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Crystal Palace have now joined the race to sign an “outstanding” new centre-back, following a new update on Marc Guehi’s future at Selhurst Park.

Palace looking to sign Guehi replacement

After Liverpool missed out on the signing of Guehi on deadline day, it remains up in the air where the England international will end up, but according to a new update, a move to Real Madrid could be on the cards, as the Santiago Bernabeu is the Palace captain’s priority destination.

Oliver Glasner remained tight-lipped when asked for an update on the defender’s future, saying: “You will ask me all these questions again and again and again. I need to find one answer. I will always tell you the same, as long as I don’t know anything else. Because, believe me, if I knew something. I would tell you.

“I don’t know what will happen with Marc [Guehi]. I don’t know what will happen with new players, and I don’t know what will happen with JP [Jean-Philippe Mateta], I don’t know anything.”

However, the Eagles have now started planning for life after Guehi, with the 25-year-old’s contract set to expire at the end of the season, and the likes of Manchester City’s Nathan Ake and Lens star Samson Baidoo have emerged as targets.

According to a report from Caught Offside, Crystal Palace have also joined the race to sign Udinese centre-back Oumar Solet, having sent scouts to watch the Frenchman in action, but there could be competition for his signature from rival Premier League clubs.

Indeed, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Aston Villa, West Ham United and Manchester United have also been credited with an interest in Solet, who is represented by the same agent as Brennan Johnson, and could be available in a loan-to-buy agreement during the current transfer window.

Related Crystal Palace now join race to sign "magnificent" forward after Nketiah blow

The Eagles have set out to strengthen in attack.

Posts ByDominic Lund "Outstanding" Solet could be exciting Guehi heir

The Melun-born defender has been a key player for Udinese in the Serie A this season, making 18 appearances, while he also caught scout Antonio Mango’s eye during his time at Red Bull Salzburg.

Having averaged 1.89 tackles per 90 over the past year, the Udinese ace ranks in the 80th percentile, when compared to other centre-backs, with an average of 1.52 blocks per 90 placing him in the 83rd percentile.

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The 6 foot 4 colossus is also known for his ability to push forward, being described as “marauding” by scout Jacek Kulig, which could make him a solid replacement for Guehi, who is also capable of making an impact in attack, picking up two goals and two assists in the Premier League this term.

Solet could be an exciting addition to Glasner’s squad, but rival interest from the likes of Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United could pose a problem.

West Ham have made the ‘only’ concrete bid for an in-form striker, and his club have promised to let him leave on the condition they get a suitable fee.

West Ham fail to beat Brighton in thrilling 2-2 draw

West Ham’s alarming winless run reached eight matches following a dramatic 2-2 draw with Brighton that featured three first-half penalties at the London Stadium.

The result leaves the Hammers four points adrift of safety, still in eighteenth, while Brighton extended their own barren run to six games without victory.

West Ham struck first when Lucas Paqueta’s clever pass released Jarrod Bowen to round Bart Verbruggen and finish calmly in the tenth minute, with Brighton equalising through Danny Welbeck’s penalty after Max Kilman tripped Yankuba Minteh.

Welbeck actually missed a second spot kick moments later when his audacious Panenka struck the crossbar following Lucas Paqueta’s foul on Lewis Dunk.

West Ham then regained their advantage deep into first-half stoppage time when Paqueta converted from 12 yards after Dunk handled Callum Wilson’s goalbound effort.

Related "Could happen" – Player admits he may join West Ham as agent works on transfer

He’s made a January admission.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini

Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler introduced Kaoru Mitoma and Brajan Gruda at half-time and the changes proved decisive when Joel Veltman capitalised on Alphonse Areola’s poor punch from a corner to tap home the equaliser sixteen minutes after the restart.

Brighton appealed for another penalty when Mitoma went down under Bowen’s challenge, but VAR declined to intervene.

Both sides created late opportunities without finding a winner, condemning each team to end 2025 mired in poor form and desperately seeking improvement in the new year.

