Wrexham are renewing their interest in West Ham's Andy Irving, just months after the midfielder rejected the advances of Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac. The Red Dragons saw a £3.5m deal for the 25-year-old fall through late in the summer transfer window, as Irving opted to remain in east London and fight for first team opportunities with the Premier League outfit.

Irving struggling for game time at West Ham

reports the north Wales club has rekindled their interest in Irving. Despite making six appearances in the top flight this term, the Scotland international is deemed surplus to requirements at the London Stadium. Wrexham are expected to log another bid for the 25-year-old. 

However, they could face stiff competition from Celtic and Rangers, with both Glasgow clubs alerted to Irving's availability as Nuno Esprito Santo looks to revamp his squad in the coming transfer window.

Irving started the first two games of the Portuguese's tenure after he replaced Graham Potter in October. However, both games — against Brentford and Leeds — ended in defeat for the Irons. Irving has been an unused substitute since. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportIrving explains reasons for staying at West Ham

Irving addressed the links between him and the Red Dragons in an interview back in September. He said: "There was a lot of speculation and media [during the summer], but ultimately for me, I'm in a good place here at West Ham. I really enjoy it here, so I was keen to stay and continue giving my best for the club.

"There was a lot of speculation and media [during the summer], but ultimately for me, I'm in a good place here at West Ham. I really enjoy it here, so I was keen to stay and continue giving my best for the club."

Irving's career in brief

The 25-year-old midfielder joined the Irons during the summer of 2023, completing a €1.7m transfer from Austria Klagenfurt in 2023. Irving rejoined the Austrian Bundesliga side for a loan deal the following season. 

The Hearts academy graduate has had an unusual career, making it to the Premier League via the German third tier. Irving joined Turkgucu Munchen in 2021 after his contract expired with his boyhood club. 

Irving has represented his country four times as a youth player, making his debut for Scotland in a 4-0 friendly win over Leichtenstein earlier this season.  

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Getty Images SportWrexham look to build on promising start to life in the Championship

While he may not have felt Wrexham was the right move for him in the summer, Irving could well be persuaded given the Red Dragons recent turnaround. 

Phil Parkinson's side currently sit in 10th place in the Championship table, and are unbeaten in their last seven games, with a statement 3-2 win over Frank Lampard's Coventry City among that run. 

Wrexham's chief exec Michael Williamson has confirmed that Parkinson will have money to spend in the upcoming January window. Even after making 13 signings in the summer, pundits are calling on the Red Dragons to invest further, as they can push on towards another promotion. Recent reports suggest the Hollywood brains trust at the north Wales club is already drawing up plans for life in the Premier League. Maybe Irving would be wise to take a step down, to maybe return to England's top tier with a club on the rise. 

County champions Nottinghamshire have appointed Richard Kenyon, who has spent the last decade working in commercial and communications roles at Everton Football Club, as their new chief executive.Kenyon will take over from Lisa Pursehouse, who announced her intention to step down earlier this year and has now left the club after 14 seasons in the role. Her last week at the club coincided with their first Championship title since 2010, which was clinched with victory over Warwickshire at Trent Bridge in the final round of fixtures.During his 11 years at Everton, Kenyon worked in various marketing and communications roles, including three-and-a-half years as chief commercial and communications officer, and served as chief executive of the charity Everton in the Community. Notts said that he had played an “instrumental role” in the club’s move from Goodison Park to the new Hill Dickinson Stadium.Related

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Kenyon’s appointment comes at a time when Notts are preparing to assume operational control of Trent Rockets in the Hundred. An announcement in the completion of their £40 million deal with Cain International and Ares Management is imminent, with Notts retaining a 51% controlling stake in the new joint-venture.Andy Hunt, Notts’ chair, said that Kenyon’s experience at Everton made him the standout candidate: “His leadership at Everton spanned critical areas including commercial strategy, global brand development, major infrastructure projects, and multi-stakeholder consultation – all directly relevant to the current and future ambitions of our club.”Kenyon described his appointment as “a tremendous privilege”. He said: “It’s a great credit to the outgoing CEO and her team that I’ll be joining a club in such a strong position. I can’t wait to get started later this year and look forward to working closely with the general committee, the executive team, and our members to make the most of the opportunities that lie ahead for this great club and all of its teams.”Michael Temple, Notts’ commercial director, will serve as interim chief executive before Kenyon takes up his new role in December.Several counties are changing their chief executives over the 2025-26 winter. Emma White, who has previously worked in rugby union and horse racing, has replaced Sean Jarvis at Leicestershire, while Kent’s chief operating officer Nimmo Reid will fill the role on an interim basis while the club search for a successor to Simon Storey. Sussex’s Pete Fitzboyden has also stepped down after two seasons for personal reasons.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians venceu o Cruzeiro por 1 a 0, nesta quarta-feira (10), no Mineirão, pelo jogo de ida das semifinais da Copa do Brasil. Na volta, a equipe pode empatar para Dorival Júnior chegar a sua quinta decisão no torneio nacional.

