Offspinner Mehedi Hasan has earned his first senior call-up to the Bangladesh limited-overs squad
Mohammad Isam23-Mar-2017Nineteen-year-old offspinner Mehedi Hasan has been called into Bangladesh’s ODI squad for the three-match series against Sri Lanka that starts on March 25. This is the first senior call-up for Mehedi in the limited-overs format. His addition means the squad now comprises 17 members, and it remains to be seen if he gets picked in the XI for the first ODI in Dambulla.Mehedi was Bangladesh’s highest wicket-taker in the Test series against Sri Lanka with 10 scalps, and has so far played seven Tests, taking 35 wickets at an average of 31.80. He had travelled back to Dhaka from Colombo with the other Test players not in the ODI squad, and will now return to Colombo today.Mehedi has 27 wickets in as many List-A matches, having last played for Kalabagan Cricket Academy in the Dhaka Premier League last year. Mehedi was initially selected in the Bangladesh U-23 squad for the upcoming ACC Emerging Nations Cup, but has now been replaced by U-19 spinner Naeem Hasan.Bangladesh ODI squad: Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Sabbir Rahman, Mahmudullah, Mosaddek Hossain, Mashrafe Mortaza, Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Subashis Roy, Sunzamul Islam, Shuvagata Hom, Nurul Hasan, Mehedi Hasan
Tottenham Hotspur seem to be closing in on yet another fine addition to bolster Ange Postecoglou's team…
What's the latest on Micky van de Ven to Tottenham Hotspur?
That's according to The Mirror's John Cross, who took to his Twitter to detail an update on their pursuit of Micky van de Ven.
The Dutch defender has been linked with a north London switch for a few weeks now, but only yesterday was a breakthrough seemingly reached.
Writing on Twitter, the journalist detailed the specifics: "Tottenham are set to sign Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Ven in a £30m deal."
How good is Micky van de Ven?
Although a relative unknown the 22-year-old has been a stalwart for Wolfsburg recently. In tempting this star from such a club, perhaps they will also mimic Manchester City's success when they acquired Kevin De Bruyne from the German outfit.
Having just won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League within one season, Pep Guardiola has once again written himself into the history books as a record-breaking manager who has completed a feat only done in England once before.
At the heart of that success was the Belgian creator, who has been an integral cog of the vast success earned at the Etihad in recent years.
Across all competitions last term he posted ten goals and a further 31 assists, adding even more silverware to his already sprawling cabinet. The 32-year-old has now won five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five EFL Cups and that coveted European trophy too since moving.
It might seem unfathomable for anyone to match such success, but Postecoglou will surely have grand ambitions of forging a dynasty of his own in north London.
Van de Ven could mark the platform with which this success could be attained, as a defensive pillar with all the key attributes to hold down the Australian's back line for the next decade.
Last year in the Bundesliga, he would maintain a 6.85 average rating, upheld through his 88% pass accuracy, 70% dribble success rate, 1.4 tackles and 3.1 clearances per game, via Sofascore.
For comparison, the latter figure would have seen him rank as the third-best in that field within Spurs' squad, with his pass completion again making him joint third-best of those who have played more than five games.
kevin-de-bruyne-manchester-city
However, it is not merely his technical assets that would allow him to shine. His physical attributes make him something of an anomaly, as despite standing at 6 foot 4 he also boasts frightening speed.
Marcel Schäfer, Wolfsburg’s managing director for sport, sought to detail this: "Left foot, extreme speed, plays every second. Micky [has performed] consistently very well throughout the season. He’s a player with huge potential and this season in particular has shown incredible development, playing himself into the spotlight with his performances."
The future is bright for this young defender, and perhaps a move to England under a coach that would help skyrocket his career would only bolster the fine foundations of this future star.
If he is to have half the success De Bruyne has earned in Manchester since moving from Wolfsburg, he would still be considered a wild success in north London.
