Crystal Palace have now entered the race to sign Getafe goalkeeper David Soria, who could be brought in as a replacement for Vicente Guaita, according to reports from Spain.

What's the latest Crystal Palace transfer news?

Palace offered Guaita a new contract earlier in the transfer window, with it being reported that the Spaniard is happy at Selhurst Park, and is willing to battle Sam Johnstone for a place in the starting XI next season – however, he is yet to sign a new deal.

The 36-year-old has just one year remaining on his current contract, meaning his future is in doubt, and he has now emerged as a transfer target for Getafe, as reported by Marca (via Sport Witness).

Getafe are targeting Guaita as a potential replacement for Soria, who has now been linked with a move to the Premier League, with Nottingham Forest recently making their interest clear.

The Eagles have also now joined the race for the 30-year-old, viewing him as an option to replace their current goalkeeper, amid the doubt surrounding his future at Selhurst Park, given that he is yet to put pen to paper on a new contract.

In summary, Palace entering the race for Soria has caused Getafe to look at replacements for their goalkeeper, and Guaita has been "sounded loud" as a possible target, meaning the two clubs could end up swapping their goalkeepers this summer.

How good is David Soria?

Journalist Alvaro Canibe has recently hailed the £25k-per-week shot-stopper for the influence he has in the dressing room, as well as for his performances on the pitch, saying: "Thumbs up for David Soria. His excellent level on the pitch has only been surpassed by his courage, leadership and attitude off it. This season has made his importance clear. Captain without the armband. Colossal.

With an average Sofascore match rating of 6.97, the 6 foot 3 colossus was ranked as Getafe's second-best performing player in La Liga last season, and he particularly impressed when it came to saving penalties.

Up until April 8th last season, the Getafe star had saved four of the seven penalties he'd faced, more than any other goalkeeper in Europe's top five leagues at that stage of the campaign.

Not only that, but the Madrid-born goalkeeper's save percentage in general is also very impressive, stopping an average of 75.3% of the shots he has faced per 90 over the course of the past year, placing him in the 81st percentile when compared to his positional peers.

The only potential criticism that could be made of the former Sevilla man is that he does not appear to be particularly good with his feet, given that he ranks in the 99th percentile for number of passes launched, and he is only in the 13th percentile for touches per 90.

That said, Soria could still be a really solid signing for Crystal Palace, as he would be more than capable of pushing Johnstone for a place in the starting XI next season.

The 23-year old batsman from Tamil Nadu took India Red from 205 for 9 to 383 to give them a chance in the Duleep Trophy game against India Blue

