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Birmingham City are keen to secure promotion this term and now appear to be on the verge of adding a critical January reinforcement, according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg.

Birmingham look to have significant January window

The race for the playoffs is heating up in the Sky Bet Championship, and Birmingham will be hoping to force themselves into the picture over the coming months, even if they have flattered to deceive after an indifferent campaign thus far.

Draws have been their downfall of late, not to mention a frustrating stalemate at home to Derby County on Boxing Day, followed by another at home to Southampton. Nevertheless, there is still plenty of optimism in the air at St Andrews.

Partly, that is due to the fact that the transfer window is now open, signifying that signings are likely to bolster a squad in need of new blood.

Basel star Philip Otele may be someone that is explored by the Blues this month, potentially adding a new layer to the forward areas amid Kyogo Furuhashi’s struggles in front of goal since joining from Rennes during the summer.

Birmingham City’s top scorers this season

Jay Stansfield

9

Demarai Gray

5

Seung-ho Paik

4

Marvin Ducksch

3

Lyndon Dykes

2

Clearly, there is a need for more attacking output to help Stansfield and Gray at the top end of the field. Nevertheless, defensive improvements are also needed to steady a side that has conceded in their last ten matches.

There is plenty to play for at the midway point in the campaign, and Tom Brady is likely to play a part in making funds available so that Birmingham can compete in the race for promotion, and they may now be on course to land an early arrival as they gear up for the season run-in.

Birmingham set to sign Kai Wagner

Taking to social media platform X, Florian Plettenberg has confirmed that Birmingham are close to signing Philadelphia left-back Kai Wagner after activating his release clause that is believed to sit at just over the £2 million mark.

After registering two goals and ten assists in 38 matches this term, he was a standout performer in Major League Soccer and is now set to join the Blues with a clear focus on their strategy to reach the Premier League, as is said to be behind the deal.

The German-born full-back has also featured for the likes of Schalke and Wurzburger Kickers in his homeland, and he would likely come directly into the fold as a direct competitor for Alex Cochrane.

Subscribe for newsletter access to Birmingham transfer insights Get the newsletter for deeper transfer context: expert analysis of signings like Kai Wagner, roster impact and promotion implications — focused club coverage and transfer insight to sharpen your understanding.

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With the window underway, Birmingham appear to have done their homework on potential signings and aren’t wasting any time in putting their plans into action.

Opener Shikar Dhawan (199) made sure of Delhi’s entrance to the final ofthe Vijay Merchant Trophy (Under-16) tournament after ensuring a 294-runfirst innings lead over Hyderabad on the third and final day of theirsemi-final match at the Calcutta Cricket and Football Ground on Thursday.Resuming at 277 for 5, Sumit Kapoor (19) was just a bystander to Dhawan inthe partnership that was worth 68 runs for the sixth wicket. He was thefirst to be dismissed on the final day, trapped leg before by Amol Shinde.Dhawan however carried on with the scoring before being dismissed one shortof his double hundred, caught by Amol Shinde off Nalin Reddy. During his 10hour and six minute stay in the middle, Dhawan faced 484 balls and punishedthe bowlers for 35 boundaries.Thereafter, the ninth wicket pair of Abhishek Sharma (30) and HimanshuKhullar (34) frustrated the attack to take the Delhi total past the 400-runmark. The Delhi innings finally folded up at 433. Hyderabad in their secondinnings finished at 106 for 1 in 30.1 overs when stumps were finally drawn.Openers Prasanth Peter (52) and Imran Khan (40) put on 85 runs in 24.5overs before Imran was caught by Abhishek Naag off A Sharma. AmbatiTirupati Rayudu (12) and Peter were unbeaten at the end.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is relaxed and raring to go © AFP