Sunderland will fight tooth and nail to hold on to Ross Stewart this summer it seems, with Kristjaan Speakman telling The Athletic that he is "keen" to hold on to the forward and reach fresh terms with the player.
How many goals has Ross Stewart scored for Sunderland?
The 26-year-old struggled to get onto the field too frequently for the Black Cats in 2022/23, with the striker having to drop out of the side due to injury issues. It meant that the Championship side had to try and claim a promotion without him and whilst they were able to climb into the play-off places in his absence, they ultimately faltered and fell out of the competition to eventual winners Luton.
Still, the attacker bagged himself ten goals in just 13 league outings and with three assists to boot, it meant he ended the campaign with a goal contribution rate of 1.12 per 90 – the best of his career.
Sunderland striker Ross Stewart.
Prior to that, he fired Sunderland to glory in League One with 24 goals in 46 third tier games. It means that since his move to the Stadium of Light, he has never failed to hit a double digit goal tally when he starts ten games or more. It shows how prolific the striker has been for the club and how big of a miss he was when he did have to sit out of fixtures last season.
Are Sunderland selling Ross Stewart?
Now, with the club awaiting potential interest in Stewart's services, Speakman has once more reiterated his side's desire to keep hold of the Scotland man.
Speaking via The Athletic, the Black Cats' sporting director stated that they are "really keen" to keep hold of the forward but that they "haven't got to an agreement" on fresh terms at the club yet. However, in a boost for Sunderland fans, he also added that it seems the player himself would "like to stay" with the Championship outfit.
As yet though, no fresh contract has been agreed and it means he may still be the subject of interest at some point this window, but "that's our private business," says Speakman.
He revealed: "The situation is no different to where we have been: we are really keen to retain Ross and everything from his camp is that he’d like to stay. But we haven’t got to an agreement that both parties would like to sign off.
"Externally that can seem strange, but we don’t think it is – Dennis Cirkin re-signed last week and we have been speaking to him about his contract for maybe six months."
Any interest would come as no surprise though. Having not struggled to adapt to the second tier, as showcased by his ten goals, the forward has proven he is well capable of finding the back of the net in the Championship.
In fact, the praise has continually been heaped on Stewart since his switch to Sunderland, with journalist and Black Cats fan Josh Bunting stating that the striker is "outstanding" after his performances on Wearsdie. His goals record also displays this, and he truly stepped up to the plate in attack for the club since his transfer – and it is therefore no wonder that the second tier outfit are so desperate to hold onto the Scotland player.
South Africa coach Russell Domingo believes Seddon Park will offer a good wicket, and has pointed out that the dryness will bring reverse-swing into play in the third Test
Firdose Moonda22-Mar-2017One member of the South African touring party strode out to the Seddon Park square and lifted a blanket-like grey cover from the surface it was covering. He pulled a face as though he had just smelled something odd. As he walked back, he muttered, “That isn’t even prepared,” to another member of the South African touring party, who also examined the bit under the blanket. He pulled an even worse face.In the minutes that followed, a few more away players had been to the same spot, where the cover had been removed to reveal a patchy brown strip. Strangely, they were all smiling. The mottled pitch where they first thought the third Test would be played on was not the battleground after all; the green-one next to it was.”That doesn’t look like a dust bowl, it looks a good wicket,” Russell Domingo, South Africa’s coach said.The Test pitch looks more like the wickets New Zealand played on earlier this summer and less like the spinners’ deck they were set to prepare. Without a doubt, it will change in colour and grass covering as the match draws closer and it may yet prove spin-friendly, especially as it is on the slower side of the block. But for now, South Africa are fairly happy with what they see. They know Hamilton is a crafty venue that way. There are two blocks, one which has fast pitches, and one with slower ones. New Zealand decide which block they play on. Then the groundstaff get to preparing the surface – the team doesn’t intervene.For the Pakistan Test in November, New Zealand opted to play on the faster side and asked for a green top. They were put in and scored a respectable 271 before dismissing Pakistan for 216 and then 230, after setting them a target of 369.For the ODI against Australia, matters moved to a slower surface. So much so that New Zealand included Ish Sodhi in their squad in anticipation – they didn’t play him though. They scored 281 for 9 and bowled Australia out for 257 to win the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.New Zealand moved back to the faster side for the first ODI against South Africa last month although the highlights reel may not reveal that. In a rain-reduced 34-over affair, the ball turned significantly in what de Villiers