MatériaMais Notícias

Existem pessoas que nascem com um talento inato, como se sua função na sociedade já estivesse previamente determinada. Este é o caso de Noemi Scheinkman, filha de pais brasileiros que, aos 15 anos, acumula convocações para três seleções distintas.

continua após a publicidade

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Nascida em Munique, na Alemanha, a jovem se mudou para os Estados Unidos aos 8 anos. Por lá, iniciou sua trajetória no futsal, praticando a modalidade entre homens e mulheres. Após se destacar em sua faixa etária, migrou para o campo. Consolidada no futebol de base norte-americano, Noemi optou por realizar um intercâmbio para Israel, em 2023. No país, defendeu o Maccabi Petach-Tikva, onde marcou 14 gols e distriubiu 23 assistências na última temporada.

– Nasci na Alemanha, mas sempre tive o desejo de morar em Israel, visitei diversas vezes Tel Aviv (capital do país) no verão e amei Israel. Meu desejo era mudar para lá. Quando a oportunidade de realizar um ano de intercâmbio no país apareceu, eu fui para um escola internacional – explicou Noemi.

continua após a publicidade

O bom desempenho rendeu à meia-atacante uma convocação para defender a seleção alemã, em dezembro do ano passado e, posteriormente, um chamado para participar dos treinamentos das equipes sub-15, sub-16 e sub-17 de Israel, mesmo sem ter a cidadania do país.

A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

No entanto, Noemi tem uma preferência clara na carreira: defender a Seleção Brasileira. E, o que antes era sonho, se transformou em realidade neste ano. No início do mês, a jovem foi chamada pela Seleção sub-15 para um período de treinamentos em Sorocaba, interiror do estado de São Paulo, sob supervisão da técnica Simone Jatobá.

continua após a publicidade

Eu quero escolher o Brasil, o estilo de futebol é parecido com o meu jogo

---

ao ser questionada sobre sua preferência

O Lance! Betting tem apostas a longo prazo para a Seleção Brasileira em 2024! Vem conferir!

PLANEJAMENTO DE CARREIRA E FUTURO

Após o período em Israel, encurtado em razão da guerra que ocorre na região, Noemi planeja os próximos passos na carreira. A jogadora pretende realizar um período de treinamentos no São Paulo, conhecido por ter diversas atletas convocadas para as seleções de base do país, na metade do ano.

A ideia da jovem é tentar uma vaga na Seleção sub-17, que disputa a Copa do Mundo da categoria em outubro, na República Dominicana. Apesar de não aparecer na última chamada, realizada no dia 24 de maio, Noemi mantém esperanças de jogar o Mundial e vê no clube paulista uma oportunidade para alcançar seu objetivo.

Enquanto se prepara no Brasil, Noemi planeja a próxima temporada. Ela recebeu sondagem de duas equipes do futebol europeu, uma da Alemanha e outra da Holanda, mas as conversas ainda estão em andamento. A outra possibilidade seria retornar para a Flórida, nos Estados Unidos, onde iniciou sua trajetória no esporte e seu pai reside atualmente.

Espero que no futuro eu continue defendendo a Seleção Brasileira e atue em uma equipe profissional na Europa

---

afirmou Noemi Scheinkman

DIFERENÇA ENTRE SELEÇÕES

Mesmo aos 15 anos, Noemi já apresenta características marcantes em campo e um estilo de jogo definido. Camisa 10 de origem, a jogadora atua como meia-atacante, realizando a conexão entre os setores com aproximações e lançamentos em profundidade.

Além disso, a jovem pode recuar um pouco em campo e atuar como uma camisa oito, ajudando no começo da construção de jogadas, ou como segundo volante, atuando na função “box-to-box”.

Questiona a respeito das experiências nas seleções dos três países (Brasil, Israel e Alemanha), Noemi explicou as principais diferenças e demonstrou uma clara preferência de estilo.

– Na Alemanha eu fui convacada em Dezembro. Lá, o futebol é mais direto, eles não jogam muito no meio campo, foi um pouco difícil jogar lá. Depois disso, fui chamada para as seleções sub-15, sub-16 e sub-17 de Israel, e lá eles jogam mais no meio campo, mas o futebol também é direto. Depois, em maio (de 2024), fui convocada para a Seleção Brasileira. Eu gostei mais do estilo do Brasil porque aqui se joga mais no meio, consigo me conectar com as outras jogadores e achar os passes para as atacantes – destacou.

