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As Leeds United romped to a convincing 3-0 win over Watford at the weekend, it proved a welcome return to the starting XI for experienced ace, Liam Cooper, with the Scotland international filling the void of the suspended Joe Rodon at centre-back.

Having been hampered by a foot injury in recent weeks, the club captain slotted in smoothly as Daniel Farke's side claimed a fourth successive clean sheet, the long-serving asset notably winning eight duels on the day after expertly taking the sting out of the Hornets.

Such a standout display from the 32-year-old – in which he simply 'thrived', according to Leeds Live's Beren Cross – showcased just what he can offer to the side when fit and available, albeit with the Hull-born having too often been on the treatment table in recent years.

That has ensured that the £25k-per-week defender has proven somewhat unreliable of late after regularly being struck down with injury, with Farke likely to need to look elsewhere to find a long-term solution in that role moving forward.

With Cooper – who has racked up 268 appearances for the club to date – also now in the final year of his contract at Elland Road, it remains to be seen if that deal will be extended any time soon, thus throwing into doubt his place at the club.

Players

Appearances

Liam Cooper

268

Stuart Dallas

267

Luke Ayling

261

Sam Byram

151

Patrick Bamford

151

Illan Meslier

134

Pascal Struijk

106

Stats via Transfermarkt

Having even been linked with a departure from the Yorkshire giants over the summer, the Whites may need to have a contingency plan in place if and when the long-serving skipper does depart.

Who could replace Liam Cooper at Leeds?

With Robin Koch and Max Wober having moved out on loan during the recent window, it is fair to say that Leeds aren't particularly blessed with too much depth in the centre-back department, despite bringing in the aforementioned Rodon from Tottenham Hotspur.

The Welshman – like Spurs colleague Djed Spence – is only at Elland Road on a temporary basis, however, thus ensuring that he may not be an ideal candidate to replace Cooper in the long-term, with it yet to be seen if a permanent deal will be agreed at the end of the season.

With Pascal Struijk the only other senior option in the defensive ranks, a worthy successor to Cooper could emerge in the form of Charlie Cresswell, with the 21-year-old having "really impressed" while on loan at Millwall last season, as per manager Gary Rowett.

The 6 foot 4 ace – who scored five times last season during that temporary stint – isn't the only emerging talent that Farke could look to, however, with former Celtic starlet Leo Hjelde also someone to consider as a possible firm fixture in the backline for years to come.

How good is Leo Hjelde?

The Norwegian colossus – who arrived from Glasgow back in 2021 – has endured a difficult season thus far after being hooked at half-time in the opening game draw with Cardiff City, as well as in the Carabao Cup victory over Shrewsbury Town last month.

Those displays had come with the 20-year-old lining up at left-back, however, with Farke potentially missing a trick by not placing the Nottingham-born gem at centre-back – a role he has previously thrived in.

During a prior stint on loan at Scottish side, Ross County, the exciting talent was even likened to current Liverpool icon, Virgil van Dijk as an indication of his sky-high potential, with manager John Hughes having stated back in April 2021:

"Leo is going to be the next Van Dijk – trust me on that. The quality he has shown, the physical challenge, playing real men's football and standing up to it – it's been a wonderful experience for Leo."

Hughes was again effusive in his praise for Hjelde when speaking about him last year, stating that the the-teenager had a real "swagger" about him, while also hailing the 6 foot 2 ace as an "athlete" and "very good" technically.

While thus far restricted to just eight first-team appearances for his parent club, the versatile asset – who was linked with a move to Serie A this summer – also proved his talent on loan at Rotherham last season, with it looking as if "Leeds have got a real proper centre-half on their books" if he "fulfils his potential", according to Hughes.

How did Leo Hjelde get on at Rotherham?

Much like during his time north of the border, the rave reviews came flooding in amid Hjelde's short time with the Millers, with journalist Paul Davis having hailed him as a "player of Premier League talent" who is "already a quality Championship player".

Also described as a "revelation" by Davis for his quality on the ball, the Norway U21 international made 13 Championship appearances in total during that loan spell, enjoying a solid record of 1.3 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game – a similar record to what Cresswell achieved at Millwall (1.5 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game).

