According to The Mail Online, West Ham have contacted Chelsea about potentially signing Olivier Giroud. 

This comes in light of Marko Arnautović possibly facing another spell on the sidelines after injuring his foot against Wolves yesterday.

With his contract expiring at the end of the season, as well as the recent arrival of Gonzalo Higuain at Stamford Bridge, The Blues could surely be tempted into selling the World Cup winner. Additionally, at the age of 32, it is not as if the Frenchman has a long-term future in west London.

However, from West Ham’s perspective, there is not much point in signing a player like Giroud. The Hammers are not going to get relegated this season, likewise, they are unlikely to make the top six- they will finish somewhere in between. There’s no point buying a player of his age at this stage of the season, they would be better off looking to recruit a younger player that has a longer future. Of course, Giroud is good, but this would be a short-term option they don’t need.

Chelsea signed Giroud last season, but that was a club that were chasing a top four place and were struggling with their strikers. With West Ham out of the FA Cup and League Cup as well, there is little need for an emergency signing like Giroud.

Furthermore, the Frenchman is not necessarily a player that brings a team a lot of goals. He worked well for France because he had the likes of Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappé around him to find the back of the net. Outside of Felipe Anderson, West Ham do not really have other goalscorers to depend upon. It’s time West Ham look to the future.

يلاقي الفريق الأول للكرة الطائرة رجال بالنادي الأهلي نظيره الزمالك، اليوم الإثنين، في بطولة كأس مصر.

ويواجه الأهلي، الزمالك في نصف نهائي كأس مصر، وذلك علي صالة الصيد 6 أكتوبر.

وكان الأهلي تأهل إلي نصف النهائي بالفوز على الشمس تلاثة أشواط دون رد، فيما صعد الزمالك بعد انتصاره على الداخلية ثلاثة أشواط مقابل شوط

المتأهل بين الأهلي والزمالك سيلاقي الفائز من مباراة الاتحاد السكندري والجيش، التي ستقام اليوم، في الساعة الرابعة.  موعد مباراة الأهلي والزمالك في نصف نهائي كأس مصر للكرة الطائرة

وتقام المباراة في تمام الساعة السادسة مساءً. القناة الناقلة لمباراة الأهلي والزمالك

من المقرر أن تنقل المباراة عبر قناة  نايل سبورت. يمكنك مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة على مركز المباريات من هنا 

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West Brom grabbed all three points with a dramatic late win against QPR on Tuesday night, and the performance of Jacob Murphy had a little bit of everything.

West Brom are now one point behind the automatic promotion chasers, although Leeds United have played one games less than the rest of the top four.

The Baggies made up their game in hand on Tuesday, travelling to Loftus Road to take on Steve McClaren’s QPR.

Jefferson Montero opened the scoring on his first start for the club, firing past Joe Lumley after just five minutes.

Luke Freeman levelled for the hosts, but a breakaway goal from Murphy put the Baggies back in front on the hour mark.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

The hosts then equalised again through a Tomer Hemed penalty, but Jake Livermore delivered the goods in stoppage time, burying Mason Holgate’s low cross to win the match 3-2.

While there were plenty of good performances – Ahmed Hegazi and Holgate were superb – Murphy’s all-action display is definitely the major talking point.

The 23 year-old was a key player in Newcastle’s promotion season, but has made almost no impact in the Premier League.

He joined the Baggies on loan in January, and this was definitely his best performance so far. The youngster took five shots, three of which were on target, and also completed two dribbles.

Murphy also showed the wasteful side of his game though, completing just 63 per cent of his passes and finding a Baggies shirt with just two of his 15 cross attempts.

The Newcastle loanee was also dispossessed twice and recorded two unsuccessful touches.

West Brom were clearly wise to sign Murphy last month, as the young attacker’s speed and energy is a huge threat in the Championship.

His lack of quality on the ball is what cost him a chance to succeed in the top flight though, and it showed itself again on Tuesday night.

All things considered, the Baggies should not attempt to sign the 23 year-old permanently if they get promoted, the old cliché of “finding his level” has never been so accurate.

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Nottingham Forest left-back Jack Robinson will miss the upcoming home Championship clashes with Hull City and Aston Villa after picking up his 10th booking of the season in the 2-0 defeat against Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday, with Ben Osborn likely to fill in.

On the chalkboard

The versatile Robinson, who has also played at centre-back on occasions this term, picked up the caution after arguing a referee’s decision, before being replaced in the 71st minute by Leo Bonatini and reacting in a frustrated manner.

It was the Reds’ first loss in five league matches and it now means that manager Martin O#Neill has a dilemma on his hands ahead of two huge City Ground fixtures.

