West Ham United seem to have all but finalised a move for a key south American target…
What’s the latest?
As per Goal Brasil (via Sport Witness), Sao Paulo centre-back Luizao has reportedly already signed a pre-contract agreement to join the Hammers at the end of January.
Even though they hold long-term interest, they will have to wait until his contract ends to fully welcome him to east London.
Despite the notion that he will arrive on a free, the Brazilian outfit were demanding €10m (£8.6m) only back in October. It makes this even more of a coup than was first thought.
Dawson heir
With Craig Dawson’s move in the summer having collapsed, it seems all but certain that this January will finally see him exit the London Stadium.
Despite arriving as an unassuming loan deal from Watford, the 32-year-old stalwart became a key figure in east London, announcing himself as a mainstay at the back for David Moyes.
His absence will be felt heavily, but few fans would stand in the way of someone who very quickly captured the fans’ attention.
The arrival of Luizao might ease this sadness, however, as they welcome his successor in the form of a 20-year-old who comes highly rated from his homeland.
With just 20 senior appearances to his name, the central defensive titan stands at 6 foot 1 and would more than replicate the physical presence held by Dawson.
Not only this, but his ability on the ball has also seen Jorge Nicola label him “super confident”, explaining why he truly believes he is good enough to make the step up straight into Premier League football.
Despite his youth, an average SofaScore rating of 6.79 marks a solid return in what is his true breakout year.
He is averaging a mammoth 3.8 clearances per game, which even outperforms the 3.0 that his English predecessor has offered this campaign.
Boasting the physicality and core defensive principles that have already seen him succeed in Brazil, under Moyes this could be quickly translated into tangible success at the highest level.
Leeds United have been linked with a January move for Senegal World Cup hopeful Boulaye Dia.
The Lowdown: Dia profiled
Dia, who is set to feature for Senegal at the World Cup later this month, is 25 years of age and is currently on loan with Serie A side US Salernitana from Villarreal.
The Italian side has the option to make a transfer permanent next year, with the centre-forward scoring five times in 11 games this season, taking his senior tally for club and country to 53 goals.
Dia has been hailed as “impressive” by Serie A journalist Siavoush Fallahi, and it looks as if his displays have caught the eye at Elland Road.
The Latest: Leeds links
Sports Witness relayed an update from Gazzetta dello Sport regarding Dia on Wednesday. They claim that Andrea Radrizzani and co are in the picture for Dia’s services alongside Nottingham Forest and West Ham.
The report adds that the Whites are the latest side to show an interest, with Salernitana keen on exercising their option to make a transfer permanent.
[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-10/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]
The Verdict: One to watch?
Radrizzani and the 49ers could do with freeing up some funds to bolster their centre-forward ranks in the New Year, with another potential relegation battle looming.
Patrick Bamford has missed nine big chances in the Premier League in just 427 minutes, so bringing in someone like Dia who has been finding the net over in Italy could be a wise idea.
A move for the Senegalese forward may also be more realistic than landing summer target Cody Gakpo, so this could be one to keep an eye on and potentially worth watching how Dia gets on in Qatar.
Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali has become embroiled in gambling controversy this month. After a string of betting breaches during his time at former club, AC Milan, the Italian was banned for up to ten months – leaving his fledgling Magpies career in free fall.
However, while the 23-year-old – who joined in the summer on a five-year contract until 2028 for a whopping £55 million – looks ahead to time on the sidelines, one academy youngster may have the chance to embark on further progress since his own arrival at the club on Deadline Day.
Travis Hernes – the latest name amidst Newcastle's youth influx
Within an era of new Saudi ownership, it'd be easy for Newcastle to simply cherry-pick the best Europe has to offer and try to fast-track their space with football's elite. However, although a slither of that could be said for Tonali's high-profile move (which saw him become the most expensive Italian transfer ever), a lot of Eddie Howe's dealings have been made with the long-term future firmly in mind.
Soccer Football – Premier League – Newcastle United v Chelsea – St James’ Park, Newcastle, Britain – November 12, 2022 Chelsea’s Lewis Hall in action REUTERS/Scott Heppell EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
Take the loan of Chelsea's Lewis Hall – his is a move that reflects a young peripheral Blues player moving with an option to buy to the club he's actually supported since childhood. There's a slick planning there.
Factor in Australian wonderkid Garang Kuol and Gambian high-flyer Yankuba Minteh – two players that are bearing fruit on loans at Volendam and Feyenoord, respectively – and there's some serious talent in the pipeline.
Another name perhaps lost in the cluster of youngsters flying through the St James' Park doors, is Travis Hernes.
At just 17 years old, this midfielder of mixed Norwegian-English origins could have national teams fighting for his allegiance after making the impressive jump from League One Shrewsbury Town to Premier League Newcastle's youth side this September.
