Pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor has told Tottenham Hotspur and Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou exactly who they need to replace Richarlison.

Who have Tottenham signed 2023?

Chairman Daniel Levy brought in goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, young centre-back Ashley Phillips, defender Micky van de Ven, midfielder James Maddison, winger Manor Solomon, striker Alejo Veliz and forward Brennan Johnson over the 2023 summer transfer window.

In their place, former superstar striker Harry Kane, Sergio Reguilon, Joe Rodon, Djed Spence, Harry Winks, Alfie Devine, Troy Parrott, Dane Scarlett, Davinson Sanchez and Tanguy Ndombele all moved elsewhere either on loan or permanently.

Levy and Postecoglou's off-field decisions have paid dividends so far with the likes of Maddison and van de Ven seriously proving their worth as part of an exciting, new-look Tottenham team.

Maddison's two goals and two assists highlight exactly why Spurs paid £45 million to prise him away from Leicester City and the Englishman has dazzled under Postecoglou.

Tottenham currently sit second in the top flight table with three wins from their opening four Premier League matches; scoring 11 goals in the process and matching Man City's imperiousness going forward.

What happened to Richarlison?

However, one player who has been under-fire throughout last term and now is Richarlison.

The Brazil international, who was spotted "in tears" after being hauled off for his country during internationals, has scored just four goals in all competitions since signing for Tottenham in the summer of 2022.

Richarlison isn't exactly justifying his £60 million price tag so far and there have been concerns over just how much he can contribute for Postecoglou going forward.

Agbonlahor, who regularly features for talkSPORT, has suggested that the former Watford star just isn't the answser and a top striker is Tottenham's "missing" piece of the jigsaw.

The former Aston Villa striker, explaining who Spurs should go for in this regard, believes Brentford striker Ivan Toney would be a brilliant choice.

“I think Toney is an upgrade on Jackson at Chelsea, who’s a bit raw still. But he goes into most teams, apart from Man City," said Agbonlahor to Football Insider on his links to Stamford Bridge at first.

“Chelsea will want to make it happen, and they’ll give him the 20-year deal to do that. But I think Spurs should look at him as well. They’ve got Maddison, Son, Kulusevski – but they’re missing a top striker.

“Richarlison isn’t the answer. Toney could give a team like Tottenham a huge push for the second half of the season.

“I think he will have his pick of clubs. Strikers like him are rare, and they’re sought-after.”

How good is Ivan Toney?

The Bees star scored 20 goals in 33 starts for Brentford in the top flight last season; showcasing his ability as a truly prolific marksman when available.

Toney has also been praised by their manager Thomas Frank for having the mindset of a "lion".

Ivan is very intelligent, because he’s reflecting, and he deserves a lot of praise himself for also coming into a well-run club and listening to all the small bits and adding extra layers to his development and performance," Brentford manager Frank said in 2021.

"If you want to be a top player you need to work hard, constantly reflect and want to learn and then of course you need to have that confidence that he’s got so naturally.

"He’s coming across so fantastically: he’s humble, calm, but with a mindset of a lion."

Rangers were beaten 1-0 at home to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership over the weekend and it has led to a fierce debate over the future of manager Michael Beale.

Did Rangers deserve to lose to Celtic?

The Gers were hoping to overtake their rivals in the SPL table on Sunday afternoon, knowing that victory would take them two points ahead of them, giving them an early advantage in the title race in the process.

Instead, it proved to be a hugely frustrating afternoon at Ibrox, with Kyogo Furuhashi's late first-half strike ending up being the difference between the two sides.

Kemar Roofe had seen a goal ruled out by VAR before Celtic had opened the scoring – it was either a harsh or a fair decision, depending on your stance or level of bias – and Beale's side never truly threatened to consistently create chances after that goal, despite some half-decent openings.

The defeat has cranked up the pressure on Beale, who was already feeling the heat going into the match, having overseen a dreadful 5-1 loss away to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League last week.

There is now much debate of whether the Englishman should keep his job or not, and it is certainly a talking point that is creating plenty of anger among the Rangers fanbase.

What has Barry Ferguson said about Michael Beale?

