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16 players sign terms, taking number of professionals in England and Wales to 58

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Dec-202041 female players have signed full-time domestic contracts as part of the ECB’s new regional set-up, taking the total number of professional women’s cricketers in England and Wales to 58.The ECB had initially planned to award domestic contracts to 40 players in time for the 2020 season, but the process was significantly impeded by the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead, 25 players signed regional retainer deals in June, all of whom have now moved onto full-time contracts.A further 16 players have now signed contracts, including the former England seamer Jenny Gunn who played an instrumental role in the Northern Diamonds’ run to the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy final this year. Other notable names who will now play professionally include Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier (Southern Vipers) and Georgia Hennessy (Western Storm).ALSO READ: Jenny Gunn’s accidental comeback – ‘I’m definitely not the next Enid Bakewell’Alongside the 17 centrally-contracted England players, there are now 58 professional women’s cricketers across England and Wales.Seven of the eight regional hubs have awarded five contracts, while Western Storm and Glamorgan have provided funding for a sixth between them.Clare Connor, the ECB’s managing director of women’s cricket, said that the move to full-time domestic contracts was “the most significant step forward for the women’s game in recent years”.”In terms of the health of women’s cricket in England and Wales, we cannot overestimate the importance of these 41 players having the opportunity to train and work on their skills full-time, with access to high quality coaching and facilities across the eight regions,” Connor said.”Today’s news is not only wonderful for the players themselves, it represents a step change for our whole domestic game and for young girls who will now be able to see more opportunity and aspiration in front of them.”When you add in the profile opportunity of the Hundred next year, the landscape looks even more exciting. After a challenging year in the wake of the pandemic, I’m really pleased with the progress we’ve made in 2020, just one year after launching our action plan to transform women’s and girls’ cricket.”We’re delighted that these 41 young women are able to call themselves full-time professional cricketers and we wish them every success.”Contracted domestic women’s players:Northern Diamonds: Hollie Armitage, Beth Langston, Linsey Smith, Phoebe Graham, Jenny Gunn
Thunder: Georgia Boyce, Alex Hartley, Emma Lamb, Ellie Threlkeld, Hannah Jones
Central Sparks: Evelyn Jones, Marie Kelly, Issy Wong, Emily Arlott, Gwenan Davies
Lightning: Kathryn Bryce, Sarah Bryce, Bethan Ellis, Lucy Higham, Abbey Freeborn
Western Storm: Dani Gibson, Sophie Luff, Fi Morris, Georgia Hennessy, Nath Wraith, Alex Griffiths
Southern Vipers: Georgia Adams, Tara Norris, Paige Scholfield, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier
South East Stars: Alice Davidson-Richards, Sophia Dunkley, Tash Farrant, Bryony Smith, Aylish Cranstone
Sunrisers: Naomi Dattani, Cordelia Griffith, Amara Carr, Jo Gardner, Kelly Castle

Despite falling to League One last season, there are no signs that Birmingham City's transfer plans will be affected with the Blues eyeing moves for Championship quality players.

Blues transfer plans not hampered by relegation

Following the appointment of Tottenham Hotspur assistant boss Chris Davies as their new manager, Birmingham can now look towards the transfer window as they eye up an immediate return to the Championship.

Related Next big sale: Birmingham could soon head for another Bellingham situation

Birmingham City will likely wave goodbye soon to their next superstar.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Jun 18, 2024

Recent reports have suggested that Burnley's Scott Twine is a target for the Blues. The midfielder spent last season on loan at Hull City and Bristol City and would be a statement of intent if the Midlands outfit are to get the deal over the line. Birmingham are also interested in a move for Brighton's Marc Leonard, with half a dozen clubs also looking to sign the 22-year-old midfielder.

Another name linked with a move to St Andrews is Musa Drammeh. The 22-year-old forward is also a target for Sunderland and Cardiff City, showing that Birmingham are still able to go toe-to-toe with sides in the second tier despite their recent relegation.