called the “toughest conditions I have ever played in”, but groundsman Karl Johnson explained that was an anomaly, mostly caused by wet weather in the lead-up to the match.Hamilton was given the fourth ODI as well because Napier’s McLean Park was in urgent need of remedial work and by the time the series reached that stage, New Zealand needed to win to stay alive. They opted to take grass off the pitch to favour spin, brought Jeetan Patel back into the XI and restricted South Africa to 279 for 8 before Martin Guptill’s 180 took the game away. Mission accomplished.This Test will be the fifth international played at the venue this season and Domingo expects that the wear and tear, rather than testing South Africa against spin, could favour them in another department. “The main thing is that reverse swing is going to come into the game. It looks pretty dry – the square. They have played a lot of cricket here and there are a lot of used pitches which assist reverse-swing, we’ve got some good exponents of [reverse swing],” he said.Morne Morkel has been the latest to make use of reverse-swing and South Africa even managed to find some in damp Dunedin. The threat of rain through this Test won’t play too much on their minds, except that if conditions remain muggy, they may also be able to turn to conventional swing.Then there is the prospect of Vernon Philander, who took 10 wickets the last time South Africa were in Hamilton. Philander has flown under the radar in this series because he has not collected bags of wickets, but the strangling role he has played has been important to the team.”When Vernon hasn’t been playing in our side, he is probably the bowler that’s been the most sorely missed because of the control he brings,” Domingo said. “He is a very skillful cricketer. He has contributed in every single game. It might not be showing in the column with the wickets but in terms of controlling the game and building pressure, he has been our leader,” Domingo said.Which is why South Africa will be looking for something similar from Philander this time. Apart from securing a series win, South Africa have some added incentive to ensure they don’t go down to New Zealand in Hamilton. As long as they draw or win the Test, and if Australia lose in Dharamsala, they will go up to No.2 on the rankings, a remarkable turnaround from the No.7 spot they started at in August. No matter how much they say all that matters is the next game, there’s no doubt their slide stung and the prospect of pushing for the mace again beckons.”It’s something we want to get to but our focus is on this game. We want to get up the rankings again. We know what it’s like to be at No.7, we were there only a few months ago. We find ourselves at No.3 now so we are a work in progress,” Domingo said.
Khaya Zondo will replace the 37-year old van Wyk who intends to play on for ‘another two or three seasons’
Firdose Moonda14-Feb-2017Veteran wicketkeeper-batsman Morne van Wyk has stepped down as captain of the Dolphins franchise, making way for middle-order batsman Khaya Zondo to take over. Van Wyk will continue playing for the franchise, who have recently had to say goodbye to senior batsman Daryn Smit, who is relocating to the UK.Van Wyk took over at the Dolphins in the 2013-14 summer, when he moved to Durban from Bloemfontein. He led them to their first standalone cup of the franchise era, when they won the domestic T20 competition that season but has also overseen a period of transition which started when Lance Klusener’s contract was not renewed last year. Klusener’s departure also saw Dolphins lose two of their premier international players. Kyle Abbott moved to Warriors – and has since gone Kolpak – while David Miller went to Knights, as Dolphins began this season with a depleted squad and a new coach in Grant Morgan.They have not had any real success – finishing fifth in the T20 challenge and fourth in the first-class competition – but several players are putting in strong individual performances. Keshav Maharaj has earned promotion to South Africa’s Test squad, and Vaughn van Jaarsveld and Zondo were second and third on the first-class batting charts. With one competition, the domestic one-day cup, still to come, they have high hopes of changing their fortunes.Van Wyk believes they have what it takes to win trophies, especially under a new leader. “I have been so privileged to captain the side for four years. I have seen some tremendous growth from players on and off the field over the past four seasons and I think that the timing is right,” he said. “Khaya has really come into his own and taken on the responsibility that he has been given this season well and I am excited to see him grow as a leader.”Zondo captained the Dolphins in their last two first-class matches of the season, something van Wyk said has been brewing since he joined the franchise. “I spoke to Khaya about the captaincy just four months after I arrived here so it is something that I think has been in the making for a number of years,” he said. It’s not a surprise then that van Wyk has offered Zondo his full support.”I am hopefully going to be around for another two or three seasons so I am here to offer Khaya support and guidance if he needs it,” van Wyk said. “I’m not going to be looking over his shoulder all the time, in fact I am actually going to take a step back. If he needs advice I will be a shoulder to lean on but it’s his ship to run now.”
