de Kock behind the stumps.Earlier in the day, South Africa took rapid strides towards establishing a big lead, adding 193 runs to their overnight 54 for 2 in just 241 balls. Du Plessis and Temba Bavuma did the bulk of the scoring, putting together 142 for the fourth wicket. They came together after Hashim Amla edged behind an offcutter from Mustafizur and pushed up the run-rate, punching 149 runs at 5.12 per over in the morning session as Bangladesh’s bowlers created minimal impact.Du Plessis zoomed to a 100-ball 81, while Bavuma benefitted from a reprieve on 8 and ran up 71 off 107 balls. They got out either side of a 48-minute rain break; du Plessis leg-before to Mominul after being beaten on the sweep and Bavuma to a brilliant leg-side catch by Liton Das, who moved before the batsman had even made contact with the ball. Mominul then struck for a third time when he removed Quinton de Kock, courtesy a smart stumping by Liton.

تأهل الفريق الأول لكرة الطائرة بنادي الزمالك “رجال”، إلى نهائي كأس مصر للموسم الحالي، عقب فوزه على طلائع الجيش، اليوم السبت.

والتقي الزمالك مع طلائع الجيش، ضمن منافسات الدور نصف النهائي لبطولة كأس مصر، ذلك بالعاصمة الإدارية.

وحقق فريق طائرة الزمالك الفوز على طلائع الجيش، بنتيجة 3-2، ليتأهل إلي نهائي كأس مصر وينتظر الفائز من مباراة الأهلي وبتروجيت.

طالع | الزمالك يهزم دجلة ويتوّج ببرونزية كأس مصر لكرة الطائرة “سيدات”

وجاءت نتائج أشواط مباراة الزمالك وطلائع الجيش، كالتالي:- 25 -17، 25 -21، 25 -22، 25 21، 15 -11.

من المقرر، أن يواجه “طائرة الزمالك” الفائز من الأهلي وبتروجيت، في المباراة النهائية لمسابقة كأس مصر، غداً الأحد.

ويضم الجهاز الفني لطائرة الزمالك كل من، “سيدني لوتشيانو بابكي مديراً فنياً، محمد عبد المنعم مدرباً عاماً، محمد علي مدربًا، أحمد سعودي طبيباً، أحمد شعلان مديراً إدارياً، حسن عبدالرازق إدارياً.

Jason Holder, West Indies’ captain, has challenged his players to “look themselves in the mirror” and find a way to fight back into the series after crushing defeat at Edgbaston

Andrew Miller at Edgbaston19-Aug-2017Jason Holder, West Indies’ captain, has challenged his players to “look themselves in the mirror” and find a way to fight back into the series, after being dealt a humiliating innings-and-209-run defeat in the first Investec Test at Edgbaston.West Indies lost 19 wickets in a single day, six of them in the final session under the floodlights, to lose a historic pink-ball contest inside three days, and now they face a massive challenge to recover their poise ahead of Friday’s second Test at Headingley.”It’s obviously very disappointing, we didn’t show enough fight,” Holder said after the match. “We were totally outplayed.”We’ve got to just believe, we have a few days off now, we have to use them wisely. We’ll sit and talk, and formulate some plans about how we are going to go, but it’s not impossible [to come back]. It’s just one game, the series is not lost, we have believe, regroup, and come back strongly.”Holder’s troubles, however, extend across every facet of West Indies’ game. Neither of their innings totals (168 and 137) came close to matching the individual contribution of England’s top-scorer, Alastair Cook (243), while Stuart Broad’s feat of overtaking Ian Botham’s Test wickets tally of 383 underlined the yawning gulf in experience between England and their opponents.”There’s inexperience in the side but we have to be professional and get over that,” said Holder. “I thought we were in the game for a session, but Cook and [Joe] Root put on a really good partnership and we were struggling in the end. We’re a young side with nothing to lose, we just have to believe and come back strongly.”The early finish to the Test does at least give West Indies the best part of a week to get over such a bruising defeat, but while Holder said that the coaching staff would do their best to formulate some plans to stage a comeback, it was up to the individual players to raise their games.”We can’t dwell on it, we have to critique each performance of each player, and look at ways we can move forward. But each player has to look himself in the mirror and see where they can improve.”West Indies lost 19 wickets on a day of abject batting at Edgbaston•Getty Images

Holder, whose own performance was well below the spirited standards that he has so far set in his Test career, singled out the efforts of Jermaine Blackwood and Kemar Roach for particular praise. Blackwood, who made a century against England in their last Test series in the Caribbean in 2015, top-scored with 79 not out in the first innings, having been recalled to the team for the first time since last year’s tour of the UAE.And Roach, whose first-morning extraction of Mark Stoneman was as good a delivery as was bowled all match, fought a lone battle to lift the standards of a seam attack that could yet be reinforced by a recall for Shannon Gabriel at Headingley next week.”I was really appreciative of the way Blackwood played,” Holder said. “He was his normal self after coming back into Test cricket. I want to keep encouraging him to be selective but play his natural game. And I thought Kemar Roach toiled and bowled well, he gave a tremendous effort every time I called on him.””Not an easy job but it’s not impossible,” he said of captaining West Indies. “We’ve got to stay in the game and stay in the fight. Only a couple of Tests ago, England were beaten by South Africa, and we’ve competed really well in the last few Tests we’ve played. We beat Pakistan [at Sharjah in 2016], and they beat England here last year. So it’s important for us to stay with it, and come back strongly.”

West Ham United have been handed a boost in their efforts to sign Jonathan Tah this summer, with Kicker, via TeamTalk reporting that the defender wants to leave Bayer Leverkusen this summer.

What is the latest West Ham transfer news?

The Hammers may be heading into this season off the back of a Europa Conference League success, but with more European football looming and other Premier League outfits recruiting, they may need to act fast to add some more fresh faces to their squad. They are actually yet to make a single addition to their team over the course of the transfer window thus far, although that hasn't stopped them from being linked with a host of different names.

For starters, it looks like a deal is edging closer to send Scott McTominay to the club from Manchester United. The midfielder has himself been linked with a number of different sides this summer, but it appears that the Hammers are currently in the driving seat to land the Scot.

Discussions have reportedly been held over a transfer and how much he could potentially cost, with the Red Devils wanting "big bids" to even consider a sale. The same applies to Harry Maguire, another member of that United squad who has been on the wishlist of West Ham.

Are West Ham signing Jonathan Tah?

Maguire isn't the only defender the Hammers have been tailing either. They've also kept a close eye on Tah at Bayer Leverkusen, with the Premier League outfit asking about his availability earlier on in the window. Having made that initial contact towards the beginning of the summer – and been quoted his release clause of 18 million Euros (£15m) – there is now an update on the defender's situation in Germany.

According to Kicker, via TeamTalk, Tah has admitted he is "open" to a potential deal away and wants out of his club this summer, although he is also "aware" and content enough with his current situation in Leverkusen.

However, he could not hide his interest in perhaps securing a switch to England and the Premier League, as he also added that it has "always been his goal" to play in the top flight. With the Hammers having expressed this previous interest in his services then, they would provide a pathway for the centre-back to make his dream move into the division – and it might give them a bit of a boost in terms of luring him to club this transfer window.

If the Hammers did manage to sign him, then they would be getting a player who has often proved a reliable presence at the back and someone that has a lot of experience under his belt to boot. Tah, lauded as "excellent" by journalist Josh Bunting, has ten seasons of Bundesliga action to draw upon, having featured in a whopping 243 league games in total in that division.

However, he has never played away from Germany over the course of his career – and this summer could be the time he finally branches out and heads to England with West Ham.