With this in mind, it now appears that they are preparing to make a move for a goalkeeper who was a mainstay in a side that came agonisingly close to the playoffs last season.

Birmingham eye new man between the sticks

As first reported by Birmingham Live, the Blues are interested in signing Hull City goalkeeper Ryan Allsop. The 32-year-old is set to be shown the door at the MKM Stadium following Liam Rosenior's surprise sacking back in May. Rosenior had stood by Allsop throughout the season despite the Tigers spending £1.5million on Croatian shot stopper Ivor Pandur in January.

The Englishman arrived in East Yorkshire from Cardiff City in August 2023 and went on to keep ten clean sheets in 37 appearances for Hull. During his time at the MKM Stadium Allsop became something of a polarising figure, earning plaudits for his ball playing abilities but often falling short when it came to preventing goals.

Despite his occasional errors, Allsop was not short of admirers from across the league, with West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan signing his praises before his side played Hull back in February.

The Spaniard told the press: “Hull are very comfortable with the ball and they will press us. Their goalkeeper, who worked with their manager at Derby before, could play in midfield because he’s so good with the ball. That's the type of team we're playing this weekend."

Birmingham's relegation to the third tier means that they will be able to dominate the ball far more than they have in previous seasons. Allsop led the Championship for short passes completed last season among goalkeepers, meaning that he will be a vital asset to a Blues side that will look to control possession next season.

Additionally, Birmingham are far less likely to be facing a barrage of shots from their opponents next season, meaning that they can afford to prioritise a passing goalkeeper over a more traditional shot stopper.

حسم التعادل الإيجابي مواجهة ليفربول وفولهام بهدفين لكل منهما، في إطار منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وواجه ليفربول نظيره فولهام، ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، على ملعب “أنفيلد”.

اقرأ أيضاً.. آرسنال يرفض هدية جديدة ويسقط في فخ التعادل مع إيفرتون بالدوري الإنجليزي

في الشوط الأول وعند الدقيقة 11، أحرز أندرياس بيريرا الهدف الأول لـ فولهام بعدما تلقى تمريرة عرضية من روبنسون.

وتحصل أندرو روبيرتسون على البطاقة الحمراء عقب ارتكابه مخالفة على هاري ويلسون بالدقيقة 17.

ومنع جو جوميز مدافع ليفربول، مهاجم الخصم هاري ويلسون من إضافة الهدف الثاني.

أخطر فرص ليفربول في الشوط الأول جائت من خلال رأسية لويس دياز لكنها جائت بعيدة عن شباك فولهام.

في الشوط الثاني ومع الدقائق الأولى تمكن كودي جاكبو من تسجيل هدف التعادل من ضربة رأسية بعدما تلقى تمريرة عرضية من محمد صلاح.

وأهدر محمد صلاح فرصتين ثمينتين أمام مرمى فولهام وضعهما خارج مرمى الضيوف.

وبطريقة رائعة، وقع مونيز على ثاني أهداف فولهام بحلول الدقيقة 76 من صناعة روبنسون.

وأحرز ديوجو جوتا هدف التعادل لـ ليفربول عند الدقيقة 85، بعدما تلقى تمريرة حاسمة من داروين نونيز.

وشهدت الدقائق الأخيرة من المباراة فرص عديدة من كلا الفريقين، لمحاولة كل فريق منهما الظفر بالنقاط الثلاث.

وبهذه النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد ليفربول إلى النقطة 36 في المركز الأول في ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، بينما ارتقى رصيد فولهام عند النقطة 24 في المركز التاسع.

