They were deemed to have overshot the time limit by four overs and Afridi, Pakistan’s captain, accepted the sanction without contest
ESPNcricinfo staff13-Nov-2025Pakistan have been fined 20 per cent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate in the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, the ICC said in a statement on Wednesday.Match referee Ali Naqvi imposed the sanction after Shaheen Afridi’s side was found to be four overs short of its target in an innings that ultimately took over four hours to complete. Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct states that players are fined five per cent of their match fee for each over their side fails to bowl within the allotted time.Pakistan had one extra fielder brought into the ring after the 46th over of Sri Lanka’s innings as the first ODI went the distance. Wanindu Hasaranga’s half-century kept the visitors in the hunt until the final over of the contest despite looking like Pakistan would coast to victory after Sri Lanka lost their seventh wicket still 88 runs adrift.Related
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The charge was levelled by on-field umpires Alex Wharf and Asif Yaqoob, with Sharfuddoula acting as third umpire and Rashid Riaz as fourth. Afridi accepted the sanction without contest, meaning no formal hearing was required.The second ODI was supposed to take place on Thursday. However, some Sri Lanka players expressed a desire to leave on Wednesday night following a terror incident in Islamabad, the city they are staying in. It led to a late-night meeting between the PCB chairman and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Sri Lanka’s players, who were ultimately persuaded them to stay when the SLC threatened any players who left with disciplinary action. As such the second and third ODI’s were pushed back a day, and the following T20I tri-series, which also includes Zimbabwe, will begin a day later.
This was a night for three points. Liverpool’s staggering decline this season cannot be understated, and following a succession of disappointing draws against Sunderland and Leeds United, a one-goal win over Inter Milan at the San Siro could bear dividends going forward.
It was a strange contest on the VAR front, with Ibrahima Konate’s first-half header ruled out before Florian Wirtz won a match-winning penalty late on, adjudged to have been pulled to the ground by Alessandro Bastoni. Dominik Szoboszlai stepped up and converted.
Liverpool have returned to the top eight of the Champions League. Liverpool’s defensive line has been so porous this season, leakier than Old Trafford roofing, but Arne Slot has employed a more compact and pragmatic system in recent fixtures. Back to basics.
However, the Reds’ highly talented forward players are still, as a unit, flattering to deceive, and improvements are needed there.
How Liverpool's forwards played at San Siro
Post-match, Slot detailed Liverpool’s emphasis on shutting up shop in recent weeks. Mixed results on that front, but there has been a concerted plan all the same, and it came to fruition against Serie A champions Inter Milan.
Szoboszlai’s penalty aside, Liverpool amassed 0.56 xG in the second half, as opposed to just 0.12 before the break. Slot’s tactical tweaks were on the money in Italy, but the Premier League champions are still struggling to get a tune out of record signing Alexander Isak, who huffed and puffed but was unable to achieve anything of note in the final third before being withdrawn after the hour mark.
This is a world-class striker, but he needs better creative connections. Curious, then, that he was replaced by Wirtz, who nestled into the ten spot and changed the game, finding pockets of space and placing the Nerazzurri defenders under pressure, creating a chance, winning both of his duels and enjoying neat interplay with Ekitike and Szoboszlai in particular.
Anfield plays host to a crucial Premier League tie against Brighton & Hove Albion this weekend, and it’s crucial that the German playmaker starts at the expense of a star who still hasn’t clicked together this season.
Slot must drop 6/10 Liverpool star
So many Liverpool stars have flattered to deceive this season, and Alexis Mac Allister has been one of the most disappointing. The 26-year-old has played at such a high level since joining the Merseysiders from Brighton in 2023, but he’s lacked bite and energy and eloquence in the engine room.
Deployed in a more advanced role against Inter, ostensibly to ease his defensive struggles and build-up problems this season, the £150k-per-week talent did actually prove dependable in stifling the hosts’ threat, but he lacked the completeness that fans have come to expect, unable to effectively service the forwards.
