After sealing consecutive top-half finishes in the previous two seasons, West Ham spent £179m last summer, with only Chelsea and Manchester United spending more in Europe.

However, the Hammers have dramatically regressed this term and currently sit just four points above the relegation zone and face the unenviable task of playing Manchester City tomorrow evening.

Manager David Moyes admitted the campaign hasn’t worked out as planned and it has been extremely disappointing.

In a recent interview with Sky Sports, he said: “I have to be honest and say that it's not worked as well as I would've liked.

"We've introduced a lot of new players, and in the Premier League, it takes time.

“I don't think we could have done anything differently, but we just need to try and see if we can get ourselves through this one and hopefully look forward to picking up next season."

One signing who has perhaps been the most underwhelming and has been unable to adapt to a new league has been Gianluca Scamacca.

The Italian is on £90k-per-week on a five-year deal and has been draining the club whilst offering little output.

How has Gianluca Scamacca played for West Ham?

The 24-year-old was signed by the Irons for £35.5m and was their second-most expensive transfer of the window. Combine that with his astronomical wage and it means by the end of the campaign, he will have cost them £40m.

But, the forward hasn’t scored a league goal for West Ham since 4 January and has netted three times in 16 appearances. It has been a hugely unsatisfactory showing, blighted by injuries and consistency.

Last month, it was confirmed that the former Sassuolo man was undergoing knee surgery, and it would be highly unlikely he would feature again this term.

Prior to his injury, Moyes was strangely reluctant to use the target man and said the best Hammers line up doesn’t include Scamacca: “We know that his physical data has got to be much better than it is. Gianluca has got to get himself back.

“No manager wants to put out a bad team. You want to put out the players who you think are going to win for you, so you are always looking to put your best team out. We just want the output to be bigger and more.”

These comments reflect poorly upon the 11-cap international’s effort and mentality, raising immediate questions if he survives at the London Stadium beyond this term.

Chris Sutton has previously favoured the manager’s standpoint on Scamacca claiming that the attacker has “let Moyes down.”

Whatever happens for the Irons in the remainder of the season, it seems that his future is very murky, and it could be best for both parties if he moves on.

أصدرت المحكمة الإسبانية، قراراً جديداً حول قضية لاعب ريال مدريد ومنتخب البرازيل، فينيسيوس جونيور، حول تعرضه لمهاجمات عنصرية في مباراة أوساسونا العام الماضي.

جدير بالذكر أن ريال مدريد استطاع الفوز على أوساسونا بنتيجة 2/0، خلال المباراة التي أقيمت بين الفريقين العام الماضي من شهر فبراير على ملعب “السادار”.

اقرأ ايضاً.. ماركا: فيران توريس يتوعد فينيسيوس بعد استفزازه في الكلاسيكو

وقالت محكمة بامبلونا التي تتولى القضية في بيان لصحيفة ماركا الإسبانية : “من خلال الأحداث التي وقعت، من الواضح أن الحقائق يمكن أن تشكل جريمة ، لكن لا توجد بيانات كافية لمعرفة هوية الجناة”.

وتعرض فينيسيوس جونيور إلى إهانات عنصرية في إسبانيا، بالعام الماضي في العديد من المباريات.

وسعى المدعون الإسبان إلى السجن أربع سنوات لأربعة رجال اعتقلوا للاشتباه في قيامهم بتعليق دمية اللاعب البرازيلي الدولي على جسر، قبل مباراة ريال مدريد ضد أتلتيكو مدريد في يناير 2023.

وأصدر فينيسيوس، بيانًا دامغًا في مايو الماضي قال فيه إن الإساءات العنصرية التي تعرض لها أثناء اللعب في إسبانيا هي “غير إنسانية”.

Aston Villa are already turning their attention to the summer transfer window, as the 2022/23 Premier League season comes towards a close.

Villa have enjoyed an impressive run of form since Unai Emery took the reins from Steven Gerrard in October.

When the Spaniard arrived in the Midlands, the club were threatened by relegation, however, things have turned around with European football now a possibility with three games remaining.

The summer transfer window is fast approaching and will be the four-time Europa League-winning coach’s first as Villa boss.

As expected, there has been plenty of speculation regarding the club’s ins and outs ahead of the window opening.

With recruitment important this summer, as Emery looks to take Villa to the next step as a club competing in the Premier League, club legend Gabriel Agbonlahor, has had his say on who the Spaniard should make a move for.

What’s the latest on Harvey Barnes to Aston Villa?