Speaking in response to an angry caller on The Go Radio Football Show on Sunday, former Rangers captain Ferguson reacted angrily to being told he was a "cheerleader" for Beale, claiming calls for the manager's head are "absolute garbage":

"What are you talking about cheerleader? You are four games into a season and you are wanting a manager out? I totally disagree with you, there you go. I totally disagree with you and I am allowed my opinion. How am I a cheerleader for him? Don't say I am a cheerleader. You are talking absolute nonsense mate."

The behaviour from the Gers fan accusing Ferguson of being a cheerleader is indicative of the modern football supporter, with so many feeling that former players try too hard to defend managers and generally stick up for the club they used to be play for.

This is largely nonsense, of course, and Ferguson is simply showing some patience with Beale, feeling that sacking a manager just four games into the new season would be knee-kerk by Rangers, at a time when there is no need to panic and stability is needed at Ibrox.

Granted, the last two matches clearly haven't been good enough, and the manager deserves a lot of the criticism that has come his way, but while in the past bosses were given more time to overcome a difficult period for their team, there are now calls for sackings to take place as soon as a slightly iffy spells arrive.

For now, Beale arguably has enough credit in the bank to keep his job, but if results don't improve a lot once the international break is over, a decision may have to be made.

كشفت لجنة الحكام بالاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، عن حكام مباراة الزمالك وسيراميكا كليوباترا التي تلعب اليوم الجمعة، في بطولة الدوري المصري.

ويلتقي الزمالك مع سيراميكا كليوباترا، في إطار مواجهات الأسبوع الـ 11 المؤجل من عمر منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وتقام مباراة الزمالك وسيراميكا كليوباترا، على ملعب استاد المقاولون العرب، في تمام الساعة 7 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

الزمالك يحتل المركز الثاني عشر في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، برصيد 28 نقطة من 17 مباراة.

طالع | تشكيل الزمالك الرسمي أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا في الدوري المصري.. ثلاثي هجومي

بينما فريق سيراميكا كليوباترا يتواجد في المركز الثامن في ترتيب الدوري برصيد 34 نقطة من 23 لقاء. حكم مباراة الزمالك وسيراميكا كليوباترا اليوم في الدوري المصري

حكم ساحة: عبد العزيز السيد.

حكم مساعد أول: شريف عبد الله.

حكم مساعد ثاني: أحمد لطفي.

حكم رابع: محمد يوسف.

حكم فيديو: محمود بسيوني ومعه هاني خيري.

Manchester United have lost their previous three matches and Erik ten Hag now finds himself under serious pressure to turn things around at Old Trafford.

Losing narrowly to Bayern Munich was perhaps expected, but the defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion last weekend meant that the Red Devils have won just two of their opening five Premier League fixtures, hardly the mark of potential champions.

Ten Hag’s summer business has yet to truly deliver either. Mason Mount has made only two appearances, while Andre Onana was at fault for Bayern’s opening goal, failing to save Leroy Sane’s shot which gave the German side the lead.

Big-money signings who have arrived at Old Trafford haven’t done too well in the past, with the club having a rich history of paying overinflated transfer fees for a selection of stars, only to watch them severely underperform.

Think to the likes of Paul Pogba (£93.2m), Fred (£47m) and even Romelu Lukaku (£75m) as players who arrived with much fanfare, only to largely disappoint during their time spent in Manchester.

Another key example is that of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who joined United from Crystal Palace back in the summer of 2019 when they were managed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, yet his value has declined rapidly since.

How much did Manchester United sign Aaron Wan-Bissaka for?

Having enjoyed a decent start to life in the United hotseat, the Norwegian boss aimed to strengthen his squad during the summer transfer window as he looked to challenge Manchester City for domestic prizes.

In came a handful of signings such as Harry Maguire and Daniel James along with Wan-Bissaka, and all three were perhaps slightly surprising signings.

The defender cost the Old Trafford side a staggering fee of £50m and his new boss lavished praise on him the moment he stepped through the door, saying he was “one of the best upcoming defenders in the Premier League.”

He also said: "He has the right work ethic, talent and mentality to play for Manchester United and he fits exactly the type of player that we are looking to bring into the squad to help us improve and push on further.”

