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ScorecardOnly one score lower than Kent’s 133 had ever been successfully defended in a T20 tie at Canterbury, but the overwrought faces on the Lancashire bench were a reminder that nothing would be automatic now the knockout stages in the Vitality Blast were spreading anxiety into every corner of this grand old ground. Although Lancashire took this quarter-final by six wickets with eight balls to spare, it felt closer.Lancashire had stiffened their ranks with two top-order England batsmen, Jos Buttler and Keaton Jennings, but Buttler was stumped first ball for a duck, Jennings (46 from 50) got out with the chase not quite broken. Sam Billings was a highly-resourceful captain and Kent fielded tigerishly.Memories of a horrendous collapse in the group stages against Durham at Old Trafford, culminating in three wickets lost in the final over, lurked below the surface. “Never again,” they had vowed in a dressing room inquest which burned the paint from the walls. There will be another occasion one day, there always is, but at least for Lancashire it was not to be this night.Lancashire hit one six all night and it as good as settled matters. When Jordan Clark swung Mitch Claydon over midwicket, the requirement was reduced to 11 from two overs. Only four more balls were needed as Clark and Dane Vilas stretched their unbroken fifth-wicket diving and scampering to 50 from 33 balls.Buttler will not be the first high-profile England player to be propelled into a county cup tie as if slightly disorientated. His emotions this week have been consumed by a maiden Test hundred at Trent Bridge and a heavy England defeat: vice-captain these days as well, remember. Too often, England players fail in high-profile county games and psychologically in such a crowded fixture list it is easy to understand why.It was a night when Lancashire could not believe their luck. They had bowled 52% of their overs in the group stages with spin bowling, with legspinners Matt Parkinson and Zahir Khan two of the most influential players in the tournament. By failing to win a home quarter-final the danger was that their spinners might be negated, but instead they found themselves on a Canterbury slow turner. They could not have planned it better themselves.”The worst we have batted all summer,” said Billings. “We certainly didn’t want to prepare a turning wicket like that against Lancashire with all their spin.” That he could smile through his frustration was a measure of the man, although he could not resist adding to BBC Radio Kent: “Whenever we play on good, flat, pacy pitches we play better than anyone. The only time we come unstuck is on slow snotheaps like that.”It has been a hot summer, county squares are heavily used and tired, and TV gantries can limit the choice even more. Quarter-finals can be hard to plan for. All that said, Kent could not have been more accommodating. Parkinson, with 3 for 27, took his competition tally to 23 wickets, second only to Worcestershire seamer Patrick Brown. “It spun more than we thought,” he said.Sam Billings stumps Jos Buttler first ball•Getty Images

