Stephen Cook has been given hope his international career can resume but Dale Steyn’s comeback continues to be delayed

Firdose Moonda05-Aug-2017Aiden Markram will have the opportunity to push for a place in the South African Test squad for the upcoming home season when he captains the A side in two four-day matches against India A. Markram is currently with the senior team in England, and will remain in Manchester and not return home with Vernon Philander and Andile Phehlukwayo this weekend, but then has a three-day turnaround before the first match starts on August 12.Phehlukwayo and Duanne Olivier, who is playing at Old Trafford, are also part of the A squad, which includes discarded opener Stephen Cook. However, the news does not look promising for Dale Steyn whose comeback from the broken shoulder he suffered in Australia last year continues to be pushed back.After being dropped for the England series, Cook, who is 34, may have thought his international career over but has been given a lifeline and could feature in the home summer, which is scheduled to include 10 Tests.South Africa host Bangladesh in September-October before taking on India, in a series that is set for four Tests starting in early 2018 and Australia for four Tests in a season that is sure to ask questions of their depth. Already, the ongoing series in England has exposed weaknesses in South Africa’s batting which the A team will hope to address.SA A squad

Aiden Markram (capt), Stephen Cook, Junior Dala, Beuran Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Duanne Olivier, Dane Paterson, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dane Piedt, Omphile Ramela, Rudi Second, Jason Smith, Shaun von Berg, Khaya Zondo

Markram and Cook could both make cases to partner Dean Elgar, especially since Heino Kuhn had a tough first three Tests. He averaged 13 from his first six international innings with a top-score of 34. Lower down the line-up South Africa are also struggling for runs and the inclusion of David Miller, who was withdrawn from the CPL to play for the A side, could offer a solution. Other names to watch are Omphile Ramela and Jason Smith, both from Cobras, Khaya Zondo of the Dolphins’ franchise and the two wicketkeeper batsmen Heinrich Klaasen and Rudi Second from Titans and Knights respectively.The lengthy home season will also require pace-bowling reserves and so the absence of Dale Steyn is notable. Steyn is still recovering from the broken shoulder he suffered in Australia last November and his comeback has been delayed several times. Most recently, he hoped for a county stint, which did not materialise, and then to play the A side in a bid to make a return for the Bangladesh series but now that appears off the table as well. The earliest opportunity Steyn will have to play long-form cricket will be in the domestic four-day competition, ahead of the India Tests. Olivier, Phehlukwayo, Dane Paterson, Beuran Hendricks and Junior Dala will feature for the A side against India A.South Africa have included two spinners in Dane Piedt, the offspinner, and legspinner Shaun von Berg but with Keshav Maharaj settled into his role and conditions expected to favour pace bowling, especially against the subcontinent teams, the best they can probably hope for is to serve as cover.The two four-day matches will be played in Benoni and Potchefstroom, which is also the host of the first Test against Bangladesh.