The Englishman had only played 46 games for Palace since emerging from their youth academy during the 2017/18 season, and although he clearly had plenty of promise, spending £50m on someone with just 42 Premier League appearances represented a massive gamble.

What is Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s market value now?

United evidently overpaid for the right-back in the first place, as his value upon joining the club was only €12.9m (£11m) and although it rose to a high of €57m (£49.5m), it has declined rapidly since then due to a lack of consistency.

The £90k-per-week dud is now only valued at €14.7m (£12.7m) – according to Football Transfers – and this represents a staggering 284% decline from his original transfer fee of £50m four years ago.

The defender is still only 25 years old, indicating that he may still have his peak years ahead of him, but It's fair to say that he hasn’t quite lived up to his extravagant fee in a United shirt.

Why is Aaron Wan-Bissaka worth this much?

Across his first season at United, the Englishman seemed to enjoy a decent start, ranking fifth in the squad for big chances created (four) and fourth for successful dribbles per game (1.5), suggesting that he was a regular fixture in the opposition half, trying to create as many chances as possible.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka statistics per game

Season 2023/24

Match rating

7.08

Key passes

0.8

Successful dribbles

One

Tackles

2.4

Total duels won

4.4

Stats via Sofascore

These numbers dropped during the 2020/21 campaign however, with Wan-Bissaka creating only two big chances and succeeding with just one dribble per game, only good enough to rank him tenth and ninth across the squad.

Despite a positive start to his career in Manchester, the former Palace academy graduate looked like he was going backwards and was clearly struggling during his third season.

He did rank first across the squad for both tackles (2.5) and interceptions (1.7) per game, yet his attacking metrics continued to decline as he created just one big chance throughout the whole season, clearly suggesting that he wasn’t improving in this area.

Jamie Carragher even dubbed the defender as “reckless” after he gave away a penalty against Chelsea in November 2021 and when it was announced that Ten Hag would be the new manager from the start of the 2022/23 season, Wan-Bissaka’s future appeared to be in question.

Indeed, he failed to start one game up until the hiatus for the 2022 World Cup, as Ten Hag favoured Diogo Dalot in the right-back slot and with the January transfer window fast approaching, a move seemed inevitable.

However, an injury to the Portuguese defender gave him a lifeline, and he certainly grabbed it with both hands as he eventually finished sixth across the squad for overall Sofascore match rating.

Does Aaron Wan-Bissaka have a future at Manchester United?

Although the club have had a nightmare with the player, especially considering they shelled out a fortune for him, only for his value to decrease by 284%, his recent performances indicate that this may soon begin to creep back up.

According to FBref, when compared to positional peers, Wan-Bissaka ranks in the top 14% for interceptions (1.53), blocks (1.53) and clearances (2.89) per 90 across Europe's big five leagues, demonstrating that he has improved substantially since January.

If these performances continue, then his value will surely rise higher and higher, although it remains to be seen whether it will ever reach the £50m mark again.

However, if his performance levels dip, Ten Hag may move him on, and it looks like the club won’t receive anything close to the fee that they spent on him four years ago.

He has missed the previous two games – first through illness and then after suffering a hamstring injury – and with United shipping seven goals during these encounters, could Wan-Bissaka be more important than people are led to believe?

While he has divided opinion at times, his sharp decline in value suggests that United did have a shocker with his transfer and overpaid for a promising player yet again.

With the dreaded international break now at an end, attention can now return to what really matters, with Leeds United hoping to kickstart their season away to Millwall this afternoon following what has been an underwhelming start to life back in the Championship.

The Yorkshire giants are currently languishing in the bottom half of the table after picking up just six points from their opening five league games of the new campaign, with the arrival of promotion expert Daniel Farke – who twice steered Norwich City into the Premier League – having yet to have the desired affect.

In the German's defence, he has had to steady the ship amid what has been a choppy summer for the club with 15 players having sought out pastures new, although patience will likely begin to wear thin if the 46-year-old – and his nine new additions – don't begin to catch fire before too long.

What is the Leeds United team news vs Millwall?

As Farke revealed in his pre-match press conference on Friday, the Whites' injury woes look to be easing up somewhat, with the likes of Patrick Bamford, Stuart Dallas and Junior Firpo seemingly the only definite absentees for the trip to The Den.

