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Speaking to West Ham Zone, former Irons striker Frank McAvennie has been left thrilled by a transfer update involving Paris-Saint Germain star Georginio Wijnaldum.

The Lowdown: West Ham gifted Wijnaldum chance…

As per 90min, a major transfer claim emerged last week with West Ham namedropped among the clubs who have refused to rule out signing the former Liverpool star on loan in January.

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Indeed, according to their sources, the Hammers and manager David Moyes have been approached by intermediaries and gifted the chance to sign Wijnaldum along with other Premier League clubs.

Despite just signing for PSG after leaving Anfield on a free transfer, it appears the Netherlands international could return to the Premier League as McAvennie shares an excited reaction.

The Latest: McAvennie thrilled…

Speaking to WHZ, the ex-West Ham frontman simply ‘can’t believe’ that they are being linked and goes on to say he would be a ‘great addition’ to the side.

McAvennie explained:

“He’s a big player, I just can’t believe West Ham are getting linked in the same breath as this boy because he’s a wonderful talent.

“If West Ham could get him he would be a great addition to the squad.

“I don’t know where he would play, with [Declan] Rice and [Tomas] Soucek in midfield. Maybe he would play Soucek’s role with Rice, or perhaps they could change to play a three in midfield.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

Signing Wijnaldum on a temporary deal with little cost to West Ham could be a shrewd move, with the only major cost being his reported £165,000–per-week wages.

The latter factor makes this a difficult move to pull off considering the club’s current highest earner, Kurt Zouma, is on around £120,000-per-week by comparison.

However, the 85-cap star would certainly add a degree of real quality going forward and may even come as an alternative to Jesse Lingard if West Ham can’t win the race with Newcastle.

He can play in the attacking midfield positions and has often proved deadly when called upon by Pochettino this season, netting two goals in the Champions League group stages.

There are certainly incentives to sign Wijnaldum, but the logistics of his salary could make it difficult.

In other news: ‘Pleeease’, ‘I would cry’…Many West Ham fans erupt with Moyes eyeing ‘quality signing’, find out more here.

Round-up of the first day of the seventh round of Division Two of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2010Khan Research Laboratories surprised table-toppers State Bank of Pakistan, bowling them out for 148 at the Khan Research Laboratory Ground in Rawalpindi. KRL seamer Yasir Arafat, who has played three Tests for Pakistan, took 5 for 53 – his 40th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket. Only five of SBP’s batsmen got to double figures. KRL, who are sixth in the table, 18 points behind SBP, finished the day at 78 for 2.Thirty points separate Abbottabad and Quetta in the table, and the gulf in class showed at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium where the visitors were all out for 215 on the first day. Abbottabad’s bowlers shared the wickets with left-arm seamer Armaghan Elahi taking three, and seamer Nabeeullah and left-arm spinner Khalid Usman taking two each. Quetta had lost both their openers with the score still on four. Captain Arun Lal’s 52 and Mohammad Aslam’s 49 offered some resistance, but the last four wickets fell for 12 to give Abbottabad a clear advantage.Karachi Whites hold the advantage in their match against Lahore Ravi after bowling them out for 206 on the first day at the Gaddafi Stadium. Karachi seamer Sohail Khan took his second consecutive six-wicket haul to break the spine of Lahore Ravi’s middle-order. Only four Lahore Ravi players reached double figures, with wicketkeeper Zeeshan Ali the only half centurion.Three wickets late in the day got Lahore Shalimar back into their match against Pakistan Television after a 112-run stand between Ammar Mahmood and Awais Zia had threatened to take the game away from them. After electing to bat at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground, Pakistan Television captain Raheel Majeed, who is the leading run-getter in Division Two this season, got them off to a solid start with his 30. Mahmood and Zia then piled on the runs with Zia reaching 75. But Lahore Shalimar seamer Aamer Hayat , who is third in the wicket-taker’s charts this season, helped his team restore some parity with three late strikes.An unbeaten century by Aqeel Anjum took Hyderabad to 310 for 7 on the first day against Peshawar at the Arbab Niaz Stadium. The two sides are stuck at second-last and third-last in the table and it was Hyderabad who took the honours on the first day. Opener Sharjeel Khan gave them a solid start with his 61. Anjum then struggled to find a partner willing to stay with him before left-arm spinner Kashif Bhatti stuck with him through a 92-run eighth-wicket stand. Offspinner Sajjad Ahmed took four wickets, but gave away 109 runs in his 28 overs.