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O treinador disputou a final da competição duas vezes pelo Santos (2010 e 2015), uma vez pelo São Paulo (2023) e outra pelo Flamengo (2022). Dorival conquistou o título em quatro oportunidades e é um especialista do torneio.

O técnico não é eliminado da Copa do Brasil desde as quartas de final do torneio em 2016, quando comandava o Santos e perdeu para o Internacional. Em 2025, pelo Corinthians, faz uma boa campanha e passou por Novorizontino, Palmeiras e Athletico Paranaense.

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Desde setembro, quando soube que iria encarar o Cruzeiro nas semifinais, o Corinthians adotou uma estratégia mirando a competição: ter 100% do elenco à disposição. O plano ficou ainda mais claro nas últimas rodadas do Brasileirão, quando atuou com uma equipe alternativa.

O Timão chegou para enfrentar o Cruzeiro com o retorno de diversos atletas ao time titular, como André Ramalho, Yuri Alberto, Memphis e Carrillo. Apesar da vitória, Dorival Júnior manteve os pés no chão para falar sobre a vantagem.

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– Por isso nós temos que ter consciência de que o jogo do final de semana será ainda mais pesado, muito mais forte, com as equipes ainda mais concentradas, e o resultado está todo ele em aberto. Temos uma pequena vantagem muito importante, construída dentro da casa do Cruzeiro. Uma equipe excelente, muito bem treinada. Assim foi o Corinthians também. Por isso a igualdade no jogo, as equipes buscando gol a todo momento. Em alguns momentos prevalecendo o Cruzeiro, em outros o Corinthians. Um jogo de alto nível em razão da maneira como as duas equipes se enfrentaram – disse o treinador em entrevista coletiva.

Tudo sobre o Timão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Corinthians

Copeiro

O termo é utilizado para equipes ou treinadores com bom desempenho em torneios no regulamento de mata-mata. Mesmo com o ótimo retrospecto na competição nacional, Dorival Júnior preferiu dar os créditos aos jogadores.

– Quem resolve os jogos são os jogadores. Treinadores preparam, eles executam. Houve um interesse, uma integração, uma preocupação muito grande, em cumprirem funções. Quando isso acontece, você tem comportamentos respeitados em campo. Você aumenta a sua possibilidade de um bom resultado. Não tendo isso, naturalmente você acaba dificultando as suas condições – disse o treinador.

Próximo jogo do Corinthians

As equipes voltam a se enfrentar no domingo (14), às 18h (de Brasília), na Neo Química Arena. Com a vitória no Mineirão, o Timão joga pelo empate para chegar à final da Copa do Brasil. O rival da decisão será definido entre Fluminense e Vasco.

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CorinthiansFutebol Nacional

The Padres are reportedly keeping their managerial job within the organizational family.

San Diego is hiring front-office assistant Craig Stammen as its next manager, according to a Thursday morning report from Jon Heyman of the . Stammen, 41, pitched for the Padres from 2017 to '22.

In 2024, Stammen assumed a baseball operations role with San Diego focused on player development.

Born in rural Ohio, Stammen pitched collegiately for Dayton before the Nationals drafted him in 2005. After several up-and-down years shuttling between the rotation and bullpen, he broke through as a reliever for the Nationals' first playoff team in 2012.

He spent seven years with Washington and six with the Padres in all, and now will be tasked with injecting life into a San Diego team that disappointed in 2025. The Padres went 90–72 but failed to advance out of the wild-card round; since their ballyhooed postseason return in 2020, San Diego hasn't gone farther than the NLCS in Stammen's last season.

The Padres will open Stammen's first season on March 26 against the Tigers.

The Twins have hired former Pirates skipper Derek Shelton as the franchise's new manager, according to a report from Jon Heyman of the

Shelton will replace Rocco Baldelli, who was fired by the Twins following the end of the regular season after seven years with the club. This represents a reunion for Shelton and the Twins as he previously worked as a bench coach under Baldelli and Paul Molitor in Minnesota from 2018-19.

