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Taking to Twitter, reporter Ekrem Konur has backed some transfer news out of West Ham United involving Clermont Foot striker Mohamed Bayo.

The Lowdown: Newman in striker chase…

While manager David Moyes is coping well so far without a natural back-up option to star man Michail Antonio, there is always a worry this could change if the Jamaica international gets sidelined again.

Indeed, the 31-year-old’s injury record has proved a concern for West Ham in recent seasons and that has prompted the club to look at other options in the transfer market.

They haven’t been able to sign a new forward for the past two windows and it is surely a priority for new recruitment chief Rob Newman – who has already been linked to a couple of forwards.

Now, some news has emerged on who else he could be targeting.

The Latest: West Ham eye Bayo move…

As per Konur, West Ham ‘continue to be linked with a move’ for Ligue 1 striker Bayo – who’s prolific record over the last few seasons has turned heads.

The reporter even dubs him ‘the new Lukaku’ as Newman and co apparently eye a swoop – coming after he played a starring role in securing Clermont a promotion to France’s top flight last season.

He scored 22 goals and assisted seven others in 38 Ligue 2 appearances over 2020/2021, attracting West Ham’s alleged interest.

The Verdict: Best option?

Despite his fairly eye-catching record of 44 senior career goals since 2018/2019, and the fact Bayo has labelled himself a ‘big’ striker, we believe Moyes and Newman could be served looking elsewhere.

Andrea Belotti, for instance, should be at the very top of West Ham’s priority list given his contract situation at Torino and proven goalscoring record at both club and international level.

In other news: ‘Disgrace’, ‘Get him gone’…Many West Ham fans slam ‘painful player’ after ‘shocking’ Genk display, find out more here.

West Brom’s reputation as a “yo-yo” club could have been ended if the club made different transfer decisions to improve their squad over the years.

Having spent more than £240m on transfer fees alone in the last decade, it is hugely disappointing for Baggies fans to still find themselves an unestablished Premier League side, with them even struggling to push for promotion from the Championship this year.

They have lost a number of their talismans throughout recent years, like Brazilian playmaker Matheus Pereira, who left at the start of this season for Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal for £16.2m.

Albion could have made a club-transforming transfer back in 2011, as according to the Daily Mail, then-Baggies manager Roy Hodgson was targeting a move for a teenage Wilfried Zaha, who subsequently became a hero at Crystal Palace under the English coach for years to come.

He has made 420 appearances for the south London club, scoring 78 goals and providing 73 assists as he has consistently helped the team remain in the top tier of English football for nine years and counting.

Eagles assistant manager Osian Roberts praised the Ivory Coast international earlier this season for his positive influence off the pitch – something which would have greatly benefitted a “yo-yo” team in helping them secure Premier League survival.

Roberts said: “I can only go on personal experience of the last few months, and I think Wilfried is a top professional, who is hungry for success. He wants to be successful as an individual, and he wants to be successful in a team environment, and in order to do so you have to push yourself and you have to push your teammates.

“Patrick [Vieira] is always saying to our group of players ‘you must demand more from each other’ and Wilfried is one of the first to do that.”

Ranking in the top 9% of wingers and attacking midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues and continental competitions for dribbles attempted per 90 (4.86), top 11% for carries into the penalty area per 90 (1.84) and top 12% for pressures per 90 (21.75), the former Manchester United winger has proven himself to be one of the Premier League’s top forwards in recent years.

If West Brom had signed a clinical forward like Zaha, who would have not only got The Hawthorns crowd on their feet but kept them in the top flight right up to the present day, they could have shed their status as a “yo-yo” team by now. Instead, they’re left watching on as he’s done just that with Crystal Palace.

In other news: WBA could face disaster on “accomplished” 28 y/o who’s “getting better all the time”

Sky Sports journalist Michael Bridge has confirmed that Rangers are unlikely to add any more players to their squad before the 11pm transfer deadline, but has refused to completely rule out anything happening.

The Scottish club are basking in the afterglow of an excellent performance at the weekend, when they beat Celtic in the Old Firm derby.

It seems as though Rangers are more focused on keeping their star players as opposed to adding to the squad.

Bridge insists that the club remain active to potential possibilities before the deadline but does not think it is likely that there will be new additions prior to 11pm.

