Category Uncategorized

West Ham United have enjoyed considerable success under the tutelage of David Moyes, and certainly owe a lot to the veteran Scottish manager, having risen to European stature over the past two campaigns.

Granted, progress has fallen by the wayside this term, and the Hammers languish near the nadir of the Premier League after 22 matches, just two places and two points above Everton in 18th place, but there have certainly been the highest of highs to counteract the perils that plague the outfit at present.

But after confidently winning their Europa Conference League group, West Ham await the results of the first knockout phase in the competition as they prepare for their opposition, sights fixed on a surge towards what would be a monumental European triumph, should they succeed.

Did Olivier Giroud nearly join West Ham?

Moyes will be confident in his side’s ability to rectify the wrongs and end the season on a high, but he might cast a rueful gaze back to the transfer activity of 20/21 when assessing his team’s prospects of success, both domestically and in Europe, when a certain record-breaking French talisman slipped through Iron fingers.

Olivier Giroud, formerly of Arsenal and, more recently, Chelsea, departed Stamford Bridge for AC Milan in the summer of 2021, mere months after West Ham’s swoop for the veteran striker fell wide of the mark.

Did West Ham miss a trick with Giroud?

The roaring success of the past few years will have swiftly dissipated any dark clouds that followed the failed transfer to sign Giroud, with last season’s run to the Europa League semi-final an indication that the Hammers were on the up.

However, his abundant pedigree could have been just what Moyes needed, with his physicality and towering presence the perfect magnet to draw in defenders and create pockets of space for the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma to weave into.

And his experience, indeed a winner of the World Cup and Champions League among many other major honours, could have been the catalyst to ensuring the club overcame adversity against Eintracht Frankfurt, eventual Europa League champions, in the bitter disappointment of the penultimate stage.

Since the failed bid, the Hammers have spent £35.5m on Gianluca Scamacca and now £15m for Danny Ings, and with Giroud reportedly costing Milan just £855k, the deal certainly could’ve been one of the shrewdest, most prudent buys in recent West Ham history.

The latter, Ings, fell out of favour under Unai Emery at Aston Villa, starting only on two occasions in the league since the Spanish manager’s debut against Manchester United, and given that the fee paid dwarfs what Milan parted with for the illustrious Giroud, there might be a sense of resentment over the predicament – that could have been averted – that resulted in the requirement for a new forward.

Giroud is not only an imposing and physical forward threat, but an exquisite master of ball control, selfless, and a wise reader of the game, one of the more abundant footballing intellects on the major stage.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The World champion, hailed as “intelligent” and “exceptional” by Gary Lineker, is France’s all-time top goalscorer, plundering 53 goals from 120 appearances and breaking Thierry Henry’s record at the 2022 World Cup, and the storm that is his attacking calibre is showing no sign of abating, despite his twilight age.

The 36-year-old has scored 262 goals and supplied 91 assists at club level over the duration of his professional career, and despite his age, has landed 35 direct contributions from 67 appearances for the Rossoneri, including 11 goals this season.

Moyes would have dearly benefitted from a signing of Giroud’s ilk, and while £15m has been splashed on Ings to combat the club’s concerning position in the Premier League, one can’t help but feel the impact won’t be quite as profound, had Giroud donned the claret shirt.

Sunderland could reportedly lose both Ross Stewart and Dennis Cirkin in the January transfer window, as a number of clubs consider making bids for the duo.

The Lowdown: Key players

There is no doubt that Stewart and Cirkin are two key members of Tony Mowbray’s squad at the Stadium of Light.

The former played in every minute in the Championship for which he was available before his injury earlier this season, scoring five goals and supplying three assists in his opening seven games in the division [featured heavily under the current manager.

Nonetheless, with their 3-0 win over Millwall at the weekend taking them to within one point of the play-off places, the Wearside club will not want to lose anyone in the January transfer window in a manner which may halt their momentum.

The Latest: Bids considered

As per The Sun, Stewart is a January target for Olympiakos, and the Scotland striker is ‘open’ to a move abroad.

He has yet to sign a new deal with the Black Cats, and his contract is up in the summer. Sunderland have the option to extend Stewart’s deal, but they ‘expect bidders’ in January.

Meanwhile, Premier League duo Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford are thought to be ‘considering bids’ for Cirkin, whose contract expires in 2024.

