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Opening stand of 202 with Nick Gubbins sees Leicestershire brushed aside

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay15-Aug-2025Hampshire 253 for 3 (Orr 131, Gubbins 81) beat Leicestershire 252 (Budinger 65, Masood 57, Cox 55, Abbott 3-36) by seven wicketsAli Orr’s first List A century for three years made sure Hampshire got their Metro Bank One-Day revenge on Leicestershire Foxes with a seven-wicket mauling.The Foxes beat Hampshire in the 2023 final, having also beaten them in the Group Stage that year, before knocking them out in the quarter-final last season.Kyle Abbott’s three wickets kept the hosts down to 252, despite fifties for Sol Budinger, Shan Masood, and Ben Cox, before Orr and Nick Gubbins – who now has 325 runs in the competition with 81 here – made light work of the chase. The opening duo put on 202 and raced to the winning line with more than six overs to spare.The only moment of worry came for Orr when he chopped onto his stumps, but didn’t dislodge the bails. Otherwise, it was a steady accumulation through risk-free batting, progressing through 59- and 67-ball fifties – the former for Gubbins going with his 144 not out, 40 and 60 in his other three One-Day Cup innings.Since arriving from Sussex at the start of last year, Orr has been beset by injuries – most notably a broken arm. He was finally able to add to the Rothesay County Championship hundred he scored against Durham in May 2024. His second for his new county coming in 126 balls and celebrated with gusto.Gubbins fell to a great diving catch by Budinger, Orr was lbw for 131 with five to win and Brandon McMullen was bowled for a duck, but the damage had been done.Earlier, Abbott was mesmerically accurate throughout and found the early breakthrough when former team-mate Ian Holland’s push was stunningly caught by Ben Mayes in the first over.The Abbott and Mayes combination also brought the downfall of Lewis Hill – attempting to charge a bouncer. But Budinger aggressively countered, and with Masood built the foundations the Foxes planned for having won the toss.On the back of a century against ex-employers Nottinghamshire Outlaws, Budinger oozed class in his 41-ball fifty but he started a trend of reaching a half-century but not kicking on. He tickled Felix Organ behind to end a 75-run stand, before Peter Handscomb loosely drove to extra cover.Masood watchfully passed his 52nd List A fifty but wastefully ran himself out for 57, with Cox keeping him company for his own 55.But after the pair had put on 63, the visitors struggled to build partnerships and rather tiptoed to 252. Having dismissed Handscomb, Andrew Neal also had Liam Trevaskis slogging to deep midwicket to take an impressive 2 for 43.Brad Wheal chipped in with two wickets on his return from injury, Abbott ended with 3 for 36 and Mayes – for the second time in the competition – four catches with the gloves, as Hampshire ended strongly.They carried that momentum into their batting as Orr and Gubbins clinically ticked the runs off.

The Angels' hire of Kurt Suzuki as their manager was met with much fanfare, given his strong track record across 16 years of big-league service from 2007 to '22.

However, Suzuki's arrival has reportedly come with a catch.

Los Angeles has Suzuki on a one-year contract, according to a Wednesday afternoon report from Sam Blum of . That, Blum noted, is a highly unusual arrangement for a managerial contract.

Almost all managerial contracts are multiyear deals, such as (to cite a recent example) the Rangers' hire of Skip Schumaker on a four-year contract. As Blum mentioned, issues related to contract length reportedly scuttled the Angels' negotiations with former first baseman Albert Pujols.

Suzuki, 42, played the last two years of his career with Los Angeles. He also spent time with the Athletics, Nationals, Twins and Braves, slashing .255/.314/.388 with 143 home runs and 730 RBIs lifetime.

He takes over an Angels team that has not made the playoffs since 2014 and has not won a postseason game since the 2009 American League division series.

Shohei Ohtani got the Dodger faithful going on Monday and he did so with a rare speech in English.

The soon-to-be four-time MVP took the microphone and addressed L.A. fans at Dodger Stadium before the conclusion of the team’s World Series victory parade. Ohtani did not use an interpreter and instead spoke in English. He also set an ambitious goal for his team in 2026.

“Hello, hello. I want to say I am so proud of this team, and I want to say you guys are the greatest fans in the world,” Ohtani said. “And I’m ready to get another ring next year. Let’s go.”

Not surprisingly, the packed crowd went wild. We already knew Ohtani was looking forward to next season, but he threw down the gauntlet for his teammates in a big way.

