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West Ham United are set to reignite their interest in Sparta Prague gem Adam Hlozek this January…

What’s the word?

That’s according to 90min journalist Toby Cudworth, who delivered a fresh update on the situation to social media this week.

“#WHUFC want to sign Adam Hlozek in January and also a centre-back to cover the injured Ogbonna,” he tweeted.

“Hlozek could be an initial loan with conditions to make an obligatory purchase, similar to Soucek’s 2020 deal. Kretinsky could be key.”

In an accompanying article, it’s claimed that the Irons are preparing a loan-to-buy agreement to sign the 19-year-old forward in the winter transfer window, which will be a similar type of deal used to sign Tomas Soucek in 2020.

The Hammers now have Sparta Prague co-owner Daniel Kretinsky on their board following his investment this month, so that is expected to stand them in good stead when negotiating a deal both clubs will be happy with.

Imagine him and Antonio

The Czech Republic international can play upfront – a position that manager David Moyes really does need to bolster – but he has predominantly been deployed on the flanks until this season.

Hlozek has provided four goals and eight assists in 20 appearances this season, all coming in a central role. It builds on last season’s tally of 15 goals and nine assists, where he averaged a direct contribution every 75.9 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-west-ham-news-transfer-updates-gsb-kretinsky-moyes” title=”Read the latest West Ham news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

Michail Antonio has had his fair share of injury woes over the years and at 31, you can’t expect that to improve in the future. Moyes has been left with just one senior option in the centre-forward position for nearly two years now, so a new frontman is certainly a priority in 2022.

The 6 foot 2 dynamo, valued at £15.3m by Transfermarkt, is a hugely encouraging long-term prospect and one that should leave many around the London Stadium buzzing with delight.

Pavel Paska, who is the agent of both Hlozek and Tomas Soucek, believes his client is an “extraordinary talent” who “has everything an attacker needs,” whilst scout Jacek Kulig has described Hlozek as “an incredible talent” and Czech’s best talent since the emergence of Tomas Rosicky.

Just imagine him alongside Antonio or him providing the perfect foil for the 31-year-old talisman as the season goes on.

On this evidence, he’d be a signing that would leave the fanbase absolutely buzzing, especially given the success stories of Soucek and Vladimir Coufal and the recent involvement of Kretinksy, who should help them tenfold in any likely deal.

AND in other news, West Ham receive Declan Rice fitness boost ahead of Wolves clash…

Graham Napier has signed a two-year deal with Essex which will keep him with the county side until the end of the 2011 season

Cricinfo staff06-Apr-2009Graham Napier has signed a two-year deal with Essex which will keep him with the county side until the end of the 2011 season. The news comes on the same day Napier was named in England’s provisional 30-man squad for the ICC World Twenty20.”I am delighted to be with Essex now until the end of the 2011 season,” Napier said on his website. “It is a great honour for me to play for Essex. This new contract will bring my time at Essex up to nearly 14 years.”Napier made the headlines during the English summer with a breathtaking 152 off 58 balls in the Twenty20 Cup against Sussex, and has now cemented his place after a number of seasons dogged by injury. “Going into last season I would have been doubtful that Essex would have offered me a new contract,” he said. “It is a real pleasure to be involved with the club for a further three seasons.”Napier’s Twenty20 heroics last season prompted talk of him being handed an England call-up. He became a very marketable property and even drew the attention of the IPL franchises.The 29-year-old, who returned to England after a winter in New Zealand with the Wellington state side and the England Lions, had agreed to join the Mumbai Indians but the franchise and Essex are still to agree on the period of time he will remain in South Africa. Napier is close to finalising a contract with Mumbai but as an uncapped player was outside the auction process.”For me it is going to be a new experience, playing with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar,” he said. “The team is full of stars at the top of their game, to be playing with them is a great learning experience.”With the IPL set to run during April and May, Napier would miss an early chunk of the county season if he signed a long-term deal with a franchise.

West Ham’s chances of keeping hold of Jarrod Bowen have received a boost as a major behind-the-scenes claim has emerged this week…

What’s the word?

Earlier in the week, the Independent reported that the Irons’ Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur were one of several clubs monitoring the 24-year-old winger ahead of a possible transfer in the future.

Meanwhile, a move away from the London Stadium for Bowen is something which has been touted by former Leeds United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny, who told Football Insider:

“No disrespect to West Ham but I’m sure another move, if he carries on going the way he’s going, to a bigger club could come.”

However, the chances of that being Spurs are rather slim.

