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According to reports, West Ham are ready to make a move for Armando Broja if he decides to leave Chelsea this summer.

The Lowdown: Broja profiled

The 20-year-old is an academy product at Stamford Bridge, but spent last season out on loan at Southampton where he established himself as an integral member of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s starting XI at St. Mary’s, making 38 appearances in all competitions.

The forward has since returned to the Blues following the expiration of his loan deal on the south coast, where it was expected that he would link up with the squad for the start of their pre-season plans, but that now doesn’t appear to be the case, with the Irons said to be keeping a close eye on developments.

The Latest: West Ham ready to move

In a new article published by Albanian outlet Ola (via Sport Witness), it’s claimed that Thomas Tuchel has ‘not planned’ to take Broja on Chelsea’s trip, with the player’s representatives having ‘made it clear’ to the German that he must be a part of the team or else he’ll leave the club.

The source states that he has now ‘imposed an ultimatum’ to give him a ‘final answer’ by the end of this week so that he can make a decision on where his next destination will be.

It’s reported that the striker has ‘numerous worshippers’ in the Premier League, with West Ham ‘ready to financially satisfy’ the Blues’ demands, a move that would ‘appeal’ to Broja as he would be able to stay put in the capital, but are set to face competition from rivals Everton who have also ‘entered the race’ for his services.

The Verdict: Competition for Antonio

With deals for both Nayef Aguerd and Alphonse Areola now complete, Moyes could do with turning his attention to bolstering his ranks in the final third, with Michail Antonio the only natural centre-forward that the Scot currently has available for selection.

Broja, who was once described as ‘devastating’ in front of goal by Albania’s assistant manager Sergio Porrini, would be able to provide some strong competition for the Hammers forward, having scored nine goals for the Saints in all competitions last season, and is a much more youthful option that could add some much-needed pace up top.

West Ham are clearly waiting in the wings ready to pounce if this situation changes, and with only one person to fight for his place against, a move to the London Stadium could be a very attractive proposition for the Chelsea man.

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Ben Brereton Diaz to Elland Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that, following the news of AC Milan’s improved offer for Club Brugge KV centre-forward Charles De Ketelaere, Victor Orta has now turned his attention to other targets in the summer transfer window – one of whom is said to be the Blackburn Rovers centre-forward.

The report goes on to state that Leeds sent scouts to watch the Chile international in action for Rovers in their pre-season friendly against Accrington Stanley last weekend, with the Championship side reported to have placed an asking price of £20m on the 23-year-old striker.

Imagine him & Kalimuendo

Considering the remarkable rise Brereton Diaz enjoyed with Blackburn last season, it is not difficult to understand why Orta would be keen on a deal to bring the forward to Elland Road this summer.

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Indeed, over his 37 Championship appearances in 2021/22, the £14.4m-rated talent was in breathtaking form, scoring 22 goals, providing three assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.8 shots, making 0.6 key passes and completing 1.6 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the £6.5k-per-week forward who Tony Mowbray dubbed “extraordinary” average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.94 – with his 22 strikes seeing him rank joint-third in the second-tier scoring charts last time out.

Furthermore, with Orta also reported to be closing in on a £21m deal for Paris Saint-Germain centre-forward Arnaud Kalimuendo this summer – the France U21 international who scored 12 goals over 34 Ligue 1 appearances on loan at RC Lens last season – the prospect of Jesse Marsch adding both players to his attacking arsenal ahead of Leeds’ 2022/23 Premier League campaign is sure to be an incredibly tantalising one for the Elland Road faithful.

Indeed, with the Whites set to receive a club-record €72m (£61m) fee from Barcelona’s signing of Raphinha, Orta will have more than enough funds to pursue both attacking targets this summer – with a Kalimuendo and Brereton Diaz link-up in the Leeds attack next season undoubtedly being a terrifying thought for Premier League defenders up and down the country.