وقدم بطولات تغطية مباشرة لأحداث مباراة ليفربول وفولهام في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز من خلال هذا الرابط. أهداف مباراة ليفربول وفولهام اليوم في الدوري الانجليزي 

Not always being able to select the best players for international series and taking more top-level stars out of the domestic competitions are among the compromises Australia head coach Justin Langer believes may need to be made to keep the game going through Covid-19.Langer will head to the UK on Sunday with the rest of the Australia squad for the limited-overs tour but it remains uncertain what type of season he will return to, with the structure of the summer still very much up in the air due to Covid-19 restrictions.A host of options remain on the table with Cricket Australia for how the season could play out with the top priorities being the series against India and both Big Bash tournaments although there remains a strong commitment to a full Sheffield Shield.ALSO READ: Mental health ‘something to monitor heavily’ in bio-secure bubble in England – FinchDepending on what travel and border restrictions continue to be in place, it appears likely that domestic tournaments will need to be played in hubs while Australia squads may need to be bigger than normal if players can’t be brought in and out around series. That could mean a number of players being selected, not playing but unable to be released back to domestic cricket either, whether that’s the Sheffield Shield or the Big Bash.”If we’ve got to have bigger squads because we can’t have guys coming in and out, 12th and 13th men playing Shield cricket which is unlikely to happen, that will take some of our best players out of our domestic competition,” Langer said. “If we play the full domestic schedule, we might have to compromise on that – the costs to the game, we can’t let that blow out because that’s important for the health of the game – and there might be compromises in the domestic schedule, that’s being worked through at the moment.”We might not be able to see our families because we need to keep the show on the road. Some of our best players might have to miss some international cricket so they can spend some time seeing families. Those are some of the compromises we might be looking at; we are aware and work through it as they come up.Justin Langer will keep a close eye on how players are coping•Getty Images

“We know it’s not going to be like it has always been. If we can just accept that and all work together then we’ll get the best outcomes. What is so crucial is we get the men’s internationals up and running, the Big Bash, some of the women’s internationals and Women’s Big Bash up and running. They are crucial for the health of our game, so we’ve got to work together; there is going to be some compromises made. There has to be and if we do that then we will all benefit.”Australia are taking 21 players on the England tour and those that head to the IPL while also playing all formats internationally – among them David Warner, Steven Smith and Pat Cummins – face being in bubbles or hubs for much of the rest of the year. Warner has previously suggested that the new requirements for keeping professional sport going may impact the length of international careers.”We’ll keep an eye on how the boys are travelling with the England tour then, the IPL, the quarantine then the summer kicking off,” Langer said. “It’s certainly something we’re aware of. The guys are going to already spend a lot of time away from home but we’re going to make sure we manage it really well.”We’ve got to make some sacrifices for the greater good of the game of cricket in Australia but also the game worldwide. We’ve got to make sacrifices to make sure people get to see the Australian cricket team play again.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

However, Langer was confident that the life of international cricketers before the pandemic will stand them in good stead, whereas for some other sports the concept of being in hotels for weeks on end has proved challenging, although he will be keeping a close eye on younger members of the squad.”The strict regulations will be something very different to what we’re used to,” he said. “Having said that, if there’s anyone who is ready for it, it would be the Australian international men’s team. You know how much time we spend away from home. Whilst we have a lot more freedom than we will have at the moment we spend so much time on the road together.”Hopefully with our experience and the time we spent on the road for most of our adult life then a lot of us will be ready for it. The younger guys who are coming in will be a challenge for them. They haven’t spent as much time within the Australian camp as a lot of us have. We’ll have to educate them, keep an arm around them, get around them and make sure they’re okay and keep an eye on them.”