Billings rose to the challenge with a run-a-ball 37, but even this was an innings constrained by circumstance. Parkinson dominated with 3 for 27 and, although Zahir was clearly frustrated by his own inaccuracy, the final ball of his spell was a resounding one – a big chinaman from around the wicket, delivered from wide out, which turned back to strike Billings’ off stump.Kent lost three wickets in the Powerplay before the spinners showed their hand. Daniel Bell-Drummond sacrificed himself to Joe Denly’s optimistic call for a single to square leg, second ball. Bell-Drummond might have made it without hesitation, he certainly had time to send Denly back; instead he courteously spared his partner and was run out by yards.Worse followed when Heino Kuhn was caught at the wicket, trying to guide Toby Lester to third man and Denly gave Buttler a second keeper’s catch when he tried to cut Jordan Clark.Billings has supervised a fine Kent season since returning from IPL and sporadic England limited-over duties: a more professional set-up, with not as much universal supremacy for the captain, has helped. Kent were runners-up at Lord’s in the Royal London Cup final, they lie third in Division Two of the Championship, and were in a quarter-final of the Blast. But plugging holes in an innings feels much the same whatever the details.The next three Kent wickets belonged to Parkinson, fair hair tightly cropped. Sean Dickson came in at No 5 as a stabilising influence, helped add 40 in six overs and then advanced down the track but holed out at long off. Australian Marcus Stoinis made a third-ball duck. Alex Blake’s potential for devastation ended quickly at deep midwicket.Stoinis had recovered from a hamstring strain and Kent chose not to risk him in their last two group matches for fear of a recurrence. The danger remained, though, that he would be rusty. Parkinson beat him second ball with dip and turn and then replicated the delivery to have him caught at slip. Billings’ departure made it 102 for 7 with four overs remaining and a packed Canterbury crowd took refuge in ironic cheers for some late-over scrambling.Lancashire took a long time to recover from the loss of Buttler, stumped by Billings off Joe Denly’s leg spin. Aaron Lilley’s pinch hitting at No 3 was silenced by the pace of Adam Milne and Alex Davies’ fraught innings was not that of a batsman boasting an average of 63.75 in the competition: he tried to tick along, but survived a return catch to Imran Qayyum, might have been thrown out by Billings at the non-striker’s end when he dawdled a single on the last ball of the Powerplay, and finally chipped Qayyum down the ground.Jennings, coming in at No 4, assessed the target calmly before he, too, was stumped off Qayyum, another spinner to have a good night. But Lancashire saw it through. On the bench, their injured captain, Liam Livingstone, looked as if it would be an act of mercy to pass him fit for Finals Day even if his broken thumb is in three pieces.

Left-arm spinner Alex Hartley, who played an important role in England’s World Cup final victory over India last year, has been left out of the one-day squad for the first two matches against South Africa.Sophie Ecclestone, the 19-year-old left-arm spinner, has been preferred having taken eight wickets in the three-match series against India in April during which Hartley took one wicket in the three games. Hartley claimed 2 for 58 at Lord’s last year, including the key wicket of Harmanpreet Kaur, when England beat India by nine runs to lift the World Cup.England are able to recall the experienced pair of Katherine Brunt and Sarah Taylor who both missed the tour of India. Brunt was recovering from a back injury while Taylor was left out as part of the management of her anxiety condition.Georgia Elwiss, Laura Marsh and Lauren Winfield also return having missed the trip to India. From the squad that travelled to India, Kate Cross, Alice Davidson-Richards, Tash Farrant, Fran Wilson, Bryony Smith and Katie George have been left out.”It should be a really exciting summer against two of the best teams in the world,” Mark Robinson, the head coach, said. “South Africa are an up-and-coming team with some really dangerous players. They pushed us close the last time we met them and we will have to be at our best to beat them.”It’s obviously great to have Katherine and Sarah back, and Lauren and Laura’s recent form has earned them recalls.”The South Africa series forms part of the ICC Women’s Championship and marks England’s first steps on the way to qualification for the 2021 World Cup. After the one-day series there is a triangular T20I tournament also featuring New Zealand before a one-day series against New Zealand in July.Squad Heather Knight (capt), Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Sophie Ecclestone, Georgia Elwiss, Jenny Gunn, Danielle Hazell, Amy Jones, Laura Marsh, Anya Shrubsole, Nat Sciver, Sarah Taylor, Lauren Winfield, Danni Wyatt

The two MLB teams who employ the Acuna brothers are battling it out this week for a National League playoff spot.

Reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuna Jr.'s Atlanta Braves are chasing the New York Mets in the NL wild-card race, a team that just called up his younger brother Luisangel Acuna on Sept. 14. The elder Acuna, of course, was ruled out for the season in May when he tore his ACL, but he's at Truist Park this week to root on his Braves and keep an eye on his younger brother.

The 22-year-old Luisangel Acuna told reporters Tuesday that the brothers have a friendly bet on the three-game series that began Tuesday night in Atlanta.

"If they end up winning, [Ronald] is going to post me on Instagram and say, 'Welcome to Atlanta,'" Luisangel told the media through a translator on Tuesday. "But I told him [the Braves] were going to lose."

