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West Ham United will be looking to break into the top-six in the Premier League when they welcome local rivals Tottenham Hotspur to the London Stadium this afternoon.

David Moyes’ side extended their 100% record in the Europa League on Thursday night after defeating Belgian outfit Genk 3-0, so they will head into kickoff buoyed by confidence.

And one of the standout performers from that encounter ought to feature today in Issa Diop.

The 24-year-old centre-back has slipped down the pecking order even more since the arrival of fellow countryman Kurt Zouma in the summer transfer window but he has been given opportunities outside of the Premier League and has pretty much impressed each time.

Diop’s four appearances across the Europa League and Carabao Cup have returned four clean sheets. By comparison, the Hammers have kept just two in their eight league outings so far this campaign.

Therefore, it could be wise to unleash the Frenchman with the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son heading to east London.

As per WhoScored, the £13.5m-rated colossus has been their fourth-best player in Europe, where he is averaging two tackles (second-most) and 2.6 aerials won (third-most) per game.

Neither of Moyes’ first-choice league pairing of Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna are managing more than 0.9 tackles per outing. That will need to improve if they are to stop Kane and Spurs’ top-scorer, Son.

This is why Diop must be considered, perhaps taking the place of the latter, as he and the Champions League winner looked excellent together against Dinamo Zagreb.

Jose Mourinho once dubbed the £22m signing a “monster” in September 2018 for dominating Paul Pogba and co, but performances of that calibre have been far and few between ever since then.

However, that looks to be changing.

“I thought Diop was absolutely magnificent,” claimed Irons assistant manager Stuart Pearce, via The Athletic, after their 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Carabao Cup.

“The longer the game went on the more of a colossus he looked at the back and he’s still in relative terms, a very young man for a central defender so we’re absolutely delighted to have Issa at this club.”

Son has bagged four goals already this campaign, also averaging 2.9 shots and 1.4 dribbles per game, whilst Kane is threatening to add to his solitary strike with an average of 2.4 shots per match, via WhoScored.

Evidently, Moyes needs a rock at the back to put a stop to the pair running riot at the London Stadium, which is why Diop should be selected this afternoon.

AND in other news, Moyes must axe “special” £18m West Ham passenger v Spurs, he’s been abysmal for months…

Everton have been struggling to find form in the Premier League this season under Rafael Benitez, but they have already completed the signings of Ukrainian left back Vitaliy Mykolenko on New Year’s Day and Nathan Patterson. However, they are set for further January incomings if the latest claims are to be believed.

What’s the word?

News editor and journalist Alan Myers has taken to Twitter to confirm that Everton will be doing more business during the January transfer window following the capture of Patterson.

An Everton fan tweeted the journalist asking if he expected to see any more signings after the deal for the former Rangers whizz, with Myers responding: “Yes, and it depends on outs I’d suggest.”

The teaser comes as Benitez confirmed in his press conference ahead of last Sunday’s clash against Brighton that the club would be getting involved in the transfer window and pinpointed his intentions, saying: “We are working hard [to sign players]. At the same time, everyone knows how difficult the transfer window is in January, but we are still working hard to try and find some targets to improve the team.”

The Spaniard added: “We are trying to find the right players for positions not just for the present, but also for the future. I’m sure we will bring two or three players and we will bring the kind of players that want to be here, which is the main thing for me.”

It is understood that the manager would be taking a more active role in the transfer business during this window due to the unexpected resignation of Marcel Brands, who left Goodison Park a month ago over a rumoured conflict of opinion on the direction of the club.

Fans surely buzzing

Many Everton fans have made no secret of their anger and frustration towards Farhad Moshiri, and more so Benitez, when it comes to what they have seen on the pitch over the last six months. Sunday’s home defeat to Brighton witnessed the latest exhibition of disdain towards both the owner’s and the manager’s presence at the club.