– No Brasil eles são mais abertos, querem ser seus amigos. Eu fui para a Seleção com duas americanas, eles trataram nós (ela se inclui no grupo) como brasileiras, fiz amizade muito rápido com elas. Na Alemanha, já foi mais difícil, eu estava sozinha, e elas eram mais quietas, não falaram muito comigo. Em Israel também foi um pouco difícil, eles falam muito rápido hebráico, e eu ainda estou aprendendo, mas eles fizeram o melhor para se comunicar comigo – finalizou.

Tudo sobre

Futebol NacionalOriginalSeleção Brasileira

Four MLB players on four different teams accepted their qualifying offers on Tuesday to remain with the clubs they competed for this past season.

All qualifying offers are one-year, $22.025 million contracts to return to their teams for the 2026 season. It gives the teams more time to decide if they want to keep the players around for a longer contract afterwards, or if the player will end up a free agent next offseason.

The big headline was pitcher Shota Imanaga accepting the Cubs’ qualifying offer to remain in Chicago. It was originally believed that he would land elsewhere, but now he’s here to stay in Chicago.

The Yankees will get center field Trent Grisham back in one of the team’s first big decisions of the offseason. New York could now turn its focus to retaining Cody Bellinger for next season.

Pitcher Brandon Woodruff will return to the Brewers after he accepted his qualifying offer. He dealt with various injuries during the 2025 season.

Lastly, the Tigers will retain second baseman Gleyber Torres, who is coming off his first year in Detroit in which he accomplished an All-Star season.

Then, there were nine players who declined their player option, causing them to remain free agents this offseason. Those players include Kyle Schwarber, Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, Dylan Cease, Edwin Díaz, Ranger Suárez, Zac Gallen, Michael King and Framber Valdez.

Bangladesh’s death-over expert was instrumental in their victories in their previous two games in the Asia Cup

Mohammad Isam and Shiva Jayaraman23-Sep-20254:47

Chopra: India lives in Bangladesh’s head rent free

Mustafizur Rahman equalling Shakib Al Hasan’s national record of 149 T20I wickets validates his stature as Bangladesh’s best bowler in the format. Seventy of those 149 wickets have come in the death overs (16-20) – the most by any bowler in this phase in men’s T20Is.He took 3 for 20 with his left-arm pace in Bangladesh’s first Super Four match of the Asia Cup, against Sri Lanka; his two wickets in the 19th over kept the opponents down to a target which his team’s batters were able to achieve. In the game before that, Mustafizur had taken 3 for 28, successfully spearheading Bangladesh’s defence of 154 against Afghanistan to earn two crucial points.Related

