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Evening Standard reporter Jack Rosser believes Alphonse Areola’s arrival at West Ham United has ended the chances of Sam Johnstone securing a move to the London Stadium.

Areola has joined the Hammers on a season-long loan deal, which also has the option to make the move permanent, from French giants Paris Saint-Germain.

The 28-year-old has headed back to the Premier League having impressed with Fulham, where he made 37 appearances, last term.

It comes despite West Ham boss David Moyes also targeting 6 ft 4 West Bromwich Albion shot-stopper Johnstone and reportedly failing with a £10million bid last month.

Moyes, who has led the east Londoners into the Europa League thanks to registering a club record Premier League points tally last month, had made signing a new goalkeeper a priority.

First choice custodian Lukasz Fabianski has entered the final 12 months of his £65,000-per-week contract and Areola will now provide competition.

Rosser believes the Hammers’ pursuit of Johnstone has now come to an end.

He told Football FanCast: “I’d be surprised if they got both [Areola and Johnstone].

“I think they wanted to bring in some competition for Fabianski. Moyes was pleasantly surprised by how well Fabianski did last season but then there were a couple of niggling injuries that he had to put up with.

“They’re looking beyond him now, with competition for Fabianski and then an eventual successor.”

Manchester United are willing to sell rumoured Leeds United target Daniel James this summer, acting as a potential boost for the Whites.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with James move

Marcelo Bielsa could be looking to bring in another wide player in the transfer window, with Leeds arguably light in that area currently.

One player who has been linked with a move to Elland Road is James, who only managed 11 starts in the Premier League last season.

Jadon Sancho’s move to United is likely to send the Wales international further down the pecking order, meaning he could move on, and he was of course close to swapping South Wales for Yorkshire back in January 2019.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: Man United willing to sell

According to ESPN, United are happy to let James leave for the right price in the coming weeks, giving Leeds the opportunity to swoop.

The exact amount isn’t specified, although the 23-year-old is valued at £16.2million by Transfermarkt.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-11/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Verdict: Snap him up, Marcelo

James could be a shrewd addition by Bielsa this summer – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has claimed he has an ‘X-factor’ – possessing the kind of attributes that could be lethal in this Leeds team.

The Welshman has electrifying pace that can be deadly on the counter-attack, but he also works incredibly hard for the team. He averaged one tackle and 0.9 fouls per game in the Premier League last season, implying he could fit right into Bielsa’s intense pressing system.

James might not play regularly instead of Raphinha and Jack Harrison, but improved squad depth is vital and he could provide exactly that, allowing Bielsa to rotate more often and keep players fresh.

In other news, a pundit is delighted with the situation surrounding one Leeds player. Find out who it is here.

After a couple of tough days in unforgiving conditions against relentless opponents, two of Australia’s most inexperienced players were left to explain the worsening situation

