West Ham United striking a deal for Southampton star James Ward-Prowse is "very possible", with a bid made and talks ongoing for the midfielder.

Who will West Ham sign?

The east Londoners are yet to confirm a single summer signing and manager David Moyes will surely be growing frustrated at West Ham's lack of activity.

The English-record sale of former star midfielder Declan Rice to Arsenal did take some time, though, with there being a belief the signing of crucial documents was delayed.

Eventually, both West Ham and Mikel Arteta's side managed to get the deal over the line with the London Stadium side now set to benefit from a £105 million (including £5m in add-ons) financial windfall.

However, with the new season starting fairly soon, West Ham must get to work on both replacing Rice and using their new cash to shore up other key positions in the squad.

In terms of the midfielders who could come in, there have been many linked in recent weeks, including Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria, Bayern Munich's Leon Goretzka, Man United's Scott McTominay, Chelsea ace Conor Gallagher and Ward-Prowse of Southampton.

The 28-year-old, who endured relegation to the Championship last season, stood out among their star players and it is believed West Ham are very keen on signing him.

According to a report by Football Insider, a deal to take Ward-Prowse to West Ham is now "very possible", as they continue talks to sign him.

The Englishman is keen on a return to the top flight, and while Southampton value him at around £45 million, the Hammers are believed to be in "pole position" for him.

It's added that West Ham have made an initial bid of around £35 million for Ward-Prowse, and while that appears to have not been accepted, talks have been ongoing to find middle ground.

Personal terms are also expected not to be an issue, so if the clubs can reach a compromise, Southampton's star could make the switch to London pretty quickly.

How good is James Ward-Prowse?

The midfielder was, by some distance, the Saints' star player over 2022/2023 – with Ward-Prowse averaging the highest match rating per 90 of any Southampton star (WhoScored).

He started every single top flight match for them last campaign, scoring nine goals and assisting four others to total an impressive 13 final third contributions (WhoScored).

Former Southampton manager Nathan Jones, before he was unceremoniously sacked mid-season, showered Ward-Prowse with praise as a "world class" player in his squad.

“He’s been outstanding since I came in, his attitude," said Jones.

“My first conversation with him was 10 minutes after he didn’t get picked for the England squad. Since that moment, he’s been absolutely world-class for me. The way he reacted and the performances you’re seeing now, it’s really motivated and driven.

“He’s vital, I like to get to know my captains and have a real relationship with them, a real personal relationship so they understand decisions we make."

Ward-Prowse is also known for his incredible abilities as a deal ball specialist, with the likes of Man City boss Pep Guardiola among those to have praised the player.

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is looking to bolster his backline after qualifying for the Champions League this year, with Nice centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo now being considered for transfer.

How much will Jean-Clair Todibo cost?

That's according to French outlet Nice-Matin – via Sport Witness – who write that Les Aiglons will demand €40-50m (£34-43m) for the one-time Barcelona prospect amid Magpies interest.

Todibo is believed to have been approached by several Premier League sides including Newcastle, Aston Villa and West Ham United; all three teams play in Europe this year, but Howe will hope Champions League football will sway the odds in his favour.

The Magpies could also be emboldened in their pursuit following the 23-year-old's rejection to play in Saudi Arabia and join the throngs of players making the move to the rising footballing project in the Middle East.

How good is Jean-Clair Todibo?

Newcastle were immense last season and defied expectation by beating the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur to a place in this year's Champions League, ending a two-decade absence from Europe's first-class continental competition.

The imperious defence was one of the central factors in the success, Newcastle conceded a league-best 33 goals last term, while Nick Pope kept 14 clean sheets from 37 matches.

Despite this, Howe seemingly feels that a fresh face would prove worthwhile, and Todibo could be the perfect signing to continue the ascent, having impressed in his homeland last year.

As per Sofascore, the Frenchman recorded an average rating of 6.94 in Ligue 1, keeping nine clean sheets from 34 matches, completing 89% of his passes, and forging 2.2 tackles and 3.1 clearances per game, also succeeding with 65% of his duel attempts.