Times have changed. The first time India were crowned world champions, back in 1983, they had 77 days off between the World Cup final and their next international fixture. On Saturday, they begin a series against Australia just four days after their thrilling five-run win in the ICC World Twenty20 final. Those four days included a five-hour motorcade through the streets of Mumbai, a public reception at the Wankhede Stadium, a quick visit home (in some cases) and one practice session at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.India have a new captain who must motivate his team for the first of the dozen ODIs they will play over the next six weeks. Mahendra Singh Dhoni also has to figure out just how much India need to switch gears from their successful Twenty20 approach.Gautam Gambhir, prolific in the Twenty20 games but uncertain when slotted at No. 3 in the 50-over version, might be better off adopting the same tactics as he did in South Africa. Though he opened there, he will probably bat at No. 3 tomorrow. The return of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid means India have to decide whether to retain Dinesh Karthik or local boy Robin Uthappa if they opt for seven batsmen. In this scenario Irfan Pathan, man of the match in the Twenty20 final, may not fit in as the fourth seam bowler, especially given how well Sreesanth bowled against Australia recently. Zaheer Khan will return, and the recalled Harbhajan Singh will be handed the opportunity to prove that he belongs.Australia’s pride was dented in South Africa and this is a chance to prove that was a blip. A hamstring injury has ruled out Ricky Ponting for the first few games but stand-in captain Adam Gilchrist has been successful here before, leading Australia to a rare Test series win in the subcontinent in 2004, when Ponting broke a thumb before the tour.Australia, through a combination of retirement, injuries and impending fatherhood, are set to make six changes for their first ODI since the World Cup final. There are spots up for grabs for Adam Voges, James Hopes and Ben Hilfenhaus, the three rookies. Each has tasted international cricket but has yet to be given major opportunities. Voges, with runs for Australia A in Pakistan recently, is likely to take Michael Hussey’s place and Brad Haddin could find a spot down the order.Australia’s reliance has been on pace recently but the sole spinner included could be a handful on Indian surfaces. Brad Hogg may be on the wrong side of 36 but he’s an underrated spin bowler and has featured in two World Cup-winning sides. He didn’t get a game in South Africa and was itching to have a go here. “We’ve been training for four months and we’re professionals. I don’t have any excuses, first game or last game. I’ve tried to prepare in every best way I can and hopefully I can do well,” he told . “Definitely I’m looking to get into the Test side. Hopefully I can do well and dish up those chances, get into the contest and have a tussle against a quality side. I’m ready to rock and roll.”The surface looks to be a batting track but there’s good bounce here for the pace bowlers, as evident during the Afro-Asia cup here in June. The last time Australia played India here in November 2003 frenetic hundreds from Gilchrist and Ponting carried them to 347 and a 61-run victory.Off the field, there’s an incredible buzz surrounding the match. Tickets for one-day matches are hard to come by at the best of times; India’s success has merely increased the anticipation. There was a good crowd to watch Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly, Zaheer and Ramesh Powar practice at the ground. As Ganguly batted and Tendulkar took catches from a young club cricketer, the big screen at the ground played a repeat telecast of the Twenty20 final. There was a neat juxtaposition of Ganguly being bowled, in real time, and behind him, larger than life, Gambhir driving Mohammad Asif imperiously through the covers.Back, one more time, to 1983: The next time they faced West Indies after that balmy June evening, India were walloped. They’ve just knocked Australia out of the Twenty20 tournament, and you can bet Australia will look for revenge. And India? Well they’ll just be keen to prove the times really have changed.Teams:India (likely): 1 Sourav Ganguly, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Rahul Dravid, 6 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt/wk), 7 Dinesh Karthik, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Sreesanth, 11 RP Singh.Australia (likely): 1 Adam Gilchrist (capt/wk), 2 Mathew Hayden, 3 Brad Hodge, 4 Michael Clarke, 5 Andrew Symonds, 6 Brad Haddin, 7 Adam Voges, 8 Brad Hogg, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Mitchell Johnson, 11 Stuark Clark.