Hernes ready to build off Football League foundations
For Norwegian-born Hernes, this recent ascent has been emphatic, yet the youngster looks to constantly improve rather than be a mere flash in the pan.
At Shrewsbury, Hernes only featured in six senior games before attracting higher-level suitors. Three of those came in the EFL Trophy where the youngster even got on the scoresheet. These efforts, as well as an EFL Cup appearance, found him entrusted with two brief League One opportunities at the start of 2023/24 – against Stevenage and Cheltenham.
Although there isn't much in the way of recorded statistics for the young man who arrived in England at age 13, Chronicle Live's report provides a great qualitative profile on the midfielder. Football writer Chris Knight spoke to Shrewsbury's academy manager Charlie Musselwhite:
"He's a very polite, grounded boy. He's someone who I'd say is very relaxed, at times reserved, but I wouldn't say shy. He's just a fairly laidback character. That being said, when it comes to work and football, he is very serious. Throughout his time last year when he turned full-time scholar, he was very hard-working whether that was in training sessions or doing extras."
Since moving to Tyneside, Hernes has also attracted praise from his new manager, U19 coach Ben Dawson. The future could be bright for the Norwegian if he keeps progressing in the same vein as he has done in tricky fixtures against AC Milan's youth for example:
“He’s been terrific. It’s all very new for him still. He’s still quite green after making that jump. He played in the Premier League Cup against Huddersfield and did really well. Totally different experience today. He’s going to take some time to settle in, but he's a player we really like, and we think he’s got plenty of potential."
With one goal under his belt in just two U18 Premier League appearances so far for the Tynesiders, a chance to impress at senior level may not be too far down the line, with the impending absence of Tonali potentially set to be the perfect opportunity for Howe to raid the academy set-up.
Manchester United return to Europa League action away to Cypriot outfit Omonia Nicosia on Thursday evening, with the Red Devils looking to put Sunday’s dismal derby day drubbing behind them with a positive result against Neil Lennon’s side.
The Old Trafford outfit were simply put to the sword by their relentless neighbours at the weekend, with hat-tricks from both Phil Foden and the seemingly unstoppable Erling Haaland bringing United crashing back down to earth after a run of four straight victories in the Premier League had sparked renewed optimism.
Much of the discussion post-match was, inevitably, centred around the lack of involvement for Portuguese icon Cristiano Ronaldo, with the 37-year-old left on the bench for that 6-3 mauling as a mark of “respect” to his stellar career, in the words of Ten Hag.
While Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane suggested that his former club were showing “disrespect” to the veteran marksman, the former Juventus man has seemingly not warranted a starting berth of late as a result of his dismal form for both club and country.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has netted just once for United so far this season – after angling for a move away over the summer – while he also distinctly underwhelmed while on international duty of late, having done little to push for a more prominent role back at the Theatre of Dreams.
Despite the potential repercussions of again leaving the legendary forward resigned to the bench this evening, Ten Hag may well have his eye on another figure to lead the line from the start, with Anthony Martial having impressed on his return from injury at the Etihad.
While the game was seemingly already over at the time of the Frenchman’s second-half introduction, the 26-year-old no doubt gave supporters something to cheer about having netted a clinical brace late on, proving a rare shining light on an otherwise grim day against what was a ferocious Manchester City side.
The former Monaco man has already doubled his Premier League tally from last term as a result of that late cameo, reacting quickly to head home after Fred’s initial effort had been parried by opposition stopper Ederson, before ruthlessly lashing home into the roof of the net from the penalty spot.
Although those efforts were little consolation as far as United were concerned, they showcased just what the club have been missing so far this term, with the £250k-per-week ace having been hampered by injury in recent months.
The fleet-footed “Ferrari” – as dubbed by Owen Hargreaves – made a telling impact on his only other appearance in the win over Liverpool, teeing up teammate Marcus Rashford in the build-up to the Englishman’s second-half strike.
Such a moment of quality had come after an impressive pre-season for Martial – with three goals while on tour – with the 30-cap menace looking reborn after previously sliding down the pecking order at the club, having spent the second half of last season on loan at Sevilla.
With the £14.4m-rated ace now in need of minutes to get up to speed, as Ten Hag alluded to, it could well be worthwhile to hand him a start for this group stage clash, ahead of the misfiring Ronaldo.
Newcastle United are planning to submit a fresh bid in January for Leicester City midfielder James Maddison, according to Football Insider.
The Lowdown: Previous bids
In surprise transfer news this summer, the Magpies had a £40m bid rejected by the Foxes for the attacking midfielder.
It was reported Leicester valued the 25-year-old at £60m, as he had nearly two years left on his contract at the King Power Stadium.