Ross Whiteley struck six sixes in an over•Getty Images

Worcestershire’s Ross Whiteley hit six sixes in an over after David Willey had blasted a stunning career best 118 as Yorkshire won a high-scoring NatWest T20 Blast clash at Headingley.Willey sent records tumbling with a 55-ball assault as the Vikings, invited to bat, posted a county-best 233 for 6 from their 20 overs. Fellow left-hander Whiteley then hit novice left-arm spinner Karl Carver over the ropes six times in the 16th over, which included a wide.That took the score to 173 for 4, but he fell for 65 off 26 balls as the Rapids finished on 196 for 7, a 37-run defeat.Sheffield-born Whiteley becomes the sixth man to hit achieve the feat in world cricket, including Lancashire’s Jordan Clark, who did it in a second-team game against Yorkshire in 2013.Whiteley said: “It was the right time in the game for me to go for it. It was all or nothing. Unfortunately for the bowler it was a short boundary on the leg-side.”I had the mentality that I was going to go for it before I got in. I hit the first out of the screws and needed to keep going for the team, not for that achievement. It’s something I never really thought I’d do in professional cricket.”Personal milestone are great, but it’s hard to get away from the defeat. It’s pretty tough to take. We’ve lost four out of five and are right down at the bottom. Obviously we have to bounce back. There’s no reason why we can’t.”Yorkshire’s coach Andrew Gale had only sympathy for Carver, even criticising his captain – and brother-in-law – Tim Bresnan for bringing him on to bowl.”I blame poor captaincy for that,” he said. “He shouldn’t have bowled him at that part of the game. I felt for Karl, he’s got a good record in T20 cricket and he’ll bounce back. Ross nearly did it a few years back against us. It was good striking.”England limited-overs all-rounder Willey hit nine fours and eight sixes, helping to take 34 off John Hastings in the 17th over as he reached his second ton off 49 balls.It was Yorkshire’s record individual score and the highest in the Blast this season. It was also the highest by any team this season and their record score, beating 227 for 5 against Notts earlier this month.Yorkshire flew out of the blocks and rarely broke stride in an innings which was only briefly interrupted by rain.Alex Lees, in for ineligible former Worcester man Tom Kohler-Cadmore, hit an early straight six off Hastings onto the Football Stand roof before being bowled two balls later.Willey and Adam Lyth, whose 31 off 23 balls was Yorkshire’s next best score, then shared 81 in 6.2 overs for the second wicket before Willey and Jack Leaning later added 67 for the fifth wicket in 4.4 to advance from 148 for 4.Willey, fresh off 70 in Friday’s win over Birmingham here, fell in the 19th over when he was bowled trying to paddle Ed Barnard to third-man.The Rapids kept pace with Yorkshire in a rain-affected chase and were even ahead of Duckworth Lewis Stern for much of the Powerplay as Australian all-rounder John Hastings was promoted to open, but they lost Ben Cox to Azeem Rafiq with the last ball of the sixth over to put them behind again at 60 for 2 and eventually slipped to their fourth defeat in five North Group matches.Hastings hit Yorkshire captain Bresnan for two sixes and a four in the first over before falling in the third, caught at deep mid-wicket for 24.Clarke continued the blitz but lost Ben Cox caught at cover off an Azeem Rafiq full toss shortly before a half-hour rain break.They reached 102 for 2 after 10 overs before excellent Adil Rashid struck twice, including Clarke. Then came Whiteley, too late to affect the result, but entering the records in style all the same.

England legend Wayne Rooney has claimed it looks as though Harry Kane is "being held as a prisoner" at Tottenham Hotspur amid persistent exit rumours.

What did Rooney say about Kane?

It wouldn't really be a transfer window without there being a whole load of speculation about the future of the Spurs striker. And it wouldn't really be a transfer window without a load of pundits, managers, and fans weighing in on the debate of where Kane should go next.

Well, Rooney is the latest man to offer his opinions on the matter, suggesting Kane would be "ideal" for his former side Manchester United to sign this summer.

Indeed, when speaking in a recent interview with The Athletic's David Ornstein, the current D.C. United manager made his feelings about his former England international teammate clear.

Rooney said: "Harry Kane would be the ideal player, for me, to go and join Manchester United.

"It looks like he's being held as a prisoner at Tottenham. It's very difficult for him to get out of there.

"But yea I think if Manchester United had Harry Kane there, then I think that gives their chances of going to win and compete… makes that a lot easier and better.

"But whether that happens remains to be seen."

As things stand, it seems more likely that Kane will end up in Germany with Bayern Munich instead of heading to Old Trafford. The Bundesliga giants have already had two bids rejected by Spurs this summer, the latest understood to be worth about £70m plus add-ons.

What did Rooney say about Maguire?

In the same interview with The Athletic, Rooney also weighed in on Harry Maguire with the centre-back having recently been stripped of the captain's armband.

On the matter, the club legend explained how this proves Maguire's not in manager Erik ten Hag's plans and so the defender should probably leave this summer.

He said: “To have the armband taken off you, how does he move forward with the club?

“That shows the manager really doesn’t believe in him. It leaves Harry in a position where he has to think on what he does moving forward.

"The manager has shown he is not part of the plans. I’m sure Harry will want to go and play — for himself, for his England career — to put himself in the best position to be as successful as he can. The best thing now is probably for him to move.”

At the moment, West Ham seem likely the most likely destination for Maguire. Indeed, transfers expert Fabrizio Romano claimed that "it is true" there is "interest" from the Hammers.

However, the Italian journalist did note that there are "also other clubs keen" on the England defender and so his future remains up for grabs for the time being.

Maybe the player will prefer to stay and fight for his spot in Ten Hag's team but it does feel as though the writing is on the wall for Maguire and with Rooney urging him to move on too, perhaps it's best to heed that advice.

Al-Nassr striker Cristiano Ronaldo seemingly lost his temper with a cameraman following Al-Nassr’s 0-0 draw against Al-Shabab on Friday.

What happened between Cristiano Ronaldo and the cameraman?