In 2025, the Dodgers became the first team to win back-to-back World Series titles since the Yankees did it in 2000. Those Yankees were also the last team to do it three times in a row, as they won in 1998, ’99, and 2000. L.A. would have to match them again to satisfy Ohtani’s wish for another ring next season.

Only two franchises have produced three or more consecutive World Series titles. The Yankees have done it on three occasions, from 1936 to ’39, 1949 to ’53, and the aforementioned 1998-2000 stretch. The then-Oakland A’s did it once, from 1972 to ‘74.

Shohei Ohtani’s World Series numbers

The Dodgers beat the Blue Jays in a thrilling seven-game battle to win the 2025 World Series despite their offense sputtering.

Ohtani was up and down in the postseason, but thanks to a historic performance in Game 3, his numbers look phenomenal. He finished the series going 9-for-27 (.333), with three home runs, three doubles, five RBIs, six runs scored, and nine walks. He produced a wRC+ of 224 and an OPS of 1.278.

The 31-year-old is the overwhelming favorite to win his second straight NL MVP award, as he finished the 2025 season slashing .282/.392/.622, with 55 home runs, and 102 RBIs. He also made 14 starts on the mound, he went 1-1, with a 2.87 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP, and 62 strikeouts against nine walks in 47 innings.

If anyone can help L.A. match the Yankees, it’s the guy most often compared to Babe Ruth.

Mason Greenwood sparked a mass brawl after scoring his opening goal in Marseille’s feisty 5-1 win over Riviera rivals Nice in Ligue 1 on Friday evening. The former Manchester United forward is now the leading goalscorer in France's top flight after netting a brace in a victory which saw Roberto De Zerbi’s side leapfrog Paris Saint-Germain at the summit.

Marseille's Emerson struck by lighter after Greenwood's first goal

Already in front thanks to former Arsenal and Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s effort after 11 minutes, Greenwood soon doubled Marseille’s lead with the first of his two goals at the Allianz Riviera. Shifting onto his right foot inside the penalty area, the 24-year-old’s shot took a deflection which wrong-footed Nice goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf.

Greenwood and his Marseille team-mates subsequently celebrated the goal in front of the Nice ultras, which was one of a number of trigger points for the unsavoury scenes which marred the derby-day encounter. According to via French broadcaster Marseille defender Emerson Palmieri was struck with a lighter that was thrown by a Nice supporter.

AdvertisementAFPMass brawl broke out by dugout as Nice protested Greenwood's strike

The report adds referee Jeremie Pignard then brought the lighter to the match delegate and asked both sets of players to gather near the touchline. However, control was soon lost as a melee broke out with Marseille goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli and Nice defender Ali Al-Abdi at the heart of it. The two substitutes were cautioned as a result.

Nice were already angered over what they felt was a foul by Aubameyang on defender Juma Bah in the build up to Greenwood’s goal. But after a check by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), the goal was allowed to stand, bringing an end to the fracas which disrupted the match for three minutes.

Marseille went on to record a thumping victory over their fierce rivals as Greenwood netted again after 53 minutes, while forward Timothy Weah and winger Igor Paixao joined him on the scoresheet. De Zerbi’s men moved top as a result of the win, with PSG set to entertain Le Havre on Saturday evening.

Greenwood becomes Ligue 1 top goalscorer following Nice brace

Greenwood’s two goals saw him move above Strasbourg attacker Joaquin Panichelli at the top of the Ligue 1 scoring charts. He has now scored 10 times in 13 league games for OM in 2025-26, while he has also found the back of the net on one occasion in this season’s Champions League.

The Bradford-born forward left Premier League side United after charges against him, including attempted rape and assault, were dropped in February 2023. He joined La Liga outfit Getafe on loan before signing for French giants Marseille on a permanent basis in 2024, scoring 21 goals in 34 Ligue 1 matches last season.

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AFPFormer Manchester United forward expresses happiness at Marseille

As he continues to rebuild his career at Marseille, Greenwood has previously expressed his happiness at the club, amid tentative speculation linking him with a return to England.

Speaking in July, he said: “I hope to be here again next year and play in the Champions League. Other players told me it would be special to play here. I think it was a very positive season, we achieved our goal.

"I had a baby here with my girlfriend, I feel at home, it’s a really special place. Not many people have the opportunity to come to Marseille and play for such an amazing club.

"I’m happy with the goals I scored this year. This is a great result for me and with the players and staff we have here, anything is possible.”

