West Ham refuse to rule out ambitious January move after Lopetegui U-turn

West Ham United and technical director Tim Steidten are in full preparation for the looming January transfer window, and it could be a vital one for manager Julen Lopetegui, as he’s tipped to bring in another forward or two.

West Ham likely to operate sell-to-buy policy in January

The consensus is that West Ham are after a new striker to reinforce their forward options, but Steidten and co splashed over £120 million on recruits in the summer, meaning that the club’s transfer kitty is currently running low.

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As a result, the Hammers may need to employ a sell-to-buy policy in their efforts to raise funds and strengthen the squad (Daily Mail), and there are a few players who could make way.

West Ham are set to put Maxwel Cornet up for sale after deciding to recall the Ivorian from his Southampton loan, where he’s barely made any appearances lately and missed out on matchday squads galore (The Athletic).

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There are even reports that West Ham are considering an exit for star winger Mohammed Kudus – who they value at up to £100 million – in the winter, as his £85 million release clause won’t be active again until next summer.

Vladimir Coufal is halfway through the final year of his West Ham contract with there being no sign of a possible extension as things stand, meaning he could also be sold in January, rather than let go for nothing later on in 2025 (The Athletic).

Vladimir Coufal.

Midfielder Andy Irving, who’s barely been called upon by Lopetegui this season, could be another to depart Rush Green next month amid interest from Scottish champions Celtic (The Athletic).

Summer signing Guido Rodriguez has been linked with a move back to Real Betis in January as well, so it would seem Steidten and Lopetegui have options for the chopping block.

Another new arrival in £27 million striker Niclas Füllkrug, who scored 16 goals in all competitions for Borussia Dortmund last season, has struggled in the Premier League and spent most of the early part of the season sidelined with an Achilles tendon injury.

Niclas Fullkrug for West Ham

His absence means the German has bagged just one goal in all competitions for West Ham so far, and the club could decide to cut their losses on him already.

West Ham refuse to rule out "ambition" in January after Lopetegui U-turn

According to GiveMeSport, Fullkrug’s sale in January could help West Ham bring in a permanent replacement – something which wasn’t originally their intention.

It is believed the Hammers were planning to bring a marksman in on loan, but after a Lopetegui “U-turn” behind the scenes, West Ham now refuse to rule out showing “ambition” by bringing in a new striker.

The report adds that West Ham are particularly keen on a forward with proven Premier League experience, though Lopetegui is conscious that offloading Fullkrug for a reasonable fee will prove challenging in the upcoming transfer window.

Mayers, Brooks centuries set up 3-0 whitewash for West Indies

Vikramjit, O’Dowd half-centuries in vain as Netherlands fall short

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jun-2022Maiden ODI hundreds from Kyle Mayers and Shamarh Brooks along with crucial strikes from Hayden Walsh and Akeal Hosein helped West Indies complete a 3-0 whitewash of Netherlands at Amstelveen in the final ODI. This was despite a strong reply from Netherlands, who were in the chase of 309 for about 40 overs, thanks to half-centuries from Vikramjit Singh and Max O’Dowd.Netherlands began slowly but Vikramjit took on Mayers in the seventh over and found boundaries more often subsequently. He was dropped on 33 by Brooks in the 10th over and helped himself to three more fours. But Mayers had the last laugh, having Vikramjit play one onto the stumps right after the drinks break, for 54.Musa Ahmed then took over the scoring to allow O’Dowd, who looked to play through, to consolidate. The first ten overs of their partnership had only three fours but they rotated the strike well to keep the run rate over five.Though Bas de Leede’s 24-ball 25 allowed O’Dowd to play himself in despite slowing down a touch, the asking rate for Netherlands had climbed over six. After Walsh got the better of Musa in the 30th over, de Leede and O’Dowd ensured that the hosts kept the asking rate under eight till the 37th over. Hosein then bowled a wicket-maiden, dismissing de Leede, which shot the required rate up from 7.92 to 8.58.Max O’Dowd anchored the innings but fell eleven short of a century•Peter Della PennaDespite the downturn at the other end, O’Dowd took the game deep. He was unfazed by a couple of economical overs and found a boundary an over from the 41st to the 43rd, when he chopped on off Hosein.West Indies then managed to get three boundary-free overs while picking up Scott Edwards and Teja Nidamanuru. Pieter Seelaar scored back-to-back fours towards the end but with 60 needed off the last five, the demands were too high.Shermon Lewis then knocked off Seelaar and the tailenders in his and the game’s last over to earn himself a 3 for 67, after being expensive.Earlier in the day, Mayers laid the platform for West Indies with the bat, sharing a 58-run opening stand with Shai Hope, followed by a mammoth 184-run partnership with Brooks.Brooks and Mayers struck 11 sixes between them. A fair chunk (61%) of Mayers’ 120 came in boundaries. He got a reprieve when Vikramjit dropped him before he got off the mark and matched-up well against Vivian Kingma, against whom he got four of his seven sixes.Brooks balanced his innings with good strike rotation and dispatched the loose balls. Their platform, however, was not capitalised on as West Indies made only 67 in their last ten.That was thanks to Ryan Klein, who conceded 19 in the three overs he bowled in that period, picking up Mayers in the process. However, that loss of momentum was not to affect the tourists, who eventually sealed a 20-run win.