The Verdict: Keep them!

If Sunderland are to have any chance of clinching a play-off spot by the end of the season, and potentially secure back-to-back promotions, they need to keep hold of Stewart and Cirkin in January.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

It may be tempting to accept bids for both given their respective contract situations, but the Black Cats must push to tie them down for the longer term, as they remain crucial members of the squad.

Also, it would be difficult to find adequate replacements for the pair in January, so ultimately it is not worth the risk of cashing in on them.

Southampton’s transfer of Mohamed Elyounoussi has proven to be a huge disappointment, with the Norwegian yet to contribute towards a goal this season.

The Saints signed the tricky winger from Basel for a reported £16m back in 2018 but he has only managed 58 appearances in all competitions since. He has had his chances and even been handed loan spells with which to revive his career at St Mary’s.

His poor form in England is made all the more frustrating due to his fine performances on loan at Celtic, where he scored 24 and assisted 14 in just 67 appearances.

He has made more appearances for the Scottish club on loan than he has for his parent club, which is a depressing stat for fans of the club.

Having seen such a large outlay for a man who has contributed to just 12 goals during his time at the club has meant that they have spent £1.3m for each goal contribution.

He has done this whilst picking up a wage of £60k-per-week, further adding to the financial strain he has put on the club.

Forest Green Rovers manager Ian Burchnall, who was assistant coach at his boyhood club Sarpsborg suggested that his desperation for the ball could have frustrated Southampton fans.

He claimed:

“He wants to take players on, to create chances, drifting into positions where he can affect the game.

“Sometimes that can be to his detriment. Southampton fans were frustrated by him being out of position a lot of the time and being one-dimensional.”

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Having finally returned from his two-year spell at Celtic, Ralph Hasenhuttl is clearly hoping for a turnaround to get some kind of return on their investment all those years ago by starting him in their opening five Premier League fixtures.

However, with just four goals in the competition across his four years at the club, it seems like a thankless task.

He should just cut his losses and try to move on from this waste of money, who continues to drain the club without giving anything back in return.

Arsenal are reportedly interested in Torino’s Brazilian centre back, Gleison Bremer.

What’s the word?

That’s according to 90min, who claim that the Italian club are meeting with several clubs to discuss a possible transfer.

Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea are said to each be hosting Davide Vagnati, the Torino sporting director.

All three clubs are in the market for a centre-back, however, the Gunners reportedly still are in talks with Ajax over a possible move for Lisandro Martinez.

Could be an Edu masterclass

If Edu could tempt his compatriot to the Emirates, it could prove a smart piece of business as Arsenal look to sure up their defence and increase their Brazilian ranks.

The reported fee was quoted at around €30m (£25m) back in April when several clubs first showed an interest, which will surely have risen due to the competition for his signature.

To sign the 6 foot 1 defender amidst all the interest from their rivals would not only improve Mikel Arteta’s back line, but also give them a mental advantage going into the new season.

Last term, the 25-year-old featured 33 times in the league as his side slumped to a tenth-placed finish. Despite this, he did stand out as one of few impressive performers. His 7.13 average SofaScore rating is indicative of this.

In fact, out of all of his Torino teammates, this rating was only bested by his goalkeeper, of those who had played over one game that season.

It is this form that led one of teammates, Mergim Vojvoda, to praise his abilities: “[Bremer] is very strong, an animal.

“He has made an incredible leap in quality in the last year. But he can still improve a lot because he is young. He has renewed, we hope he stays because he is really strong.

“Physically, he is strong. He works hard and as soon as I arrived, I was impressed by how much he trained. He is also fast, he is tall and has made a great leap in quality on a technical level, with the ball at his feet. Work pays off, you can see it with him.”

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

His defensive stats are phenomenal, as he ranks in the 99th percentile for blocks and aerials won, the 98th percentile for interceptions, and the 96th percentile for clearances per 90 across Europe’s top five leagues. He clearly loves to defend, and he could act as the perfect partner to Benjamin White.

If Arsenal can get this deal over the line, it should be regarded as a masterclass by their sporting director, who will have acquired a physical demon who will do anything to stop opposition attacks, and also steal a target from their Premier League rivals.

AND, in other news: Arsenal plotting move for £19.8m-rated “assist machine”, could be better than Raphinha.

