Despite sitting firmly within the playoff places, West Bromwich Albion's on-pitch success this season has been marred by uncertainty in the boardroom with a dragged-out search for a new owner taking a new twist this week.

The ownership problems at West Brom

Since purchasing a stake in the club from Jeremy Peace in 2016, Guochuan Lai has overseen a managed decline of the West Midlands outfit, going from a comfortable Premier League side to the brink of financial failure.

Problems first emerged when it became apparent that Lai could not afford the £190million price agreed with Peace, sounding alarm bells just six months into the ownership. It later transpired that Lai wanted to take out loans to fund his other business interests, secured against the club's assets. These loans left West Brom in a dangerous financial position and Baggies' fans rightfully angry.

Some six years after, West Brom were relegated to the Championship, they sit in fifth place and are looking in good shape to make a return to the top flight. Despite their league position, many West Brom fans are struggling to celebrate whilst their club still sits in ownership limbo.

With takeover rumors circling for the last few years, it is expected that new owners could be in by the end of the season. Whilst Albion fans wait patiently for news, the saga has taken a surprising turn with a new figure entering the fold.

A "crazy" twist as Aston Villa fan enters fray

Speaking on The Liquidator Podcast (via West Brom News) last week, West Brom fan and former BBC broadcaster Adrian Goldberg revealed a surprising turn that could see Aston Villa fan Alex Hearn potentially becoming a part-owner of the club.

Goldberg reveals an unpaid loan of £2 million from Hearn's company, Warmfront, to Lai's West Bromwich Albion Holdings, with an interest rate of five percent a month. With the deadline for the repayment of the loan set for the 8th February, Hearn can convert the loan into shares if Lai cannot make the payment.

"The rate of interest on that loan is five-per-cent a month – an incredible rate. West Brom Holdings own 88 per cent of West Bromwich Albion, and the suggestion was made that if the loan isn’t repaid, Hearn could convert that loan into shares in West Brom Holdings.

“It opens the possibility that West Brom Holdings is part-owned by a Villa fan. It’s just crazy. Keep an eye on that February 8 deadline – things may start moving, because that’s a publicly notified deadline.”

With a full takeover of the club still ongoing, West Brom News reports that US businessman Shilen Patel is leading the race to purchase the club from Lai and take control at The Hawthorns. Whether the involvement of Hearn has ramifications for the Patel deal is yet to be seen, with any prospective owner potentially having to also negotiate with Hearn if he becomes a shareholder at the club.

If a takeover cannot be agreed, it could throw what has been a successful season for The Baggies so far into crisis, continuing the spiral of the decline that started the minute Lai took over at The Hawthorns.

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واصل فريق الكرة الأول بالنادي الأهلي تحت القيادة الفنية للمدرب السويسري مارسيل كولر، تدريباته على ملعب مختار التتش بالجزيرة.

ويستعد فريق النادي الأهلي لخوض منافسات بطولة كأس ‏السوبر المصري، التي تقام بالإمارات خلال الفترة من 20 إلى 24 أكتوبر الجاري.‏

الأهلي يرد عبر “بطولات” على أنباء تعاطي أحد لاعبيه المنشطات أمام الزمالك

ويخوض الأهلي حامل لقب كأس السوبر بشكله الجديد، منافسات البطولة بجوار 3 فرق وهي الزمالك وبيراميدز وسيراميكا كليوباترا.

وبدأ المران بمجموعة من الفقرات البدنية، أشرف عليها أندرياس إندويا مخطط الأحمال، واستمرت لمدة 25 دقيقة، وفقًا للبرنامج ‏الذي وضعه الجهاز الفني، لتجهيز اللاعبين بالشكل المناسب للبطولة.‏

وأدى اللاعبون فقرات خططية متنوعة، انتهت بتقسيمة كرة قوية بمشاركة اللاعبين، حرص خلالها مارسيل كولر المدير الفني، ‏على تنفيذ العديد من الجوانب الفنية، في ضوء الاستعداد لمواجهة سيراميكا كيلوباترا، بالدور نصف النهائي من البطولة.‏

يذكر أن الجهاز الفني حدد يوم 17 أكتوبر الجاري، موعدًا للسفر إلى الإمارات، بعد متابعة الانتهاء من جميع الترتيبات الخاصة بالسفر ‏والإقامة والتنقلات قبل انطلاق منافسات بطولة كأس السوبر المصري.‏

Marcus Rashford has reacted to Manchester United's decision to retain the services of manager Erik ten Hag.