The Braves, who were 1.5 games back of a playoff spot and two games behind the Mets entering Tuesday's game, took the series opener 5–1 to inch closer to New York in the standings.

The younger Acuna batted ninth and started at shortstop for the Mets on Tuesday, going 1-for-3 with a single. He scored New York's first and only run of the night while his brother intently watched from the dugout.

Following the three-game series at Truist Park, the Braves will wrap up the 2024 regular season against the Kansas City Royals, while the Mets will play the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field.

New Zealand’s performance on the second day at Trent Bridge was when their resolve finally betrayed them, but also one that exposed a bold gamble as a failure

Will Luke at Trent Bridge07-Jun-2008
Brendon McCullum was put in the firing line at No. 3, a waste of one of New Zealand’s main assets © Getty Images
New Zealand’s performance on the second day at Trent Bridge was when their resolve finally betrayed them, but also one that exposed a bold gamble as a failure. From the moment Brendon McCullum dropped Stuart Broad at second slip at the start of the day, England – not without the occasional slice of good fortune – dominated in the manner they have threatened but failed all year. New Zealand are renowned for their plucky resistance with the bat, but no longer can the cracks in their top-order be masked by lower-order doggedness.That they slipped to 96 for 6 was due to James Anderson, who picked up all six wickets in a breathless 15-over spell of outswing bowling, but it hasn’t always required brilliance for New Zealand’s ambitions to be shattered. Their top six have simply not delivered. In England’s tour during the winter, Jamie How averaged 33.5, Matthew Bell an unconvincing 19.5 and Mathew Sinclair 11.83. For New Zealand’s return tour here, How has begun more promisingly, with scores of 68, 64, 29 and 40, but the others have continued to flounder. Aaron Redmond (52 runs at 10.40), Daniel Flynn (42 at 21.00) and James Marshall (52 at 13.00) have all been in the firing line, consistently picked off by England’s four-man attack.Though they are quick to dispel the notion of being scarred by the loss at Old Trafford, it was their reaction to being dismissed for 114 which provides the key to understanding today’s batting failure. McCullum, shunted up the order to No.3, had his off stump pegged back for 9 by Anderson, and New Zealand’s most dangerous and talented batsman had departed with the score on 14 for 2. In theory, McCullum’s promotion was precisely what New Zealand needed – a touch of class to give succour to the raw recruits at the top of the order – but in practice, it was a disaster in the making.Like a football team that is forever being pinned in its own half by superior opponents, New Zealand’s cricketers are more than capable of springing regular surprises, but they invariably do so by taking their licks and hitting their opponents on the break. Using McCullum so far up front leaves him woefully out of position, because it is from No.6 backwards that New Zealand have been able to mask the frailties and failures of their top-order.In Hamilton during the winter, McCullum (51) and Daniel Vettori (88) helped lift New Zealand from a tricky 191 for 5 to a match-winning 470. Likewise in Napier, though they lost the Test, McCullum and Vettori again spared their team’s blushes with pairs of forties, helping New Zealand to recover from 172 for 5 to 431 all out. For a long time now, New Zealand’s batting line-up has been the wrong way round – but the solution to rebalancing cannot lie in promoting their most prized asset, McCullum, into the disaster zone.How provided a window into New Zealand’s mindset when, after the second day’s play, he spoke of his side’s confidence in light of the precarious position they find themselves. “We take heart from Old Trafford,” he said. “That game turned on its head pretty quickly, so hopefully that trend will continue. So hopefully we’re only a couple of partnerships away from posting a good score, and anything can happen.” Bold words indeed, but New Zealand are conditioned to believe that their tail will save them. More’s the pity that, on this occasion, it has already been docked.But then again, New Zealand’s tried-and-tested formula – top-order debacle, tail-end revival – has been rudely challenged this summer by the emergence of Ross Taylor. Though he fell for 21 today, Taylor has displayed plenty of the star quality that New Zealand have lacked since the retirements of Stephen Fleming and Nathan Astle. His audacious 154 at Old Trafford was an innings of supreme quality, all the more so because it paid little heed to the familiar failings all around him – aside from How, no-one else in the top eight passed 40.In truth, their hands were forced. In trailing the series 1-0, they need to win. And with McCullum’s back injury forcing the call-up of their replacement keeper, Gareth Hopkins, New Zealand understandably chose a five-man attack, but in doing so have further weakened an already flimsy top-order.Right now, New Zealand are caught between two mindsets. Taylor’s successes – and, to a lesser extent, How’s reliability – have persuaded them that there may yet be a future in following convention, and playing their best batsmen in their rightful position. But somehow they’ve lacked the courage of their convictions. Oram, for instance, appeared to be back to his best after his Lord’s hundred. Since then, however, England have hounded him with bouncers, leaving him questioning his very worth. And in picking only five batsman, too great a responsibility rested on McCullum’s shoulders.Where is the logic in promoting McCullum but hiding Oram behind not only Gareth Hopkins, the debutant wicketkeeper, but also the grievously injured Daniel Flynn, who has far more of a right to be unsettled by the short ball after his experiences at Old Trafford? Vettori, who averages 40.83 in his last 10 Tests, might want to consider easing his way up from No. 8 as well if the McCullum experiment is to be continued, because right now it’s not clear whether New Zealand are searching for leaders or followers.