Deivarayan Muthu15-Sep-2017

Double-hundred in maiden Duleep Trophy match. First Indian to hit a double on pink-ball debut. Rallying India Red from 205 for 9 to 383. Dominating the highest tenth-wicket stand (178) in the tournament, and the second-highest in Indian first-class cricket. B Indrajith could not have asked for a better start to the 2017-18 first-class season.The 23-year old batsman from Tamil Nadu was in his sixties when the ninth wicket of the innings fell. Scoring a hundred, let alone a big one, seemed far fetched.But Indrajith combined with Vijay Gohil and blunted the India Blue attack under the floodlights to lead a remarkable recovery. “This is a very, very special innings for me,” he told ESPNcricinfo from Kanpur. “I did not expect to score a hundred after we were nine down. To reach a double-hundred from there is very special. Vijay Gohil defended tightly and I found a rhythm. Without his support and partnership, it would not have been possible.”After closing the first day at 120 off 181 balls, Indrajith reached his 200 off 280 balls, smashing 20 fours and six sixes. This despite India Red captain Suresh Raina posting five men on the boundary as soon as the batsman had moved past his century.”I later took calculated risks when the ball was in my area,” Indrajith said. “I hit out against the spinners and targeted some medium-pacers. I told Vijay ‘I will face the first three balls of the over and then try to turn the strike and give it to you’. I asked him to push for two and run hard whenever he found the gap in the outfield and dealt with the situation. He also showed good application, defended tightly, and left balls outside off.”In addition to the match situation, which was complicated enough, Indrajith had to deal with a couple of issues with the pink ball. “At times, it is hard to spot the seam,” he said. “I usually play the red ball looking at the shine, I could not do the same against the pink ball. It swung in the first five-six overs; once you see that off and settle down, you can score runs.”I did not find it easy to pick the spinners, too, particularly under lights. Wristspin is more difficult to pick but India Blue did not have a wristspinner. At the nets, I found it difficult to pick my team-mate Karn Sharma under lights… The trend has been that wickets fall to the new pink ball under lights. But me, Siddarth Kaul, Basil Thampi and Vijay Gohil hung on.”Indrajith is into his fifth season as a first-class cricketer. In 2015, two years after his debut, he was named the Tamil Nadu vice-captain but a sharp decline in form forced him out of his leadership position. Able to concentrate solely on his batting again, he struck 697 runs from 14 innings in 2016-17, playing a vital part in Tamil Nadu’s run to the Ranji Trophy semi-final. He was selected to play for India A against the touring Australians on the back of that performance.Indrajith starting the new season with a back-to-the-wall double-century was the result of his preparation leading up to it. His personal coach and former Railways player S Balaji said: “He has been working hard at training before the season and there a few aspects to it.”Firstly throwdowns, sometimes we use a steel pipe instead of the bat – the pipe is roughly the same weight as that of the bat. Then visualisation: what length the bowler might bowl and respond to various situations. Then during 22-yard practice, we ask for certain wickets, whether seaming pitches or turners. We also practiced at [team-mate] Vijay Shankar’s terrace, where one end of the make-shift indoor pitch has tiles. The ball turns madly and sometimes jumps from there. It has helped all three [Indrajith, his twin brother Aparajith and Shankar] of them deal with uneven turn and bounce.”Balaji hoped the Duleep Trophy innings was the start of a Indrajith rectifying a flaw in his career so far: “I have been telling him in the last few years the impact innings haven’t been coming and that he needs to improve. He is due for bigger call-ups. He has been hitting fifties and hundreds in Ranji Trophy, but there weren’t many high-impact innings. In fact, 10 days back, VB Chandrasekhar called me and asked ‘why he hasn’t been scoring big’? Hopefully, this turns out to be that innings.”

The New Zealand batsman was the top-scorer in the domestic Super Smash T20 competition, and made his international debut in a T20I against South Africa earlier this year

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Aug-2017New Zealand batsman Glenn Phillips, who made his international debut in a T20I against South Africa earlier this year, is set to join Jamaica Tallawahs for CPL 2017.Auckland Cricket confirmed that 20-year-old Phillips will join Tallawahs as the franchise’s fifth overseas player, alongside Shakib Al Hasan, Kumar Sangakkara, Mohammad Sami and Imad Wasim.Phillips was the highest run-getter in New Zealand’s domestic T20 competition, the Super Smash, in the 2016-17 season with 369 runs in ten innings, at a strike rate of 143. He struck three fifties and a century in the tournament, becoming the first New Zealand player to hit centuries across first-class, List A and T20 formats in the same season.The performance earned him a call-up for the sole T20I on South Africa’s tour of New Zealand in February and he made his debut in Auckland.Tallawahs, the defending champions, have played two matches so far, with one win and a loss. Their assistance coach, Mark O’Donnell, who also coaches the Auckland Aces in New Zealand’s domestic set-up, said Phillips added value as a back-up wicketkeeper, too.”Glenn is valuable to any team he joins as he can turn a game on its head with his batting. He is also handy behind the stumps so to have him as a keeping option is also helpful for the Tallawahs.”

