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West Bromwich Albion are interested in a deal to bring Matt Clarke to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Sun, who claim that Valerien Ismael is keeping a very close eye on the situation of the Brighton & Hove Albion centre-back ahead of a potential move in the summer transfer window.

The report goes on to state that the Seagulls may be open to parting with the defender ahead of next season, with Graham Potter thought to be demanding a fee in the region of £5m for the 24-year-old.

Ismael would love him

After impressing during a loan spell at Derby County last season, it is easy to see why Ismael is considering a move for the Brighton centre-back this summer, as he very much appears to be the type of player the Frenchman would love.

Indeed, over his 42 Championship appearances for Wayne Rooney’s side last term, Clarke helped his team keep 12 clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.4 interceptions, 1.4 tackles, 4.3 clearances and won a whopping 8.1 duels per game.

These returns saw the man Potter dubbed a “quality” player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.05, ranking him as the Rams third-best performer in the second tier of English football, a rather remarkable feat considering Derby were struggling at the wrong end of the table.

And, with it being reported that Ismael is looking to add a strong defender to his centre-back options at Albion ahead of next season, Clarke would very much appear to be a fantastic candidate for the role.

As such, it would appear highly advisable for the 45-year-old to do all he can to land the £2.7m-rated man this summer, however, with Sheffield United also in the mix for the 24-year-old, Ismael will certainly have his work cut out in getting a deal over the line for the defender.

In other news: West Brom table bid for “dangerous” £38.5k-p/w gem, fans should be worried

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

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.

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?”

Leeds United centre-back Pascal Struijk is still suffering from a hip injury and will remain unavailable to Marcelo Bielsa, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Struijk missing for Leeds

The Whites enjoyed more stoppage-time drama on Sunday afternoon, drawing 2-2 at home to Brentford in their Premier League clash, thanks to Patrick Bamford’s last-gasp equaliser.

Bamford’s return was another indication that Leeds’ injury problems are slowly easing, but one player who is out is Struijk.

The 22-year-old went off at half-time against Crystal Palace last week after picking up a hip issue and missed Sunday’s clash with the Bees.

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The Latest: Hay gives injury update

Taking to Twitter after the weekend action, Hay confirmed that Struijk was still nursing that injury and is working on making a swift return:

“Struijk has a hip problem and is finishing his recovery.”

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The Verdict: Key figure to have available

Struijk may not be one of the first names on Marcelo Bielsa’s team sheet but he is a strong squad player due to his versatility, with Dominic Matteo claiming he’s ‘got it all’ as a player.

He is capable of playing at both centre-back and in a defensive midfield role, giving his manager more options as he looks to rotate his players during the busy festive period.

The hope is that Struijk is back fit for Saturday’s taxing trip to Chelsea, especially if Kalvin Phillips is injured for the game, having picked up a knock against Brentford.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly eyeing up a loan move for a player. Find out who it is here.

Former Everton frontman Marcus Bent has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that Ben Godfrey could be the key to the Toffees signing Max Aarons.

The 21-year-old, who came close to making a sensational move to Barcelona 12 months ago, has been on Everton’s radar for some time, with the Merseysiders still searching for a long-term Seamus Coleman replacement.

Aaron won’t turn 22 until January but has already racked up almost 150 senior appearances for Norwich and has achieved to promotions and an impressive season at Premier League level.

Wherever Aarons ends up, he’s more than likely to remain in the topflight after helping the Canaries make an instant return.

Two of Everton’s Premier League rivals in Tottenham and Manchester United are both keen on signing the high-rated full-back, but Rafa Benitez’s side have a slight advantage in Aarons’ former Norwich teammate Godfrey.

The pair not only came through the ranks together at Carrow Road but are also teammates at England Under-21 level.

Bent exclusively told The Transfer Tavern:

“He’s a good, young player, and Everton said that if Ben gets in his ear, they might get him. Hopefully, he will come to Everton, but I don’t think he’d want to be second or third choice.”