The Liverpool Echo acknowledged Mac Allister’s defensive contribution, handing him a 6/10 match rating, but they also drew attention to the Argentine’s attacking effort, leaving something to be desired on that front.
Minutes played
90′
Goals
0
Assists
0
Touches
46
Shots (on target)
0 (0)
Accurate passes
32/37 (86%)
Chances created
0
Crosses
0/0
Recoveries
2
Tackles won
1/1
Duels won
6/8
There has been a suffocating air of frustration around the South American’s performances this term, and most of that is because Liverpool fans know how good he can be.
But he’s offering little right now, and though he completed his defensive duties with diligence, there was a lack of dynamism and sparkle that will hinder the Anfield side going forward. He didn’t attempt a dribble and neither did he create a chance. Wirtz must play at the weekend.
Ultimately, Liverpool still have many, many creases to iron out, but this was a step in the right direction. However, Liverpool’s emphasis on compactness cannot come at the expense of pre-existing creative problems, and Wirtz must start at the weekend; that much is clear.
Dream for Wirtz: Liverpool hold talks to hire "football's next elite manager"
Liverpool are beginning to face the possibility that Arne Slot is on borrowed time in the Anfield hot seat.
Prior to the international break Liverpool suffered a chastening 3-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester City.
Considering Pep Guardiola’s side are perennial title challengers, you can excuse that blemish on Arne Slot’s copybook.
However, as the Reds welcomed lowly Nottingham Forest to Anfield on Saturday, it was a wonderful opportunity to build some momentum and find some form ahead of a kinder run of fixtures.
How disastrous it has started. Slot’s job was brought under further scrutiny as his men were downed 3-0 in front of their own fans. Gulp, this was not what Liverpool needed.
Across their last 11 games, they have only won three games. This is certainly not the team that won the Premier League at a canter last term.
At the centre of their issues has been Ibrahima Konate.
Konate's performance vs Nottingham Forest
Last season, Trent Alexander-Arnold didn’t quite throw in the towel but his performances were abject as he pursued a move to Real Madrid.
This season, the same thing appears to be playing a factor in the performances of Konate who looks a shadow of his former self.
The Frenchman has been error-ridden this season and his display against Forest summed everything up.
Analyst Raj Chohan took to social media to exclaim that “every time he makes one error, he makes multiple.”
He was notably at fault for the controversial moment that Igor Jesus was involved in when his goal was disallowed for handball.
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The Brazilian completely caught out Liverpool’s underperforming centre-back as he threw himself to the floor and was fortunate that it was ruled out.
So poor was Konate’s display that he was dragged off on 55 minutes soon after Liverpool went 2-0 down. He left the pitch with a wry smile, hardly the attitude you want from someone who’s been linked with a move away so regularly, and to Madrid of all places too.
He was handed a 3/10 match rating by GOAL but didn’t leave the pitch as their worst performer.
Liverpool’s worst performer against Nottingham Forest
While Liverpool’s defence will come under the microscope of scrutiny for their failings against Sean Dyche’s men, their forward line is also not pulling up any trees either.
For a side that spent over £200m on Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, far far more should be expected.
Wirtz did not start the game at Anfield on Saturday but Isak did. Fans, however, must be wishing he hadn’t.
Signed in a British record £125m deal over the summer, it has been a wretched first few months in Liverpool red for the Swede.
He has played nine times now and only has one goal, a strike in the Carabao Cup, to show for his efforts.
Since then, Isak has failed to score. He’s without a goal in five league games and all four of his Premier League starts have ended in defeat.
The nadir of his Anfield career so far came this weekend when he was anonymous against Forest. GOAL handed the striker a dismal 2/10 rating, writing that he ‘hardly had a kick’ and ‘wasn’t even close to breaking his duck here’.
As a result, he was subbed off for Federico Chiesa after 68 minutes and simply cannot be in the starting lineup for their Champions League clash in midweek.