Six out of eight equity sales have been completed, but Oval Invincibles and Trent Rockets still negotiating

Matt Roller30-Jul-2025

The ECB insists that external investment in two Hundred teams remains “on track” despite the fact that their deals are yet to be completed.ESPNcricinfo revealed last week that Knighthead Capital’s investment in Birmingham Phoenix had been signed off and five more investors have now completed deals, which were agreed in principle earlier this year. The sales process valued the eight teams at nearly £1 billion collectively, with over £500 million invested in English cricket as a direct result.But two deals have taken far longer than anticipated to complete. The ECB initially gave new investors an eight-week deadline to finalise paperwork, which was later extended after disagreements over the participation agreement, and the deadline for completion has now been extended further for both Oval Invincibles and Trent Rockets.Related

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The ECB announced the completion of six deals on Wednesday, with chair Richard Thompson hailing a “seminal moment” for English cricket. The board said in a statement: “The remaining two [deals] are set for formal completion at a later date. They remain on track, in line with the ECB having offered investors the option of completing later.”Invincibles will be run as a joint-venture between Surrey (51%) and Reliance (49%), the Indian conglomerate which owns Mumbai Indians and their affiliated franchises around the world. Surrey declined to comment, but are understood to be very confident that the deal will be completed at the start of October.ESPNcricinfo has learned that the Ambani family, which owns Reliance, will attend the fifth England vs India Test at The Oval, but that the visit is unrelated to the timeframe of the deal. One outstanding issue in discussions surrounds the name of the franchise, which could be renamed MI London or MI Oval in line with Reliance’s other franchises outside of India, but branding is not considered a major sticking point.The Rockets’ new investors are Cain International – whose co-founders Todd Boehly and Jonathan Goldstein are part of the consortium that owns Chelsea FC – and private equity firm Ares Management. They will run the franchise as minority partners, with Nottinghamshire – who also declined to comment – retaining a 51% interest.Trent Rockets’ new investors are Cain International and Ares Management•Nathan Stirk/ECB via Getty Images

Both investor groups are understood to have taken up the option presented to them by the ECB to complete their deals post-season on October 1, when they will assume operational control of their teams.Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, has previously blamed the deals’ slow progress on the need to consider “what ifs” and new investors wanting “clarity on all sorts of details” before signing. Gould told ESPNcricinfo last month: “I hate to think how many sets of lawyers are in on this, but that’s what they’re paid to do.”The imminent financial windfall will be significant for many counties, not least Yorkshire, who have sold 100% of Northern Superchargers to the Sun Group. “The deal puts the club in a strong financial position, which has been far from the case for many years,” Sanjay Patel, their chief executive, said. “The first priority is clearing our debts.”The new investors will assume operational control from October 1, with the ECB running all eight teams for the 2025 season which runs from August 5-31.

Aston Villa are now prepared to make an offer for FC Barcelona forward Ansu Fati following a request from manager Unai Emery, but a clause in his loan deal at Monaco may complicate matters.

Villa’s interest in a new forward comes amid Ollie Watkins & co flattering to deceive, with the striker scoring just one Premier League goal in ten matches so far this season, having fallen way short of his usual lofty standards.

Despite Liverpool struggling from a defensive point of view this season, having already conceded 14 goals, Emery’s forward line barely caused the Reds any issues at the weekend, failing to create a single big chance in the 2-0 defeat.

Some of the manager’s summer signings are yet to hit the ground running too, with Jeff Stelling ripping into the Spaniard for his decision to substitute Jadon Sancho against Manchester City, having only been brought on himself in the first half.

With Harvey Elliott being omitted from the squad entirely for the victory against City, Emery clearly has doubts over some of his summer signings, and he has now made a plea to the board…

Aston Villa prepared to make offer for Ansu Fati in 2026

According to a report from Spain, Aston Villa are now prepared to make an offer for Barcelona forward Fati, who is currently on loan at AS Monaco, in light of the fantastic start to the season he has made in Ligue 1, but there could be competition for his signature.

Sunderland are also willing to make a move for the Monaco loanee, while the French club retain a clause to make his stay permanent for a fee of just €11m (£10m), which is viewed as an affordable fee, given the form he’s in.

Emery has personally requested the signing of a top-level forward, in order to compete for the European places, and Villa are now poised to make a move for the 23-year-old, should he not join Monaco permanently.

Once hailed as “extraordinary” by former Barcelona manager Xavi, the Spaniard was ultimately unable to make the grade at the Camp Nou, but he is still young, and the start the left-winger has made to the season has been very impressive.