The former Manchester United man hasn’t necessarily cut the happiest of figures lately over in Saudi Arabia.

For instance, he recently delivered a rather bitter interview in which he took aim at a number of people as he insisted the “Saudi league is better than MLS” – where long-time rival Lionel Messi now plays – while also claiming “Serie A was dead” before his spell at Juventus, and finally insisting that “in a year Saudi league will overtake the Turkish league and Dutch league.”

He also hasn’t endured the best pre-season so far and this was well summed up when former Real Madrid teammate Angel Di Maria embarrassed him with a fine bit of skill as Benfica thumped Al-Nassr’s 4-1 in a friendly.

Well, it seems that misery has continued into the Arab Club Champions Cup, which is an annual regional club football competition organised by the Union of Arab Football Associations.

Indeed, coming up against Al-Shabab in the first match of the tournament, Ronaldo was left on the bench from the start and only came on in the 62nd minute of the game.

CR7 was unable to help break the deadlock during his cameo as the match ended all square at 0-0 – leaving Al-Nassr now on a winless run of five matches.

At the full-time whistle, Ronaldo was visibly annoyed as he walked off the King Fahd Sport City Stadium pitch, which you can see in the footage below.

This only tells half the story of his anger, however, as a different video captures just how annoyed the Portugal legend was.

Yes, a moody Ronaldo can be seen pointing and moaning about something before becoming aggravated by the camerman’s proximity to him.

The perturbed 38-year-old then squirts his water bottle at the media worker and firmly gestures for him to go and film someone or somewhere else.

How many goals has Ronaldo scored for Al-Nassr?

Speaking about the match on his official Twitter account, Ronaldo appeared to reference some of the frustration he had over the result as he wrote: “Tough 1st game in the group stage! 2 more games to go. We keep fighting.”

No doubt the striker will be desperate to soon get his team back to winning way as well as getting himself on the teamsheet once more.

So far with his current side, he has played 20 competitive matches, scoring 14 goals and providing two assists in the time. Not a bad rate by any means, although Messi already has three goals and two assists in just two games for new club Inter Miami (albeit those haven’t come in actual MLS matches).

Of course, Ronaldo could improve his goalscoring feats with a better group of players around him.

On that front, the good news is that transfer guru Fabrizio Romano is reporting Sadio Mane, Seko Fofana, Marcelo Brozovic, and Alex Telles are all set to make the switch from Europe to join Ronaldo at Al-Nassr this summer.

With that being the case, it will certainly be interesting to see how Ronaldo gets on with so many new – and some familiar – faces joining him in the Saudi Pro League shortly.

كشفت التدريبات الختامية للنادي الأهلي، ملامح التشكيل الذي يخوض به موقعة مباراة مازيمبي الكونغولي مساء اليوم الجمعة، ضمن منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

الأهلي يستضيف مازيمبي، في إطار مواجهة الإياب لدور نصف نهائي بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي.

وكان الأهلي نجح في العودة من الكونغو بالتعادل السلبي أمام مازيمبي، في مباراة الذهاب التي جمعت بينهما السبت الماضي.

طالع | تشكيل الأهلي الرسمي أمام مازيمبي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا.. وسام أبو علي يقود الهجوم

وأوضحت التدريبات الختامية للفريق، استقرار السويسري مارسيل كولر، على الدفع بالجنوب إفريقي بيرسي تاو من بداية المباراة كما يتواجد محمد مجدي أفشة مع استمرار أحمد عبد القادر.

ويستمر في قيادة هجوم المارد الأحمر الفلسطيني وسام أبو علي. تشكيل الأهلي المتوقع أمام مازيمبي اليوم في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

حراسة المرمى: مصطفى شوبير.

خط الدفاع: محمد هاني، محمد عبد المنعم، رامي ربيعة وعلي معلول.

خط الوسط: عمرو السولية، أحمد نبيل كوكا، محمد مجدي أفشة، أحمد عبد القادر وبيرسي تاو.

خط الهجوم: وسام أبو علي.

تجدر الإشارة إلى أن المتأهل من مباراة الأهلي ومازيمبي سيلاقي الفائز من مواجهة صن داونز الجنوب إفريقي والترجي التونسي في نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا النسخة الحالية 2024.