Minutes played
68
Touches
14
Accurate passes
5/7 (71%)
Key passes
1
Successful dribbles
0
Shots
1
Shots on target
0
Ground duels won
0
Aerial duels won
0
While Hugo Ekitike has barely been in good form himself, Liverpool’s best displays in 2025/26 have come with their fellow summer signing in the team.
Isak’s display this time around was so anonymous that he had just 14 touches of the football. In the process, he gave possession away seven times. For every two touches of the ball, he was squandering possession.
Usually so technically secure and comfortable in possession, it’s a huge worry that he can’t even get himself into the action.
To compound the striker’s woes, he lost every single one of his duels and managed just one shot which wasn’t even on target.
For any new signing to be in such a desperate rut would be a concern, but when he’s the most expensive player in Premier League history, it only heightens the issue. He is paying the price for a lack of pre-season and it’s desperately hurting Liverpool’s season.
Perhaps they should have stuck with Ekitike after all.
All Arsenal supporters prayed for this international break was no injuries, but those prayers certainly have not been answered.
On Saturday, at their own home Emirates Stadium no less, Gabriel hobbled off around an hour into Brazil’s 2-0 friendly victory over Senegal in North London.
Reports suggest he has suffered an adductor injury, the severity of which is not yet known, but any absence would be a massive blow.
To make matters worse, Riccardo Calafiori has returned home early from the Italy camp, sitting out the Azzurri’s Thursday night victory over Moldova in Chișinău.
Head Coach Gennaro Gattuso stated “he tried to be available, but he can’t force it now”, which has to be worrying for Mikel Arteta, considering the 23-year-old’s injury history.
Both players have started all 11 Premier League fixtures to date, so to be without both considering the Gunners’ next three fixtures, Tottenham (H), Bayern Munich (H) and then Chelsea (A), could be a massive issue.
Nevertheless, Arteta boasts an ideal deputy already.
The numbers behind Arsenal's defensive solidity
Prior to last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Sunderland, Arsenal had kept eight successive clean sheets, equaling a club record set in 1903.
The statistics back up how dominant a defence Arteta’s side has been this season to date.
Arsenal defensive statistics 25/26
Stats
Arsenal
PL rank
Goals conceded
5
1st
Clean sheets
7
1st
xG against
6
1st
xGoal difference
+12.8
1st
Goalkeeper saves
16
1st
Shots faced
81
1st
Shots on target faced
21
1st
Corners conceded
34
1st
Stats via FBref & SofaScore
As the table documents, Arsenal rank first for every defensive metric out there in the Premier League this season.
Their tally of seven clean sheets has been achieved while facing only 21 shots on target, with some jokingly suggesting that David Raya could request to start working from home, even if the Spaniard has pulled off some extraordinary saves in fairness to him.
However, both Gabriel and Calafiori have been such key contributors to this solidity, supporters may be concerned as to how Arteta’s team will fare in their absence, but do they have a ready-made quality player waiting to step in?
How Arsenal can solve their defensive injury blows
After last season was completely derailed by injuries, Arsenal recruited heavily in the summer to avoid a similar eventuality and a sense of déjà vu.
In terms of defenders, Cristhian Mosquera arrived from Valencia for £13m, and the Spaniard has been excellent every time he has featured, with Sid Lowe of the Guardian noting that everyone in North London agrees that he is an absolute ‘bargain’.
By contrast, the summer signing that went under the radar the most was the arrival of Piero Hincapié on deadline day, joining on loan from Bayer Leverkusen but with a £45m obligation to buy, a not insignificant outlay, so after a few weeks watching from the wings, is their Gabriel and Saliba hybrid about to be thrust into the spotlight?
Upon his arrival, Arteta noted that the 23-year-old possesses a “real physical presence”, praising his “versatility and tactical flexibility”, thereby bolstering the team’s “defensive options”, which is certainly pertinent now.
Meanwhile, U23 scout Antonio Mango has described him as “an absolute beast”, and his agent has gone further than that, calling him “a warrior” and “a leader.” It’s easy to see why he’s drawn comparisons to the club’s two main centre-halves.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
During his four seasons at Bayer Leverkusen, Hincapié made 166 appearances for die Werkself, a key figure in Xabi Alonso’s side that won both the Bundesliga title and DFB-Pokal unbeaten in 2023/24, delivering the club’s first-ever Meisterschale.