According to Lilywhites insider John Wenham, the Irons would not entertain a single bid from their local rivals for a player of Bowen’s quality.

“Tottenham and West Ham don’t do business. There is no love lost between the two clubs at boardroom level,” he revealed to Football Insider.

“I don’t see West Ham entertaining any bids for Bowen from Tottenham, that one is a non-starter. Tottenham may be interested in him but some clubs just don’t do business.

“I would categorically rule that one out now. Even if West Ham said he was available they would turn down an approach from Tottenham.

“From what I’ve heard from people I know in the industry, I just can’t see that one happening.”

Zero chance

This should come as a massive boost to David Moyes and West Ham as it means they have a greater chance of keeping one of their standout performers in east London.

Bowen may not have gotten off the mark so far this campaign but the former Hull City dynamo, whose former boss Grant McCann dubbed “unplayable”, currently rates as the Hammers’ second-best performer in the Premier League (7.52) behind Michail Antonio (7.84), via WhoScored.

He is also one of their most creative options, averaging a squad-high 2.4 key passes and three dribbles per outing.

Since his £22m move from the Tigers in January 2020, the uncapped Englishman has delivered nine goals and 11 assists across 60 appearances, averaging a direct contribution every 205 minutes – a little over once every two matches, which is rather respectable for a right winger.

On the above evidence, he’s crucial to Moyes and West Ham.

Wenham’s claim that there appears to be absolutely no chance he becomes a Spurs player is certainly going to delight many supporters around the London Stadium.

AND in other news, Moyes could find West Ham’s next Tevez in Jan swoop for “magical” £18m-rated marksman…

Bruno Lage has endured a difficult start to life as the manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers.

He has just one win under his belt in the Carabao Cup but the Premier League has been a very different beast for the Molineux outfit. Wolves haven’t scored yet in the top-flight this term and they haven’t secured a single point either.

All of the club’s outings have been frustrating 1-0 defeats, but against Watford they should feel confident of getting off the mark.

They have signed Hwang Hee-chan on loan from RB Leipzig and, in a surprising piece of news, they will be able to call on the services of Raul Jimenez today.

The striker was called up to the Mexico squad for the international break, but with his country on the red list, Wolves prevented him from travelling.

The Brazilian FA and FIFA came together to ban those who didn’t travel to South America but it would appear that Mexico’s FA have been more lenient.

Jimenez was set to be banned for five days, which would have ruled him out of the clash on Saturday afternoon.

Lage said in his pre-match press conference: “We think we can use Raul because the game is about putting the best players on the pitch. The best players from both sides should be on the pitch. I am very thankful for the decision.”

He added: “The club talked and we arrived at a good solution. It was the best decision for all, especially for the fans.”

This will come as a huge boost for Wolves, especially with the club failing to score this term.

Jimenez has long been the club’s go-to man when it comes to goals. He has netted 48 of them since penning terms in the Midlands in 2018.

You only need to reflect on last season to understand how poorly they perform without him. The attacker sustained a fractured skull in a match with Arsenal and missed the entire season from November onwards.

After that, Wolves struggled to beat the goalkeeper, with their top scorers in Pedro Neto and Ruben Neves finding the net on just five occasions each in the league.

Jimenez, on the other hand, had scored 27 times in all competitions in the 2019/20 campaign, so Lage will be absolutely elated that a player with that kind of track record is available this weekend.

Watch out, Watford.

AND in other news, Wolves may have a new Conor Coady in rarely-seen 17 y/o who’s a “super kid”…

Uncertainty still surrounds the IPL with the Indian home minister P Chidambaram reiterating that the general elections were “unquestionably” first priority and that the Twenty20 tournament’s organisers should take a call on whether to cancel this season’