AND in other news: Journalist now reveals “verbal agreement” for £31m Leeds target, Orta will be fuming

Newcastle United’s decision to turn down the option to sign Juventus centre-back Merih Demiral gives supporters a ‘big hint’ on the club’s transfer plans, according to Lee Ryder.

The Lowdown: Newcastle turn down Demiral

As per Chronicle Live, the Magpies declined the opportunity to sign the defender just last week.

The 24-year-old was offered to Newcastle by the Serie A outfit after Eddie Howe’s staff had been scouting him whilst he was on loan at Atalanta last season.

However, it has now been announced that the Bergamo outfit have triggered a clause to purchase the Turkey international for just €20m (£17.2m), leading the Magpies to pass up their chance to sign the defender.

The Latest: Ryder’s claim on Demiral

Taking to Twitter on Saturday morning, Ryder has commented on Newcastle’s decision to not sign Demiral, which he believes offers a significant clue as to their summer transfer plans. The reporter tweeted: “#nufc decision to turn down Juventus centre-back gives big hint on their plans”

In the adjacent Chronicle Live article, Ryder asserts that this illustrates the club’s intentions when it comes to signing a centre-back.

Having already passed on the soon-to-be free agent James Tarkowski, it is reported that Howe would ideally pair Fabian Schar alongside transfer target Sven Botman, whilst Manchester City’s Nathan Ake is the other ambitious target identified by the Tyneside club.

The Verdict: Confident in signing Botman?

With Newcastle turning down Demiral, this could suggest that St James’ Park recruitment staff are confident of landing Botman from Lille, despite rumours linking the Dutchman with a move to AC Milan.

Nonetheless, this demonstrates the level of player that the Magpies are now aiming to sign – Demiral is no slouch, having represented Turkey 35 times and made 12 Champions League appearances.

Therefore, this could be a sign that Botman is nearing a move to Tyneside, with Newcastle perhaps increasingly confident that they can get the deal done.

In other news: One pundit has been wowed by this Newcastle transfer news

BBC journalist Tom English has insisted that Rangers will be without Connor Goldson and Allan McGregor next season as a number of big changes are expected at Ibrox.

The Lowdown: Busy season

The Glasgow outfit have been extraordinarily busy this season, having made it all the way to the UEFA Europa League final, in addition to winning the Scottish Cup.

With the Gers missing out on the Scottish Premiership title to Celtic by a meagre four points, van Bronckhorst will be assessing his squad ahead of next season, weighing up any departures after the players enjoy a well-earned rest.

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The Latest: Major exodus

Writing in his BBC Sport column, English has made a number of assumptions about the Rangers squad ahead of next season.

Firstly, the journalist said he expects 40-year-old Allan McGregor will retire in the coming months.

English also claims that Connor Goldson is looking certain to leave upon the expiry of his contract.

With a number of stellar names now in the final year of their deals, it wouldn’t be unlikely to see some big players being sold ahead of next season.

As a result, it is expected that there will be numerous incomings and outgoings this summer.

The Verdict: Clubs will be interested

With such an impressive campaign showcased on the European stage, a whole host of clubs will be sniffing around the likes of Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos, Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey, who all excelled in the Europa League this year.

Whilst it may be the time to offload some of the deadwood, it is imperative that Rangers hold on to their best players – especially if they are to replicate their stunning European run.

Therefore, this will be a big transfer window for the Gers, and fans may be particularly concerned over the future of Bassey after his incredible display in Seville.

In other news: Rangers: Jonny McFarlane stunned by Cinch news

David Moyes has delivered a positive injury update on the fitness of West Ham centre-back Issa Diop ahead of the Premier League clash with Arsenal on Sunday.

The Lowdown: Twist in the tale

The 25-year-old was originally ruled out for the season after sustaining a serious ankle injury in the Hammers’ 1-1 draw against Burnley earlier this month, which came as a huge blow considering the fact that the Irons have reached the semi-finals of the Europa League and were already without Angelo Ogbonna long-term.

However, in an exciting new twist, the Scottish manager has now revealed that the defender could potentially make a return to action before the end of the campaign, adding to the good news in the defensive department after Kurt Zouma returned to the fray on Thursday night.

