A big update has emerged on Sunderland's pursuit of a new striker as they appear to be closing in on a late swoop to bolster their squad before the summer transfer window slams shut.

What's the latest Sunderland transfer news?

According to journalist Igor Semyon, via the Sunderland Echo, Zorya Lugansk centre-forward Nazariy Rusyn is set for a medical on Wearside ahead of a move to the club before the deadline.

It is also stated that reports in Ukraine believe that an offer of up to €3m (£2.5m) has been lodged by the Black Cats, with a 20% sell-on clause also included within the deal.

The 24-year-old marksman is now said to be awaiting a work permit to go through before being able to officially complete his transfer to the Stadium of Light before Friday.

How good is Nazariy Rusyn?

He is an unproven quantity in English football but the talented finisher could be an exciting partner for current Sunderland star Jobe Bellingham if he is able to translate his form for Zorya over to Wearside.

The Ukraine U21 international, who has scored six goals in ten games at that level, enjoyed an impressive 2022/23 campaign as he showcased his ability as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Rusyn caught the eye for Zorya with an excellent return of 13 goals and six assists in 30 Premier Liga outings, whilst the Black Cats target has also notched once in two league matches this season.

The £2.5m-rated has racked up 23 goals and 12 assists in 70 Premier Liga games throughout his career to date, which works out as a direct goal contribution every other clash.

His ability to be a provider from a number nine position could make him an exciting player to be deployed alongside Bellingham as the 17-year-old midfielder carries a goal threat.

The former Birmingham City prospect has scored two goals in four Championship matches so far this season and has missed two 'big chances', which shows that the teenage sensation is getting into the right positions in front of goal.

Bellingham, who scored five goals in 12 games at U18 level for his former side, could benefit from Rusyn's creativity as the Ukrainian ace's return of six assists last term was three more than any Sunderland striker managed.

This suggests that the 5 foot 10 dynamo has the creative quality to lay on chances for his teammates at an impressive rate, which could provide the 17-year-old ace with the opportunities he needs to find the back of the net with greater regularity.

The Zorya star's 13-goal haul was also three more than any current Black Cats star produced in the Championship as Amad Diallo, who has since returned to Manchester United at the end of his loan spell, was the club's top-scorer with 14 and Ross Stewart was behind him with ten.

Rusyn could, therefore, be an outstanding scoring option for Tony Mowbray's side if he can carry that form over, or even improve upon it, to English football this season.

Just imagine the £2.5m gem and Bellingham lining up alongside each other in attack to cause constant problems for the opposition with their goalscoring potential.

Afghanistan’s stand-in captain said the side’s inability to handle pressure cost them against Hong Kong and put their progress to the Super Six in doubt

Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo08-Mar-2018Rashid Khan cut a downcast figure after Afghanistan’s surprise defeat to Hong Kong at the Bulawayo Athletic Club. As the number one limited-overs bowler in the world, it seemed Rashid could do no wrong ahead of this tournament. But Afghanistan have now lost three matches on the trot, and their route to the Super Six will now need a huge dollop of luck.Chasing 242, Afghanistan appeared to start steadily, but fell away in the middle overs as wickets fell, pressure mounted, and looming clouds approached the ground. “When the pressure was on, we couldn’t control our nerves, and that caused us to lose the match,” Rashid said.”You can’t expect such a performance from Afghanistan, the way we have played in the last two years. The guys played some irresponsible cricket, which wasn’t expected from them. But it happens sometimes in cricket. Sometimes it doesn’t go your way. Sometimes a match doesn’t go your way. Sometimes a tournament doesn’t go your way.”Even after an early wobble, when offspinner Ehsan Khan picked up three wickets in an unbroken spell to help reduce Afghanistan to 73 for 4, it still appeared Rashid’s men had the muscle for a chase, with Mohammad Nabi and Najibullah Zadran at the crease. When a frustrated Najibullah played one shot too many, and Nabi was run out by some sharp fielding, the match turned decisively.”I think we were in the game until Nabi and Najibullah got out,” Rashid said. “But after losing Nabi, the rain came, and the match started to get away from us. Losing Nabi was crucial.”The weather, too, didn’t help Afghanistan. With rain and lightning around the ground, Duckworth-Lewis permutations will have entered the minds of the batsmen even before the rain break, and the change in overhead conditions also made batting more tricky.”The wicket was good for batting in the morning, but it got difficult later on,” Rashid explained. “We weren’t expecting the clouds [in the afternoon]. It was bad luck for us. It suddenly came in, and totally changed the game. But we didn’t bat well.”To make matters worse, Afghanistan were missing two frontline batsmen for this important encounter. Captain Asghar Stanikzai had still not returned to the team after his operation for appendicitis, while Mohammad Shahzad was sitting out a two-match suspension after he had picked up demerit points for his angry reaction to his dismissal against Zimbabwe.”Before the tournament, we lost the skipper,” Rashid said. “And now we lost an aggressive batsman in Shahzad. Things just weren’t going our way. It was a big loss for us, Shahzad, because you know how good he is.”It is still theoretically possible for Afghanistan to make the Super Six, provided they beat Nepal by a huge margin, and Zimbabwe and Nepal then beat Hong Kong.”It’s really touch and go,” Rashid said. “If we can gain something in the Nepal game, and then something happens between Hong Kong and Nepal … anything can happen. But the way we played in the last three games, it’s not what you expect from Afghanistan. But we’ll come back positive.”