However, more often than not when the 25-year-old has featured at the heart of the defence, it is Osborn who has stepped in to cover at left-back, as he has done against Bristol City, Wigan Athletic and Brentford since the former Republic of Ireland boss took charge.

Unpopular decision?

It will be with some, yes.

The 24-year-old may be Forest through and through and made 221 appearances in all competitions for the club, but the following fans on Twitter were unimpressed with what they saw from him from the left-hand side against the Potters.

Nevertheless, O’Neill looks to have been left with little choice but to play the Derby-born player at full-back as the east Midlands outfit look to keep their play-off hopes alive, and supporters will be praying that the gamble pays off against tough opposition.

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Loads of Southampton fans have been running the rule over Saturday’s setback at the hands of Cardiff City, as the Bluebirds stole all three points in a thrilling finish at St. Mary’s.

Late goals are becoming a real problem for Southampton, as once again the Saints crumbled just moments before the final whistle.

Leicester City, Brighton, Burnley, Everton and Cardiff have now all scored in the last few minutes against the Saints this season, and Gylfi Sigurdsson’s strike for Everton was the only one of those that didn’t cost any points.

Check out Neymar’s controversial new haircut for 2019 and Xherdan Shaqiri as you’ve never seen him before in the video below…

This was perhaps the most infuriating of all though, as this Cardiff side is so bereft of genuine Premier League quality.

This was a match that Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side would have identified on the fixture list as a very winnable game, but Sol Bamba opened the scoring for the visitors in the second half.

Jack Stephens then looked to have rescued a point in the 91stminute, only for Kenneth Zohore to bag at the other end just moments later.

The side has been far better since Hasenhuttl’s arrival, but fans are furious with the lack of January investment, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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Everton are in desperate need of an upgrade at right-back, and one report from Italy claims they will fight Crystal Palace for the signature of Ruben Aguilar.

What’s the story?

Well, according to Calciomercato, both Everton and Crystal Palace are hoping to sign the Montpellier right-back.

The 25 year-old has risen from a relative nobody to one of the best right-backs in Ligue 1 in the last 18 months, coming on leaps and bounds since his move from Auxerre to Montpellier in 2017.

He has excellent defensive capabilities and is improving all the time in the final third, and he could be the perfect Seamus Coleman replacement.

Why do they need him?

The Toffees upgraded three quarters of their ageing back line last summer, with Coleman the only starter remaining of that iconic Toffees defence marshalled by the Irishman, Phil Jagielka and Leighton Baines.

The 30 year-old has struggled massively this season though, and he is surely next up on the chopping block for director of football Marcel Brands.

Jonjoe Kenny sure loves a tackle, but the 21 year-old has yet to show any signs of developing into the complete full-back that Everton require, so a move for the more reliable and experienced Aguilar makes a lot of sense.

Is he good enough?

Aguilar is nowhere near the attacking threat that Coleman was in his prime, but the Frenchman is an absolute beast on the defensive end, which is where the Toffees are really struggling.

He averages a whopping three tackles per game this season, as well 1.2 interceptions and 1.2 aerial wins per game.

While he is still no slouch at the other end, recording one goal and two assists so far this season, it is this defensive stability that will appeal to Marco Silva and Brands.

The 25 year-old is not a dynamic game-changer who will inject pace and attacking intent into the Everton side, but he is calm on the ball, good enough to chip in with the odd assist, and most importantly of all he will not make costly errors at the back.

كشف محمد عبد السلام رئيس نادي مصر للمقاصة، عن السبب وراء رحيل إيهاب جلال عن تدريب الفريق الفيومي.

وقرر إيهاب جلال تقديم استقالته من تدريب المقاصة، بسبب تأخر الحصول على مستحقاته، وتم قبول الاستقالة من مجلس إدارة الفريق الفيومي.

طالع | وكيله: إيهاب جلال لا يمانع قيادة الأهلي خلفًا لـ فايلر.. ويكشف حقيقة مفاوضات بيراميدز

وقال عبد السلام خلال تصريحات عبر برنامج البريموعلي قناة تن: “المقاصة قادر أن يستوعب موضوع رحيل إيهاب جلال، وليست مشكلة فظيعة، وجود إيهاب كان يجعلنا مطمئنين، صنع فريقا جيدا ونشكره على فترة تواجده معنا”.

وأضاف: “اعتقد أن وكيل أعمال إيهاب جلال هو الذي خطط لرحيله”.

وتابع: “إيهاب جلال له بعض المستحقات المتأخرة وهذا الكلام متواجد في جميع الأندية، وكيل أعماله هو الذي بدأ يتحدث عن الموضوع في السوشيال ميديا وبدأ الأمر بهذه الطريقة”.

وأتم: “لا توجد مشاعر طيبة بينا وبين وكيل أعمال إيهاب”.