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The Latest: An outside chance

During his pre-match press conference ahead of the meeting with Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, Moyes announced that Diop is making some great progress and still has hope of a comeback prior to the end of May.

The boss said: “Issa is making a really good recovery and there’s always an outside chance he’ll be back before the end of the season.

“We were worried and didn’t think he would be, but we think there is a good chance that he could be. But we can’t confirm that at this moment.”

The Verdict: No need to rush

Whether the Frenchman gets declared fit in time to play again or not, there would be no point in rushing a return as this could cause an unnecessary setback that could affect his rehabilitation in the long term.

The £10.8m-rated ace has made 26 appearances in all competitions for West Ham this term, scoring one goal and providing one assist during that time and winning 1.5 of his duels on average per 90 minutes, via WhoScored.

For now, it’s much more important that the club look after him and prepare him ready for the start of the 2022/23 season, when Diop will hopefully be able to come back into contention and help his London outfit push for a place in the top six.

In other news… West Ham are said to be eyeing a move for a 5 foot 8 maestro this summer.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to Scotland’s astonishing upset of England in the one-off ODI at Edinburgh

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jun-2018

What Drama
One of the better games I've seen and no surprises there it involves a so called Associate team again
Congrats to @CricketScotland and @Beagleboy172 and @MeerGoose11 and his Men @Safyaan50 well bowled@calummacleod640 well batted

— Sikandar Raza (@SRazaB24) 10 June 2018

Cricket has all the ingredients to become a global game. Teams with massive potential like, Afghanistan, Ireland, Scotland along with many others have to be given more opportunities to play against the more experienced teams. Best way to provide great exposure. #SCOvENG

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) June 10, 2018

Scotland beat England at cricket But we don’t even play that sport?! And they’re number 1 in the world you tell me?!

— Jamie Murray (@jamie_murray) June 10, 2018

@CricketScotland has done it again!!! Huge congrats to all involved

— Carlos Brathwaite (@TridentSportsX) 10 June 2018

Results like today show that the @ICC do care about Associate cricket – they pour development resources in like no tomorrow and it is starting to show. Take your anger out on the member boards who don't want their power base threatened.#ScovEng

— Ed Cowan (@eddiecowan) 10 June 2018

Congrats @CricketScotland, @MeerGoose11 and rest of the players and staff! What a win!! Yet again shows that a 10 team WC next year is madness! #growthegame #SCOvENG

— Boyd Rankin (@boydrankin) 10 June 2018

Take a bow @CricketScotland what a performance.Hope @ICC is watching it.Proves associates are on par with the top Nations.Sad Worldcup is played only between 10 nations

— Sharad Vesawkar (@SharadCric) June 10, 2018

This is why @CricketScotland @Irelandcricket and @KNCBcricket amongst others should be at the World Cup

— Darren Gough (@DGoughie) June 10, 2018

What a win for @CricketScotland! Shows the strength and depth in world cricket right now beyond the top 10… #growthegame #SCOvENG

— George Dockrell (@georgedockrell) June 10, 2018

Congratulations @CricketScotland on a brilliant win today. Pity we won't see a repeat at the World Cup. Give it a chance and cricket could really become a global game.

— Cricket Germany (@Cricket_Germany) June 10, 2018

That is a huge result for @CricketScotland and for international cricket! Wonder if @ICC are even watching what’s going on!
So happy for the players, coaches and support staff who have made the win happen!
Associates are getting stronger! #takenote #followscotland

— Rob Taylor (@robtaylor1989) June 10, 2018

Who said Associate nations can't compete against Full Members?
Dear @ICC your no.1 team just got beat by a team which is not going to the world cup!! welldone @MeerGoose11 @calummacleod640 @crossy16

— Rohan Mustafa (@rohanmustafa88) June 10, 2018

What a day to be a @CricketScotland player! Magnificent win vs @englandcricket at the home (@GrangeCC) thanks to all support! Sensational from all involved!