Antoine Griezmann overtakes Lionel Messi: Atletico Madrid star breaks La Liga record held by ex-Barcelona legend as Diego Simeone's side slip up against Espanyol

Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann made La Liga history on Saturday as he surpassed a record previously held by Lionel Messi.

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Griezmann picks up new La Liga recordBeats mark previously held by MessiBut Atletico held by EspanyolFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Griezmann was named in the starting XI for Atletico on Saturday as Diego Simeone's side faced Espanyol in La Liga. The outing was Griezmann's 521st in the Spanish top flight, the most by any foreign player, beating the record previously held by Messi at Barcelona (520).

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It may have been a record-breaking day for Griezmann but it ended in disappointment for Atletico. Simeone's side could only draw with Espanyol and will finish the weekend nine points off top spot if leaders Barcelona beat Girona on Sunday. Meanwhile, Griezmann's future at Atletico remains uncertain amid speculation about a potential move to MLS.

DID YOU KNOW

The majority of Griezmann's La Liga appearances have come with Atletico. He's played 306 times for Simeone's side, made 141 outings for Real Sociedad and 74 for Barcelona in the Spanish top flight.

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Atletico are back in action on Wednesday in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final tie against Griezmann's former club Barcelona. The tie is level at 4-4 after a thrilling first leg in Barcelona.

Lucas Moura 2.0: Spurs made bid for "one of the best forwards in Europe"

It’s been another campaign of highs and lows for Tottenham Hotspur this season.

Ange Postecoglou’s side are currently sitting in 12th in the Premier League and closer to relegation than the Champions League, but have made it through to the fourth round of the FA Cup and hold a 1-0 lead in the League Cup semi-final.

However, to give themselves the best chance of going out and finally ending their trophy drought this year, the club must bring in some real talent this month, the sort of players who can change a game from the first minute or off the bench.

Sadly, their efforts to sign one player hasn’t been successful..

Tottenham targeted talented forward

According to a recent report from French outlet L’Équipe, Tottenham had maintained their genuine interest in Paris Saint-Gerrmain ace and Juventus target Randal Kolo Muani.

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In fact, the report revealed that the North Londoners had already made an offer to take the Frenchman on loan for the rest of the season with an option to buy.

However, this offer has been rejected and, according to Fabrizio Romano, he is now set to join Juventus with the Italian journalist giving the deal his famous ‘here we go’.

Given Kolo Muani has been described as “one of the best forwards in Europe” by former Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi, it will be a bitter blow for Daniel Levy and Co.

He could well have been the next Lucas Moura too…

Why Kolo Muani could have been the next Moura

Okay, before we look at some of the other reasons Spurs should be looking to sign Kolo Muani as soon as possible, let’s examine why he could have been the next Moura for the club.

The first reason is incredibly straightforward, and it is simply the fact that if he moved to Spurs this month, he’d have followed in the Brazilian’s footsteps from PSG to N17 in a January deal – just seven years later.

The second reason is that, like Sao Paulo-born dynamo, the former Eintracht Frankfurt star can play across multiple positions in the attack, from either wing to straight down the middle.

However, while the similarities to a player who gave Spurs fans one of the best nights of their lives is great, it’s not the only reason Daniel Levy and Co were looking to sign him.

Instead, they should have been looking to bringing him to North London because when he’s given a chance to regularly start games, he’s sensational.

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For example, the “very complete” forward, as dubbed by Kylian Mbappe, racked up a pretty impressive haul of 12 goals and six assists in 44 appearances last season, which is an average of a goal involvement every 2.44 games.