Indeed, the Guinea-Bissau-born attacker has put in a number of eye-catching performances already this season, showcasing that he could still be capable of reaching the very top, if he steers clear of injuries, having spent too much on the treatment table at Barcelona.

There may be some concern over the fact the 10-time Spain international didn’t set the world alight during his previous stint in the Premier League, registering just two goals and zero assists in 19 top-flight outings for Brighton & Hove Albion.

However, Fati’s recent performances have been much-improved, and if he continues to perform at this level, Aston Villa should undoubtedly make a move.

Aston Villa now join race for "insane" former Bayern Munich striker

Aston Villa now join race to sign "insane" £35m former Bayern Munich striker

The Villans are looking to sign a centre-forward, with Unai Emery keen on greater strength in depth in attack.

By
Dominic Lund

Oct 28, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Com a iminente abertura da janela de transferências, alguns jogadores do Palmeiras entraram no radar de clubes do futebol brasileiro. Entre os nomes, aparecem o meio-campista Raphael Veiga, o zagueiro Murilo e o goleiro Weverton.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFutebol NacionalPalmeiras e clubes da Série A rebatem críticas do Flamengo ao sintético: ‘Distorcem a realidade’Futebol Nacional11/12/2025PalmeirasPalmeiras tem Weverton no planejamento, e goleiro retorna para brigar pela titularidadePalmeiras11/12/2025Futebol InternacionalEndrick joga, e ex-Palmeiras marca; veja como foi o dia da Champions LeagueFutebol Internacional10/12/2025

+ Palmeiras e clubes da Série A rebatem críticas do Flamengo ao sintético: ‘Distorcem a realidade’l

Veiga é alvo de interesse do Grêmio, que busca jogadores experientes para a reformulação do elenco em 2026. Em temporada de oscilação, o meia conviveu com lesões e alternou entre a equipe titular e o banco de reservas. Após período afastado para recuperação física, no entanto, retomou espaço na equipe e foi titular na decisão da Libertadores contra o Flamengo.

A comissão técnica ainda vê Rapahel Veiga como um dos pilares do atual elenco, além de uma liderança “silenciosa” nos bastidores, fato citado pelo próprio técnico Abel Ferreira. Assim, a diretoria não possui interesse em negociar o jogador, que possui contrato até dezembro de 2027.

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Outro jogador na mira do Grêmio é Weverton. Aos 37 anos, o goleiro perdeu a titularidade para Carlos Miguel após lesionar a mão e não esteve à disposição na reta final da temporada, incluindo as fases finais do Brasileirão e Copa Libertadores.

Assim como o meia, Weverton é tratado como uma das principais lideranças do grupo, e o Palmeiras não demonstra interesse em negociar o atleta. Mesmo sem atuar nas partidas finais da temporada por causa do problema na mão, ele, diferente dos demais lesionados, recebeu liberação para férias.

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Uma mudança de cenário, porém, pode ocorrer caso o jogador opte por encerrar sua trajetória no clube antes do término do vínculo, que termina no fim de 2026. Neste ano, o Palmeiras viu os laterais Marcos Rocha e Mayke solicitarem saída já na reta final de contrato, e o clube acertou liberação amigável nos bastidores para ambos.

Por fim, Murilo entrou no radar do Cruzeiro, apesar de o clube mineiro manter as atenções voltadas para a semifinal da Copa do Brasil. O zagueiro chegou a perder a titularidade para Fuchs em alguns momentos da temporada, mas a carência no setor é um dos principais motivos para o Palmeiras não demonstrar interesse em uma saída em janeiro.

O setor defensivo, inclusive, é um dos principais focos de atenção da diretoria na janela de transferências. A tendência é que reforços cheguem à Academia de Futebol, enquanto uma negociação envolvendo Micael, fora dos planos, deve avançar.

Mesmo em uma temporada sem títulos, a primeira desde que Abel Ferreira assumiu o comando, o Palmeiras não planeja nova reformulação e não demonstra intenção de se desfazer de pilares do elenco, como ocorreu em 2024. A ideia é promover ajustes pontuais no grupo.

➡️Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

Abel Ferreira admite saídas no elenco do Palmeiras

Em entrevista ao canal oficial do Palmeiras após anuncio de renovação contratual até dezembro de 2027, Abel Ferreira pediu paciência com alguns dos jogadores contratados recentemente pelo clube. Por outro lado, admitiu que algumas peças que não se adaptaram serão “trocadas”.