A promising Newcastle transfer claim has been made, regarding the club’s attempts to land a defensive duo…

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports journalist Pete Graves has delivered updates on the Magpies’ efforts to sign Lucas Digne and Sven Botman this month.

He Tweeted: “Understand #nufc made superb offers for Botman and Digne. So far Lille determined to keep Botman while Digne remains unsure. Remember there’s still a long way to go in the window. Wood will be the second signing of the new regime. Buyout in region of £20m.”

Hope for Howe

This claim from Graves will surely give Eddie Howe hope heading into the next few weeks of the transfer window, with this Tweet leaving the door open on Botman.

The fact that the club made ‘superb’ offers for both players will also delight the fans, as it shows that PIF are not missing out through a lack of effort. They are working hard to reinforce the squad and address key areas, firmly putting their money where their mouth is.

Unfortunately, clubs now know that Newcastle are in a desperate position where they need to buy to help them avoid relegation to the Championship and this could lead to overinflated prices. Teams can raise their valuations by £5m-£10m or more because they know that the Magpies need to move quickly and will have to make decisive calls.

However, it does not appear as though the Botman deal is completely dead in the water just yet. This means that Howe can still hold hope for the Dutchman arriving at St. James’ Park this month, which will delight him as he could be an excellent addition to his squad.

The centre-back has averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.72 in Ligue 1 after managing a score of 6.99 in Ligue 1 last term. At the age of 22, he has been able to show strong levels of consistency and could have the potential to improve further over the years, which could make him a great signing for Newcastle in the short and long-term.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Wood: Romano drops big NUFC transfer claim that’ll infuriate Hammond…

Leeds United losing Charlie Cresswell would be a “huge blow”, according to podcaster and journalist Conor McGilligan…

What’s the word?

The 19-year-old defender was linked with a surprise exit from Elland Road earlier this week by The Sun’s Alan Nixon, who reported that Premier League giants Manchester United and Liverpool were interested in his signature.

He only made his first-team debut back in September and is currently out injured with a shoulder problem.

“It’s Charlie Cresswell. There’s a lot of noise at the minute, apparently, between Manchester United and Liverpool looking at Cresswell.

“Apparently, they’ve sent scouts down to look at the Leeds United youngster. And by God, wouldn’t this be a huge blow to Leeds United if this were to happen?,” he said to the One Leeds Fan Channel.

He later added: “I think he is a future captain. His physicality, his athleticism, his power is obviously going to attract that of the big clubs, naturally. But where will Charlie play more games? It’s going to be at Elland Road.”

Bielsa blow

The 6 foot 3 colossus came through the academy system in west Yorkshire and whilst he’s yet to truly cement a regular place in Marcelo Bielsa’s starting XI, he is certainly one for the long-term future.

His debut – a defeat to West Ham United – earned rave reviews as he largely dealt with the threat of a then in-form Michail Antonio.

Last year, Cresswell captained the U23s to Premier League 2 Division 2 glory, also earning a call-up to the England U21 squad, and after he signed a four-year professional deal in August, he explained more about his style to the Yorkshire Evening Post.

“I’m confident, I’m a leader, I like to play and I like to head it! There are lots of players in the first team that I look up to, the likes of Coops, Bill, they lead by example and that is what I want to try and follow,” he revealed.

During that loss to the Irons, Cresswell led the team for touches and passes, with Football Insider dubbing him a ‘pass master’ and he earned further praise from United presenter Joe Wainman, who said:

“These centre-backs that are not fit or are looking to come back into the side, they need to be worried, because that boy, for me, was unbelievable and I don’t think he should come out of the side. He’s a mainstay now, for me. I thought Cresswell was class, genuinely class.”

Losing a player of this calibre so early on in his Elland Road career would certainly be a bitter blow and a huge one at that, as McGilligan claims, too.

Bielsa and the club would surely be gutted as it would be hard to refuse a teenager the opportunity like this, especially if it’s one that hands the Yorkshiremen a hefty fee.

AND in other news, Beren Cross drops exciting Leeds United transfer update…

West Brom will need to pay a ‘substantial loan fee’ if they want to sign Orlando City striker Daryl Dike in January, according to journalist Luke Hatfield.

