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West Ham United have a proud history of promoting youth players.

The likes of Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole and Mark Noble have all made their way through the Hammers’ legendary academy.

In more recent times, Declan Rice is probably the best player to come out of the club, and while he did go on to join a London rival, he did so after 245 appearances.

Since he left, the club have struggled to replace him, but that may soon be about to change with someone Jarrod Bowen rates highly.

West Ham's most exciting academy stars

The good news for West Ham fans is that, while the first team might be somewhat lacking in quality, there are plenty of promising youngsters in the academy at the moment.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

For example, they might just have a homegrown version of El Hadji Malick Diouf soon in Emeka Adiele.

The 18-year-old left-back has been in fine form this season, and as things stand, has amassed an impressive tally of one goal and six assists in just eight appearances for the U21 side.

Described as someone “full of confidence and tenacity” by one analyst, it might not be too long until fans get to see him in first-team action.

The same could be said for one of the academy’s best goalscorers: Josh Landers.

The 18-year-old Scotsman joined the Hammers from Hibernian in February of this year and, as one analyst puts it, as one analyst puts it, has “hit the ground running.”

So far this season, the Innerleithen-born gem has already scored five goals in five appearances, totalling 269 minutes for the U21s, which is a goal every 53.8 minutes.

Landers’ West Ham record
Team	U18s	U21s
Appearances	12	8
Goals	9	5
Assists	0	0
Goal Involvements per Match	0.75	0.62
All Stats via Transfermarkt

Finally, although he is a bit older and has now played in the first team, Callum Marshall is still someone worth keeping an eye on, having been named Huddersfield Player of the Year while on loan there last season.

West Ham's future Rice

So, while it’s clear that West Ham have a number of exciting attackers and even the odd full-back coming through, who is the youngster that might one day emulate Rice? That huge task falls to the hugely promising Preston Fearon, but what makes him similar to the Hammers’ former captain?

Well, firstly, like the England international, the 18-year-old gem joined the East Londoners from Chelsea.

More crucially than that, though, he’s someone who can play a few different positions but is primarily a midfielder. More specifically, he thrives as a six and an eight.

Fearon’s West Ham Record
Position	Games	Goasl	Assists
Central Midfield	14	0	5
Defensive Midfield	9	0	2
Attacking Midfield	2	0	0
Right Winger	1	0	0
Right Midfield	1	2	0
Centre-Back	1	1	0
All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, since joining the Irons’ academy set-up, the youngster has made 39 appearances across the U18s and U21s, of which 14 have been in central midfield and nine in defensive midfield.

Moreover, on top of his defensive sensibilities, the exciting prospect is capable of chipping in with goal involvements as well, with him scoring three and providing seven assists in his career so far.

Finally, he is also seen as a player who could genuinely make it into the first team, and not just be a part of the squad, but really thrive.

For example, on top of featuring in pre-season, he has also received praise from Bowen, who described him as a “special player” and went on to tell the club’s website that he’s “never seen someone nutmeg so many people in training.”

West Ham ace who's "pure joy to watch" could become Nuno's new Gibbs-White

The international star could be the secret to helping Nuno get more out of West Ham this season.

2

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Oct 10, 2025

Ultimately, it’s hard to predict how a youngster will develop in football, but it does seem as if Fearon has it all, and therefore, he could end up becoming West Ham’s new Rice.

Captain asked media to “put 2 and 2 together” in pre-match comments about Bethell

Vithushan Ehantharajah24-May-2025

Ben Stokes couldn’t believe how his pre-match comments were interpreted•Getty Images