Reliable club insider ExWHUemployee has lifted the lid on a new transfer target for West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan, technical director Tim Steidten and co this January.

Moyes desperately seeking new striker

Following a plethora of injuries, manager David Moyes is said to be eager on bringing in a new forward option.

Journalist says West Ham have made a move for club's £8.6m top scorer

He’s been a star this season.

ByEmilio Galantini Jan 11, 2024

Star midfielder Lucas Paqueta is expected to be out for around two months, while the club's player of the season so far, Jarrod Bowen, could be sidelined for up to three weeks. The duo join Konstantinos Mavropanos and striker Michail Antonio on the West Ham injury list, with fellow attacker Mohammed Kudus also at the Africa Cup of Nations with Ghana right now.

Moyes is starved of alternatives to the aforementioned, with the out-of-favour Danny Ings, youngster Divin Mubama, Pablo Fornals and Said Benrahma being West Ham's only fall-back choices.

As a result, the Hammers are keen to add another final third option to Moyes' ranks. Indeed, Moyes himself is also believed to be at work on signing a new striker in January.

Lucas Paqueta

Calf injury

Jarrod Bowen

Ankle injury

Konstantinos Mavropanos

Knock

Michail Antonio

Knee injury

Nayef Aguerd

AFCON

Mohammed Kudus

AFCON

The Scotsman's personal staff and West Ham's recruitment team are "working overtime", according to journalist Pete O'Rourke, and there have been a fair few number nines linked with moves to the London Stadium.

Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy, PSG forward Hugo Ektike and Feyenoord star Santiago Gimenez stand out as the biggest names, with Greek international Vangelis Pavlidis also standing out as a pretty enticing option given his form in the Eredivisie this season.

ExWHUemployee backs interest in the latter player, but he's also shared news on a new option who West Ham are more likely to swoop for this month.

West Ham more likely to go for Fotis Ioannidis

According to the insider, West Ham are likelier to go and sign Panathinaikos star Fotis Ioannidis in the January window, coming amid his excellent season in the Greek Super League.

Ioannidis has bagged 16 goals in all competitions for his side this season, which has apparently alerted the Irons. Ex also says the club's scouts have been left impressed by the 24-year-old's performances abroad this season.

“A couple of Greek forwards have caught the eye,” stated Ex (via West Ham Way).

“The first is Vangélis Pavlídis of our Conference league opponents Az Alkmaar. He has a very good scoring record for them in the Dutch league but again could come with quite a high price tag.

