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West Ham United announced on Wednesday that manager David Moyes would be leaving the club following the expiry of his contract at the end of the season, and Shakhtar Donetsk manager Paul Fonseca is one of the frontrunners to replace the 55-year-old at the London Stadium.

The east London outfit finished the Premier League season in 13th position after taking seven points from a possible nine available in their final three fixtures, but poor performances and results – and discontent among the London Stadium faithful – among other things, meant that the Scot wasn’t offered an extension to his deal.

It is no surprise to learn that Fonseca could be near the top of the list of potential targets given his brilliant record with Shakhtar – it is a rumour Hammers fans on Twitter are delighted with – and the fact that he will soon be a free agent unless his own contract is renewed in the next few weeks.

The Portuguese boss has overseen 73 win in 93 matches in all competitions, with his team scoring 205 goals during that period, conceding 82, as per Transfermarkt.

The fact that the Ukrainian outfit were only narrowly knocked out of the Champions League in the knockout stages by eventual semi-finalists AS Roma shows that they have plenty of quality available in their squad, and some of those individuals could make a real difference for the outfit from the English capital in the 2018/19 campaign.

Here are three Donetsk stars Fonseca should bring to West Ham with him, if he is appointed…

While Pablo Zabaleta generally impressed at right-back and right wing-back for West Ham this season, he is getting no younger and has just one year remaining on his contract.

It is clear that the east London outfit need to find a long-term solution on the right-hand side, and they could get their answer if Fonseca is appointed and brings Butko with him to the London Stadium.

The 27-year-old Ukraine international is a regular in the XI for Shakhtar, and as well as showing his defensive skills he has also shown that he can get up and down the pitch and is a threat in the final third too by providing eight assists in 29 appearances in all competitions this term – something Zabaleta often struggles to do now he is 33 years of age.

Cheikhou Kouyate and Mark Noble impressed in the final couple of fixtures of the season after below-par seasons, and it remains to be seen whether those displays will be enough to ensure that they start the 2018/19 campaign in the starting XI.

Kouyate in particular probably needs replacing if the Irons are to kick on, and it seems certain that a new defensive midfielder will be arriving at the London Stadium this summer.

If Fonseca is appointed as Moyes’ successor, he should look to bring the impressive Stepanenko with him, and the 28-year-old would arrive with plenty of experience having made 238 appearances in all competitions for the Ukrainian outfit.

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It was often West Ham’s defence rather than their attack that let them down this season, but while they have the likes of Manuel Lanzini, Marko Arnautovic and Joao Mario – if he returns following his loan spell from Inter Milan – on their books, they shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to add quality players in those attacking areas.

One player Fonseca could look to bring to the London Stadium with him if he gets the Irons job is Bernard, with the left-sided Brazilian one of Shakhtar’s key men in recent years with 28 goals and 35 assists in 157 appearances.

The fact that he will soon be available on a free with his contract due to expire next month is just another reason why he should arrive alongside the Portuguese boss.

Do you agree, West Ham fans? Let us know below.

According to reports in the Daily Star, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is considering bidding for Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany if Pep Guardiola tries to sign contract rebel Alexis Sanchez during the January transfer window.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Daily Star says that Gunners boss Wenger is desperate to boost his backline and while he holds an interest in Chelsea’s David Luiz, he could be tempted to make a move for Kompany if City want Sanchez in the New Year.

The Daily Star says that the runaway Premier League leaders are set to reignite their interest in the Chile international having failed to bring the forward to the Ethiad during the summer transfer window, with the 29-year-old unwilling to commit his future to the north London outfit.

How has Kompany done this season?

As they have been over the course of the last few years, the Belgium international’s campaign has once again been blighted by injury.

While he captained City and played the full 90 minutes in their opening three Premier League matches this term, the 31-year-old then picked up a calf injury which kept him out for 14 games in all competitions.

The skipper did play four times in the top flight on his return, but a muscle problem that he suffered in the win against Manchester United has kept him on the sidelines for the victories against Swansea City and Tottenham Hotspur over the course of the last seven days.

According to WhoScored.com, Kompany has won 20 of the 27 aerial duels he has faced in his seven Premier League outings this season, while he has made 25 clearances and has an impressive passing accuracy of 92.5%.