However, in the campaign prior to that, when he was unquestionably the main man for Frankfurt, he was simply unstoppable, scoring 23 goals and providing 17 assists in just 46 appearances, which comes to an average of a goal involvement every 1.15 games.

Finally, on top of his impressive record at the club level, the goalscoring “superstar,” as dubbed by German legend Lothar Matthaus, has won 27 senior caps for France, in which he’s scored eight goals and provided four assists, proving he can do it at the highest level.

Ultimately, Spurs need attacking reinforcements this month, and missing out on Kolo Muani certainly won’t help their cause.

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Spurs cannot sell the incredible talent this month.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 14, 2025

Jack Grealish 'hurting' after England snub as 'sensitive' Man City star 'needs loving' to fulfil potential following disappointing seasons

Jack Grealish has been struggling for form over the last season, and Alan Shearer believes that the 'sensitive' Manchester City star 'needs loving'.

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Grealish struggling for form at Man CityAlso absent from England squad last monthShearer believes Grealish 'needs loving'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Grealish joined City in the summer of 2021 on the back of his best form with Aston Villa. While the England international has shown glimpses of his abilities from time to time, consistency has been lacking and his struggles have seen him drop down the pecking order in Pep Guardiola's City side.

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Grealish's lack of form has often been credited to City's play style not suiting his expressive style of play by a number of former players and pundits, and his form has seen him get dropped by Thomas Tuchel for his first two matches as England boss. Premier League legend Shearer has now claimed that the forward is 'hurting' after being dropped by Tuchel, and he likely needs some 'loving' to regain his form.

WHAT SHEARER SAID

Speaking to , Shearer said: "I don't know what goes on inside the walls of Man City. Whether Pep doesn't like his [Grealish] attitude or he doesn't like what he's seeing on the training pitch I don't know. All I do know is that Jack is a really good lad who cares for his family massively, loves his football and loves a good time.

"I couldn't comment on whether he's been treated unfairly or not but what I do see is a really caring, sensitive person who needs loving. Jack is also someone who loves football and if he's not playing then I can appreciate that he hurts. Jack will want the next game to come today because he'll be on a high, he'll be buzzing. I listened to his emotional interview after the game and it's now a really good opportunity for him to stamp his authority on the Man City team again with Haaland out injured.

"Goals do wonders for confidence so he'll be flying now and he'll be so excited for the next game and will want Pep to put him in. You know what it's like when you haven't scored in so long. You get one and then more come along so don't be surprised if he scores again at the weekend as well.

"Jack would've been hurting after not getting a call-up for England. He'll have looked at who was picked, looked at their performances and the goals that have been scored and it will have hurt him but there's only one thing to do as an individual – you have to go out, perform and hopefully for his sake this is the start of a really good run for him."

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Getty WHAT NEXT FOR GREALISH?

City are back in action when they take on city rivals Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday, April 6. Grealish will be hopeful that he will be in Guardiola's line-up for the clash with Erling Haaland out injured.

Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell fashion New Zealand's 3-0 sweep of Ireland

Ireland were propelled to 174 by Mark Adair and Curtis Campher’s unbroken partnership of 58 from only 23 balls