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Javi Galan to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), who claim that Victor Orta has already made contact with the Celta Vigo left-back regarding a switch to Elland Road at the end of the current campaign.

However, the report goes on to state that competition is high for the 27-year-old’s signature this summer, with Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla also believed to be keen on the defender, while Celta Vigo are not thought to be willing to part with Galan for anything other than an offer they simply cannot refuse.

Orta can axe Firpo with Galan

Considering just how impressive Galan has been in Spain this season, in addition to how poor Junior Firpo has been for Leeds following his £13m move from Barcelona last July, it is easy to see why Victor Orta and Jesse Marsch would be keen on a move for the Spaniard this summer.

Indeed, over his 29 LaLiga appearances this term, the £12.5m-rated left-back – who is also comfortable operating from left midfield and on the left-wing – has been one of Eduardo Coudet’s standout performers, helping his side keep nine clean sheets, registering three assists and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.5 shots and making 0.6 key passes per game.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-marsch-raphinha-dest-philhay” title=”Read the latest Leeds news!”]

The £43k-per-week full-back has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.3 interceptions, three tackles – the second-most of any player in the division – 1.1 clearances, 34.6 passes, completing 2.4 dribbles – the joint fifth-most in the league – and winning eight duels per fixture.

These returns have seen the player who The Real Champs dubbed both “underrated” and a “threat” average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.90, ranking him as Vigo’s joint fifth-best player in the Spanish top flight.

In comparison, over Firpo’s 19 Premier League outings this season, the £10.8m-rated defender has been rather less impressive, helping the Whites keep one clean sheet, providing one assist and creating one big chance for his teammates, as well as making an average of 0.9 interceptions, 2.5 tackles, 1.3 clearances, completing 0.7 dribbles and winning 4.9 duels per game.

These returns have seen the £55k-per-week Dominican Republic international average an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.59, ranking him as Leeds’ joint seventh-worst performer in the English top flight.

As such, it is perhaps not surprising that Frank McAvennie has tipped the former Barcelona full-back for a move away from Elland Road this summer, with the former West Ham United forward stating last month:

“He’s from Spain so maybe he was never quite up to playing in the Premier League. I imagine he will go back there, he hasn’t done very well at all. He’s had a result in coming to Leeds, he has got his name out there. But he hasn’t performed.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“You have to hit the ground running over here. He will go, he’ll get a team over in Spain. I’m thinking the likes of Getafe, someone like that, one of the smaller teams. Leeds can get a bit of money back for him and they can move on. He can’t cut it over here.”

Indeed, as McAvennie suggests, considering Firpo’s poor form since his move to England last summer, it would appear a wise move for Orta to cut his losses on the 25-year-old – who Anthony Lewis dubbed “awful” earlier this season – this summer, before reinvesting the money received from his sale – as well as his hefty weekly wage – into a move for the much more impressive Galan.

AND in other news: Leeds United dealt major setback on £25m-rated machine, Victor Orta will be fuming

Wolves are still looking at the possibility of signing Renato Sanches in the January transfer window, according to journalist Alex Crook.

The Lowdown: Wolves linked with Sanches

Wanderers have been linked with a move for the Lille midfielder since last summer, and their interest does not appear to have waned.

The 24-year-old has not always been a regular for the Ligue 1 champions this season, starting just nine league matches despite helping them to league glory last term, leading to speculation over his future.

There is still time for Wolves to make new signings in January, and it appears as though bringing in Sanches is not yet out of the question.

The Latest: Journalist claims Wolves retain Sanches interest

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Crook claimed that Wolves still want to bring in Sanches, although he added the caveat that the club may need to offload current assets in order to fund a deal for the Portugal midfielder.

The journalist said of the 24-year-old Lille maestro: “He’s definitely someone who’s on their radar. But I think this is where, if they can sell someone like Adama Traore, then it gives them some funds for Bruno Lage to be able to bring in his own players because he hasn’t really done that.”

The Verdict: Positives and negatives

There are clear positives and negatives when it comes to Wolves’ interest in Sanches, making it a tricky move to assess overall.

On the plus side, he is a hugely gifted footballer who won the 2016 European Golden Boy award and was described as ‘incredible’ by Kevin Campbell, not to mention winning 32 caps for his country as well as the European Championship.