Bangladesh solve the middle-overs riddle

India go in as strong favourites against upbeat Bangladesh

Mustafizur is a proven death-overs specialist: in the last 18 months, he has an economy rate of 3.0 while bowling the 19th over. He’s done it over six matches, an incredible feat regardless of the opposition. For context, Jasprit Bumrah’s economy in the 19th over during this period is 6.5.His mix of offcutters from over the wicket that went away from the right-hand batter was all the rage when Mustafizur emerged in 2015. Even R Ashwin wondered how he managed to bowl that cutter and still got the ball to carry to the wicketkeeper standing back.Shoulder injuries, however, forced Mustafizur to expand his skills. Between 2019 and 2021, he worked with fast-bowling coaches Ottis Gibson and Allan Donald to bring the ball back into the right-hand batter. In recent years, he worked hard on angling the ball across the right-hand batters with his left-arm angle at decent pace, but mixing it up with offcutters.Mustafizur Rahman needs one wicket to become Bangladesh’s top wicket-taker in T20Is•Associated PressMustafizur has the second-best economy rate (7.94) among bowlers with at least 50 wickets from overs 16 to 20 in T20Is. When narrowed down to matches between Full Member nations, Mustafizur still has the second-best economy rate (6.48) in the death overs, behind Bumrah, since April 2024. To be anywhere near Bumrah is impressive.Mustafizur’s career has had ebbs and flows since his debut across formats in 2015. He is no longer picked for Tests and he isn’t as impactful in ODIs as he is in T20Is. Like most bowlers, he’s had his struggles against particular batters and he could face one of them against India on Wednesday. Hardik Pandya has a T20 strike rate of 212.50 against Mustafizur since 2024, and poses a threat to his death-over effectiveness.Ahead of the game, Bangladesh’s head coach Phil Simmons said Mustafizur was now the leader of the attack. “[Mustafizur] has been bowling really well – he’s been the main bowler,” Simmons said. “And he’s carrying that mantle of being the senior bowler on the team. And even in meetings and everything, he’s really stepping up. So it’s great to see him performing out there.”In his debut IPL season, in 2016, Mustafizur Rahman won the Emerging Player award•BCCIBefore the Sri Lanka game, Bangladesh’s fast-bowling coach Shaun Tait had said he tries to keep Mustafizur comfortable to get the best out of him. “He has all the experience; he doesn’t need me to talk to him too much about the way he’s bowling,” Tait said. “If he’s in an environment where he’s happy, I think he’ll perform well. My job with him is just to make sure he’s happy and confident. The rest he takes care of himself.”Many of the world’s best T20 bowlers have honed their skills in franchise leagues around the world, and Mustafizur has been among the busiest Bangladesh players on the circuit. After playing the BPL in 2015-16, his first T20 tournament, he represented Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2016, winning the Emerging Player award after taking 17 wickets in his debut season. He also had successful IPL seasons in 2021 and 2024, taking 14 wickets in each year for Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings. Apart from the BPL and IPL, he has also played in the Vitaility Blast, PSL and LPL. While he’s built up his experience, his performance has been a rung or two below the A-listers, and hence he doesn’t evoke the same aura.For Bangladesh, Mustafizur is their go-to bowler at the death. He usually bowls his first over in the powerplay, his second in the middle overs, before returning for two overs at the end. His record against India reads eight wickets at an average of 57.37 and economy rate of 9.4. He will need to improve on that for Bangladesh to upset the reigning T20 World Cup champions.

Cristiano Ronaldo versus Lionel Messi in the 2026 World Cup final would likely become a “retirement match” for two all-time greats, admits Pedro Mendes. A couple of GOATs are preparing for another shot at global glory, with Messi having already added that prize to his collection with Argentina. The end is approaching for both, and it could be that they enjoy the “perfect finish” next summer.

• GOATs at 2026 World Cup: Will Ronaldo face Messi?

  Messi is yet to confirm that he will be gracing next summer’s finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico, but the expectation is that the Inter Miami superstar will captain his country in their title defence.

  Ronaldo has suggested that the 2026 finals will be his last, but the evergreen 40-year-old is being tipped to play on for some time yet. Fans in every corner of the planet would love to see CR7 lock horns with eternal rival Messi on the grandest of stages.

Advertisement

• Getty/GOAL
  

  Last dance: Could Ronaldo meet Messi in World Cup final?

  Ex-Portugal international Mendes – speaking to BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest football betting – has said of that potentially happening: “It's always a big occasion. Every time there's a Ronaldo vs Messi match, it's always a big occasion. We were fortunate enough to see those amazing players, but I think they were unlucky to be in the same generation. If they played at different times, they would both be considered the best of all time in their respective generations without question. But again, there's always that debate, who was the best? Messi or Ronaldo?

  “So every time there's a game between them, it's a big occasion. And it'll be great every time you see it. I hope Messi plays, because Messi on the pitch is always a joy to watch as a football fan, not just as a Portuguese fan, but as a football fan. I hope he goes. Portugal and Argentina in the final would be good. It could be the retirement match for one of them.”

• Evergreen Ronaldo: How long with CR7 play for?

  Mendes is among those that believe Ronaldo can play for as long as he wants, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner still a talismanic presence for club and country. Mendes added: “As long as Cristiano is fit and ready to play, he should play. It just brings something, even if he's not involved a lot of the time, he's always a worry for the other team. He has that killer instinct, that killer touch inside the box. When the ball bounces to him, he can score at any time, at any minute. So I think if he's fit, he should start. Every single day.

  “I think in Portugal, maybe 90% of the Portuguese people want Cristiano Ronaldo to start. But there's always that 10%, you know, there's always that 10%. But I think, again, as I said, if he drops him for some reason, it must be a physical reason. If he's fit, I think he should play. And I think Roberto Martinez will play him all the time.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  Ronaldo targets: Individual targets being chased down

  Ronaldo, who is now plying his club trade in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Nassr, appears to still have individual targets to chase down. Mendes sees those keeping a personal fire burning, but a World Cup triumph could convince the evergreen frontman to bow out.