Declan Rice is said to be "buzzing" about his new move to Arsenal from West Ham United, according to Fabrizio Romano.
When will Rice's move be complete?
After weeks of uncertainty, Rice now knows he will be playing in Arsenal red next season.
The 24-year-old's £105m move, which will make him the second most expensive Premier League player of all-time, is yet to be finalised, but the deal is now all but done after Manchester City dropped out of the race for his signature.
Having enjoyed the dream West Ham send off, helping the club to the Europa Conference League trophy, Rice can now set his sights on his new journey in north London.
According to Fabrizio Romano, speaking on his YouTube channel, Rice is excited to get started at the Emirates and looking forward to featuring for last season's Premier League runners-up.
"For Declan Rice, day of silence because West Ham and Arsenal are still working, while I'm speaking, on the payment terms. As I told you yesterday, West Ham wants the payment of £100m to be made in 18 months, Arsenal are offering four years, so there is still distance.
"All parties are now more relaxed because there is an agreement on the fee, it's going to be £105m, so there is no doubt about that. So, all parties are way more relaxed, they know they can take their time. But Declan Rice and Arsenal remains a deal at the final stages."
Romano added: "There is a feeling that Declan Rice is really, really buzzing to join Arsenal, so waiting for these steps of the deal and then we will have the here we go."
Rice is understandably excited to be joining a side that were not too far away from winning the Premier League last season, while Mikel Arteta will be hoping that the Englishman's presence can help push them closer to Manchester City next year. It will also be the first time that the midfielder will get to play in the Champions League.
Who else are Arsenal signing?
Having secured a deal for Kai Havertz, all attention will be on sorting out the final details of Rice's move.
Following that, there is an expectation that the next priority will be finalising a transfer for Ajax defender Jurrien Timber, who is expected to arrive at the Emirates for a fee just north of £40m.
That will take the Gunners' total spending to over £200m, meaning there may not be a lot left in the budget for more deals. Having said that, Arsenal will probably be searching for another central midfielder, with links to Romeo Lavia of Southampton still present.
While not a new signing, William Saliba's expected contract extension is also a great piece of business for Arsenal, having also tied down Bukayo Saka to a new deal at the end of the season.
A lethal bowling attack makes Peshawar Zalmi serious title contenders. But can a batting line-up well past its collective prime provide it enough support?
Danyal Rasool08-Feb-20171:04
How far will heavyweights Zalmi go?