Despite the ability to pull off impressive victories, England have made little overall progress as a Test side in the last two years

George Dobell26-Jul-2017Little more than a week ago, England’s coach, Trevor Bayliss, stated that playing eight batsmen was “almost a waste” and amounted to “papering over the cracks” and “saying we’re not confident with our batting line-up.”Yet on Wednesday Joe Root, the England captain, admitted England were considering playing eight batsmen. Dawid Malan, Root said, may come into the side, shunting Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali back to No. 7 and No. 8 respectively and provide more batting depth. A final decision will only be made having inspected the pitch on Thursday morning and ascertained how much value could be gained from playing two spinners.Little more than a week ago, Bayliss talked of Liam Dawson as England’s “first choice spinner,” described Moeen Ali as “a batter who bowls a little” and suggested the balance of England’s side “you could pretty much pick on any type of wicket.”Yet on Wednesday it became plain that Dawson’s place was on the line, that Moeen was still first choice spinner and that the balance of the side could easily change.On Tuesday, England’s assistant coach, Paul Farbrace stated that Mark Wood would “have to be managed carefully” and that there may be times when he is considered for “only two games in a four or five match series.”Yet the week before, England picked him for back-to-back Tests despite his injury record – he has undergone three ankle operations in the recent past – and his going into the second Test with a sore heel. “He went into that last game with a sore heel,” Farbrace said on Tuesday. “He could have easily pulled out and said he wasn’t fit.”All of which raises the questions about the consistency, vision and progress of the England management. It is increasingly hard to avoid the conclusion that, in red-ball cricket at least, they have made no progress at all. Not with finding a balanced side, not with helping new players settle and not with preventing a recurrence of familiar mistakes.For here we are, going into the third match of a series, with the possibility that the England side will contain three debutants.To some extent that is down to injuries.But only to some extent.It would be disingenuous to pretend that Gary Ballance – or Keaton Jennings, for that matter – had made his position in the top three safe. And it would be disingenuous to pretend that Wood or Dawson have made their places their own, either. More than two years since Bayliss took over as coach, nearly every hole that existed in the England line-up then remains now. They are still a talented, exciting, flawed team in development. And the mixed messages coming from the management can be doing nothing to aid clarity.For all that, it is possible England might stumble across a balanced line-up on Thursday morning. If Malan is given a cap – and it still seems slightly more likely that Dawson will retain his spot on an Oval surface that has provided some assistance for spinners this season – England will lengthen their batting line-up and add just a bit of solidity to a team that has been rather stronger on style than substance.While they will lose a left-arm spin option it might be compensated, in part, by the addition of two more part-time spinners in Malan and Tom Westley.The one consistent message that has come out of the England camp this week is the sense that they let themselves down a bit at Trent Bridge. They feel, as Root put it, that they are “a better side than we showed last week.” They are smarting from the defeat and itching to make amends.But for all they claim, as Ben Stokes did on Tuesday, that it was something of an aberration – “We have had one poor performance,” he said. “We have a good performance we are the best team; we have a bad performance we are the worst team. It’s quite hard to win with you guys sometimes” – it’s not entirely true. England have actually won only one (and lost six) of their most recent eight Tests. And if they lose at The Oval, they will have won none of their four most recent series. It is a record that suggests they are what they were in early 2015: a talented side, yes, but one in development and one with holes to fill.As they go into this Test, the sense is growing that it is not just a couple of the players – notably Jennings and Dawson – who are fighting for their future. If England continue to suffer from batting frailty – and this South African attack looks well-capable of exposing any weakness – the questions about Bayliss might start to mount, too. He is all but certain to lead England into the Ashes but he will do so with more confidence and credibility if one of these major series can be won ahead of them. All of a sudden, this Oval Test is looking like a pivotal game for England in particular.

Wolves "will do their best" to keep hold of midfielder Matheus Nunes beyond the summer transfer window, according to an update from renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano.

How much does Matheus Nunes earn?

The Portuguese, who currently earns £85,000 per week at Molineux, joined Wanderers from Sporting CP last summer, coming in as an exciting signing, having once been hailed as "one of the best players in the world today" by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.

In truth, Nunes' first season in a Wolves shirt wasn't always the most eye-catching, with the 24-year-old arguably not enjoying the influence many hoped he would. He scored just once in 35 Premier League matches, and while that isn't necessarily his job in the team, more end product would have been nice, given his technical ability.

The Portugal international clearly remains an important player moving forward, however, and it should be stressed that many foreign signings can find it hard to adjust to life in England straight away, given the speed and power of the game in this country.

Nunes is contracted to Wolves until the summer of 2027, so it would surely take a huge bid from someone to be able to prise him away so soon after joining.

Could Matheus Nunes stay at Wolves?