Liam Plunkett has been ruled out of the end of the T20 tri-series and the five ODIs against New Zealand with a recurrence of the hamstring injury he picked up in Australia.Plunkett made his return against New Zealand in Wellington earlier this week but aggravated the problem he first suffered in the ODI in Sydney last month. He has been diagnosed with a grade one tear and unlike when he stayed with the squad after the injury in Australia he will now be heading home.”An MRI scan today confirmed a minor hamstring strain and this will not recover in time to take part in the ODI series,” the ECB said. “A replacement for the ODI squad will be announced in the upcoming days.”Although England have been bolstered by the arrival of Ben Stokes the ECB said a replacement for Plunkett would be named in the coming days. One possible route is to retain Sam Curran, the Surrey allrounder, who was added to the T20 squad but is not in the one-day party.Captain Eoin Morgan has sat out the last two T20s due to injury with Jos Buttler leading the side.Australia’s record chase against New Zealand at Eden Park gave England a lifeline in the T20 series although they will still need to beat the hosts by a significant margin at Seddon Park to progress to the final in Auckland on February 21.

Liverpool have confirmed that a youth player was racially abused in an Under-16 game against Juventus, leading the team to walk off the pitch.

Why did the Liverpool U16 team walk off the pitch?

Playing in the Next Generation Trophy last Friday – a tournament held in Austria – the Reds were up against their Italian counterparts when the incident took place.

As per The Athletic, the Liverpool teenager involved went to the touchline to report the abuse to the coaching staff, who informed the players to follow protocol and leave the field.

The Juventus youngster involved was then suspended by his club for the rest of the tournament while staff offered the English side a full apology.

A Liverpool spokesperson said: “We can confirm that a member of our under-16s team was racially abused by an opponent while playing in the Next Generation youth tournament in Austria.

“The individual responsible was identified immediately and removed from the competition as a result of the swift intervention of our own players and staff, tournament organisers and opposition management, who have also taken additional disciplinary measures inclusive of education.

“We would like to place on record our appreciation for the prompt actions taken by all involved. This applies most of all to the player subjected to the attack, who showed remarkable maturity in following established protocols, including leaving the pitch, in order to report the matter as soon as it occurred. He is receiving the full support of the club.

“We would also reiterate that our condemnation of all forms of racist abuse remains unequivocal and absolute.”

What has been the reaction to the racist incident in the Liverpool U16 game vs Juventus?

In the immediate aftermath of the incident, before the statement had been officially given by Liverpool's spokesperson, former player Djibril Cisse took to social media to express his dismay and anger about what had happened.

The ex-French footballer has a son, Prince, who currently plays in the Reds' academy and was involved in the game.

Writing to his two million Instagram followers, Cisse said (via TalkSport): “Now it’s too much.

“During the game @LiverpoolFC vs @Juventus under 16s (my son Prince Cisse was playing) a kid from Juventus called a @LiverpoolFC a n****.

“The @LiverpoolFC staff had to stop the game. @Juventus what are you gonna do now? It’s a f****** shame. 15 years old kid @Juventus, you better act strongly now and shame.”

As per The Athletic, direct action has already been taken. Indeed, they report that staff members from Juventus’ academy and tournament organisers Red Bull Salzburg have since contacted Liverpool academy director Alex Inglethorpe to express their regret about the incident and check on the youngster’s well-being.