Would he be a good signing for Arsenal?

It’s difficult to say.

While there is no doubt that he would certainly add some leadership and quality to the Arsenal backline, his injury worries would certainly be a concern.

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According to Transfermarkt, the 31-year-old has missed 47 matches in all competitions since the start of last season, and that is something that Wenger would be seriously thinking about before he brings him to the Emirates.

Considering he has 18 months left on his contract however, if he could be bought for a reasonable price then it could turn out to be a low-risk transfer.

With this season in many ways marking the end of an era for Manchester United, following the retirements of Paul Scholes and Sir Alex Ferguson, incoming Red Devils boss David Moyes will be keen to start a new period in the club’s history from the start of next season.

But before we get to the opening fixtures in August, the former Everton manager has the summer transfer window to contend with. Whilst many will be looking at whom he will attempt to bring in, citing former Toffees’ players and one of Europe’s top strikers up for sale during the off-season, he will also have to balance out his new recruits by shifting some of the deadwood at Old Trafford.

Just in case Moyes is not yet well acquainted enough with the United roster, we’ve complied a list of the Five players who’ve become surplus to requirements for Manchster United.

Click Here or on Anderson to reveal the FIVE players that David Moyes should ditch this summer.

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According to various reports, Stoke City winger Xherdan Shaqiri has a €14.5million (£12.75m) relegation clause in his contract – but who should sign the Swiss international?

Stoke City were relegated on Saturday courtesy of their 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace, and there will surely be multiple Potters looking to leave the club this summer.

West Ham fans have been discussing the possibility of signing Shaqiri and teammate Jack Butland, but the Swiss winger has been linked with a whole host of Premier League clubs.

Though Shaqiri certainly struggles with consistency, he possesses an absolute star quality that very few players have, so plenty of managers will be queuing up for the relatively low £12.75m release clause.

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The Hammers and Toffees have both been linked with moves for the 26 year-old, who has eight goals and six assists in 35 league appearances this season.

Both clubs could be going into next season under new management, so it would be no surprise to see them swoop for some new talent to freshen up their squads.

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One would have to think West Ham have the upper hand, as the Swiss man could relish the opportunity to link up with former teammate Marko Arnautovic.

So, Everton and West Ham fans, where would Shaqiri be the best fit? Let us know by voting in the poll below…

Kevin Mirallas has hit out at Everton for their treatment of him over the latter half of the season, accusing the Merseysiders of ‘breaking promises’.

The Belgium international has long been thought of as one of the Toffees’ key players after impressing for Roberto Martinez’s side.

He attracted interest over the winter period from clubs such as Atletico Madrid and Dortmund, while Spurs have also been aligned with a raid for him.

WANT MORE? >> Everton transfer news | Spurs transfer news

A potential swap including Aaron Lennon – on loan at Everton from Tottenham – has been reported as an option, and now Mirallas has now opened the door for a switch.

The 27-year-old has revealed that he’s frustrated at the lack of game time he’s been given, claiming that it goes against the reasons he was kept at the club in January despite strong interest:

“Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid were interested [in January], but Everton obliged me to stay at the club,” he is quoted by Goal.

“I understood because our young group performed below expectations. So I had to stay, but in the second half I was suddenly playing less games.

“There are promises broken and yet it makes for a somewhat awkward relationship with the coach. Soon I will have a conversation with him.

“I have had a beautiful two and a half years with Everton. I have experienced many great moments and for that I must thank the club.

“So I don’t know whether I will leave, it is a decision I have to make in consultation with my family.”

Mirallas played 1,424 minutes of Premier League football for Everton during the season just gone, scoring seven goals from his wide role.

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Norwich will pitch fit-again keeper John Ruddy in to face West Brom at Carrow Road on Sunday following his five-month injury absence.

The England international has battled his way back from a long-standing groin problem and, despite being fit in the past few weeks, boss Chris Hughton was unwilling to throw him back into the first-team too soon and risk doing any further damage.

However, it seems Ruddy will get the nod ahead of Mark Bunn for Sunday’s visit of the Baggies, as the Canaries still require a win to be almost certain of Premier League football next season.