‘I could improve still, but I was happy today’ © Getty Images

He might have been criticised for being over the hill at the start of the tournament but Glenn McGrath’s performances over the last two matches have shown what a well-oiled machine he is. Having turned in animmaculate ten-over spell that wrecked New Zealand’s top order, McGrathadmitted that he was well on his way towards reaching peak form.”The criticism didn’t affect me at all,” he revealed matter-of-factly atthe end of a thoroughly satisfying day. “To me it is all about how I feelI’m going. If I feel I’m progressing then that is all that matters. I cameover here and also in Kuala Lumpur to improve each game I played. I havedone that and I will keep doing that. By playing in this series and atKuala Lumpur, I have put a piece of the puzzle together.”It’s feeling pretty good at this moment. I could improve still, but I was happy today. We have a few more games before the Ashes. We will hopefully have a good game on Sunday and when we then go to Australia, I shouldn’t be too far away from being 100%.”Both captains had no doubt that McGrath’s spell, one where he wentstraight through with 3 for 22 in 10 overs, made the difference. Headded that giving McGrath the new ball in the last two games haddefinitely brought a spring in his stride. “I think every one of the guyswill like to bowl with the new ball,” Ricky Ponting admitted. “If I was a bowler, Iwould also like to be bowling with the new ball. We experimented a bit andin the conditions we played the other couple of games we thought the ballmight swing more than do anything off the seam. He’s not one of thebiggest swingers of the ball but one of the best seamers around. Thosewere ideal conditions for him here. We have seen the form he is in at themoment. It’s probably going to be hard to get the new ball out ofhis hand.”Despite starting the tournament on a sluggish note, both McGrath andPonting had come good in the previous two knockout games. Ponting admittedthat having men with experience had been the clinching factor. “Thesenior players in big tournament are crucial. You don’t want to go into these sort of events with anyone in the team who hasn’t played a few games. Big games are generally won by people who have been there and done it all before. If you look back to our last couple of World Cup campaigns, we had a really good mix of experience and youth around the squad. That is crucial as you saw tonight; the oldest player on the park comes out and wins theMan-of-the-Match award. He knew exactly what he had to do. He has done itall before and that is crucial to the team.”Ponting also didn’t discount the efforts of Australia’s other herotonight, Andrew Symonds. He chipped in with a handy 58, just when NewZealand had fought back well into the game, and played a role with theball as well. “He will be in my world XI every time,” Ponting asserted.”He is a terrific one-day player and to walk out the way he did today andmake the fifty was outstanding. It was exactly what we needed at thatstage. He is the best fieldsman in the world as well.”Daniel Vettori’s fighting fifty helped New Zealand stage some sort ofrevival but Ponting revealed that he wasn’t overly worried at any stage.”I always felt comfortable we were going to win because the run-rate wascreeping up all the time. Those guys had to take some risks but fullcredit to New Zealand for fighting all the way through. I told my boysthis morning that to beat this side you have to knock them over becausethey bat down the order. Dan and Jacob [Oram] played beautifully and itgot them somewhere back into the contest again but it was always going tobe a miracle if they won. That is what you expect of New Zealand.”

Michael Kasprowicz says the West Indian bowlers could make an impact © Getty Images

Michael Kasprowicz believes West Indies’ unknown fast-bowling contingent might spring a surprise this month. Kasprowicz, the Queensland fast bowler who was left out of both Super Series squads after the Ashes, said he was looking forward to seeing the tourists during Thursday’s four-day tour-match at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.”We hear that there’s a lot of pace with their bowlers,” he told . “They’re a little shorter than what the West Indian teams of the past have been. Everyone’s pretty keen to see what their bowling will contain for the [Test] series. They’re coming into the games sight unseen and they could provide some impact.”West Indies face a tough workout against a Queensland side boasting eight players with international experience, including Matthew Hayden and Shane Watson. The opposition is only one problem for Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who believes the squad needed another tour match before the first Test at the Gabba on November 3.Chanderpaul plans to name a full-strength side for the warm-up fixture, but will wait until shortly before the match to finalise the line-up. “We want everybody to have a go and there is [only] one game before the Test match,” he said. “You want everybody to have a shot at it and a little bit of time before the game.”Giving the bowlers a lengthy run will be a crucial goal for West Indies, but showers and storms have been predicted for Brisbane on Thursday. “We have a bunch of young fast bowlers who are pretty sharp so it’s a good group of guys to pick from,” he said. “Fidel Edwards is pretty sharp. He bowls at over 90mph and he’s also a wicket taker along with Jermaine Lawson. Tino Best is pretty sharp and also takes wickets. Corey [Collymore] is one of our best bowlers.”Queensland squad Jimmy Maher (capt), Matthew Hayden, Martin Love, Shane Watson, Andrew Symonds, James Hopes, Chris Hartley, Chris Simpson, Andrew Bichel, Ryan Le Loux, Mitchell Johnson, Michael Kasprowicz.West Indies squad Shivnarine Chanderpaul (capt), Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Tino Best, Fidel Edwards, Jermaine Lawson, Daren Powell, Corey Collymore, Marlon Samuels.