According to reports from the Daily Mail earlier this month, Villa are said to be one of the clubs monitoring the availability of Leicester City forward Harvey Barnes.

The 25-year-old is contracted to City until 2025, however, with relegation being a huge possibility, talks surrounding an extension are not underway.

Leicester valued their man around at least £50m when Newcastle United knocked on the door over his availability.

What could Barnes bring to Aston Villa?

Lauded by Agbonlahor as being a "superstar", the former forward who made 322 appearances for Villa, encouraged Emery to sign the winger.

He told Football Insider that Barnes is a “little bit of good coaching away” from being one of the best, and believes he would fit into the Spaniard’s system perfectly.

When you acknowledge the progression that the likes of Jacob Ramsey has seen under the guidance of Emery, it’s clear to see why Agbonlahor is insistent that the former Arsenal boss could get the Englishman performing to his full potential.

Despite it being a tough season for Leicester, Barnes has scored 12 goals in the Premier League, ranking as the 11th-highest scorer in the league. He is also among the top 8% for non-penalty goals per game in Europe's top 5 leagues, with 0.45 – as per FBref.

The forward could be an upgrade for Villa, particularly when comparing his numbers with Leon Bailey.

The Englishman just comes out on top in terms of number of shots per game with 2.40 compared to the Jamaican’s 2.38.

He also tops the Midlands winger for receiving progressive passes, registering 9.04 per game, higher than Bailey’s 8.65 – suggesting he gets into better areas in behind the defence.

That shows that he would be a good fit for Emery’s system of play, which typically enjoys seeing a free run of midfielders getting in behind.

Importantly, the Foxes flanker would also drag his team further up the pitch, with the 25-year-old registering 2.59 carries into the final third per 90, compared to the 1.52 of Bailey.

If Leicester end the season Championship bound, the Foxes are naturally expected to lose some talent that wish to remain in the top division, could Barnes be one of them? Emery will certainly hope so.

Newcastle United are interested in a deal to bring Athletic Bilbao forward Nico Williams to the Premier League, according to reports.

What's the latest on Williams' future?

The Spanish international is an academy graduate at the San Mames Stadium having worked his way up through the youth ranks to get promoted to the first-team in 2021, where he’s since gone on to make 81 senior appearances.

However, the 20-year-old will be out of contract at the end of next season so the upcoming window will be Ernesto Valverde’s side’s final opportunity to cash in should they not want to extend his stay further, and being their overall top-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 6.92, he won’t be short potential suitors.

The Athletic reported that the Magpies internally “discussed” a deal for the winger in January but nothing ever came to fruition, though it sounds like PIF and Eddie Howe are now ready to take a second bite of the cherry.

According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle have “added” Williams to their extensive “list” of targets ahead of the 2023/24 term. The Athletic Bilbao attacker is “in the mix” of summer candidates, alongside the likes of Leicester City’s James Maddison and Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney, and he is now the player the northeast outfit are “focusing” on after “bowing out” of the race for Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby. The La Liga star has a £50m release clause included in his terms, but whether a cut-price deal would be available given his contract situation remains to be seen.

Would Williams be a good signing for Newcastle?

Newcastle will know that Williams is still relatively raw at a young age, but having already shown bags of potential and what he has to offer at the highest level, PIF would be recruiting a fantastic player should they successfully be able to secure his services in the summer.

The World Cup participant has 15 goal contributions (nine goals and six assists) in 39 appearances across all competitions this season with his high standard of performances having seen him receive three man-of-the-match awards.

The Pamplona native, whose rise to professional football has been lauded “phenomenal” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is also constantly looking to produce moments of magic even if he’s not always on the scoresheet.

As per FBRef, the winger has recorded 166 crosses and 97 shot-creating actions since the start of the campaign which are both higher than any other member of his squad, so for a forward who possesses this relentless threat in the final third, the hierarchy shouldn’t even have to think twice about completing a deal in the weeks and months ahead.