The ex-Borussia Monchengladbach boss did, however, reveal that there are doubts regarding the fitness of recent loan arrival, Djed Spence, with the 23-year-old having taken a "knock" to the knee earlier in the week.

Despite that potential setback, the likes Liam Cooper, Dan James and Sam Bryam are all in contention for this crunch clash, while it could also be an opportunity for summer signing Jaidon Anthony to make his first outing for his new club.

Will Jaidon Anthony play against Millwall?

The 23-year-old was signed from AFC Bournemouth on a season-long loan deal on deadline day, with that move seeing fellow winger Luis Sinisterra head in the other direction on an initial temporary basis, after just a solitary campaign at Elland Road.

While the latter man did endure an injury-disrupted 2022/23 season, he was still able to outline his quality after netting seven times in just 22 games in all competitions, while also getting off the mark this season in the 4-3 thriller against Ipswich Town.

To then lose such a "crucial player" – as described by Farke – so late in the window does look to have been something of a blow to Leeds' promotion hopes, although in Anthony, the club have found a "proven Championship player", in the words of his new manager.

The young Englishman was also the recipient of stellar praise from ex-Cherries boss Scott Parker in the past, with the former Chelsea and West Ham United midfielder stating: "…Jaidon Anthony is a player that goes under the radar, massively to be quite honest with you. What he does for this team is nothing short of incredible at times.

"I think we see his quality, his calmness, his silkiness when he makes good decisions."

Such 'quality' was evident during his last stint in the second tier as the London-born speedster scored eight goals and contributed six assists from his 45 league outings for the south coast side, illustrating what a devastating "threat" he can be against Championship defences – as hailed by fan pundit Kris Smith.

To have lost a figure like Sinisterra so late in the day may appear hard to recover from, although if Anthony can rediscover his prior Bournemouth form, then Leeds could well forget all about their £21m addition.

The captain returns to action, having been cleared fit after a bout of appendicitis that kept him out of the World Cup Qualifier till now

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Mar-2018Asghar Stanikzai, Afghanistan’s captain, will return to action, having been cleared fit after a bout of appendicitis that kept him out of his side’s World Cup Qualifier campaign till now. He comes into the squad in place of Afsar Zazai, who has been ruled out due to a hamstring injury picked up during training over the weekend.Stanikzai was forced to undergo surgery for appendicitis in late February, and was expected to be sidelined for about ten days, missing the start of the qualifiers. However, his recovery has taken longer, meaning 19-year-old vice-captain Rashid Khan has had to lead Afghanistan through the majority of the tournament.Afghanistan now have two games left in the Super Sixes, but their chances of securing a spot in the 2019 World Cup are very slim. They need to win both their remaining games by big margins to boost a poor net run-rate, and then hope Scotland and Zimbabwe both lose their final games to West Indies and UAE respectively.Afghanistan’s next game is on Tuesday, against UAE, before a clash with Ireland on March 23.