239-run partnership puts hosts in control at New Road

ECB Reporters Network08-Aug-2020Jake Libby scored a hundred on his home debut for Worcestershire as he and fellow centurion Brett D’Oliveira dominated proceedings after an initial three-wicket burst by Glamorgan paceman Michael Hogan in the Bob Willis Trophy encounter at Blackfinch New Road.The pair came together at 70 for 3 shortly before lunch and Libby, signed during the close season from Nottinghamshire on a three-year contract, completed the sixth first-class ton of his career from 205 balls with 11 boundaries. He ended unbeaten on 142 from 261 deliveries with one six and 14 fours.D’Oliveira went to his century from 183 balls with 14 fours and the stand was worth an unbroken 239 in 64 overs – a new record for Worcestershire’s fourth wicket in matches against Glamorgan. He finished on 123 from 206 balls with one six and 15 boundaries as Worcestershire closed on 309 for 3 from 91 overs.Libby followed on from his 77 in his first appearance for his new county in the eight-wicket success against Gloucestershire at Bristol. He had indicated a willingness to open when he signed for Worcestershire and fill the berth alongside Daryl Mitchell which has often been problematic in recent years.Libby was Nottinghamshire’s leading run-scorer in the County Championship in 2018 but a flux of signings restricted his red ball opportunities last summer at Trent Bridge and he ended his six-year association with the club. Worcestershire are hoping the best years of the 27-year-old lie ahead in the same way as they have recruited Gareth Roderick for next season from Gloucestershire.Libby had one slice of good fortune when dropped on 43 at second slip by Charlie Hemphrey off Timm van der Gugten but otherwise batted with great authority and received a standing ovation from his team-mates when he reached three figures.D’Oliveira also played a sparkling knock which maintained his fine start to the truncated campaign after his unbeaten 91 versus Gloucestershire. He had struck 14 fours before he reached his hundred with a square drive for two off Hogan which then resulted in four overthrows. The 28-year-old was also grateful to Hemphrey for a spilled chance at slip when on 67 as he went to cut spinner Kieran Bull.Hogan had been the star performer during the morning session when two spells produced combined figures of 9-3-15-3. But he was unable to add to his tally during the afternoon or evening session to leave him still one short of 600 first-class wickets in his career.The 39-year-old had dismissed Daryl Mitchell and Tom Fell in his opening spell and returned to account for Jack Haynes shortly before lunch.Worcestershire brought back Dillon Pennington for rested paceman Josh Tongue while Glamorgan recalled Tom Cullen and van der Gugten at the expense of Marchant de Lange and the injured Ruaidhri Smith (hamstring injury).Hogan dismissed Mitchell for a duck with the fourth delivery of the day after he flicked at a delivery down the leg side and keeper Chris Cooke held onto a fine catch away to his left.New batsman Fell had a left off when Cooke failed to hold onto a difficult chance from another testing Hogan delivery – but it did not prove to be a costly miss. On eight, he nicked another ball from Hogan and this time Cooke made no mistake with a sharp low catch.Libby and Jack Haynes attempted to rebuild the innings and experienced few alarms in adding 48 in 16 overs. But then Hogan’s return accounted for Haynes (21) when the England Under-19 batsman went for an ambitious hook and holed out to Dan Douthwaite on the backward square leg boundary.D’Oliveira and Libby batted with plenty of fluency after joining forces. A straight drive for four off van Gugten completed a half century for Libby from 94 balls with seven boundaries. D’Oliveira cut Douthwaite for four to bring up his half century from 78 balls and also the 100 partnership in the 34th over.The fourth-wicket pair both hit two boundaries apiece in successive overs from spinner Bull and accelerated in the final session as the milestones of a personal and team nature were clocked up.

MatériaMais Notícias

Além dos atletas que disputam a Copa América, o Flamengo não pôde contar com Rodrigo Caio na derrota para o Juventude neste domingo, em Caxias do Sul. A decisão foi da comissão técnica, após avaliação, devido à sequência de jogos do zagueiro,que sofreu com lesões na temporada passada.

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O camisa 3 havia sido titular nas cinco partidas anteriores do Flamengo e foi substituído por Gustavo Henrique. De acordo com o Flamengo, o processo de preservação será feito com outros atletas, e Diego, titular nos últimos nove jogos, pode ser o próximo.

+ATUAÇÕES: Matheuzinho comete falha fatal e recebe pior nota em derrota do Flamengo

Líder técnico e entre os mais experientes do elenco, o camisa 10 não sai do time inicial desde 19 de maio, quando o Flamengo empatou com a LDU na fase de grupos da Libertadores. Naquela ocasião, Diego foi preservado por Rogério Ceni, começou no banco de reservas e entrou em campo aos 16 minutos do segundo tempo.

