Jose Mourinho is ready to make a move for one West Ham ace after another transfer he was working on fell through due to being hijacked by the Hammers, it has been reported.

West Ham working hard to strengthen

The arrival of Julen Lopetegui this summer has brought with it a freeing of funds in east London, with several new faces set to be on show when the Hammers kick off their new Premier League campaign against Aston Villa on 17th August.

After a difficult 2023-24 season under David Moyes, West Ham have added four new signings and plenty more are expected to arrive between now and the transfer deadline on August 30th.

West Ham's signings summer 2024
Player	Fee
Crysencio Summerville	Undisclosed
Max Kilman	£40m
Luis Guilherme	£26m
Wes Foderingham	Free

Indeed, two are imminent additions. The first of those is Borussia Dortmund striker Niclas Fullkrug, who was unveiled on Monday evening ahead of a switch to east London that is believed to have set the Hammers back a fee of 32m euros (£27m).

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The second of those is free agent Guido Rodriguez, who saw his time with Real Betis come to a close this summer and is now set to pen a two year deal at the London Stadium to bolster their midfield ranks. However, their move for Rodriguez may have unforeseen consequences at the London Stadium.

Mourinho wants West Ham man

That comes as Jose Mourinho is keen to take midfield man Tomas Soucek away from West Ham this summer. Now in charge of Turkish giants Fenerbahce, the ex-Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester United boss has made eight new signings this summer, including ex-Newcastle winger Alan Saint-Maximin.

But he saw a potential move for Rodriguez fall through at the eleventh hour courtesy of interest from West Ham, who ultimately secured the Argentine's signature.

And now he has turned his attention to the very man Rodriguez may replace at the London Stadium, with Turkish outlet Takvim [via HITC] claiming that Mourinho is ready to try and land Tomas Soucek this summer to fill the hole in his midfield.

Soucek started 34 Premier League games last season for the Hammers, and still has three years left to run on his £90,000 a week deal at the London Stadium.

However, the 29-year-old faces fresh competition in the middle of Lopetegui's midfield with Rodriguez joining James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez as options for the new Hammers boss to choose from.

There is even speculation that West Ham may still be chasing another midfielder before the window closes, which would heighten the competition for places yet further, and at 29, Soucek is entering the last few windows for West Ham to see any return on their £19m investment on the Czech midfielder.

Meanwhile, a move to Turkey would see him return to European football, which could even be the Champions League if Mourinho's side are able to beat Lille in the play-off for Europe's elite competition.

Trevor Hohns knows that those players also involved in the T20 World Cup will get very little red-ball preparation

Andrew McGlashan24-Apr-2021Australia’s national selector Trevor Hohns has admitted to being “very concerned” about the lack of Test cricket the team will play ahead of the Ashes next season.With the tour of South Africa last month postponed, there will be a 10-month gap between Tests when they are due to play Afghanistan in a one-off match in late November before facing England.That game against Afghanistan could be the only red-ball cricket those players also involved in the T20 World Cup will have ahead of the Ashes due to the likely need to quarantine on their return from India.For those not in the T20 set-up, Hohns expects there to be a decent amount of Sheffield Shield cricket available in the first part of the next season but he conceded it is not an ideal situation with England having a full Test season ahead of them at home.Related

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“Very concerned about that, no doubt, and hopeful that they’ll be plenty of Shield cricket – and I believe there will be – programmed leading up to the first Test,” he said. “However, that won’t help some of our players as hopefully they’ll be fully engaged in the T20 World Cup.”It’s a difficult one, England are certainly playing plenty of Test cricket and we haven’t got anything on the plate so it’s a concern.”There will be at least two Test batting positions vacant leading into the next home summer following the announcement of a trimmed down central contracts list that only included three specialist Test batters – David Warner, Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne – along with allrounder Cameron Green.An opening partner for Warner will need to be found – Will Pucovski will be the frontrunner if he recovers from shoulder reconstruction – along with a middle-order batter to fill the No. 5 spot which rotated between Travis Head and Matthew Wade against India, both of who lost their contracts.Will Pucovski made a promising start to his Test career but has since undergone shoulder surgery•Getty Images”There’s no secret that there are positions available whether that’s middle order or the top of the list,” Hohns said. “Yes, it is a concern because there’s no standout but that’s what we are challenging our players to really put their hands up at the start of next season then get into the Australia side and perform well when they do.”There may also be conversations about whether the bowling attack needs freshening up with Hohns indicating that rotation is likely to be forced on the fast bowlers to ensure they aren’t flagging towards the end of the series as happened against India where Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins played throughout alongside Nathan Lyon. While Green’s introduction provided somebody to share the burden he did not take a wicket in the series.James Pattinson was retained on the contracts list despite playing just four Tests in the last five years with Hohns terming him “our premier back-up fast bowler” although Jhye Richardson and the uncontracted Michael Neser will also come into contention.The initial part of the new contract period will be heavily focused on T20 with the World Cup in October and a number of the players on the list are likely to only feature in white-ball cricket. Hohns said that the idea of offering separate white and red-ball deals had been floated but it was still some way off being an option.”It’s an interesting conversation and while we have mentioned that we are not quite ready for that yet, but it may progress to that down the track because it’s becoming more obvious that players are specializing in the different formats. Certainly something to be looked at down the track.”There’s a little bit of focus on T20 cricket but we also try to make sure we remain focused on the fact that Test cricket to us, and hopefully to our players, is the prime form of the game. We see that as the top of tree, but there is a T20 World Cup coming up so we’ve had to cover a core group of players we think will feature in this list.”