Entre elas, aparecem o zagueiro Micael, que terminou o ano como quinta opção no setor defensivo, atrás até do jovem Benedetti, e o volante Aníbal Moreno, alvo de clubes argentinos. Outro nome que pode deixar o clube em caso de proposta considerada vantajosa é o uruguaio Emiliano Martínez.

– Temos que acreditar nesses jogadores, outros temos que trocar por que não se adaptaram. Essa é a minha função – afirmou Abel Ferreira, em entrevista à TV Palmeiras.

Os atacantes Facundo Torres e Ramón Sosa, apesar de reservas, têm permanência garantida para 2026.

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Abel FerreiraMercado da BolaPalmeiras

The defending champions suffered a warm-up defeat to England but coach Shelley Nitschke feels the team are well placed

Andrew McGlashan29-Sep-2025Australia head coach Shelley Nitschke is prepared to face some “tough” selection calls ahead of the team’s opening ODI World Cup match against New Zealand on Wednesday.The defending champions completed their preparations with a four-wicket defeat against England in Bengaluru, but Nitschke was not too concerned by the result as Australia utilised a rejigged batting order. At 127 for 2 in the 16th over, they were on course for a huge total. But when Ashleigh Gardner and Phoebe Litchfield, who raced to 71 off 48 balls, fell in the space of four balls to legspinner Sarah Glenn, the middle order stumbled.The match saw left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux in action for the first time since last December after she sat out the series against India to complete the final stages of her recovery from knee surgery. She made 5 off 10 balls and claimed 1 for 37, but prior to heading to India captain Alyssa Healy had indicated that Molineux would be a first-choice pick if she proved her fitness.Related

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That would leave a likely decision to be made between the two legspinners, Georgia Wareham and Alana King, when it comes to the final XI against New Zealand in Indore.”Just to see her [Molineux] out there was fantastic,” Nitschke said. “It’s been close on 12 months, but just to have her out there bowling again, that’s a really good thing for us and our squad.”I guess we’ll sit down in the next couple of days and assess everything and see how we line up. I think we’re going to be faced with some pretty tough calls throughout the whole tournament. We’ve got a really good squad here. You know, everyone’s sort of at some point played really well, so we’ve got some decisions to make for sure.”The selectors will also need to make a call on the make-up of the pace attack. Nitschke praised an “excellent” performance from Darcie Brown, who took 1 for 30 in six overs against England after returning from a back spasm, but Megan Schutt and Kim Garth would appear the first-choice pair.Georgia Voll, who is averaging 63.50 across her first five ODIs, appears likely to be the frontline batter to miss out. Allrounder Heather Graham, who has replaced the injured Grace Harris, neither batted or bowled against England.Georgia Voll might be the top-order batter to miss out•Getty ImagesNitschke conceded Australia had not played Glenn “particularly well” but that it was a question of shot selection rather than needing to temper the aggressive approach which has been a hallmark of the team’s recent ODI batting.Having faced India in three full ODIs earlier in the month, Nitschke believed Australia, who only opted for one extra warm-up match rather than the two they could have had, would go into the World Cup battle-hardened.”I think the bilateral series against India was a hard-fought series in some tough bowling conditions and a real challenge. So I thought that was excellent prep,” she said. “We come out here tonight, [in] slightly different conditions, a red-clay pitch as opposed to some black soil that we were playing on in the bilateral, so certainly have been exposed to some different conditions and learnt a lot and have to adapt to that.”I’d like to think that now we’re in a good place and had enough exposure. We’ve been here for long enough to acclimatise… and just looking forward to getting into it.”

Both batters scored unbeaten centuries and posted South Africa’s third-highest partnership in women’s ODIs