Cricinfo staff18-Oct-2008
Cameron White: “He’s [Matthew Hayden] got a couple of good balls and I’m sure during the series he’ll fight back and get lots of runs” © Getty Images
After a couple of tough days in unforgiving conditions against relentless opponents, two of Australia’s most inexperienced players were left to explain the worsening situation. Nobody wants to talk when things go badly, but it is unfair to add more pressure to boys in their first weeks as Test players.At the end of the first, debutant Peter Siddle spoke after picking up Sachin Tendulkar’s wicket. It was a bright spot on a torrid opening day for a man who looks like he’s most comfortable mucking around with his mates. Good on him.On display on Saturday was Cameron White, Australia’s newest Test legspinner who picked up Sourav Ganguly with a skied catch to mid-off and bowled Harbhajan Singh. Two breakthroughs don’t usually earn a post-play appointment to dissect the day and in situations where nobody stands out, or doesn’t want to speak about a negative position, the coach Tim Nielsen arrives.Nielsen’s views are of particular interest at the moment. Is it a couple of bad days or something more severe? Is Matthew Hayden the same player of a year ago? Why are the bowlers straying so often? Why are they so unsuccessful against the lower order? And with Troy Cooley in the dressing room, why aren’t they getting more reverse-swing?Both Siddle and White are not yet qualified – or confident enough, or willing to risk the wrath of their new team-mates – to discuss in detail things other than the brilliance of being part of the team. Which is fine. To an Australian cricketer nothing is better than wearing the baggy green for the first time and enjoying the occasion, without having to be grilled about issues they can’t expand on.Australia’s bowling on the second day was generally wayward, apart from the superb Mitchell Johnson, and they again let India’s lower order escape. When Ishant Sharma was dismissed by Siddle in the fifth over the hosts were 326 for 6, but a flurry of short-pitched balls at Mahendra Singh Dhoni resulted in a burst of match-changing runs. Dhoni and Sourav Ganguly batted well against tactics that were slow to change.Johnson did not add to his first-day wicket haul, but his 3 for 85 was far better than the returns of Siddle, Lee or White. He is growing with each spell and it was confusing to see him not taking the new ball. His partner Lee, who needed two stitches in his hand following a fielding accident, has taken only three wickets for the series and is struggling for impact in his first series in India.It’s always hard to start against spin or reverse-swing. Mentally, any batter has to get their head around that. Starting or building an innings will be the hardest partCameron White”The wickets are pretty flat,” White said. “Brett hasn’t played much cricket over the past little while. With bowling, Brett will definitely improve. Like Matt [Hayden], he’s a proven performer so it’s probably only a matter of time.”White’s bowling is improving, but he knows he is a contributor rather than someone who scares the Indians. Dhoni was the one doing the frightening on Saturday, belting four sixes, including two off White, and almost slicing off the bowler’s hand with a powerful straight drive.”I thought I did an okay job for the team, I guess,” White said. “My role is probably a bit different to some of the other spinners. And Ricky [Ponting] probably uses me a bit differently too.”The batting of Hayden is threatening to become a serious concern for Australia. In the country where he started his renaissance eight years ago he is looking unrecognisable. His legs seem heavy, particularly in the early overs when the ball is moving, and he is returning from a long recovery from a heel injury.Thirteen runs in three innings is an unfamiliar lean spell and over the next couple of weeks Hayden, who will be 37 on October 29, will know whether time is ticking too quickly. “There’s nothing wrong with him,” White said. “Opening the batting is a very difficult thing to do. He’s got a couple of good balls and I’m sure during the series he’ll fight back and get lots of runs.”Australia, who are 367 behind, need a big contribution from White on the third day after they slipped to 102 for 4 at stumps. White, the No. 7, will wait until he gets to the crease before forming his plan. “It’s always hard to start against spin or reverse-swing,” he said. “Mentally, any batter has to get their head around that. Starting or building an innings will be the hardest part.”He said the opening hour on the third day would be crucial. “The first session will dictate the rest of the game,” he said. “It’s a big first session. The ball is reverse-swinging and spinning, it’s going to be very tough.”

Shoaib Akhtar has had to put his plans to join Surrey on hold after arriving in the UK without the proper visa. He has been forced to head back to Pakistan, but is still hopefully of joining the county once the paperwork is completed