West Brom are believed to be closing in on the signing of an "excellent" international player, according to a fresh update from reliable journalist Lewis Cox.

West Brom transfer news

The Baggies still have time to make more signings in the summer transfer window, with some good business done to date, including the additions of Torbjorn Heggem, Gianluca Frabotta and Paddy McNair.

One player who has been linked with a summer move to West Brom is Will Keane, with the experienced 31-year-old currently plying his trade at fellow Championship side Preston North End. In fact, the Baggies have reportedly tabled an offer for his services as Carlos Corberan looks to bolster his attacking options.

Barnsley midfielder Callum Styles has also been mentioned as an option for Corberan's men between now and the end of the month as he aims to make a return to the Championship. A player-plus-cash deal including Mo Faal has been mooted.

It could be that the Hungarian still arrives at The Hawthorns this summer, further strengthening West Brom in the middle of the park, even though midfielder Uros Racic has already joined on a season-long loan.

West Brom closing in on "excellent" ace

According to Cox on X, West Brom are close to completing the signing of Barnsley ace Styles, with talks thought to be at an advanced stage:

Signing Styles feels like a no-brainer for West Brom, with the 24-year-old a highly-thought-of midfielder who already has 23 caps to his name for Hungary, more than holding his own alongside Liverpool star Dominik Szoboszlai.

He is surely too good to be playing League One football with Barnsley, considering he is an experienced international player and at this level. Indeed, former Barnsley boss Neill Collins has said of him in the past:

"Callum's talent is undoubted and again for me, he has been excellent in pre-season. As long as I have got players like that, I will be delighted. I hope I can just help him continue to improve and become the player he has got the potential to be. He's definitely enjoyable for everyone to watch."

Granted, Styles may have to accept that he isn't guaranteed to come in and be a starter every week for West Brom considering the options that Corberan has at his disposal, but the £5,400-a-week ace would be ideal for squad depth.

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Last season, the midfielder enjoyed a stint on loan at Sunderland, starting 10 league games and showing he is well-suited to the Championship and has 136 appearances to his name in the competition throughout his career. He is still a relatively young player and has further gears to find, so the Baggies could be making an impressive addition.

He could link up again with ex-teammate Devante Cole, who notched 18 times in League One for the Tykes last term.

Oliver Glasner has a big task on his hands this summer, trying to add firepower to his Crystal Palace side after losing key man, Michael Olise to Bayern Munich. And that task could get even harder, with clubs circling for Eberechi Eze like sharks, and now interest also arising in red-hot striker Jean-Philippe Mateta from Aston Villa.

Olise provided 16 goals and assists for Palace last season, which is already something they will be without, with the potential of losing another 17 goal involvements from Eze, and 24 goals and assists from Mateta, who scored 19 goals in 39 appearances in 2023/24.

The trio contributed 52 goals and assists between them in Palace's 57-goal campaign, showing their importance to the sides' output. Therefore, reinforcements would be needed, one of which has already been made in the shape of Ismaila Sarr from Marseille.

Crystal Palace's search for a striker

Samu Omorodion was linked with a move to Palace earlier this summer and it may not be the worst idea to revisit that interest, should Mateta potentially be on his way out.

However, Omorodion is set to demand a very hefty fee, with Atlético Madrid reluctant to sell the 20-year-old striker, and reports from Ben Jacobs claim it could take around €70m (£59m) to change their minds.

That comes amid interest from Chelsea in the Atlético striker this summer, who made 35 appearances last season on loan with Alaves, scoring nine goals and providing one assist in 2,096 minutes of football.