  Mendes said: “I don't know what's happening in his head and if he wants to play on. But if in his head the word retirement is there, I think winning the World Cup will be the perfect finish for him.

  “The 1,000 goals? That's the thing. He may go on for one or two more years. In Saudi, he may score them. But again, if we don't win it, maybe he'll stay a couple more years to chase that record, that 1,000 goal. But if we win it, I think it'll be a massive doubt in his head if it's enough or if he'll go for the 1,000 goal. So let's see.”

  It has been suggested that Ronaldo, who is now tied to terms in the Middle East through to 2027, will prolong his record-shattering career long enough that he gets to line up alongside eldest son Cristiano Jr – who is part of Al-Nassr’s academy system and has already made his international bow with Portugal at youth level.

Change to visa rules mean Australian seamer will be available for first half of red-ball season

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Nov-2025Nottinghamshire have confirmed the return of Australia A seamer Fergus O’Neill for the first half of both the 2026 and 2027 seasons.O’Neill claimed 21 wickets at 17.90 in four matches at the start of the 2025 summer, helping set Nottinghamshire on their path to winning the County Championship. He had been expected to make a return and the club have now announced that he has signed a two-year deal.While O’Neill was only eligible for a short-term visa last season, limiting him to a four-week stint, changes to the UK’s visa rules to cover appearances in first-class cricket mean he will be available for the first block of Championship games from April through to June.It was O’Neill who purchased the “MOM” blazer that became a feature of Notts’ title win, and he will now be back to help with the defence.”I’m keen to come back and make sure our momentum keeps rolling,” O’Neill said. “Trent Bridge is a great place filled with great people, where I’ve had success.”With all the success I had, and we had as a team, it was a simple decision for me to sign on for not just one, but another two years. Success is what I play for, so for as long as I’m a part of Nottinghamshire, I’ll be putting my best foot forward for us to win another Championship title.”O’Neill has twice been picked for Australia A, including on their recent tour of India, and has started the Sheffield Shield season in good form, with 15 wickets at 21.80. He could come into contention for the Ashes, although is currently behind the likes of Brendan Doggett and Michael Neser among back-up quicks.”Every now and then, you seem to sign a player who fits into the team perfectly, and Fergus was that man last year,” Nottinghamshire’s head coach, Peter Moores, said. “His impact on the field was clear for everyone to see, though it was his impact off it that also made a real difference.”His energy and excitement to play were infectious, as was belief in his own ability. That belied spread into everyone else in the team and was a real catalyst at the start of our season.”His ability to move the ball laterally and control line and length were perfect for English conditions, and it’s great news that the change in regulations will allow him to take on a fuller role next season.”We can’t wait to get him back to continue the promising start he has shown to his Notts career and to positively influence the defence of the title.”Notts have also secured the services of South Africa Test wicketkeeper-batter Kyle Verreynne for 2026. Verreynne, who has enjoyed productive spells at Notts in each of the past two seasons and hit the runs that secured the title, is expected to be available for a full summer of County Championship due to South Africa’s limited international commitments.

Jasprit Bumrah was rested while Shreyas Iyer and Hardik Pandya continue to recover from their injuries