— George Munsey (@GeorgeMunsey) June 10, 2018

Huge congrats to the lads in the Scotland sheds. Led superbly by skipper @MeerGoose11 . See you Tuesday. Enjoy tonight let the hair down….@crossy16 you guys have been threatening this for a while let it be the start of something special

— Niall John O Brien (@niallnobiobrien) 10 June 2018

Don’t worry England cricket fans I’ve organised a game v @CricketRussia in Moscow to soften the blow of losing to @CricketScotland#embarrassing but well done Scotland

— Darren Gough (@DGoughie) June 10, 2018

England number 1. Must be doing something right. Let's not go back to the 80s and 90's. @sambillings not played much, @MoeenAli not played much.

To many runs really. Not the batting.

Well played Scotland. Move on.

— Dean Headley (@deanheadley585) 10 June 2018

Kraigg Brathwaite has already shown he has the temperament to play long innings; in Sharjah, he did it under enormous pressure, and became the first opener ever to remain unbeaten through both innings of a Test match

Sirish Raghavan03-Nov-2016For all his solidity and competence, Kraigg Brathwaite can be pretty invisible even as he racks up the runs. Paradoxically, that is what makes him stand out. In a West Indies team where attractive strokeplay is more abundant than gritty run-accumulation, Brathwaite is a paragon of Test batsmanship.Still, he can be easy to miss. After West Indies slipped to 38 for 3 in their first innings in Sharjah, Brathwaite revived them through partnerships with Jermaine Blackwood, Roston Chase and Shane Dowrich. In each case, his batting partner seemed to take more of the limelight.Blackwood pinged four fours and struck a run-a-ball 23 in the pair’s 30-run stand. Similarly, Chase and Dowrich were both more flamboyant than Brathwaite, but also more fallible – and, therefore, far more watchable. Chase scored 50 in his 83-run partnership with Brathwaite; Dowrich scored 47 out of 83. Even Jason Holder commanded more attention than Brathwaite with two delightful boundaries – and another streaky one – in the pair’s 29-run stand.But it was Brathwaite who batted on and on. It was Brathwaite who continued the serious business of making big runs even as his partners flitted in and out of the scene with eye-catching contributions. It was Brathwaite who made himself an immovable object, refusing to give his wicket away till his side was firmly in the lead – in fact, not even then. Fittingly, while hauling West Indies past the finish line, he became the first opener in Test history to remain unbeaten through both innings of a match. That single statistic encapsulates his value as a batsman.To reduce Brathwaite to an obdurate stonewaller would be unfair. To suggest that his strokeplay is limited would be to overlook a significant aspect of his game. Brathwaite scores runs all around the field. If he does not do it through boundaries, he does it by working the ball into gaps for less glamorous ones and twos. In his first innings in Sharjah, in which he carried his bat for 142 off 318, he scored more than half of his runs – 78, to be exact – in singles. His most productive area was midwicket, despite the fact that he did not hit a single boundary in that region. Nor was Sharjah a one-off – in his career-best 212 against Bangladesh in St Vincent, Brathwaite hit 79 ones and 25 twos, again peppering all parts of the ground.Those ones and twos may not have got people jumping out of their seats, but they demonstrated his ability to find gaps all around the dial. They also showed that Brathwaite had the match-sense and the skill to rotate the strike regularly. Despite being in the middle throughout both of West Indies’ innings in the Sharjah Test, Brathwaite faced well under half the balls – 427 out of 957. He knows how to get to the other end, an attribute that is often missing in some of his team-mates.That said, Brathwaite’s single greatest gift is his temperament. He had already proved that he had the grit and concentration to play long innings; in Sharjah, he showed that he could do it under pressure when his team needed it most. And yet he did not seem overawed by the achievement. Speaking after the match, the 23-year-old Barbadian calmly expressed the hope that he could “repeat this feat many times”. Whether or not he manages that, he has already made himself increasingly difficult to ignore.