Rangers have already been aggressive in the transfer window, signing Fashion Sakala on a free transfer from KV Oostende, as well as snapping up Bournemouth’s Nnamdi Ofoborh and Sheffield United’s John Lundstram on frees, along with Juninho Bacuna from Huddersfield Town.

While Bridge does not want to say that there will be no additions at all, he would be surprised if new signings do end up moving to Ibrox.

He said: “As it stands, no incomings but Rangers are always busy. Gerrard always likes a signing so I’m never going to rule anything out with Rangers, never.

“It would be wrong of me to rule anything out because Gerrard and his team always seem to ask to be kept aware of anything but let’s be honest, if Rangers don’t bring anyone in, it’s a sign of things are probably going well at the moment and it’s a sign of the times that they’re actually a very settled football club.”

Liverpool have been dealt a double injury blow ahead of their Premier League clash with Brentford at the Brentford Community Stadium this evening.

What’s the word?

Jurgen Klopp revealed that he is set to be without midfielders Thiago and Naby Keita for the trip to west London after the pair picked up recent fitness issues.

“It’s not 100% clear. It’s a muscle in the calf,” the German said when asked about Thiago’s injury in Friday’s press conference. “It’s an issue, obviously. After the international break probably. I don’t think it would be anything earlier.”

The 54-year-old then addressed Keita’s foot problem which saw him substituted in the midweek victory over Norwich City in the Carabao Cup.

“Nothing serious, but it keeps him out of Brentford, for sure. A little longer maybe, we will see. It’s painful, and we have to see how he deals with it. Not cool. A good pre-season, and played a lot of games but it happens,” Klopp confirmed.

However, it’s not all bad news for Liverpool. First-choice right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to return following a short illness, while striker Roberto Firmino has resumed training and is in contention to feature.

Speaking to liverpoolfc.com at the AXA Training Centre on Thursday afternoon, Klopp said: “Trent was not injured, Trent was a little bit ill. He’s back in training, trained yesterday, and will be fine.

“Bobby trained already for two or three days, so he is back in contention, let me say it like this. We used him a little bit as a ‘joker’ (in training).”

Jurgen Klopp will be gutted

Thiago and Keita’s enforced absences will leave Klopp without three of his central midfielders following the dislocated ankle suffered by Harvey Elliott earlier in the month.

As a result, the former Borussia Dortmund boss is likely to be feeling gutted as his team’s fast start to 2021/22 threatens to be derailed by another string of injury issues.

Victory against Brentford would make it five consecutive wins in all competitions for Liverpool, but their task has been made significantly harder due to their growing list of absentees.

In other news… Bought for £4.4m, now worth £27m: Liverpool sealed transfer masterclass with “sensational” gem

Everton are set for a battle to keep hold of star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin over the coming months after Real Madrid reportedly entered the race for his signature.

What’s the story?

The highly-rated 24-year-old has been linked with a move to fellow Premier League outfit Arsenal in recent weeks as they search for Alexandre Lacazette’s successor.

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, Los Blancos are also now reportedly eager to secure Calvert-Lewin’s services as former Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti plots a reunion with the forward.

The report stated: “Arsenal is not alone in the footsteps of Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The 24-year-old Everton striker is also liked by Ancelotti’s Real Madrid.”

It will take a substantial fee to prise the England international away from Goodison Park, though, after he signed a contract extension until 2025 just last year, so a substantial payday could be on the horizon for the Blues.

Hammer blow inbound?

Calvert-Lewin enjoyed the most productive season of his career under Ancelotti last term, finishing as Everton’s top scorer in the Premier League with 16 goals, so reports of a potential exit will surely have the club’s supporters feeling incredibly worried.

His impressive performances for the Merseyside club drew eye-catching praise from his former manager, who even compared him to former AC Milan legend Filippo Inzaghi.

Speaking on Rio Ferdinand’s show ‘Between the Lines’, which airs on BT Sport’s YouTube channel, Ancelotti said: “Calvert-Lewin is improving a lot. I don’t want to say ‘has improved’, he is improving because I think he didn’t reach his best level in my opinion.

“I don’t see Inzaghi in him because he has a different structure and different characteristics. Calvert-Lewin is faster. Calvert-Lewin is better with the head. Calvert-Lewin is stronger than him. If Inzaghi listens to this he will kill me!

“But I have to say, Inzaghi in the box was the best striker that I ever had. I think this is natural instinct. He can be dangerous like Inzaghi in the box, for sure. He is faster than any defender, he jumps higher than any defender.