It was yet another stark reminder that West Ham’s options simply aren’t good enough, and how January could be crucial in determining their Premier League survival.

Nuno Espírito Santo hooked Callum Wilson midway through the second period with no decent alternative on the bench, with West Ham trying to remedy that behind-the-scenes.

According to reports this week, West Ham could turn to Viktoria Plzen striker Rafiu Durosinmi.

West Ham make 'only' concrete bid for Rafiu Durosinmi

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke this week, West Ham submitted a £12 million bid for Durosinmi, but reports from the Czech Republic actually state the real fee is much lower.

iSport and journalist Jonas Bartos state that interest from the Hammers represents the ‘only concrete offer’ received thus far when it comes to the Nigeria international, despite murmurs of interest from other clubs.

While O’Rourke claimed West Ham tabled £12m for Durosinmi, Czech sources indicate the actual figure offered stands significantly lower at around £4.3 million.

Plzeň have deemed this sum unacceptable and remain unwilling to sell their influential striker below their asking price despite his desire to test himself in England’s top flight.

Despite reports to the contrary, ISport claim that the 22-year-old’s contract actually expires in 2027, rather than 2026 mentioned elsewhere, and this gives Plzen more leeway to demand extra cash.

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Plzeň also supported him through serious knee injuries and subsequent operations that derailed a nearly-completed transfer to Eintracht Frankfurt in 2023.

That being said, the club have promised Durosinmi they will greenlight his exit to an elite European league, provided any interested party meets their valuation.

The powerful striker has scored seven league goals in 18 appearances this season alongside four strikes in European competition, totalling around 22 this calendar year in all competitions.

Interest from Benfica, Lazio and multiple Premier League and Championship clubs continues to build around Durosinmi as the transfer window looms.

The forward particularly impressed gainst Lazio in March’s Europa League round of 16, scoring once and providing an assist across both legs of the tie.

Related Premier League forward set to join West Ham after Nuno specifically asked for him

He’ll sign ‘immediately’ in January.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini

An England Under-19 XI won the opening match of their pre-World Cup visit to Sri Lanka, beating a Sri Lankan Under-19 XI by 12 runs in a rain-affected game.England won the toss and rattled up 318 for 6 in their 50 overs, Middlesex’s Billy Godleman top scoring with 123. Sri Lanka were never up with the required rate, mainly thanks to Tom Westley who took 3 for 27, and were 12 runs short of the Duckworth-Lewis par when rain brought a premature finish.England will meet Sri Lanka and Pakistan in a triangular series before all three sides head off to Malaysia for the U-19 World Cup.

Though he last played Test cricket in February 2006, Shoaib Akhtar did not seem in the least rusty on the first day of the Port Elizabeth Test taking 4 for 36 as South Africa crumbled to 124 © AFP

A quiet return was never to be expected but maybe such a successful one wasn’t either. Shoaib Akhtar, who returned to his first Test in almost a year by taking 4 for 36 as South Africa were bowled out for 124 on the first day of the second Test at Port Elizabeth, was evidently surprised by it himself. “I thought it would take me the whole Test match to get back into it,” he said after a day on which South Africa fought back to restrict Pakistan to only a lead of 11 runs, with four wickets left.The surprise emanated in part from just playing a Test again, something Shoaib thought might never happen again, after a year racked by initially by injuries and subsequently by the doping crisis, which saw him banned and then reinstated to international cricket. Controversies, he said, had been the story of his life.”If you asked me the same question [about his career] a few months ago I wouldn’t have had an answer that I would play cricket ever again,” he said. Shoaib was banned from playing cricket twice before, for chucking before testing positive in October for the banned anabolic steroid, Nandrolone, stalled his career once again.Shoaib was, however, quick to acknowledge the contributions of all the other bowlers in the attack; Danish Kaneria, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Sami shared the rest of the wickets as Pakistan, in bowling out South Africa for their lowest-ever total against them, put on a vastly improved performance from the first Test. “We worked in partnerships and every bowling spell brought a wicket,” he said.But they couldn’t drive home their advantage, as the South African bowlers and Makhaya Ntini in particular, with 4 for 18 in his 10 overs, ripped through their top order leaving them tottering on 135 for six, with only Inzamam-ul-Haq and the tail to bat.Mickey Arthur, the South Africa coach, was optimistic at the end of day. “We’re right back in it,” he said. Arthur added that his team’s batting had been poor on “a fantastic wicket, which ranks with Durban [against India] as the best we have played on this season.”Arthur hoped that South Africa would benefit from Inzamam coming in to bat on the second day with only the tail in support. Inzamam bruised his shoulder during fielding practice before the match and went off the field at the first drinks break which meant that he could not bat until an equivalent amount of time had passed. He was said to have been in considerable pain and is expected to ba after taking pain-killing injections.