That would go a long way to summing up why talent scout Jacek Kulig suggested he was as "solid as a rock". As such, Todibo could be identified as the heir to Fabian Schar's position in the Magpies backline, with the Swiss, aged 31, entering the final year of his contract at St. James's Park.

Schar has enjoyed something of a redemption arc under Howe after starting just 13 league fixtures in 20/21 and serving as an unused substitute across nine of the first 11 top-flight games of the 21/22 campaign.

He started 36 times last season and earned an average rating of 7.13, making 3.8 clearances per game and succeeding in 65% of his duel attempts, and given the semblance in such metrics between himself and Todibo, Howe might be wise in focussing his attention on providing his squad with a similarly robust new titan.

The £20k-per-week Todibo ranks among the top 12% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive passes and the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90, furthering the argument that he is an apt replacement given that Howe will hope to sign a ball-playing defender capable of contributing effectively to the offensive manoeuvres, starting from the back.

Kulig has already proclaimed that the Frenchman would represent a "big bargain" for any suitor, and if he does soon ply his trade on Tyneside Newcastle will edge one step closer to consolidating their newfound position of power.

An update has emerged on Celtic and their plans to add further reinforcements to the squad ahead of the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership season…

What's the latest Celtic transfer news?

According to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, the Hoops have made "initial contact" with Future FC over a possible deal to sign Mohamed Reda during the summer transfer window.

The reporter claims that they are one of a number of clubs across Europe who are interested in signing the 22-year-old central midfielder over the coming weeks.

He also states that the Scottish giants eyeing a potential bid to snap up the Egypt international, who could join the likes of Marco Tilio, Hyun-jun Yang, and Odin Thiago Holm as a new arrivals at Parkhead.

What is Mohamed Reda's style of play?

The talented youngster is an all-action midfielder who has the ability to make an impact at both ends of the pitch, which is illustrated by the fact that the Egyptian dynamo has been deployed in a holding, central, and attacking position in midfield throughout his career.

He could end up being the eventual heir to Reo Hatate at Paradise, as the Japan international has unsurprisingly been linked with a move to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur to reunite with Ange Postecoglou this summer.

Celtic have become accustomed to losing some of their biggest talents over the years; including the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Kristoffer Ajer, Odsonne Edouard, and Victor Wanyama – to name but a few.

The latest star to depart Glasgow came earlier this month as Jota completed a stunning £25m move to Saudi Arabian outfit Al Ittihad.

This means that the Hoops have to be constantly planning ahead as they are in danger of one of their gems moving on in each transfer window.

Signing Reda now could be a shrewd move by manager Brendan Rodgers as the 22-year-old ace could come in and learn from Hatate before potentially replacing the Japanese hotshot in the future, if the 25-year-old maestro seals a move elsewhere.

This would mean that the club already have a ready-made replacement instead of needing to rush around to sign a new player.

Reda is a dynamic midfielder who has the potential to make an impact in the final third as he produced four goals and four assists in 20 league starts for Future FC last season, which works out as a direct contribution every 2.5 starts on average.

Hatate, meanwhile, produced six goals, which was the most of any central midfielder at the club, to go along with eight assists in 29 Premiership starts, which is an average of one involvement every 2.07 starts.

However, Reda's return is particularly impressive when you consider that his team only scored 34 league goals in total, in comparison to Celtic's staggering 114.

The Future FC gem, who was once described as "really technical" by analyst Ben Griffis, could make a greater impact in attack and replicate or improve upon Hatate's numbers as part of a vastly superior team, which is why he could be a dream heir to Spurs target from an attacking perspective.

Defensively, they performed at a similar level last season. They both made between 1.2 and 1.5 tackles and interceptions combined per match, whilst Reda won more individual duels (4.4) per outing than the Hoops technician (3.6).

These statistics suggest that the potential is there for the Egypt international to be a future heir to Hatate with his ability as a battler in midfield as well as his quality to make consistent contributions in attack.

Nottingham Forest are reportedly advancing in their talks to sign Monaco full-back Ismail Jakobs, as manager Steve Cooper looks to bolster his side with added quality this summer.

The Reds will be firmly on the hunt to add star talent ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, after settling towards the bottom of the table for the majority of their return season in the Premier League last term.