Shashank Kishore23-Nov-20253:52

Rishabh Pant vs Tilak Varma for Shreyas Iyer’s middle-order spot

India batter KL Rahul will captain the side in the three ODIs against South Africa starting on November 30. Rahul steps in with regular captain Shubman Gill still recovering from the neck injury he suffered during the first Test in Kolkata earlier this month.Rishabh Pant was back in ODI mix as the second wicketkeeper, having last played the format in August 2024. Jasprit Bumrah was rested having featured in all four home Tests this season, the T20 Asia Cup as well as the ODIs in Australia over the past two months. Shreyas Iyer too wasn’t in the squad as he continues to recover from a lacerated spleen.With Shreyas unavailable, a middle-order spot opened up for Tilak Varma, the left-hand batter, who featured in a recent one-day series against South Africa A in Rajkot.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Tilak has so far played four ODIs with modest returns, but has established himself as a regular in the T20I set-up. He could compete with Pant for a spot in the middle order that also has Virat Kohli, Rahul as well as Ravindra Jadeja, who was rested for the Australia ODIs. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar are the other allrounders in the mix. There was no spot for Axar Patel.In Gill’s absence, Yashasvi Jaiswal is expected to open the batting with Rohit Sharma. Ruturaj Gaikwad, who was in sparkling form for India A during the one-dayers against South Africa A is the reserve opener. Gaikwad, who last played in an ODI two years ago, made scores of 117, 68* and 25 during India A’s 2-1 series win.Mohammed Siraj has been rested, presumably to manage his workloads after he featured in each of the four home Tests, with Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana as the frontline pace bowlers. The squad also comprises Dhruv Jurel as the back-up middle order batter.Hardik Pandya, meanwhile, is undergoing the final phase of his rehab for a quadriceps injury at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. He has been named in Baroda’s squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s that start on November 26, and could play the first three rounds of matches before the selectors take a call on him for the T20I series against South Africa. Hardik, who was part of the Champions Trophy wining squad in March, missed India’s previous ODI assignment due to the injury he picked up during September’s Asia Cup.The three ODIs against South Africa will be played on November 30 in Ranchi, December 3 in Raipur and on December 6 in Visakhapatnam.

India’s ODI squad for South Africa series

Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul (capt & wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Dhruv Jurel

South Africa make second-lowest total; Jacob Bethell England’s second-youngest ODI centurion

Sampath Bandarupalli07-Sep-2025342 England’s margin of win by runs in the third ODI at Southampton against South Africa is the highest for any team in men’s ODIs. The previous biggest margin was India’s 317-run win against Sri Lanka in 2023 at Thiruvananthapuram.South Africa’s previous biggest defeat was by 276 runs against Australia at Mackay, two weeks ago. They have been on the receiving end of two of the top seven biggest defeats in men’s ODIs in the space of 15 days.72 South Africa’s total at Southampton is their second-lowest in men’s ODIs, behind the 69 all-out against Australia in 1993 at the SCG. It is also the fourth-lowest total for any team against England in men’s ODIs.South Africa’s innings lasted 20.5 overs, their second-shortest all-out innings in men’s ODIs, only a ball more than the 83 all-out in 20.4 overs against England in 2022 at Manchester.Getty Images414 for 5 England’s total in the third ODI at Southampton is their highest in the format against South Africa. Their previous highest was 399 for 9 at Bloemfontein in 2016.This was the fourth instance of South Africa conceding a 400-plus total in men’s ODIs, only behind West Indies (5), while England have got past 400 on seven occasions, only behind South Africa (8).21y 319d Jacob Bethell’s age on Sunday, when he scored 110. He is now the second-youngest man to score an ODI hundred for England. David Gower had two hundreds by that age – at 21 years and 55 days against Pakistan in 1978 and at 21 years and 309 days against Australia in 1979.ESPNcricinfo Ltd24 Runs added by South Africa before the fall of the sixth wicket, the lowest by them in a men’s ODI. The previous lowest was 36 runs against Afghanistan in last year’s Sharjah ODI. It is also the fewest runs needed by England to take the opposition’s first six wickets in a men’s ODI.The Southampton ODI is only the second occasion of South Africa being six wickets down in the first ten overs in a men’s ODI (where balls faced by partnerships are available). Last year’s ODI at Sharjah against Afghanistan is the other instance.4 for 5 Jofra Archer’s returns in the first ten overs of South Africa’s innings. Only one bowler has had better average in the first ten overs of a men’s ODI innings while taking four or more wickets – 4 for 4 by Makhaya Ntini against Australia at Cape Town in 2006 (where ball-by-ball data is available).80 Runs conceded by Codi Yusuf in his ten overs are the most on ODI debut for South Africa. The previous most was 73 by Duanne Olivier against Pakistan in 2019.Yusuf’s new-ball partner, Nandre Burger, conceded 95, the joint-second most by a bowler for South Africa in a men’s ODI, behind only Dale Steyn’s 96 against Australia in 2016.

Sunderland have laughed off the doom mongers who pointed out the fact that the last six teams to earn promotion to the Premier League have all been instantly relegated.

The Black Cats are, remarkably, sixth in the top-flight after 13 games, ahead of Man United and Liverpool, after a 3-2 win over Bournemouth at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

Summer signing Granit Xhaka was, once again, vital with an impressive assist for Bertrand Traore’s goal, in what has been a phenomenal season for the Swiss star so far.