Mohammad Kaif: ‘The conditions have been hard for everyone. Even if you’re just standing on the field, you start sweating’© AFP

On returning to the side despite having been tagged a one-day player for so long
I was feeling good, and I did quite well in England, where I made two 50s and also batted higher up the order. I’m making my comeback after three years.On why he was in so much distress
I was cramping up. I don’t think I drank enough water. I’d had viral fever in Bangalore, and I think it was a combination of two things, weakness and dehydration.On what he considered an achieveable fourth-innings target
It depends, it’s hard to say. Our spinners are bowling well and Zak [Zaheer Khan] chipped in with a crucial wicket at the end. We’ll be looking to chase 100, or maybe even less.On the pitch and the conditions
It’s quite slow and low. The spinners are getting turn and bounce. The conditions have been hard for everyone. Even if you’re just standing on the field, you start sweating.On how he approached the innings
It was important to remain patient. I had a crucial partnership with Parthiv Patel. But the conditions were not easy.On India’s lower-order batting
In the first Test, Irfan [Pathan] and Parthiv batted really well. We’ve been putting a lot of effort in. Against teams like Australia, it’s always a close contest, and the team needs every run it can get.On his run-out
It was quite funny to be honest. I was a little lost, unable to concentrate.On whether Australia raised any objection to his having a runner
They were a little confused about whether to allow a runner or not. But I told them that I was not completely fit, and that I was cramping up.On getting Gilchrist at the fag end of the day’s play
It was a great wicket to get. He’s a player who can change the game at any stage. He made that hundred in Bangalore and has done well in these conditions. It will definitely help us to have new batsmen at the crease tomorrow.

Plans to resume cricket contact between India and Pakistan, even if below full international level, have been welcomed by the International Cricket Council.The two Asian countries have said Under-19 and A matches will be the first contact between the sides in either country.ICC president Ehsan Mani said he was hopeful the lesser matches would be a stepping stone to the resumption of full international contact between the side nations.”India and Pakistan on the cricket field is one of the world’s great sporting rivalries. When these teams met in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003, the passion that the match generated, and its ability have a positive impact on people in both nations was apparent.”Cricket, like all sport, has the capacity to promote understanding and generate goodwill and I would urge the political leaders in both countries to allow the game of cricket to assist in building relations between these two nations rather than being used for a political purpose,” he said.

Shaun Pollock was grinning from ear to ear after his side had thumped India by nine wickets in the first Test at Goodyear Park on Tuesday. That he took 10 wickets in the match, the first time he has done so in 59 Tests, was an added reason to celebrate. Pollock was of the view that his team had done remarkably well to recover from the opening day thrashing to come back in this manner and still win the game in three and a half days. Excerpts from an interview:Q: It has been a long wait for you, to get 10 wickets in a match…A: Yeah, it has been. I have been close to it a couple of times, but a few frustrating things have happened. It came to a point when I thought someone was against me.Q: The South African fight-back was remarkable in this game…A: If you want to win, you have got to learn to win in every condition. I think to fight back from 380 down and to come back as we have is a credit to us. It was a difficult situation in which we found ourselves in the first innings, but the boys fought back and they batted superbly. That’s what it is all about, to turn things around and come out on top.Q: Lance Klusener’s hundred couldn’t have come at a better time for your team…A: It must have been frustrating for the Indians, having got us six down. It allowed us to get a lead of 184, and they were four down before they were past our score. And we knew that hopefully we could get the lower order quickly.Q: Did you expect the game to end so quickly?A: I didn’t expect it to end so quickly. I thought the game would go till tomorrow. The guys did a good job. We knew that if we could get some early wickets, we could put pressure on them.Q: Do you think you have the same kind of support from your bowlers at the other end?A: I think there has been a bit of difficulty there. We haven’t played a lot of four-day cricket. The guys are probably a bit rusty. The players who just got back into Test cricket took some time, but then they were better in the second innings. The wicket was also a good one, and you knew that the way it was bouncing, you wanted to keep as many men as possible in catching positions, and that left gaps in the field.Q: Any impressions of the innings Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwagplayed on the first day?A: Sachin played very well. He is one of those batters who dominate at the crease. The margin of error is very small. He really picks on a bad ball. Sehwag was marvellous too, to get a hundred in his first Test innings.Q: What is your impression of Makhaya Ntini? Do you think he remains a potential match winner?A: I think it is important for us to have Ntini. He is a strike bowler, and there is always a place for a strike bowler. I think, in world cricket, fast bowlers have always dominated, no matter what the conditions and the wicket are, and he did a good job. He is back in the new set-up, and it takes a while to settle down totally, but I thought that, for a first game, he did pretty well.Q: Klusener did not speak to the media after his hundred. Is it part of his preparation to skip press conferences?A: Lance is Lance. That’s what probably I can say.Q: How did the wicket play in this first Test?A: I think this was the kind of wicket at Bloemfontein where you could put a lot of pressure on the batsmen. There was quite a bit of grass, and that was the reason I decided to field first. It was important for us to get 20 wickets. We knew the wicket would get better as the game went on. But then, this wicket always had something in it for the bowlers, right till the fourth afternoon, if you could put it in the right place and bend your back a bit…Q: Your batting performance was quite in contrast to your bowling effort…A: It was short and sweet, wasn’t it.Q: Herschelle Gibbs, it seems, has now a long future in this South African team…A: He is a gem for us. He bats with real freedom. He is a pleasure to watch when you sit there. He has come a long way, and he has really stepped up the gear.