Cricinfo staff19-Mar-2009India’s home minister P Chidambaram has reiterated that the general elections are “unquestionably” first priority over the IPL, which is scheduled to run in roughly the same period, and said the tournament’s organisers should take a call on whether to cancel this season’s edition.His assertion of a position he has held over the past few weeks underlines the question mark over whether the IPL will be staged. Concerns over security grew following the attack in Lahore; shortly after, Chidambaram first suggested the IPL be postponed.More than two weeks later, it seems his position has not changed. “I can’t exempt any state government from giving to the election commission the forces they have promised,” he told the Indian news channel . “I have also made it clear that I cannot spare any central paramilitary forces.”Asked whether the IPL should be called off if the dates weren’t sorted out, he said the decision lay with the organisers. “I think the organisers are responsible people. I think they are patriotic Indians. I think they will take a call.”The home minister had initially asked for the postponement of the IPL as he did not want to overstretch his security personnel. The IPL’s organisers had revamped the tournament’s itinerary several times in a bid to avoid a clash with election dates – both run through April and May – but an agreement remains elusive after a fortnight of negotiations. The home ministry said it was waiting for reports from state governments before responding to the latest schedule, which was sent in by the IPL on Tuesday.The police chiefs of Himachal Pradesh (where some matches are scheduled to be held in Dharamshala) and Andhra Pradesh (Hyderabad, home of the Deccan Chargers) have said they would be able to guarantee forces for the games according to the revised IPL schedule.Chidambaram, though, said that it wasn’t sufficient for a match to not coincide with polls in the state where it was being held. “… If the election is taking place in a neighbouring state or just across the state border, if we have an IPL match in the state, there could be problems.”

Paddy Upton, India’s conditioning coach, has taken over the responsibilities from head coach Gary Kirsten, who flew back to South Africa yesterday evening to be with his ailing mother

Jamie Alter in Colombo06-Aug-2008
Paddy Upton has said that the team isn’t losing sleep over the toss © AFP
Paddy Upton, India’s conditioning coach, has taken over the responsibilities from head coach Gary Kirsten, who flew back to South Africa yesterday evening to be with his ailing mother. In Kirsten’s absence, Upton wasn’t worried about having to delegate responsibilities to the Indian team, instead stressing to make sure the basics are all in place for a must-win game for India.”Each person knows their role,” he said during India’s practice session at the P Saravanamuttu Stadium. “It’s a case of just doing what we’ve always been doing and doing that well.”Kirsten’s hands-on role, especially working on fielding drills with seniors such as VVS Laxman or the two wicketkeepers, Dinesh Karthik and Parthiv Patel, was obvious all series. Today that responsibility was shared between Upton and fielding coach Robin Singh, but Upton was comfortable being more conservative.”There are guys out there who have captained India,” he said. “For me it’s just a case of coordinating the expertise which is already in the team. Gary would give his expert input and receive input from the players, and even though he’s not here, there are other experts.”India already have two specialist coaches, Venkatesh Prasad (bowling) and Robin, plus Upton in the support staff, and the Indian board isn’t rushing anybody as cover for Kirtsen.”The key is to prepare for every single possibility,” Upton said. “Every game is critical in Test cricket. We know its 1-1 and we know how important it is. The players don’t need too many reminders. Whether we win or lose the toss, our preparation is the same. We focus around what needs to happen to win. We’re happy to take the consideration of the toss out of the picture.”It was a pretty hot day, with temperatures hovering around 30 degrees, but not something India’s players are unaccustomed to. Anil Kumble mentioned in Galle that players were allowed to leave training once they felt they had done enough, and Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly were no different. They practiced earlier in the morning and left to freshen up while the rest of the team stayed on till early afternoon.Parthiv had long batting and wicketkeeping stints but Upton said the choice of which wicketkeeper plays the final Test was not a decision he would be a part of. Sachin Tendulkar had the longest batting session, first receiving throw downs from Robin, virtually all of which were well timed, and then moved over to the nets, adjacent to Rohit Sharma’s. Tendulkar, who needs 96 runs to overhaul Brian Lara’s record of 11,953 runs in Tests, looked in a decent groove, though he was troubled a couple times by Prasad.Which brings us to the nature of the pitch. One glance at it revealed how hard it was, even under a green tinge. There was plenty of grass on the track, but even Geoffrey Boycott would have found it very difficult to force a key in there. Shoaib Akhtar, Makhaya Ntini and Dale Steyn have all rattled teams here in recent years, and there looks to be some encouragement for the quicks, especially India’s opening pairing of Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan.It is a different game and different pitch from the last two matches but as Upton said, India’s strategy was the same – go in and win.

Sunderland have entered into talks regarding a deal to bring Leon Dajaku to the Stadium of Light.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Northern Echo, who claim that Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has opened negotiations with Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich regarding a last-minute deal for the 20-year-old support striker.

The report continues by stating that Lee Johnson is thought to be keen on signing a forward who can play across the front three prior to the closure of the summer transfer window this evening, with the Germany U20 international looking to be a player who fits the 40-year-old’s bill.

However, it is also claimed that a move for Dajaku could hinge on whether or not Will Grigg secures a move away from Sunderland, with the 30-year-old forward being linked with a switch to Doncaster Rovers.