One angry Toffees fan took to Twitter to reflect on the problems that Moshiri and Rafa have been creating from their perspective, saying: “Sleepwalking from one disaster to the next, 1 win in 12, clueless in possession, and tactically inept but Moshiri continues to sit on his hands and tell us it’ll all come good with Rafa. How long do we wait? #RafaOut”

Despite the awful results and performances which have left Everton with only five wins out of 19 league games so far this season, fans will likely be buzzing about the prospect of new signings who could potentially change the course of the club’s current campaign.

They might be just as happy about Myers’ claim of potential outgoings to allow scope for further arrivals, given how some of the current squad have been subjected to some rather stinging criticism from a number of fans over their less than stellar performances for the club.

The possibility of further additions this month could provide a welcome antidote to what has so far been a dreadful season for Everton and their supporters.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano drops fresh transfer update on Nathan Patterson

As per journalist Sebastian Staszewski of Interia Sport, taking to Twitter, some very interesting Manchester City transfer news has emerged involving Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski.

The Lowdown: Man City make Haaland offer…

According to reliable reports in recent days, the Sky Blues have tabled an offer for long-time target and Borussia Dortmund sensation Erling Braut Haaland.

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Following on from rumours that City have a deal in place already, Sky Sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio doesn’t quite go that far but has insisted that Pep Guardiola’s side have offered Haaland a €30m (£25m) per year salary package.

As City and sporting director Txiki Begiristain reportedly make a major move already, Haaland isn’t the only striker to have received an offer from the Premier League champions, at least according to Staszewski.

The Latest: Man City also table Lewandowski offer…

According to the Polish reporter, Lewandowski has had an offer from City, with both Liverpool and Paris-Saint Germain also tabling proposals for the Bayern superstar.

However, Staszewski goes on to say that the 33-year-old has chosen Barcelona, outlining: “Robert Lewandowski has an agreement with Barcelona. The deal is to cover a 3-year contract. There were also offers from PSG, City and LFC. Does this mean summer transfer? Not necessarily. But the info sent to Bayern is clear: the Pole wants to change the club.”

The Verdict: Interesting news…

As widely reported, Haaland is City’s main centre-forward target, but that doesn’t mean that Begiristain and co should take their eyes off other targets.

The Premier League champions have also been linked with Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan) and Darwin Nunez (Benfica) in recent weeks as Guardiola seemingly weighs up alternatives.

There is much competition for Haaland’s services, leaving little surprise that there have been proposals from City for forwards elsewhere, especially for a player like Lewandowski.

Valued at around ‘€140-150m’ (£117m-£125m) last year according to Di Marzio, the prolific forward has been described as ‘unplayable’ by Sky analyst Statman Dave for his performances this year.

Given he has just one year left on his Bayern contract, the Bundesliga giants could even be forced to sell for less than what they were demanding in 2021.

However, with Lewandowski allegedly choosing Barcelona, it appears that City will have to consider alternatives elsewhere if they cannot seal a move for Haaland.

In other news: Man City discussions held as ‘unbelievable’ £33m star decides he wants to join Pep! Find out more here

Newcastle United have made contact with Zenit St Petersburg over their striker Sardar Azmoun, according to The Daily Mail. 

The lowdown

The Magpies could have as much as £100m to spend this month as they look to assemble a squad capable of avoiding Premier League relegation.

They kicked off the month with a defensive addition in the form of Atletico Madrid’s Kieran Trippier, but there are also issues to address at the other end of the pitch, with top scorer Callum Wilson facing eight weeks out with a calf injury.

The latest

According to The Daily Mail, Eddie Howe wants to sign two strikers this month, and while Alexander Isak would be ‘ideal’, that deal may not be realistic at this stage, so Newcastle have other targets in mind.

One of those is Azmoun, and the Magpies ‘have spoken to’ Zenit about a possible deal, sounding out the likelihood of a £5m offer being accepted. Marseille’s Bamba Dieng is also an option, but he could cost three times as much.

The verdict

Would Azmoun be a good signing for Newcastle?