The Lowdown: Baggies linked with Dike move

The Baggies had to settle for a 0-0 draw away to Barnsley on Friday night as they dropped points in the Championship promotion race.

It could be that Valerien Ismael delves into the transfer market next month, and one player they have been mooted with potentially signing is Dike. The 21-year-old has scored three goals in eight caps for the USA, as well as netting 19 times in just 41 appearances for MLS side Orlando.

The Latest: Hatfield makes Dike claim

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Hatfield admitted that Dike wouldn’t come cheap if West Brom plan to bring him to The Hawthorns in the January transfer window.

The journalist claimed: “Dike’s not a cheap player to pick up. We saw that when he went to Barnsley. I mean, they paid a substantial loan fee to bring him in at Oakwell and Albion would have to do the same thing.”

The Verdict: Worth the money

Dike showed during a loan spell at Barnsley what a force he can be in the Championship, scoring nine goals in 19 matches in the division last term. For that reason, West Brom should take a punt on him next month, strengthening their attacking options as they look to make a swift return to the Premier League.

Only Karlan Grant (nine) has scored more than four goals for Albion in the league this term, so Dike could be the man to add more firepower at a key point in the campaign, having been hailed as ‘unbelievable’ by his former Barnsley manager Ismael in the past.

In other news, three Albion players struggled in the draw with Barnsley. Find out who they are here.

David Harker, chief executive at Durham, will step down from his role in May to pursue a private business venture.

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Dec-2012David Harker, chief executive at Durham, will step down from his role in May to pursue a private business venture. He will continue as a non-executive director.Harker has worked at Durham throughout their transformation from fledgling first-class county into one of the leading clubs in the country. He initially joined as a financial controller in 1991 and became chief executive in 1999.A local-born businessman, Harker has overseen the development, and rebranding, of Chester-le-Street into an international venue, securing a first Ashes Test next summer. Under Harker’s watch, Durham secured their first major trophy by winning the Friends Provident Trophy in 2007 and back-to-back County Championship titles in 2008 and 2009.But the lure of a new business venture has proved too good an opportunity for Harker to pass up. “I have enjoyed a fantastic 20 years with Durham,” he said. “The club has changed beyond recognition since I joined the team, and it’s a real honour to have played a part in the fantastic achievements made here.”But with the Ashes secured in 2013 – something we could once have scarcely imagined happening in Durham – and a very strong and committed management team now on board, I had been thinking that the coming year may be the one in which I looked for a new challenge.”Of course, whatever you achieve, there is always the temptation to stay on and reach the next goal and the next one after that – which explains why I have been here for such a long time – but it does feel like now is the time to step aside and pass on the reins to someone else.”Harker leaves considerable boots to fill and as such, Clive Leach, Durham chairman, said there will be no rush to find a replacement. “David has made a significant contribution to the club during the course of his career and we’ll now be taking stock and ensuring that we make the decision that is right for the long term future of the club.”We are very sorry to see David go,” Leach said. “He has been so good for the club and has helped to take it from the bottom – both as a business and sports team – to the top. Durham is now an organisation that is recognised on a national and international stage and this is, in no small part, down to the hard work of David and his management team.”

The cash-strapped Pakistan Cricket Board is exploring the possibility of playing its ‘home’ series in India, if the BCCI and the Indian government approve of it

Cricinfo staff14-Dec-2009The cash-strapped Pakistan Cricket Board is exploring the possibility of playing its ‘home’ series in India, if the BCCI and the Indian government approve of the notion. The PCB chairman Ijaz Butt has said that if the BCCI is willing to reschedule the tour of Pakistan, which was cancelled in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks last November, Pakistan won’t mind playing that series in India.”We are playing our ‘home’ Test series in New Zealand right now, we can plan a ‘home’ Test series in India as well, provided the Indians show interest,” Butt told PTI. “If India is willing to reschedule that series or part of that series in India, it is something we would like to discuss with them. We just need to find a window next year for such a series which would I am sure be a big draw.”The BCCI, however, has ruled out a resumption of bilateral matches with Pakistan in the near future because of India’s packed schedule for 2010. It added that it will take a call on the issue only late next year, provided the government gives the go-ahead. The PCB is looking for ways to recover the US$47 million loss from the cancelled series against India, and has already reached an agreement with the ECB to play a two-Test series against Australia in England next summer.”We are definitely keen on playing a bilateral series with India as soon as possible and it is something we have been discussing at all levels with our government, with their board officials and with the ICC,” Butt said.The PCB has been hit by several pull-outs over the last couple of years, due to security fears and the unstable political climate. It hit its biggest crisis back in March when the Sri Lankan team was caught in the middle of the Lahore attacks, an event which led to Pakistan being stripped of all its World Cup matches for 2011.Their players weren’t allowed to take part in the 2009 IPL and the uncertainty over their participation in 2010 continues. Non-contracted players are eligible for the auction, but those who had their contracts suspended by the franchises can play only if their owners decide to drop other foreign players to accommodate them.