Match facts

Thursday, October 1
Start time 9.30am local (0730GMT)Azhar Ali has arrived to take charge of Pakistan’s ODI team•Associated Press

The big picture

Pakistan have had a topsy-turvy year in ODI cricket. They made the quarterfinals of the World Cup, but never really looked like threatening for the title, losing to India, West Indies and Australia along the way. They were then whitewashed by Bangladesh, before surging to an emotional victory in the historic home series against Zimbabwe. After that they scrapped to their first bilateral series win in Sri Lanka since 2006, and after the high of their 2-0 win in the T20Is, they start favourites against Zimbabwe on Thursday.Conversely, there has generally been a sameness to the tenor of Zimbabwe’s one-day campaigns. They have looked good, and more often than not been competitive, but in 15 matches this year they have only won two. The second of those was their stunning victory over New Zealand in their highest successful chase at Harare Sports Club. But what happened next is typical of the side. Zimbabwe are probably one of the only teams that could register a record chase and a ten-wicket defeat in the same series. In fact, they are playing the only other team for whom such peaks and troughs are the norm: Pakistan.Indeed, the T20I series showed that there isn’t a great deal to separate these teams in these sorts of conditions. They have also seen a fair amount of each other this year, with Pakistan prevailing in yet another match that Zimbabwe have won at the Gabba during the World Cup before the Zimbabweans performed entertainingly, but without success, during their tour to Pakistan in May.Pakistan and Zimbabwe also share a few of the same concerns heading into these one-day games. Brittle top-order batting has been a problem for both teams, as well as an inability to rotate the strike when boundaries aren’t forthcoming. With the bowling attacks looking in fine fettle, the opening ODI could be decided by whichever side is able to coax more industriousness out of their batsmen.

Form guide

Zimbabwe LLWLL (Last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan LWWLW

In the spotlight

Sean Williams was one of the few batsmen for whom rotation of the strike did not appear to be a problem in the T20 games, and given the 360 degree range of his strokes in limited-overs cricket he could be vital to Zimbabwe’s batting success on a slow wicket. Williams hasn’t scored quite as many runs as Zimbabwe have needed from him this year, and he’s also yet to make a one-day hundred.After an early blunder against Bangladesh, Azhar Ali appears to have settled well into his role as Pakistan’s one-day captain. He scored heavily against Zimbabwe at home, and continued to contribute as Pakistan took their away series against Sri Lanka 3-2. With Pakistan’s top-order wobbles in the T20s, Ali should bring some stability, and he will look to stamp his authority on this series as quickly as possible.