Eddie Howe’s side returned with a £50m bid, comprising of £45m plus £5m in add-ons, but this offer was swiftly turned down, with the east Midlands outfit holding out for their previous valuation.
The Latest: Newcastle back in for Maddison
According to a report by Football Insider, Newcastle are planning to make a new bid for Maddison in January, having failed to land him for £50m in the summer.
The Magpies believe with the midfielder’s contract having run down to its final 18 months, there is a chance the Foxes will cash-in on the player before his market value drops.
It is said Howe has given the green light for his recruitment staff to continue in their pursuit of the Englishman, with a line of communication already open with his representatives.
When looking at Maddison’s underlying stats, it is easy to see why the Magpies boss would want to bring the £110k-per-week man to St. James’ Park in January.
As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the playmaker ranks in the 93rd percentile for non-penalty goals, in the 90th percentile for shots total and in the 86th percentile for assists.
Hailed as ‘superb’ by broadcaster Gary Lineker, the playmaker has earned statistical comparisons to the likes of Roma’s Paulo Dybala and Juventus’ Angel Di Maria.
Therefore, it is obvious Maddison’s arrival at Newcastle would be a brilliant signing for the north-east club.
Everton have had a bid rejected for Watford attacker Joao Pedro, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.
The Lowdown: Great start in England…
After an impressive run during the 2021/22 season for which he was praised as ‘one of the best young players in the Premier League’ by Claudio Ranieri, the 20-year-old has kickstarted the Championship campaign with two goals and two assists in the Hornets’ opening six games.
The centre-forward has now made 44 appearances in the Championship and 31 appearances in the Premier League after an impressive debut campaign with Fluminense earned him his £10.35m move to Watford back in 2020.
The Latest: Romano’s news
Among heavy interest from Newcastle, Romano has shared an update on the speculation surrounding Pedro, revealing Everton have made an official move.
Taking to Twitter, the reliable journalist said:
“Everton submitted a formal bid on Wednesday for João Pedro: £25m plus £5m add-ons. Watford have rejected and have no intention to let him go.”
Also hailed as an ‘intelligent player’ by former Watford boss Ranieri, the Brazilian’s underlying stats illustrate why this would be an exciting move for Everton fans.
As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the attacker ranks in the top one percent for dribbles completed, interceptions and blocks made, displaying valuable abilities on both sides of the ball.
Dubbed as having ‘obvious flair and talent’ by Mike Parkin, presenter of Watford fan podcast From The Rookery End, it is clear Pedro has huge potential to fulfil.
Therefore, if Lampard can lure him to Goodison Park, this could be a brilliant long-term signing for the Toffees.
West Bromwich Albion head into tonight’s clash against Cardiff City off the back of three disappointing league results and a few injuries.
The Baggies sit 20th in the Championship table and are still incredibly light up front after the injury sustained to Daryl Dike which will see him ruled out until after the World Cup.
Steve Bruce will be hoping that a match under floodlights at The Hawthorns can inspire victory against a Cardiff side who have won two of their opening three fixtures and sit fifth in the table.
Will Bruce make any changes to the starting XI which stumbled to a 2-1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday? Here’s how we think West Brom could line up against the Bluebirds tonight.
With no major absentees since their visit to Ewood Park, it seems unlikely that we will see any wholesale changes going into this fixture.
David Button is expected to keep his place in between the sticks, sitting just behind an unchanged back four of Darnell Furlong, Semi Ajayi, Dara O’Shea and Conor Townsend.
Okay Yokuslu could be a fresh inclusion, with the “solid” midfielder having signed permanently for the club earlier this summer on a £29k-per-week deal. He will likely replace Jake Livermore, who endured a frustrating afternoon at Blackburn as he lost all three duels, slotting in alongside Jayson Molumby in the midfield engine room.
With the attacking midfield three of Grady Diangana, John Swift and Jed Wallace managing six shots and seven key passes between them on Saturday, all three are likely to keep their places for tonight.
In recent games, Karlan Grant has been preferred to the “clinical” Callum Robinson and again looks set to start up front. This could frustrate the 27-year-old, who hasn’t been given much of a chance lately despite Dike’s injury.
Predicted West Brom XI (4-2-3-1) vs Cardiff: Button; Furlong, Ajayi, O’Shea, Townsend; Molumby, Yokuslu; Wallace, Swift, Diangana; Grant
A big claim has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in James Maddison in the summer transfer window…
What’s the talk?
Journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed that the Leicester star is still their number one target as they weigh up whether or not to make another offer for him.
He Tweeted: “Newcastle’s priority remains James Maddison right now. Club considering a higher bid. LCFC still hopeful of getting Maddison to sign an extension. Told he’s intrigued by NUFC link but clubs close to £20m apart in valuation.”