Scorecard

Andy Bichel can’t hide his delight at grabbing another wicket © Getty Images

Queensland brushed aside Western Australia’s batsmen, dismissing the home side for 190 on the first day at Perth. Western Australia are sitting at the bottom of the Pura Cup table and have registered just one victory this season.Only Adam Voges (42) and David Bandy (40) provided resistance to Queensland’s probing attack with a partnership of 75 before the home side capitulated dramatically, losing 5 for 34. Michael Kasprowicz, who took 4 for 58, was well supported by Andy Bichel (2 for 45) and the legspinner Daniel Doran who took the key wicket of Voges to finish with 3 for 71 on debut.In reply, Queensland lost Jimmy Maher first ball to Steve Magoffin and Ryan Broad for 40, but reached 2 for 110 at stumps and trail by 80 going into the second day.

Shoaib Malik: currently under scrutiny© Getty Images

The Pakistan Cricket Board has taken a major step towards tackling the problem of illegal bowling actions, by giving the go-ahead for a new biomechanics laboratory to be set up in Lahore.Pakistan has been beset by allegations of chucking, from Shoaib Akhtar and his hyper-extensive elbow, to the spinner Shoaib Malik, whose action is currently being examined by the International Cricket Council. Now, the plan is for the PCB to tackle the problem in-house, with a laboratory – the fifth of its kind in the world – to be established at the National Cricket academy at the Gadaffi Stadium.Pakistan’s former captain, Fazal Mahmood, has been appointed as bowling advisor to the PCB’s Illegal Bowling Action Commission, with five others named as domestic bowling advisors: the former Test fast bowler, Aqib Javed; two international spinners in Farrukh Zaman and Iqbal Sikander; Khizar Hayat, a Pakistani umpire, and Dr Sohail Saleem, a medical commissioner.In the short term, the PCB plans to install Quintic 9.03, a biomechanical analysis software that enables 2D analysis of a bowler’s action, by filming the players in action and then reducing the video to a stick-figure animation. A specialist in biomechanics, Dr Paul Hurrion, is to fly out to Lahore to install the software and conduct a two-day seminar that aims to instruct and guide the members of the committee.

The Tasmanian selectors have today named the Cascade Tasmanian Tigers team to play the Redbacks in their first Pura Cup match of the season to be played at Bellerive Oval on Monday 3rd – Thursday 6th November 2003.

CASCADE TASMANIAN TIGERS
Daniel MARSH (Captain)
Shane WATSON
Jamie COX
Michael DiVENUTO
Michael DIGHTON
Gerard DENTON
Sean CLINGELEFFER
Damien WRIGHT
Xavier DOHERTY
Scott MASON
Adam GRIFFITH
Andrew DOWNTON

The 12th man will be named on the morning of the match.