What’s the latest on Ismail Jakobs to Nottingham Forest?

As reported by Fabrizio Romano this week, Forest are closing in on the Ligue 1 defender.

"Understand Nottingham Forest are now in advanced talks to sign Ismail Jakobs as new left-back," he tweeted. "Player keen on the move, negotiations advancing on clubs side with AS Monaco to reach an agreement soon."

Contracted to Monaco until 2026, the 23-year-old was picked up by the French side in 2021 from 1. FC Koln for a fee of €6.5m (£5.5m).

How good is Ismail Jakobs?

Having previously been dubbed as a “diamond” by U23 scout Jacek Kulig, the defender sparkled in Ligue 1 last term when given the chance to showcase his talents.

Across 32 appearances in the league last season, the Senegalese gem rose through the ranks of Koln’s academy in his journey to becoming a recognised figure in Europe.

As per FBref, the full-back averaged in the top 1% in terms of his average number of aerials won, recording 3.90 per 90 in 1222 minutes played over the past year.

Deployable anywhere on the left side, the defensively-minded machine could be a strong acquisition for Forest, who seek a new left-back ahead of the new season following the departure of Renan Lodi.

Captured on loan from Atletico Madrid last summer, the Brazilian bid farewell after an impressive cameo at the City Ground, in which he made 28 appearances for the Reds.

There was speculation as to whether Cooper would opt to sign the 25-year-old on a permanent basis however on returning to Madrid, he was snatched by Marseille to put an abrupt end to the rumours.

Now, the Welshman could seek a replacement for Lodi in Jakobs, who could pose to be an upgrade edition of the Brazilian on the left side.

In the former Atletico ace, Forest had a reliable defensive presence, with him averaging 2.11 tackles per 90 and winning 54% of his total duels.

Similarly to Lodi, the Monaco ace won 56% of his total duels in Ligue 1, however, he did excel the former Reds whiz in other areas that are desired for a full-back in the Premier League.

As per FBref, the 23-year-old was a powerhouse in getting forward for his side, as highlighted by his 3.14 progressive carries and 3.70 progressive passes per 90, compared to the Brazilian’s 0.98 progressive carries and 1.26 progressive passes per 90 in England.

Most prominently the “class” progressive defender, as lauded by Mango, was a real threat in the final third as an overlapping presence on the flank, as told by his monstrous average of receiving 8.77 progressive passes per 90 in Ligue 1.

Lodi averaged just 2.85 progressive passes received per 90, suggesting just how much of a live wire Cooper could equip to the left side of his squad, in a player competent to defend and get forward.

File photo – Chris Jordan claimed three wickets to help bowl out Gloucestershire•BCCI

Sussex boosted their hopes of reaching the knockout stages in the NatWest T20 Blast after easing to a five-victory win over Gloucestershire at Hove.The visitors were bowled out for 138 in 18.4 overs after an excellent bowling and fielding display by the hosts, led by Chris Jordan and George Garton who both took three wickets. Sussex stuttered when they lost 4 for 16 in 23 balls, but Laurie Evans supervised the chase with an unbeaten 45 and two sixes in the 18th over took Sussex to their second successive win at home with 14 balls to spare.Chris Nash and Luke Wright had launched the reply with 42 for the first wicket before Gloucestershire dragged themselves back into contention. Nash moved to 394 runs in this season’s Blast before top-edging Matt Taylor to short fine leg then former Sussex seamer Chris Liddle struck twice against his former club when he removed Wright and Stiaan van Zyl in successive overs.Skipper Ross Taylor’s poor run continued when he was lbw to Benny Howell for 2 but Evans and Brown steadied the ship with 25 for the fifth wicket. Brown was caught off a leading edge leaving Sussex needing 56 from eight overs.Wiese struck two straight sixes to ease the tension in the home crowd before Evans, who had been badly dropped by wicketkeeper Phil Mustard on 30, finished it off in style, heaving Liddle onto the roof of the pavilion before pulling him high over the scoreboard.Gloucestershire had been put in and made a disastrous start with skipper Michael Klinger, their leading scorer in this season’s Blast with 261 runs, edging Wiese to slip off the first ball of the match. They were 2 for 2 at the end of the first over when Ian Cockbain was run out by Jofra Archer’s direct hit from short fine leg but the experienced Mustard (43) and Cameron Bancroft (37) rebuilt the innings nicely with a stand of 77 in 7.5 overs.The muscular Mustard hit two sixes and six fours and his side were in a decent position to push on in the second half of their innings when they reached 79 for 2 in the ninth over. But left-armer Garton had other ideas. He had Mustard caught behind off a thin edge and in his next over uprooted Bancroft’s middle stump with a searing yorker.Gloucestershire never recovered and lost their last six wickets for 46 runs as Jordan and co made short work of their lower order.The England allrounder bowled Payne and Liddle in the 19th over to end the innings and add to his earlier wicket of Jack Taylor, who was caught at long on. Jordan took 3 for 17 while Garton finished with 3 for 35, his third wicket coming after some agile fielding on the midwicket boundary by van Zyl who parried the ball back inside the rope and caught it even though he was on the ground.It epitomised an excellent fielding performance by Sussex who go to the Kia Oval on Sunday for a game pivotal to both sides’ chances of finishing in the top four.