Stuart Meaker took two wickets in two balls•Getty Images

A bank holiday crowd filed into the Kia Oval and sunned themselves for 93 overs. Many hit the stronger drinks before midday, safe in the knowledge that only a four-day working week stood before them. All bar a few perambulated during lunch or tea, taking in their historic surroundings. And typically, no one – Surrey or Middlesex fan – left happy.The home fans, satisfied that Middlesex had been bowled out in just over a couple of sessions, were dismayed by losing both their openers by the close. Those who ventured from north London, spiritually if not geographically, felt their experienced batting card should have done a lot better in such favourable conditions.Cricket isn’t played on paper – how amusing would it be if it was? – but when the respective teams were revealed after Middlesex won the toss and elected to bat, it seemed that they held all the aces. The visitors welcomed back Toby-Roland Jones to their ranks after 14 wickets in three Tests for England that has all but assured him of a place in this winter’s Ashes squad.The opportunity to go straight into a game rather than simmer on the sidelines and carry the drinks as Chris Woakes played ahead of him is one he duly took. Two wickets in the dregs of the opening day – debutant Ryan Patel caught superbly by Sam Robson at bat-pad and Rory Burns edging a beauty that nipped away from the left-hander, through to John Simpson – may have tilted the game back to Middlesex. For most of the day, however, a depleted Surrey were on top.Without Tom Curran, whose back is feeling the effects of 237 Championship overs in 11 innings this summer (not to mention his white ball lot), Aaron Finch, who injured his calf in Friday’s T20 Blast quarter-final defeat to Birmingham Bears, and with Mark Stoneman away with England, Surrey were pushed to hand debuts to Patel and Ollie Pope. Yet, with four 19-year-olds in their XI, it was their maturity in the field that allowed them to dismiss Middlesex for 247, with the sun out and a pitch that allowed batsmen to play their shots.Robson did just that. One of the many casualties in England’s haphazard pursuit of an opening partner for Alastair Cook, Robson has been one of the few to return to county cricket and continue on, seemingly unscarred by the experience. Whether that is totally the case, only Robson can tell you, but his game has taken on a free-flowing quality that has not impinged on the resilience that saw him earn his debut call-up. Without wishing to sound churlish – he is much easier on the eye.His third half-century of the season, from 107 balls with eight fours, felt like it would develop into his third century. By that point, Surrey had removed Nick Compton and Stevie Eskinazi during a morning session in which Gareth Batty cycled through six bowlers as both sides tried to get a measure of each other. Then, with Middlesex steady on 131 for 2, Stuart Meaker happened.Bowling as quick as he has done this season, Meaker used the end of the 44th over sear one late into the shin Robson’s off stump before bruising the top of it with his very next delivery, to Paul Stirling. The hat-trick ball, at the start of the 46th, was kept out by John Simpson, who then edged the final ball of the over through a recently vacated third slip.That Meaker was able to concentrate on being the X-Factor bowler, when he might have been required to do some donkey work in the absence of Tom Curran, spoke volumes of those around him. Rikki Clarke’s two wickets – Adam Voges trapped lbw for 40 and James Franklin caught in the cordon – came in frugal spells, eventually seeing him go at an economy rate of under two across 16 overs.Patel’s right-arm seam, usually a sideshow to his classy left-handed batting, only gave away 22 from 11 overs, while the even share of four wickets from 28 overs between offspinners Gareth Batty and Amar Virdi came for just 40 and 38 runs, respectively. Backed up by some solid fielding, such as Scott Borthwick taking two excellent catches at second slip, Surrey could well have called this day their own, even if the last three Middlesex wickets added 84 runs.How things changed when boos scored the final over of the day, with Meaker and Borthwick refusing to run when edges flew past second slip and then through the keeper as Ollie Rayner got his favourite county surface to talk dirty to him. “That’s four runs we could have had,” raged a Surrey fan in the lower deck of the OCS stand. Surrey closed on 26 for 2, Meaker slightly bemused that the crowds who had early roared for him were now wailing against him for doing his job. It summed up an absorbing if slightly baffling day’s play.

Chelsea are believed to be preparing an offer for highly-rated Lyon youngster Rayan Cherki in the summer transfer window, according to a new report.

Who is Rayan Cherki?

The 19-year-old is arguably one of the most exciting young prospects in Ligue 1 currently, bursting onto the scene at Lyon and wowing with his attacking quality, on a regular basis.

Cherki, who currently earns just £28,000 per week, scored four goals and registered six assists in the league last season, already showing that he can perform in one of Europe's top five divisions at this early stage in his career. He already has 30 goal contributions (14 goals and 16 assists) in a Lyon shirt, and he has netted five times in 12 caps for France's Under-21s, with a senior call-up surely arriving at some point in the future.

The attacking midfielder isn't out of contract at his current club until the summer of 2025, but that doesn't mean that a move away is out of the question this summer. Chelsea have been linked with a move for him in recent past, and it is a rumour that is refusing to go away.

Could Chelsea be set to bid for Rayan Cherki?

According to ESPN, Chelsea could be about to bid for Cherki imminently, as they look to bring in the attacking starlet as a replacement for Christian Pulisic:

"Chelsea are preparing to make an opening offer for Lyon wonderkid Rayan Cherki as they seek a replacement for Christian Pulisic, sources have told ESPN. Pulisic is closing in on a move to AC Milan, with the United States midfielder due to undergo a medical with the Serie A giants in the next 24 hours, ESPN reported Tuesday.