Inaugural season results Along with Quetta Gladiators, Peshawar Zalmi were the most prolific team in the group stages. They lost only two games in the preliminary round, both close encounters, and went through to the next round top of the table. It was there, however, that their season unravelled. They lost to Quetta in the first qualifier by an agonising one run, a team they thrashed just five days earlier chasing a near-identical total. In the must-win second qualifier, they fell victim to the innings-of-the-tournament from Islamabad’s Sharjeel Khan, his 62-ball 117 ending their challenge.Team assessment All but one of Peshawar Zalmi’s 16-member squad have international caps to their name. Their bowling catches one’s eye at first glance, with last year’s second-highest wicket-taker Wahab Riaz leading the attack. Specialist death-bowler Chris Jordan, Pakistan front-liners Junaid Khan, Hasan Ali and Imran Khan, and last season’s find Mohammad Asghar, are all useful options for Peshawar, with Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez and Darren Sammy providing depth to the point of luxury.Their batting stocks have taken a hit, though, even before a ball has been bowled. Alex Hales and Mohammad Shahzad will miss the entire tournament, while Eoin Morgan and Tamim Iqbal are will be partially unavailable due to international commitments. Kamran Akmal, who appears to have hit a purple patch domestically, could find the league a useful launch pad for a possible return to international cricket, nearly three years after he last played for Pakistan in any format.Sammy, who gregariously embraced the PSL more than perhaps any other foreign player – so much so that Afridi handed over the Peshawar captaincy to the West Indian – will have to play an important leadership role in a side that, including him, contains six players who have captained internationally. His firepower with the bat lower down the order was essential for the side last season, 140 runs at a strike rate over 152 turning many decent scores into match-winning ones. With Afridi regressing rapidly and his place in the side no longer guaranteed, Sammy’s contributions may be even more vital this time around.Tillikaratne Dilshan, who was brought in for Shakib, is the wrong side of 40, making it difficult to predict what to expect of him. That places a lot of pressure on Zalmi’s Pakistani batsmen, particularly Sohaib Maqsood – drafted in from Lahore Qalandars – and Hafeez, who was last season’s seventh highest scorer.Key foreign player Pakistani fans are well aware of the destruction Tamim Iqbal can cause, particularly since the hiding their side received in a 3-0 ODI whitewash in 2015, where the left-hand opener scored two hundreds and a half-century in a Man-of-the-Series winning display. He may not be available for the entire duration of the PSL, but his franchise T20 form, particularly over the last year, has been outstanding. He was the highest scorer in last year’s Bangladesh Premier League with 476 runs at an average of 43.27. At the PSL 12 months ago, Tamim was Zalmi’s most prolific batsman, boasting an average of 66.75. He looks set to be available from February 15-28, which means he will miss the knockout stages. However, he could do an awful lot to make sure his side gets there in fine form.Peshawar Zalmi were dominant in last season’s group stage but faltered during the qualifiers•Chris WhiteoakUnder the radar local lad Mohammad Asghar is the only player in the Peshawar Zalmi’s main squad not to have tasted international action, but he wasn’t far off from it. The 18-year-old, who travelled with the Pakistan side to Australia, impressed Misbah so much that he was reported to be in-line for his debut in the Sydney Test earlier this year. He emerged from complete anonymity at last year’s edition of the PSL, becoming the joint fifth-highest wicket-taker at the tender age of 17. That led to a contract in the Bangladesh Premier League, where, in the two matches he played, his economy rate was 4.50. Should he have a similar tournament this year, that international cap is surely a question of “when” rather than “if”.Availability Marlon Samuels has replaced Alex Hales, who is nursing a fractured hand, albeit as a supplementary player. Mohammad Shahzad is out since the PSL runs parallel to the Afghanistan-Zimbabwe limited-overs series. Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal and Eoin Morgan all have international commitments, but Peshawar Zalmi have only traded Shakib out, bringing the experienced Tillakaratne Dilshan in his place. If Peshawar make it through to the next round, they will also have Samit Patel’s services available.Coaching staff Mohammad Akram (head coach), Younis Khan (batting coach/mentor), Grant Luden (fielding coach/fitness trainer), Ibrahim Qureshi (assistant trainer), Bradley Ian Robinson (physio).Squad Darren Sammy (capt), Shahid Afridi, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Wahab Riaz, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mohammad Hafeez, Chris Jordan, Tamim Iqbal, Kamran Akmal (wk), Sohaib Maqsood, Junaid Khan, Imran Khan Jr, Iftikhar Ahmed, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Asghar. Supplementary players: Marlon Samuels, Andre Fletcher, Irfan Khan, Khushdil Shah
Glasgow Rangers reporter Jonny McFarlane has been reacting to a transfer twist involving loanee Malik Tillman.