Kevin Pietersen, one of the most brilliant and divisive cricketers of his generation, appears to have called time on his playing career with a four-word update to his 3.65 million Twitter followers.Pietersen, who had declared in February that this season’s Pakistan Super League would be his last tournament, tweeted “BOOTS UP! Thank you!” to his fans in the wake of what seems to have been his final appearance for Quetta Gladiators on Thursday night.Pietersen’s returns in the tournament were underwhelming as Quetta finished fourth in the table to earn themselves a play-off berth – he made 7 from six balls against Islamabad United in that final innings, and managed just one half-century in eight innings all told – albeit an explosive 52 from 34 balls against Karachi Kings.But now, with the tournament shifting to Pakistan for two Eliminator matches in Lahore before the final in Karachi on March 25, Pietersen has joined his fellow England cricketers, Eoin Morgan, Alex Hales and Jason Roy, in opting out of travelling to the country for security reasons.At the age of 37, Pietersen’s enthusiasm for the hard graft of competitive cricket has been visibly waning in recent months. He warned that he was “nearly done and dusted” during his stint with Melbourne Stars during the Big Bash, and prior to his departure for the PSL, he posted an emotional farewell to his family on Instagram, adding that “this evening is the last one I’ll ever have to do.”Pietersen added a further update on his Twitter feed on Saturday morning, which appeared to cement his decision. “Just been told that I scored 30000+ runs which included 152 fifty’s & 68 hundreds in my professional career,” he wrote. “Time to move on!”Though he has shown glimpses of his enduring class in his recent engagements, it is plain that the passion has ebbed away from Pietersen’s game – and flowed increasingly into his new love of rhino conservation, for which he is an increasingly committed spokesman. He is having a house built near Kruger national park in South Africa, and used two of his final appearances, for Surrey in last season’s NatWest Blast and Melbourne Stars in the BBL, to promote the cause with fund-raising “Rhino Days”.Pietersen leaves the sport as England’s second highest run-scorer across all forms of the game combined, including 8181 runs in 104 Tests between 2005 and 2013-14, until he was sacked in a dispute over team ethics in the wake of a disastrous 5-0 drubbing in that winter’s Ashes.The acrimony of Pietersen’s split with England clouded the final years of his career – not least because the ECB’s selectors have, arguably, never yet found an adequate replacement for him in their Test middle order.But Pietersen’s greatest hits will endure long after the bitterness of the latter years has faded. Foremost among the memories will be his unforgettable maiden Test hundred at The Oval in 2005, with which England secured the most absorbing Ashes contest of all time; his Man of the Tournament display in the Caribbean in 2010, when England won the World T20, their first and, to date, only ICC global trophy; and his central role in England’s series wins in Australia in 2010-11 and India in 2012-13.Michael Vaughan, Pietersen’s captain during that 2005 Ashes, led the tributes on Twitter. “Well done @KP24 on an fantastic career,” he wrote. “Not everyone’s Cup of Tea but you will do for me … Best Batsman I had the pleasure to play with … 1st England batsman that put fear into the Aussies .. #WellDone”

MatériaMais Notícias

Informação confirmada pelo próprio técnico Pintado, do Juventude, o atacante Bruno Nunes não está nos planos da comissão técnica do clube caxiense para a sequência da temporada após oito jogos e nenhum gol marcado desde sua chegada em fevereiro desse ano.

Para o jornal ‘Pioneiro’, o treinador Pintado ressaltou o comportamente de profissionalismo que sempre foi apresentado por Bruno e também um tom de lamentação pelo avante não ter conseguido demonstrar seu potencial com a camisa do Alviverde.

Quem também falou com carinho sobre o jogador, relembrando um lance válido pela atual edição da Copa do Brasil, foi o vice-presidente de futebol, Osvaldo Pioner.

-O Bruno Nunes é um atleta que veio em um momento em que nós estávamos praticamente sem atacante nenhum. Ele foi procurado por nós, nos ajudou bastante. É um cara de uma conduta espetacular, muito gente boa. Uma pena que não deu certo para ele, porque qualificamos muito o grupo – disse Pintado.

-Lembro um lance que já valeu muito, que temos que ser gratos e a torcida também agradecer muito essa passagem. Aquele jogo contra o XV de Piracicaba, o cara fez aquela matada no peito para o Eltinho botar lá na gaveta e isso nos levou para os pênaltis. Nós estamos facilitando a saída dele, as condições, até se precisar algum tipo de ajuda, ele pode contar conosco – avaliou o dirigente do Juventude.

RelacionadasFutebol NacionalJuventude empata com o Cuiabá que segue na ponta da Série BFutebol Nacional06/10/2020Futebol NacionalEm Campinas, Juventude derrota a Ponte Preta e entra no G4 da Série BFutebol Nacional03/10/2020Futebol NacionalSão Paulo revê Ceni e Flamengo pega o Athletico-PR: confira o sorteio das oitavas de final da Copa do BrasilFutebol Nacional01/10/2020

In a must-win game, the Karachi bowlers came through to dismiss Islamabad for 124 and set up a qualifier clash against the same opponents in two days