Shelton, meanwhile, lands on his feet after parting with the Pirates in May, just 38 games into the season. Pittsburgh was off to a 12-26 start at the time of his departure, and was looking for a spark in their rebuilding club.

Shelton will be tasked with a similar rebuild in Minnesota after the Twins traded several key contributors at the deadline. Minnesota finished the year 70-92, which was good for a fourth place finish in the AL Central.

The 55-year-old Shelton has compiled a 306-440 record in his five-plus seasons as a major league manager, all of which came with the Pirates. He has never taken a club to the playoffs.

If you ignore his underwhelming display on Sunday, it has largely been a positive start to life at Arsenal for Eberechi Eze.

Despite it taking him a little while to get up to speed with what Mikel Arteta wants from him, the former Crystal Palace star has already amassed five goals and four assists for the team in 18 games.

Moreover, he’s already etched his name into the club’s history books by scoring an unreal hat-trick in the North London Derby, the first anyone has scored since 1978.

Appearances

18

Starts

14

Minutes

1216′

Goals

5

Assists

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.5

Minutes per Goal Involvement

135.11′

Points per Game

2.50

So, fans should be delighted about reports linking Arsenal with someone who could be the club’s future Eze.

Arsenal target their future Eze

With the transfer window reopening next month, Arsenal have once again begun being linked with a host of talented players.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, Nottingham Forest’s £79m Murillo has been touted for a move to the Emirates, as has his £120m teammate Elliot Anderson.

Yet, as talented and potentially game-changing as the two Forest men are, neither one could be described as Eze-like, nor a long-term heir to him, unlike Holger Quintero.

Yes, according to a recent ESPN report, Arsenal are looking to sign the highly rated teenage talent.

In fact, the report has revealed that the club have already agreed a deal in principle for the midfielder and his twin brother, Edwin Quintero.

The two 16-year-olds are said to be in London at the moment to iron out the final details of the move, with an official announcement to come at a later date.

They will then move to the Emirates in August 2027, when they are both 18, due to rules around foreign-born youngsters.

Holger Quintero is unlikely to make an impact on the team for some time, but based on what those in the know say about him, he could prove to be Arsenal’s next Eze.

Why Holger Quintero will be Arsenal's next Eze

Now, the first thing to say is that given Eze is still just 27 and in fine form, there is little chance of Quintero coming in to replace him.

However, five or six years from now, when the former is ageing out, the latter could be the ideal player to step in and add creativity to the midfield.

At least it sounds like that is the case based on what those in the know are saying, like Ben Mattinson.

The Como scout has described the 16-year-old as a “skilful attacking midfielder with 1v1 prowess to take on players,” which sounds an awful lot like the former Palace star.

Moreover, he highlights that, in addition to his close control, the teenager also has an “excellent weight of pass” and is a “decisive creator with a killer final ball.”

That combination of being a direct threat while also creating ample opportunities for teammates is just like the Englishman at his best.

It’s not just Mattinson raving about the young phenom, though, as U23 scout Antonio Mango has described him as someone who is blessed with “high technical & intellect qualities” and is “effective in all thirds of the pitch.”

Finally, if that still isn’t enough, respected talent scout Jacek Kulig has been bold enough to describe the midfielder as “one of the most exciting U17s in South America.”

Ultimately, while it is too early in his career, Quintero looks like an exceptional superstar in the making, and his combination of incredible close control and game-breaking passing means he could be the perfect long-term heir to Eze.

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Manchester United are now seriously considering a move for a “lightning quick” Paris Saint-Germain star, with a surprise Marcus Rashford swap deal on the cards.

Rashford tearing it up on loan at Barcelona

Rashford has really managed to kick on since joining Barcelona on loan in the summer, amassing six goals and ten assists in all competitions, but it has recently emerged that the forward isn’t expected to make his stay at the Camp Nou permanent.

The Englishman is likely to have plenty of options to choose from next summer, however, with it being revealed Chelsea have held talks over a potential deal, while Tottenham Hotspur are determined to win the race for the 28-year-old’s signature and give him a leading role.

It is difficult to envisage a way back for the United academy graduate at Old Trafford, given his sour relationship with Ruben Amorim, and it has now been revealed the manager could get him off the books in a different way at the end of the season.

According to a report from Spain, Man United are now seriously considering signing PSG forward Bradley Barcola, and a surprise swap deal is possible, with Rashford potentially set to be sent in the opposite direction.

Barcola’s negotiations with the French club over a new contract have now stalled, which could open the door for a move to Old Trafford, although his current employers are very reluctant to sanction a departure.