Winger Robert Snodgrass has recovered from cramp which saw him substituted in last weekend’s late 2-1 home defeat by Aston Villa, but centre-half Michael Turner is still sidelined with a groin injury.

Meanwhile midfielder Anthony Pilkington insists the squad is in good spirits ahead of the game as they look to secure only their third win in 20 outings which would take them six points clear of third bottom Wigan.

“Everyone’s been positive around the dressing room, all around the club, and everyone’s behind each other,” said Pilkington.

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“Everyone was disappointed and gutted after the defeat to Aston Villa. But the boys have picked each other up and the staff have picked us up as well.”

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Newcastle United supporters have been pretty downbeat in the Transfer Tavern this week after seeing their team’s four-match winning run in the Premier League come to an end at the hands of Everton on Monday night.

Rafa Benitez’s men went into their clash with the Merseysiders off the back of beating Arsenal, Leicester City, Huddersfield Town, and Southampton in their preceding four games, a run which saw them breach the 40-point mark and thus all but seal their place in the top-flight next season. Yet they were unable to keep their impressive run going on Monday night as a Theo Walcott effort six minutes into the second half was enough to clinch all three points for Sam Allardyce’s side, thus leaving Newcastle tenth in the division.

As such, there have been many quiet Magpies supporters in the Tavern in the last few days, several of whom are hoping that their team can finish the season strongly to build momentum ahead of the 2018/19 campaign.

In the meantime though, there has been much for our resident Newcastle fans to discuss, not least recent reports linking their club with a move for Hull City striker Abel Hernandez.

And while the 27-year-old might well be a useful addition to Benitez’s squad, the Magpies must forget about a move for the forward and instead land £13.5 million-rated Championship star Tom Cairney (as per Transfermarkt).

Ultimately, while Hull’s Hernandez has been in fine form for the Tigers this term in netting eight goals in just ten appearances, he has suffered repeatedly from injuries in the last few years, hence his lowly appearance tally this time round.

Even his Premier League record, in which he has netted eight times in 49 games, isn’t horrendous, but it would be too big a risk for Newcastle to take given his injury problems over recent years.

Whereas they know exactly what they’d get with Fulham’s Cairney, who has without doubt been one of the best attackers outside of the Premier League in the last few years.

The 27-year-old inspired Slavisa Jokanovic’s side to the Championship play-offs last season with 13 goals and 11 assists for the Cottagers, and while his first half of this season was disrupted by injury, he has still managed four goals and five assists in their run to second place in the table.

Thus, it’s just a matter of time before the Scotland international makes the step up to the Premier League, and if Newcastle are keen to move to the next level themselves in the coming years, a peak and in-form Cairney can certainly help them with those aims.

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Ayoze Perez has performed much better recently for the Magpies, but one still senses that they need a number ten with greater attacking pedigree and an ability to make things happen out of very little – Cairney can do just that.

Obviously, it would be a risk given the 27-year-old hasn’t played much in the Premier League, but given his fine form for Fulham in the last few years, and indeed the age he is at, the Magpies must forget about Hernandez and instead focus their efforts on luring Cairney to St James’ Park.

Newcastle fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Last week Liverpool suffered another bump in the road in their turbulent season. Dumped out of FA Cup, the Reds will not be winning a trophy this year, but it may also be significant in their quest for European football.

Liverpool are still on course for a Europa League spot, but only have faint hopes of Champions League qualification. Getting knocked out of the FA Cup means they’ll have to grab their European place via the league, because they won’t get a place from a cup competition.

Realistically, they’re not going to make the Champions League this season. They have just too much to do. Manchester City might slip up a little bit more before the end of the season – and have a tough game against in-form Aston VIlla this weekend – but surely not enough to finish behind Liverpool. Qualifying for the Europa League would be a consolation prize of course, certainly not something they’d have eyed at the start of the season, but it’s definitely a competition they’ll expect to be involved in at the very least.

But there are teams behind them in the league that also have their eyes on the same prize. Liverpool are in fifth place, and so they’re clearly in the best position for qualification. But if Southampton and Spurs start to win games, Liverpool could be in trouble.