The Report by Danyal Rasool16-Mar-2018

PCB/PSL

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIn a nutshellIf Kamran Akmal’s heroics meant Peshawar Zalmi had thrown down the gauntlet to Karachi Kings, fast bowler Usman Khan and his fellow Karachi quicks picked it up and ran with it like it was a baton, dismantling Islamabad and sealing a comfortable seven-wicket win. That took them through to the playoffs, Eoin Morgan’s men finishing second in the final standings.A thrilling spell of raw fast-bowling from the 23-year old was too hot for league leaders Islamabad United to handle, as he burst through Islamabad with four wickets for 17 runs. Mohammad Amir and Tymal Mills were nearly as impressive, if not quite as prolific as far as the wickets were concerned. Shahid Afridi also chipped in, taking two wickets as Misbah-ul-Haq’s men were bowled out in 19 overs for just 124.Karachi Kings needed to score just 109 to ensure safe passage into the playoffs, but they never looked like falling short of the real target. A characteristically truculent knock from Joe Denly on his 32nd birthday set them on their way, the former England international smashing 36 off 28 balls. Besides that, the pace of the chase was sedate, but then again, it needn’t have been any more than that. All the excitement had come in the first innings, and this was simply going to be a procession. Babar Azam and Colin Ingram played calm innings to see their side through, meaning Karachi finish in the top two, and will take on Islamabad United in the first playoff again on Sunday. The game might not have been the most exhilarating for the neutrals – and certainly not for a helpless Multan Sultans, now eliminated from the tournament – but Karachi will feel there’s plenty of time for that in the coming week or so.Where the match was wonErmmm…maybe before the match began? Islamabad, whose six-match winning streak meant they were guaranteed top spot before Friday’s double-header, were especially conservative with their team selection, leaving out key performers in Luke Ronchi, Samit Patel and Mohammad Sami. A drop in intensity may have played its part; this was, after all, a game with nothing riding on it for the 2016 champions, while for Karachi, it was a virtual eliminator.There was no question they wanted it more, and from the start, they played like it. Islamabad were slightly sluggish all evening, almost as if saving some energy for the upcoming playoffs. Islamabad never quite got going, while Karachi never let up. It’s certain to be a different story in two days’ time.The men that won itBatting partnerships are often raved about, with bowling partnerships not nearly getting the same kind of credit. Karachi’s fast bowlers teamed up like a band of brothers, closing in on the batsmen together, and stifling them over by over, body blow by body blow. The wickets might mainly have fallen to Usman, but if ever wickets could be granted assists in the way goals in football are, Friday would be a good day to begin.Mohammad Amir built up the pressure while Tymal Mills intimidated the batsmen. The looming threat of elimination had united the Karachi side, and it wasn’t wickets or personal glory that concerned them as much as putting two points on the board and going to the sharp end of the competition. Having stuttered in recent games, their vaunted bowling attack came together in devastating fashion. These performances aren’t easy to reproduce, but Karachi fans will be salivating at the prospect of their side reaching the final and treating them to a similar spectacle.The T20 specialist, the bygone maestroIslamabad’s good form has managed to keep it under wraps somewhat, but even causal observers of the PSL would have noticed how peripheral to his team’s successes Misbah-ul-Haq has been. There may still be very few questions of his astuteness – or even modernity – as a captain. But he is self-aware enough to realise that he may not be best-placed when it comes to meeting the demands of contemporary T20 batting. Having slipped further down the order throughout the season, he came in at No. 4, with Islamabad looking like they needed a rebuilding job.But Tymal Mills, the wiliest of fast bowlers in this format, had cottoned on to Misbah’s vulnerability, and, off his first five balls, pegged him back with sharp, nasty bouncers. Two of them found inventive routes to hammer into to Misbah’s gloves. It was hard to watch after a point. His dismissal, if anything, was even further evidence of his waning powers; Afridi lobbed one up that Misbah used to hit for six in his sleep. He was deceived in the flight, and ended up having an ungainly hoick at the ball. He missed, and the ball, perhaps mercifully, crashed into his leg stump.Where they standWith the group stage now over, Islamabad have finished top, and will take on second-placed Karachi Kings in the first playoff. Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi will play in an eliminator on Tuesday at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, while Multan Sultans and Lahore Qalandars bow out.

"We have signed a world-class player."

The words of West Ham United chairman David Sullivan in June, 2015. Co-chairman at the time. Slaven Bilic had been appointed as the club's manager earlier that summer, and he was tasked with leading the Hammers away from obscurity in the depths of the Premier League.