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• Rashford reacts to Ten Hag staying at Old Trafford
• Scored only three goals last season
• Determined to stage a fiery comeback

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The star forward had a forgetful campaign for United in the 2023/24 season. He could barely score goals and ended up netting only eight times in 44 appearances across all competitions. He even had a fallout with manager Ten Hag after he was caught partying until the early hours of the morning before the club's FA Cup clash against Newport.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  His poor form for the club resulted in his ouster from the England national team as he failed to make it to Gareth Southgate's 33-man preliminary squad for Euro 2024. , however, reports that Rashford is determined to give his best in the upcoming season and regain his long-lost form. He also reportedly expressed his delight over the Red Devils' decision to continue with the Dutch manager.

• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  Quoting a source, wrote, "Marcus knows one thing with Ten Hag and that is that he really rates him. He knows he’s underperformed big time but has been telling his friends that he’s coming back strong this next season."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MARCUS RASHFORD?

  The 26-year-old will be back in action next month as the Premier League giants are all set to regroup and then travel to the US for pre-season. They are scheduled to face teams like Liverpool, Arsenal and Rangers.

Wednesday truly was a night to forget for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta's side went into their Champions League Round of 16 tie against Porto as heavy favourites thanks to their impressive Premier League form.

However, they found themselves leaving empty-handed at full-time thanks to a 94th-minute wonder strike from Wenderson Galendo.

The Gunners looked toothless in attack, with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli practically anonymous for the 90 minutes.

It was a game that was crying out for some invention and flair, which is exactly what they could've got from a player they walked away from twice in the past.

Arsenal missed out on a world-beater in 2017

When you ask the majority of fans who the best player in the world is at the moment, there's a pretty good chance that Kylian Mbappé will make it into their top three – if he isn't already their number one – and Arsenal had the chance to sign him in 2017.

Back in 2020, Sky Sports revealed that, along with a number of other high-profile players, Arsenal had a genuine chance of signing the French prodigy before he moved to Paris Saint-Germain.

Mbappé has even said as much, describing a meeting that he had with then-Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger that summer: "I met with Arsène Wenger, who is a great coach. He has a great reputation here in France, he's well-respected and knows how to develop young players. This was a real option for me."

There was one fairly obvious stumbling block: the price, which was a cool £168m.

Now, Arsenal were not a particularly free-spending club at the time – Mesut Ozil was still their record signing – but there was obviously something in the air that window, as while they considered the Mbappé fee too expensive, they signed Alexandre Lacazette for a record fee of £46.5m and even more bizarrely, made a £92m offer to AS Monaco for Thomas Lemar – what was going on?

While it's understandable that the Gunners pulled out of the deal to sign the World Cup winner in 2017 over the price, what's worse is that according to Spanish journalist Guillem Balague (via Sports Illustrated), Arsenal had an opportunity to sign him for a lot less just two years prior:

"At 17 there were a lot of teams interested in him – one of those was Arsenal. But his family and the agents asked for £7m. For a 17-year-old, Arsenal decided not to continue the conversation because there's always a risk."

So, in essence, the north Londoners had two opportunities to sign a player that CIES Football Observatory now values at €200m – £171m – for a tenth of Nicolas Pepe's transfer fee.

How Kylian Mbappé compares to Gabriel Martinelli

Yes, this is quite an absurd comparison, but let's just live in a fantasy world for a second. After all, if the Gunners had signed the 25-year-old goal machine, his tendency to play on the left would put him in competition with Martinelli.

So, this season alone, the "generational" talent, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored 32 goals and provided seven assists in just 31 games for PSG, meaning he is averaging 1.2 goal involvements per match.

In comparison, Arsenal's dazzling Brazilian has seven goals and three assists in his 30 games, which is an average of 0.33 goal involvements per match – although he did average 0.45 last year.

In short, there really isn't much of a comparison between the pair, which is no slight on the Arsenal man but just a testament to how unreal the Real-bound superstar is.

At the end of the day, all teams have that one player who they just missed out on, and while they usually aren't as good as Mbappé – 399 goal involvements in 356 career appearances – the Gunners still have a talented crop of youngsters who look set to lead them into a bright future.