Speaking to Caught Offside, Romano said Wolves are doing their utmost to ensure that Nunes is still at the club next season, following the exits of both Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho:

"Matheus Nunes – A player linked with big moves in recent times, but Wolves already lost Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves in the midfield this summer, so there’s no news at all about Nunes right now. Wolves will do their best to keep him. For sure he was on Liverpool’s list in January, but now their focus is on Romeo Lavia."

Keeping hold of Nunes has to be seen as a primary objective at Wolves this summer, considering he has been lauded as "unbelievable" by former teammate Goncalo Santos in the past. While he didn't always shine last season, he still averaged 1.9 tackles per game in the league, highlighting his defensive skills, and he enjoyed an 82.3% pass completion in a team that struggled at times and didn't necessarily see a huge amount of the ball.

At 24, the midfielder is also still a fairly young player who may only go on to improve in the coming years, so there is no reason why he can't become the new star at Molineux in the middle of the park, now that both Neves and Moutinho have moved on.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see a bid come in for Nunes from another club, given his quality, but as mentioned, Wolves find themselves in an extremely strong bargaining position when it comes to his future, and they would surely only consider accepting an offer if it was a big offer.

Retaining Nunes could be seen as a major positive as the new Premier League campaign edges closer all the time, and he may go up a gear in 2023/24, especially after enjoying a full pre-season working alongside Julen Lopetegui.

Newcastle United's interest in Monaco centre-back Axel Disasi is "serious" in the summer transfer window, according to an update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Do Newcastle want to sign Axel Disasi?

The Magpies are eyeing up a new defensive addition between now and the beginning of the new Premier League season, and Disasi has emerged as arguably their main target in that area of the pitch.

The 25-year-old has been a rock at the heart of Monaco's back-line for a sustained period now, making 129 appearances in total, not to mention scoring 12 goals and registering four assists as an added bonus. He has also won four caps for France, holding his own in a squad full of world-class talent, whether it be Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann or Raphael Varane, to name just a few of the superstars on show.

Disasi's current Monaco deal runs out in the summer of 2025, which does put the Ligue 1 side in something of a tricky position, in terms of deciding whether to sell him for a lot of money now, or risk losing him for a cheaper amount further down the line when his contract is nearing its expiration date.

What's the latest on Disasi to Newcastle?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Romano claimed that Disasi remains a strong candidate to head to St James' Park this summer, having had discussions with him over a move in recent times:

"The interest is serious and they had conversations on the player's side. It is not something that is advanced yet, on the club side."

This is another indication that Disasi remains firmly on Newcastle's radar in the summer window, and he really could be exactly what they're looking for prior to the 2023/24 campaign getting off and running, coming in as Sven Botman's centre-back partner for the foreseeable future.

The Frenchman, who has been labelled as a "hidden gem", is a fantastic defender who averaged 2.6 and 2.3 aerial duel wins in Ligue 1 and the Europa League last season, as well as eye-catching 3.3 interceptions per match in the former, and 2.9 clearances in the latter. His aforementioned international experience for France also highlights what a top-level player he is, at a time when Les Bleus also have the likes of Ibrahima Konate and William Saliba to call upon at the back, as well as Varane.

At this point, it just feels like a case of Newcastle agreeing a fee for Disasi, and both clubs coming to an agreement that suits all parties, and a move to the Magpies should appeal to him, considering the massive progress they are making under Eddie Howe, finishing fourth in the Premier League,

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has praised him the past, lauding his "pace, tackling, heading, athleticism, tenacity, timing", as well as a "complete and dominant" central defender, which perfectly sums up what an all-round force he already is, not to mention still having so many years ahead of him to further improve, potentially coming in as the strong upgrade on Fabian Schar, who remains an important squad player.

Arsenal under Arsene Wenger were a different animal, especially during the early years. The Frenchman led them to three Premier League titles during his first eight years, while eventually winning the FA Cup seven times.

It wasn’t just the way they played that revitalised English football, but also the players they signed, with the likes of Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Nicolas Anelka all starring under the enigmatic manager.

With current boss Mikel Arteta trying to bring the Premier League trophy back to north London for the first time since Wenger in 2003/04, could he perhaps repeat Arsenal’s Anelka masterclass from 1997?

What are the latest Arsenal transfer rumours?

With Lionel Messi departing Paris Saint-Germain and now Kylian Mbappe potentially making a move away from the Parcs des Princes, Neymar could perhaps be the final member of the famed triumvirate to still be at the club by the end of the summer transfer window.