Celtic ended their penultimate pre-season friendly with a 1-1 draw against Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers in Ireland.

The Hoops were without a number of first-team central defensive options for the match as Brendan Rodgers confirmed that Carl Starfelt, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Yuki Kobayashi, and Maik Nawrocki were all out due to injury.

What's the latest on Carl Starfelt's future?

Football Scotland recently reported that Spartak Moscow are preparing an offer to sign Starfelt from the Scottish giants to bolster their defensive options.

However, it remains to be seen how much they are willing to pay for the 28-year-old enforcer or how much the Bhoys would demand for his services.

The outlet stated that the club could be forced back into the market to replace the Sweden international before September's deadline but Rodgers may already have a dream replacement for him in the building with Liam Scales.

How many appearances did Liam Scales make last season?

Celtic decided to send the 24-year-old titan out on loan to Aberdeen during the 2022/23 campaign and he ended the season with 31 Scottish Premiership matches under his belt, which included 30 starts.

He has gained vital experience at that level after Ange Postecoglou only handed him five league appearances throughout his first year in Scotland after a move from Shamrock Rovers.

The Irish colossus caught the eye defensively with 2.9 tackles and interceptions combined per match, whilst he also won an impressive 65% of his individual duels.

Starfelt, meanwhile, came out on top in 67% of his battles and made 2.1 tackles and interceptions per game – the most of any current defender within the squad – for Celtic across 28 outings last season.

These statistics show that both players are dominant centre-backs who can outmuscle opposition forwards consistently and are able to win possession back for their team on a regular basis at Premiership level.

Scales averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.02 for Aberdeen and made two errors leading to a shot or goal for the opposition, whereas Starfelt averaged a rating of 7.21 and made three costly mistakes. This means that the former Shamrock Rovers gem may be less of a liability at the back when it comes to making major blunders.

Whilst the 6 foot 2 colossus did not perform to the same standard as the Spartak target on a consistent basis, he played in a team that finished 42 points behind the Hoops and could thrive in a better side if given the opportunity.

Rodgers stated after the game against Wolves that Scales is "excellent" and that he really likes the young central defender, which suggests that the former Dons loanee has caught the manager's eye throughout pre-season.

As a naturally left-footed player, the £5k-per-week gem could be the perfect replacement for Starfelt as the Swedish brute is a right-footed defender who largely played on the left side next to Carter-Vickers last season.

Scales could offer balance in possession as he is able to use his stronger foot to open up and play the ball down the left flank, whereas Starfelt often has to readjust to distribute possession down that side.

Therefore, Rodgers could save Celtic millions by unleashing Scales at centre-back if the Bhoys end up cashing in on the 28-year-old warrior this summer.

