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Leicester City's Harvey Barnes and Leeds United's Jack Harrison would "do good things" at West Ham United, believes journalist Paul Brown.

The Hammers, fresh from winning the Europa Conference League, could target the relegated stars this summer.

West Ham transfer news – Jack Harrison and Harvey Barnes

According to Matt Law of The Telegraph, West Ham are in pole position to sign Leicester City winger Barnes this summer.

The London club will have plenty of money to spend with the reportedly incoming sale of Declan Rice, and will use some of that budget on bringing in Barnes, as per Law.

Meanwhile, according to TalkSport, West Ham are also in the race to secure the services of Leeds United's Harrison this summer, with Aston Villa also interested in the winger.

What did Paul Brown say about West Ham, Jack Harrison and Harvey Barnes?

Speaking to Football FanCast when asked about Harrison and Barnes' potential moves to West Ham this summer, Brown said: "I would like to see West Ham buy another winger. Harrison is one of the guys they’ve looked at, Harvey Barnes is another.

"So, I like that they’re looking at that kind of player. They clearly struggled to score goals at times this season and be creative enough, and I do think either Harrison or Barnes would be an upgrade on what they have and give them something a little bit different. So, yes, I think they’d do well at West Ham."

Are West Ham signing Jack Harrison and Harvey Barnes

Although reports have seemingly cooled when it comes to Harrison and West Ham, Barnes reportedly remains a firm target for the Hammers.

Given the fact that Bowen is still front and centre as one of the main men at the London Stadium, too, it would be a surprise if David Moyes wanted to welcome two more players in a similar position.

With the Europa League to contend with next season, West Ham will need depth. But, perhaps their budget is better spent across the pitch rather than two players of the same ilk in Harrison and Barnes.

As the summer goes on, the deals will only continue to unfold.

The Australia batsman says the level of on-field hostility could be brutal as Australia search for every possible advantage against England in the series

Daniel Brettig in Adelaide30-Nov-2017A ruthless Australia will keep pressing for every possible advantage over England by maintaining a level of on-field hostility that Pete Handscomb has no qualms in describing as “brutal”.The targeting of Jonny Bairstow with reminders of his ill-advised headbutt of Cameron Bancroft in a Perth bar on the first night of England’s tour has now passed into Ashes folklore, and Handscomb rated it among the “smartest” use of verbals he had seen in the game. It was Handscomb who instigated the attack on Bairstow at a pivotal moment of the Gabba Test, by asking whether he had headbutted Bancroft, before others, including David Warner, joined in.”I was just asking him a question, just wanted to get the facts before anything happened,” Handscomb said with a grin on Thursday. “We’ve just got to play it by ear and see what happens. It’s a bit of a spur of the moment thing. It’s how we’re feeling depending on what’s happening in the game and you’ve got to try and pick your right moments.”As far as sledging goes it was probably some of the smartest stuff we’ve ever come up with. Generally it’s just what the Aussie way is, it’s pretty brutal … but no, it was good to see that worked. It’s a part of the game. It has been for a long time and it will continue to be. If we can keep being smart with our sledges then if it opens up a weakness we’ll be pretty happy with it.”During Shield cricket we come pretty hard at each other even though we are team-mates in the Australian team. It’s something we’re used to and something we do, but we know it’s on the field. Once it’s off the field, relaxed, do whatever, but we’re trying our hardest to win games for this country and if that’s going to give us a slight edge, well we’re going to do it.”Australia have made no secret of deliberately targeting Bairstow as a potential point of English weakness, something that they also did when he was included in the team as wicketkeeper in place of Matt Prior in 2013-14. Handscomb emphasised that attempts to distract opponents from their own plans and zones of concentration would continue to be effective, provided they were allied, as was the case in Brisbane, with disciplined and sustained efforts with the ball and in the field.”It doesn’t work that often, I wouldn’t have thought,” Handscomb said when asked how often he had seen an episode of sledging reap the sorts of rewards seen in Brisbane. “It’s generally good bowling or good catching that gets guys out. But if you can get that 1% edge over an opposition, you’d be silly not to.”Getty ImagesPersonified by the prickly James Anderson, England have also been known to sledge liberally in the past, and he said the tourists were expecting more of the same in Adelaide. “It’s something I’ve always enjoyed. When someone is trying to get under my skin in all walks of life it makes me more determined to succeed,” Anderson said. “So from a personal point of view that excites me and will drive me on to do the best I can with bat and ball. From our point of view we know what they are going to come up with – they will go hard at us and we knew that from day one.”They were fairly quiet for the first few days when we were doing well. It was only on the fourth day when they became more vocal, now they are 1-0 up they are going to keep coming at us. But it is up to us individually and as a group to stick together and know that we are not just here to roll over.”For Handscomb, the verbals are likely to be turned against him provided Anderson can again find a way to pin him on the crease for an lbw, as was the case in the first innings in Brisbane. Nevertheless, Handscomb is committed to maintaining his unorthodox approach – backing himself to make plenty of runs despite opening himself up to more bowled and lbw dismissals than most.”I have batted deep in my crease for three years, I am not really that concerned. I batted deep last year and managed to hit balls on the stumps and made lots of runs,” Handscomb said. “Kyle Abbott was pretty good, Kagiso Rabada, good players, I am not concerned obviously I have got my plans, I just need to hit the ball, it’s as simple as that.”I knew way before [that England would attack his stumps], I know I get out lbw and bowled, that’s why I have tried to change a few things with my technique, that’s part of it, bat deep and all that to give myself more time, I knew the plans well before [Brisbane].”Confidence abounds in Australia’s squad after the Brisbane result, but vastly different conditions likely to be offered up by the historic day-night Ashes Test gave Handscomb reason to be cautious about what is about to unfold. “We are not looking too far ahead, we understand if we come out and play the game we want to, control our controllables, we come away with a 2-0 lead here,” Handscomb said.”I suppose complacency can set in, but that’s something we are obviously going to not try and do. We understand we have had a good game in Brisbane, but that’s gone now it’s completely different conditions as well, being a day-night test, pink ball, but we have got to make sure we do things right by our own team and play our own game.”