Sullivan's claim was in reference to the £10m acquisition of adroit playmaker Dimitri Payet, who was renowned as one of the most underrated creators in Europe.

The Irons succeeded in their exploits, blitzing into form in the 2015/16 term and earning a seventh-placed finish in the top-flight, with Bilic's French "genius" – as was claimed by one match commentator after that assist – the fulcrum of his side's success, chalking up 12 goals and 15 assists across all competitions and etching his name into Hammers folklore.

However, the diminutive gem's time in east London proved to be little more than a sojourn, with his second season proving difficult; he was discontented with life at the club and his form had seeped into the dressing room. In January 2017, Bilic confirmed to the press that his prodigious star wanted to leave. And that was all she wrote.

Payet stole the headlines, and rightfully so. For that one fleeting season, West Ham was graced with a once-in-a-lifetime kind of player, the sort that shoots you out of your seat as if by a trebuchet, mouth gaped open and stars in your eyes.

There was another, however, to also put pen to paper with the Irons in the summer of 2015, the period that some would argue was the genesis of the newfound success that was nurtured upon David Moyes' second appointment in December 2019, which, as all know, has paid off handsomely.

That man is Michail Antonio. Under the radar at the time, the dynamic ace is now a staple of the feats of the past years, and will leave London with a lasting, silver-laden legacy.

How much did West Ham sign Michail Antonio for?

Deadline day, 2015. An annual occurrence often filled with trepidation as clubs hurry to conclude deals and provide their squads with good chances to succeed in their seasonal goals.

West Ham had indeed appointed Bilic and bolstered the squad with the likes of Payet, as well as Angelo Ogbonna and Manuel Lanzini.

In a deal that just earlier that day looked destined to fail, 25-year-old forward Antonio signed from Nottingham Forest for a fee in the region of £7m, rejecting interest from Derby County and West Bromwich Albion.

It was a small sum for an exciting and athletic player, who had just posted 14 goals and assists apiece in the Championship with the Tricky Trees the season before.

Likes to do flick-ons

Likes to dribble

Draws fouls often

Set-piece threat

Antonio would spend seven of his first eight Premier League matches as an unused substitute, coming off the bench for half an hour in the other, and despite growing into his skin and scoring 11 times across all competitions in his maiden year – including eight goals from 23 league starts – few envisaged the stalwart that the powerhouse would become.

How good is Michail Antonio?

Let's fast track to the present, Moyes has led West Ham to the Europa Conference League trophy, ending an interminable wait for a major honour – United last won major silverware in the 1980 FA Cup – and West Ham have entered the 2023/24 Premier League season prepared for a third successive continental campaign.

They've also started with aplomb, preparing for a daunting contest against the imperious Manchester City having clinched three successive victories – including wins over Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion – after drawing against Bournemouth on the south coast.

Among the goals is Antonio, bagging twice from his first four outings of the year and extending his record as the outfit's all-time Premier League top goalscorer, with 63 strikes to his name.

Heralded as a "special" star by his manager, the 33-year-old has forged 280 displays, scoring 77 goals and providing 43 assists in total, and was instrumental in the gleaning of the Conference League.

In 2021, only a rampant Mohamed Salah outscored the 12-cap Jamaica international, a further testament to a player who was on "absolute fire", as was said by pundit and Premier League icon Rio Ferdinand.

He might be getting on, but Antonio is still a formidable option and scored 14 times across all competitions last term, including six goals from seven starts in the Conference League, paramount to the club's rise through the rounds.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 11% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 10% for successful take-ons per 90, further illustrating the distinctive set of skills that he brings to the table, and has done so with such prolific conviction over his years as a Hammer.

Antonio would not have attracted the most lucrative transfer fee, had West Ham decided to cash in on the £85k-per-week phenom at some point over the past several years, with Football Transfers actually only ever listing his maximum value at £15m, in 2022.

However, considering his impact over the 280 appearances he has made for the side, it's evident that his role has been significant, hitting 30 Premier League goals from just 86 appearances at the peak of his powers, from 2019-20 to 2021-22.

A remarkable striker, and one who will forever be fondly remembered for his influential role in this burgeoning West Ham team, and he's not even done yet.