How New Zealand crafted a 32-run win to square the T20I series

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Aug-2015South Africa’s first breakthrough came in the sixth over when Kagiso Rabada dismissed Williamson for a 17-ball 25•Getty ImagesThe home side struck again three overs later when legspinner Eddie Leie removed Tom Latham to reduce New Zealand to 70 for 2•AFPGuptill, however, kept going and brought up his sixth T20I half-century in 30 balls•Getty ImagesBut after Guptill was dismissed for a 35-ball 60 in the 12th over, the visitors seemed to lose their way. James Neesham and Colin Munro chipped in with handy cameos, but Rabada came back in the 19th over to dismiss them both and finish with 3 for 30. South Africa gave away only 12 runs in the last two overs as New Zealand finished with 177 for 7•AFPSouth Africa’s chase was dealt early blows when Mitchell McClenaghan and Adam Milne dismissed openers Morne van Vyk and Hashim Amla in the third and fourth overs respectively•AFPAs usual AB de Villiers began aggressively, launching a few big hits•AFPHe was, however, sent back by Nathan McCullum in the seventh over, James Neesham taking a well-judged catch•Associated PressFirst Rilee Rossouw and then Farhaan Behardien, who made 36 off 27 balls, played useful hands, but New Zealand’s sharpness with the ball and in the field resulted in the home side falling 32 runs short of the target. Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum and Ish Sodhi took two wickets apiece•AFP

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from Chester-le-Street

Andrew McGlashan at Chester-le-Street25-May-2014Ball of the day
It could have been Lasith Malinga to Joe Root, but that was a delivery to a new batsman not yet set. Chris Jordan’s delivery to remove Tillakaratne Dilshan was a beauty to a player eyeing a hundred. It nipped back off a length, scooting between Dilshan’s inside edge and pad to hit middle stump. So Dilshan’s wait for a one-day hundred in England continued.Unexpected six of the day
Lahiru Thirimanne was lbw for a duck in the opening one-dayer and was again being troubled by the new ball at Chester-le-Street. But all of a sudden, having crawled to 3 off 27 balls, he picked up a length delivery from Harry Gurney and dispatched it into the spectators over deep midwicket. But it did not mark a long-term improvement for Thirimanne who soon edged to second slip.Impetus of the day
Ashan Priyanjan, recalled for this match in place of Thisara Perera, was on 5 when Harry Gurney missed a catch at third man and he made England pay. Facing James Tredwell’s last over he deposited him for two sixes – one straight and the other over midwicket – to revive a flagging innings. It was striking that Perera would have been pleased with.Missed chance of the day
Michael Carberry was given a chance at the top of the order when Alastair Cook was forced out of the match with a groin strain but when his opportunity came with the bat he could not make it count. On 6 he pressed forward to a good-length delivery from Nuwan Kulasekara and feathered an edge to Kumar Sangakkara. If Cook is fit for Old Trafford that may be Carberry’s one innings for the series.Spell of the day
“In those conditions he’s a nightmare for the batsmen, he swings the ball both ways and has done it so many times for us,” said Angelo Mathews about Kulasekara. It was a pretty accurate summation. England are not the first side to be humbled by his swing and seam, and they will not be the last. But here he beat England at their own game, taking for 3 for 1 in 11 balls to knock the stuffing out of the home side.

South Africa face their first series as No. 1. Given the frequency with which the Test mace has changed hands recently and that their opponents are Australia, this will be the stiffest of challenges for them