A talent with "real maturity" despite his relative youth – according to Davis – the elegant asset will likely be hoping to kick on from that promising temporary stint by forcing his way into Farke's plans this season, despite having been on the periphery of late.

For Leeds to potentially have their own version of Van Dijk on their hands – a player once described as the "best centre-half of all time" by pundit Michael Owen – is a hugely exciting prospect, with it perhaps time that he is given a chance to shine in the centre of defence at Elland Road.

With Cooper unable to be relied upon due to his injury woes, and with Rodon potentially only set to stay for a season, Hjelde could be a figure for Farke to build his defence around for the long-term, alongside the likes of Cresswell and Struijk.

While something of a bit-part player during his two years at Leeds so far, the Scandinavian star could be something of a secret weapon that is just waiting to be unleashed this season.

Heather Knight, Nat Sciver and Anya Shrubsole are named among the Five Cricketers of the Year, while Virat Kohli is Leading Cricketer in the World

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Apr-2018The 2018 edition of has continued to break new ground, with three members of the England Women’s World Cup-winning team named among the Five Cricketers of the Year: Anya Shrubsole – who also becomes the first woman to feature on the cover – Heather Knight and Nat Sciver.For the second year running, Virat Kohli is named Leading Cricketer in the World – matching Virender Sehwag’s achievement in 2008 and 2009 – while another of the competitors in the Women’s World Cup final at Lord’s, India captain Mithali Raj, wins the Leading Women’s Cricketer accolade. Afghanistan’s teenage sensation, Rashid Khan, is the inaugural winner of a new award for the foremost T20 player in the game.Previously, only two women have won places among ‘s Five – Claire Taylor (2009) and Charlotte Edwards (2014) – a tradition that dates back to 1889 and is judged on performances during the English summer, with no player able to be named more than once.Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack 2018•WisdenAlongside Shrubsole, Knight and Sciver, West Indies’ batsman Shai Hope, scorer of twin hundreds in a famous win at Headingley, and Essex’s Jamie Porter, the seamer who helped lead them to a first County Championship in 25 years, make up the Five Cricketers of the Year for 2017. Winners receive a commemorative edition of the Almanack, which is published on Wednesday.Lawrence Booth, the editor of , praised Knight’s role in lifting the World Cup as “the culmination of a personal tour de force that helped change women’s cricket for ever” and said no stroke was more memorable in 2017 than Sciver’s flick through the legs, christened the “Natmeg”. On Shrubsole’s match-winning turn at Lord’s, he added: “She finished with figures of six for 46, the best in a World Cup final, and the status of a national hero.”While the women’s game may enjoy a higher profile than it has ever done, Booth writes in his Editor’s Notes that there remains work to be done and calls for a statue to be erected of the pioneering Rachael Heyhoe Flint, who died last year. “If Barnsley and Hobart can honour Dickie Bird and David Boon, Lord’s can find room for Rachael Heyhoe Flint – preferably in the Coronation Garden behind the Pavilion, casting a mischievous eye in the direction of WG.”Although has only singled out the world’s best male cricketer since 2003, Kohli is the third player to win it twice – after Sehwag and Kumar Sangakkara – and the second to do so in consecutive years. The women’s award is only in its fourth year, with Raj the first Indian to be honoured.”For the second year in a row, Indian captain Virat Kohli is ‘s Leading Cricketer in the World,” Booth said. “In all formats in 2017, he scored 2,818 runs – more than 700 ahead of Joe Root in second place. Three of his five Test hundreds were doubles, and the other two unbeaten, and his 1,460 one-day international runs were unsurpassed.”Mithali Raj made it an Indian double after she was named the Leading Woman Cricketer in the World. In the course of captaining her country to within a whisker of the World Cup title, she became the leading run-scorer in the history of women’s one-day internationals, and completed her seventh successive half-century, another record.”Elsewhere in the Almanack, Booth describes England’s Test team as “going backwards” and is critical of the ECB’s handling of the Ben Stokes affair. There is praise, however, for increased engagement with the UK’s South Asian communities. “This is about more than doing the right thing, and bringing a passionate group in from the cold. It is a matter of survival.”