However, Sanches has long been an injury-prone player – he has never started more than 16 league games in a season – so there would be a big element of risk in signing him.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Given the wages he could demand – he is currently on £47,000 per week – along with his injury problems, perhaps Wolves would be better off turning their attention elsewhere despite the Portuguese midfielder’s undoubted ability.

In other news, a key Wolves update has emerged regarding Adama Traore’s future. Read more here.

With the latest international break coming to a close and the return of Premier League action on the horizon and a chance to read this complete review about bet365 ahead of the next domestic fixtures, Liverpool will be looking to extend their unbeaten run in the league with a trip to Watford on Saturday.

Their previous league match saw Jurgen Klopp’s side draw 2-2 against Manchester City in which they had right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold out with an injury.

Looking ahead to the clash against Watford, it seems as though the Merseyside club have had some good news come their way.

What’s the latest?

It has recently been reported that Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota, who had some injury issues during his time away with Portugal recently, are both now expected to be available for the match against the Hornets.

This will surely be exactly what Klopp and the Liverpool fans will be wanting to hear ahead of a return to Premier League action.

Double trouble

Alexander-Arnold missed the Reds’ matches against FC Porto and Manchester City before the international break due to a muscle issue. He has managed to provide two assists in five league appearances, racked up more key passes per game (4.2) and more crosses per game (3.4) than any other Reds player in the league this season. That shows just how much of an attacking threat he has been for the team from the right-back position and demonstrates why his return is such a boost.

Additionally, with only Mohamed Salah (8.07/10) having a higher overall season rating than Alexander-Arnold (7.81/10) in the league according to WhoScored, it explains how impressive his overall performances have been so far in this campaign and why fans will be delighted to see him back against Watford.

Regarding Jota, the fact that he has appeared in all of Liverpool’s seven league games so far this season and has managed to score three goals in the process proves how much of a useful attacking outlet he has been for Klopp, who will undoubtedly be thrilled to have both him and Alexander-Arnold in the squad again.

Looking ahead to their clash with the Hornets in what will be Claudio Ranieri’s first game in charge of the Hertfordshire side, we feel that if the duo are 100% fit to play, then they should both be included in the manager’s starting XI to give the team the best chance of picking up all three points.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Both figureheads are influential members of the team and Liverpool will no doubt be stronger as a result of their place in the starting XI.

In other news: Lost possession every 3.5 touches: “Unbelievable” LFC gem enduring horror loan spell – opinion

Dean Windass is confident that Tammy Abraham has played for final game for Chelsea.

The 23-year-old, a product of the Blues academy, was first-choice striker under Frank Lampard, but quickly fell out of favour under Thomas Tuchel – starting just twice in the Premier League following the German’s January appointment.

Abraham played just 1,533 minutes across all competitions, but still scored 12 times and chipped in with six assists.

However, when Chelsea reached the latter stages of both the FA Cup and Champions League, Abraham was made to watch from the bench and even the stands on several occasions.

The former Swansea and Aston Villa loanee was made cruelly left out of both final squads for the defeat to Leicester and historic victory over Manchester City in late-May.

Despite his frustrations, Abraham remains a Chelsea player and is currently preparing for the new campaign with the rest of Tuchel’s first-team squad.

However, Abraham, who’s valued at £40m by the Blues, is attracting attention from many Premier League outfits, and looks on course to end his 17-year affiliation with the Stamford Bridge side this summer.

Windass exclusively told Football FanCast:

“I think it’s the end for Tammy Abraham, his days were numbered when the new manager came in.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“Tammy will be doing pre-season now, thinking, what club I am going to be at next year? You know as a footballer if a manager fancies you.

“You’re not daft. His days are numbered, and if he stays there he’s just going to be a squad player, and he won’t want that as a young kid.”

Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar is reportedly available for £25m this summer, and Liverpool must swoop for the talented technician as they seek a replacement for Gini Wijnaldum.

What’s the story?

According to French outlet L’Equipe, the 22-year-old’s value has plummeted after an underwhelming campaign with the Ligue 1 giants, meaning a potential bargain is there to be had.

The report claims that Aouar would be open to offers coming his way, but with Arsenal also thought to be interested in acquiring his services, Jurgen Klopp may have to move quickly to secure his signature.

Liverpool must swoop

Liverpool will be glad to see the back of a testing 2020/21 campaign, where serious injuries to several key players destroyed their hopes of retaining their Premier League crown. The Reds recovered admirably in the latter stages of the season, winning their final five games to secure a Champions League qualification spot.