England Test captain Ben Stokes believes comments he made about Jacob Bethell ahead of the Zimbabwe Test were willfully taken out of context to suit an agenda against Ollie Pope. Speaking after England had completed a comprehensive innings-and-45-run win over Zimbabwe on day three at Trent Bridge, Stokes used his post-match engagements to defend his vice-captain, who struck an imperious 171 on day one, his eighth Test hundred.Stokes took issue with the way his own quotes were presented after being asked on Wednesday if Bethell, who batted at No.3 in the previous series in New Zealand but was missing this week on IPL duty with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, would come straight back in for next month’s series against India.Pope had been Stokes’ No.3 since he assumed the captaincy in 2022, but dropped down the order to keep wicket after Jordan Cox, Jamie Smith’s paternity leave cover replacement behind the stumps, broke a finger in the lead-up to the first Test.Bethell finished with 260 runs at 52.00 across six innings, notching three half-centuries, with the senior management clearly enamored with the 21-year-old’s skill and poise. Though his absence meant no decision had to be made just yet, Stokes was asked whether Bethell was still considered to be the “incumbent No.3” during a captaincy media briefing on the Wednesday before the Test.Related

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“If you’re smart enough, the series that Beth had out in New Zealand, obviously he’s going to be back in the UK for that India series. So, I think you put 2 and 2 together, you probably know what’s going to happen.”Stokes was dismayed when he saw the coverage of his words, later insisting he was talking about Bethell returning to the squad rather than the XI. After England wrapped up victory with more than four sessions of this four-day Test to spare, he launched a staunch defense of Pope, all but backing him to start the India series, which begins at Headingley on June 20.”There’s always someone going to be under the spotlight,” Stokes told . “We’ve come into this game and I’ve personally felt that it was a bit of a… I don’t know… not a vendetta… but I got asked a simple question about Bethell, said put two and two together, he comes back into the squad and then all of a sudden it turns into something that suits the agenda of the time.”He’s (Pope) my vice-captain, and he’s been incredible for me at No.3 and the team. I think he’s averaging over 40 now (43.06 at No.3), so it just suited what was being said, to be honest. Very, very pleased for him that he went out there and played the way that he did, he’s an important part to this team away from his runs as well, he’s a leader within the group and I value his leadership role as vice-captain as well.”He’s a quality player. As I said, since he’s gone up to No.3, since I’ve been captain, he’s performed very, very well. Him being vice-captain, he comes up with some great ideas out in the middle, especially when I’m bowling I sort of get into a little bit of my own rhythm, take myself away from that, so it’s great having someone like Popey out there who can help me along in those moments.”Pope’s knock included a 137-run stand with opener Zak Crawley, another who might be put under pressure by Bethell’s return. He, too, registered three figures, with 126 that happened to be his first century in two years, bringing up the landmark after Ben Duckett had raised his bat for a hundred of his own.That all of the top three were able to thrive given the pressure from beyond the dressing room, guiding England to an insurmountable first-innings score of 565 for 6 declared, was the main story as far as Stokes was concerned.”I think there’s obviously always pressure on sportsmen to go and perform, whether there isn’t that external noise from the outside coming in, whether potentially their spots up for competition. Zak and Popey know every time they walk out onto the field that their job is to get runs and put in performances. And that doesn’t change day to day really.”But competition for places is a very, very healthy place to be in as an international sports team. The way that Zak, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope have played this week, I think let’s focus on that, as opposed to anything else, you know. All three of them have gone out and played incredibly well for us, set the game up exactly how we wanted to when you get put into bat. I think that’s what should be spoken about because they’re three pretty special performances.”

A three-member probe team collected documents and records following allegations against the board