Where Granit Xhaka ranks among Sunderland's summer signings

Sunderland paid £13m to sign the experienced midfielder from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, and they have got their money’s worth from the left-footed star in the Premier League.

With 297 games for Arsenal under his belt, per Transfermarkt, the Black Cats knew what they were going to get from Xhaka as a proven performer in the top-flight.

The 33-year-old star has delivered one goal and four assists, per Sofascore, whilst winning 63% of his defensive duels across 13 appearances in the Premier League this season, which shows that he has made an impact in and out of possession.

1

Robin Roefs

2

Granit Xhaka

3

Nordi Mukiele

4

Noah Sadiki

5

Omar Alderete

As you can see in the table above, we have ranked him as the second-best signing made by the Black Cats in the summer, only behind the incredibly impressive Robin Roefs, who leads the league in goals prevented (3.28), per Sofascore.

Xhaka has stepped straight into the team as a regular starter and shown that he can be relied upon week-in-week-out, like Roefs has, which is why he has been one of the best signings made for Regis Le Bris’ team.

Whilst Sunderland should be delighted with their current position and the signing of Xhaka, they once had a star on loan who is now even more exciting than the Swiss ace and is one of the best players in the Premier League.

The Sunderland loanee who is now one of the Premier League's best

In January 2020, Antoine Semenyo signed for the club on loan from Bristol City for the second half of the season, and manager Phil Parkinson cited his “pace and power” as two of his main attributes.

Appearances

7

Starts

1

Goals

0

Key passes per game

0.4

Big chances created

1

Assists

0

Unfortunately, as shown in the table above, the Black Cats loanee was unable to use his pace and power to cause many problems for opposition defences, as he ended his time on Wearside without a single goal contribution.

After that, Semenyo went on to establish himself at Bristol City in the Championship before a permanent move in January 2023 to Bournemouth, which is where he has flourished in the Premier League.

The same player who struggled in League One with Sunderland has now scored 17 goals and provided nine assists in the top-flight for the Cherries since the start of last season, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has been effective as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

In the Premier League this season, only Erling Haaland (15) and Igor Thiago (11) have more combined goals and assists than Semenyo (nine), per FotMob, which is an impressive statistic when you consider that he plays out wide.

Earlier this term, former Spurs and England star Chris Waddle dubbed Semenyo “the best winger in the country (England) right now”, and that still rings true, as he has at least two more goal contributions than any other winger in the top-flight, per FotMob.

This is why he is currently an even better and more exciting player than Xhaka, because the Ghana international has, statistically, been one of the most impactful players in the league with goals and assists to earn his team points.

Sunderland star who Speakman was "excited" to sign is the new Jeremain Lens

This summer signing by Sunderland is on his way to becoming the new Jeremain Lens.

ByDan Emery Nov 30, 2025

He may not have shown his potential during his brief time at the Stadium of Light, but it is clear to see, now, that Semenyo would be the club’s best player on current form.

While there were some early jitters against the likes of Brentford and Leeds United, Nuno Espírito Santo has been able to somewhat steady the ship at West Ham United.

Now, things are far from perfect, but the Hammers have gone from losing every week to losing just one of their last six games and sit just two points off Nottingham Forest in 17th and the Peacocks in 16th.

However, there are still some potential problems on the horizon, like the uncertain future of Lucas Paqueta.

Fortunately, West Ham already have the perfect replacement for the Brazilian if he does end up leaving.

Why Paqueta will need to be replaced

Now, the first thing to say is that at his best, Paqueta is an incredible footballer and someone who could play for some of the very best teams in the world.

Chalkboard

Expand Collapse

However, there are two major problems for West Ham: his contract and his recent output.

Starting with the first one, as things stand, the Brazilian’s current deal will have just a year left at the end of the season, meaning he either needs to be sold or handed an extension to protect his value.

However, given reports that he is open to leaving next month and his admission that he almost pushed for a return to Flamengo in the summer, it certainly seems he would turn down another deal.

In other words, the East Londoners should not only be open to selling the 28-year-old, but also be pushing for it.

This would also perhaps be more palatable at this point compared to a couple of years ago, as, on top of being sent off against Liverpool, his output has been underwhelming for some time now.