England get three representatives in the Europa League, and with Liverpool missing out on the FA Cup final against Arsenal who are all but qualified for the Champions League Villa will get one of those spots.

Champions League-bound Chelsea won the League Cup, so the two spots left will go to fifth and sixth place in the league. And so Liverpool will need to finish in one of those spots in order to qualify.

Currently they sit fifth, and they do have a game in hand over Saints and Spurs, but they’re only a point ahead of the Saints and only above Spurs on goal difference.

So it’s lucky for Liverpool that the two teams directly below them play each other this weekend. They’ll have the chance to gain points on at least one of those teams. Crucially, if they win their game against West Brom, they’ll gain points on 7th place by 5:15 on Saturday, when City kick off against Villa.

But if Liverpool show signs of a hangover from their cup exit and the defeats to Man United and Arsenal, it could have a catastrophic effect on their season. Both of the teams below them, even if they were to lose their next game, would still have enough games left to accrue the points to oust Liverpool from the Europa League places. Even with Liverpool’s game in hand.

There is added pressure on Brendan Rodgers, though.

In this age of managerial merry-go-rounds, impatient owners and mega-money competitions such as the Champions League, the job security for a top manager is frighteningly low. To make matters worse for Rodgers, Jurgen Klopp is available. He’s announced his imminent departure from Borussia Dortmund this summer, and declaring that he won’t be taking a sabbatical means he’s single and ready to mingle.

In fact, there has already been talk of Brendan Rodgers leaving and the BBC’s Sportsday even had a public vote asking who will be Liverpool manager next season. That’s hardly a vote of confidence for the Northern Irishman.

So finishing 7th in the league with no silverware and no European football to show for it would be disastrous for the club, the players and crucially for the manager too. It just can’t happen.

With the Champions League looking very unlikely and no cup competitions to play for, the concern is that Liverpool may struggle to get motivated for their remaining fixtures, too. That’s the kind of situation that could give hope to both Saints and Spurs, and make them believe that they can catch Liverpool.

On paper, Liverpool have the players to keep it together, they have also been in good form despite the defeats I’ve mentioned. They’ve lost the big games – United, Arsenal and an FA Cup semi-final – but the games they have left shouldn’t pose them too many problems. The only one you’d expect them to struggle with is Chelsea.

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But actually, if Chelsea lose to Arsenal and we’re left with something vaguely resembling a title race on Sunday evening, the Liverpool Chelsea game could be important. And wouldn’t Liverpool just love to cause Chelsea the same problems that Mourinho and his team bus caused the Reds at Anfield last season.

If Liverpool’s problem is getting up for the games they have left, then there should be no problem getting up for this one.

Liverpool should be fine for a Europa League spot. But they need to be careful because not getting one would be disastrous and may cost their manager his job. With Jurgen Klopp free, lurking like a lion stalking its prey, you’d fear for Rodgers if he does guide his team to a poor run from now until the end of the season. His job just might depend on his ability to motivate his team for their final few games.

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Gareth Barry says he loves life at Manchester City and is hoping to commit his future by signing a new contract.

The 32-year-old has just under 18 months to run on his current deal but he is keen to stay well beyond 2014 and is hoping to open talks with the club over a new contract in the summer.

Whether City will offer a player of his age anything long-term remains to be seen, but Barry has no thoughts about moving on and would love to put pen to paper.

“I am happy here and very settled,” Barry revealed. “I spent 12 years at Villa and I’ve spent four years at City and I’m not really one for moving around. I’d like to stay as long as possible.

“For a player to feel settled and feel very comfortable, you generally want to be playing regular football – and I’ve been lucky enough to feature in a lot of games this season.

“That’s one reason why I am happy to stay.”

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Jitesh Sharma will lead PBKS, who have only two overseas players available

Hemant Brar18-May-2024

Match details

Sunrisers Hyderabad (third) vs Punjab Kings (ninth)
Hyderabad, 1530 IST (1000 GMT)

Big picture – SRH, rusty or rejuvenated?