Former India team director and allrounder Ravi Shastri has said Virat Kohli is ready to take over the captaincy from MS Dhoni across all formats, and this is the right time to make the switch “in the interest of Indian cricket”

ESPNcricinfo staff31-May-2016Former India team director and allrounder Ravi Shastri has said Virat Kohli is ready to take over the captaincy from MS Dhoni across all formats, and this is the right time to make the switch “in the interest of Indian cricket”.Kohli already captains India in Test cricket, from which Dhoni has retired, but Dhoni still leads in the shorter formats. Given India play a lot more Tests than limited-overs cricket in the coming months, Shastri said “the gaps” in play for Dhoni will be hard on him. He said he would “definitely be thinking” of naming Kohli captain across formats if he were a selector.”I definitely think so [Kohli should be given the job across formats],” Shastri told India Today Television. “You have to see where India is going to go three years down the line. There are no major events till about three years down the line when you are back with the World Cup. So, this is your best time to think and build.”India play hardly any one-day cricket if you see the next 18 months-two years, and the gaps between Tests and ODIs are massive. So, here’s your time to look ahead and see what you can do with an Indian side all-round three years down the line. If I am the chairman of selectors, I would be thinking in that direction, no question about it.”‘Virat is a very thorough captain’ – Ashwin

Speaking to , India offspinner R Ashwin lauded Virat Kohli’s captaincy. “Virat is a very thorough captain. He does his homework before the game,” Ashwin said. “We do a lot of team meetings before the game, there’s a lot of honesty around. That gives me the confidence and interest while going out on the field. He gives me enough freedom to express myself and take control of what fields I want to set and how I want to bowl.”

Shastri admitted it would be a tough call to make, but said it would be for the good of Indian cricket. “It’s a catch 22, it’s a hard decision, but I would be thinking about it from now.”The game has to evolve, hard decisions have to be taken, such is life. And nothing wrong in that, it is in the interest of Indian cricket. If you see down the line and you think Dhoni is still the best captain, keep him as captain. But the issue here is the breaks [between Tests and ODIs], and do you have a guy ready [to succeed Dhoni]. My answer is you have a guy ready.”Shastri had worked with the Indian team as director for two years, from August 2014 till the 2016 World T20. Dhoni had captained the team across formats till December 2014, when he retired from Test cricket mid-series in Australia. Kohli took over as Test captain from the New Year’s Test against Australia in Sydney in January 2015. Shastri said Dhoni could still contribute in limited-overs cricket as a player, if he is freed of the responsibilities of captaincy.”By no stretch of imagination you are taking anything away from Dhoni [by making Kohli captain]. He can still contribute massively as a player. I think the time has come for to allow him to enjoy himself and enjoy the game.”End of the day, it is about how hungry Dhoni is, how passionate he is, whether the juices still go as in wanting to play for India. Also the time has come where you have a guy whom you have groomed over a period of time. Virat is ready.”

Liverpool are now unlikely to move for Eintracht Frankfurt defender Evan Ndicka, journalist Dean Jones has revealed.

What's going on with Ndicka?

The centre-back is out of contract at the end of the season, and is set to leave Frankfurt. At 23, he could be a player that interests a lot of clubs, as a left-footed central defender.

Liverpool were previously linked with a move for the Frenchman, but it now seems that he is set to move elsewhere.

Ndicka has been described as "exciting," and with wages of £20k-per-week, it could have been a fairly cheap deal to pull off.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones revealed that Ndicka could join Napoli, and that he is unlikely to move to Anfield this summer.

"Liverpool have been linked with Evan Ndicka as a potential solution to helping their defensive depth for next season, but it seems Napoli is a more likely destination" he stated.

"It’s an interesting one because the profile of the player seems a good fit, but over the past couple of weeks I have struggled to find anyone that believes it is going to be a deal Liverpool push for.

"And now in Italy, there seems to be confidence that Napoli are looking at him and are putting themselves in a good position to make a proposal. So it feels like we can probably scratch him off the list."

Do Liverpool need a centre-back?

Despite an impressive recent run of form, Liverpool have suffered a large drop-off from last season, and reinforcements are needed across the pitch.

Virgil van Dijk has come in for criticism over his form this season, as the once flawless Dutchman has started to look vulnerable, and extra cover for the 31-year-old could be useful this summer.

Ndicka could have been the long-term successor for Van Dijk as a left-sided defender, and he could have formed a partnership with fellow Frenchman Ibrahima Konate.

Liverpool could still look at a defender, as Joe Gomez has also come in for criticism, and Joel Matip is ageing. A younger option who could rotate, and perhaps eventually start next to Konate could help pad the squad.

Klopp's side still have a shot at Champions League qualification, but may be forced to settle for a Europa League spot, and a large squad will be needed regardless of which competition they qualify for.

