تحدث الدولي السويدي ألكسندر إيزاك، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول، عن صفقة انتقاله من نيوكاسل يونايتد خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية المنقضية.

وشهد سوق الانتقالات الصيفي 2025 جدلاً واسعًا وصراعًا طويلًا حول رحيل ألكسندر إيزاك من نيوكاسل يونايتد إلى ليفربول.

ونجح ليفربول في إتمام التعاقد مع نيوكاسل بصفقة قياسية بلغت قيمتها 130 مليون جنيه إسترليني كأغلى صفقة في تاريخ الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وحل إيزاك بديلًا في الدقيقة 72 مع منتخب بلاده في مباراة كوسوفو والتي انتهت بخسارة رفاقه بثنائية نظيفة ضمن تصفيات أوروبا المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026.

اقرأ أيضًا | تقارير: ليفربول اتخذ إجراء استثنائيًا للتأكد من حالة إيزاك قبل التعاقد معه

وقال إيزاك لوسائل الإعلام السويدية عقب المباراة والتي نقلتها صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو”: “من الرائع أن كل شيء قد حُسم قبل فترة التوقف الدولي، وأنني تمكنت من التركيز على لعب كرة القدم مجددًا، كان وضعًا جديدًا نسبيًا بالنسبة لي لكن المرء يتعلم ويتطور ذهنيًا دائمًا حتى خارج الملعب”.

وأكمل إيزاك: “من الواضح أن الصورة ليست واضحة للجميع، لكن هذا موضوع يمكن أن نتحدث عنه في وقت آخر”.

وأتم: “لا أستطيع أن أتحكم في كل ما يقال أو يُكتب، لكن شعوري هو أنني سعيد للغاية بانضمامي إلى ليفربول”.

Big picture

After a rust-ridden defeat in a low-scoring first T20I, India reasserted themselves the next day, showing just how high their ceiling can be with both bat and ball.Zimbabwe remain dangerous opponents, nonetheless, but one with clear limitations, and if they already had an arduous task ahead of them to convert 1-1 into a series win, it has only become harder. India will be strengthened with the arrival of three players who were part of their victorious T20 World Cup campaign: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube.Zimbabwe will need to be smart about how they approach the remainder of this series. They’ll need to keep drilling the basics – dropped catches may have exaggerated their margin of defeat in the second T20I – but they’ll also need to be realistic with their ambitions and understand that young players – they left out experienced seniors such as Sean Williams and Craig Ervine for this series – will take time to come into their own.”A lot of mistakes our youngsters have made have been due to lack of [experience] and not so much to do with their skills, so that’s a positive as well,” Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza said after the second T20I. “As they play, as they continue to find their feet in international cricket, they’ll learn. We all have been there.”Related

• How often have Zimbabwe beaten India in an official international match?

• Abhishek Sharma's territory is expanding

• Stats – Abhishek Sharma hits India's third-fastest T20I hundred

• Raza 2.0 gives Zimbabwe party to remember

Form guide

Zimbabwe LWWLL (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
India WLWWW

In the spotlight

In two innings so far in this series, Brian Bennett has made a 15-ball 22 and a nine-ball 26. He has shown he is one of the potential game-changers in this Zimbabwe side with his clean striking at No. 3 and his offspin, and he could yet win them a game or two in this series, particularly if he gets to spend a good amount of time at the crease.He didn’t get to play a match during India’s World Cup campaign, and missed the first two games of this series because he was part of their celebrations back home. Now it’s finally time for Sanju Samson. He’s only played 25 T20Is in the nearly nine years since his debut, but now he’s potentially locked in for three back-to-back games and will hope he can make the best of the opportunity.India’s bowlers made it very hard work for Zimbabwe in the second T20I•Associated Press