يذكر أن مصر المقاصة يحل بالمركز السابع في جدول ترتيب الدوري برصيد 37 نقطة.

Arsenal fans have been waking up to some strange news this morning. The transfer window closed last Thursday, yet the rumours and links continue to go on, even though we’re now months away from any kind of deal being able to materialise. This latest story comes courtesy of Sky Sports News and it’s linking Arsenal with Matthias Ginter.

Tottenham and Arsenal are both linked with a swoop for the Borussia Monchengladbach defender, and whilst he may look like a bright prospect on paper, the Gunners are keen to see their North London rivals beat them to this one. Ginter is a player who came to prominence as a young player around the time Germany won the World Cup.

The 25-year-old was apart of the successful German squad after impressing with Freiberg, and in that same summer, he made a move to Borussia Dortmund, where things didn’t quite work out. He lasted three years in Dortmund before making the move to Monchengladbach, and now it looks like he could be making yet another move with the links to both of the Premier League’s North London clubs.

You can read the Gunners’ thoughts on the Ginter links here:

The Gunners aren’t keen on a move for Ginter and would rather give this one a miss as they look ahead to what they’re desperate will be a successful summer window.

Manchester City’s 0-1 win away at Bournemouth was dominant but perhaps didn’t tell the whole story of just how much they need the international break to keep their quadruple dreams alive.

More injuries to Kevin De Bruyne and John Stones added to the growing injury list of Benjamin Mendy, Aymeric Laporte, Fernandinho, Fabian Delph and Gabriel Jesus. Aside from that, the performances in the Carabao Cup Final against Chelsea and then against West Ham last week were well below par.

It seems only a matter of time before something gives.

City have played 25 games in 93 days averaging a game just over every three days, and no matter how strong people claim their squad to be, no team can cope with that for a season and play to their highest ability. Guardiola surely knows City are on the ropes yet are still capable of winning every single trophy on offer to an English side, but fatigue and injuries will play a massive part.

Before the international break in two weeks, City have a home game against Watford in the Premier League, a crucial Champions League round of 16 second-leg at home to Schalke then a trip to Swansea in the FA Cup. If they can win all of those games, it could mean more than just progression in the cups and keeping the pressure on Liverpool.

The break gives Laporte and Fernandinho time to recover ahead of the final run-in as well as a week for the whole squad to take a collective breath after a tumultuous period of football. Going into that break having won every game in the last two weeks proves City can indeed cope with an injury crisis, and it can give them the mentality that says ‘if we got through that, we can get through this’.

Liverpool have a lighter fixture schedule and so injuries have been kinder to them, so it’s an uphill battle for Guardiola’s men to win as many trophies as possible, but how many do you think they’ll win?

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Tottenham suffered their seventh league defeat of the season on Saturday, and Mauricio Pochettino needs to ditch two players who are massively struggling when the Lilywhites visit Chelsea on Wednesday.

On the chalkboard

Spurs missed a golden opportunity to gain ground on Manchester City and Liverpool on Saturday, falling to a 2-1 defeat at Burnley.

The Clarets have not lost in the league since Boxing Day, and they showed exactly why in the first half, stopping their guests from getting anything going with a stern defensive display.

Chris Wood then nodded the hosts in front with a second half header, though Harry Kane was able to equalise from a tight angle.

Ashley Barnes ultimately decided the match with one of the easiest goals he’ll ever score, and Mauricio Pochettino must now be ruthless with his players after perhaps their worst performance of the season.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he would have snubbed Tottenham for Arsenal if they’d come knocking in 2005…

Stopping Hazard

Unfortunately, the first player that needs to miss out when Spurs visit Chelsea on Wednesday is Juan Foyth.

The 21 year-old has shown real character to bounce back from his shocking display in the 3-2 win at Wolves, but his lack of experience and maturity was on full display at Turf Moor.

Davinson Sanchez may be a bit rash at times, but the beastly Colombian international will have a far better chance of stopping the irresistible Eden Hazard than Foyth, who looks like an accident waiting to happen at the moment.

Extra protection

The next man that needs a rest is surely Moussa Sissoko, who had a run of fantastic form earlier this season, finally proving why the club shelled out £30m for him back in 2016.

The 29 year-old’s performances have dipped a little bit in recent weeks though, and he was back to his old self against Burnley – flying all over the pitch with plenty of effort but offering nothing of any quality or substance.

With Chelsea sure to be absolutely desperate for three points, Victor Wanyama might be the best choice to replace the Frenchman, offering that extra bit of defensive security in front of the three centre backs.

The Kenyan international has been in the squad for the last three Premier League games and played for ten minutes against Leicester, so if he is not ready now then he never will be.

So, Spurs fans, do you think Foyth and Sissoko should lose out? What other changes would you make for the trip to Chelsea? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…