The format, player movements, where the teams stand, and everything else you need to know ahead of the fifth season of the Caribbean Premier League

Peter Della Penna04-Aug-20172:02

Four reasons you should watch CPL 2017

What is the CPL?
The Caribbean Premier League is a six-team franchise T20 competition that’s perhaps better than England’s T20 Blast but not quite as big as the IPL. From a quality and entertainment perspective, it’s about on par with Australia’s Big Bash League.More than anything, what makes the CPL unique from other T20 competitions is Caribbean flair. It’s not just Dwayne Bravo who is dancing after each wicket. The league is filled with crowd-pleasing entertainers, and that infectious energy spreads into the stands where the support is reinforced by soca, reggae, calypso and other island beats.Each of the six teams plays each other twice, five games each home and away (with the exception of the four neutral-venue games in Florida). The top four teams qualify for the playoffs in Trinidad & Tobago.CPL Draft v IPL Auction
Unlike the IPL auction, where players go to the highest-bidding franchise, the CPL uses a player-draft system modelled on American sports franchises. Each draft slot has a fixed salary; players taken in the first round get US $160,000, fifth-round picks make $70,000, all the way down to $4000 for the final selections in the 15th round.Squads have the choice to retain players from previous seasons or release them back into the draft pool. They also must pick an ICC Americas player from either USA or Canada, who are not considered overseas players, as well as an Under-19 West Indies player to round out their 17-man squads.As teams are only allowed a maximum of four overseas players in the XI, most franchises carry no more than five overseas players in their squad. So, unlike in the IPL, where overseas stars can be picked at will to boost the bench, CPL franchises are much more judicious in their overseas draft picks. If you get a dud, it’s far more difficult to swap them because there may only be one overseas player waiting on the bench and one who is not necessarily a like-for-like skillset swap.Where do the teams stand?
Jamaica Tallawahs
The defending champions are relying more on brain than brawn, after a major revamp in the offseason. Chris Gayle and Chadwick Walton, their openers and two leading scorers, are gone, while Andre Russell, the 2016 CPL Player of the Tournament, is still serving his one-year ban for a doping-code violation.Lendl Simmons was tipped to fill part of the opening void after coming over from St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, while Kumar Sangakkara was retained to provide stability in the top order and behind the stumps. Coach Paul Nixon places high value on players with a winning mentality, and few fit that description more heading into this season than Imad Wasim, who was part of the victorious Pakistan side in the Champions Trophy earlier in the year.Imad forms a three-man left-arm spin attack, along with Shakib Al Hasan and Garey Mathurin, as they focus on building pressure by choking the scoring rate. Kesrick Williams was taken in the 13th round in the 2016 draft for just $5,000, but after topping his team’s bowling charts with 17 wickets, has earned a pay rise to $30,000. Another good season should attract the attention of other overseas leagues.Guyana Amazon Warriors
Three times a bridesmaid, but never the bride. Guyana topped the table at the end of the league stage last year, but with Martin Guptill leaving for New Zealand duty, they were walloped in the final by Jamaica to fall short of the title for the third time in four years.Guyana were dealt a major blow on the eve of the tournament when the leading scorer of CPL 2016, Chris Lynn, was ruled out of the season due to upcoming shoulder surgery. He has been replaced by the up-and-coming Pakistan batsman Babar Azam, while the batting order has been injected with fresh blood in the form of Chadwick Walton and USA captain Steven Taylor, who is expected to take on a bigger role after limited opportunities in his two years with Barbados Tridents.Imad Wasim will form a part of a potent spin attack for the defending champions Jamaica Tallawahs•PSL