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That said, just imagine that Saka and Mbappé link up.

West Ham United ended a period of struggle emphatically last weekend after Jarrod Bowen's hat-trick inspired a rousing 4-1 victory over Brentford in the Premier League.

David Moyes has been under heavy pressure of late, with his Hammers side slumping in form and failing to secure victory in any competition in 2024 before the win over Thomas Frank's side, falling in the FA Cup against Championship team Bristol City back in January.

There have been calls for the Scotsman to close the door on his illustrious reign in east London and the West Ham hierarchy were even said to have halted contractual negotiations after an abject afternoon against Arsenal, who romped to a 6-0 victory at the London Stadium in the Premier League.

As things stand, Moyes will leave the club when his deal expires in the summer but there is every chance that the stability and consistency that he brings will convince owner David Sullivan to present him with fresh terms, despite segments of the fanbase expressing discontent with his perceived pragmatic style.

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But is this really prudent? Moyes might not provide the most free-flowing brand of football but he succeeds at the highest level, his tactical set-up mostly effective.

Moreover, he has created a truly sensational squad of players, with the aforementioned Bowen arriving not long after the 60-year-old's reappointment back in December 2019 and perhaps proving to be the most influential star since.

Jarrod Bowen's West Ham career in numbers

West Ham completed the £20m plus add-ons acquisition of Bowen back on January deadline day in 2020, with the winger impressing with Hull City in the Championship and looking every bit the successful forward in the top flight.

He started his new life in London with promise as Moyes looked to root his reign with a successful swerve of relegation, Bowen aiding his side in that feat with one goal and four assists across 13 Premier League outings.

He's somewhat flipped the switch at present, now regarded for his finishing ability and menacing presence in the final third, with his three-goal haul against Brentford taking him up to 14 strikes in the league this season, behind only Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah.

1.

Erling Haaland

17

2.

Mohamed Salah

15

3.

Jarrod Bowen

14

3.

Dominic Solanke

14

3.

Ollie Watkins

14

Noted for his "electric" ability in front of goal by journalist Rahman Osman, the England international is one of English football's standout forwards, having also scored the winning goal against Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final last June to crown the Moyes era in gold.

Of course, while the 27-year-old's dart and drive into the danger area, preceding a sumptuous placed finish, was crucial to the club's lifting of the trophy – conclusive, in fact – he wasn't the only player to have crafted silver-laden success.

It was Lucas Paqueta's delightful threaded ball to send Bowen wheeling toward goal, with the Brazilian playmaker possibly even a cut above the Hammers' prolific talisman.

Lucas Paqueta's value has soared at West Ham

This season, West Ham had been in fine fettle before a slump in form throughout January and February, and Paqueta has been one of the linchpins, posting five goals and six assists across 28 matches in all competitions.

The player made the move to London back in 2022, joining in a club-record £51m deal that confirmed to the division that West Ham were indeed striving for the top, not resting on their laurels after making progress and reaching the continent under Moyes' stewardship.

And while he only scored five goals and supplied seven assists over 43 outings last term, his influence and intellect in his movement and guiding of the play transcended the expectations set by the blinkered view of a player's worth assessed only through their direct output.

That through ball to send Bowen through on goal was representative of his ball-playing quality, probably the most elegant and effective of any player in the squad, with former teammate Declan Rice awestruck by Paqueta's “mind-boggling” attributes.

As per FBref, Paqueta also ranks among the top 8% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 5% for progressive passes, the top 1% for tackles, the top 16% for interceptions, the top 13% for clearances and the top 75 for aerial duels won per 90.

While some might question whether the £150k-per-week phenomenon's metrics have been distorted by his fluctuation between an attacking midfield role and the very centre of the pitch, he has in fact only played in central midfield on three occasions across all competitions this term, thus strengthening the argument that, yes, he is indeed one of Europe's elite distributors.

His all-action prowess had even attracted the attention of Manchester City last summer, with Pep Guardiola's side launching a series of bids to secure his signature, even offering £80m to convince West Ham to part ways, though the likely-accepted approach never saw the next phase, that eventuality slammed shut after the emergence of an FA betting investigation into possible breaches from the player.

Still, the saga underpins Paqueta's value and quality that has left the best team in world football scrambling to augment their ranks with his talent.