There has been a "new" update on West Ham United star Jarrod Bowen and a proposed contract extension at the London Stadium.

Latest West Ham news

David Moyes and his Hammers side have started the new Premier League campaign in fine fashion overall; sealing impressive wins over big-spending Chelsea, high-flying Brighton and newly-promoted Luton Town.

Building upon their Europa Conference League triumph last season, some of West Ham's summer arrivals have quickly taken to life in east London.

Midfielders Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse perform as if they've been at the club for years, while Ghana star Mohammed Kudus arrives with an exciting reputation.

West Ham recorded their first defeat of the season on Saturday as European champions Man City clinched a 3-1 win courtesy of goals from Jeremy Doku, Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland.

However, given they're arguably the best side on the continent right now, supporters can forgive Moyes' side and look forward to their next league game away to Liverpool.

Jarrod Bowen new contract

One of West Ham's star players has been England winger Bowen, who has racked up three goals and one assist in just five league appearances so far.

The 26-year-old struggled in parts last campaign but has since returned to form; dazzling as one of West Ham's main attacking outlets alongside Ward-Prowse, Lucas Paqueta and Michail Antonio.

Antonio has reportedly already signed a new deal at West Ham, and the Irons are apparently really pushing to tie down Bowen on top of him.

That is according to Irons reporter Toby Cudworth, who writes on X and in a co-wrote article for 90min that a fresh terms are on the cards for Bowen.

West Ham are apparently confident they can get him to sign and remain "hopeful" of him putting pen to paper as "negotiations continue".

"NEW: West Ham hopeful Jarrod Bowen will sign contract extension as negotiations continue," wrote Cudworth on X.

"Current deal runs out in the summer of 2025, incredibly he has only missed 2 PL games since joining in January 2020."

For 90min, Cudworth writes with fellow reporter Graeme Bailey that West Ham are working hard to seal a new and improved deal for Bowen.

How good is Jarrod Bowen?

The former Hull City star has been a revelation since joining West Ham in January 2020.

Over his 163 appearances in all competitions, Bowen has 43 goals and 32 assists to his name, with Sky pundit Paul Merson also branding him "outstanding" and "underrated".

“Jarrod Bowen is someone who got recognition on the grandest stage recently as he made his England debut, but I still believe he’s underrated,” Merson said to Sports Keeda last summer.

“He’s an outstanding player and has gone from strength to strength since swapping Hull City for West Ham – I can’t believe it took so much time for Gareth Southgate to call him up.

“When West Ham have a big game coming up, he’s a player – along with Declan Rice – who gets rested and that just shows how much he’s grown in stature. Come to think of it, he reminds me of a forward version of James Milner – reliable, honest and works his socks off for the team."

Centuries from Mahidul Islam Ankon and Ashok Menaria, meanwhile, steered Khelaghar Samaj to a seven-wicket win against Agrani Bank