+ Confira a tabela completa do Campeonato Brasileiro

A última partida em que Diego não entrou em campo foi o segundo jogo da semifinal do Campeonato Carioca, contra o Volta Redonda, em 8 de maio. Desde então, são 12 aparições em sequência do capitão, sendo 11 como titular e uma saindo do banco.

Dentro do elenco rubro-negro, outros atletas acumulam grandes sequências de jogos como titulares. Diego Alves, com oito, é o segundo da lista, seguido de perto por Willian Arão e Bruno Henrique, ambos com sete jogos.

A decisão de preservar os jogadores, conforme divulgou o Flamengo, terá como base as avaliações feitas pela comissão técnica e departamento médico. Ou seja, o atleta com mais partidas consecutivas não será, necessariamente, o próximo a ser preservado, como foi o caso de Rodrigo Caio contra o Juventude.

After facing the consequences for their financial wrongdoings, Everton are now set to suffer once more when the transfer window opens in a move that will arguably weaken Sean Dyche's side.

Everton transfer news

It's a big few months for the Toffees. Not only must they comply with the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules, but they must also ensure that Dyche's squad are ready to push past the fight for relegation and into the comforts of mid-table both this season and next. Of course, they would have been well on course for survival by now and in those aforementioned mid-table places if it wasn't for two deductions culminating in the loss of eight points.

Everton made to regret signing flop whose value has plummeted £17.5m

He’s only shown glimpses since his move to Goodison Park.

ByEthan Lamb Apr 19, 2024

With 777 Partners yet to complete their takeover too, Everton may need to be more careful than ever with their spending, which has seen them linked with free deals for both Ben Johnson and Wilfred Ndidi in two deals that could represent wise business. Welcoming Ndidi would be particularly impressive, especially after the latest Amadou Onana update.

According to Sport in Spain, Everton have been left with no choice but to sell Onana this summer in an attempt to balance the books at Goodison Park. The Toffees have 'finally given in' amid reported interest from Barcelona and Chelsea in a deal that could be worth up to €70m (£60m) in the coming months.

If Everton saw their price tag matched this summer, then Onana's sale could go a long way towards avoiding another FFP punishment next season, but the sale may still leave Dyche frustrated nonetheless.

The former Burnley boss has been full of praise for the midfielder during his time at Everton, including when he told the club's official website back in December: "I thought Amadou [Onana] was terrific today, not just his goal but the ugly side of the game with his hard work and positional sense.

"There was a lot to adapt to and they've had almost no time, we had a 10-minute walkthrough so for them to take it on like that today with that performance, particularly in the second half in a different way with control and tactical understanding to see it through, was very, very pleasing."

"Terrific" Onana will need replacing

It's all well and good if Everton manage to balance the books, but that won't take away from the need to replace Onana this summer. Recent links to Ndidi is a positive sign that those at Goodison Park will do just that, however, in a move that wouldn't cost them a transfer fee and could hand Dyche an adequate option in the middle of the park.

Progressive Carries

36

19

Progressive Passes

89

101

Tackles Won

25

33

Interceptions

25

15

Clearances

25

25

So, whilst the idea of selling Onana this summer sounds far from ideal, Everton may be better off in the long-term if it means they avoid another point deduction next season and bring a player in like Ndidi as a far cheaper alternative to the Belgian.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na tarde desta quinta-feira, no CT Joaquim Grava, o Corinthians iniciou a preparação para encarar o Bahia, pelo Brasileirão. A partida acontece no próximo domingo, às 16h, no Estádio Pituaçu, em Salvador, pela quinta rodada da competição nacional. Léo Natel iniciou tratamento para luxação no ombro.