An expert lip-reader claims to be “97 per cent confident” that allegations of Jude Bellingham branding Mason Greenwood a “rapist” are correct.

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Local rivals in La Liga actionEngland internationals crossed pathsIncident reported by the home sideWHAT HAPPENED?

The Real Madrid midfielder lined up against the Manchester United-owned winger when facing Getafe in La Liga action on Thursday. The England internationals crossed paths throughout that contest, with one challenge in particular causing a stir.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Bellingham was caught on camera aiming a supposed slur in Greenwood’s direction, with Getafe reportedly requesting that the incident be included in the post-game match report pieced together by referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea.

WHAT LIP-READER SAID ABOUT BELLINGHAM

Without audio, any case against Bellingham will be difficult to prove. Forensic lip-reader Jeremy Freeman has, however, told the when offering his opinion on what was said: “After carefully analysing the clip, I am 97 per cent confident that the spoken word is ‘rapist’, particularly when considering the context in which it was used. The visual cues of the lips indicate the presence of the 'R' and 'P' sounds, and the word appears to end sharply. Additionally, the speaker seems to have a pronounced Brummie accent, which I factored into my interpretation. Given the clarity of these visual markers and the absence of any viable alternative interpretation, I am quite certain of this conclusion.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

It remains to be seen whether Bellingham could be punished for the alleged slur. Greenwood is spending the 2023-24 campaign on loan in Spain from Premier League giants United. He saw allegations of attempted rape, assault, and coercive behaviour dropped in February 2023 – freeing him to resume his professional career.

The former India offspinner replaces Venkatesh Prasad, who has now taken up a coaching role with Kings XI Punjab in the ongoing IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Apr-2018Aashish Kapoor, the former India offspinner, has replaced Venkatesh Prasad as the chairman of India’s junior selection committee. Kapoor joins Gyanendra Pandey and Rakesh Parekh in the committee.Prasad quit the role in March and joined Kings XI Punjab for the ongoing IPL season. During his tenure, India reached the Under-19 World Cup final twice, and won the title earlier this year. Keeping both positions would have left Prasad on the wrong side of the conflict of interest rules as advocated by the Lodha panel.Kapoor played four Tests and 17 ODIs for India between 1994 and 2000. He was part of the World Cup squad in 1996 and the XI for the semi-final against Sri Lanka. Kapoor had a successful domestic career, taking 398 wickets in 128 first-class matches in addition to scoring 3449 runs.