The Australian Adam Zampa, last season’s leading CPL spinner, is no longer with the side. In most cases, any replacement would be considered a downgrade, but the arrival of Afghanistan legspinner Rashid Khan may be what this side needs to clear the final hurdle and claim their first title.St Lucia Stars
Formerly called the Zouks, the Stars received a double-blow ahead of their first match when their top two picks, David Miller and Lasith Malinga, withdrew. In their places is a pair of New Zealanders, Mitchell McClenaghan and Jesse Ryder.In the past, Ryder was as capable of imploding as he was of exploding on the opposition. If he can rediscover his peak form, it will go a long way toward ensuring the Stars return to the playoffs for the second year in a row. Johnson Charles and Andre Fletcher formed the most consistently destructive opening combination of CPL 2016, but with the exception of Shane Watson, Stars struggled to find support down the order. That will need to change for sustained success.Trinbago Knight Riders
The 2015 champions are the most settled of the six squads, with the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, Dwayne Bravo, supported by fellow returnees Kevon Cooper and Sunil Narine. Outside of Rashid, Knight Riders may have plucked the best acquisition of the offseason by drafting Pakistan legspinner Shadab Khan in the eighth round for $30,000.On the batting front, Knight Riders will have to endure the early-season absence of Hashim Amla, their leading scorer from 2016, while South Africa’s Test series continues in England. Brendon McCullum will have to pick up the slack in Amla’s absence and will be keen to bounce back after a subpar 2016 season.Barbados Tridents
After winning the title in 2014 and losing in the final in 2015, Tridents missed the playoffs for the first time in 2016. AB de Villiers finished as their second-highest scorer despite playing just six games, and they have addressed the top-order deficiency by revamping the batting.Dwayne Smith was brought over from Amazon Warriors, while the CPL’s most high-profile batting newcomer, Kane Williamson, was snapped up in the second round for $130,000. Twin legspinners Imran Khan and Damion Jacobs provide captain Kieron Pollard with attacking options in the field.St Kitts & Nevis Patriots
This side has undergone the biggest facelift during the offseason in a bid to change their fortunes, having finished with at least a share of last place in every season. Gayle was the most high-profile acquisition, and despite a poor IPL, he still possesses the intimidation factor that Patriots lacked in the past. If he clicks, Gayle and Evin Lewis may give Patriots a lethal opening combination.The bigger changes, though, were made in the bowling, which was the weakest of any side last year despite having one of the top T20 bowlers in the world in Samuel Badree. Hasan Ali, the Man of the Tournament in the Champions Trophy, and Afghanistan allrounder Mohammad Nabi are new additions, while the $130,000 big ticket item Chris Morris will enhance the bowling further when he arrives after the end of South Africa’s tour of England.

Manchester United target Andre Onana felt it was "impossible to reject the opportunity to play for Manchester United" and equally impossible to turn down "having a manager like Erik ten Hag" as the two have worked together at Ajax before, per transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

Andre Onana is joining Manchester United

It's been an interesting summer at Old Trafford so far this year.

The early stages of the transfer window looked fairly bleak for fans of the club as the news was dominated mainly by disappointing updates surrounding the prolonged takeover process with little in the way of transfer news.

However, the completion of the deal to sign Mason Mount from Chelsea last month changed that, as now the club look set to complete the signing of Inter Milan's £47m goalkeeper Onana, and there are reports of the club's interest in Atalanta's exciting youngster Rasmus Hojlund.

The signing of Onana is particularly intriguing, as only a few years ago, he was already playing under Erik ten Hag at Ajax and helping the Dutch giants reach the semi-finals of the Champions League.

This previous relationship and mutual respect made this move to United all the easier for the Cameroonian keeper.

The calls from ten Hag helped convince Onana that he couldn't reject the opportunity to come and play in the Premier League for a club like United, per transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

He explained the situation on his YouTube channel, saying:

"Sources feel that for Andre Onana, it was really impossible to say no.

"Andre Onana was really happy at Inter; he had a fantastic season there, he was very happy with the teammates, the manager, the city.

"But then what happened is Erik ten Hag started to call weeks and weeks ago, for Andre Onana, it was impossible to reject the opportunity to play for Manchester United, the opportunity to play in the Premier League, having a manager like Erik ten Hag, who already knows Andre Onana's skills, so it was the perfect match for Andre Onana's dreams and this is why he decided to accept."

What did Andre Onana win under Erik ten Hag at Ajax?

Onana joined the Amsterdam side's youth setup from Barcelona in January 2015 before making his full Eredivisie debut for the senior side a year later against Willem II Tilburg.

It wouldn't be until December 2017 that ten Hag would join the club, bringing immense success and a return to national dominance that was so synonymous with the side.

Despite not winning the league for four years in a row, ten Hag led the club to domestic triumph in each of his three full seasons in Amsterdam, a success that he shared with his new keeper Onana.