Cricinfo staff02-Sep-2008
Shoaib Akhtar will fly out to London on Wednesday © AFP
Shoaib Akhtar has had to put his plans to join Surrey on hold after arriving in the UK without the proper visa. He has been forced to head back to Pakistan, but is still hopefully of joining the county once the paperwork is completed.Although the Pakistan Cricket Board had given Akhtar a No Objection Certificate, clearing the way for him to play in Surrey’s last three County Championship matches, the visa problems mean that the plan has been put on hold.Shoaib holds a long-term visitor visa for the UK, but requires a working visa to be able to play county cricket. “I am disappointed, but there are rules to follow,” Akhtar told AFP. “I will now complete the documents here and fly back to London possibly on Saturday. I am desperate to play for Surrey.”Surrey chief executive Paul Sheldon told The Mirror: “We did everything we could to get him here, but it hasn’t worked out. We thought he’d make an impact as he wanted to get his career up and running again.””We have cleared Shoaib to play county cricket,” Shafqat Naghmi, the PCB’s chief operating officer, told the on Wednesday. “The bowler has been out of competitive cricket for quite sometime and needs to regain his match fitness. We believe a short county stint might help him in doing that.”The Pakistan board has been wary of allowing its fast bowlers to play county cricket because of the toll it takes on them. “We’ve been stopping our fast bowlers from playing for counties because in the past such stints have affected their form and fitness,” Naghmi said.”But Shoaib’s case is different. He hasn’t played much cricket in recent times and can actually benefit from a county stint.” The PCB had prevented Umar Gul and Mohammad Asif from taking up county contracts last year though it later compensated both financially for the loss of earnings.Shoaib has previously had county stints with Durham, Somerset and Worcestershire. He has played only one first-class match this year and was banned by the PCB for five years in April. The ban was subsequently suspended and Shoaib was picked for the Champions Trophy but he still has to pay a fine of Rs 7 million (approx US$92,000) to the board.”The past eight months were disappointing, but now I am focused on my return,” he said. “I want to bowl at least 15-20 overs in an innings and gain rhythm because we are hosting India late in the year.”

An update has emerged regarding Celtic’s interest in Derby County left-back Lee Buchanan.

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Record, the Hoops are monitoring the 20-year-old as they eye up potential defensive reinforcements before the end of the transfer window.

The report claims that Nottingham Forest are also interested in the defender and have already had a £1.2m bid rejected by their fierce rivals Derby.

Ange would be delighted

Celtic must seal a deal for the 1.75m (5 foot 9) beast this summer as he would be a terrific addition to the squad and improve their defensive options in the short- and long-term. He could come in and compete with Greg Taylor for the left-back spot and provide a healthy competition for places which could help drive on both players to improve.

Taylor played 22 games in the Premiership last season and averaged an impressive WhoScored rating of 6.96. Buchanan, meanwhile, played 35 games in the Championship and averaged a rating of 6.92 when starting as a left wing-back and 6.63 overall. This suggests that he could come in and be a reliable option for Postecoglou to call upon either to start ahead of Taylor or as a backup to the 23-year-old initially.

Rams manager and Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has said that the 20-year-old has a “bright future” and believes that he will become an England international.

He told the Derby Telegraph: “I think I can speak on behalf of my players. Lee Buchanan has got a really bright future and I am sure he will play for England within the next couple of years.

“He is getting better every game. The small sides of the game he needs to improve, he is improving on massively.”

This is high praise indeed from a man who knows exactly what it takes to play for England and in the Premier League and Champions League at the highest level. Therefore, Buchanan could have the potential to be a phenomenal player in the future if he lives up to the hype Rooney has placed on him.

Postecoglou would surely love it if the club brought in the 20-year-old because it would represent an exciting coaching challenge for him. He would be tasked with helping Buchanan become the England international Rooney believes he can be, and if he is able to reach those levels, Celtic would have a terrific player on their hands and all parties will be delighted with the outcome.

AND in other news, Celtic must axe £14k-p/w beast whose career is in “freefall”, his time’s up…

Tottenham Hotspur have made Danny Ings their top priority this summer, according to the Telegraph’s Matt Law.

It’s thought that new manager Nuno Santo’s preference to deploy a two-man attack next season has led to the North London outfit targeting the Southampton talisman this summer.

The 28-year-old, who turns 29 this month, is out of contract in 12 months time and it could lead to the Saints offloading their star man or risk losing him for nothing.

Ings, who earns around £75k-per-week, is valued at £20m by the South Coast outfit, whilst CIES Football Observatory put that figure at around €15m (£12.5m).

The Portuguese coach has used plenty of different systems throughout his managerial career but a two-pronged frontline is a frequent occurrence and that proved to be a very lucrative set-up for his former club, Wolves, until last season.