"Cherki is keen to join Chelsea, sources have told ESPN. Born in Lyon and a product of the club's youth system, he is valued at around €40 million and is under contract until June 2025 after an automatic one year extension was triggered in April when he reached 15 Ligue 1 starts."

Cherki looks like a serious prospect with a massive future in the game, so he could be considered a hugely exciting signing for Chelsea this summer, as new manager Mauricio Pochettino looks to acquire the services of young talent and rebuild the Blues' squad after a bitterly disappointing 2022/23 season.

He could come in as a strong squad option from the off, although not necessarily a definite starter, given his age, before maturing into something truly formidable over time. The fact that Kylian Mbappe has expressed his admiration for him in the past says a lot about his ability, while Laurent Blanc has lauded him as "very talented" and "exceptional".

Predominantly used as a central attacking midfielder, Cherki could help make up for the loss of Mason Mount to Manchester United, linking the midfield and attack at Stamford Bridge, but he has also taken up a left-sided role for Lyon at times, and this versatility is an extra attribute that could further appeal to Pochettino.

Arsenal are reportedly chasing the signature of Goncalo Inacio to bolster their defence in their three-way title race with Liverpool and Man City.

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• Arsenal want €60m-rated defender
• Lacking depth at centre-half
• Keen to avoid collapse akin to last season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , Arsenal are monitoring the Portuguese international and Sporting CP star. The 22-year-old is indispensable to the Liga Portugal leaders and would command a significant transfer fee, given there is a €60 million (£52m/$65m) release clause in his contract. Inacio is left-footed and would offer strong competition to Arsenal’s left-sided centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Perhaps wary of a repeat of last season’s collapse following an injury to William Saliba, Arsenal are looking to add depth at centre-half in January. The Gunners are relatively short at the back, having lost summer-signing Jurrien Timber to an ACL injury in the opening game of the Premier League season. Mikel Arteta’s side have also been linked with Inacio’s team-mate and fellow defender, Ousmane Diomande, as they look to raid the Portuguese capital.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Inacio has actually played and scored against the Gunners. The defender nodded in Sporting's first goal in the sides' 2-2 draw in the first leg of the last season's Europa League round of 16. Sporting would go on to knock Arsenal out on penalties.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR INACIO AND ARSENAL?

  Given Arsenal's struggles with Financial Fair Play, a transfer in January is unlikely to materialise unless the Gunners make a major sale. With both Sporting CP and Arsenal in the middle of title charges, neither side will want too much disruption mid-season.

An update has emerged on Southampton and their plans to bolster the playing squad ahead of the 2023/24 Championship campaign…

What's the latest Southampton transfer news?

According to iNews, the Saints are one of a number of clubs keen on a deal to sign Manchester United winger Amad Diallo during the summer transfer window.

The report claims that Russell Martin's side have registered an interest in the Ivory Coast international, who spent last season on loan at Sunderland.

It states that Everton and Leeds, along with other unnamed Premier League teams, are also looking into the possibility of landing him on a season-long loan before September's deadline.

How good is Amad Diallo?

The 21-year-old wizard is a proven Championship performer who has the quality to arrive at St. Mary's with the expectation of him making an immediate impact for the club on the pitch.

Diallo could be Martin's own version of Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez – a player the United youngster has been compared to by teammates Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire due to his skilful nature on the ball.

The 32-year-old magician has been a terrific player over the years for the Cityzens. He has racked up 78 goals in 236 appearances in all competitions for Pep Guardiola's team, which works out as a strike every 3.03 matches on average.

Like Mahrez, the Red Devils prospect is a left-footed right winger who is capable of cutting inside onto his favoured foot to offer a significant goal threat at the top end of the pitch.

During his time on loan with Sunderland last term, the former Atalanta prodigy plundered 14 goals in 39 matches – an average of one every 2.79 outings, which suggests that he has the scope to score at a similar rate to the Algeria international from the flank.

No Southampton ace managed to hit double figures for top-flight goals throughout the 2022/23 campaign and no winger was able to find the back of the net on more than two occasions. This highlights the stark lack of attacking quality within Martin's roster as it stands and why this signing could be a terrific piece of business.

The £29k-per-week forward, who was described as a "wizard" by journalist James Copley, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.98 in the Championship, which is a score that would have placed him third within the Saints squad, albeit at Premier League level.