The Colorado Rapids are expected to appoint Tottenham Hotspur assistant Matt Wells as their next head coach, according to a report from The Athletic. Wells, 37, would be stepping into his first senior managerial role and would become one of the youngest head coaches in MLS when he arrives ahead of the 2026 season.

AFPA diverse coaching background

Wells is currently part of Thomas Frank’s staff at Spurs and previously worked under Ange Postecoglou, where he took on significant responsibility during training sessions and match preparation.

Before returning to North London, Wells served as an assistant to Scott Parker at Fulham, Bournemouth and Club Brugge – a stretch that included promotions and European experience. He also began his coaching career in Tottenham’s academy, where he coached the club’s Under-18 side.

reports that Colorado has been encouraged by Wells’ background and potential, believing he fits the club’s desire for a cohesive approach between coaching and recruitment as it looks to elevate a young core.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWhy the Rapids targeted him

The Rapids interviewed a wide range of candidates, both domestically and abroad, before settling on Wells, according to the report. The club places an emphasis on alignment between the head coach and roster construction, and Wells has been involved in early offseason planning.

The squad includes several foundational pieces, led by U.S. international Paxten Aaronson, along with goalkeeper Zack Steffen, Rob Holding, Cole Bassett, Sam Vines, and Reggie Cannon.

Brazilian forward Rafael Navarro – who has 27 goals and 10 assists over the last two seasons – could still depart this winter after Colorado rejected a significant bid from Fluminense in the summer. A move would open a Designated Player slot for the club.

How this impacts Spurs…

Colorado and Arsenal share ownership through Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, yet the Rapids appear set to appoint an assistant from Tottenham, one of Arsenal’s rivals. The club previously interviewed former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere during a past coaching search.

If Wells departs, it would mark the first notable change to Thomas Frank’s coaching staff since his arrival at Spurs. Wells is the only assistant from Postecoglou’s staff who remained in place and is viewed internally as a sharp tactical mind with inventive training methods.

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What comes next?

According to , Wells has long been seen as a young coach ready for his own project. A move to MLS would offer that opportunity, while signaling Colorado’s continued push toward a modern, aligned football identity under a first-time head coach.

Chelsea have had a summer to remember when it comes to signing players and it looks like fans could be treated to yet more spending, following a key update from journalist Simon Johnson.

Do Chelsea need more signings?

The Blues have made a disappointing start to life under Mauricio Pochettino, with their Premier League campaign flattering to deceive in the opening two matches.

While the 1-1 draw at home to Liverpool on the opening weekend was an adequate result, Sunday's 3-1 defeat away to West Ham was a shock to the system. Chelsea may have dominated chunks of proceedings, but they didn't create enough opportunities and their finishing wasn't good enough when chances did arrive.

The west Londoners may have spent big this summer, most notably signing the likes of Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Nicolas Jackson, but they still look short of elite quality currently, especially in attacking areas.

There is now less than two weeks of the summer transfer window remaining and failure to bring in one more wide option in the final third could ultimately prove costly.

Will Chelsea sign another attacker?

According to The Athletic's Johnson, Chelsea are still eyeing up another attacking signing this summer, although a new No.9 is out of the question, despite Christopher Nkunku's long-term injury after arriving from Borussia Dortmund:

"With the transfer window closing on September 1, there is still time for the chequebook to be used again. Chelsea have been looking at signing another attacking player anyway, but not a tried and tested No 9 as such.

"A move for Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise broke down last week, while Nottingham Forest’s Brennan Johnson was put on the wish list last month."

While rival fans may balk at Chelsea's need to bring in another attacker, given the money they have already spent since the end of last season, there is no question that they look short of reliable options in that area of the pitch.

Raheem Sterling was superb in a losing cause against West Ham, arguably producing his best performance yet in a Blues shirt, but he has been a disappointing signing so far, and his very best days could possibly be behind him.

Meanwhile, Mykhailo Mudryk continues to experience a torrid time of things, failing to score in 19 Chelsea appearances and missing a glorious opportunity late in the day at West Ham, while Noni Madueke also hasn't had the desired impact.

Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE…

A move for Michael Olise has fallen through after he signed a new deal with Crystal Palace, so signing him is out of the question, but someone of a similar ilk could be ideal, in terms of a young wide talent who can combine pace, trickery and a steady flow of end product.