Team news

Zimbabwe captain Raza is averse to chopping and changing as a reaction to Sunday’s defeat, but he said after the game that the left-arm seamer Richard Ngarava would come in if he cleared a fitness test. “If he’s fit to go, he’s straight back in.”Zimbabwe XI (probable): 1 Innocent Kaia, 2 Wessly Madhevere, 3 Brian Bennett, 4 Dion Myers, 5 Sikandar Raza (capt), 6 Johnathan Campbell, 7 Clive Madande (wk), 8 Wellington Masakadza, 9 Luke Jongwe/Richard Ngarava, 10 Blessing Muzarabani, 11 Tendai Chatara.The returns of Jaiswal, Samson and Dube complicate India’s selection. Jaiswal is set to come in for B Sai Sudharsan, who made his debut in the second T20I but didn’t get to face a ball, but will he open or bat in the middle order? And who will Dube displace? Samson’s case is simpler; he will likely replace his Rajasthan Royals team-mate Dhruv Jurel. Whatever combination India go with, they could find themselves with at least two top-order players batting lower than their preferred slots.India XI (probable): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill (capt), 3 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 4 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 5 Shivam Dube, 6 Sanju Samson (wk), 7 Rinku Singh, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Avesh Khan, 11 Mukesh Kumar.

Pitch and conditions

On the eve of the match, India batter Ruturaj Gaikwad summed up the conditions at Harare Sports Club succinctly in his pre-match press conference.”Yes, definitely the conditions are challenging,” he said. “It is a bit unique. When there is some seam movement, you can still negotiate it if it is coming at one pace. But I feel it is a little double-paced here, there is a little variable bounce. So, there is a bit of difference because of that. [As long as] the ball is new, it is slightly tougher to score runs, but once the ball is old, fast boundaries, relatively small boundaries straight, you can still convert your runs after that.”The forecast for Wednesday promises a clear, sunny day with maximum temperatures in the mid-20s Celsius.Sunday was better than Saturday for India’s stand-in Shubman Gill and his boys•AFP/Getty Images

Stats and trivia

Manchester City won’t be taking the Club World Cup trophy home with them after all, after a dramatic 4-3 loss to Al-Hilal in the pre-season tournament.

Pep Guardiola and Co.’s defensive frailties were clear for all to see when watching the back-and-forth knockout tie in Orlando, with the Citizens registering a bumper 30 shots in total, only to be undone in extra-time by Simone Inzaghi’s never-say-die side.

With the tournament now out of the way, City can press on with even more signings away from previously landing Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, and Rayan Ait-Nouri in quick succession, as the rumour mill begins to kick back into life.

Man City's transfer latest

It has been somewhat quiet on the transfer front from City’s point of view after landing all those high-profile names in quickfire fashion, with the main hot topic centring on Kevin De Bruyne finding a new club to call his home in Napoli, alongside Oscar Bobb reportedly being looked at by Serie A giants Juventus.

However, a new development seems to suggest City will be busy with another fresh incoming very soon.

Indeed, Football Insider’s Mick Brown has now revealed that City will accelerate a move for Newcastle United star Tino Livramento to join the Etihad ranks, with the Magpies defender now done with his England U21 international duties at the Euros.

Scouts had even been sent on City’s end to watch Livramento in action at the tournament as Guardiola’s men try and hunt down a long-term right-back replacement for Kyle Walker.

After lifting the Euros trophy, the in-the-spotlight 22-year-old’s summer could become even better if he seals a switch to the sky blue half of Manchester shortly, with Livramento’s attacking qualities playing out from defence in the Premier League potentially making him a perfect candidate to be Guardiola’s next João Cancelo.

Why Livramento can be Pep's next Cancelo

Cancelo was once a regular mainstay of the City XI, but in Orlando, he was having the last laugh over his ex-employers when contributing with an assist for Al-Hilal to down the Citizens 4-3.

Irrespective of this memorable contribution souring his relationship with his former side even more, the Portuguese full-back was a firm fan favourite previously, with nine goals and 22 assists coming his way from 154 appearances at the Etihad.

Three Premier League titles would even be lifted by the long-standing City servant before a move to Al-Hilal opened up, with Guardiola never fully recovering from Cancelo’s exit, arguably, having had to now force Matheus Nunes into an uncomfortable position down the right-hand side when he’s far more suited to a central midfield role.

This is where Livramento could well come to the rescue in offering the Spaniard a more reliable, attack-oriented option down the right resembling Cancelo at this peak, with their similarities not just ending there.