First and foremost, he’s prolific goalscorer, bagging 62 in 104 appearances for Zenit (10 this season), and 39 in 60 caps for Iran. It’s worth noting, though, that the Russian top-flight is only the 10th best league in Europe according to the UEFA coefficient, so the key question is whether that record is transferrable to the Premier League.

Nonetheless, the 27-year-old boasts a decent record in European competition too, with 13 in 35 appearances at that level (one goal every 2.7 games). He found the net against Juventus in this season’s Champions League group stage, and journalist Zach Lowy said that the Iranian had Andreas Christensen ‘in a chokehold’ when he faced Chelsea a month ago.

Azmoun is valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt but with just six months remaining on his contract, there’s huge bargain potential here for Newcastle if they can make progress on a potential £5m move.

In other news, Chris Waugh was ‘surprised’ by this NUFC transfer update

Tottenham Hotspur fans will be excited by Fabrizio Romano’s latest claim as we head into the final few days of the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

The north London outfit are yet to conduct any form of business this month but plenty of incomings and outgoings have been mooted in the press.

It’s the first window of opportunity for manager Antonio Conte to bolster the playing squad since he was appointed as Nuno Santo’s successor back in November.

And despite a lack of confirmed movement, the Italian transfer expert is expecting it to be a busy end to the window for the Lilywhites.

“I expect Tottenham Hotspur to make two or three signings before the end of the window,” he told blogger Matt Hayes on YouTube. He also claimed that Adama Traore remained a key target but the club are not prepared to pay Wolves’ €25m (£20.8m) asking price.

Encouraging news

Time is certainly running out if Spurs are going to bring in anyone, let alone two or three new players, though it’s believed Conte has asked to strengthen three priority positions.

As per football.london, that’s a new wing-back, a new left-sided centre-back and a backup striker but with the likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Dele Alli all linked with departures, per Sky Sports,  a central midfielder could quickly become a key area to target.

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Aside from Traore, the north Londoners have also been mooted with an exciting move for FC Porto sensation Luis Diaz, who is an out-and-out left winger by trade, and Fiorentina outcast Sofyan Amrabat, who is excelling at the Africa Cup of Nations in midfield for Morocco.

So if there is going to be three additions by Monday night, you’d imagine that the trio of players mentioned above are the most likely candidates to meet Romano’s claim.

Spurs had been unbeaten in the Premier League under Conte until last weekend’s defeat to his former club Chelsea, who have now beaten the Lilywhites three times this month and whilst the side are firmly in the race for the top-four, those losses highlighted a huge gulf in quality on the pitch.

The Italian head coach must be backed financially if he’s to stand a chance at reviving this sinking ship in N17 and three new additions would be a great start ahead of the summer.

We’ll have to wait and see if the Spurs hierarchy can pull anything out of the bag over the coming days but if you’re a Lilywhites supporter, then Romano’s update should leave you very excited.

AND in other news, Spurs dealt late January transfer blow over “devastating” target, Conte will be livid…

[ad_pod ]Liverpool were held to a 0-0 draw at Anfield on Tuesday night as Bayern Munich visited for the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 clash, with many players guilty of poor decision making and missing clear cut chances in front of goal.However, there was a different kind of wastefulness on the minds of Reds fans who were perplexed as to why Jurgen Klopp made the substitutions he did when the game was surely theirs for the taking.It seemed the game was crying out for something different, a new source of impetus, and Klopp had exactly that sat on the bench in Xherdan Shaqiri.Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…Instead, though, the former Borussia Dortmund boss opted to bring on James Milner and Divock Origi – substitutions which surely were intended to calm down the game a little rather than take it to the opposition in the final ten minutes.Here’s what the Reds faithful had to say on Twitter…

Rangers are among the clubs keeping tabs on Chippenham Town striker Oluwasegun Lawal, according to All Nigeria Soccer.

The lowdown

According to the report, the 19-year-old is a 6-foot tall striker who can also operate as an attacking midfielder or a winger and is strong with both feet, illustrating tremendous versatility even in the embryonic stages of his career.