“It is a question of movement and details. He has to be focused, and he is. He is focused in the box,” Ancelotti concluded.

Under new boss Rafa Benitez, Calvert-Lewin began the current campaign in a similarly emphatic fashion, scoring in each of his opening three top-flight encounters in 2021/22. However, a fractured toe has sidelined the forward ever since.

His departure would be a hammer blow and an almighty setback in Benitez’s future plans for the Toffees, and the Spaniard will be hoping that the 6 foot 2 gem stays put for the foreseeable future. His goals are simply too important to lose.

In other news… Brands must sanction Everton swoop for “incredible” £19.8m-rated gem, Benitez needs him 

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge has told Football FanCast that Moussa Sissoko has no future at Tottenham.

The Frenchman has been a regular in the team for much of the five years he’s spent in north London, but the signing of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg 12 months has seen the midfielder’s opportunities decrease quite significantly.

Sissoko is yet to feature in either of Spurs’ two competitive games this season after being an unused substitute against Manchester City before being left out of the travelling party that were beaten in Portugal in the UEFA Conference League.

According to The Athletic, he’s one of several players that have been told they can leave the club this summer, but with less than two weeks remaining, it doesn’t appear that a move away from north London is likely.

And Bridge told Football FanCast that he’s worried the midfielder might end up staying despite some surprise interest from the Middle East:

“Sissoko, I think he had some interest from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, but I don’t think he wants to go. He’s 32, has no future at Tottenham, but where’s he going to go?”

Taking to Twitter, a number of West Ham fans have slammed the rumours suggesting that Andy Carroll could return to the club, following the news that he was pictured at the Hammers’ Rush Green training ground.

Shared by WestHamFans.org (via Claret & Hugh), images of former Hammers player Carroll at West Ham’s training ground have recently emerged, sparking rumours that he could be making a shock return to the club.

The 6 foot 3 striker made 142 appearances for the Hammers, scoring 34 goals during his tenure at the East London side.

In November last year, the 32-year-old joined Reading on a short-term contract. However, this contract has now expired, and the former Newcastle man is without a club. As a result, it remains to be seen what lies in the player’s imminent footballing future.

These West Ham fans react to the Carroll news

Club insider ExWHUemployee downplayed the rumours of Carroll’s return on Twitter, claiming that he has ‘been told the deal isn’t on’, further stating that he was ‘not sure why this Carroll rumour has so much legs’.

However, this still doesn’t explain why the player was pictured at the club’s training ground.

Consequently, fans flocked to the comments to share their disbelief, many slamming the club for entertaining such a prospect.

Here’s what some of them had to say:

“It’s baffling he is playing in the championship for a reason IMO even if we were in the bottom 4 it’s the wrong move and there are better options out there.”

Credit: @AshBarton70

“Don’t need to sign him ( we do need a striker). That’s a step backwards for us . Leave him in our history & move on .”

Credit: @SkeltonTony

“We’re desperate. That’s why hahahahaha”

Credit: @breggertelli

“Think it’s more about just how low our expectations still are!”

Credit: @richards_shaun

“Would be my last day as a West Ham fan”

Credit: @altgram

“Why on earth would they even consider it, are our fans deluded or something???”

Credit: @BKhammer1

Transfer insider Dean Jones has now revealed some exciting Newcastle United news involving three striker targets.

The Lowdown: New striker wanted?

Given recent links to the likes of Memphis Depay and Hugo Ekitike, it seems as if the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium want to bring in another striker to St. James’ Park in the summer.

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Chris Wood was bought from Burnley in the January transfer window, but has only managed injury problems this season, and so bringing in another forward may be a smart bit of business.

The Latest: Three options

When asked if the Tyneside outfit will bring in the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Patrick Schick or Darwin Nunez to play ahead of or with Wilson next term, Jones told GiveMeSport:

“They’ll bring in somebody ahead of him as their go-to guy for goals. And, those three are all on the list.”

The Verdict: Exciting

It is certainly exciting for the Toon Army to be linked with all of these big-name players.

Calvert-Lewin is perhaps the one that they would be most familiar with, and if Everton get relegated from the Premier League, then he could become available on the cheap.

Nunez meanwhile is having a standout season at Benfica, as his recent goal in the UEFA Champions League against Liverpool was his 28th in total over all competitions so far.