Plays of the day from Bangladesh v England, 2nd Test, Dhaka, 1st day

Andrew Miller in Dhaka20-Mar-2010Innings of the day
Tamim Iqbal’s onslaught was a cut above everything else that occurred on the first day. A cut, and a drive, and a mow through midwicket for that matter. He needed a touch of luck to get going as two of his first three fours were edges, but once he’d decided that today was his day, there was nothing that England could do to dissuade him. In particular, he treated England’s new world No. 2 bowler, Graeme Swann, with utter contempt, beasting him for three fours and a six from consecutive deliveries to hurtle along to a 34-ball fifty. And his innings was still purring at 74 not out from 48 when the mid-session drinks break arrived to disrupt his focus. Sadly for Bangladesh, he never quite regained the upper hand again.Punchbag of the day
Sometimes the ball just follows you around the field, and when you are a Test captain with an awful lot on your mind – as Alastair Cook was during Tamim’s fireworks – you tend to wish it would just go away. Instead, Cook was pursued as if by an angry hornet from the moment, in the ninth over, when he got both hands to Tamim’s regulation clip to mid-on, but flapped the chance to the turf. Three overs before lunch, Mahmudullah poked a catch through his hands at silly point, soon after the resumption, he wore a drive on the toe that, to judge by his agonised reaction, deserved to be given out as a rebound catch to Prior. Another chance burst through his hands before he could react, and another drive cracked him painfully on the calf. Still, only four more days in the firing line, then Andrew Strauss can take over once again.Debut of the day
James Tredwell was unlucky to miss out in the first Test, but this time England accepted that a second spinner was essential. And so it proved as he chimed in with two vital breakthroughs in a torrid first-day’s work. It was he who extracted Tamim for 85 – conceivably a touch unluckily as the ball looped off his forearm with no obvious deflection via bat – and he later returned to nail Shakib Al Hasan on the sweep, as the captain’s eagerness to reach his half-century lured him into a less-than-ideal stroke. Bowling with flight and patience, and extracting a hint of turn as well, he more than justified his inclusion in a 29-over effort.Debut of the day Mk 2
Jahurul Islam would not have been playing in this Test had it not been for Raqibul Hasan’s much-publicised fit of pique in the build-up to the Chittagong match, and though Jamie Siddons said that he would have welcomed Raqibul straight back into the team, the BCB’s chose instead to impose a three-month ban for the disruption his “retirement” had caused. So Jahurul was given his chance, after an impressive season which culminated in a century and a fifty for Rajshahi in the recent National League final. Alas, he wasn’t able to replicate that form. After seeing off five dot-balls from Tredwell, he was pushed back into his stumps by Swann, and pinned lbw for a duck.Bowling change of the day
England’s decision to play five bowlers was justified from the moment Tamim started laying into their collective resources. Tim Bresnan and Steven Finn bowled five overs between them out of the first 50 of the innings, having conceded 45 runs in their new-ball burst, but when Finn returned with tea in the offing, his height and pace paid instant dividends. Mahmudullah had played with great composure for his 59 from 106 balls, but he couldn’t help but skew a loose drive to Paul Collingwood at backward point from the very first delivery of the new spell.Coaching session of the day
Shortly after lunch, Collingwood underwent some running repairs on the dislocated finger that has been giving him problems ever since the Durban Test in December, and which he seemed to have aggravated while spilling a sharp slip catch in the opening exchanges of the match. However, the discussion that took place by the boundary’s edge – between the vice-captain, the physio, and an extremely animated England coach, Andy Flower – seemed to have far less to do with fingers, and far more to do with finger-pointing. It wasn’t quite like watching Fergie prowling in the technical area, but the overall impression was clear enough. England needed to sharpen up their act, and the suggestions from the dressing-room were soon relayed to young captain Cook.Recovery of the day
Swann was introduced to the attack with unseemly haste this morning, rushed in Red Adair-style as early as the eighth over after Tamim had left their best-laid plans in tatters. However, after five chastising overs, he had figures of 0 for 43, and was looking a bit singed for arguably the first time in a Test match since his nervy Ashes debut at Cardiff back in July. But slowly but surely he regained his poise – aided in no small part by Tamim’s departure – and by the end of the day he was back where he belongs at the top of England’s wickets tally. With figures of 30-4-94-3, you’d hardly have noticed the punishment he took early on.