Louis-Dreyfus masterclass

Considering the sheer amount of potential Dajaku appears to possess, should Louis-Dreyfus go on to get a deal over the line for the Bayern Munich forward prior to Tuesday’s transfer deadline, it would very much seem to be something of a masterclass by the Black Cats chairman.

Indeed, having highly impressed in the VfB Stuttgart youth setup, scoring 23 goals and providing eight assists over 21 appearances for the U17 team, as well as 18 goals and seven assists over 39 appearances for the U19 side, Dakaju caught the attention of Bayern, who purchased the forward in a £1.35m deal back in 2019.

And, while the £1.62m-rated man has so far struggled to break into the Munich first team, predominantly playing for the German side’s second team – for whom the 20-year-old has scored seven goals and registered five assists over 43 appearances – as well as failing to make a real impression while on loan at 1.FC Union Berlin in the second half of last season – featuring just twice in the Bundesliga – both his goalscoring and creativity in youth football would nevertheless suggest the player Pascal Stoffler dubbed “a real street footballer” has the ability to play a key role in Sunderland’s push for League One promotion this season.

As such, if Louis-Dreyfus can indeed secure the signing of the £3.2k-per-week forward on Tuesday, while also shipping Grigg out to Rovers, it would be a highly impressive swoop for the chairman to complete.

In other news: KLD in advanced talks for £1.7k-p/w ace, he could be a “great signing” for Sunderland

Former professional footballer Steve Howey believes that Jack Grealish will be amazing at Manchester City.

Grealish completed his move from Aston Villa to Manchester City for a British record £100m, signing a six-year contract at the Etihad Stadium.

The midfielder, who Transfermarkt actually value at £58.5m, can operate either as a left-winger or attacking midfielder and scored seven goals and provided a further 12 last season for Aston Villa in all competitions. Grealish was part of Gareth Southgate’s England team at Euro 2020, where he got two assists and helped the Three Lions make the final.

After making the switch to Manchester, Grealish told City’s club media: “City are the best team in the country with a manager considered to be the best in the world – it’s a dream come true to part of this club.”

Former Blues player Steve Howey believes that Grealish will be amazing for the Cityzens, exclusively telling Football FanCast: “I think he will be amazing there. I think it was kind of done in the right way as well the transfer, I think he was always just sort of like, listen if I move on, I move on, you know we all know how he feels about Aston Villa. 

“But he’s got a massive opportunity to win lots of trophies and to help Manchester City win the trophies, we all know how good he is.”

Grealish made his Villa debut against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium coming on as an 88th minute substitute, with his departure from Aston Villa was emotional as he said: “Everyone has seen the way Messi was at his final press conference. That is the exact way I felt myself. Before I left at the hotel I spoke to the team, the staff and the players and I teared up a bit myself.” [BBC Sport].

Grealish has already featured for City, as he came on as a second-half substitute in the Community Shield against Leicester City and started their 1-0 defeat to Tottenham on the opening day of the Premier League season.

The Australians rounded out 2009 with their most clinical final day bowling performance of the year to seal a 170 run victory over Pakistan