It looks as though Rennes winger Jeremy Doku is a possible option to come in and ease the Blues' woes, and the Belgium international could be a brilliant addition, having scored 12 goals and chipped in with a further ten assists for the Ligue 1 side to date.

Manchester United midfielder Casemiro has been told his career at the club is over following Sir Jim Ratcliffe's arrival.

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Casemiro currently out injured Has not played since start of NovemberFuture at Manchester United questionedWHAT HAPPENED?

Casemiro's future at Manchester United has come under scrutiny after a loss of form for the Red Devils this season. The club are thought to be willing to part ways with the Brazilian, who has been sidelined through injury since the beginning of November. Casemiro is expected to return to fitness in January but has been told he has no future at the club by television presenter Richard Keys.

AdvertisementWHAT KEYS SAID

Keys was asked by fellow presenter Andy Grey if the midfielder should still be starter at United and responded with a firm "No, his career is over there."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Manchester United splashed out £60 million ($70m) to sign Casemiro from Real Madrid, bringing in the midfielder at the age of 30 on a four-year deal. The Brazilian enjoyed a strong first season, and scored in the Carabao Cup final win, but there will be many fans who question the wisdom of investing such a large amount in a player heading towards the end of his career.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CASEMIRO?

Casemiro is due to return to action in 2024 and Ten Hag will be hoping he can get back to his best form for the Red Devils and help the club finish what has been a disappointing season so far on a high. The midfielder has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League, but it remains to be seen if any offers will arrive in the January transfer window.

Jake Ball could be forced out of England’s Caribbean tour after suffering an injury to his right knee

George Dobell27-Feb-2017Jake Ball could be forced out of England’s Caribbean tour after suffering an injury to his right knee.Ball, who played all three of the ODIs in the recent series in India, limped off the field after the first delivery of his third over in England’s final warm-up game before the three-match ODI series against Wets Indies. He subsequently broke down when attempting to run in the net area as the England support staff tried to assess the extent of the problem. He will play no further part in the match against a WICB President’s XI.The England management hope to arrange a scan on Ball’s knee in St Kitts today, but may be obliged to wait until the tour party reach Antigua tomorrow. They believe the problem is at the back of the right knee.If Ball is forced home, the tour management may well consider calling up a replacement seamer. Chris Jordan, who has recently been playing in the PSL, would be one obvious option, while one of the Curran brothers might be another. Stuart Broad, who performed well in the BBL and has made no secret of his desire to return to the ODI side, is also a possibility.The England squad is already without Mark Wood, David Willey and Reece Topley due to injury, while Jason Roy was left out of the side for the second warm-up game due to a badly bruised right hand sustained as a result of several recent tough sessions of fielding training.They had better news as regards Alex Hales, though. He will fly out to Antigua on Tuesday and continue his rehab with the rest of the squad following a hand injury. He has not, as yet, been officially added to the squad but that could change in the coming days if the medical team deem his recovery complete.The first ODI takes place in Antigua on Friday.George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo. He will be covering England’s tour of the Caribbean in association with Smile Group Travel, specialists in hosted supporters’ packages.

Behind-the-scenes footage has captured the emotional moment David Raya's family witnessed him officially become an Arsenal player.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

The big story emerging from London Colney this week is the arrival of the Brentford goalkeeper in North London.

As per The Athletic, the 27-year-old joins initially on a season-long loan with the option to make the move permanent next summer. The Gunners will pay an initial £3m fee, while then in 12 months' time, if they want to make it a permanent transfer, they'll pay a further £27m.

The goalkeeper only had one year left on his contract at Brentford, but has signed a new two-year deal, with an option for an additional 12 months, to protect his value with the Bees in case he doesn't end up staying at Arsenal.

It appears to be a good deal all-round (except potentially for Aaron Ramsdale who now faces strong competition for the number one spot between the sticks) especially considering the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Tottenham have all reportedly shown interest in the player at some stage in the recent past.

And it seems as though Raya's family are pretty delighted with the move as well, especially his 91-year-old grandfather Joaquin.

Indeed, as seen in a clip now being circulated on Twitter – taken originally from a video shared on the club's official website –– Mikel Arteta presents the family member with a signed, personalised Arsenal shirt with his name on the back.