“Perhaps a more realistic option is Fotis Ioannidis of Panathinaikos, rivals of our opponents this year Olympiakos. These two teams played recently and Ioannidis scored a 65 minute equaliser. We watched him play for Panathinaikos against Maccabi Haifa and he scored in a 2-1 loss and impressed our scouts. He is the more likely option to be explored out of the two.”

Barring recent slip-ups, Tottenham Hotspur have been as close to perfect as possible under Ange Postecoglou, who has revived the Lilywhites following the disastrous stints of Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte and Nuno Espirito Santo. The former Celtic boss has the North London club on course to finish inside the Premier League's top four and even has them among those gunning for the league title.

Postecoglou will be well aware of the fact that his side are far from the finished article, however, and the transfer window could give him the chance to add some much-needed depth at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. And that could include the addition of one specific reported target.

Spurs transfer news

Spurs recruited well in the summer, spending the Harry Kane money in wise fashion to welcome the likes of James Maddison, Micky van de Ven and Guglielmo Vicario, who have all enjoyed excellent starts to life in North London. We saw just how frail the current Spurs squad are recently though, with suspensions to Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie, alongside injuries to Van de Ven and Maddison, leaving the Lilywhites in crisis mode and on the losing side against Wolverhampton Wanderers. This is a problem that Postecoglou must solve, perhaps starting from the very back.

Ange must unleash Spurs' "closest thing to Maddison"

The Lilywhites need to find a solution to fill Maddison’s creative void moving forward.

ByRobbie Walls Nov 26, 2023

According to Football Insider, Spurs are keeping close tabs on Gavin Bazunu, who has continued to impress in the Championship at Southampton. Spurs' recruitment team reportedly consider the shot-stopper to be a top prospect, who ticks the box of being a young star full of potential. It remains to be seen whether they put an offer in for the Republic of Ireland international, but they certainly need a back-up for Vicario. As things stand, the Lilywhites have Hugo Lloris and Fraser Forster in the pecking order, both of whom are out of contract next summer.

"Incredible" Bazunu ticks all the boxes for Spurs

It would represent more progress at Spurs if they swapped out Forster and Lloris for Vicario and Bazunu, going from goalkeepers in their 30s to shot-stoppers yet to even reach their prime. Bazunu has earned plenty of plaudits throughout his career too, including from former Portsmouth manager Danny Cowley, who told Hampshire Live: "A brilliant journey for him. A great year for him last season, he learned so much playing in a Rochdale team that got relegated.

"He lost his place in that team, but we could see from the moment I met him, I just knew. You just know when a boy is going to be the best they can be, what an unbelievable mindset. Incredible intensity and desire to want to be the best that he can be and if you have an ambition in life and you want to be someone, then don’t half do it, give it everything you’ve got and he’s going to be the very, very best he can be. I’m really excited to follow his career."

Bazunu's availibility is certainly something that Spurs can benefit from, meanwhile, with the goalkepeer playing every minute for Southampton in the Championship so far this season.

Leeds United continued their excellent form in the Championship with an incredible win away at runaway second-tier leaders Leicester City on Friday night, Georginio Rutter the difference maker as his poacher-like instincts ensured the Whites left the King Power Stadium with all three points.

Inflicting the Foxes to only their second defeat of the season to date, Daniel Farke’s men will now hope that Ipswich Town start to falter in order to make up some ground on the Tractor Boys in that coveted second automatic promotion spot.

The likes of Joel Piroe, Crysencio Summerville and Ethan Ampadu continue to impress the Elland Road masses, but it’s young Archie Gray – great nephew of Leeds icon Eddie Gray – that is standing out in the first team ranks at only 17 years of age.

The teen prodigy could well be Leeds’ next Stuart Dallas in the making, versatile in being able to play both centrally and at full-back and hopefully as reliable and as key as the 32-year-old has been to all major successes experienced by the Whites in recent years when called upon.

Dallas’ numbers for Leeds

Dallas was an integral part of the Marcelo Bielsa machine when the eccentric Argentine head coach galvanised Leeds to break out of their Championship mediocrity back to the promised land of the top flight, the Northern Irishman was excellent for the most part under Bielsa’s esteemed tenure.