However, there are still expected to be several changes made by the Merseyside club over the coming months as Klopp looks to freshen up his first team squad, and a successor to Wijnaldum should be  top of the wish list.

The Dutch international is expected to join Barcelona on a free transfer once his current contract expires, leaving a substantial hole in the Liverpool engine room.

Wijnaldum offered a unique combination of skills which will be hard for any player to replicate, with the 30-year-old often impressing through his work rate, technical ability and eye for goal.

Nevertheless, when comparing the two midfielders’ numbers, there are some surprising similarities.

Despite Aouar regularly playing a slightly more advanced role at the Groupama Stadium than the one Wijnaldum often played in Klopp’s system, the France international still matched the Liverpool man’s 0.6 tackles per league game this season, and his total of 0.6 interceptions per league game was only just under Wijnaldum’s 0.7.

In an attacking sense, Aouar completely outperformed his counterpart. Admittedly this is partly down to the tactical responsibilities placed upon Wijnaldum, but it’s still telling all the same.

Aouar recorded 2.3 shots per league game compared to Wijnaldum’s 0.8, made 1.3 key passes where the Dutchman made just 0.6, and also pulled off 1.5 dribbles in contrast to Wijnaldum’s 0.9.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

After Manchester City found life tough against an impressive Lyon side back in 2018, Pep Guardiola was quick to lavish praise on Les Gones’ midfield maestro.

“Houssem Aouar is a very good player. He is incredible. We talk a lot about (Tanguy) Ndombele, but Aouar is also excellent. He’s always very calm with the ball at his feet, with an excellent technical quality,” marvelled the City boss.

With Aouar having a market value of £45m (Transfermarkt), Liverpool could solve their midfield problem with a clever cut-price deal this summer. Their director of football Michael Edwards must swoop for the Frenchman and provide Klopp with the tools he needs to mount another title tilt next year.

In other news… Liverpool heading for massive transfer mistake over £30m liability, Klopp must avoid 

Glasgow Rangers crashed out of the Europa League on Thursday night, and many of the Gers supporters were shocked that Ianis Hagi was not given the chance to change the course of the match.

The Gers managed to pick up a 1-1 draw in Czechia against Slavia Prague in their round of 16 first-leg clash last week. As such, they would have been hopeful of getting the job done at Ibrox in the return fixture, but they were unable to do so in the end as they were defeated 2-0. Red cards for Leon Balogun and Kemar Roofe only added to the disappointment on the night.

In the game last week, Hagi provided the assist for Filip Helander to equalise and net a vital away goal. However, Steven Gerrard chose not to start the £5.4m-valued Romania international (Transfermarkt) this time around, while he didn’t even introduce him as one of his five substitutes during the 90 minutes.

The Gers fans were far from happy with Gerrard’s decision, and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Gerrard’s Hagi decision below

“Think Gerrard will need to take some blame for tonight. No need to drop Helander and Aribo was poor in the first game so don’t know why Hagi was dropped.”

Credit: @Alan_Paton2020

“It’s been a rare occurrence this season, but a Gerrard clanger tonight. Arfield shouldn’t have started and Roofe was never the right sub when Hagi is sitting there. Balogun always walking a tightrope, should have been subbed. Everything that could go wrong did.”

Credit: @StaunchusPilate

“Poor performance, deserved to lose. Substitions incredibly questionable. Wouldn’t surprise me if Hagi leaves in the summer as Gerrard seems to have something against him. Oh well. Into next season when we hear the champions league music back at Ibrox.”

Credit: @Gerole9

“Gerrard got it wrong tonite. Why was Helander dropped? Why was Hagi no on at HT for Arfield? Balogun should’ve been hooked after tackle before he got his red. But hey ho a good run and 55s accomplished!”

Credit: @29McBride

“Just found out a bit at that level. Gerrard still learning. Not playing Helander & Hagi was criminal”

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Credit: @Smith_LoveWins

“Not sure but it 100% cost us IMO when you take into account Roofe come on, got sent off, left us exposed and Balogun got sent off too. Two big mistakes from Gerrard playing Balogun over Helander and putting on Roofe ahead of Hagi.”

Credit: @Right_Winger84

In other news, Rangers are interested in this Championship forward.