The Grandfather jokes: "I'm a bit nervous!" Before opening the gift upon which he adds: "This is my biggest dream."

They then go and take a picture together in a wholesome moment as sporting director Edu Gaspar jokes that 91-year-old Joaquin is "the first signing".

Who joined Arsenal in 2023?

The Gunners have made some pretty exciting moves already this summer, with Declan Rice most notably arriving for a club-record £100m fee (which could rise to £105m).

On top of that, Kai Havertz left Chelsea for their London rivals, and Jurrien Timber arrived from Ajax, making Raya the club's fourth signing in the current transfer window.

Arsenal also got a few more signings in through the door at the start of 2023 in the January transfer window as they picked up another player from the Blues in Jorginho, while also landing Brighton winger Leandro Trossard and Polish defender Jakub Kiwior.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

Arteta and Edu will no doubt hope this is enough to see their side fight successfully in the race to win the Premier League but a bad injury to Timber, could force them back into the transfer market to sign another defender before the window closes.

Indeed, transfers expert Fabrizio Romano has said recently: "Arsenal will explore the market, will discuss internally, Arteta will be involved in conversations because, at the beginning of the market, they looked at the possibility to bring in one more centre-back, a traditional centre-back, more than a versatile centre-back such as Timber who can play everywhere basically in the defence.

"They were looking for example at a player that they appreciate is Aymeric Laporte, this is true. The rumours about Laporte are true in the sense that he's one of the players appreciated by Arsenal, but from what I [have] heard, Man City didn't want to sell one more player to Arsenal; they prefer a different kind of destination for Laporte."

Celtic’s move for Maik Nawrocki is on the verge of being completed, according to an update from reliable reporter Mark Hendry, sharing an update on Saturday morning.

Who have Celtic signed in 2023?

The Hoops have enjoyed a fairly productive summer transfer window so far, with Norwegian prospect Odin Thiago Holm, exciting attacker Hyun-jun Yang, Aussie star Marco Tilio and midfield enforcer Tomoki Iwata all arriving through the doors at Parkhead to work under new boss Brendan Rodgers.

There is still plenty of work to be done to tailor the squad to the returning manager’s liking though, especially after Ange Postecoglou’s star man, Jota, left to join Al Ittihad in a record departure worth close to €30m (£26m).

A centre-back looks to be next up on the agenda, with reports emerging late last week that the Bhoys board have lined up a move for Nawrocki, a promising 22 year-old Poland youth international who currently plies his trade for Ekstraklasa club Legia Warsaw.

Reports in the player’s homeland broke the news that Celtic had “entered the game” for the youngster and would compete with Turkish Super Lig club Galatasaray for his signature, and it appears the Parkhead outfit have now won the race.

Taking to Twitter from Japan on Saturday, where the Hoops were in action against Gamba Osaka, Football Scotland’s Hendry said: “Nawrocki is in the UK to do medical tests and sort out his contract details with fine tooth comb. Expect real (deal*) to be completed soon.”

Is Maik Nawrocki good?

Celtic fans can be forgiven for not knowing much about their imminent new arrival, but the 6 foot 2 ace certainly looks like a player with real potential. He's been in the Polish top flight since he was 19, starting with Warta Poznan before moving to Warsaw.

His first season in the capital didn’t exactly go to plan, as one of the country’s biggest clubs slumped to 10th in the final league standings, but he did manage 18 starts in the top flight, forcing his way in as a regular feature in the first XI.

His second campaign with the club – this season just finished – Nawrocki started 23 games in the league as they shot up to a second place finish, and he actually proved to be a consistent source of end product from set pieces too, scoring four times and providing one assist to boot, averaging a direct goal contribution one out of every five lots of 90 minutes, an impressive rate for a centre-back.

The youngster has yet to make his mark on the senior national team setup. He has been able to break into the fold for their Under-21 side though, making his debut for them in 2021 having already featured at various youth levels for the Under-15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 sides, so one would have to assume it’s only a matter of time before that progression leads him into the senior set-up.

What probably appeals most to Rodgers is the defender’s versatility, as not only is he equally comfortable on either side at centre-back, but he can also function as a full-back or even further ahead in defensive midfield, which likely reminds the boss of another towering player he had at his disposal during his last stay in Glasgow, Brentford’s Kristoffer Ajer.