Diallo also showcased his creativity with an average of 1.1 key passes per game for Sunderland. Meanwhile, James Ward-Prowse (1.9) was the only Southampton player with more than one chance created per match.

Martin could, therefore, improve his wide options by securing a deal to sign the United youngster as his form for the Black Cats indicates that the quality is there for him to be an outstanding Championship performer.

The Scottish head coach could unearth his own version of Mahrez by setting his team up in a way that would allow Diallo to thrive off the right flank, which would open up the space for him to be able to cut in on his left foot to cause havoc in the final third week-in-week-out.

However, it remains to be seen if the Saints can beat off Premier League competition to land the "electric" – as dubbed by The Athletic's Peter Rutzler – dynamo this summer.

Their captain produced a fine half-century, but the Barbados Tridents kept shooting themselves in the foot against St Kitts & Nevis Patriots

The Report by Alagappan Muthu19-Aug-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKieron Pollard’s measured half-century went in vain•Ashley Allen – CPL T20 / GettyAn error-strewn performance from Barbados Tridents cost them victory despite a highly mature half-century from their captain Kieron Pollard. Good as his unbeaten 63 was, it couldn’t paper over the mistakes of his top-order batsmen, and started becoming a footnote around the time his opening bowler Akeal Hosein started the chase by bowling five wides in a row.In the end, it was a happy (second) homecoming for Chris Gayle, playing his first game in Basseterre wearing a St Kitts & Nevis Patriots shirt. With rain ending a lopsided contest early, in favour of his team by 17 runs, he could even get to the party with energy to spare.The strangle
Three of the four totals above 200 in the CPL were made at Warner Park, and the pitch on Friday fostered thoughts of another. A little bit of moisture and even covering of grass ensured the ball came onto the bat. However, the Patriots denied that advantage to the Tridents by using their spinners for seven out of the first 10 overs. Samuel Badree bowled out, bowling over Dwayne Smith and Chris Barnwell in the process. Mohammad Nabi and Tabraiz Shamsi followed his lead, attacking the stumps on a fuller than good length, giving no room for the batsman to draw power from. As a result, the scoreboard reflected only 79 for 4.The power player
At the start of the 15th over, Pollard was 15 off 20 balls. He wasn’t even trying to hit the ball, with so much of his concentration in trying to stay till the end. Dinks and nudges and clips and dabs made up the first half of his knock, during a partnership of 27 off 32 balls with Shoaib Malik. Regardless of the run-rate, it was a crucial passage of play, offering the Tridents captain some sort of a foundation to take off from. A straight six, and a beastly pull, both for six, signalled the start of something special. And sure enough, Pollard’s full range of stand-and-deliver shots was put on show, with the front-foot bludgeons over long-on and midwicket hogging the limelight. Only one of the last six overs cost less than 10 runs.The many malfunctions
Earlier in the day, Kane Williamson was caught the next ball after hitting a six. Dwayne Smith committed the same mistake. Malik was half the player he usually is because he was battling a sore ankle. He could have been lbw for 9, but umpire Johan Cloete wouldn’t give in to the appeal. He could have been caught for 24, but countryman Mohammad Hafeez spilled a tough chance. He tried hard but 29 off 30 was not a good return for a batsman at No. 4.So, too, was packing 11 balls into the first over of a tight chase. Hosein, plying his left-arm spin into the hitting arc of Gayle, and perhaps told to cramp him on leg stump, kept pitching the ball too straight and watching it spin past the batsman. He was nervous. He was then hit for six. And somehow, he still found a wicket off a ball that would surely have been another wide had Evin Lewis chosen to leave it.The same script continued for the rest of the innings, with full tosses being whacked for boundaries, and simple run-out chances being missed. Gayle nudged Hosein to short fine leg and strode out of his crease thinking a single was on, and Shamar Springer at fine leg got to the ball quickly enough. But having done so, his throw was so wayward instead of going to the wicketkeeper, it wandered out to deep midwicket. The Patriots captain was on 27 at the time. He gathered 11 more runs before bad weather set in and eradicated all chances of further play.

Jurgen Klopp says it would be the “biggest joke in the history of football” to write Manchester City out of the 2023-24 Premier League title race.

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Reigning champions are dropping pointsArsenal lead the way, with Reds just behindBattle for crown expected to go to the wireWHAT HAPPENED?