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Feb-2018In the first thriller of this season’s Dhaka Premier League, the eighth-wicket pair Mohammad Enamul and Taijul Islam guided Mohammedan Sporting Club to a three-wicket win over Prime Bank Cricket Club. Chasing 260, Mohammedan slipped to 205 for 7 when they lost their top-scorer Raqibul Hasan, who made 64. From there, Enamul and Taijul added an unbroken 55 in 54 balls to steer their side home. Taijul, who came in at No. 9, made 35 off 36 balls, while Enamul made 32 off 33.The match at the BKSP-3 ground began in spectacular fashion when Prime Bank, who were sent in to bat, were reduced to 36 for 6 in the 14th over. Taijul and Bipul Sharma shared five of those wickets but Al-Amin and Ariful Haque staged a fine recovery, adding 161 for the seventh wicket. Al-Amin made 110 off 126 balls with nine fours and two sixes while Ariful struck four sixes and as many fours in his 100-ball 87. With Delwar Hossain clattering a 14-ball 25 at the end, Prime Bank eventually posted 259 for 9 in their 50 overs.Mahidul Islam Ankon and Ashok Menaria struck centuries to power Khelaghar Samaj Kallyan Samity to a seven-wicket win over Agrani Bank Cricket Club in Fatullah.Ankon and Menaria got together with their side in trouble at 40 for 3 in the tenth over with their side chasing 261. They went on to add an unbroken 221 for the fourth wicket, as Khelaghar sped to their target in 47.4 overs. Ankon’s unbeaten 115, his maiden List-A century, included four fours and six sixes, while Menaria struck nine fours and three sixes in his 112-ball 113.Agrani Bank, who had opted to bat first, had posted 259 for 8 with eight of their batsmen getting to 20 but only one – the No. 7 Jahid Javed (54 off 56 balls) – getting to a half-century.Shinepukur Cricket Club rode on half-centuries from Towhid Hridoy and Afif Hossain to beat Kalabagan Krira Chakra by six wickets at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. They added 84 for the fourth wicket in a chase of 233. Afif top-scored with an unbeaten 67 off 70 balls, with seven fours and two sixes, while Hridoy struck five fours and a six in his 71-ball 63.Batting first, Kalabagan reached 232 for 9 thanks to Akbar-ur-Rehman’s 71, which included four fours and two sixes. He added 64 for the fifth wicket with Mahmudul Hasan, who made 52. Later in the innings, Abul Hasan blasted six fours and a six in an unbeaten 27-ball 47. Shuvagata Hom took three wickets.

It has perhaps epitomised the luckless nature of Manchester United of late that after finally ending their lengthy search for a new centre-forward with the £72m signing of Rasmus Hojlund, the Red Devils have since been forced to wait to properly witness their new man in action due to injury.

After missing the first three games of the new Premier League season due to a slight back complaint, the 20-year-old was finally involved in proceedings as a late substitute in the recent 3-1 defeat away to rivals Arsenal, replacing a frankly anonymous Anthony Martial in the number nine berth.

While that outing may have been a mere brief cameo, there was seemingly enough there for United supporters – and manager Erik ten Hag – to get excited about, with the former Ajax boss needing to find a way to get his marquee man firing once play resumes following the international break.

How did Hojlund perform against Arsenal?

For the most part on that frustrating afternoon at the Emirates the visitors' attacking unit was simply unable to get going, with Martial, in particular, struggling to make his mark on proceedings having 'barely made any impact on the game', in the words of GOAL's Richard Martin.

With Hojlund having subsequently been introduced around the 70-minute mark, that alteration almost had an immediate impact, with the former Atalanta man instantly proving a handful for the likes of Gabriel and William Saliba, due to his willingness to get in behind and attempts to hold the ball up.

Perhaps most excitingly, however, the one-time Sturm Graz machine also 'showed real quality' in the build-up to Alejandro Garnacho's disallowed strike, as per Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst, after producing a delightful backheeled flick to find Casemiro – the Brazilian having earlier been visibly encouraging of the striker's eye-catching performance.

That moment of deft brilliance has likely sparked real excitement as to what is to come from the 6 foot 3 sensation over the coming weeks and months, with the aim now for his new teammates to try and get the best out of him.

What are Hojlund's strengths?

As that appearance against the Gunners showcased, the "scary quick" asset – as hailed by journalist Sacha Pisani – is not afraid to use his electric speed to try and stretch a defence, having notably burst clear prior to his tussle with Gabriel inside the penalty area, with the Brazilian somewhat fortunate not to have given away a spot-kick.

That desire to play on the last man has been evident amid his form over the past year in Italy, with the towering Dane ranking in the top 1% for progressive passes received per 90 among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues, indicating just how regularly he looks to latch onto threaded forward passes to utilise his physical strengths.

The youngster will be in need of those around him to supply the goods, however, hence why deploying his compatriot Christian Eriksen in the centre of the park remains a wise move, with the experienced playmaker ranking in the top 7% among his European peers for progressive passes per 90.

The £150k-per-week "genius" – as described by Statman Dave – is a true master at impacting proceedings in the final third as he also ranks in the top 1% for assists and the top 8% for shot-creating actions per 90, indicating his creative spark.