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TABELA
> Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão-2021 clicando aqui

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>Relembre o desempenho do Corinthians no Brasileirão por pontos corridos

Os atletas que atuaram por mais de 45 minutos na derrota por 2 a 1, diante do Red Bull Bragantino, na última quarta, realizaram um trabalho regenerativo. Os demais foram ao Campo 1 para o aquecimento.

Depois, no Campo 2, o técnico Sylvinho comandou um treino técnico em campo reduzido. Por fim, houve um treinamento de passes, cruzamentos e finalizações a gol.

Vale lembrar que os jornalistas não podem acompanhar as atividades in loco por conta dos protocolos de saúde em decorrência da pandemia de Covid-19. As informações são fornecidas pela assessoria de imprensa do clube.

O atacante Léo Natel, que sofreu uma luxação no ombro esquerdo no jogo da última quarta-feira, deu início ao tratamento com o departamento médico. Ele se machucou sozinho, com apenas cinco minutos após ter entrado em campo no lugar de Luan, no segundo tempo, e precisou ser substituído por Ramiro.

Na tarde desta sexta-feira, o Corinthians faz o segundo treino de olho no duelo diante do Bahia. Já no sábado, na parte da manhã, o elenco finaliza a preparação antes da viagem para Salvador, no mesmo dia, à tarde.

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Fielding at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium can be tricky in the evening because of the floodlights, which are lower than at most other grounds. In the IPL, this venue, home of Sunrisers Hyderabad, has seen a catch conversion rate of only 70%.India’s fielders also found it difficult in the T20I series opener against West Indies on Friday, dropping at least five chances. After misjudging one at short fine leg and not even getting a hand to the ball, Washington Sundar dropped Shimron Hetmyer on 54, having sprinted to his right from long-on. Then, Rohit Sharma dropped Kieron Pollard off successive balls at the long-on boundary before he redeemed himself in the next over by catching Hetmyer off Yuzvendra Chahal for 56 at deep backward square leg.In the final over of West Indies’ innings, Virat Kohli spilled Jason Holder at long-off and ended up deflecting the ball to the boundary. Holder made an unbeaten 24 off nine balls to push West Indies past 200.West Indies had their issues on the field too. Hetmyer, at deep midwicket, briefly fumbled when Rohit hit left-arm fingerspinner Khary Pierre towards him, but just about got his body behind the ball in time and clung onto the catch.Rohit Sharma puts in an acrobatic effort in the deep•BCCI

When asked if the lapses in the field were down to one side of this ground being much longer than the other, or because of the awkward floodlights, KL Rahul, who has been part of the Sunrisers team previously, pointed to the latter.”I don’t think it’s the dimensions – the bigger side or the smaller side – it’s just that the lights are pretty low and sometimes you lose the ball under the lights,” Rahul said. “And that’s what happened a couple of times and I mean we’ve played here before; we’ve played here for years. We know what to expect and yeah as a team we don’t complain about things like this.”Although India didn’t train under lights ahead of the first T20I, Rahul said his side was prepared for the challenge posed by the floodlights.”We tried to practise that even when we came here a couple of days ago,” he said. “We know we didn’t practice under lights but we know the lights are low and we tried to get our fielding practice done and try to give our best and sometimes you still lose the ball. That’s how it is.”

West Ham United have a chequered history in the transfer market but at least, under David Moyes, recruitment has been streamlined, with the progress on the pitch over the past several seasons evidencing this.

Last season's Europa Conference League triumph was clinched when Moyes signing Jarrod Bowen latched onto Moyes signing Lucas Paqueta's delightful threaded pass to score a late winner in the final against Fiorentina, with Said Benrahma (signed by Moyes again) netting an earlier penalty.

The club haven't got it right on every occasion however, and while there is still plenty of time for a player like Flynn Downes to enjoy a prosperous career, it doesn't look like this will happen at the London Stadium.

Why West Ham signed Flynn Downes

West Ham signed Downes from Championship side Swansea City for a £12m fee back in July 2022, with the lifelong Hammers fan impressing in the second tier and earning praise for his “incredible” performances by then Swans manager Russell Martin.