As described by The Athletic’s Tim Spiers, former attacker Diogo Jota and Raul Jimenez “combined beautifully” in a 3-5-2 formation – it’s no wonder that dream tailed off when Jota joined Liverpool for an initial £40m in September 2020.

Nuno could be looking to repeat this very partnership, especially as the aforementioned report suggests that Ings would be signed to partner wantaway striker Harry Kane, rather than replace him.

Prior to Euro 2020, stories surfaced linking the England international with an exit, with the 27-year-old talisman said to be wanting a departure this window. And as such, teams like Premier League champions Man City and Champions League winners Chelsea have registered interest.

But this latest development from Law suggests Kane is staying and that Nuno is eyeing up a lethal-looking frontline to get the Lilywhites back on top.

It was only two years ago that they reached the UCL final themselves and even during their worst domestic campaign in over a decade, they still reached the Carabao Cup final.

Ings has proven to be a prolific marksman at this level for several seasons. Southampton also struggled last term but the Englishman still found the net 13 times in all competitions, adding to his tally of 25 a year earlier, via Transfermarkt.

In the past, the former Burnley and Liverpool star has been likened to Robbie Keane, who was quite the hit in North London, whilst Ings has also been dubbed a “monster” and “unbelievable” due to his goalscoring exploits in recent years.

If Fabio Paratici and Daniel Levy can broker a deal for the Saints forward, then Nuno could well unearth his next Jota and Jimenez at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Either way, Ings alongside Kane is a mouthwatering prospect for a side that finished seventh last season.

AND in other news, Reliable journo drops exciting Spurs transfer update…

Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma is not an unrealistic target for Wolves, says Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield.

The Midlands club recently had a proposal knocked back by the player, according to Julien Maynard of Telefoot, as they look to strengthen their backline.

Zouma made 36 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea last season, featuring five times in the Blues’ successful Champions League campaign.

The 6 ft 3 Frenchman is quite clearly capable of playing at a very high level, explaining why Tottenham and Jose Mourinho, now manager of AS Roma, are also interested in him.

Even so, Hatfield does not believe Zouma is the kind of player who is out of reach for Wolves. On the club’s interest, he told FFC:

“If Wolves want to carry on improving after a season which was, you know, pretty poor in their respects, it’d be a really good signing – particularly if they’re going to a four at the back.

“I don’t think it’s an unrealistic target. In the same respect, I think there’ll be a fair few teams after him, so it could be a bit of a battle if he is up for sale.”

From Zouma’s perspective, joining a Premier League side like Wolves does not sound like the worst idea.

The £28.8m-rated France international lost his starting place at Chelsea following Thomas Tuchel’s appointment, so he probably will not have a big role at the west London club this season if he does remain there.

Furthermore, if Wolves come back in again, perhaps he should give their proposal some serious consideration.

Ricky Ponting expressed his relief in reversing his recent slump with the bat and returning to Test cricket after a gap of nearly four months

Cricinfo staff23-May-2008
‘I’ve been working pretty hard at my game and felt really good in the nets going into the game, in the practice game last week felt some things coming back again’ © Getty Images
After playing a captain’s innings for Australia on the opening day, Ricky Ponting expressed his relief in reversing his recent slump with the bat. Ponting scored 158 off 224 balls to take Australia to a commanding 301 for 4 after opting to bat first at Sabina Park.Though Ponting managed a century in his last Test appearance, against India in Adelaide in January, he struggled through the tri-series that followed, scoring 191 in ten games at an average just under 20, and wasn’t at his best in the Indian Premier League either. Reflecting on his innings, Ponting said he had the luxury of time to build an innings and play himself into form.”It’s nice to know you have six hours to go out and build an innings,” Ponting said at a news conference. “In (Twenty20) sometimes you have got six balls or six minutes.”The start of a Test summer for me is always exciting. Our last overseas Test was nearly two years ago, we haven’t played a lot of Test cricket. I’ve been looking forward to putting on the whites again and the baggy green and spending some time in the middle. I got that today. The last Test innings I had was a hundred but I struggled through the one-day series and never felt that comfortable and today felt comfortable again.”I didn’t feel like I did much wrong at all today to tell the truth, I’ve been working pretty hard at my game and felt really good in the nets going into the game. In the practice game last week I felt some things coming back again. Last time, I had a really good tour to the Caribbean, and I have gotten off to a good start this time. It’s just funny. Sometimes you go to places that you enjoy playing and you have a lot of success.”Ponting said he was happy with his team’s showing on the first day and praised his batsmen for adjusting well on a pitch where scoring got tougher as the day progressed.”It was hard work, it was hot, when the hardness went out of the ball it was hard to score runs, I think all the batsmen had to work hard. It’s important that we don’t let today’s work slip tomorrow. It’s about putting two good days together and then we will really be in the box seat.”