Livramento’s career numbers at LB/RB vs Cancelo’s

Player

Position played

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

Livramento

RB

87

1

6

Livramento

LB

19

0

1

Cancelo

RB

247

13

44

Cancelo

LB

114

6

20

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Much like the one-time Champions League winner, the promising 22-year-old can also comfortably slot into any side in the left-back spot away from just the right, as seen in his 19 career games lining up on the opposing channel.

The London-born defender is some way off hitting Cancelo’s elite level when you consider the table further, but with Ait-Nouri already making that left channel look his own at the Club World Cup – with two key passes registered from his 119 touches versus Al-Hilal – Guardiola would surely drop Livramento into any upcoming City team selections on the right.

Having also amassed 14 goal contributions further up the pitch in the right midfield position, this could really go down as a golden deal much like when Cancelo first entered the building, with Toon content creator Kendall Rowan once referring to the youngster as a “superstar.”

City clearly requires even more fresh blood after a reality check loss to Al-Hilal, with their next major buy perhaps coming in the form of snapping up Livramento for a substantial £60m.

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Jordan Cox’s absence through illness keenly felt as challengers slump to 145-run loss

ECB Reporters Network03-Jul-2024Tom Lawes was Surrey’s last-day hero with four for 26 as they bowled out Essex for 215 to complete a 145-run victory over their nearest rivals at the Kia Oval and increase their lead at the top of the Vitality County Championship table.Dean Elgar scored a typically defiant 60 but Surrey’s quicker bowlers chipped away relentlessly once morning rain had cleared, with 21-year-old tyro Lawes first taking two wickets in successive balls and then returning after tea to break further Essex resistance from Paul Walter and Michael Pepper.Surrey’s 20-point win, their sixth from nine Division One matches so far this season, was completed with 25.5 overs to spare and they remain on course for three championship titles in a row. In support of Lawes, Jordan Clark finished with three for 56 and Dan Worrall two for 71.Second-placed Essex, rightly, will be sore that they effectively had to play a vital top-of-table fixture with ten men due to the absence virtually throughout of Jordan Cox, who left the field early on day one feeling unwell. Cox has since had an operation to remove his appendix but ECB regulations allow a substitute only for concussion victims.Perhaps Cox’s full involvement might have made little difference, particularly on a well-grassed pitch that encouraged the seamers throughout, but the 23-year-old came into the game heading Essex’s championship batting averages with 763 runs at 69.36. Losing him to illness was unfortunate enough, but not be able to replace him with another batsman in such circumstances meant Surrey also had to take just 18 wickets overall, not 20.Resuming their second innings on 21 for two, Essex would have been aiming only for survival, rather than an improbable chasing down of a 361-run win target, and a two-hour bad weather interruption early in the day certainly helped their cause.Only 13 balls were bowled at the start, Essex moving quickly to 38 for two as Westley took two fours from Clark’s opening over, before rain ruled out a resumption until after an early lunch at 1.10pm.Elgar and Westley then initially flourished – once Westley had survived a huge early shout for leg-before when a Worrall outswinger squared him up and thudded into his back pad – and the pair took their third wicket alliance to 69 before Lawes’ introduction dramatically swung the contest back in Surrey’s favour.Worrall had been taken for three offside fours in one over by Elgar, while Westley off drove Clark elegantly for four before flicking Worrall away for further boundaries to fine leg and then off his pads to square leg.But, with his second ball, after replacing Worrall at the Vauxhall End, Lawes had Elgar dropped by Dom Sibley at second slip on 36 before, in his second over, removing both Westley and Matt Critchley.Each time Ben Foakes dived to his right to take good catches as perfectly-pitched outswingers took the edge of both Westley and Critchley’s forward defensive bats and, suddenly, Essex were 86 for four with Lawes on a hat-trick.He had to wait until the first ball of his third over for the hat-trick opportunity, only to see Elgar clip away a full ball to deep mid wicket for three to complete his half-century.Lawes’ six-over spell of two for 18 had, however, seriously damaged Essex’s hopes of batting out the day for a draw and, when Worrall returned to replace Lawes in the attack and tempt Elgar into hooking a short ball straight into deep mid wicket’s hands it looked as if the end was nigh for the visitors.Walter and Pepper, though, added 64 until Lawes struck again with the sixth ball after tea to have Pepper held at second slip for 26, and the young fast bowler then bowled Walter for 56 – via an ugly under-edged pull to a ball that was not there for the shot – to leave Essex 194 for seven.Simon Harmer (7) hung around bravely for 42 balls before edging Worrall to Foakes and the next ball, Clark’s first of the following over, pinned Shane Snater lbw for seven to wrap up Surrey’s win.An overall attendance for the match of 13,706, meanwhile, boosted considerably by the 6,300 who turned up to support the club’s Festival of Red Ball Cricket initiative on day one – when the Oval concourses were offering a wide variety of family-friendly activities – is a ground record for a Surrey championship fixture this century.

Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund was mere centimetres away from netting a potentially crucial goal in last month’s Europa League final, having seen his goalbound header denied by a simply remarkable acrobatic clearance from Micky van de Ven.

The suggestion from TNT Sports commentator Ally McCoist that the Dane could have done better with that attempt appeared distinctly harsh, with his colleague, Darren Fletcher, perhaps putting his best when suggesting that the 22-year-old might be the “most unlucky number nine” that the Red Devils have ever had, following his disallowed goal on the final day against Aston Villa.

Whether it is the fault of the £64m man, or due to the wider problems of the team, he simply hasn’t kicked on in a United shirt as expected, with the player who ran Galatasaray ragged in October 2023 having hardly been seen since.

Short of quality and confidence, Hojlund ended 2024/25 with just ten goals to his name in all competitions, having only netted four times in the Premier League, while missing just six ‘big chances’.

That latter statistic illustrates that the ex-Atalanta starlet isn’t necessarily wayward in front of goal, albeit the lack of opportunities created perhaps points to the lack of trust in him from his teammates – something which was said to be an issue at the tail-end of the previous campaign.

Having ended the 2023/24 season as the club’s top scorer, there is a player in there somewhere. The issue is, United’s patience appears to have – rightly – worn thin.

Man Utd's search to replace Rasmus Hojlund

While Hojlund may be keen to stay and prove himself at Old Trafford, a return to Italy does appear the most likely outcome, with Champions League finalists Inter Milan reportedly ready to bring him back to Serie A.

With one number nine seemingly on his way, another could be set to arrive in the form of Viktor Gyokeres, albeit with the Swede currently in a public dispute with Sporting CP over his future, amid the suggestion that the club have rowed back on their willingness to let him leave for around €70m (£59m) this summer.

Things are getting messy in Lisbon, it would seem, hence why United’s newly crowned sporting director, Jason Wilcox, must continue to consider alternatives, with TEAMtalk reporting that talks have been held between the club and the representatives of Juventus striker, Dusan Vlahovic.

Transfer Focus

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

The suggestion is that the Serbian’s agents reached out to Wilcox and co in order to try and engineer move, with the 25-year-old believed to be prioritising a Premier League switch.

While the report does state that the former Fiorentina man is not deemed to be a ‘priority target’ for Ruben Amorim, the contact was said to be ‘positive’, ensuring the Premier League outfit could return to the table later down the line.

Amorim, it would seem, might have his heart set on a reunion with Gyokeres, although Vlahovic would surely be the next best thing. Oh, and he might be available for just €30m (£26m).

How Vlahovic compares to Viktor Gyokeres

The ‘definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results’, with United perhaps wary of dipping into the Serie A market for a third successive summer in order to sign a new striker.

Indeed, 2023 saw Erik ten Hag plump for Hojlund, despite the then 20-year-old having scored just nine league goals for Atalanta the year prior. A year later, the Dutchman then forked out £36.5m for Joshua Zirkzee, a player who had netted just 11 times in Serie A for Bologna in 2023/24.

The result? Two goal-shy, albeit talented figures who scored just seven league goals between them for United last time out, with there certainly a fear that Vlahovic could continue the trend, having actually only scored ten Serie A goals last season – plus a further five in all competitions.