Martin seemingly never forgot such dynamic displays, with the manager, now leading Southampton, swooping for the player last summer and bringing him to the south coast on a one-year loan deal.

But how did it get to that point, one year on from a joyous arrival at his boyhood club? The London club had tracked Downes since 2020 and saw him as the perfect replacement for the retiring Mark Noble and a progressive move for a multi-faceted midfielder, a typifier of the modern game and the direction West Ham was headed.

“He is the perfect athlete now for football: he’s tall, strong, wiry, quick and exceptionally fit. He fits the profile of what you probably see in top midfielders in the Premier League," said former Ipswich Under-18s coach Alan Lee, speaking to The Athletic.

Last season, however, Downes only started seven times in the Premier League, and while he played a prominent role in the triumphant European conquest, his failure to cement a starting spot pushed him away last summer, in need of game time and with no assurances that he would receive that under Moyes at West Ham.

Flynn Downes' market value in 2024

Now 25 years old, Downes is thriving at Southampton – Martin has hailed him once again as an "aggressive" and "brilliant athlete" – but he wasn't robust or proactive enough in the Premier League, crisp in his distribution with an 89% success rate but averaging only 0.1 key passes, 0.8 tackles, 0.3 interceptions and 1.8 successful duels per game, as per Sofascore.

Sure, he was far more impressive in the Conference League, averaging two tackles per game and succeeding with 60% of his contested duels, but a lack of consistency in the English top-flight precludes hopes of success under a manager like Moyes, who is a proven winner.

Because of this, the £25k-per-week ace is now worth just £3m, according to Football Transfers' valuation model, which takes him below even West Ham utility man Ben Johnson, who is valued at just £3.7m.

Angelo Ogbonna

35

£340,000

Aaron Cresswell

34

£940,000

Lukasz Fabianski

38

£2.7m

Ben Johnson

24

£3.7m

Divin Mubama

19

£3.8m

After an exciting spurt of progress in 2021/22, starting 16 Premier League matches, Johnson has fallen by the wayside somewhat and plays second fiddle to Vladimir Coufal, making just four Premier League starts this season.

Moreover, he has failed to make a single key pass in the league yet and has won 45% of his duels, with his dismal displays leading West Ham to push for his permanent exit, intent on cashing in rather than loaning the 23-year-old out, as has been the case with Downes.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

How Downes is playing at Southampton

In fairness, if Downes' loan move was granted in order to rekindle this form and fluency, it's worked a treat, having started 24 Championship matches so far this season for Southampton's promotion push, completing 94% of his passes, averaging 0.9 key passes, 1.9 tackles, 4.9 successful duels and 5.1 ball recoveries per game – this is a massive difference from his Premier League statistics.

He also ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across divisions similar to the Championship for pass completion, the top 3% for passes attempted and the top 13% for interceptions per 90, as per FBref, highlighting his crispness at the heart of the midfield, with elite technicality allowing him to dictate the flow, control the passages.

But this wasn't realised in the Premier League and it's not the first time a talented player has made the leap from the second tier to find game time and form hard to come by.

That said, the aforementioned Johnson has entered the final few months of his contract but Downes has indeed suffered a depreciation purely because he failed to cement a top spot in the Hammers first-team, also played across different positions (including right wing) in what was bound to disrupt the harmony of his performance.

Downes will hope to have a future at West Ham but there is a sense that he could have played his last for the east London outfit already, with The Athletic's Roshane Thomas of the opinion that Saints could fight to keep a hold of the centre-midfielder beyond the 2023/24 campaign.

One thing West Ham will be desperate to avoid is making a big loss on the player, and since he is currently marked at a transfer value 75% lower than the fee paid to secure his services less than two years ago, it might take some fierce negotiating skills to convince Southampton to place an offer totalling in the ballpark of £12m.

Both Downes and Johnson have plenty of years left on the clock and much mileage in the tank, but neither look like achieving their best years in a West Ham shirt.