He has also been part of a rock-solid defence at international level, starting 14 of Ecuador’s 18 World Cup qualifiers as Sebastián Beccacece’s team conceded only five goals throughout the entire campaign, equalling the South American record.
As outlined by Phil Costa of Arseblog, Hincapié’s greatest strength is his ability to play both as a reliable centre-back but also as an attacking left-wing-back, excelling in both roles under Alonso, labelling him ‘aggressive’ and ‘unashamedly South American’, highlighting his ‘strong recovery pace’.
Well, considering that both Calafiori and Gabriel are now major doubts for Sunday’s North London derby, Hincapié is likely to start, either as a left-back or left-sided centre-back.
The alternative options are Myles Lewis-Skelly and the aforementioned Mosquera, but Arteta is unlikely to bring in such a young duo together, while he has proven that he favours a left-footed left-centre-back, Pablo Marí and Jakub Kiwior among many examples, suggesting the Ecuadorian will get the nod in the middle alongside William Saliba.
During Arsenal’s recent victory over Slavia Prague, the 1,000 or so Gooners who had made the trip to the Czech capital spent much of the afternoon and evening singing Hincapié’s new song.
One line includes the lyrics “the Arsenal get excited when they see you play”, which is just as well, given that he is set for a prominent role in crucial upcoming fixtures.
Better than Gyokeres & Havertz: £27m star is now Arsenal's "best finisher"
Once Arsenal’s injured players come back, Viktor Gyökeres’ place in the team could be under threat from their “best finisher” who is not Kai Havertz.
England international Ivan Toney was led away in handcuffs after allegedly headbutting another reveller in a London nightclub. The 29-year-old striker, who now plays his club football in the Saudi Pro League for Al-Ahli, was looking to enjoy an evening out with friends during a visit to his homeland. He found himself caught up in an unfortunate incident that saw said festivities cut short.
Witness explains what happened with Toney
has obtained footage of Toney being escorted out of a trendy London nightspot by local police forces. Trouble is said to have been sparked when a fan grabbed at the former Brentford frontman in a bid to take a selfie.
A witness told The Sun: “He walked past a table of a group of lads. One of them recognised him and said, ‘Oh, it’s Ivan Toney’ and tried to put his hands around his neck to get a photo with him. And then Toney has said, ‘Get off me, get off me’ and ended up headbutting one of the guys.”
AdvertisementWhen police arrived at the nightclub in question
The alleged victim is said to have been left with “blood leaking from the bridge of his nose”. It is suggested that Toney may have felt “threatened by the group” that approached him for pictures, with the Three Lions forward sporting some expensive accessories.
The onlooker added: “He’s a superstar – he gets half a million a week in Saudi Arabia. He had his jewellery on and he had a real nice watch. He might have thought they were trying to attack him to take his chain or watch off him.”
The Sun’s insider went on to say of police arriving within 30 minutes of the headbutt incident taking place: “We noticed about five officers in uniform walking down the stairs. And then they’ve gone over to Ivan Toney’s table and asked his name. He’s given his name and they said, ‘You’re under arrest for assault’ and then they put his hands behind his back in cuffs and off he went.”
Statements from London Ambulance Service & Met Police
There are said to have been “a ton of police cars rushing up Wardour Street” as they responded to reports of an attack. A local bartender says that police returned to the area the following day to continue their investigation into what went on.
London Ambulance Service confirmed that a vehicle was sent to Soho at 1:57am following reports of an injury being sustained. A spokesperson said: “We assessed three people. We took one patient to a local hospital and discharged the other patients at the scene.”
The alleged victim is said to have been treated for facial injuries, including a broken nose, and damage to his ring finger. The Sun claims to have seen photos that show the bloodied person in question being tended to by paramedics.