Omorodion vs Mateta comparison

Omorodion has been labelled "Haaland-esque" by Ben Mattinson, praising his back-to-goal play, ability to hold off his marker and finish under pressure with his weak foot. His 6 foot 4 frame is a good reference point to the Haaland comparison, as both players are a huge physical presence, and require a lot of defensive attention for this reason.

On FBref's "similar players" feature, Omorodion also compares to Haaland, alongside other Premier League strikers such as Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth and Rasmus Hojlund from Manchester United, illustrating the impact he can make in the English game.

Stats (per 90 mins)

Omorodion

Mateta

Non-Penalty Goals

0.41

0.55

Non-Penalty xG

0.52

0.37

Shots Total

3.02

1.74

Shots on Target

1.17

0.99

Goals/Shot

0.13

0.32

Successful Take-Ons

0.99

0.99

Aerials Won

2.75

1.97

The 20-year-old isn't as clinical in front of goal as Mateta, who averages fewer shots per 90, but converts at a better rate, with a 0.32 Goals/Shot metric, compared to Omorodion's 0.13.

However, at such a young age, to have the physical potential he has, winning 2.75 aerials per 90, already scoring 0.41 goals per 90, and managing to produce an xG of 0.52 per 90, is an excellent starting point.

Compared to Haaland earlier, he would require that same attention to stop him in the box, using his strength to bully defenders and win aerial duels when crosses come into the box, making himself a nuisance and a defender's nightmare.

Whilst this would be an expensive purchase for Palace – if that £59m price tag is to be believed – the youngster could provide the threat they need upfront, especially when you consider the amount of firepower Glasner could be losing this summer, with Olise already out the door.

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Nottingham Forest are interested in signing a forward who Virgil van Dijk says "has everything", seeing him as an alternative to Santiago Gimenez.

Nottingham Forest miss out on Gimenez

The Reds have suffered a setback with one high-profile transfer target, with a move for Feyenoord striker Gimenez possibly not materialising after plenty of interest emerged in him from the Premier League side.

The Mexican looked like a hugely exciting option for Forest, considering what a key performer he was for his current club last season, scoring 23 goals in just 29 starts in the Eredivisie, as well as netting twice in four appearances in the Champions League.

With Gimenez potentially no longer a target for Nuno Espirito Santo's side between now and the end of the summer transfer window this week, having rejected a switch to the City Ground, they could do with finding an alternative target.

It looks as though they may have found that player, with a new report suggesting as much, as Forest look to give themselves the best possible chance of enjoying a solid Premier League campaign.

Nottingham Forest eyeing attacker who "has everything"

According to Football Insider, Nottingham Forest are now "ready to turn their attention" to signing Ajax striker Brian Brobbey this summer, looking to acquire his signature before the window closes on Friday.

The Reds have "set their sights" on the Feyenoord ace, seeing him as an ideal option in place of Gimenez, but with his contract not expiring until 2027, the report does state that "it would take a big fee to try and prise him away from Amsterdam".

Brobbey stands out as a shrewd option for Forest in the coming days, and if they were able to entice him to the club, it could make up for the blow of missing out on the prolific Gimenez.

The Ajax ace is a top-quality player in his own right, and still only 22 years of age, scoring 49 goals and registering 19 assists for Ajax to date, as well as winning three caps for the Netherlands. His international captain Van Dijk has spoken highly about his compatriot's qualities, too, saying:

"I think he’s a great boy. He is a great talent and basically has everything. He is fast, strong and can finish well. He had said in an interview that he would score against us, but luckily, we were able to prevent that. He can be a very good weapon [for the World Cup], but it’s up to the national coach."

Forest signing Brobbey may feel like a real coup, given his international pedigree and the praise he has received from such a huge player in Van Dijk, and he scored a combined 31 league goals in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons combined.

Ajax

124

49

19

Ajax Under-19s

41

37

7

Ajax Under-21s

34

17

5

Ajax Under-17s

25

26

6

RB Leipzig

14

0

3

The £48,000-a-week Dutchman may only improve, too, given his tender years, so the idea of him in a Reds shirt for many years to come is an exciting prospect for Reds supporters.

Shreyas Iyer has undergone a scheduled surgery to his left shoulder, which he partially dislocated when he landed awkwardly after putting in a dive in the field during the first ODI of India’s home series against England last month. In a tweet, Iyer called the surgery “a success”, and promised to “be back in no time”.Once the severity of the injury became clear, Iyer had to be ruled out of the IPL, where he was the designated captain of the Delhi Capitals. Rishabh Pant has since been handed the reins of the team, which plays its first match of IPL 2021 on Saturday, in Mumbai against the Chennai Super Kings.