Schick is perhaps more well-known on the international stage, where he averages roughly a goal every two games for Czech Republic, as his five strikes in Euro 2020 helped them get to the quarter-final stage of the competition (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, even bringing in one of these elite finishers will elevate the quality in Eddie Howe’s squad for the next campaign.

In other news, find out who will also miss Wolves alongside Joe Willock here!

Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur side continued their impressive Premier League form under the new leadership of the Italian coach on Sunday afternoon, with Spurs dispatching a struggling Norwich City side 3-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Goals from Lucas Moura – a spectacular long-range strike – Davinson Sanchez and Heung-Min Son ultimately sealed all three points for the Lilywhites.

However, the 52-year-old’s side did not have things all their own way in the fixture, with the Canaries boasting the larger share of possession and completing 192 more passes than their hosts.

And, while the result does see Conte’s men move into fifth place in the Premier League standings, there will nevertheless have been a couple of individual performances that the former Inter Milan manager will have been concerned by – none more so than that of Japhet Tanganga.

67% duels lost

Despite being awarded a considerable amount of minutes during Conte’s limited time in charge of the club, the 22-year-old has failed to truly impress under the Italian, earning SofaScore match ratings of 6.8, 6.4 and 6.5 in the fixtures against Leeds United, NS Mura and Brentford respectively.

It was a similar case on Sunday afternoon, with the £17m-rated right-back – who was deployed at right wing-back – enduring a rather torrid time up against Brandon Williams.

Indeed, over his 62 minutes on the pitch, Tanganga made just one tackle and one interception, while also failing to block any shots or make a single clearance, as well as being dribbled past by an opponent once.

The £25k-per-week defender also lost four of his six attempted duels – a failure rate of 67% – conceded two fouls and completed just 21 passes – the same number as Hugo Lloris between the Spurs sticks.

These returns saw the England U21 international who Gary Neville dubbed a “special” talent earn a disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.5, before being hooked for Matt Doherty midway through the second half.

The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick was also clearly not impressed with the performance of the 22-year-old, stating in his match ratings: “Run ragged by Brandon Williams after the interval and it was no surprise when he was hooked for Doherty – 5.”

As such, with Conte possessing two other very viable options on the right-hand side of his backline in the shape of Doherty and Emerson Royal, Tanganga could well have blown his big chance under the 52-year-old with yet another below-par display against Norwich.

In other news: Levy must axe “unique” £26m-rated Spurs flop, Conte has only said “two words” to him

Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett has now shared a transfer update out of Tottenham Hotspur involving soon-to-be free agent and England international goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

The Lowdown: Johnstone set to leave…

Primed to become one of the most in-demand Bosman transfers of the summer domestically, the 29-year-old is set to leave West Bromwich Albion on a free, as hinted by Baggies manager Steve Bruce.

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This may result in a multitude of clubs vying to sign Johnstone given his proven performances in the Premier League last year and homegrown status, all of which can be obtained for free.

As now backed by Sky Sports, Tottenham are one of the clubs who are interested in obtaining the shot stopper this summer, with Dorsett sharing what he has heard.

The Latest: Dorsett shares Johnstone update…

According to Dorsett, the Lilywhites and their transfer chief Fabio Paratici are set to ‘battle it out’ with Manchester United for the signing of Johnstone as they aim to back Antonio Conte with the signing of the West Brom stalwart.

He explained: “#mufc and #thfc to battle it out for the signature of goalkeeper Sam Johnstone in the summer. Johnstone won’t sign a new #wba contract, when it expires at the end of the season, as he seeks a return to the Premier League. Bruce said on Saturday he expects him to leave.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

Needing an understudy for number one Hugo Lloris with loanee Pierluigi Gollini set to return to Atalanta in the summer, and possibly an eventual heir to the Frenchman, Spurs could hardly get any better than snapping up Johnstone for free.

Former West Brom boss Sam Allardyce, who heaped praise on the Three Lions ace for his performances last year, was joined by Wolves legend Steve Bull in praising Johnstone, who he branded ‘world class’.

Given the 29-year-old’s impending availability as a free agent, this moves seems like a no-brainer for Paratici as he aims to bolster Conte’s playing options this summer.

In other news: Tottenham could strike imminent agreement to sign ‘magical’ £25m striker, find out more here