That record is far more impressive than the man that the 31-year-old has replaced in midfield in the form of Mason Mount, with the club's new number seven – who is currently sidelined with injury – ranking in just the top 45% among his fellow midfielders for progressives passes, as well as in just the top 11% and the top 16% for assists and shot-creating actions per 90, respectively.

Despite splashing out £55m on Mount, there would be no harm in persisting with Eriksen for the short-term at least, with the former Totteham Hotspur man already scoring once and providing one assist this season, including finding Marcus Rashford last weekend with a delightful, threaded pass.

It may not be too long before such pin-point assists are being provided to his international colleague, Hojlund, at Old Trafford, ensuring that the new addition can truly prove rather unplayable amid his belated start to proceedings in a red jersey.

Jason Holder is the captain and Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels are the senior members of the 15-man squad for the World Cup Qualifiers

Nagraj Gollapudi26-Jan-20185:20

‘Playing in Bangladesh, PSL feels just like home’ – Sammy

Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Kieron Pollard and Darren Bravo have opted to skip the World Cup Qualifiers in March to play in the Pakistan Super League. The development was revealed by Cricket West Indies, which released the 15-man squad for the qualifiers scheduled to be played in Zimbabwe from March 4 to 25.Ten teams will contest the qualifiers with two going through to join the top eight-ranked nations for the 2019 World Cup, to be played in England from May 30 to July 14.West Indies squad

Jason Holder (capt), Jason Mohammed (vice-capt), Devendra Bishoo, Carlos Brathwaite, Sheldon Cottrell, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Nikita Miller, Ashley Nurse, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Kesrick Williams
IN: Carlos Brathwaite, Kemar Roach, Devendra Bishoo
OUT: Ronsford Beaton, Shannon Gabriel, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Hope, Chadwick Walton, Sunil Ambris

Jason Holder will lead the West Indies squad which, chairman of selectors Courtney Browne said had the right mix of “experience and youth.” Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels are two senior-most members of the 15-man squad, which also sees the return of allrounder Carlos Brathwaite, fast bowler Kemar Roach and legspinner Devendra Bishoo from the group that played in the ODI series in New Zealand, which West Indies lost 3-0.Holder had said recently that West Indies would treat every match as a “must-win” game, keeping in mind the “magnitude” of what was at stake for them. Critics then are bound to question if this is the best ODI squad to represent West Indies solely because some of the best limited-overs players – Narine, Pollard and Russell – are not part of the squad.Browne stated all four players said their “priority” was to play in the PSL, which runs parallel to and beyond the qualifiers. The PSL, in its third year, will be played from February 22 to March 25. “We contacted some of our well-known senior cricketers to ascertain their availability for the tournament and we are pleased that Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels have indicated their full support and commitment to the cause,” Browne said in a media release. “Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Darren Bravo and Andre Russell, however, indicated that they were unavailable to help us qualify as their priority was playing in the Pakistan Super League.”The West Indies squad will depart for Zimbabwe on February 16, about 10 days before playing two warm-up matches before the league phase of the qualifiers commences. According to Johnny Grave, the CWI chief executive officer, between Browne, Jimmy Adams, West Indies’ director of cricket, and himself, the three had discussions with the four players in the recent weeks.”Their positions were clear that they were unable to help us qualify and they are all committed to participate in the PSL,” Grave told ESPNcricinfo. “We understand and respect the players’ decisions. We are hugely disappointed that they have not made themselves available to help the West Indies qualify for the World Cup.”All four players are part of the set of high-profile players who were not offered contracts by CWI. The set includes Gayle, Narine, Russell, Pollard, Bravo, Samuels, Samuel Badree and Darren Sammy. Grave had recently pointed out that these players were not being offered the white-ball contracts which were meant for players featuring in both ODI and T20 teams. He also said that the players would need to play some 50-over games in the domestic Super50 Cup, which begins soon, in order to warrant selection to the ODI side.Andre Fletcher and Andre Russell celebrate West Indies’ win•AFPWhether the implication of not having a contract was a reason behind the four players opting out could not be ascertained. It is, however, understood that during the conversations with CWI, Russell and Narine stated that they just wanted some time to work on their individual games before returning to play for West Indies. Both players are understood to have committed to play in the limited-overs formats soon.Grave confirmed that Russell, whose one-year doping ban ends on January 31, will feature in the league phase of Super50 after he was picked in the Jamaica squad this week. Also playing the group stages of the Super50 would be Gayle, Samuels and Narine.Russell has not played an ODI since November 2015. His last international match was a T20 against India in August 2016. In his time away from West Indies and, before the ban, Russell was busy playing various T20 leagues overseas, where he is one of the most sought-after players. In his discussions with the CWI officials, Russell expressed his desire to return to play ODIs, but wanted to regain his confidence playing in the 50-over format. The selectors and CWI accepted his reasoning and supported his move to play the Super50.Recently, Russell and Narine were two players retained by Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the IPL auction. Russell is expected to be part of the West Indies A tour to England, which follows the IPL, where he is expected to test himself as well as allow the selectors to assess his performances before the series against Bangladesh in the summer.Narine, who has not played ODIs since October 2016, informed CWI that he is not yet confident about his bowling action completely. Narine has been working with a specialist coach, Carl Crowe, on his bowling action over the past few years and has asked for a bit more time, which Grave said he could understand.The case of Pollard and Bravo is not so straightforward, though. Pollard, who is currently playing the Big Bash League and became the first to play 400 T20s, has also not played ODIs since October 2016. In December, Pollard pulled out on the eve of the T20 series in New Zealand, citing “personal reasons”. When the selectors checked with him about his availability for the World Cup Qualifiers, he said he was not available.The Bravo case is intriguing along similar lines. Despite agreeing to a truce with CWI last year, Bravo has not played for West Indies recently. He opted out of the England tour last year, saying he wanted to play in the CPL. He then declined to be part of the New Zealand tour wanting to play in the Bangladesh Premier League. And now, he has picked the PSL over the qualifiers. “It is his decision. It is his career, but I am disappointed,” Grave said.