A washout in their last game against Gujarat Titans means SRH are no longer in control of their fate. Even if they win against PBKS on Sunday afternoon, a top-two finish is not guaranteed. For that to happen, Rajasthan Royals will have to lose against Kolkata Knight Riders later in the day.Before the GT game, SRH’s previous outing was on May 8, against Lucknow Super Giants, when they chased down 166 inside ten overs. That means they will be in action after a gap of ten days. It needs to be seen if they will be rusty or rejuvenated.PBKS were ruled out of the playoffs race long back, and most of their overseas players have returned home for various reasons. Kagiso Rabada left with an infection in his lower limb; Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Jonny Bairstow and Sikandar Raza for national duties; Chris Woakes for family reasons.Jitesh Sharma, who will lead the side on Sunday, has only two overseas players available: Rilee Rossouw and Nathan Ellis. With nothing to lose, this opens up an opportunity for domestic players to make an impression.

Form guide

Sunrisers Hyderabad WLWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Punjab Kings WLLWW

Previous meeting

When these two sides met earlier in the season, SRH found themselves on 39 for 3 inside the powerplay after being sent in. But Nitish Kumar Reddy’s 64 off 37 balls lifted them to 182 for 9. In response, PBKS also suffered a collapse before Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma revived them. Eventually, they fell short by two runs.

Team news and impact player strategy

Sunrisers HyderabadWill SRH bring back Aiden Markram for Sri Lankan legspinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth? Without Markram, the batting looks a bit thin but Viyaskanth impressed with figures of 4-0-27-0 against LSG. Another option is to draft in either Mayank Agarwal or Rahul Tripathi for allrounder Sanvir Singh.Abhishek Sharma could be their Impact Player if they bowl first and T Natarajan if they bat.Probable XII 1 Travis Head, 2 , 3 Mayank Agarwal/Rahul Tripathi, 4 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 Abdul Samad, 7 Shahbaz Ahmed, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, 12 Punjab KingsIn the absence of Curran and Bairstow, Rishi Dhawan and Atharva Taide could get a chance. Prabhsimran Singh and Arshdeep Singh are likely to be their Impact Player options.Probable XII 1 , 2 Atharva Taide, 3 Rilee Rossouw, 4 Shashank Singh, 5 Jitesh Sharma (capt, wk), 6 Ashutosh Sharma, 7 Rishi Dhawan, 8 Harpreet Brar, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Nathan Ellis, 11 Rahul Chahar, 12

In the spotlight – Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel

Bhuvneshwar Kumar started IPL 2024 with figures of 0 for 51 and 0 for 53. A few games later, he had 0 for 60 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. But after just four wickets in the first eight games, he has picked up seven in the last four. As usual, he has been at his best in the powerplay – ten of his 11 wickets have come in this phase, the most for any bowler this season.Harshal Patel has turned it around after a poor start to the season•BCCI

Harshal Patel, too, did not have a great start to the season. He went for 44 or more in each of his first four games. But after that, he turned it around and is currently the leading wicket-taker of the season with 22 scalps. His economy has also come down to 9.51. With Rabada and Curran unavailable, he will have to shoulder extra responsibility if PBKS are to end on a positive note.

Stats that matter

• Bhuvneshwar has dismissed Prabhsimran three times in 11 balls while conceding only 15 runs.
• Rossouw has scored only five runs in ten balls (no dismissal) against Bhuvneshwar and 14 runs in 12 balls (one dismissal) against Pat Cummins.
• Abhishek has hit Arshdeep for 34 runs off 23 balls without getting out even once.
• Harshal has dismissed Heinrich Klaasen three times in 30 balls while giving away only 38 runs.
• Reddy has enjoyed batting against Harpreet Brar: 38 runs in 16 balls, no dismissal.

Pitch and conditions

Hyderabad has been a high-scoring venue this IPL, with an average first-innings score of 203. Only the Arun Jaitely Satdium (10.69) has seen a higher run rate than Hyderabad’s 9.94. However, the weather could play spoilsport once again as there is a 30% chance of rain.

Quotes

“I am someone who is never happy [with his performance] but I love it when the team wins. I agree I have been a bit up and down but my intent was very good, my intention was very good. I think I had good learnings this year and because now I have seen this phase, it’s better for me in future.”