What’s the latest Rangers transfer news involving Tillman?
Rangers brought in Tillman last summer on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich that included an option to buy at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
The 21-year-old featured heavily under both Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Michael Beale, making a total of 43 appearances in all competitions, scoring 12 goals and registering five assists.
The attacking midfielder picked up the men's Young Player of the Year at the PFA Scotland's awards as a result of his impressive year in Glasgow, and it looked as if a permanent move was on track to materialise earlier in the year.
However, recent reports have revealed that Bayern Munich have cancelled Rangers’ £5.8m option to make a move permanent for Tillman in what is a transfer twist.
As a result, Rangers will receive £1m from the German giants as well as 10 per cent of any future sell-on for the American. Taking to Twitter to react to the news, Rangers review journalist McFarlane labelled it as “big news” with a “lucrative twist”.
“Big news. Tillman WON'T be signing for Rangers, but there's a lucrative twist to the tale…”
Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale.
Who else could Rangers sign this summer?
Beale and Rangers may well see this as a transfer blow involving Tillman, however, they have already made a positive start to their summer business with four new faces.
Dujon Sterling, Kieran Dowell and Jack Butland have left their English sides to move to Ibrox on free transfers, whereas Rangers officials have paid a fee to sign Sam Lammers from Atalanta.
It has previously been reported that Rangers could sign up to 10 new players ahead of Beale’s first full season in charge, so it could still be a busy few months for those at Ibrox.
One player who could be next to sign on the dotted line is Los Angeles FC midfielder Jose Cifuentes. The Ecuador international is ready to complete a move to Rangers despite interest from a Premier League side, so he could be one to watch.
Unfortunately, Tillman won’t be joining him, so it’ll be interesting to see if Rangers go after another young attacker ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
Though he has been in good form, and seems set to be part of the South African Test side for a sustained period of time, Kyle Abbott feels he can’t relax just yet
Firdose Moonda in Port Elizabeth23-Dec-20161:51
‘Attacking the stumps will be key’ – Abbott
Boxing Day could bring Kyle Abbott a belated Christmas present. It’s one he has tried not to think too much about. It’s the gift of security.If Abbott is in the XI to take on Sri Lanka – and all indications, from his own form, to coach Russell Domingo’s hope that players use this series to cement spots, suggested as much – it would be his fourth Test in 2016, the most in a calendar year for him. It would also be Abbott’s third consecutive Test for South Africa and his tenth overall. These are hardly milestones, but considering he has taken 46 months to rack up these numbers, they are important.In another country, perhaps, Abbott might have established himself in far less time. But in South Africa, where Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel have been mainstays for a decade, where Vernon Philander recorded the best start a seamer has made in more than a hundred years, and where Kagiso Rabada’s prodigious talent fast-forwarded his progression, Abbot has had to fight. And wait. And hope.After a productive tour of Australia – 13 wickets at 14.84 – he seems to have finally earned a sustained run in the Test side. His Christmas present is almost at hand, but he is not quite sure about tearing the wrapping off just yet.”I don’t think anything is secure at this level unfortunately, or cricket in general,” Abbott said. “At the end of the day, we’ve still got to put in performances. As long as the team is winning, those selections become easier. It’s a case of putting in the performances and winning games. I will go about like I do every game – probably still having to prove myself – but I will cross that bridge when I get there.”Abbott’s hesitation may stem from the fact that there is still some competition. Wayne Parnell is the reserve quick, offering a left-arm option and hometown flavour, though he was with the Cobras in Cape Town last season. More importantly, he hasn’t played any long-form cricket this summer after picking up a rib injury in October, and last played a Test almost three years ago.As a result, It is unlikely that South Africa would tinker with the attack that won them the series in Australia. It looks a strong one too. Abbott, who has recently moved to the Port Elizabeth