Swapping between playing as a full-back, a winger or as a central midfielder, Leeds’ number 15 very rarely made a glaring error with his full-throttle performances winning him plaudits.

He would score five goals and assist a further three in the memorable 2019/20 promotion campaign up to the Premier League, netting on the final day versus Charlton in a 4-0 win with the champagne flowing at full-time.

Gray will hope he can follow in the footsteps of Dallas, the wide-eyed youngster already making an impact for the Whites’ first team this campaign despite still learning the ropes at senior level.

Gray’s numbers this season

Labelled as having “something very special” for such a young footballer by Leeds United journalist Phil Hay after starring in pre-season, Gray has shone in the cut and thrust of the Championship this campaign to reinforce this glowing praise.

Performing at a level way above anyone’s wildest predictions at 17, Gray has been a constant in Farke’s first-team plans – transitioning to full-back recently after starting the season centrally, with shades of Dallas’ game apparent in the teenager’s displays.

Games Played

14 (12 starts)

Key Passes

0.6 per game

Pass Accuracy

80%

Interceptions

0.7 per game

Tackles Won

2.2 per game

Ball Recoveries

5.1 per game

Successful Dribbles

0.7 per game

Stats via Sofascore.

Playing the full 90 minutes versus Leicester at right-back, Leeds’ number 22 excelled on the big occasion. Gray would win four of his five ground duels at the King Power per Sofascore, whilst remaining fearless on the ball throughout with 19 of his 23 passes on the night accurate.

He was equally as daring versus QPR at the start of October, successful with both dribbles attempted as his side went on to narrowly overcome the visitors from West London 1-0. That all-round nature that Dallas possesses is clearly also brewing inside the teenager.

Clocking up 16 first-team appearances this campaign, mostly as a midfielder, Gray is steadily becoming part of the furniture with Leeds with fans and coaches alike hoping that he goes on to have a sustained and successful career at Elland Road.

Flexible in where he’s selected by Farke, the 17-year-old is demonstrating a remarkable maturity far beyond his years – unfazed by the bright lights and media attention, his football doing the talking. The German head coach will hope he can continue to rely on his teenage starlet to perform, the world Gray’s oyster at this moment in time.

West Ham United saw their incredible unbeaten European record fall as they were defeated 2-1 by Greek side Olympiacos in the Europa League on Thursday evening.

The loss was their first in 18 continental matches, but David Moyes’ men are still in great shape to qualify from their group and make the knockout stages.

Despite going two goals down, a Lucas Paqueta goal with just over 20 minutes left in the tie gave the Hammers a glimmer of hope, yet they could not rescue a point.

There was not a standout performer for the club and now attention turns to a home tie against Everton in the Premier League on Sunday.

West Ham United fail to secure three points against Olympiacos

Overall, it was not a terrible performance by West Ham as they were simply outplayed on the night, yet several players did underperform.

James Ward-Prowse failed to score or assist while making just one key pass during the tie, while fellow summer signing Mohammed Kudus was deployed on the right wing, yet he failed to inspire a positive result, taking just 40 touches and succeeding with only one dribble attempt during his 72 minutes on the pitch.

The defence was also underwhelming during the tie. Konstantinos Mavropanos and Angelo Ogbonna lost possession 12 times combined, while they won only three out of their combined nine total duels, hardly a performance that was going to see West Ham secure yet another three points in Europe.

Ogbonna was making just his fourth start of the season and during the current campaign, he has played only five times, spending the rest of the time on the bench and this could be his final season in London.

Angelo Ogbonna could be entering into the final months of his West Ham career

The Italian defender has a contract that will expire at the end of the 2023/24 season and with the volume of centre-backs Moyes has to choose from, it could be difficult for him to land an extension.

Since joining the club from Juventus in the summer of 2015, he has made nearly 250 appearances yet it is clear that his influence has somewhat waned over the previous few seasons.