Sreshth Shah22-Jul-2022Glenn Phillips produced a match-winning fifty for the second time in the series to help New Zealand overcome a tricky chase of 175 in the third and final T20I against Ireland in Belfast. Phillips used the dimensions of the Stormont ground – wide square on either side – to get 46 out of an unbeaten 56 runs by running, as he hit only one four and a six.Daryl Mitchell also played a vital hand in New Zealand’s six-wicket win, scoring a 32-ball 48 with five fours and a six. He came together with Phillips when New Zealand were 65 for 3 in the eighth over, and their fourth-wicket partnership of 82 tilted the game in the visitors’ favour, after which they did not let go of the advantage.Earlier, Ireland’s lower order had impressed to propel their side to 174, with Mark Adair cracking 37* off 15 balls, and Curtis Campher hitting an eight-ball 19*, as the hosts smashed 70 runs in their last five overs.Their unbroken partnership of 58 in only 23 balls gave Ireland the momentum at the break, but despite an early stranglehold with the ball, they ended up losing their sixth white-ball game against New Zealand in the 2022 home summer, losing both the ODI and the T20I series 3-0.The Phillips-Mitchell partnership
At 65 for 3, New Zealand were in an uncomfortable position. No team in the 23-T20I history of Belfast had ever successfully chased 140 or more, and with three early wickets gone, it appeared as if Ireland would finally get a win against the visitors.Finn Allen was the first to go for 14, out to a yorker from Craig Young in the second over. Dane Cleaver soon followed him for 5 when his pull off Josh Little couldn’t clear the outfielder in the deep. And Martin Guptill – who offered the full face of the bat to play some glorious lofted shots down the ground – was out for a 19-ball 25 while trying to sweep George Dockrell and only managing a top-edge to short fine leg.At that stage, New Zealand needed a recovery job, and Phillips and Mitchell provided that by playing with the dimensions of the field. They struck just two boundaries from overs 8 to 13, and played risk-free cricket to bring the equation down to 70 in seven overs.Paul Stirling clattered three fours and sixes each to score 40 in 29 balls•Sportsfile via Getty ImagesAfter that, they feasted on the 15th over from Campher, which went for 20, with ten runs off two balls from Mitchell’s bat, and a six from Phillips.That eased the pressure on New Zealand, reducing the required rate to 8.60 with five overs to go, and Mitchell struck two more fours to move to 48. But he fell to a bouncer from Little in the 17th over, departing after an innings that came at a strike rate of 150.Phillips carried on to his third T20I fifty, getting there in 39 balls, and stayed unbeaten on 56. To finish things off, James Neesham struck 6, 4, 4, 6 in a six-ball cameo of 23 to finish the game off with six balls to spare.Adair, Campher fight for Ireland
The extra bounce on a fresh Belfast pitch troubled Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie, who struggled to 10 off 16 balls. Blair Tickner, replacing Lockie Ferguson for the final T20I, dismissed him in the fifth over.Balbirnie’s opening partner Paul Stirling batted in a contrasting fashion, however, clattering three fours and three sixes to score 40 in 29 balls, and kept Ireland going at a run rate of more than 7.5 for the first ten overs.Stirling was assisted in Ireland’s early assault by Lorcan Tucker, who was promoted to No. 3, and they added 46 for the second wicket. Tucker was imperious in his use of the sweep – and the occasional reverse sweep – to hit 28 in 19 balls, but both batters fell in quick succession, which triggered a collapse.It was Ish Sodhi who started it all, with Stirling edging a length ball with extra bounce to the wicketkeeper. Four balls later, Tucker’s attempted leg-side slog off Tickner took a leading edge to third man. From 79 for 1, Ireland lost their next five wickets for only 37 runs, and at 116 for 6 in 16.3 overs, it looked like a promising innings had fizzled out.But Adair – fresh off a 22-ball 27 in the second T20I – and Campher had other plans. Campher ruined Tickner’s figures with 6, 4, 4 in the 18th over. And then Adair tore into Neesham’s 19th, taking 16 runs off the first three balls, and hitting another six and four in Jacob Duffy’s 20th.Their partnership of 58 at a run rate of 16.57 meant Ireland’s bowlers had something significant to bowl at. However, the hosts were undone by Phillips and Mitchell in the end.

Sheffield United table £7m bid to sign 11-goal long-term target this month

Sheffield United have now made their first move to sign a new forward for Chris Wilder as they look to bolster their chances of promotion back to the Premier League come the end of the campaign, according to a fresh report.

Sheffield United transfer news

Speaking last week, Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder told fans that he expected signings before their next Championship game against Norwich, even adding that one name on their list of transfer targets was “ridiculous”.

“We’ve been talking the last 48 hours, continually working and trying to progress deals through”, the Blades boss explained.

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“I’ve talked about selling clubs or players who are loaned out – they want the best deal and they wait for better offers coming in as well. It really is that type of situation, but we’ve moved stuff forward, so I’m sure hopefully we’ll see some progress in the next four or five days leading up to the Norwich game.

“If I told you about one of the deals you’d find that ridiculous, but you have to wait. It’s a bit of a game of poker at times. But we’ve got players who want to come here, which is the biggest thing. And we’ve got owners and a chief exec who are working tirelessly to try and bring players in, which is good enough for me.”

One player who is seemingly on the verge of joining is Hamza Choudury, with a loan move on the cards for the Bangaladesh midfielder, while there is also hope that Ben Brereton Diaz could return too.

Now, Sheffield United have reportedly returned to Leicester in a bid to snatch another of their talents with a bid having already been made.

Sheffield United make £7m bid for Leicester forward

That comes as Football Insider report that Sheffield United have tabled a £7m offer to sign Leicester City forward Tom Cannon this month. The striker spent the first half of the campaign on loan with Championship strugglers Stoke City, and hit nine goals in 22 appearances.