That being said, however, former Gunners star Julio Baptista has suggested that a move to Arsenal could be the ideal opportunity for the £932k-per-week Brazilian to enjoy a fresh start.

He said: "It’s interesting. I think Neymar is comfortable at PSG, but maybe the best move for him is to create a new atmosphere at a new club – maybe a club that supports him and gives him all the confidence that he needs.

"He doesn’t have that at PSG. The fans don’t like him a lot and maybe it is time to move on and try something different. Why not?

"Arsenal is one of the best clubs in Europe. We know that the last eight or so years, Arsenal have not produced their best or been as competitive. But now, with [Mikel] Arteta, Arsenal have something different. They have started to construct something powerful. Why not?

"Maybe this could be the key. In Brazil we say that you have the house, you have everything, and you just need the key to open it. Maybe Neymar is the key to open and complete everything at Arsenal. He is an incredible player.”

How good is Neymar?

Anelka arrived at Arsenal as just a young talent from PSG in 1997, costing just £500k, and he ended up helping the Gunners secure the double in Wenger’s first full season.

The French maverick ended up scoring 28 goals and grabbing 12 assists before joining Real Madrid for a staggering £22.3m in 1999, just over two years after the club had signed him.

Although at different stages of their careers, Neymar could still certainly have a similar impact to that of Anelka, especially since he would be free from the vast pressures at the Ligue 1 side.

The 5 foot 8 magician has dazzled at times during his spell with PSG, registering an impressive total of 195 goal contributions – 118 goals and 77 assists – across just 173 games for the French giants and this clearly indicates that he would bring goals to Arsenal.

He was even ranked second in the squad last term for key passes per game (2.5) while ranking third for big chances created (15) and successful dribbles per game (1.9), which is further evidence of just how effective he was, despite almost playing third wheel to that of Messi and Mbappe.

Indeed, the diminutive Argentinian even lauded Neymar as “unstoppable”, and the 31-year-old still has plenty to offer.

West Ham United are on the verge of losing another player with Gianluca Scamacca attracting interest from Inter Milan, and now a fresh update has emerged on a potential replacement.

What's the latest on West Ham's interest in Hugo Ekitike?

According to French news outlet RMC Sport, the Hammers are interested in signing Paris Saint-Germain striker Hugo Ekitike this summer.

As per the report, the east London outfit are joined by Juventus, Bayer Leverkusen and Nottingham Forest in their interest of the young talent who has found his game-time limited for the Ligue 1 champions.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news…

How good is Hugo Ekitike?

Irons boss David Moyes will be fully focused on the preparations to lead his squad out in their Premier League opener against Bournemouth next weekend, however, Inter Milan's interest in signing Scamacca could throw a spanner in the works.

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that the Serie A giants are in negotiations with Scamacca and West Ham over a deal:

"Inter, confident on Gianluca Scamacca deal as negotiations between parties are underway — current bid remains €25m add-ons included #Inter"

As a result, Scamacca's likely departure could present an opportunity to secure the signing of a young talent hungry for game-time who will come into the club with a point to prove to make an instant impact.

After completing a move last summer from Stade de Reims, Ekitike has struggled to make his presence known at PSG with just 12 Ligue 1 starts due to competing with Kylian Mbappe for the centre-forward role.

Nevertheless, the 21-year-old gem ranks in the top 5% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for assists, pass completion and interceptions per 90 minutes played, as well as ranking in the top 25% of blocks and successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

The 6 foot 2 French titan has earned high praise over his career so far, with former Reims manager Óscar García waxing lyrical about the young player:

"There is something very special about him. He’s young, and he has the quality to become a very good player."

Whilst Reims reserve team coach Franck Chalencon claimed:

"His main quality? His instinct for goal. It's very rare that Hugo plays a game without creating a chance himself at any occasion.In front of the goal, his ratio is excellent. But he's not only a striker, he can play on the wing, too. Very technical. He knows what to do with the ball, when to keep it, when to give it."

When comparing Ekitike's output to Scamacca's last season, the £79k-per-week forward comfortably outperformed his position competitor in a number of key attributes including goal contributions (7 v 3), shots on target (35.3% v 33.3%), pass completion rate (81.9% v 66.7%), shot-creating actions per 90 (2.57 v 2.33) and goal-creating actions per 90 (0.55 v 0.10).

With that being said, the signing of Ekitike could be a great opportunity for West Ham to not only replace Scamacca in the short term but also to develop a young player with huge potential who can make a significant impact for many years to come.