Indeed, the 35-year-old made just 16 and 11 Premier League appearances during the last two campaigns and last term, he ranked only eighth across the squad for accurate passes per game (20.8), while ranking 14th for tackles (0.7) and sixth for interceptions (1.1) per game.

He has featured in just two league games so far this season, and none since August, indicating that Moyes prefers to keep him for continental ties, and he could well be entering his final furlongs as a West Ham player.

It appears as though Moyes is looking to sign another centre-back in the January transfer window in order to give his side a boost ahead of the second half of the season.

West Ham United’s January plans

The 60-year-old tactician will be aiming to enjoy a productive winter window with regard to sorting his team out for the foreseeable future, especially with so many players out of contract at the end of the campaign.

The likes of Vladimir Coufal, Tomas Soucek, Ogbonna, and Pablo Fornals are all entering the final months of their deals with the Irons and in order to save a massive rebuild during the summer, Moyes could do some of his business in January.

There has been an update with regard to his plans according to Football Insider, who claim that the London-based side can secure a deal for defender Sebastian Caceres in January for a fee believed to be between £6m-£10m.

With Manchester United, Newcastle United, and Tottenham Hotspur also keeping tabs on the player, West Ham face stiff competition and Moyes will need to make a strong pitch in order to secure his signature.

Sebastian Caceres could be an ideal Ogbonna heir for West Ham

The Uruguayan centre-back currently plays for Club America and has made 109 appearances for the Mexican side since joining back in 2020.

His contract expires in just over 12 months’ time, hence the low fee that Moyes could sign him for and this could represent an excellent piece of business.

The 24-year-old brute has demonstrated his abilities during recent World Cup qualifiers for Uruguay as they defeated Brazil and the defender and was lauded as “solid” for his performance and this has seemingly put some big teams on alert.

Indeed, across the recent four World Cup qualifiers against Chile, Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil, the centre-back was not dribbled past at all, kept one clean sheet, and won 63% of his total duels as he had a positive impact on the side which culminated in their historic win over the Brazilians.

Caceres still has plenty of developing to do, but a move to the Premier League could certainly bring him out of his comfort zone and enable him to improve his performances.

During the LIGA MX Clausura, Caceres ranked in sixth place across the squad for tackles per game (1.5), while ranking fourth for interceptions per game (one) and first for clearances per game (3.8), showcasing his raw potential and proving that he could still improve across a few metrics.

35

28

27

31

23

The recent international displays have allowed the defender to perform at the highest level and being part of a team that defeated Brazil is always going to generate some attention.

Moyes does still have plenty of defenders to call upon, yet with Ogbonna looking increasingly likely to leave next summer, there could be a space for another centre-back to arrive.

Signing Caceres in January would give him a few added months in which he could settle in ahead of the 2024/25 season and with the likes of United and Spurs also chasing him, Moyes will need to act swiftly in order to secure his signature.

At the age of 24, he could be the dream heir to Ogbonna, who is currently poised to depart next summer, and be a long-term option for the Scottish boss to call upon over the years to come.

Manchester United's squad depth has already been tested this season, with a number of injuries far from helping their attempts to get back to their best form under Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman will be incredibly frustrated by his side's start to the Premier League season, as well as the fact that he still doesn't have a full squad to choose from with the pressure mounting.

What the current campaign has proven so far is United's need for January reinforcements, whether that's just for adding depth to their squad, or ensuring that Ten Hag's starting side is strong enough to finish inside the top four. That said, reports suggest that the Red Devils are looking to sign one particular La Liga forward.

Latest Man Utd transfer news

United welcomed the likes of Mason Mount, Andre Onana, and Rasmus Hojlund during the summer transfer window, in an attempt to build a squad ready to close the gap on treble winners Manchester City. Seven games into the season, however, and that gap looks even bigger than last year, with Ten Hag's side enduring a run to forget, which has already featured four defeats.