While it's also mentioned that the Juventus youth player is now undergoing a course to educate him that racism and all forms of discrimination are unacceptable. It is understood that senior Liverpool figures are happy with how Juventus have handled the matter.

All in all, it's a shameful incident and thoroughly disappointing to learn of such attitudes and behaviour existing within the academy of Europe's biggest football clubs.

In response to the incident, however, in a show of solidarity ahead of their following game at the Next Generation Trophy, Liverpool and their Argentinian opposition Independiente took the knee before kick-off.

Lucas Ocampos was poked in the bum by a fan during a game at Rayo Vallencano, with the Sevilla star urging La Liga to take the incident “seriously”.

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• Incident occurred during first-half
• Reported to the match referee
• Authorities now set to investigate

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The bizarre incident occurred in the 33rd minute of a Spanish top-flight fixture at Estadio de Vallecas. Ocampos was poked by the supporter in question as he prepared to take a throw-in. He turned to remonstrate with the individual involved before notifying the match referee of what had happened.

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• WHAT SEVILLA SAID

  Sevilla have said in a statement on the club’s : “We would like to place on record our disgust at the incident. Lucas Ocampos was subjected to an obscene and completely inappropriate act by a home fan. We hope that the appropriate measures outlined in the regulations will be taken to prevent such behaviour from happening again on a football field, and we have expressed this to La Liga directly.”

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  Ray Vallecano added in a statement of their own: “This isolated action is solely the individual responsibility of the fan who carried it out. Rayo Vallecano is currently working to identify the fan so that, if he is a season ticket holder of the club, the appropriate disciplinary measures can be taken in accordance with the internal regulations.”

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on the future of Aymeric Laporte and Arsenal's interest in the defender.

The Spaniard is currently the subject of an offer from Al Nassr.

What is the latest news regarding Aymeric Laporte?

Al Nassr have improved their salary offer to Laporte in a bid to convince the Spanish international to join according to Romano.

Manchester City are reportedly open to allowing the defender to depart this window and gave the green light for the deal to go ahead due to the arrival of Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig this summer, which pushes the 29-year-old further down the pecking order at the Etihad, with the defender making just 12 appearances in the Premier League last season.

Speculation about the centre-backs future was only strengthened earlier this week when he was seen reacting and applauding new Arsenal signing David Raya on Instagram, adding more fuel to the fire.

There have been reports throughout this summer that the former Athletic Bilbao defender was considering making the switch to North London and following the likes of Oleksander Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus to the Emirates to work under Mikel Arteta, who Laporte worked with for 12 months at the Etihad before he became Gunners boss.

However, it seems unlikely that the Cityzens will sell any more players to the Gunners after last summer, where the players who made the switch became key pieces in what was City's closest competitor for the Premier League title last season.

Should the Gunners be able to complete the transfer, Laporte could be the perfect replacement for summer signing Jurrien Timber, whose season looks to be over after he suffered a devastating ACL injury in the side's opening day victory against Nottingham Forest.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Romano revealed that Arsenal did hold an interest in the Spanish international earlier in the window, however the deal was very expensive. The journalist also referenced the fact that Man City were not "keen" on selling another player to the Gunners after last summer.

He said: “It’s true that they appreciate a player like Aymeric Laporte. At the beginning of the market at the end of June and beginning of July, they considered a move for Laporte, but it was very expensive. Man City weren’t keen on selling another player to Arsenal after Gabriel Jesus, Zinchenko and all the others. So, that's why it was not an easy one.”

What next for Arsenal this window?

The Gunners seem to be looking in the market to replace Timber

One player who has been linked is Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi. The Englishman was recently appointed as the Eagles captain, but the situation surrounding Timber could force the North London side to act upon their long-term interest on the former Chelsea man. However, the £50m price tag on Guehi's head may scupper any potential move. A cheaper alternative could be Galatasaray defender Victor Nelsson, who reportedly has a €25m (£21m) release clause.

Arsenal may need to see some departures to fund more incomings. One potential departure could be Folarin Balogun, who impressed last season on loan at Reims in Ligue 1. A host of sides around Europe are interested in the USA international, with Monaco having seen a verbal offer rejected. A shock report has linked the Arsenal forward with a move to the Gunners rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who have the money available following the sale of Harry Kane. The striker reportedly has an asking price of £50m, and should a side pay that, it could free up the Gunners to attack the market before the deadline.

Much of the attention on West Ham United’s transfer window has been around the club’s midfield situation.