With a market value of around €70m (£61m), a deal for the Frenchman would be on the expensive side, but there are indications he could be worth every penny…

"Lightning quick" Barcola impressing in Ligue 1 and Europe

Hailed as “lightning quick” by journalist Raj Chohan, the PSG star has put in some top performances in both Ligue 1 and the Champions League this season, regularly contributing with goals and assists.

Competition

Appearances

Goal contributions

Ligue 1

12

6

Champions League

5

2

The 23-year-old also played a major role in the French side winning the Champions League for the first time last season, chipping in with three goals and four assists in 17 appearances.

Man United appear to have recruited well in the summer, with new forward Matheus Cunha grabbing an assist in the 4-1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out, while Bryan Mbeumo already has six Premier League goals to his name.

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However, with the Red Devils looking to return to Europe next season, they may need more depth in attacking areas, and Barcola could be a brilliant addition to Amorim’s squad, so they should definitely try to negotiate a swap deal involving Rashford.

This season is shaping up very nicely for Chelsea at the moment.

Enzo Maresca’s side are second in the Premier League and have the chance to cut Arsenal’s lead to just three points on Sunday.

Then in Europe, they sent a warning out to the rest of the sides in the Champions League with their thumping 3-0 win over Barcelona, a game in which Estevao shone once again.

Maresca and Co will have a chance to make Chelsea’s season even better once the transfer window reopens in just over a month, not just by signing players, but by selling one who once looked like Estevao when he was a youngster.

Estevao's sensational start to life at Chelsea

The expectations placed upon Estevao have been monumental for quite some time now, to the point that respected analyst Ben Mattinson labelled him a “future Ballon d’Or winner” months before Chelsea even signed him.

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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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Since then, the hype surrounding him has only grown, thanks in large part to his fine form in Brazil, where he produced 17 goal involvements in 37 games last season.

Even so, few would have expected the start to this season he has had.

The youngster is not only playing a decent number of minutes, but he’s chipping in with important goals and has already shown a hugely impressive ability to get the fans on their feet.

So far, the 18-year-old has scored five goals and provided one assist for the Blues in 17 appearances, totalling 740 minutes.

That comes out to an excellent average of a goal involvement every 2.83 games, or every 123.33 minutes, which would be commendable for a seasoned veteran, let alone a teenager.

The Franca-born wonderkid has been so effective this year that fans and pundits have actually spoken about him being a particular threat to league-leading Arsenal ahead of Sunday’s game.

However, while Chelsea should be delighted with their new wonderkid, they also need to find a way to sell one of their biggest duds, who once looked like Estevao when he was first breaking through.

The Chelsea flop who needs to be sold

Chelsea have become quite good at moving on players they don’t want in recent years, but even then, a couple remain in the bomb squad who are proving tricky to sell, like Raheem Sterling.

The former Manchester City star joined the club in 2022, and while he’s had moments for the club in which he’s looked excellent, they’ve only ever been that, moments.

Moreover, while his tally of 19 goals and 15 assists in 81 games isn’t terrible, he’s never really put together a string of impressive performances, which is why he was allowed to join Arsenal on loan last year.

Unfortunately, that move only made the situation worse, as he ended up scoring just a single goal and providing five assists in 28 games for the Gunners, and was labelled a “passenger” by journalist Charles Watts.

Since returning to Stamford Bridge, the 30-year-old has been left to train separately from the first team, and with a weekly wage of £325k, that is far from ideal.

It is a serious shame that things have not worked out for the former England international, as before his move south, he was one of the best players in the league.

For example, during his time at the Etihad, he scored 131 goals and provided 86 assists in 339 appearances and won four league titles.

He was even a brilliant player for Liverpool, making his debut in the 11/12 season, but making his name in the 13/14 season, when, like Estevao now, he was just 18 years old.

In that season, the Kingston-born phenom managed to rack up an incredible tally of ten goals and seven assists in 38 appearances, totalling 2535 minutes, which is an average of a goal involvement every 2.23 games, or every 149.11 minutes.

Sterling (13/14) and Estevao (25/26) at 18

Player

Sterling

Estevao

Appearances

38

17

Minutes

2535′

740′

Goals

10

5

Assists

7

1

Goal Involvements per Match

0.44

0.35

Minutes per Goal Involvement

149.11′

123.33′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

It wasn’t just the goals, though, as, like the Brazilian, he was a serious threat with the ball at his feet, thanks in part to his speed and close control.

Ultimately, Sterling will go down as a legend of the Premier League, but for the sake of all parties, Chelsea need to sell him in January, even if they barely get anything.