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He also found the net in the EFL Cup and in the FA Cup for the Potters and had emerged as a key figure for them, only for Leicester to exercise their recall option on the forward in the winter window.

During his time with Preston last season, Cannon was hailed as “outstanding” by Hull City boss Liam Rosenior, and there is understood to be significant interest in his signature this winter.

To that end, Sheffield United have made an opening offer with “a formal £7m bid” having been tabled, with the Blades having also been keen to land him last summer before he ultimately moved to Stoke.

As it stands, Wilder’s side sit just outside the automatic promotion places on goal difference. They will be hoping that attacking reinforcements in the second half of the season will help them secure an instant return to the Premier League.

WATCH: USMNT's Chris Richards scores first Premier League goal of the season vs. Manchester City to give Crystal Palace 2-0 lead

The American scored his second overall goal for Palace and his first of this campaign

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Palace took a 2-0 lead thanks to Richards' corner goalFirst league goal of the seasonManchester City would rally back to make score 2-2 at halftimeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

U.S. international Chris Richards gave Crystal Palace a stunning 2-0 lead with a towering header off a perfectly placed Adam Wharton corner in the 21st minute. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough as would lose 5-2.

Palace had struck first through Eberechi Eze, who finished off a sharp counter-attack in the eighth minute. But Manchester City responded quickly, cutting into the lead with a goal from outgoing club legend Kevin De Bruyne in the 33rd minute. Just three minutes later, winter signing Omar Marmoush equalized to make it 2-2.

Manchester City would continue their onslaught in the second half as Mateo Kovacic, James McAtee and Nico O'Reilly would all add goals in the final 45 minutes.

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This match had huge implications for both sides, especially in Europe. Manchester City move up to fourth at 54 points with their win, placing them ahead of current fourth-placed team Chelsea, who play Sunday. With Palace losing, they are now at 11th place with slim chances of taking a European place.

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WHAT NEXT FOR PALACE?

Palace have a quick turnaround, facing another Champions League hopeful in Newcastle this Wednesday.

Alana King four-for routs Barbados before Meg Lanning fires Australia into semis

Legspinner denied hat-trick by skipper’s drop as Australia seal thumping win

Valkerie Baynes31-Jul-2022A career-best 4 for 8 – and a near hat-trick – for Australia legspinner Alana King led her side to an emphatic nine-wicket victory over Barbados and into the Commonwealth Games semi-finals.Meg Lanning, the Australia skipper, went a good way towards making up for dropping the catch that would have given King her hat-trick with an unbeaten 36 from 21 balls as she and Alyssa Healy mowed down a paltry target of 65 with 71 balls to spare.Tahlia McGrath and Ashleigh Gardner added three and two wickets respectively as Barbados’ experienced top order crumbled and Australia kept them to a total that was always going to be nigh on impossible to defend against such formidable opposition.Gold-medal favourites Australia are top of Group A with two wins from as many matches and they face winless Pakistan in their final group game on Wednesday when India and Barbados, with one win each so far, face off for the other semi-final berth.Not this time, captainHaving scored a half-century and shared a 107-run partnership with Kycia Knight in their opening victory over Pakistan, Barbados captain Hayley Matthews cashed in as Darcie Brown struggled with her line and length to begin with. Matthews cut Brown’s first ball through backward point for four like a rocket and unfurled a cracking cover drive to find the boundary again three balls later. She steered the first ball of Brown’s next over through the covers then swung her over the leg side for consecutive boundaries, but Brown responded when she had Matthews out attempting to swat her over the leg side again only to sky the ball to a waiting Grace Harris at mid-on. Matthews was furious with herself, falling for a 13-ball 18, which she wasn’t to know would make her the top-scorer of a dismal Barbados innings.Dottin becalmedWhen Matthews’ opening partner, Deandra Dottin clubbed Brown over extra cover for four it was her first shot in anger after facing a maiden from Jess Jonassen in just the third over and she ended the powerplay with just six runs from 20 balls faced.King entered the attack in the eighth over and struck with her second ball, brushing the outside of Dottin’s front pad as she knelt down to tuck the ball down to fine leg right in line with middle stump and umpire Sue Redfern’s lbw decision was upheld when Dottin reviewed, the ball clearly hitting middle stump a third of the way up. Dottin finished with just eight runs from 22 balls with a meagre strike rate of 36.36.King rulesMcGrath struck second ball when she had Kycia Knight, Barbados’ top-scorer in the first match with an unbeaten 62, easily caught by Megan Schutt at deep backward square. Kyshona Knight then chipped Gardner to Harris at midwicket as Barbados slid deeper into trouble at 49 for 4 and into their inexperienced batters. Gardner was excellent bowling her off-breaks, sending down 17 dot balls in her four overs and finishing with 2 for 6 after she removed 18-year-old Trishnan Holder for nought to seal a double-wicket maiden.McGrath finished with 3 for 13 as she ate into the tail but it was King who ruled on a slow pitch that has now staged six matches in this tournament. King accounted for Aaliyah Alleyne, taking a wild swing across the line of one that ripped out leg stump to end her second over. With the third ball of her third over, King pinned Shakera Selman lbw and then struck Shamilia Connell on the back leg next ball. King should have had another wicket immediately but 33-year-old international debutant Keila Elliott’s edge popped straight out of Lanning’s hands at slip. Usually so reliable in the field, Lanning lay face down on the turf for some time afterwards as King held her hands to her head, a brave smile painted on her face.Lanning makes amendsLanning all but made up for her blunder when she led Australia past the target, letting loose after a sedate start. Healy was uncharacteristically quiet early – she faced 14 balls for her first four runs after Australia lost Beth Mooney, stumped by Kycia Knight off the bowling of Shanika Bruce in the second over of their reply.But Lanning punished some loose balls from Dottin in the sixth over, which went for 25 runs to close out the powerplay with Australia needing just 23 runs more. Back-to-back sixes swung powerfully over the leg side – the second off a high full toss that was called as a no-ball – in Dottin’s first over set Australia properly on their way. A wide preceded an unconventional four as Lanning stepped back and stuck her bat out as she toppled forwards along her crease and managed to steer the ball to the boundary through third.Healy then began to find the rope with back-to-back fours off Matthews and Elliott in the next two overs before Lanning swatted Shakera Selman to the square-leg boundary to bring up the winning runs and a resounding victory.