Mohammad Isam15-Apr-2025The Bangladesh government’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) raided the BCB’s headquarters on Tuesday to collect documents and records following allegations against the cricket board. The three-member probe team held a press briefing following their raid, alongside BCB chief executive Nizam Uddin Chowdhury.The allegations include financial misappropriation of ticket sales during BPL and irregularity in expenses for cricket-related activities around a political programme called “Mujib 100″ (to celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) in 2020 but which got cancelled due to the Covid pandemic. The ACC team also looked into details about the rule change in Dhaka’s third division qualification competition. All three allegations fall under the time when Nazmul Hassan was the BCB president.”We will file a report in the enforcement unit after verifying all these documents,” ACC’s assistant director Al Amin said. “The ACC will then decide what the next step will be. Every one of the ACC’s raid is due to a specific complaint. We collect complaints from the media. We have a committee that verifies these complaints. Once it is approved, we go on a raid. It is the same in this case.”The ACC officials said they are looking into the financial anomaly in the BPL’s ticket sales since the third edition. Ticket sales have earned the BCB around BDT 15 crore (1.2 million USD approx.) from the eight seasons, but in the eleventh season alone it was BDT 13 crore (1.07 million USD approx.).”One of BCB’s revenue streams is ticket sales. There was 15 crore in eight years, and then 13 crore in a single year. We are trying to collect documents to find out what the anomaly is,” Al Amin said.He added that there are allegations that the “Mujib 100” programme also had some financial anomalies, including misappropriation of funds of around BDT 17 crore (1.4 million USD approx.).”There’s also some anomaly in the expenses shown in the “Mujib 100″ programme. It showed expenses worth 25 crore, but actually it was around 17 crore. There’s allegations that they didn’t show the expenses of almost 19 crore. We have asked for those documents and records from the finance department,” he said.The ACC has also spoken to the BCB about their rule change in the Dhaka Third Division Qualifying tournament, which was introduced in the late 1990s. It is the non-league tournament from where the top two teams enter the third division league, the lowest in the Dhaka league pyramid. During Nazmul’s reign, the BCB hiked the team’s entry fee to BDT 5 lakh (4,000 USD approx.) from BDT 50,000 (412 USD approx.).Since these were amateur clubs, many refrained from taking part in the competition. However, some clubs paid the hiked fee to participate. They played out a knockout scenario to determine which clubs entered the league; sometimes only two paid the fees which meant direct entry into the Dhaka Third Division League.”Among the specific complaints is the illegal money involved in the Third Division Qualifying competition,” Al Amin said. “We found out how the teams were selected before 2023. Their competition fees used to be BDT five lakh. Only two or three teams would apply for it, and from them the BCB would choose one or two teams. When the fee was reduced to BDT one lakh, sixty clubs applied to play in the competition.”Our point is that, why did only two or three teams apply in previous years, and why did 60 teams apply this time? We have collected documents. There could be personal influence in the selection process of the Third Division Qualifying tournament. We found out that neighbourhood clubs found it hard to meet the criteria set for playing in the tournament.”We have collected the list of teams who took part in the Third Division Qualifying tournament in the last five to seven years. We will compare the requirements to participate in this competition between this year and those from previous years. You must have seen that two to four clubs used to take part in this tournament. This year, 60 teams participated. We can deduce that there was no independence of participation in the previous years. There must have been some pressure that prevented them from participating in the tournament. We are trying to find out why.”BCB’s chief executive Chowdhury vowed to cooperate with the ACC, saying he would direct the relevant departments to help them with documents.

Despite making a 100% start to life in the Premier League as Tottenham Hotspur manager, Thomas Frank still wants to add to his squad to bolster the options at his disposal.

The Dane has already splashed £85m on new additions to date, with Mohammed Kudus the most-expensive signing – costing £55m from West Ham United.

The big-money addition of the Ghanaian has already proved worthwhile, notching two assists in the opening-day triumph over Burnley in North London.

Joao Palhinha has already been added to the ranks, bolstering the options at the heart of the side – already impressing just like Kudus – scoring in the victory over Manchester City at the Etihad.

However, other new arrivals are set to be added to the middle of Frank’s side to provide needed talent and depth, with the September 1st transfer deadline rapidly approaching.

Spurs’ hunt for a new midfielder this summer

In an attempt to bolster the midfield department, Spurs have been preparing a move for Leicester City star Bilal El Khannouss – with the Moroccan set to leave the Foxes before the summer deadline.

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It appeared as though he would be set for a move to Crystal Palace, but his transfer to the Eagles has collapsed in recent days – opening the door to a switch to North London.

However, another name has been thrown into the mix as of late, with Marseille star Adrien Rabiot a player in their sights, according to reports in France.

It states that the Lilywhites have entered preliminary talks with the player’s representatives over a move to North London after he was told he’s free to leave the Ligue 1 outfit after a changing room bust-up.