Reporter Jacque Talbot, meanwhile, has explained why the club’s pursuit of the attacking midfielder has entered the public domain, writing:
“Maddison was leaked by the Midlands side cos LCFC wanted their fans to know they’re digging their heels in. Newcastle didn’t want it out there. So I guess think on that. Could back in again. I think two more, names that will improve the side as well.”
Supporters will be delighted
This claim from Jacobs will delight the Toon supporters as the prospect of the Englishman coming to St. James’ Park is an exciting one.
He is a proven Premier League performer who has the quality to make a big impact for Eddie Howe at the top end of the pitch. The midfield magician is a silky performer who uses his quick feet and creativity to spark things into life in the final third.
In the 2021/22 campaign, Maddison racked up 12 goals and eight assists in the top-flight as he started 28 games for the Foxes. He created a whopping 11 ‘big chances’ for his teammates and delivered 1.4 key passes per match as he showcased his ability to unlock defences on a regular basis.
At the age of 25, he is heading into the prime years of his career and has plenty of seasons left ahead of him to reach his peak and fulfil his potential. This means that the Magpies would be signing a proven performer who still has development left to go through, making him an excellent signing in the here and now and for the future.
Therefore, supporters will be delighted by the club’s interest in Maddison and will now be hoping that the Magpies can get a deal over the line for him before the window slams shut at the end of August to bolster Howe’s squad.
AND in other news, NUFC plotting bid for “quality” £44k-p/w sensation, he’d be “the best summer signing”…
West Ham United are closing in on a deal to bring Armando Broja to the London Stadium in the summer transfer window.
What’s the talk?
That’s according to a report by the Evening Standard, who claim that, after recent reports suggested that Chelsea are now likely to part with the centre-forward this summer, David Moyes is set to ramp up his talks to land the 20-year-old over the next 48 hours, with a £30m bid expected to be enough to seal the Albania international’s signing.
The report goes on to state that both Everton and Newcastle United are also interested in a move for the former Southampton loanee, however, it is believed that Broja would prefer a move to the London Stadium ahead of a switch to either Goodison Park or St. James’ Park this summer.
“Scary” talent
Considering the sheer amount of raw potential it is evident Broja possesses, should Moyes be able to beat the likes of Everton and Newcastle to the 20-year-old’s signing this summer, it would undoubtedly be a huge coup for West Ham heading into the 2022/23 campaign.
Indeed, £19.8m-rated talent consistently impressed during his time with Chelsea’s various youth sides, scoring 16 goals over 35 appearances for the U18s, bagging three goals in 13 fixtures for the U23s and netting 11 goals over 34 outings during a loan spell at Vitesse Arnhem – one of the Blues’ feeder clubs.
The £8.5k-per-week forward who Jake Heasman dubbed “scary” once again impressed during a further loan spell with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Southampton last season, scoring nine goals and registering one assist over 38 appearances for the Saints – with this form clearly convincing a number of top-flight clubs of the striker’s ability.
As such, with Michail Antonio currently being Moyes’ only out-and-out option as a centre-forward, it is not difficult to see why the 59-year-old has made Broja his “top target” – in the words of Fabrizio Romano – this summer, as the Chelsea starlet would undoubtedly make yet another fantastic addition to the West Ham squad following the earlier arrivals of Nayef Aguerd, Flynn Downes and Alphonse Areola.
AND in other news: Moyes could seal “exceptional” West Ham signing with £40m bid for “divine” target
Aston Villa will pay Rangers an initial £350,000 for teenage striker Rory Wilson, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Lowdown: Wilson links
Wilson has been heavily linked with a move to Villa Park over recent months after scoring 49 goals at youth level last season.
Romano has been on top of the story in recent days and claimed last week that Steven Gerrard’s side were set to sign the Scot on July 1.
The 16-year-old has already signed a six-figure boot deal with Adidas, and it looks as if Villa will be writing a six-figure cheque to Rangers for the forward’s services.
The Latest: Romano’s update
Romano took to Twitter on Friday morning to lift the lid on the finances involved in a deal.
The transfer expert revealed that a ‘full agreement’ has been reached between Villa and Rangers that will involve a £350,000 fee – it could rise to £1m with Premier League appearances.
The Verdict: Steal
A total of £1m is peanuts in today’s market, and it looks as if Villa have got their hands on a future star in Wilson. He scored for fun at youth level last season and is clearly highly rated for Adidas to snap up his services already, so could lead the line for the U23s next season with a view of breaking into the first-team setup in 2023/24.
Wilson looks set to become the club’s fifth summer arrival and first at academy level, and over time, it could be looked back on as an excellent piece of business similar to Tim Iroegbunam’s move from West Brom last summer.
In other news: ‘Perfect’ – Sky Sports man buzzes as NSWE now enter in-house Villa ‘talks’ for ‘outstanding’ ace.