ScorecardHamish Marshall hit the only fifty of the match•Getty Images

Gloucestershire overcame a tricky pitch and fading light to pull off a deserved seven-wicket NatWest T20 Blast win over Kent with four deliveries to spare.Having won in Beckenham by nine wickets last season, Gloucestershire served up another spanking in Metropolitan Kent courtesy of an impish half-century from Hamish Marshall.Responding to Kent’s seemingly modest 144 for 7, Gloucestershire’s wily openers Michael Klinger and Marshall posted the only half-century stand of the night to ease their side to 54 without loss after the Powerplay.Klinger, who hit an unbeaten 69 here in last season’s corresponding fixture, made a useful 27 but struggled once Kent took pace off the ball, miscuing to long-on against James Tredwell with the score at 66 for 1.In fast fading light Marshall tucked in to Tredwell to land the first six of the night and keep his side ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis asking rate. He then posted the only 50 of the game from 31 balls with five fours and a six as he visitors continued to make light work of tough task in tricky conditions.After 14 overs the umpires discussed the gloom and allowed paceman David Griffiths to continue, at which point Ian Cockbain’s eyes lit up as he rocked back to launch a glorious cut over the ropes at deep point as the visitors plundered 13 off the over.Cockbain was caught behind down the leg-side soon after to gift Ivan Thomas a wicket, then with only 13 required to win Marshall, in aiming to work a straight one to leg, was bowled by Darren Stevens for a match-winning 56 from 42 balls with five fours and a six.With six needed for a Gloucestershire win and with Matt Coles out of the attack due to the bad light, Stevens bowled the final over of the night, but it lasted only two deliveries when Chris Dent launched a straight six for victory.Spitfires, batting first on a tricky surface at the Worsley Bridge Road Ground, suffered their first casualty in the second over from Liam Norwell who had Joe Denly comfortably pouched at mid-off following a mistimed drive.Kent countered through in-form opener Daniel Bell-Drummond who plundered four boundaries in Norwell’s next over which sparked Gloucestershire’s move to introduce spin in the shape of Tom Smith.In a double switch, Australian IPL seamer Andrew Tye came on at Crystal Palace End and bamboozled Bell-Drummond with only his fourth delivery. As the right-hander aimed to cut hard, he could only sky a top edge to keeper Gareth Roderick to depart for 25 from 21 balls as Kent ended the Powerplay on 41 for 2.Sam Billings suffered his second poor score since returning from the IPL when he skied to short third man off Benn Howell to go for seven and leave the hosts struggling on 69 for 3 at the innings mid-point.Kent beneficiary Stevens marched in to up the tempo with a brace of trademark straight-driven boundaries but, in attempting to make room to cut, left his off stump exposed to Tye who duly pegged it back to make it 83 for 4.Seven runs on Sam Northeast, top-scorer with 35 including at a run-a-ball, became the latest Kent batsman to mistime and send a steepling catch to long-off and give Howell a second scalp.Spitfires limped into three figures in the 16th over, but even big-hitting Alex Blake and Fabian Cowdrey struggle for timing on a two-paced surface.Soon after Cowdrey checked his drive against Tye to chip a comfortable catch to wide long-off and Coles was run out of the final ball of the innings leaving Blake unbeaten for an unusually stilted 24 at a run-a-ball.Tye showed all his experience with an excellent four-over stint of 3 for 18, while Howell ended with 2 for 25 as the hosts failed to clear the ropes and mustered only 11 fours in their innings.

Wolves were taught a footballing lesson in their 6-0 defeat this weekend, and whilst no one covered themselves in glory, Matheus Nunes has been singled out for particular criticism.

How did Nunes play against Brighton?

The midfielder, who joined in the summer from Sporting CP, has had a mixed debut season for Wolves, as while his performances have attracted interest from Liverpool, his attitude has been criticised at times.

Wolves were swept away at the Amex Stadium, as braces from Danny Welbeck, Pascal Gross and Deniz Undav meant the visitors were handed a heavy defeat.

Although their improvement under Julen Lopetegui now means Premier League safety looks likely, there was much cause for concern after such a poor display, and Nunes was a particular disappointment on the day.

As per Sofascore, he made an error leading to one of the goals and failed to make any key passes, having started in a left-sided role.

Speaking on the Express and Star YouTube channel, journalist Nathan Judah slammed the Portuguese star for his performance, singling him out above the rest of the players following the disastrous defeat.

He said: "Some of these are world-class international players. I mean, some of the mistakes… I've got to say his name – I mean, Matheus Nunes today, on a different planet.

"Some of the balls he gave away – pretty much every one led to a goal, by the way.

"I'm absolutely lost for words. Some of the displays out there today were just unacceptable."

Should Wolves sell Nunes in the summer?

Nunes arrived for a club-record £42.2m in the summer window and he has made 35 appearances across all competitions.