Liverpool are keen on a summer deal to sign Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie, but a reliable journalist has revealed that it will be far from cheap to bring him to the Premier League.

How old is Piero Hincapie?

Hincapie is 21 years of age and still has another four years to run on his contract with Xabi Alonso’s side, but despite this, he’s been attracting significant interest from three clubs in particular ahead of the final week of the window, two of them being in the top-flight.

The Bundesliga centre-back earlier this month emerged as a possible target for the Reds, West Ham United and RB Leipzig, but reporter Dominik Schneider soon after confirmed that FSG and Jurgen Klopp had made the first official move and opened talks with the player’s camp regarding a move to Anfield.

The Ecuador international was previously claimed to have had a £35m price tag put on his head, but if the following update is to be believed, it’s now set to cost his admirers almost double should they want to prise him away from the BayArena.

Are Liverpool signing Piero Hincapie?

Writing in his column for CaughtOffside, Bild's Christian Falk name-checked Liverpool as one of the clubs to be possibly keeping tabs on Hincapie, but admitted that Jorg Schmadtke will find it difficult to get a deal over the line. He said:

“There are many Premier League clubs interested in Piero Hincapie. Liverpool could be one of them. I don’t think there’s enough time to make the deal, as Leverkusen don’t want to sell. If they were forced to think about it, it would have to be a high price – €70m (£60m) and more. I don’t think it’s the right moment for Liverpool to spend this money. I think Schamdtke will know that.

“Leverkusen are very interested in a loan deal for Luke Chambers – they really want him. This could happen, and so you see there talks between Leverkusen and Jorg Schmadtke, but I think he knows it will be too difficult to get Hincapie.”

How good is Piero Hincapie?

According to football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Hincapie is a defensive “wall” at centre-back which is true considering that last season he averaged 2.5 clearances and two aerial wins per game in the Bundesliga, via WhoScored, so should he put pen to paper, he could be an excellent recruit for Liverpool.

Read The Latest Liverpool Transfer News HERE…

The Esmeraldas native, who has the versatility to operate at left-back and slightly higher up on the left side of the midfield alongside his usual role, also ranked in the 98th percentile for progressive carries, displaying his desire to push his team up the pitch which resulted in him scoring one goal and providing the same number of assists.