It’s also previously been reported that the Frenchman could be available for as little as €20m (£15m), with AC Milan and Aston Villa also interested in the former Juventus star’s signature.

Why Spurs’ latest target would be Frank’s answer to Rice

Spurs fans would’ve raised eyebrows when local rivals Arsenal forked out a reported £105m to land midfielder Declan Rice back in the summer of 2023.

However, as hard as it is for the Lilywhites faithful to admit, he’s been a superb addition for the Gunners, notching 16 goals and 20 assists within his 105 outings at the Emirates.

The 26-year-old has been triumphant in six of his 17 appearances against the Lilywhites, often providing a real presence in the middle of the park in such meetings.

His box-to-box nature allows him to have a real impact on proceedings at both ends of the pitch – but if Frank was to land his own version of the Englishman, it would likely cost a pretty penny.

However, a bargain deal for Rabiot could allow the club to land their own version of Rice, with the Frenchman possessing various similar qualities to the former West Ham United star.

The Marseille star was labelled as a similar player to the Gunners star by FBref based on their figures from last season, managing to outperform him in numerous key areas in the process.

Rabiot, who’s been labelled “world-class” by former French star David Trezeguet, posted more combined goals and assists, offering the Lilywhites an added goalscoring threat if he replicates such numbers.

Games played

29

35

Goals & assists

13

11

Pass accuracy

85%

83%

Passes into the final third

5.3

4.3

Progressive passes

6.2

6.1

Tackles won

1.2

0.8

Interceptions made

0.9

0.8

% of tackles won

59%

41%

Take-on success

52%

48%

Aerials won

1.2

1.1

He also managed to impress in finding other teammates, notching a higher pass completion rate, with more of his efforts per 90 being into the final third – offering the likes of Kudus added opportunities in front of goal.

Without the ball, Rabiot has been just as dominant, achieving a higher tackle success rate, whilst also making more interceptions per 90 – arguably being a more all-round box-to-box option than Arsenal star, Rice.

Given the stats produced by the 30-year-old in the 2024/25 campaign, the rumoured £15m transfer fee would be an absolute bargain – possessing the needed Champions League experience for Frank’s side ahead of their European adventure.

If he can replicate such levels in England’s top-flight, the Frenchman would be a superb signing and one that can hand the manager his answer to Rice – and a bargain one at that.

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Will West Ham United continue to be busy in the final few days of the transfer window?

On Friday, the Hammers announced the arrival of not one but two new central midfielders; Matheus Fernandes arriving from Southampton for £38m, while Soungoutou Magassa has joined from Monaco for £18m.

This takes the Irons’ summer spending up to £94m, having also acquired Mads Hermansen for £20m, El Hadji Malick Diouf for £19m and both Kyle Walker-Peters and Callum Wilson on free transfers.

However, given that Graham Potter’s team have played three and lost three so far this season, smashed by Sunderland and Chelsea in the Premier League, also dumped out of the EFL Cup by Wolves, he’ll be demanding more, especially defensively, so could a new centre-back arrive?

West Ham's need for a new centre-back

As already alluded to, despite the fact Potter deploys a back five and two holding midfield players, the Hammers have conceded eight goals in their first two top-flight matches for the first time in their entire history.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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Jean-Clair Todibo, Max Kilman and Nayef Aguerd have been the starting centre-back trio for both matches who, between them, cost £105m in transfer fees, but they’re not playing like it at the moment, with the latter coming in for the most criticism.

After falling out of favour, Aguerd actually spent last season on loan at Real Sociedad, making it somewhat surprising that he’s been immediately reinstated as first-choice upon his return, so could the Hammers sign an upgrade?

Well, as reported by BBC Sport, West Ham are plotting a move to sign centre-back Charlie Cresswell from Toulouse.

Elsewhere, it has been reported that it could require a fee of around £18m to secure the signature of the 23-year-old, who only joined les Violets from Leeds for £3.8m as recently as last year.