Bowen might be the man of the moment right now but Brentford's drubbing was also Paqueta's first match back from injury that – surprise, surprise – coincided with an alarming drop in form. He's first-class. He's the cream of the crop.

Not many South Africans would have heard of Waqar Salamkheil, the youngest new recruit for the second season of the Mzansi Super League. Indeed, Tshwane Spartans assistant coach Mandla Mashimbyi admitted that Salamkheil “is a mystery to us as well” after the 17-year-old left-arm wristspinner was signed up for R180 000 (US$12,000) at the MSL draft on Tuesday.He has played just 12 first-class matches, one of which was a Test match – against Ireland, earlier this year. Salamkheil picked up four wickets in the match as Afghanistan won by seven wickets. Besides that, he has played in eight T20 matches, seven of which were in the Afghanistan Premier League. Salamkheil played seven games for Kandahar Knights, claiming ten wickets, and a video featuring a few dismissals of those got the Spartans’ team management excited.”We saw a couple of videos, and we really liked what we saw,” Mashimbyi said. “He is similar to [Tabraiz] Shamsi. He is going to bamboozle a lot of guys. Hopefully, he can do his job properly. It’s nice to have that mystery factor. We don’t know what he will bring, but no one else knows either.”Head coach Mark Boucher called Salamkheil’s signing a “brave” decision, and one that was part of a broader strategy to cover all bases after Spartans’ poor showing in the inaugural MSL.While Salamkheil has no prior knowledge of South African conditions, many of his team-mates will know exactly what to expect from the SuperSport Park pitch. Nine members of the squad, including Morne Morkel and Roelof van der Merwe, are either still playing their cricket in local South African teams or have been part of teams that have been based in Tshwane.”Our squad this time has got cover for everything,” Boucher said. “It’s massive to have guys who’ve played there before. They are comfortable in the surroundings, have good memories and have won a lot of trophies. That will play to our advantage.”Boucher added that the Spartans would remain on the lookout for a new captain, with AB de Villiers vacating that role this season. “AB won’t be captain, we’ve discussed that. He’s a fantastic player but he must go out there and play and perform like he’s been performing in the last while.”We have a few leadership options, we’ll talk to them and see how they feel. I don’t think AB needs that burden, he’s in that stage of his life where he must enjoy his cricket and that’s probably when he plays his best.”

Having made 154 to give New Zealand a chance of winning a rain-afflicted Test, he now has a stunning four scores of over 150 in his last eight innings

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo25-Aug-2019

Tom Latham is in the form of his life, in Tests. Having made 154 in the first innings to give New Zealand a chance of winning a rain-afflicted Test at P Sara, he now has a stunning four scores of over 150 in his last eight innings. Although his team has had a light Test schedule over the past two years, the opener has put up impressive numbers. He averaged 45.70 in 2017, 59.81 the next year and is now on 78.80 in 2019.”I probably am in [the form of his career] if you look at the numbers,” Latham said after his hundred in Colombo. “It’s nice when you get to play a few series in a row, and we had that back home, and we had that back home. We’ve got a bit more Test cricket coming up at home, so hopefully my form continues.”I think it’s just a mindset. There’s time when you’re put under pressure where you might feel you want to score, but it’s about trying to wear the bowlers down and get them coming to your scoring areas. I have been in the position where I’ve been under a little bit of pressure, but it’s nice to come out the back end of that. If those tough times come again, hopefully you can look back on these sorts of times, and try reflect on what went well.”Although often rated as one of New Zealand’s best players of spin, Latham had had a modest series in the UAE last year, making a top score of 50. However, here, on a pitch taking significant turn here, he overcame a somewhat tetchy start to eventually play out 251 deliveries, putting on a 143-run partnership with BJ Watling.”I’ve been in these kinds of conditions before in the likes of India, but to stick to a good plan over a long period of time in the heat and humidity was really good. The main thing was to build those partnerships with the guys and be in the position we are now.”Sri Lanka have got spinners who turn it in, and who turn it away, so it’s about nailing down a plan around which shots are low percentage shots against certain spinners, and to be able to do that over a long period of time was very nice.”Realistically, New Zealand are the only side capable of winning this Test, with a lead of 138 and five first-innings wickets still in hand. More rain tomorrow could wipe out the final wisps of hope for a result, but Latham said New Zealand still believe they have a chance.”The ball’s definitely still turning on this pitch. With the new ball it does tend to nip around a little bit. There’s definitely enough in there for the bowlers. If we can apply enough pressure over a long period of time on Sri Lanka, then hopefully we can get those early wickets. On these sorts of surfaces things can happen quickly. Hopefully we can get a couple in a hurry.”