With captain Ruben Neves seemingly on his way out in the summer, losing two central midfielders in the same window may not be ideal, but if Wolves can recoup most of the fee or even make a profit on the 24-year-old, they may yet consider a deal.

Although he has shown glimpses of his quality, which included scoring a screamer against Chelsea, his inconsistency overall has meant he has not quite lived up to his price tag.

With one goal and one assist since his arrival, he has not delivered much in terms of end product in the attacking third, and given that he also ranks poorly in both passing and interceptions amongst his peers (as per FBref), his overall contributions have not been outstanding either going forward or in defence.

It remains to be seen whether Lopetegui will want to keep Nunes – who was signed prior to the Spaniard's arrival – or seize an opportunity to gain a sizeable fee and reinvest into his own transfer targets in the summer.

Referee Robert Jones and his VAR team may have made a notable mistake in the most recent Wolves game after they failed to send off goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

What's the latest on VAR and Wolves?

Julen Lopetegui's men picked up a vital three points at home against Crystal Palace on Tuesday night as they look to keep themselves safe from the drop.

After all, there is now a nine-point gap between Wolves and the bottom three – who have all played one more game – with relegation no longer looking likely.

Goals scored at the very start and the very end of the game at Molineux were enough to secure the 2-0 win. Indeed, Palace centre-back Joachim Andersen netted an own goal just three minutes into the affair before a 94th-minute penalty from Ruben Neves sealed the crucial points.

That penalty was awarded after opposing goalkeeper Johnstone took a heavy touch and lunged at Pedro Neto. It was undeniably a foul by Johnstone, but as this footage shared by BT Sport shows, he was perhaps lucky to avoid red.

Did Sam Johnstone deserve to see red against Wolves?

Referee Jones pointed to the spot and then only pulled out a yellow card, but it seems as though this was the wrong decision.

On the BT Sport coverage, the co-commentator can be heard saying: "I tell you what, that could easily have been a red. He lunges into that, he's out of control, and it's a huge error from Sam Johnstone."

Of course, with the incident happening so late on, it was unlikely to make much of a difference. Even so, the rules should still be applied evenly throughout the course of any match, regardless of what time a foul occurs.

What's more, had Johnstone been correctly sent off, it would mean he would now miss the next three games for Palace. And so their future opponents West Ham, Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth may have every right to be annoyed by this decision.

Regardless of that, though, Wolves manager Lopetgui seemed happy with the result – but made clear to point out that his side are not safe just yet.

He told BBC Sport: "They are important points for us but they are not definitive. We have to get more points. It's an important win for us."

He added: "Palace are a good team. It's a very difficult victory for us. We had to work hard. We're happy."

علق رود كرول المدير الفني السابق لمنتخب مصر والزمالك على مباراة الفراعنة المقبلة أمام غانا والتي تجمع بينهما اليوم ضمن منافسات كأس أمم إفريقيا.

وقال كرول في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “الحياة”: “أتابع بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا، وشاهدت منتخب مصر وهو قريب إلى قلبي ومن ثم أتابعه، ومن الناحية الهجومية مصر ليس لديها مشكلة على الإطلاق، المشكلة تكمن في خط الدفاع وكان سبب في التعادل أمام موزمبيق”.

وبشأن توقعاته لمباراة منتخب مصر وغانا: “المنتخب المصري لا يستطيع أن يخسر ربما يتعادل، ولكن غانا ليست الفريق الذي كنا نعرفه من قبل”.

وأوضح: “يجب أن تسعى مصر أن تكون أفضل من المباراة الأولى، والبدايات تكون صعبة، لذلك مصر ستحقق نتيجة إيجابية غدًا أمام غانا”.

طالع | موعد والقنوات الناقلة لمباراة مصر وغانا اليوم في كأس أمم إفريقيا والمعلق

واستطرد: “محمد صلاح أحد أفضل لاعبي كرة القدم في العالم، ولكن كرة القدم الإفريقية مختلفة عن أسلوب الكرة العربية والأجنبية، في قارة إفريقيا لا توجد فرق صغيرة كما كان”.

وأكمل: “محمد صلاح لديه مسؤولية كقائد للفريق، في ليفربول يلعب على الجانب الأيمن، ربما اختلف الأمر، ولكنه يستطيع أن يؤدي”.

وأتم: “ليفربول لديه منظومة مختلفة، وبالتالي من الصعب على المنتخب المصري تنفيذ نفس التكتيك، صلاح يستطيع اللعب في أي منظومة، ومنتخب مصر من المنتخبات المرشحة للفوز بكأس أمم إفريقيا ومعها المغرب”.