When the January transfer swings open, those at Old Trafford look set to seek further additions in the hope of turning things around. According to reports in Spain, which provided a Man Utd transfer update on Umar Sadiq, the Red Devils, and by extension owners the Glazers, are looking to sign the Real Sociedad forward in the winter transfer window. The Nigerian shares an agent with United centre-back Raphael Varane, potentially making any deal easier to complete.

Given that the Red Devils only just welcomed Hojlund to bolster their forward options, Sadiq could come in as a backup option, especially if Anthony Martial sees out the end of his contract, before possibly leaving on a free next summer.

Who is Umar Sadiq?

Manchester United's reported interest in Sadiq is an interesting one, to say the least. The Sociedad man, hailed as a "revelation" in Spain by journalist Josh Bunting, missed the majority of last season through injury, and hasn't exactly got off to a flying start in the current campaign, failing to score once in eight games in all competitions.

Sadiq did show glimpses of his talent in the small part that he did play last season, though, scoring three times in six appearances in all competitions, perhaps proving why United are reportedly interested in making their move. Currently 26 years old, too, the forward could be entering his prime, and therefore, in theory, could be on the verge of his best form.

Former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has certainly been impressed by Sadiq in the past, seemingly praising the Nigerian when he played for Partizan Belgrade, saying, via the official Manchester United Twitter: "I've watched many of their games. They're a team with some pace, a big strong striker and some talent in there, with two or three very exciting players."

With that said, when the January transfer window swings open, it will be interesting to see whether United decide to pursue Sadiq's signature, or if the forward remains a Sociedad and La Liga player for the near future.

West Ham United forward Jarrod Bowen has been linked with a move away from the London Stadium, and journalist Ben Jacobs has now provided an update on his future.

Is Jarrod Bowen leaving West Ham?

Bowen has been touted for a move elsewhere for quite some time, with reports from earlier this year suggesting that West Ham were braced for a potential summer exit, having been on the radar of fellow Premier League side Liverpool.

The forward's contract is set to expire in the summer of 2025, and the Hammers' board has been keen to tie him down to a new contract, but he could be viewed as a replacement for Mohamed Salah, as the Egyptian's Liverpool contract is set to end in the same year.

Earlier in the summer, it was reported the Englishman was close to agreeing terms to remain at the London Stadium, with only the minor details needing to be ironed out, but talks have presumably stalled, as there has been no progress on that front.

As such, there is lingering doubt over the 26-year-old's future with the Irons, and Jacobs has now suggested he may be forced to seek a move to boost his chances of playing for England.

In an interview with GiveMeSport, the journalist said: "Bowen is obviously content enough that he stands a chance, just by being at West Ham, to fight and get into the mix for Euro 2024. Otherwise, he would have probably pushed a little bit harder to go last summer, so I don't think England's a factor in this.

"From what I'm told, Bowen has been told by Southgate that staying at West Ham won't impact anything as far as Euro 2024 is concerned. But, of course, Maddison was told that when he was at Leicester.

"Even though he made the England squad for the last World Cup, although he was injured and that might have been a key factor, his opportunities were still more limited at Leicester compared to now going forward at Spurs. That might be at the back of Bowen's mind as well."

How many times has Jarrod Bowen played for England?

The right-winger is still on the fringe of the Three Lions squad, having only made four appearances for his country, all of which came in the UEFA Nations League back in 2022, and he was not included in Gareth Southgate's most recent squad.

Southgate has faced criticism for being biased towards players at "big clubs", with James Ward-Prowse also being snubbed earlier this month, so despite the manager's reassurances, Bowen may feel he needs to move elsewhere if his international career is to blossom.

With the England international's contract set to expire in the summer of 2025, David Moyes has a big decision to make in the upcoming window, and potentially next summer, as there is a risk of losing him for free if he does not pen a new deal.

With any luck, West Ham's positive start to the season will convince Bowen to sign a new deal, and Moyes will be hoping the "incredible" winger keeps up his current form, having scored three Premier League goals already this season.