He made his first team debut for sixth-tier Chippenham as a substitute in their draw with Braintree Town last Saturday. Intriguingly, his younger brother Bosun joined Rangers’ arch-rivals Celtic from Watford earlier this year.

There’s already a healthy Nigerian contingent at Ibrox, made up of Leon Balogun, Calvin Bassey, Joe Aribo and Nnamdi Ofoborh. Indeed, Lawal shares more than just a nationality with Aribo, who in his time at Ibrox has also demonstrated the versatility to play out wide and as an attacking midfielder.

The latest

The report from All Nigeria Soccer claimed that ‘a host of clubs’ are monitoring Lawal ahead of the January transfer window.

They name Rangers in addition to five Premier League clubs – Liverpool, Newcastle United, Leicester City, Crystal Palace and Watford.

Of the English quintet, it’s the latter three who are said to be showing the strongest interest at this moment in time.

The verdict

For Lawal to catch the eye of a Europa League participant like Rangers despite largely playing for Chippenham’s academy up to this point indicates that he must be a pretty special talent.

If the Gers were to sign him, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him slot into the under-21 setup initially. As a teenager, he still has plenty of time to develop and prepare for the professional level, although he could get smatterings of senior game-time in competitions such as the Scottish League Cup further down the line.

This may come down who can present the most persuasive offer to Lawal, setting out the clearest pathway to the first team.

In other news, Rangers have been told they can’t stand in this man’s way if he wants to leave. 

Flocking to Twitter, many Liverpool fans have been left buzzing as some news emerges involving their club’s transfer plans and Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix.

Jurgen Klopp’s side are currently flying high both domestically and in Europe, but with January around the corner, it could be a chance to strengthen their options and better the odds of a Premier League title triumph.

The Reds are currently battling it out with both Manchester City and Chelsea for supremacy but their rivals also possess real squad depth, leading to some concerns they could struggle without sufficient back up for key players.

Now, Cadena SER (via LFC Transfer Room) have some news involving Liverpool as they make an approach to sign La Liga striker Felix.

It is believed that the club have asked about signing him for Klopp and Atletico are open to the idea of selling, even as soon as the winter window.

However, Liverpool and Fenway Sports Group will have to make a sizeable offer to tempt the Spanish giants as their manager Diego Simeone needs reinvestment for his own transfer plans.

Liverpool fans buzz…

Despite his lack of game time under Simeone this season, Felix’s plaudits in the past highlight a player with sky high potential, with former Lokomotiv Moscow coach Yuri Semen even claiming he could be as big as Cristiano Ronaldo.

His stellar 2018/2019 campaign with former club Benfica, where he racked up a brilliant 15 goals and seven assists in 21 Primeira Liga starts (WhoScored), earned him a stunning £113 million move to Spain.

While he has arguably failed to standout on a consistent enough basis, at just 22-years-old, he could feasibly rediscover that form with Liverpool – leaving little wonder some supporters believe he could be the ‘perfect signing’ if they can get it done.

Find all of their best reactions down below:

“Perfect firmino replacement. Bring him to Anfield”

Credit: @LFC_Kun

“If he somehow comes, OH MY DAYS”

Credit: @anwarmsul

“So needed”

Credit: @cloppoflopp

“Pls I’m on my knees bring him to La AXA”

Credit: @aryanawayfromIG

“AHHHH”

Credit: @T2MTW

“don’t gas me”

Credit: @trusshuss0

“Would be a perfect signing hope it happens”

Credit: @FrankYeboahk

“OMDSSSSSSS”

Credit: @Bk8iP3

Kalvin Phillips won’t be joining one of Leeds United’s biggest rivals this summer – for now…

What’s the word?

That’s according to The Sun journalist Alan Nixon, who delivered a 12-word update on his future at Elland Road amid reports linking him with a move away in the off-season.

The England international has been linked to several Premier League teams in recent weeks and months, ranging from Liverpool and Manchester United, to Newcastle United and Aston Villa.

Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News claimed earlier this week that the Red Devils were working on a deal to sign the xx-year-old as a new defensive midfielder would be a priority under likely incoming boss Erik ten Hag.

However, Nixon has thrown cold water on those reports, suggesting that isn’t the case, at the moment.

“Manchester United DON’T have Kalvin Phillips on their wish list for now,” he told followers of his Patreon site.

Good news

Ultimately, this is a huge source of encouragement for anyone associated with Leeds, and not just because it’s the Old Trafford outfit being ruled out of a move.

Phillips is undoubtedly one of the Whites’ most integral players, even post-Marcelo Bielsa, and whilst he is yet to start for manager Jesse Marsch since returning from injury, he will surely play a key role going forward.

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“I said it after the match that both [Phillips and Liam Cooper] will have a big effect on our group both on the pitch and off,” the American told reporters (via the Yorkshire Evening Post) after his comeback cameo against Southampton. He then added:

“And then to have Kalvin on the pitch, I think everybody saw that it brought poise to our group, that he helped settle the game down. I heard him say after the game that he didn’t do much but, just by being on the pitch for us, I think that that presence meant a lot.”

Also dubbed a “wonderful talent” by ex-Leeds man Michael Brown, there isn’t a player in the current squad that possesses the same skillset as Phillips – defensively a rock, averaging 2.1 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game and he often starts many an attack, averaging 3.1 long balls and an 82.6% passing accuracy, via WhoScored.

Losing a player of that calibre, not just to any top-flight team, but an arch-rival rival like the Red Devils would be a bitter blow, following in the footsteps of Eric Cantona and Rio Ferdinand, whose reputation in west Yorkshire plummeted.

Nixon’s update will delight many around Elland Road, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Signed for £5m, now worth 740% more: Leeds struck gold with £42m-rated “rare talent”…

Manchester United have been taking the opportunity to step up their pursuit for their next manager during the international break, with Mauricio Pochettino and Erik Ten Hag the two standout favourites for the position, although another name has been thrown into the ring for the job.

What’s the word?

Speaking on talkSPORT yesterday afternoon, former England striker Darren Bent has given his opinion on who United should be targeting for the challenging job at Old Trafford, with Roberto Mancini named by the ex-Tottenham marksman.

Bent told listeners of the Italian: “He is a winner. He is someone who has won the Premier League, so he has the experience.”

“I think he is better than Ten Hag, and certainly Mauricio Pochettino. He has proved he can do it in this country; I think that is vital. He has got the Premier League experience – I know he ended up leaving, but then he won a massive trophy with Italy in the Euros, so you cannot question his pedigree in winning things.”

Ten Hag alternative

Despite his allegiances to Manchester City, and his infamous spoiling of a seemingly nailed-on Premier League title win for United as Sergio Aguero scored in the 94th minute on the final day against QPR to steal the crown in 2012, duly leaving Sir Alex Ferguson furious, there seems little doubt that Mancini would improve the current situation at Old Trafford.

The Italy coach took his nation to victory against England in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley but has since crashed out of the World Cup in the qualifiers and will not attend the finals in Qatar this winter after the shock defeat to North Macedonia on Thursday night. With that in mind, it could be the ideal time for the 57-year-old to move on and seek a new challenge back in club football.

Given Mancini’s spell at the Etihad Stadium, it could split United supporters and would likely be a controversial appointment. However, with his winning mentality and ability to inspire victory by winning 14 trophies in his managerial career so far – including a Premier League title, FA Cup and two Serie A titles – he is not an option at whom United should be turning up their noses.

With a decision expected to be made soon, the powerbrokers at Old Trafford must make a decision which will take the club back to the heights of winning trophies and competing in the Champions League regularly amid the longest trophy drought at the club in 40 years, and there is no doubt that Mancini has the CV and experience to get United back on their perch.

In other news: Man Utd suffer major Ten Hag setback which will have supporters worried