Leeds have hit gold with "explosive" star who’s worth more than Louie Barry

The January transfer window is still open for business for another couple of weeks and Leeds United are yet to make their signing of the month.

Daniel Farke’s side are top of the Championship table as it stands, after their 3-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday at Elland Road last time out, and may not be in desperate need of reinforcements.

Despite their strong position in the second tier, the Whites have been linked with an interest in Aston Villa forward Louie Barry this month, after he spent the first half of the season on loan with Stockport County in League One.

Leeds are reportedly keen on a loan deal for the English youngster, formerly of Barcelona, and it remains to be seen whether or not they will be able to get a deal over the line.

Louie Barry's current market value

Barry is currently valued at €1.8m (£1.5m) by Transfermarkt and that low valuation may be because the youngster is yet to prove himself in either of the top two tiers in England.

The 21-year-old starlet was playing on loan in League Two with Stockport in the second half of the 2023/24 campaign, scoring nine goals in 17 starts, before catching the eye in League One this term.

He racked up an eye-catching 15 goals in 23 matches in the third tier of English football in the first half of this season, before being recalled by Villa this month.

Barry has yet to prove himself at Championship level, though, and it would be a gamble for Leeds to make a move to bring him to Elland Road, as he may not be able to make the step up.

Instead, Farke and Leeds could focus on a left winger who has showcased his ability in the second tier – Largie Ramazani – and look to develop him in the coming months.

Leeds have hit gold with Largie Ramazani

The Whites signed the Belgian forward from Almeria in the summer and he was valued at €5m (£4.2m) by Transfermarkt at the time of the move.

Ramazani, who was once described as an “explosive” player by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has caught the eye in the Championship either side of an ankle injury that caused him to miss five games between October and November.

Largie Ramazani

The 23-year-old left winger racked up three goals and one assist in six league starts for Leeds before that injury absence, and has scored two goals and provided one assist in his last two games in all competitions.

This means that Ramazani has scored five goals and registered two assists in eight starts in all competitions for the Whites, which speaks to the level of quality he has the ability to provide in the final third when fit and firing.

At the time of writing (21/01/2025), Transfermarkt currently values him at €7.5m (£6.3m) and this shows that his value has soared during his time at Elland Road so far, and that he is already way more valuable than Barry.

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Therefore, Leeds may be better off continuing to develop and utilise Ramazani’s skills on the left wing, rather than loaning in Barry to develop him for Villa in the future, as they have already hit gold with the Belgian marksman.

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