Everton will be hoping to end a five-game winless run when they take on Brentford in their Premier League clash this afternoon.

The Toffees were hapless in their 3-0 defeat at the hands of reigning champions Manchester City last time out, failing to land a glove on Pep Guardiola’s charges throughout the 90 minutes. In fact, Everton managed just 23% possession, one shot on target and one corner in that game as City strolled to a comfortable three points.

Rafarl Benitez will point to his extensive injury list as a major factor in his team’s drop-off in form and performance levels in recent weeks, and things only got worse at the Etihad Stadium.

Winger Demarai Gray was forced off in the 17th minute after picking up a problem with his abductor muscle, paving the way for Alex Iwobi to make his 10th top-flight appearance of the season.

However, the Nigeria international was unable to influence proceedings once more against the Cityzens, putting in another disappointing display. Following his arrival off the bench, the 25-year-old had just 37 touches of the ball – seven fewer than Jordan Pickford – and failed to produce a single shot or key pass, as per SofaScore.

Since arriving on Merseyside for a whopping £34m back in 2019, Iwobi has found the back of the net on just six occasions in his 76 appearances, a record which has often frustrated numerous Everton supporters.

Therefore, Benitez must make the brave decision to keep faith with 20-year-old Anthony Gordon over the more experienced Iwobi.

Although the Everton academy graduate is yet to provide a single goal or assist this term, his performances have been improving of late, and Benitez has been full of praise for the hard-working winger.

The Spaniard described Gordon as an “important player for Everton in the future” just last week, but in the current circumstances, the £4.5m-rated gem could be crucial for the Toffees in the present day.

In other news… Imagine him and DCL: Everton could seal dream transfer in “complete” £70m “machine” 

Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport have shared a big Manchester United transfer update involving Juventus forward Paulo Dybala and incoming new manager Erik ten Hag.

The Lowdown: ten Hag revolution underway?

The 52-year-old, coming as the latest elite boss in a long line tasked with steering United back to the Premier League summit, has already been making his mark behind-the-scenes – according to reports.

Ten Hag is allegedly working on summer transfer targets with a central defender first and foremost on the Red Devils agenda, as per reporter Rudy Galetti, but that hasn’t stopped the Old Trafford side also making pre-summer moves for attacking targets.

ESPN journalist James Olley revealed just the other day that they had made an approach for soon-to be free agent and Juve star Dybala with La Gazzetta, a big name newspaper, now backing this update with their own bit of news.

The Latest: La Gazzetta make big Dybala claim…

According to the publication in their print edition, as shared by Sport Witness, United have indeed made ‘first contact’ to sign the Argentine.

Following on, they claim that ten Hag could play a major role in luring Dybala to Manchester, even wanting to hijack Inter Milan’s move for the player.

Indeed, while the European heavyweights are also in contact over signing the £222,000-per-week star, it is believed ten Hag could ‘cut them out’ with his own ‘speech’ – meaning he may be able to personally persuade Dybala to choose a move to England instead.

The Dutchman is also apparently a huge fan of the player as United take a step pre-summer by making early contact.

The Verdict: Good move?

A proven attacking threat in Serie A, scoring nearly a century of goals in the division combined with 51 assists (Transfermarkt), signing the £36 million-rated man for nothing would be a real statement by ten Hag and the club.

English pundits, like former Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson, have previously raved over the ‘world class’ Dybala as a potentially ‘massive addition’ for any squad (Football Insider).

Set to become one of the biggest free agents of 2022, the race will be competitive for his signing, but perhaps ten Hag’s allure and United’s status as a household name could tempt Dybala.

In other news: Rangnick has set his sights on another one of Serie A’s brightest talents…find out more here.