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Jules Kounde to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish publication AS (via Sport Witness), who claim that Sevilla must sell one of their star players in the summer transfer window if they wish to bring in additions of their own ahead of next season.

One player the report suggests who could be on his way out of the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium is Kounde, with Julen Lopetegui’s side thought to be asking for a fee of around €70m (£60m) in order to part with the centre-back.

Tottenham Hotspur are then mentioned as one of the clubs who are believed to be considering a move for the 22-year-old, with Daniel Levy said to be willing to offer around €60m (£51.5m) in a bid to land the defender.

That may sound like a boost but AS then claim that the player is not overly open to a switch to north London this summer, claiming he wants to take a bigger leap.

Levy will be fuming

With Tottenham’s interest in signing a centre-back this summer being well documented, as well as their particular interest in Kounde, the fact that the France international does not appear keen on a move to Spurs this summer is sure to have left Daniel Levy fuming.

Indeed, considering the remarkable form the centre-back showed for Sevilla last season, it is easy to see why the Tottenham chairman would like to add Kounde to Nuno Espirito Santo’s options in the centre of defence.

Over his 34 La Liga appearances for Lopetegui’s side in 2020/21, the £54m-rated centre-back helped his team keep a whopping 15 clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.2 interceptions, 0.8 tackles, 2.9 clearances and winning 5.4 duels per game.

The Frenchman also impressed in an attacking capacity, scoring two goals, registering one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 0.3 key passes per league fixture.

These returns saw the 22-year-old earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.08, ranking him as Sevilla’s third-best performer in the top flight of Spanish football, playing a key role in his side securing a highly impressive fourth-place finish in La Liga.

As such, with Nuno undoubtedly hoping to put together a team in the summer transfer window that is capable of improving on Tottenham’s seventh-place finish next season, the summer arrival of the man Lopetegui dubbed an “important” part of his side would very much help them do that.

However, following the latest report from AS, it would not seem advisable for Spurs fans to hold their breath while waiting to see their side get a deal over the line.

In other news: Bye-bye Aurier: Spurs could finally replace Trippier with “promising” £8m-rated beast

Fast bowler Cameron Cuffy will replace injured Mervyn Dillon in the West Indies 15-man squad for their brief tour of Bangladesh.

Derrick Nicholas25-Nov-2002Fast bowler Cameron Cuffy will replace injured Mervyn Dillon in the West Indies 15-man squad for their brief tour of Bangladesh.”The decision of the selection panel to let Dillon return home followed further review of his medical condition,” said Michael Hall, chief cricket operations officer of the West Indies Cricket Board.”Merv tore his right glute during the fourth limited-overs international against India at Ahmedabad and has been receiving treatment for it,” remarked Hall.”A subsequent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan revealed that scar tissue from a similar injury suffered during the home series earlier this year had torn and it was decided to let him come home for sustained and concentrated rehabilitation of the injury,” added Hall.Dillon becomes the third player to miss the Bangladesh tour through injury.West Indies captain Carl Hooper will undergo corrective surgery on his right knee in Australia in the coming weeks.All-rounder Ryan Hinds has returned home after tearing ligaments in his right knee during a limited-overs match on the just concluded tour of India.