In a statement of their own, the Met Police stated: “We were called to Wardour Street at 00:47hrs on Saturday following reports of an assault. The victim was taken to hospital and his injuries are not believed to be life-changing or life-threatening. A 29-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of two counts of assault and one count of affray. He has since been released on bail while inquiries continue.”
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(C)Getty ImagesJanuary transfer: Does Toney need move to make World Cup squad?
Toney was back in London during a break in Al-Ahli’s schedule. He met up with England international team-mate Declan Rice after seeing Arsenal beat his former club Brentford in Premier League action at Emirates Stadium.
A return to English football for Toney has been speculated on ahead of the January transfer window. He has been overlooked by Thomas Tuchel in recent Three Lions squads, with it being claimed that a switch may be required in order to earn selection for the 2026 World Cup.
Toney moved to the Middle East in the summer of 2024 and helped Al-Ahli to win the AFC Champions League Elite title during his debut campaign. He has been competing with Portuguese GOAT Cristiano Ronaldo – who is now with Al-Nassr – for Golden Boot honours in Saudi Arabia.
Eight matches into his Rangers tenure, is Danny Röhl any closer to figuring out which players he can trust and who he cannot?
On Thursday night, the Gers were held to a 1-1 draw by ten-man Braga at Ibrox, despite taking the lead through James Tavernier’s spot-kick in first half stoppage time; the fact that only 38,014 spectators were in attendance encapsulates the mood.
So, with just one point on the board after five games, a frankly pitiful effort, unless they somehow manage to beat Ferencváros, Ludogorets Razgrad and then Porto, which seems unlikely if we’re being honest, the Gers’ Europa League adventure will be coming to a premature end in January, having got all the way to last season’s quarter-finals.
This will allow them to concentrate on domestic matters, which may be a good thing, given that they’ve slipped down to fifth in the Premiership table, despite having won all four league matches since Röhl’s arrival in Glasgow.
So, ahead of a visit from Falkirk, who would actually leapfrog their hosts with a shock victory at Ibrox on Sunday, what changes should the German head coach make?
Youssef Chermiti's uninspiring form
Back on Monday, it was announced that both chief executive Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell had been sacked, after overseeing a chaotic summer of recruitment, with the £8m, potentially rising to £10m, paid to sign Youssef Chermiti among the more egregious and baffling of their decisions.
So far, he has scored just one goal for the club, on target against Kilmarnock last month, already surpassing his tally of zero goals during two seasons at Everton, also brought to Merseyside by Thelwell for £14m when he was working at Goodison.
Aside from his lack of goals, the striker simply isn’t offering enough, often allowing matches to pass him by and putting in anonymous performances.
Following this week’s draw with Braga, Mark Atkinson of the Scotsman asserted that he is driving supporters ‘demented’, adding that he ‘spurned a couple of presentable’ opportunities and is so far proving to be a mere baffling expensive purchase.
So, ahead of a sequence of three Premiership matches in seven days, facing Falkirk, Dundee United and then Kilmarnock, Chermiti should be stood down and Röhl must instead deploy the “best player in the league” up front.
Rangers' superior Chermiti alternative
Of the 13 players Rangers signed in the summer, many are young and inexperienced, hoping to grow and improve in the coming years, but Bojan Miovski was supposed to be a ready-made starter, brought in to produce right away.
The 26-year-old, returning to Scottish football after a season at Girona, is a proven goalscorer at both club and international level, bagging his ninth goal for North Macedonia against Wales at the Cardiff City Stadium earlier this month.
Meantime, at club level, prior to his season in Catalonia, he had been outstanding during two years at Aberdeen, as the table below documents.
Appearances
98
Goals
44
European goals
4
Goals vs Rangers
4
Goals vs Celtic
3
Shots on target per 90
1.1
Big chances missed
31
Average rating
6.9
As the table makes clear, Miovski was an elite-level finisher during his time at Pittodrie, scoring 32 Premiership goals, while his strike rate in Europe as well as against the two Glasgow giants underlines his quality.