The Merseyside outfit have reportedly seen an opening offer for Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch rejected. The Reds' offer was thought to be worth £41m, however, the Bundesliga champions see the player as key player despite starting the campaign on the bench.

Should they be more successful if they make an improved second bid for the Dutch midfielder, Hincapie could be the perfect candidate to follow in his footsteps in late transfer activity at Anfield, making this one to keep an eye on.

Sunderland may lose out in their battle to bring in a key target to strengthen their offensive options late in the window, according to recent reports.

What's the latest news involving Sunderland?

The Black Cats have enjoyed a busy transfer window that has seen plenty of incomings arrive through the door at the Stadium Of Light, including Jenson Seelt, Jobe Bellingham, Elizier Mayenda, Nectarios Triantis, Bradley Dack, Nathan Bishop and Luis Semedo, as per Transfermarkt, but a recognised goalscorer is still on the agenda.

Last weekend, Sunderland managed to gain their first victory this campaign in the Sky Bet Championship, defeating Rotherham United 2-1 at home to avenge the disappointment of losing out in their first two league fixtures to Preston North End and Ipswich Town, as per Sky Sports.

Tony Mowbray has made it clear recently that bringing in a striker is a key priority for the Black Cats between now and the close of play in the market and has spoken in a recent interview about what he is looking for from any prospective recruits in the forward areas, stating via The Chronicle: "We're trying to control the game on most occasions, and then it's about seeing whether teams are going to press or sit off in a block."

He then added: "That's why ultimately you need some mobility at the top end because if people are sitting in a mid-block and your centre-half doesn't think they can get through the lines, sometimes you have to go over the top with some speed and some threat.

"At the moment that's what's missing from this team, because that's not really Hemir or Dack's game. Jobe has that powerful running action that can pressure people, of course, but it's not necessarily speed."

Losing attacking talent will be a big concern for the former Celtic manager and there has been no shortage of interest in star man Jack Clarke this summer, who has been subject to several rejected bids from Premier League outfit Burnley, with their last rebuffed proposal said to be in the region of £13 million, according to The Sunderland Echo.

Patrick Roberts is also a target for both Southampton and Scottish champions Celtic and is believed to have 'growing interest' from both side's in his services, journalist Alan Nixon has revealed on his Patreon.

Is there interest in Amad Diallo?

According to a separate report from The Sunderland Echo, the Black Cats have 'been keeping an eye' on the situation of former loanee Amad Diallo, but club chiefs believe that Manchester United would prefer to see the Ivory Coast international join a Premier League club instead and they will miss out as a result.

Erik Ten Hag is yet to determine Diallo's future and the £28k-a-week ace has attracted interest from Leeds United, Leicester City and Southampton, alongside Sunderland.

Dubbed "incredible" by ex-teammate Luke O'Nien, Diallo spent last campaign on loan on Wearside and ended up being a major hit at the Stadium of Light, notching 14 goals and four assists in 42 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

Diallo also ranks highly in regard to his positional peers across Europe's next eight divisions below the top five leagues on the continent for pass completion, with an 84.7% pass success rate per 90 minutes in the last 365 days, putting the 21-year-old in the 98th percentile for this metric, as per FBRef.

Realistically, it is difficult to see an avenue for Diallo to return if Manchester United do want him to try his hand at the Premier League; nevertheless, Sunderland still look to be at least contemplating an ambitious swoop for the Red Devils' winger.

Guyana’s pace duo Keon Joseph and Keemo Paul took a combined 16 wickets to haul Guyana to their fourth win in five matches