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2025Marizanne Kapp and Tazmin Brits hit centuries and put up the third-highest partnership for South Africa in women’s ODIs to brush aside Pakistan in the series opener in Lahore.South Africa were in trouble early in their chase of 256. Sadia Iqbal bowled Laura Wolvaardt in the second over and Sune Luus was out lbw by Rameen Shamim in the tenth. But from 43 for 2, the 216-run third-wicket stand lifted South Africa, and the pair finished the game off with ten balls to spare. Kapp, the No. 4, stayed unbeaten on 121 with her third ODI ton, while opener Brits scored 101 not out for her fifth ODI century.Together, they hit 22 fours and two sixes, taking down Pakistan’s experienced bowlers. Fatima Sana and Nashra Sandhu conceded 59 runs and 61 runs respectively in their ten overs while Diana Baig conceded 56 runs in eight. Rameen was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers with figures of 1 for 29 in her ten overs.A jubilant Sidra Amin after reaching her fifth ODI ton•PCBPakistan had posted a competitive 255 for 4 with a big partnership of their own. Sidra Amin, like Kapp, also scored an unbeaten 121 and with opener Muneeba Ali put up a 147-run stand for the second wicket.Muneeba fell for 76 in the 31st over but Aliya Riaz’s 34-ball 33 gave Pakistan some impetus approaching the death overs. However, after Riaz’s run-out in the 44th over, Pakistan could not generate enough momentum for a winning score with No. 6 Natalia Pervaiz struggling in the back-end scoring only 5 in 14 balls.Ayabonga Khaka, who took the first two Pakistan wickets, finished with 2 for 36 in nine overs. Tumi Sekhukhune had 1 for 37. Kapp conceded only 2.85 per over in her seven-over spell.The second ODI is on Friday at the same venue.

This season has started about as poorly as it could have for West Ham United.

As things stand, the East Londoners are stuck in the Premier League relegation zone, and while Nuno Espírito Santo earned a point in his first game, he’s overseen three losses since.

However, there is a chance for the Hammers to steady the ship at home to Newcastle United this weekend, in a game that’ll see Lucas Paqueta take one of his closest friends in Bruno Guimaraes.

West Ham would love a player of his quality in their side, and while that is a pipe dream, they might have the next best thing.

Paqueta & Guimarães' relationship

Speaking ahead of the game, Paqueta did the usual of telling the West Ham website that the team are “all ready for a big battle,” but he also went on to explain his relationship with Guimarães.

Chalkboard

He revealed that the two of them are “like brothers” and that, thanks to their time on and off the pitch together, they are “best friends.”

It’s not all that surprising that the pair are so close, as on top of representing Brazil, they also spent time playing for Lyon.

In fact, between the 20/21 and 21/22 seasons, the duo made 42 appearances for the French side, in which they combined for one goal, but maintained a healthy average of 2.00 points per game.

On the international front, the duo have played 24 matches with both of them on the pitch, in which they’ve combined for two goals.

However, with 13 wins, six draws and five losses in those games, they’ve only averaged 1.88 points together.

You can only imagine how much better West Ham would be if Bruno were starting just behind Paqueta.

However, while that is a dream, the club might have found their own version of the Toon star who could end up forming a similar relationship with Paqueta.

Paqueta's new Guimarães

While there are some talented midfielders in West Ham’s squad, like Freddie Potts and Soungoutou Magassa, it’s Mateus Fernandes who could end up being Paqueta’s new Guimarães.

Now, while he isn’t Brazilian, there are a few reasons why he fits the bill, with the first being that, like the Newcastle star, he is more than comfortable playing in central midfield.

Therefore, while he can play in the ten, he’d be just as happy to sit that bit deeper and allow the Hammers’ Brazilian maestro to remain as the most attacking midfielder.

However, the most concrete reason why the “exceptional” former Southampton star, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, could become the new Guimarães is that he was one of the most similar players to him last season.

Yes, according to FBref, the Toon ace was the ninth most similar midfielder to the Irons’ summer signing in the entire Premier League last season.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals

0.12

0.12

Shots

1.30

1.24

Shots on Target

0.43

0.36

Expected Assists

0.11

0.15

Crosses into the Penalty Area

0.19

0.17

Switches

0.31

0.39

Shots Blocked

0.25

0.28

Interceptions

0.87

0.80

Aerial Duels Won

0.46

0.50

To gain a better understanding of how such a conclusion was reached, it’s worth examining some of the underlying numbers that led to the pair ranking so closely.

In this instance, these include specific attacking metrics, such as non-penalty expected goals, shots, shots on target, crosses into the penalty area, switches, and more, all per 90 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, given that they are both central midfielders, they also rank closely for more defensive metrics, such as interceptions, aerial duels won, and shots blocked per 90.

Now, with all that said, it would be foolish to expect the former Saints ace to match the performances of the Newcastle star, but the fact that they are so similar, and he’s six years younger, is certainly encouraging.

Ultimately, it may take some time for them to build a proper understanding, but so long as Nuno plays them both, there is every chance Paqueta could develop a similar understanding with Fernandes that he has with Guimarães.

How Jarrod Bowen really feels about leaving West Ham after £53m Tottenham claim

The England winger is reportedly attracting interest from north London.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 31, 2025