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Luis de la Fuente has confirmed that Lamine Yamal will not be substituted before 11pm in Spain's clash against Georgia.

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German curfew law means Spain could face fineYamal has impressed in Euro 2024La Roja boss says he won't be substitutedWHAT HAPPENED?

There had been confusion as to whether Spain would be able to field their 16-year-old superstar in case it would breach German labour rules. The rules state that anybody under the age of 18 cannot work later that 8pm, however athletes are permitted to work until 11pm – this would include any post-match interviews and media duties. De la Fuente has quashed any suggestions that Yamal will not play or be substituted early.

AdvertisementGetty Images WHAT DE LA FUENTE SAID

Speaking about Lamal at his press conference, De la Fuente said: "We talk to him daily.

"He shows a maturity inappropriate for his age, but he is in developing both as a footballer and as a person. We are all responsible in that process. We are going to do our job and let him play. Nothing more.

"I don't know the German legislation on whether Lamine has to be removed at 11pm… We don't think so."

DID YOU KNOW?

It had been thought that if Yamal had had to work later than 11pm then the Spanish FA would have had to pay a €30,000 fine. With the game against Georgia kicking off at 9pm local time, the full-time whistle would be cutting it fine to ensure Lamal had completed playing and all the post-game duties. De la Fuente is unfazed and will be playing his winger who has been one of the players of the tournament.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR YAMAL?

Should Yamal and Spain see off the challenge of Georgia they will face the hosts Germany, who saw off Denmark in controversial circumstances on Saturday night. Should he continue to impress, Yamal will continue to attract interest from Paris Saint-Germain who want to break the world transfer record to make him Kylian Mbappe's heir.

Journalist Dean Jones has reacted to news of "another setback" in the injury department for Everton midfielder Dele Alli, as his career continues to stutter.

Everton's relegation battle

The Blues find themselves scrapping at the bottom of the Premier League table currently, now sitting in 18th place in the relegation zone, one point adrift of Luton Town having played one game extra.

It is a hugely concerning time for Everton supporters, with their 10-point deduction for financial breaches hurting them badly, and there have even been rumours of further punishment coming their way.

Relegation to the Championship would be a bitter blow, especially with their move to their new Bramley Moore Dock home happening next year, so these next few months feel massive in their long-term future.

Sean Dyche has had to contend with so much on and off the field this season, with injuries one issue that has played a part in his team's struggles. Dele Alli is one player who continues to suffer from fitness issues, with the Englishman's career threatening to peter out, sadly, and Everton have also had to make do without more regular starters such as Abdoulaye Doucoure, Amadou Onana, Andre Gomes and Arnaut Danjuma, among others.

Dele Alli may not play for Everton again

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones reacted to the news that came out last month that Alli has picked up yet another problem at Everton, admitting that he may have played his last game for the club.

"I don't know that we'll ever see Dele pull on an Everton shirt again. The longer time drags on, you wonder will he ever pull on a shirt of any type again. There's no timescale on this injury. It's another setback.

"He did his chat with Gary Neville and the documentary came out around him, and he revealed all the reasons as to the difficulties that were going on in the background and his life that none of us would really have understood before that moment."

It is so sad to see how much Alli's career has plummeted in recent years, having once stood out as arguably one of the best young players in Europe. The world was at his feet when he was starring for both Tottenham and England, but a combination of injuries and mental health issues have cruelly robbed us of seeing a special talent reach his potential.

Alli's Everton career has been so disappointing, with only 13 appearances coming his way in the two years since he arrived from Spurs, being sent out on loan to Besiktas at one point, where he also struggled.

On the plus side, the attacking midfielder is still only 27 years of age, meaning there is still time for him to turn his career around, and Ryan Mason hailed him as "excellent" back in 2021.

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It would be so heartwarming to see Alli rid himself of his injuries and turn things around, but it does increasingly feel as though his time at Goodison Park could end sooner rather than later.