The difference is, Vlahovic’s work prior to that is reason for excitement, having scored 81 top-flight goals, across his time in Turin and Florence, since the start of 2020/21, with a further six strikes coming the year before that for his former employers.

It is for that reason that, much like Gyokeres, he has been hailed as a “goal machine” by scout Antonio Mango, with writer Emmet Gates also tipping him to be a “generational talent” in the past.

A hulking, brute of a striker at 6 foot 4, the Serbian star truly is an imposing focal point at the top end of the pitch, a trait he shares with the 6 foot 2 Gyokeres.

While the latter man may be the “hottest striker in Europe” right now, as per ESPN’s Mark Ogden, following his haul of 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting, the Swede certainly boasts similar traits to his Juventus counterpart.

That is particularly seen in their ability to score out of nothing from range, with both men possessing a cannon of a stronger foot. Indeed, analyst Ben Mattinson has hailed Gyokeres as a “ball-striking monster”, while Sky Sports’ Nick Wright has described Vlahovic as ‘dangerous from long distance’.

Such quality is evidenced by the fact that both men have taken on free-kick duties of late, with Vlahovic scoring four between 2022/23 and 2023/24, while Gyokeres netted three in 2024/25 alone, as per Transfermarkt.

As alluded to in the case of Hojlund, United are in desperate need of a striker who can conjure up a moment of magic on their own, with neither Vlahovic nor Gyokeres particularly reliant on the service around them.

That said, both can provide that poacher’s instinct when required too, with the Juve sensation ranking in the top 10% of strikers across Europe for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, as per FBref, while the former Coventry City man ranks in the top 15% in that regard.

While Vlahovic may be a left-footer, unlike Gyokeres, the pair are both a force to be reckoned with, with the Belgrade-born star’s consistency at the elite level over a number of seasons certainly to be admired.

Yes, he may not be the leading target for Amorim and Wilcox, although if prising Gyokeres from Lisbon proves too great of a task, then they may have already opened the door to the next best thing.

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Redmayne’s anchoring 34 take low-scoring final out of Welsh Fire’s grasp

Vithushan Ehantharajah18-Aug-2024Two years on from Deepti Sharma sending Charlie Dean into despair by running her out at the non-striker’s end, the pair were jumping into each other’s arms on the same side of the pitch. Deepti had just struck the winning runs in the 2024 women’s Hundred final, a six launched high rather than far, but far enough to send Shabnim Ismail over the sponge with it.And with that, London Spirit were champions for the first time, and whatever diplomatic chaos that England-India ODI conclusion wrought back in 2022 had well and truly been blown out of the water. Foes were now friends. Spirit now champions. Heather Knight’s charges, having grown into this tournament just in the nick of time, scraped into third place and then turned over the top two in the space of a weekend to secure championship status.Victory over Welsh Fire by four wickets, with just two balls to spare, was perhaps closer than it should have been after restricting the league-leaders to 115, a score which relied heavily on Jess Jonassen’s 54. But it was Ismail’s 3 for 24 that sprinkled doubt into Spirit minds with the prime cuts of Meg Lanning, Knight and Danielle Gibson falling to some exceptional pace and movement from the South African quick. It was cruel the final moment had the ball slipping through her grasp.Ultimately, Spirit dug deep, courtesy of a measured 34 from Georgia Redmayne, coming off the back of an unbeaten 53 south of the river 24 hours earlier in the Eliminator. Redmayne did to Fire as she had done to Oval Invincibles; pacing out the chase with a level of calm that this time was broken when Freya Davies nipped one down the slop from around the wicket to pin the left-hander in front. By the time Redmayne had departed, the ask was 12 from 11, but the nerves were evident when Abigail Freeborn was finally run out after a couple of close shaves. Thankfully for Spirit, that brought Dean’s “Future England Captain” calm to the crease, which she used to charge and find a single off her only ball, handing matters back to Deepti, who finished it off in style.Ultimately, Fire will rue a stuttering start after being asked to bat first, that was only salvaged by Jonassen’s maiden half-century in this competition. Three wickets were lost in the first 29 balls. Sarah Glenn’s two in three deliveries – the first accounting for Tammy Beaumont; the second sending Sarah Bryce back to the dugout with a two-ball duck – allowed Spirit to maintain control for most of the first innings.Georgia Redmayne played another vital hand in the chase•ECB/Getty ImagesThe 52-run stand between Jonassen and Hayley Matthews was slow to begin with, particularly as Matthews struggled for timing. But she persisted through the scratchiness, taking the score to 84 before departing for the fourth wicket, hitting the only boundary off Glenn in the process. Had Knight held on to a tough chance at cover – diving, full length, to her right, getting a hand to the ball without clutching – Matthews would have been out on nine and Fire in a host of trouble at 55 for 4.It was at that point Jonassen stepped up a gear, lacing four boundaries in six deliveries – the first three off Gibson, the fourth off Dean – finally giving Spirit something to think about. It did not last long; just 10 runs came off the final 10 deliveries, with four wickets – two of them run-outs.But it did at least lead to a sense of jeopardy when Ismail nipped one down the slope to bowl Knight, and then again to end Gibson’s breezy, momentum-shifting cameo. Five boundaries in her first six deliveries – a couple of neat guides down to third sandwiching clubs to midwicket and through the covers – took the required runs below balls faced for the first time in the second innings, pushing Welsh Fire into a Strategic Timeout with 33 needed from 34.Gibson’s dismissal at the start of Ismail’s final set ended the torrent of boundaries, but it did introduce Deepti to the crease. And though the allrounder was far from fluent upon arrival, missing out on a host of loose deliveries as she tried to manufacture sweep shots that were not quite there, there was a sense that something outlandish was in the offing as we entered the final set of the 2024 competition with six needed. Her bowling may be steady – as it was again on Sunday with 1 for 23 – but Deepti’s batting is often about the devil on her shoulder.The match-up with Matthews for the final set made sense from Fire’s perspective, even if the West Indian had been expensive with 25 off her first 15 deliveries. The lack of pace meant batters had to do something different. And Deepti, charging down to just get to the pitch of the ball and contorting her wrists to heave over wide long on for the only six of the match, did just that.