Firdose Moonda27-Oct-2012Sometimes the best way to learn something about other people is to watch them, rather than speak to them. With professional sportsmen that may be the case more so than with others.In the age of managed news, where almost all conversations between them and reporters happen with a press conference table and microphone between them, there’s very little to be gleaned from such an affair.In fact, Graeme Smith said almost exactly the same things at this engagement – the team’s departure conference ahead of the Australia series – as he did four months ago when they left for England. And AB de Villiers was the voice behind those words in March, when the team toured New Zealand. It was him, rather than Smith, because the limited-overs squad left first.So, it was much more beneficial to watch the squad as they played with children from the mini-cricket programme as part of their send-off, than to speak to them. The event was sponsor-organised and managed, but it allowed the South Africans to enjoy about 45 minutes of unmonitored fun and they took every opportunity to do that.De Villiers was the most involved and perhaps understandably so. He is the only one who has been kept out of action through injury recently. His chronic lower back issues ruled him out of the Champions League T20, although the management are confident he will be ready to play in Australia. For a moment, he seemed to think the small section of the airport corridor was the Australian team when he took guard against a seven-year-old and smashed him into the crowd, hitting someone. After that, he was markedly more sedate.Faf du Plessis, Robin Peterson and Rory Kleinveldt, the touring members who are not likely to play in the Tests, clowned around. Hashim Amla, Dale Steyn, JP Duminy and Vernon Philander tried to show the youngsters how to perfect their game – they are after all four of the best. Smith had his fatherhood hat on and he spent probably the longest time of all in the middle. Imran Tahir tried not to get lost in the commotion, as he has been doing for his entire Test career and Jacques Kallis took it all very seriously and casually hit three sixes before doing the right thing and retiring.In case you’re wondering, Alviro Petersen, Jacques Rudolph, Morne Morkel and Thami Tsolekile were not hiding. They will only depart on Monday, after the conclusion of the Champions League.The members of the squad who were there certainly didn’t look like a team who had the burden of No. 1 around their necks. They looked like a relaxed bunch of men having a good time under the watchful eye of Gary Kirsten, who did not participate but smiled from the sidelines.

“Touring is tough. No one should underestimate how tough it is to win away from home. An opposition playing in their conditions is daunting, the crowd is daunting and media is daunting. You need to play some good cricket and you need to show some inner strength to do well.”South Africa Test captain Graeme Smith

That attitude will be crucial to their defence of the ranking in Australia. When the title was won in England, Smith spoke about the importance of holding on to it, rather than celebrating having gained it, almost immediately. Given that it has changed hands with frequency recently, that was a wise thing to do.On their first tour since being crowned the world’s best, South Africa face the chance of losing that label; defeat will put Australia on top, any other result will see South Africa hold their position. And for the first time, they travel to Australia as favourites instead of underdogs.”We’ve earned the right to go there with that mantle,” Smith said. “And we are quietly confident in our ability to go there and be successful. Touring is tough. No one should underestimate how tough it is to win away from home. An opposition playing in their conditions is daunting, the crowd is daunting and media is daunting. You need to play some good cricket and you need to show some inner strength to do well.”The mental shift in South Africa’s game was believed to have happened in England. They defined their Test series win on being able to overcome in the “big moments”, which really means they think they can finally perform under pressure.Now it will be about showing they can do that consistently. For that to happen, they have to first get over the dizzying ecstasy of triumph and sober up for their next assignment. Smith believes the break in between has allowed them to do that. “You need to have time to reflect,” he said.”It’s nice to enjoy the success but these days, in international cricket, the turnaround is pretty quick and you have to focus on the next thing. This is the next step. We knew that we had the two big tours this year. We’ve overcome one of those hurdles and we’re looking forward to this one.”South Africa are in the middle of one of their busiest cricketing periods. This year, they have had three away tours and return from Australia to full home summer that includes visits from New Zealand and Pakistan. The more they play, the more opportunity they have to stamp their authority on the No. 1 spot. However, the reverse also applies.On receiving the mace, which now sits proudly in CSA’s offices across the road from the Wanderers Stadium, Smith said South Africa’s challenge would be to show stability when the winds come to blow them off their perch. The first gusts are a plane flight away. Few places are tougher than Australia to challenge in, never mind winning.The only way to approach such as task will be the way Smith has admitted to doing so himself when he performs at his best: by being at peace. Such an artistic state of mind may not immediately seem the method of a sportsman but a few minutes of watching the squad play with children whose weekend they no doubt made would have told you that is the frame of mind they are all in.