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2017Pacers Keon Joseph and Keemo Paul took a combined 16 wickets in the match as Guyana secured an eight-wicket victory over Barbados at home.Paul took his second first-class five-wicket haul, while Joseph took three wickets as Barbados posted 294 after electing to bat. They then returned to take four wickets each in Barbados’ second innings before half-centuries from Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Leon Johnson helped them run down a 178-run target with eight wickets to spare.Having lost the toss, Guyana won the early exchanges, with Joseph snaring three wickets in a new-ball burst that reduced Barbados to 32 for 3. A 78-run fourth-wicket stand between Kevin Stoute followed, which ended with a run out of Moseley. Stoute fell for 47 to left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie as Barbados lost half their side for 123. Then came the substantial partnership of the match, between Kenroy Williams (68) and Justin Greaves, who top-scored with 72. The duo’s sixth-wicket stand of 121 hauled Barbados close to the 250 mark before Paul wiped out the lower order as Barbados lost five wickets for 50 runs to be bowled out for 294.Tagenarine (52) and Chandrapaul Hemraj (79) kickstarted Guyana’s replay with half-centuries and a 115-run first-wicket partnership. Barbados chipped away at the wickets thereafter, but Gudakesh Motie’s unbeaten 72 steered them to 314 all out. Ashley Nurse and Jomel Warrican took three wickets each.Joseph and Paul quickly reduced Barbados to 109 for 7 in the second innings. Jonathan Carter prolonged the innings with 53 and a ninth-wicket stand of 86 with Mario Rampersaud, before Barbados folded for 197.Chanderpaul and Johnson, the Guyana captain, took their team close to the target with a second-wicket partnership of 117 after Hemraj’s dismissal for 21. Johnson was bowled by Harding for 61 with Guyana 25 away from the target, but Tagenarine (62*) and Vishaul Singh (22*) sealed Guyana their fourth win in five matches.

Arsenal could already be looking ahead to next summer, despite the 2023/24 calendar only just commencing for Mikel Arteta’s squad.

The Gunners have spent sufficiently in the transfer window, using over £200m to acquire the likes of Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber, David Raya and Declan Rice, however, reports have suggested that the north Londoners could already be preparing to spend big again in the near future.

An early defensive blow to Timber has left Arteta and Edu poised to delve back into the market to equip another defender, although other positions could be addressed at a later date.

Who could Arsenal sign?

While defenders such as Marc Guehi, Edmond Tapsoba and Joao Cancelo have been rumoured as being potential targets at the Emirates by the Express, new reports have shed light on the Gunners’ plans to identify a striker.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

As reported by FootballTransfers, Arsenal are speculated to be plotting an audacious swoop in 2024 for young Brighton & Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson.

The Irish wonderkid, who is valued at a whopping £100m by the Seagulls, could be at the top of Arteta’s list next year, with the site’s sources claiming that he is on the club’s radar.

The report adds that despite Manchester United eyeing the forward, it’s Arsenal that are ‘most likely’ to make a swoop for his talent next summer.

What could Evan Ferguson offer to Arsenal?

Since the ugly departure of marksman Robin van Persie back in 2012, it’s questionable as to whether the Gunners have ever sufficiently replaced the Dutchman’s prowess in front of goal.

In terms of out-and-out strikers, the Emirates has been deprived, with the closest claim to being a prolific goalscorer being Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, who netted 92 goals in 163 appearances in red and white.

When you revise the strike options of all top teams in Europe, a reliable leader of the line is evident, making it glaringly obvious that hiring a competent finisher could bridge the gap between Arsenal and the continent's elite.

Gabriel Jesus was acquired from Manchester City last summer, and despite the energy and skill that he brings to Arteta’s squad, the fact remains that the Brazilian has never scored over 15 Premier League goals in a season.

By selling Jesus, City made way for Erling Haaland, whose scoring nature needs little introduction, as he fired his club to the treble by scoring 52 goals in the 2022/23 campaign.

While finding another Haaland is not an option, Arsenal could instead unearth another Haaland by signing Ferguson, who at just 18 years of age has been likened to the Norwegian in terms of statistical profile by FBref.

In only 10 Premier League starts last season at Brighton, the Irishman scored six goals, showing no fear in the final third and being dubbed as “sensational” by U23 scout Antonio Mango.

While his tally is far from being comparable to City’s goliath, his ability to get into the right positions and score suggests he does possess the innate attributes of a goalscorer, as highlighted by his average of 0.57 non-penalty goals per 90 in the Premier League last season.

The signs are there for Ferguson to have the skills in his locker to become a top striker, and with him only being 18, his progression and future will certainly be something to watch for years to come.