Delhi failed to gain the first-innings lead despite a double hundred from opener Gautam Gambhir. Gambhir made 214 before being run-out by a substitute. Railways reached 27 for one before stumps were drawn at the Karnail Singh Stadium, Delhi.Earlier, Delhi, who resumed at 262 for three, had to suffer the mortification seeinf her bastmen make a beeline for the pavilion. Only with the arrival of No. 10 Ashish Nehra did Gambhir find a partner who was willing to give him worthwhile company. The two put on 50 runs before Gambhir’s long vigil ended. Nehra went on to make 25 before becoming the last man to be dismissed. Railways bowlers Harvinder Singh and Murali Kartik, who claimed three wickets each, played a big role in helping their team secure the vital 102-run lead. With just a day’s play remaining, Railways are well on their way to the Ranji quarter-final.

Heavy rain frustrated Durham’s hopes of forcing the victory they need to ease First Division relegation fears.Only 16 overs were possible on the third day at Taunton where Somerset resumed on 58-0 in reply to the visitors’ 378.The start was delayed until 4.45pm, by which time the game already looked doomed to a draw. But there were bonus points to play for and Durham moved close to a fifth one by removing both overnight batsmen.Jamie Cox and Mark Lathwell suffered disappointments as they sought to build overdue scores.Unbeaten on 22 overnight, Cox was looking to end a poor run by his standards, which had seen him pass 30 only once in eight Championship innings.But the sequence continued as, having added only three to his score, the Somerset skipper was judged lbw pushing forward to John Wood.Lathwell, who resumed on 25, was soon looking in the sort of form to achieve his first Championship half-century since 1998 after missing the whole of last season with a knee injury.The former England player was untroubled progressing to 39, but then fell in almost identical fashion to Cox as his forward defensive shot was beaten by Paul Collingwood.Rob Turner and Peter Bowler took the score to 92-2 before accepting the umpires’ offer to go off for bad light.There had been claps of thunder and another storm caused play to be abandonedfor the day, putting much of the outfield under water.Wood had taken 1-5 from his five overs, while Collingwood also had tidy figures of 1-7 from three overs.A draw will suit Somerset more than Durham, who are desperately trying to make up ground on their opponents and fourth-from-bottom Kent in the battle to remain in the top flight.

Newcastle United have been handed a bleak injury update on Kieran Trippier and his chances of potentially returning before the end of the Premier League season…

What’s the story?

The full-back underwent an operation on his broken foot after picking up a metatarsal injury in a 1-0 win over Aston Villa earlier this calendar year, and now, injury expert, Ben Dinnery, has cast serious doubt about him returning this season.

He said: “We need to understand that this is a serious setback. Yes, he went under the knife early and the surgery went well. That’s all true. But it doesn’t matter about the advances in technology, we’re still looking at an eight to 10-week period before the bone begins to heal.

“Typically, the data indicates that the return date is between 80 and 85 days. There are very few instances in which players return in a 70-day period. That shows that we’re looking at the higher end of the return-to-play timeline. By then, we’ll be approaching May.”

Body blow for Newcastle

After signing from Atletico Madrid in the January transfer window, Trippier quickly set about leading the Magpies away from the relegation zone and dragging them to some much-needed, morale-boosting victories.

His trademark free-kicks have already made him a cult hero at St James’ Park, and journalist Pete O’Rourke recently admitted that being without the England international for a significant amount of time would be a major blow for the Magpies.

He said: “I think it would be a big blow to Eddie Howe. Trippier has come and really slotted straight into the team. He has been a big improvement on what they’ve got.”

One man who’s a big fan of the 31-year-old is Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate himself, who has said previously: “He (Trippier) is a very underrated player. People are still looking at the player from a few years ago and not at the one who is at Atletico Madrid and playing like a warrior in the last few seasons. He is a big part of what we’ve done over the last few years and he gave a really good performance.”

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News that Trippier may only be able to come back in May – at which point the Magpies will only have three games remaining in the Premier League – is a body blow for Newcastle and Howe, and one that will surely leave them gutted after seeing him get off to such a good start.

Meanwhile, Newcastle could find their Shelvey heir in this star…