based Warriors franchise, offers swing and bounce. Philander moves the ball off the seam. Rabada is fast and fiery. And Keshav Maharaj chips in with left-arm spin. While they may not have played together often, they have learnt to adjust to each other’s styles quickly and were flexible when it came to their roles.”We complement each other so well, which is key,” Abbott said. “Although fairly similar, I think there is quite a bit of variation amongst us. We work well together.”We look at what the other guy is doing from the other end. It’s not like one of us has to do something and stick to it. It changes through the Test match and through the series.”All of them have to be highly disciplined at St George’s Park. The pitch has a thick covering of grass, but is expected to flatten out with Saturday’s westerly wind. For Abbott, who has built his career on consistency, it presents exactly the kind of challenge he enjoys.”We always feel we are in the game here as fast bowlers because we get to bowl wicket to wicket,” he said. “We are attacking the stumps, attacking the pads quite a bit and it brings in quite a few different dismissals. Sometimes on bouncy tracks you get caught out a bit in the channel and are only really looking for the nick off but on a wicket like this we are bringing in lbws, bowled, caught midwicket, some scrappy dismissals. It’s also quite a nice ground to build pressure as bowlers because it’s not a very fast-scoring ground.”It could also be the place Abbott enjoys his best Christmas; the one where he becomes a regular.
West Ham United's initial trepidation over losing captain Declan Rice this summer has slowly turned to cautious optimism as the Hammers continue to be linked with some big names.
David Moyes will be eager to use some of the cash Rice's sale brings to strengthen other positions, but a new central midfielder is surely top of his wishlist this summer.
Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Chelsea are all reported to be in the running for Rice, who could attract a fee in excess of £100m, though The Sun claims the latter are the preferred choice for the Hammers.
That is because there is a possibility that Conor Gallagher – who himself is valued at £50m by Chelsea, according to the Daily Mail – could be used in part-exchange for Rice, leaving plenty of money left over to bring in a defender and a striker.
What can Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher bring to West Ham United?
After impressing on loan with another London side in Crystal Palace two seasons ago, Gallagher was given a chance – of sorts – by Chelsea last time out in what was a poor campaign for the Blues, who lurched from one manager to another.
While almost half of Gallagher's 35 Premier League appearances last season came as a substitute, the six-cap England international was still able to showcase his talents.
Gallagher scored three goals and assisted another, while the nine yellow cards he received – the most of any Chelsea player – also highlights the tenacious side of his game.
As pointed out by sports writer PGR Analytics, Gallagher has a "relentless work rate" and is a "threat in the final third" – qualities that Hammers fans would surely love to see.
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham.
While not a like-for-like replacement for Rice in a direct sense, there are some similarities between the two men. Gallagher is a more attacking player, as reflected in his 0.22 goals and assists per 90 last season, compared to 0.14 for Rice.
As per FBref, Rice has a slightly better pass percentage than Gallagher per 90 minutes (86.5 v 81.1), while they average 68 and 63 touches per 90 – not a huge deal of difference.
Gallagher's arrival at West Ham would certainly excite fans, even if the £50m price tag seems a little excessive. However, in the same week Jude Bellingham joined Real Madrid for a fee rising to £115m, Gallagher boasts many similar attributes to his international colleague.
Indeed, FBref's comparison tool ranks Bellingham as the player most like Gallagher across Europe's top five leagues in terms of their statistical profiles.
For example, they find the target from a similar number of shots (39.3% for Gallagher at Chelsea, compared to 34.8% for Bellingham at Borussia Dortmund), have a near identical pass-completion percentage (81.1 v 81.7) and tackle at a similar rate (2.56 per game v 2.54), all per 90 via FBref.
This is not to say Gallagher is on the same level as Bellingham right now, but as a replacement for Rice, and with a huge sum of cash left over for one or two other players, it is a deal that could make lots of sense for West Ham as they look to move on from their long-serving skipper.