The Bulletin by Alex Brown30-Dec-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outNathan Hauritz achieved his maiden five-wicket haul•Getty ImagesThe Australians rounded out 2009 with their most clinical final day bowling performance of the year to seal a 170 run victory over Pakistan. Nathan Hauritz, placed on notice by Australia’s selectors prior to the series, claimed his first career five-wicket haul as Pakistan crumbled from 3 for 170 overnight to be all out for 251 shortly after lunch on the final day.Hauritz’s ability to exploit wearing pitches had been called into question of late, not least by Andrew Hilditch, and he proved himself worthy of the challenge on Wednesday. Unable to replicate the biting turn that accounted for Faisal Iqbal the previous day, Hauritz instead utilised flight and bounce to challenge Pakistan’s lower and middle orders and was rewarded with four final-day scalps.Australia began the day in emphatic fashion with Mitchell Johnson removing Umar Akmal and Misbah-ul-Haq with consecutive deliveries in his first over. Hauritz then repeated the dose with the back-to-back dismissals of Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Aamer shortly after the first drinks break to extinguish any hope of an improbable Pakistan fightback.Mohammad Yousuf showed admirable determination to post 61, but support for the Pakistan captain was thin on the ground. With wickets falling in clusters, the Australians required only four overs after lunch to seal victory and claim a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-three series. The result took their Test record in 2009 to an encouraging seven wins, three defeats and three draws; a substantial improvement on their 5-5-4 record from the previous year.The younger Akmal was the first victim of the final day, pushing at a fast, swinging delivery from Johnson that was claimed millimetres above the MCG turf by a tumbling Brad Haddin. Misbah fell to an identical mode of dismissal, albeit to a straighter ball, leaving the tourists’ hopes of a fightback in tatters less than an over into the day. Kamran Akmal denied Johnson his hat-trick, but almost triggered one for Hauritz when, after an hour of stern resistance, he was stumped attempting a reckless charge to a slower, bouncing delivery. Hauritz then beat Aamer for bounce with his next ball, resulting in a gloved catch to Simon Katich at short leg.Abdur Rauf survived Hauritz’s hat-trick delivery – which featured the rare sight of nine fielders around the bat – but fell soon after to Doug Bollinger. Rounding out a forgettable match, Rauf played onto his stumps to expose the Pakistan tail shortly before lunch. Hauritz completed the rout after the break by removing Yousuf to another bat-pad catch, and Saeed Ajmal to a wild swipe that was accepted by Shane Watson, who was later named Man of the Match.The breakthroughs ensured Johnson and Hauritz a positive end to a 2009 campaign that has proved testing in the extreme. Both bowlers have been subjected to criticism – Johnson for his erratic ways during the Ashes series, Hauritz for his lack of penetration on deteriorating tracks – but have emerged better for the experience. Though not quite back to his wrecking ball ways of South Africa, Johnson is nonetheless a bowler far improved from that which struggled for much of the Ashes series. Hauritz, meanwhile, has continued his steady evolution as an international spinner, as demonstrated by his subtle changes of flight and angle on Wednesday.For Pakistan, there is much to ponder before the Sydney Test. The selection of Rauf over the experienced and versatile Umar Gul was flawed, and the catching at the MCG largely lamentable. The likely return of Danish Kaneria and the possible reintroduction of Younis Khan could prove a significant boost for the tourists, but on the evidence of the past five days, there remains much work to do.If nothing else, Pakistan have at least closed the chapter on the that was 2009. In a year that witnessed the Lahore terrorist attack, and the subsequent stripping of host venue status, the Pakistanis can look ahead to the New Years’ Test with hope for healing and renewal.

Shane Watson could return to the Test team for Australia’s first match against South Africa as the side considers taking a four-man pace attack to the WACA. The Perth Test begins on December 17 and Australia’s captain Ricky Ponting said there was no guara

Brydon Coverdale at the Adelaide Oval01-Dec-2008
Shane Watson made a strong case for selection by taking 7 for 69 in a Sheffield Shield game © Getty Images
Shane Watson could return to the Test team for Australia’s first match against South Africa as the side considers taking a four-man pace attack to the WACA. The Perth Test begins on December 17 and Australia’s captain Ricky Ponting said there was no guarantee a spinner would be required at a venue where pace has dominated in first-class cricket this season.Australia took four fast men, including Shaun Tait, into the Perth Test against India last summer and the plan backfired when they lost by 72 runs. But depending on the surface they have not ruled out a similar strategy this year and Watson’s 7 for 69 in the first innings of Queensland’s Sheffield Shield match this week make him the leading contender for a spot.”[Perth] is always a fast bowler’s paradise, particularly if we get to play on one of the relaid wickets that they have been playing all the Shield games on,” Ponting said after Australia wrapped up an innings victory over New Zealand in Adelaide. “We got duped a bit there last year with the game over there.”We heard so much about the WACA being back to its fast and bouncy best and they played us on one of the ones that had not been relaid and we went in with four fast bowlers, so that brought us undone. There would have to be some sort of consideration to playing those guys again, maybe even a line-up similar to Brisbane.”The final makeup of the team will depend on the pitch that is prepared and Ponting said if a change was made an allrounder like Watson would have the edge over a specialist fast bowler. Should a spinner be required Jason Krejza will be handed the opportunity if he is fit, after missing the Adelaide Test due to an ankle injury.But Ponting said regardless of whether Watson played, the position of Andrew Symonds was not in doubt. Symonds has had a slow return to the Test team after not being considered for the India tour, although he was unfortunate to be given out caught behind in Australia’s only innings in Adelaide when the ball appeared to miss the bat.”Symo’s not had a bad game,” Ponting said. “He’s got a decision that probably could have gone either way here and all of a sudden everyone’s asking questions about him. I’m not really sure why that is.”We all back Andrew Symonds’ cricket ability. He’s probably been our most consistent batsmen over the last couple of series anyway at No. 6. In a contest against the next best team in the world I’m pretty happy to have him in the side.”