Then-teammate Nicky Devlin asserted that Miovski was “the best player in the league in his position”, firing the Dons to a third place finish in 2022/23, before being sold for £6.8m, the Dons’ record outgoing transfer.
However, we are yet to see very much of that from Miovski in a Rangers jersey, scoring his first goal for the club against Hibs in the League Cup, while his only Premiership goal came at Falkirk Stadium in October, the day Russell Martin was sacked.
Since the appointment of Röhl, the North Macedonian has featured in all eight matches but has started just once, this coming at Dens Park before the international break, substituted at half time with the Light Blues leading Dundee 2-0.
So, for whatever reason, the German head coach appears to favour Chermiti and Danilo, despite the fact that Miovski is a proven goalscorer at both Premiership and European level, something this team desperately needs given that, 26 matches into this campaign, Tavernier and Djeidi Gassama are the only squad members who have four or more goals to their name.
Thus, when Falkirk visit Ibrox this weekend, surely Röhl has to bring Miovski back into his XI, ditching the ineffective Chermiti, with the former looking to net as he did against the Bairns once again, just as he did in Stirlingshire just last month.
Not just Djiga: Thelwell flop who lost ball 17x looks finished at Rangers
Rangers’ wait for a first Europa League victory goes on, held to a 1-1 draw by Braga at Ibrox, and a summer signing was just as bad as Nasser Djiga.
After John Souttar was forced to miss Scotland’s dramatic victory over Denmark earlier this week, Rangers have been left to sweat over his availability ahead of their clash against Livingston this weekend.
It was about as dramatic as it gets for Scotland as they booked their place at the 2026 World Cup. What started with an incredible Scott McTominay overhead kick to send them into dreamland soon transcended into a nightmare when the 10 men of Denmark equalised once through Rasmus Hojlund and then a second time through Patrick Dorgu late on.
It looked as though history was about to repeat itself and Scotland were destined to miss out on automatic qualification, until the ball fell the way of Kieran Tierney. Even Rangers fans may have cheered the Celtic hero as he found the back of the net to send Scotland to the World Cup, before Kenny McLean’s halfway-line goal ended an absurd evening.
Celebrations will no doubt go on, but the rivalries will also return with the action in the Scottish Premiership as Rangers aim to continue their turnaround under Danny Rohl.
The Gers are set to play host to Livingston on Saturday afternoon in an attempt to make it four wins from four under Rohl in the Scottish Premiership and continue to close the gap on shock league leaders Hearts.
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The German manager has already picked up more league points than Russell Martin did, which highlights just how disastrous the former manager was at Ibrox, but could yet run into his first problem this weekend.
In amongst the celebrations in Scotland, Souttar was forced to miss out on a starting place after suffering an injury in the warm-up in what should be a concern for Rangers.
Rangers handed fresh John Souttar concern
As confirmed live on Sky Sports News by Gail Davis ahead of Scotland’s victory over Denmark, Souttar picked up an injury in the warm-up and has handed Rangers a fresh injury concern ahead of their return to action this weekend.
Scotland were able to replace Souttar with the experienced Grant Hanley, but the Gers are unlikely to have the same luck. The central defender has started all but one game for Rangers so far this season and remains one of their most important players.
At a time when their fortunes are beginning to turn, the last thing that those at Ibrox need is an injury to such an influential player. Unless they receive some positive news, however, the Gers must find a replacement for Souttar.
Described as “excellent” by former Scotland manager Craig Levein, there’s no doubt that Rangers need the defender to make a return to action as soon as possible.