For example, he has scored only four goals this season, three of which have come in the Premier League, and last season he ended the campaign with a paltry tally of five goals in 36 games.

Paqueta’s recent form

Seaon

24/25

25/26

Appearances

36

14

Minutes

2536′

1217′

Goals

5

4

Assists

0

0

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In all, while Paqueta is an undeniably talented footballer, the combination of his contract and form might mean it’s time for West Ham to start thinking about selling him, especially as Nuno already has the perfect replacement.

West Ham's perfect Paqueta replacement

West Ham made several exciting signings in the summer, from El Hadji Malick Diouf to Soungoutou Magassa, but the one who could have the highest ceiling is Mateus Fernandes.

The East Londoners spent around £40m to get him out of Southampton, and while he looked a little rusty to start with, he’s now looking every bit worth that fee and then some.

Moreover, he’s the player who could end up being Nuno’s ideal Paqueta replacement, and the first reason why is his attacking ability.

Like the Brazilian, the 21-year-old is more than capable of being the most attacking midfielder, and is blessed with incredible vision and an excellent range of passing.

In fact, respected analyst Ben Mattinson was bold enough to describe the midfielder as someone who is capable of playing “those KDB-type passes” with relative ease.

However, he can do more than that, though, as on top of also having the ability to get past opposition defenders, the Olhão-born maestro isn’t afraid to chip in with the dirty work.

This ability to seemingly do it all, and to a high standard, was on show in the draw against Brighton.

Fernandes v Brighton

Minutes

82′

Key Passes

1

Tackles (Won)

8 (5)

Touches

61

Dribbles (Successful)

3 (3)

Interceptions

4

Clearances

3

Blocked Shots

2

Recoveries

6

Ground Duels (Won)

17 (16)

Fouls Won

5

All Stats via Sofascore

For example, in 82 minutes of action, he played one key pass, took 61 touches, won five fouls, completed 100% of his dribbles, won 16 of 17 ground duels, made four interceptions, three clearances and five of eight tackles.

Ultimately, it might take him a little longer to fully get up to speed, but as things stand, Fernandes is looking like an excellent signing for West Ham and could just be the perfect Paqueta replacement.

Related West Ham now lining up concrete January move for £80k-a-week Chelsea player

The Hammers are looking to sign a “leader” in the upcoming transfer window.

Posts ByDominic Lund 4 days ago

Mahmudul Hasan Joy’s career-best 169* headlined Bangladesh’s dominance on the second day of the Sylhet Test. The home side went to stumps on 338 for 1, leading Ireland by 52 runs after the visitors were bowled out for 286 on the second morning.Mahmudul’s dominant display made Ireland bowlers look increasingly clueless as the day went on. Mahmudul shared a 168-run opening stand with Shadman Islam, who made 80 off 104 balls with nine fours and a six.Mahmudul followed it up with 170 runs for the unbroken second-wicket stand with Mominul Haque. Mominul was unbeaten on 80 runs, having struck five fours and two sixes in his 124-ball stay.Related

• Carmichael, Neill, Murad sparkle on day of the debutants

But it was Mahmudul’s strokeplay that particularly caught the eye. He drove with glee, and scored most of his boundaries through the offside. He also struck a few fours and four sixes down the ground, lofting the ball either over the bowler’s head or over midwicket.His opening partner Shadman also batted with the same energy, nurdling the ball around while also finding boundaries, mainly through covers and midwicket. Shadman’s only six was struck down the ground, over mid-off. Shadman’s strike rotation seemed particularly beneficial for Mahmudul, who was returning to the Test side after having been dropped.Shadman Islam and Mahmudul Hasan Joy put on a big stand•BCB

After reaching his century, Mahmudul looked more comfortable, and he went after Campher and part-timer Tector with consecutive fours and sixes. He finished the day with 14 fours and four sixes.The second day began with Ireland losing their two remaining wickets in the first 13 minutes. Ireland’s 286 was built around fifties from Paul Stirling and debutant Cade Carmichael along with forties from Curtis Campher and Lorcan Tucker.Ireland batters couldn’t quite kick on from good starts, as the Bangladesh bowlers kept their accuracy on a good batting track. Mehidy Hasan Miraz took three wickets while Hasan Murad, Hasan Mahmud, and Taijul Islam picked up two wickets each. But Bangladesh’s fielding let them down, as they dropped five catches on the first day.