Earlier this summer, Aaron Cresswell departed East London as a free agent, joining Stoke, so could his namesake be set to arrive at the London Stadium?

What Charlie Cresswell would bring to West Ham

Cresswell has certainly enjoyed a memorable last 12 months, making 36 appearances for Toulouse, including starting both of their Ligue 1 matches this season, helping le Téfécé keep clean sheets during victories over both Nice and then Stade Brestois.

Meantime, over the summer, he was a stalwart in the England side that won the under-21 European Championships in Slovakia, playing every minute of all six matches, scoring against Czechia in Dunajská Streda.

His performances earned him a place in the team of the tournament, as chosen by the UEFA Technical Observer panel, while journalist Henry Winter praised his leadership qualities, while Gary Rowett, who was his manager at Millwall, labelled Cresswell “excellent”, adding that he was “hugely important” to his team.

During his Leeds career, the young defender made just five Premier League appearances, totalling 140 minutes, but his impressive performances both in Ligue 1 and for the Young Lions could land him a second opportunity.

However, would he represent an upgrade on Aguerd? Let’s find out.

Cresswell vs Aguerd 2024/25

Stat

Cresswell

Aguerd

Appearances

31

21

Minutes

2,591

1,763

All stats below are on a per 90 basis:

Duels contested

8.8

8.7

% of aerials duels won

66%

65%

% of ground duels won

51%

72%

Clearances

6.6

4.6

Interceptions

1

0.7

Blocks

1

0.8

Ball recoveries

3.6

3.8

via Squawka

As the table documents, when comparing Cresswell at Toulouse to Aguerd at Real Sociedad, it is the Englishman who boasts better defensive metrics, pretty much across the board.

The 23-year-old comes out on top in terms of aerial duels, clearances, interceptions and blocks, which is pretty much everything you would want from a central defender.

Thus, all available evidence suggests the young Englishman would improve this very leaky West Ham back line.

Related Fernandes will love him: West Ham "exploring" deal for "superb" £25m star

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 30, 2025

Chelsea's chief revenue officer has departed the club after failing to agree a new multi-year shirt sponsorship deal. The Blues remain the only Premier League side without a shirt sponsor but they are reportedly in talks with interested parties as they look to secure a huge revenue boost in their bid to avoid breaking Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

Chelsea not expected to suffer setback despite exit

Casper Stylsvig has left Stamford Bridge less than two years after arriving in November 2023. Stylsvig previously held roles at Barcelona, Manchester United and Milan in various capacities. While Stylsvig has now moved on, Chelsea’s pursuit of a new front-of-shirt sponsor is not expected to be affected. According to The Telegraph’s Matt Law, Todd Kline – who leads Chelsea’s commercial operation and worked alongside Stylsvig – will continue ongoing discussions with a host of companies who are interested in linking up with Chelsea.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWhat's Chelsea's asking price in shirt sponsor discussions?

In a separate report from the , Chelsea are believed to have received a number of offers but a deal is yet to be clinched. The report adds that Enzo Maresca’s side are reportedly looking for around £65 million-a-season (€75m/$89m) from any prospective agreement, with a new Saudi airline rumoured to be linked.

Chelsea had short-term shirt sponsor in 2024-25

Chelsea had no shirt sponsor in 2024-25 until they agreed a short-term deal with Damac – a Dubai-based property firm. They also started 2023-24 without a shirt sponsor before reaching a £40m (€46m/$54m) agreement with U.S tech firm Infinite Athlete.

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Getty Images SportChelsea's next match: Blues face Bayern in Champions League

Chelsea face a tough test when they travel to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in their Champions League opener this evening. The west Londoners are competing in Europe's premier club competition for the first time since 2022-23.