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Eddie Howe didn’t name a weakened Newcastle United side against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday in the Champions League, despite the Tyne-Wear Derby looming large.

Indeed, the 48-year-old went full strength, as he picked the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, and Anthony Gordon, even as his team’s tense showdown with Sunderland comes onto the overloaded fixture list on Sunday.

Going all out with his team selection didn’t mean a convincing win was forthcoming, though, as Newcastle’s frailties away from St James’ Park reared their ugly head once more in a 2-2 draw at the BayArena.

Unfortunately, many of Howe’s top performers throughout the season struggled in Leverkusen, as an 88th-minute equaliser from Alejandro Grimaldo proved to be a sickening end to a night that was meant to boost the Toon’s confidence, before travelling to the Black Cats.

Newcastle's worst performers vs Leverkusen

It was a well-worked move that saw the Spanish defender slot home past Aaron Ramsdale, but the lax marking of the full-back will have angered Howe at the full-time whistle, as Tonali looked nowhere near his energetic best once more.

The Italian just casually jogged about the pitch when the move was being orchestrated, with the ex-AC Milan man also falling victim to a sluggish display on the ball when giving up possession eight times.

As journalist Luke Edwards put it at the close of the 2-2 draw, he’s meant to “bring control” to contests late on, but looked haphazard on the flip side.

Moreover, Howe could now be second-guessing whether Malick Thiaw should start what will surely be a heated contest at the Stadium of Light, with the clumsy German fortunate not to receive a red card when bringing down Patrick Schick early into the first half, just before he could fire a shot at Ramsdale’s net.

Thankfully, the 24-year-old evaded the referee’s wrath, with the hope that he can get back to his rock-solid best on Wearside, having further come up short uncharacteristically on three of his eight duels away from St James’ Park.

Guimaraes was also left red-faced during the clash when he unfortunately put an own-goal past an unsuspecting Ramsdale, but he did more than enough at BayArena to keep his first-team spot, as seen in him notching up a hefty five key passes, as per Sofascore.

The same, however, can’t be said for one of his declining teammates…

The Newcastle star who must now be axed

Hailed as an “unbelievably frustrating” night from a Toon persuasion by Sky Sports’ Andy Sixsmith, it will be intriguing to see what changes Howe makes to his starting XI now for the demanding Tyne-Wear face-off to come.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Joelinton dropping out feels like an obvious alteration, as the underperforming number seven limped off with a clear injury issue on the hour mark.

To make matters worse for the waning Brazilian, his replacement, Lewis Miley, scored within 14 minutes of his introduction into the lively game, leading one content creator to state that the young Englishman has now “claimed his starting space.”

Even if the lethargic South American didn’t have his injury issue to contend with, he would likely be fearful of the axe when looking at his poor numbers from the Leverkusen score draw in more detail, as the 29-year-old, who used to be known for his verve and determination centrally, ended up only winning two of his nine duels on the night.

On top of that, he also very much fell victim to fading in and out of the match, having come off at the hour mark with only 33 touches accumulated, unlike his midfield partners in Guimaraes and Tonali, who amassed a weighty 121 touches between them.

Even Ramsdale in between the sticks would tally up more touches, ending the 2-2 affair with a slightly higher 39.

Having lost his spark in the Premier League this season, too, with zero goals or assists next to his name from 13 league outings, it does feel like a straightforward swap to bring in Miley for some freshness against Sunderland, as the homegrown prodigy licks his lips at the prospect of facing the Toon’s fiercest rivals.

Dropping Joelinton is unlikely to be the only tweak at the Stadium of Light, as Howe does everything in his power to pick the strongest XI that hands his team the bragging rights on Sunday.

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The last instance of this rare dismissal in the Ranji Trophy came in 2005-06

Shashank Kishore18-Nov-2025 • Updated on 21-Nov-2025Manipur’s Lamabam Ajay Singh fell to one of cricket’s rarest dismissals in the Ranji Trophy plate league match against Meghalaya in Surat – given out for hitting the ball twice.Ajay had defended an Aryan Bora delivery, but hit it again to gently push it in the direction of the bowler. The Meghalaya players appealed and the umpire M Madhu ruled it out after giving it some thought. No one, including the batter, protested the umpire’s decision.Clause 34.1.1 of the MCC Laws states that a striker is out hitting the ball twice if, while the ball is in play, it makes contact with any part of their body or bat, and the striker then wilfully strikes it a second time with the bat or with any part of the body (other than a hand not holding the bat), before a fielder touches the ball – except when the second strike is solely to protect their wicket.

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