The reigning champions have gone four games without a win in the English top-flight, dropping them to fourth in the table. Liverpool – following a 2-0 victory over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane – are now the closest challengers to leaders Arsenal, with just two points separating them from the summit. City are only six points adrift, though, and have dominated the domestic scene under Pep Guardiola.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT KLOPP SAID

With that in mind, and with City having dashed Liverpool’s title dreams on a couple of occasions with remarkable winning runs, Klopp told reporters when asked if the Blues are drifting out of the picture: “If somebody would write City off that would be the biggest joke in the history of football. Arsenal are fighting and had a similar experience we had [late win vs Fulham]. It feels really good but anyway you have to start the next game from 0-0. Aston Villa is incredible. United is there, don't play yet maybe exactly the football whoever wants – the media or whatever – but they have points like crazy. Chelsea, I'm not sure if they're coming. The league is incredibly strong, you need to be lucky to get through difficult moments, with injuries especially. So I have no clue [who will win the title]. Probably [there are more challengers]. It was the last years, always two. I'm not interested in that, so long as we're around there. But it's so difficult and intense. Ask me again in April.”

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Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai got the goals for Liverpool against Sheffield United, with Klopp adding on a professional performance that saw the Reds take maximum points from the division’s bottom club: “Let me say it like this: I am really pleased with the result and I am really pleased with a lot of aspects of the game. I would call it a mature performance besides a few moments when we gave the ball away in areas where we should not do it. That was when the crowd got excited. Besides that if you didn't see the game, you could have heard it because we calmed an atmosphere down that was really ready to go and that was super important. And besides that I don't want to be overly critical, I know we can play better football but this time of the year you play and hopefully win and play again. That is it.”

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

Liverpool have a busy run through to the end of the calendar year, with there still six more games for them to take in across three competitions – with there Premier League meetings with the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal to be factored into an equation that also includes a final Europa League group stage outing and a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash with West Ham.

West Ham United are still on the lookout for Declan Rice's midfield replacement, two weeks on from their captain departing for Arsenal in a British-record deal.

Who are West Ham signing to replace Declan Rice?

David Moyes' side have been linked with countless midfielders in the weeks before and since Rice's exit, namely Fulham's Joao Palhinha, Everton's Amadou Onana and Juventus' Denis Zakaria.

Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse is another name that refuses to go away, even if the England international is not strictly a like-for-like replacement for Rice in terms of their playing style.

According to The Guardian, West Ham are looking to bring in two midfielders with the windfall they received through Rice's sale, and have now stepped up their interest in Ward-Prowse.

How many free-kicks has James Ward-Prowse scored?

Southampton are said to value Ward-Prowse in the region of £40m, which is a large fee on the face of it considering the Saints were relegated to the Championship last season.

The 28-year-old boasts plenty of Premier League experience, however, having played 343 times at that level since making his Southampton debut in the competition on the opening day of the 2012/13 season.

Ward-Prowse has also played 11 times for England – though not since last year – and has scored a couple of goals in heavy wins over Andorra and San Marino in 2021.

With nine goals and four assists in a poor Southampton side last season, Ward-Prowse ranks in the top 13% of all midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for goals scored, as per The Analyst.

The Portsmouth native is also in the top 15% for chances created, showing that he is more than capable of doing a job in the Premier League, even if he was captain of a relegated side last time out.

Three of those nine goals were scored via direct free-kicks – the most of any player in the Premier League last season. Indeed, only Manchester United legend David Beckham (18) has scored more than Ward-Prowse in the competition's history.

That ability to both score and pick out a team-mate from set-pieces would be a major asset for Moyes, and would also bring back memories of fan favourite – at the time, at least – Dimitri Payet.

Payet has scored 14 direct free-kicks in his career, as per Transfermarkt, six of those during his 18 months at West Ham.

Indeed, after a run of netting via that method for club and country in 2016, Payet revealed he had stopped practising them on the training ground as there was no way to further improve his technique.

It is not too dissimilar in the case of Ward-Prowse, with former Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl previously hailing the midfielder as a "quality" player whose set-piece prowess was – and is, for now – "such a good weapon" for the Saints.

That is not the only similarity between the two players, either. Taking Payet's only full season at West Ham in 2015/16 and potentially Ward-Prowse's final season with Southampton last time out into account, the pair each scored nine Premier League goals.

The only notable difference is in attitude, with Ward-Prowse very much a team player. While he may not be able to replace Rice on his own, the Englishman can at least bring a bit of the past back to the London Stadium should he arrive.