Team news

They weren’t officially part of Zimbabwe’s squad on Wednesday, but Matabeleland Tuskers opener Brian Chari, legspinning allrounder Tino Mutumbodzi and medium-pacer Tawanda Mupariwa all trained with Zimbabwe the day before the first ODI. The idea of opening the batting with wicketkeeper Richmond Mutumbami had been discussed within the team prior to this series, but that seems unlikely now and the player himself is apparently unwilling to make the move. Chari could play, but it’s unclear how many changes Zimbabwe will want to make to their XI.Zimbabwe (possible): 1 Chamu Chibhabha, 2 Brian Chari, 3 Craig Ervine, 4 Hamilton Masakadza, 5 Sean Williams, 6 Sikandar Raza, 7 Elton Chigumbura (capt), 8 Richmond Mutumbami (wk), 9 Tino Mutumbodzi, 10 Graeme Cremer, 11 Tinashe Panyangara.Pakistan have welcomed a number of new players to their squad, including one-day captain Azhar Ali. He and the other new members of the squad spent Tuesday and Wednesday training and acclimatising to conditions. Ali will slot straight into the opening position, while the Twenty20 matches will have given Pakistan a good idea of what sorts of combinations they will need to succeed. Pakistan have also made it clear that they would like to have a look at offspinner Bilal Asif before their series against England, and he could strengthen their spin attack in helpful conditions.Pakistan (possible): 1 Azhar Ali (capt), 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Shoaib Malik, 5 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 6 Aamer Yamin, 7 Bilal Asif, 8 Imad Wasim, 9 Yasir Shah, 10 Wahab Riaz, 11 Mohammad Irfan.

Pitch and conditions

There was stark contrast between the bone-dry, off-white pitch and the lush green outfield as the groundsmen made their final preparations on Wednesday afternoon. Expect another dry surface that could play a little slow and low, and will aid spinners and quicks with a skill-set to suit the conditions. The early start could mean swing in the morning, but that won’t last much more than an hour. The weather is expected to be hazy, but warm.

Stats and trivia

• Pakistan’s openers have registered more 50-plus stands than anyone else in 2015. Their first wicket averages 56.95, the highest for any team in 2015. Pakistan’s openers have added 1139 runs in 20 innings, including four hundreds and six fifty stands.
• Of the 51 ODIs between these sides, Pakistan have won 45 and Zimbabwe three. There have also been two games with no result and one tie.
• Of Zimbabwe’s current squad, Hamilton Masakadza has scored the most runs against Pakistan, with 476 in 14 innings at an average of 34, including four fifties.

Quotes

“It’s not a quick fix. The answers come from two or three different sources. But initially it has to come from within. That’s the major area.”
“They’ve been training today, and they’ll train again tomorrow as we try to get them used to the conditions.”

West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice has reportedly agreed terms regarding a move away from the London Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report from Spain (via Caught Offside), which claims that the 23-year-old has agreed personal terms with Chelsea ahead of a potential switch to Stamford Bridge in the summer transfer window.

The report goes on to state that West Ham would demand a figure of around £120m in order to part with the England international at the end of the current campaign, while it is also stated that Manchester United are another side extremely keen on a move for the midfielder this summer.

Catastrophe

Considering just how crucial Rice is within David Moyes’ side, should the West Ham board go on to sanction the sale of the midfield maestro this summer – even if it is for a figure in the region of £120m – it would undoubtedly be something of a catastrophe for the Hammers.

Indeed, the £75m-rated 22-year-old has arguably been the Irons’ most impressive player since breaking into the senior squad back in 2017, earning a SofaScore match rating of 6.72 over 26 Premier League appearances in 2017/18, 6.94 over 34 league outings in 2018/19, 6.99 over 38 top-flight fixtures in 2019/20 and 7.08 over 32 games last season.

However, it has undoubtedly been over his 26 Premier League appearances in the current campaign in which the £62k-per-week Englishman has proven that he is truly a world-class midfielder, scoring one goal, registering four assists and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.7 interceptions, 2.4 tackles, 51.9 passes and winning 5.4 duels – at a success rate of 58% – per game.

These returns have seen the player who Teddy Sheringham dubbed “invaluable” average a quite astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.20, not only ranking him as Moyes’ best performer in the Premier League but also as the joint 26th-best player in the division as a whole.

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As such, it is clear for all to see that losing the services of the club’s “leader” – in the words of Luke Chadwick – this summer would come as a major blow to West Ham’s progression as a team – as, without Rice in the middle of the park, the Hammers can forget making a push for a top-four finish next season.

In other news: Moyes can axe “unbelievable” £31k-p/w WHU ace by unleashing “fearless” 20 y/o “unit”