West Ham United have now agreed a deal to sign a “powerful” player for a fee of £19m plus add-ons, who is set to become their first new summer signing, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Hammers in need of major summer rebuild

West Ham fell below their usual standards in the 2024-25 campaign, finishing in 14th place, while the recent departure of Mohammed Kudus only exacerbates the need for Graham Potter to make a number of additions to his squad this summer.

There have been suggestions that Kudus’ departure, which raised £55m, could help fund the rebuild, with Potter in need of younger players, having fielded the oldest average starting XI in the Premier League last season.

However, like many clubs, it has become difficult for the Irons to abide by PSR rules, especially now they are having to go without European football, which could make it difficult to bring in a new striker, goalkeeper, central midfielder and left-back.

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That said, it appears as though they are now very close to strengthening one of those positions, with Romano recently taking to X to reveal that a deal has been agreed to sign Slavia Prague left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf.

The Hammers have recently submitted an improved offer of €22m (£19m) plus add-ons, which has been accepted by the Czech club, and Diouf has been given permission to travel to London for his medical.

The defender has been a key target for quite some time, as revealed by ExWHUEmployee, who said: “We have been targeting the player for a while as we exclusively revealed and he ticks a number of boxes. He has a physical presence, he has pace, he is only 20 years of age and his career can only progress further from this point. This is the sort of value for money that West Ham have been looking for.”

"Powerful" Diouf could be solid signing for the Hammers

Not only does ExWHUEmployee believe the youngster can kick on at the London Stadium, but he has also received high praise from U23 scout Antonio Mango, who once described the full-back as a “powerful dribbler”.

West Ham certainly need to bring in a left-back this summer, given Aaron Cresswell’s departure, and the starlet already has a great deal of experience at first-team level, having made 50 senior appearances for Slavia Prague.

The Senegalese defender is particularly impressive from an attacking point of view, having collected nine goals and four assists during that time, courtesy of often playing in a slightly more advanced role.

Diouf could be a solid signing for the Hammers, and barring any late hiccups, it appears as though he is set to become their first signing of the summer.