Thelwell let Rangers star go for £0; now he'd walk into the XI over Aasgaard
India cruised to the highest score of the tournament
Andrew Fidel Fernando26-Sep-2025
Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson added the second fifty partnership of the innings•AFP/Getty Images
Abhishek Sharma hit 61 off 31, Tilak Varma struck 49 not out off 34, and India cruised to the highest score of the tournament, posting 202 for 5 without ever looking like they were breaking a serious sweat.Sri Lanka too, made no serious errors. In fact they caught well – Maheesh Theekshana and Dushmantha Chameera taking outstanding catches off their own bowling – while the groundfielding was in good shape. None of their bowlers leaked more than 15 runs in an over, and the frontline bowlers all completed their quota.And yet, India kept finding the boundary, first through Abhishek, before Varma and Sanju Samson set themselves up in the middle overs to hit 66 runs off 42 balls together. Wickets fell too, but such are India’s riches, and so in control were they of this innings, that dismissals did not lead to major hits to the scoring rate.Sri Lanka’s bowlers did pose threats. In fact, five bowlers took wickets. But none took more than one, and not a single bowler of the six used went at less than six an over. Whatever Sri Lanka threw at India, the India batters negotiated with measured aggression.
West Ham have reportedly held discussions over signing a Brazil international duo who’ve both impressed in front of goal this year, with Nuno Espírito Santo badly in need of a new focal point up front.
The club’s January transfer window plans are becoming increasingly focused on three key priorities — a defender, midfielder and forward (Sky Sports).
The urgency for a striker stems largely from the ongoing issues surrounding Niclas Fullkrug’s persistent injury problems, which have severely limited his availability and impact for the Hammers since his move last year.
Fullkrug was brought in with high hopes as a reliable goal-scoring option to lead the line, but his torrid injury record has prevented him from consistently delivering those expected contributions.
Time and again, injuries have sidelined Fullkrug, and this inconsistency has left West Ham very short of choices upfront.
Callum Marshall, while tipped for a promising career, is too inexperienced to lead the Irons’ forward line, while it is believed that Nuno privately doesn’t rate summer signing Callum Wilson.
This has resulted in Nuno experimenting with Lucas Paqueta as West Ham’s false nine in their last two Premier League matches — which both ended in defeat.
Sunderland 3-0 West Ham
West Ham 1-5 Chelsea
Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham
West Ham 0-3 Tottenham
West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace
Everton 1-1 West Ham
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
West Ham 0-2 Brentford
Leeds 2-1 West Ham
The lack of a dependable number nine is a major concern for Nuno as he looks to avoid a dreaded drop back down to the Championship, which is now a serious possibility.
In the last fortnight alone, David Sullivan, Karren Brady and the Hammers board have been linked with a host of intriguing options.
Real Madrid sensation Endrick is apparently a top target for West Ham, but they’ll have to move quickly as Ligue 1 giants Lyon have already made a formal approach with the player himself keen.
Journalist Alan Nixon has said that West Ham have already worked on a loan deal for Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney as well, with the Irons also holding discussions over Gonzalo Garcia (Graeme Bailey).
West Ham "offered" Brazil duo Pedro and Kaio Jorge
Now, according to Hammers News and journalist Graeme Bailey, you can add Brazilian strikers Pedro and Kaio Jorge to West Ham’s list of potential targets this winter.
Pedro
Pedro, who’s scored 15 goals for Flamengo during this 2025 season, once plied his trade for Fiorentina in Europe but has spent the majority of his career in South America — where he’s earned six caps for the national team.
Jorge’s scored a seismic 20 goals for Cruzeiro this year, and the 23-year-old ex-Juventus sensation is still yet to reach his prime.
Jorge only has one senior appearance for Brazil so far, but considering his stellar 2025 campaign, Carlo Ancelotti will certainly be keeping a keen eye on the striker ahead of next year’s World Cup.
Bailey reports that West Ham have held discussions with agents about signing Pedro and Jorge, with Nuno’s side “offered” the duo by representatives.
That is as far as it’s gone, but there is reason to believe shopping in the Brazilian Serie A market could prove fruitful.
Jorge carries a market value of just £15 million according to Transfermarkt, while Pedro’s value comes in at around £17.5 million — making them pretty affordable options.
They’re also both represented by Bertolucci Sports, an agency that’s helped Brazilian talents like Gabriel Magalhaes, Bruno Guimaraes and Matheus Cunha seal moves to the Premier League in recent years.