The fixture starting on Sunday is South Africa’s first home Test since 2002

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Dec-2024Fast bowler Tumi Sekhukhune has been included in the South Africa women’s squad for their one-off Test against England. Lara Goodall, Ayanda Hlubi and Chloé Tryon have also returned to the Test set-up for the Bloemfontein encounter that gets underway on December 15.Sekhukhune, who is not part of the squad for the ODIs against England, is a like-for-like replacement for Ayabonga Khaka, who is not part of the team’s red-ball plans, according to a Cricket South Africa (CSA) statement.Related

Mashimbyi wants more long-format cricket for all-format development

“We reviewed the previous Test squad and made adjustments to bring balance to the team,” convenor of selectors Clinton du Preez said. “Lara adds versatility to the batting line-up as a left-hander, Hlubi provides variation as an impact seam bowler, and Tumi has been consistent in her past performances, offering control to the bowling attack alongside our other bowlers.”South Africa women Test squad for one-off game vs England•ESPNcricinfo LtdThe other three players left out from the Test squad that played against India in July are offspinner Nondumiso Shangase and allrounders Delmi Tucker and Eliz-Mari Marx. Mieke de Ridder, the uncapped wicketkeeper, retained her place.”It will go a long way for the ladies in terms of them understanding their game and what’s needed in the longer version of the game,” head coach Mandla Mashimbyi said. “Getting an opportunity to play red-ball is good for our cricket and I’m looking forward to what they can bring.”The measurables are quite simple for me, it’s how much time you are willing to spend in the crease as a batter and how patient you are willing to be as a bowler. So it’s all those things that we’re going to speak about and if we can see it coming to fruition during the game, that will give us a big plus.”The fixture, starting on Sunday, will be the first home Test for South Africa since 2002. It will also mark the eighth Test between South Africa and England. England have won two of the previous seven encounters, with the remaining five ending in draws.South Africa Test squad: Laura Wolvaardt (captain), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Mieke de Ridder, Lara Goodall, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Masabata Klaas, Suné Luus, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloé Tryon.

The incumbent No. 3 has been suggested as an opening candidate although he believes the selectors will opt for a specialist

AAP23-Oct-2024

Marnus Labuschagne’s name has been suggested for a move up to open•Getty Images

Marnus Labuschagne says the race for the vacant Test opening spot is an open field, but insists it is fitting Steven Smith is no longer in that frame after his guaranteed switch back to No. 4 for the India series.Smith, speaking this week about the termination of his opening experiment, said Test opener Usman Khawaja and No. 3 Labuschagne made it clear they preferred him to bat behind them.”They hated me up top…so that was a big part of it,” Smith  said. “They call it security behind them – I don’t know, ask them about it. Honestly, I’m not that fussed. They didn’t like it at all…I can understand that.”Labuschagne said Smith’s return to the position he had shone in for most of his career was not rocket science.”One of the best players for Australia batting in the position he has had the most success in is a pretty simple fix,” he said. “Cameron Green is unavailable for the summer. There is no one batting at No. 4 as we currently stand in our team. Why not have the person who has done it best for Australia batting in that position? It just makes sense.”People want to know if there is something more [to it], but that is the reality.”Labuschagne added Smith was naturally suited to the spot.”I think it is his ability to read match scenarios and adapt his game to whatever the game needs,” he said. “At No. 4 you have to be good at playing spin, work on when you need to push, when you need to hold and when you need to get through a tough spell. That has always been his strength.”Labuschagne said he laughed when he read that David Warner had put his hand up to come out of retirement to open, if asked.”I don’t know if he was serious or whether he was joking. It is always hard to tell,” he chuckled. “I don’t know what to make of that.”Warner had also floated the possibility of Labuschagne moving up the order to fill the void, a concept the Test No. 3 answered forthrightly.”I will bat wherever they tell me to bat. Currently I would say that how I have played at No. 3 has been relatively successful,” he said.”Hopefully it should be more successful, but that’s where I have batted. If [selectors] think I should move and that is best for the team that is what will happen, but at this stage I think they have made it clear they are going to look down the opener route. Who that is…is anyone’s guess. It is a very open field.”New South Wales teenager Sam Konstas, Victorian opener Marcus Harris and Western Australia’s suddenly out-of-form Cameron Bancroft are the three specialist openers in contention and all will feature for Australia A against India A next week.