The Irons had to combat the loss of Declan Rice with the additions of James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez, whilst also adding Mohammed Kudus to relieve the creative burden off Lucas Paqueta’s shoulders in the Premier League.

So far this summer, David Moyes has only added one defender in Konstantinos Mavropanos, but the Scotsman is reportedly on the hunt for some fresh faces for the backline…

What’s the latest West Ham transfer news?

According to the Evening Standard, the Hammers have submitted a formal bid to sign Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards.

Negotiations between the clubs over a fee are ongoing, with Moyes keen to sign a player who can provide centre-back cover and stands out as a prospect for the future.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

The fact that the titan is still at the League One side is baffling to some, including Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony, who said:

“It’s an absolute joke Ronnie is still here. We are all amazed and it’s not because we are being greedy or silly.

“He’s as good as he’s ever been, He answered all the questions about him after the gaffer came back to the club in January. He was outstanding in both legs of the play-offs when he was up against some giants.

“He’s now far too good for us and I don’t believe he will still be with us when the season starts as he is made for some of the teams in the Premier League.”

Would Ronnie Edwards be a good signing for West Ham?

Last season, the 20-year-old gem made 40 starts in the third tier, where he averaged two tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game, was only dribbled past 0.3 times per game, was part of 14 clean sheets, made no errors leading to a shot or a goal, completed 75% of his dribbles and won 73% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.

He has forged a formidable reputation thanks to his potential and consistency whilst also establishing prominence on the international stage. In June 2022, Edwards was included in England’s U19 squad for the 2022 UEFA European Championship and started in the final as his side won the tournament with a 3-1 extra-time win over Israel.

Later that year, the youngster made his England U20 debut and in May 2023, he was included in the Three Lions’ squad for the U20 World Cup. At the tournament, he started all four games, kept two clean sheets, managed 90% pass accuracy, averaged 2.3 clearances per game, won 67% of his duels, and made no errors leading to a shot or a goal.

Similarly to Edwards, Mavropanos is another supremely talented centre-back – a potent combination of ball-playing excellence and defensive solidity.

Ranked against his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, the Greek titan sits within the best 12% for progressive passes per 90, progressive carries per 90, and successful take-ons per 90, as well as the highest 18% for tackles per 90, interceptions per 90, aerials won per 90 and blocks per 90.

Having been described as a “Rolls-Royce” by Peterborough’s director of football Barry Fry, Edwards deservedly looks destined for Premier League football, and he could gloriously flourish at the London Stadium.

Moyes could have a central defensive pairing for the ages, should his recruitment staff get a deal for the young Posh sensation over the line before Friday's transfer deadline.

Jurgen Klopp provided an injury update on Trent Alexander-Arnold after the assist king was taken off at half-time despite bossing it against Burnley.

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Alexander-Arnold set up Jota to create PL historyWas subbed at half-time after discomfort in the kneeKlopp assured that it is "nothing really bad"GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

In an unexpected turn of events during Liverpool's 3-1 win against Burnley the England international saw his afternoon cut short raising concerns about his fitness. Alexander-Arnold played a crucial role in Liverpool's early success in the match, setting up the opening goal for Diogo Jota with a precise corner kick, that saw him set a new Premier League record for most assists (58) by a defender surpassing team-mate Andy Robertson.

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Klopp opted to replace Alexander-Arnold as a precautionary measure and put on Harvey Elliott, who put in an inspired performance with a couple of assists. This substitution reshuffled the team's formation, with Curtis Jones stepping into an unfamiliar role at right-back in the absence of Conor Bradley, who is in Northern Ireland mourning the loss of his father.

WHAT KLOPP SAID

Speaking after the match, Klopp revealed: "Same area in the knee. Nothing really bad but he felt it again. We have to see. We were made aware of it so thought 'what can we do' then Trent said 'no it's fine'. But it's not as he feels it so we had to be careful."

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LIVERPOOL'S GROWING LIST OF ABSENTEES

Alexander-Arnold's recent injury setback adds to Liverpool's growing list of absentees, including key players like Mohamed Salah, Alisson Becker, Thiago Alcantara, and Joel Matip, who are sidelined due to various short and long-term injuries. The club's medical team is likely to conduct further assessments, including scans, to determine the extent of Alexander-Arnold's injury and establish an appropriate course of action.

Rangers were beaten 1-0 at home to Celtic on Sunday afternoon and it has led to an interesting claim emerging over the future of manager Michael Beale, courtesy of journalist Jonny McFarlane.