It wasn't just league dominance, though, as with both of them at the club, Amsterdam's premier club also won two Dutch Cups and a Dutch Super Cup.

It's clear that ten Hag was grateful for the performances of his then-keeper as he branded him a "masterful goalkeeper" in an interview he gave when he was still Ajax's manager.

The arrival of Onana could be one of the defining transfers of the Erik ten Hag era at United, and if the pair of them can replicate even some of the success they experienced in the Netherlands, then fans of the Red Devils will be in for a brilliant few years.

Fast bowler Jackson Bird has replaced James Pattinson in Australia’s squad for their upcoming tour of Bangladesh. Pattinson has been ruled out of the tour with inflammation in his back.The loss of Pattinson is the second blow suffered by Australia’s pace attack in less than 24 hours, with Mitchell Starc also ruled out, having failed to recover fully from a long-term foot injury. Legspinner Mitchell Swepson replaced Starc in the squad.Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Bird are now the only three frontline pace bowlers in Australia’s squad. The Boxing Day Test against Pakistan at the MCG last December was Bird’s last Test appearance. He was part of Australia’s squad on their tour of India in February-March, but did not get to play a Test.Australia will start their tour with a two-day warm-up game in Fatullah on August 22 and 23. The first of two Tests starts in Mirpur on August 27. After months of doubt over whether it would go ahead or not, the tour got its green signal following the resolution of the contracts dispute between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association.Australia squad: Steven Smith (capt), David Warner (vice-capt), Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade (wk), Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson, Jackson Bird.

West Bromwich Albion are reportedly looking to win the race to sign FC Midtjylland forward Sory Kaba.

What’s the latest West Brom transfer news?

Carlos Corebran has been making preparations ahead of his first full season in charge at The Hawthorns, with the Championship season beginning this weekend.

The Baggies open their campaign with a trip to Ewood Park to face Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, and two players who could make their debuts for the club are attacking midfielder Jeremy Sarmiento and forward Josh Maja.

Sarmiento has arrived on a season-long loan from Brighton & Hove Albion, whereas Maja joined on a free transfer, with a deal being confirmed on Tuesday.

The pair are the only summer arrivals so far, and Maja looks set to rival Brandon Thomas-Asante in attack as Daryl Dike is currently injured. However, another new forward appears to be on the radar in the Midlands before the September 1 deadline in Kaba.

According to The Mirror's print edition on Tuesday, as relayed by West Brom News, Albion are hoping to beat second-tier rivals Leeds United, Cardiff City and Watford to the signing of Kaba.

Who is Sory Kaba?

Kaba is an out-and-out centre-forward who began his career in Spain with Elche. He then left for French side Dujon in 2019 before joining FC Midtjylland six months later. During his time with the Danish side, Kaba has been out on loan with Belgian side OH Leuven and most recently with Cardiff City.

The 28-year-old scored eight goals in 17 appearances for the Bluebirds, one of which came in a 1-1 draw against the Baggies last season. His 2023/24 season is already underway, with the Guinea international already finding the back of the net in a Europa Conference League qualifier.

Labelled as “fantastic” after a goal he scored for Cardiff by pundit Clinton Morrison, former manager Sabri Lamouchi also praised the forward back in March, saying:

"This is the challenge for him, to be the best scorer for this team. He can do that. He's scored important goals, he's given us important points and is doing a job. I'm happy for him and happy for the team."

Kaba is represented by the well-known agency CAA Stellar, who also look after Kyle Bartley, so if an agreement can be reached between the two clubs, the finer details of a potential move could be straightforward due to the club’s dealings with Bartley in the past.

On paper, Kaba looks like he could be a smart signing following a successful spell in the Championship last season. West Brom netted 59 times in 46 games in 2022/23, whereas automatic promotion winners Burnley and Sheffield United scored 87 and 73.

Therefore, adding to their final third ranks even further this month despite signing Maja could be a good idea as the club aim for promotion back into the Premier League. It is an extremely long season, so having a number of proven forwards is certainly not a bad thing, and by the looks of it, a move for Kaba could be one to keep an eye on.