What went wrong for Rangers against Celtic?

The Gers faced a huge Scottish Premiership clash at Ibrox on Sunday, as they hosted their bitter rivals, going into the match one point behind them after three matches. A win would be a much-needed boost for Beale, following their demoralising 5-1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League last Wednesday, but it was clear that a loss would also be a damaging early blow in the SPL title race.

Rangers felt aggrieved when Kemar Roofe's goal was eventually disallowed by VAR in the first half, due to a foul in the lead-up to him finding the net, and from that point on, things only got worse. Kyogo Furuhashi fired home impressively just before half-time to give Celtic the lead, silencing the home fans, and despite pushing hard for an equaliser, Beale's men couldn't find one in the end.

It means that the Gers are now four points adrift of their adversaries, and while it is still clearly early days in the new season, it is already a deficit that is not going to be easy to claw back.

The result has further heaped the pressure on Beale, who appears to be on thin ice currently, not least because of the grim way his side exited the Champions League last week.

Is Michael Beale's job under threat?

Taking to Twitter after the defeat to Celtic, McFarlane was critical of the job Beale is doing, claiming he now has "major problems" as he looks to keep his job:

"Michael Beale has major problems. Hard to see the identity. A performance littered with mistakes. Toothless in the top end of the pitch and prone to errors at the back isn’t a great combination."

There is no question that Beale now has to be under huge pressure to stay in the Ibrox hot seat, following a terrible few days for him, both in Europe and domestically.

For too much of the game against Celtic, there was a lack of quality and genuine guile on show, with good chances few and far between, having only three shots on target. Granted, the Hoops' defence was opened up on occasions, but it always felt as though the visitors had more cutting edge in the final third, and they could easily have scored a second goal as the minutes ticked by after the break.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

With the international break now arriving, those high up at Rangers now have a key period in which to make a big decision over Beale's future, with some supporters certainly keen on the idea of him being relieved of his duties, despite only taking charge last November.

There isn't enough patience in the modern game, so sacking Beale could still feel knee-jerk, despite the losses to PSV and Celtic, but if he is retained, performances and results have to improve drastically as soon as Rangers return to action, starting away to St Johnstone on September 16th.

Ahead of the Premier League season, there may have been some concern about how West Ham United would cope without Declan Rice, who completed a reported £105m move to Arsenal in the summer. However, the Hammers have since got off to an incredible start, however.

In their opening three Premier League games, David Moyes' side have drawn against Bournemouth and defeated both Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 to remain unbeaten.

They have brought in a number of new players, using the funds they received for Rice, and now they have reportedly made an approach to add yet another reinforcement.

What's the latest West Ham United transfer news?

West Ham have welcomed four fresh faces this summer, including both James Ward-Prowse and Mohammed Kudus. Kudus, having only recently signed for the Hammers, is yet to make his debut, but after scoring 18 goals and assisting a further seven for Ajax last season, it may come as little surprise if he got off to a blistering start at the London Stadium.

Having landed targets who are capable of making an instant difference, it now seems as though West Ham are turning their attention towards the future.

According to Sky Sports' James Savundra, the London club have made an initial approach to sign Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards before the transfer window slams shut in a matter of days, although the player has been tracked by a host of Premier League clubs.

The 20-year-old has become a key player for the League One side, starting six of their seven games so far this season. With that said, West Ham's approach may need to be a convincing one, if Peterborough are to sell their young defender in the coming days.

How good is Ronnie Edwards?

Signing a 20-year-old centre-back who already has almost 100 first-team appearances to his name could represent a piece of incredibly shrewd business for those at West Ham in the final days of the window.

The only way appears to be up for Edwards, given how quickly he has become a key part of the set-up at Peterborough, and he now holds a career-high Transfermarkt valuation.

Last season, the 20-year-old, of course, suffered the ultimate play-off heartbreak, when Peterborough were on the other side of Sheffield Wednesday's incredible comeback from 4-0 down on aggregate to eventually win on penalties.

Edwards started both games, and has since shown a strong character to bounce back at such a young age, and keep his place under Darren Ferguson.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

Throughout what is still a young career, he has earned plenty of deserved praise, too, including from Peterborough director Barry Fry, who said, via Football Transfers:

"Ronnie is a Rolls Royce. We knew that when we signed him.

"Spurs were watching him at the time and Brentford were very keen on him. In fact Brentford were so upset when we did the deal they complained to the FA!"